Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to provide Members with more background on our fiscal situation. As Members heard on February 16, 2016, the federal Finance Minister announced a partial restoration of $24 million in annual Territorial Formula Financing funding lost through the unintended consequences of the data methodology revisions. While this is welcome news, the GNWT has already included a scenario in its fiscal forecast presented to Members that included the partial restoration of the Territorial Formula Financing. The problem, however, has not changed. The GNWT still faces a situation where expenditures are growing and revenues are declining over the life of the 18th Assembly. Under this scenario, the GNWT operating surpluses will start to decline, resulting in a small operating deficit position by 2019-2020. Put another way, unless we find a way to curtail our expenditures and/or grow our economy by approximately $150 million over the next five years, the GNWT will continue to use short-term borrowing to pay for operating expenditures and to finance infrastructure investment.
Clearly, our current fiscal situation is not sustainable, and unless we take decisive action, we will be in a clear violation of the guiding principles of our recently approved Fiscal Responsible Policy. The formal approval of this policy by Cabinet reconfirms our commitment to responsible fiscal management in order to produce the operating surplus to fund at least half of our capital investments. We cannot fund day-to-day operational needs by undertaking increased short-term borrowing that would see us increase our total debt to over $1 billion, and drive us unnecessarily close to the federally imposed debt limit of $1.3 billion. We cannot burden future generations and future governments with the costs of the services we consume today.
We will pay for programs and services that meet our priorities and are affordable over the long term. Our government is committed to fiscal responsibility and our fiscal responsibility policy. We need to live within our means, not just for today or just for this year, but for the entire four years of the 18th Legislative Assembly. As we start addressing our current fiscal situation, in the long term we are not encouraged by the five-year outlook for the NWT economy and its implications for GNWT revenues.
Although some regions are benefitting from resource development projects, economic activity in other areas has slowed considerably. Over the medium term, the available information suggests a protracted decline in resource production. Existing diamond mines are maturing and currently planned projects will not replace their contributions to the territorial economy. At the same time, exploration necessary for the new development is also slowing down. The expected slow economic growth and flat population growth are the main reasons for declining total revenue projections.
The NWT economic outlook and the implications for GNWT revenues are the 18th Legislative Assembly's most serious challenges. We need to support growth and diversification in the NWT economy, with investments now, so that the closing of the existing mines in the medium term do not shrink the economic base. Promoting economic growth and increasing the tax base is important for the long-term health in own-source revenue. However, unless we make changes to expenditure management, we will not have the fiscal resources to make strategic economic investment, let alone sustain current programs and services. Investments in infrastructure are vital, because infrastructure provides the framework in which our economy operates. We depend on infrastructure to transport goods and service between communities, and improving and maintaining transportation infrastructure is critical to combat the high cost of living in all parts of our territory. We need to continue to protect the infrastructure we already have, and prevent our assets from falling into disrepair. These are our schools, health facilities, and transportation and community infrastructure. We choose to make strategic investments to support a prosperous economy that connects NWT residents with economic opportunity. Our infrastructure investments provide the means to deliver services important to NWT residents, including health care and education.
Reducing and delaying infrastructure investments is not an option. It should go without saying that we need to protect and support or economy as it provides the jobs for our residents and the revenues for our government. Today our economy is fragile, and tomorrow we want an economy that is strong, diversified and sustainable. This means we must address our fiscal problem now. If we do nothing, we will be forced to take more serious action at the start of the 19th Assembly to remain in compliance with our Fiscal Responsibility Policy. By taking decisive action now, we will achieve fiscal sustainability over the long term that allows us to increase investments in infrastructure and fund new initiatives to address our priorities, improve residents' lives, and support our economy.
Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, we are also looking at actions to raise revenues, but we have to be realistic about what we can and cannot do. We cannot solve our fiscal problems solely on the revenue side. As we well know, approximately 70 per cent of our revenues come from the Territorial Formula Financing. As provincial governments continue to restrain their spending to address deficits and increasing debt burdens, growth in our Territorial Formula Financing Grant will remain limited.
