Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know that the Northwest Territories three regional land and water boards as well as the Mackenzie Valley superboard have been prominent in the news these past three days.
Just this past Friday, on February 27th, the NWT Supreme Court granted an injunction requested by the Tlicho Government. This injunction effectively stops, for now, the elimination of the Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board and the launch of the new superboard, which is supposed to take place effective April 1st.
What catches my attention is that the court’s decision doesn’t only affect the Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board because the superboard would have replaced the Wek’eezhii as well as the Sahtu and Gwich’in boards. All three will now continue until the Tlicho case is decided.
Recently, the Sahtu Secretariat also filed a case to maintain the Sahtu Land and Water Board. The outcome of these cases will now have a significant impact on how land and water are managed in the Northwest Territories, particularly on how First Nations engage on decisions respecting their traditional lands. For example, the Gwich’in First Nation currently nominates two of the four positions on the Gwich’in Land and Water Board, with all four members nominating the chair. Under the new superboard, they would nominate just one person of 10 without a guaranteed spot on proposed three-person panels to hear new applications.
Later I’ll have questions for the Premier about the status of the Gwich'in Land and Water Board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