Later this session, I will be tabling a paper on possible options to increase our own source revenue, but the paper does not provide any new information or alternatives than those provided to previous Assemblies. Quite simply, our tax base is too small to make increasing taxes the answer to our declining revenue problem. If we increase the tax burden on businesses and individuals, we risk damaging the economy further. Increasing taxes will take money out of the local economy, which affects families' pocketbooks and the bottom line of local businesses. It also reduces the attractiveness of the NWT as a place to do business, live, and work. Already our tax revenues are in decline, as global events affect our recourse-based economy. Increasing tax rates on a declining tax base will require careful consideration to make sure we do not jeopardize our ability to advance the Assembly's priority to support and sustainably grow the economy.
Revenue projections for 2015-16 have declined $36 million from the 2015-16 Budget to $1.79 billion, largely due to lower resource and corporate income tax revenue projections. On the expenditure side, fire suppression costs and increased diesel fuel costs incurred by the NWT Power Corporation meant the GNWT was over its $30 million supplementary appropriation reserve allocation by $46 million. Consequently, the $147 million operating surplus projected in the 2015-16 Budget is now projected to be $69 million, a $78-million decrease.
This mix of bad news reinforces the need for prudent and responsible fiscal planning, meaning we need to learn to live within our means. Mr. Speaker, we cannot take the position of an ostrich and bury our heads in the sand and pretend and hope to escape reality. We are no longer in a position where we can keep expenditures at their current rate and hope to keep expenditure growth in line with revenue growth to maintain fiscal sustainability. Revenues are declining, and we need to reduce the level of expenditures as well as restrain their growth. We do not make this conclusion lightly. Government expenditures are part of the economy that we are trying to support. However, we need to consider an economic outlook that anticipates the difficulties of the resource sector, which is the main driver of our economy. Commodity prices today and in the foreseeable future are much lower than in recent history, and we are already seeing the effects of these lower prices. We also know that potential mines are having difficulty getting financing, and even if these projects are built, they will not replace the economic output of today's existing mines.
We must take steps now to provide us with the fiscal flexibility to make strategic investments in our economy, such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Wha Ti all-weather highway, and the all-season road into the Slave Geological Province, all of which will lower the cost of living and doing business and provide skills training so NWT residents have more opportunities to contribute to and diversify the NWT economy. We also need this flexibility to have cash available to take advantage of any federally cost-shared infrastructure, like the New Building Canada Plan, which is needed to provide economic stimulus in our regions. The GNWT has started its part by making the difficult decision to freeze any economic adjustments to the salaries of deputy ministers, senior managers, and excluded employees for two years, starting in 2016-2017.
The priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly include addressing the cost of living, supporting education, training and youth development, fostering community wellness and safety, and investing in the economy, environment, and climate change. In short, we are seeking to foster the environment that allows NWT residents to create a future of prosperity. This goal requires investments that we cannot make without addressing the expenditure side of the budget. We were aware of the fiscal challenges as we came into this Assembly and we know we have difficult choices leading up to this year's budget. We must now work together to address the fiscal challenge so that this Assembly's priorities may be realized in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner. We are building for future in the decisions we are making today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my statement is about the largest multi-sport cultural event for youth in the nation, the 2023 Canada Winter Games. As a former city councillor in my recent political life, I was excited, to say the least, when the Canada Games Council came to Yellowknife to perform an assessment on our capital city to see if we had the capacity and ability to host the games. That was the first indication to me that we must, or why would the national council even consider coming to Yellowknife in the first place?
Mr. Speaker, the Arctic Winter Games has been instrumental in increasing the level of competition, talent, and sporting infrastructure in the Northwest Territories and throughout the circumpolar world. The Canada Winter Games could do the same for the next generation of athletic games in the Northwest Territories. Looking at Whitehorse's experience of the games in 2007 gives us a sense of the positive impacts the Northwest Territories could see. The Whitehorse games came with a $120-million price tag, but the positive economic impact was massive as the games injected millions back into almost every sector of the economy.
Visitors to Whitehorse spent nearly $9 million during those two weeks alone, according to an independent economic impact study, and many of them indicated they were likely to return in the near future, bringing a long-term boost to tourism. Investment in sporting infrastructure and athlete and coach development would help more athletes from the Northwest Territories make national teams and put us on the map as a sporting destination for future national level events. The games would also have a positive impact on the community. At last, Friday's Q and A session on the 2023 Canada Winter Games, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs announced that the GNWT is willing to invest in an athletes’ village that post-games could be repurposed as low-income and seniors' housing.
The biggest benefit of the 2007 games, according to Whitehorse Mayor Dan Curtis, was improving healthy lifestyles and community involvement. Hosting the games would give us an opportunity to include the whole territory, not just Yellowknife; showcase our cultures; and reach out to our sister territories to the east and west, involving as many northern Canadians as possible in the event and making the games more attractive to the federal government and southern investors.
Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife's bid for the 2023 Canada Winter Games deserves serious consideration and support. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs on this topic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Sorry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was daydreaming there for a second. Today I would like to take the House on a journey that was shared with me by a great-grandmother recently. Like all great-grandmothers, she had a vested interest in her great-grandchildren. She had a dream for each of them. The one she shared with me started some eight years ago, when her grandson started playing soccer. She had a dream that he would one day be successful; get the chance to play soccer on national and international stages.
Well, the international stage opportunity came with Arctic Winter Games this year. This young man worked hard, attended practices on a regular basis, and played basketball as a cross-training opportunity. The first hurdle was the regional soccer camp. He and a number of friends worked extra hard, and were selected to go on to the next stage. At this point in time, you would figure it was a nice stepping stone for him, his friends, and his great-grandmother. Unfortunately, it was not the case.
After the excitement of being selected, he found out that to go on to the territorial selection process, he had to have a passport in hand by the territorial trials date. This was not going to happen because he did not have a passport photo, and he was not going to be able to get one because the ferry was going out and the ice bridge was not going to be in until early December. The option to fly to Yellowknife to get it done was not feasible. Too much cost to get him and his family there to do it. As this wise lady says, she has witnessed these types of hurdles and hindrances placed in front of Aboriginal youth, especially from small communities, too many times, and it is time something was done about it. She feels the system is stacked against the small communities and Aboriginal youth.
After reading this story, I took the time to find and speak to her grandson about this situation, and ask his take on it. His comments were that it was a very disappointing time for him and one of his friends, who was in the same boat. He was frustrated that there was limited information from the very beginning about the requirements to have the passport in hand to attend the territorial trials.
If this information was shared better, he felt that he and his friend could have gotten the picture and passport application done on time. This is very sad. I realize in bigger centres this may not be an issue, but for the smaller communities it is. Later on, I will ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs questions regarding the process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to make some general comments today on the future of the Northwest Territories. The proposed mandate tabled yesterday in this House and the Commissioner's Opening Address provided Cabinet's assessment of our fiscal situation, which is not shared by all in this Assembly.
We have inherited new authority and jurisdiction under devolution. We must use our resources very wisely to ensure that we do not take away opportunities for future generations, but also maximize the retention of benefits for our residents today. The federal government did not review revenues from these resources for many, many years. As part of the devolve-and-evolve approach, we need to thoroughly examine whether the Northwest Territories is getting a fair return for the use and extraction of these public resources. We also need to ensure that there is some benefit to future generations from this non-renewable natural capital through a defined revenue stream into our Heritage Fund. I look forward to a comprehensive and public review of our resource revenues during the term of this Assembly.
Yesterday, we heard from Cabinet about traditional values of thrift and self-reliance. There was another traditional value that was not discussed: sharing. We look after each other here. Those that have, share with those that do not have. Income disparity has steadily grown in the Northwest Territories over the 30 years I have lived here. Despite the high cost of living, there is room for us to better share our wealth within the Northwest Territories, and I will be looking for ways to increase our revenues.
There are sectors of our economy that are enjoying growth, including tourism, arts and crafts, manufacturing, and agriculture. Those are exactly the areas we should be supporting to diversify our economy and to build long-term sustainability and resiliency. Now is the time for public strategic investment in these sectors of our economy. Building large surpluses in the operations and maintenance side of our budget to spend on infrastructure will require cuts to programs, services, and staffing that support our quality of life. Building roads to resources will perpetuate our dependency on non-renewable resources and the boom and bust cycles of commodities that we cannot control. If we are to invest in infrastructure, let's invest in our people and a knowledge economy through a university in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There is tremendous global interest in our natural environment, cultural, traditional knowledge, co-management systems, and cold-weather technology. Canada is the only circumpolar country without a university in its north. This is something that I believe the new federal government would support. This is the kind of vision I had expected to see as part of the proposed mandate. I look forward to the debate in the coming weeks on the future of the Northwest Territories and our fiscal situation. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights of people whose first language is French or whose primary school education was in French to have their children educated in that language if they reside in a province or territory where that is the linguistic minority. In Hay River, Ecole Boreale services this right. In 2008, the Minister of Education issued a directive stating that admissions to French language programs shall be restricted only to those students who qualify according to a strict interpretation of section 23 and have the documents to prove it. This is contrary to virtually every other jurisdiction in Canada, where the power to determine admissions is delegated to the French language school boards. The result of this directive is that admissions to Ecole Boreale are at critical levels. There is currently only one child enrolled in kindergarten, in a split class with grades one and two. There are only three children eligible for kindergarten next year. If those numbers continue, Ecole Boreale won't survive. Parents and other residents are frustrated, confused, and angry about the situation, and I share those feelings. We have a school that is providing high-quality education, yet the government seems content to see Ecole Boreale close its doors. A closure would mean the loss of 17 full- and part-time jobs. It means people will leave the community, and it takes away a vital incentive for people from the South to move to Hay River.
According to the Supreme Court of Canada, section 23 was designed to correct the erosion of official language minority groups. Many of the children who have been denied admission to Ecole Boreale have grandparents whose first language was French; however, that language was not passed on because it was lost at residential schools or because of the historical lack of French language schools in the North. This loss of language needs to be corrected.
The Supreme Court also states that there's a critical need for vigilant implementation of section 23 rights to protect from further language erosion. In the case at hand, a vigilant implementation merely calls for allowing a small number of non-right holders to attend Ecole Boreale so that it remains viable in the long term.
I know that the Minister is well aware of these concerns. Parents, grandparents, and former students have been writing letters to the Minister pleading their cases and showing their support. We need the government to work with the French language and Hay River school boards to resolve this issue and assure that Ecole Boreale remains in Hay River for generations to come, and at the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday the Regular Members of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning issued a media release to give our view of the budgetary process now underway, and to propose some priorities for measures and public consultation. I would like to add that information to the record here by speaking of it. The government's media release of February 9, 2016 said, “The GNWT is committed to working closely with MLAs to identify practical solutions to the fiscal challenge,” and that “The GNWT will develop proposals and share them with MLAs for input prior to the preparation of business plans.”
Yet Regular Members are concerned that government has decided on a course of action, a concern that is exacerbated today when we hear the Finance Minister say he is not looking at any new taxes, $150 million in cuts, and a freeze on senior government salaries, none of which were agreed with by this side of the House. The Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning’s media release of February 16, 2016 called on government to ensure effective public engagement on government budgets to ensure spending and programs are aligned with the 18th Assembly's stated priorities, to create new sources of revenue, invest in infrastructure projects and economic incentive programs, and fund cost-saving efficiencies within government. The committee is asking the government to balance new revenue generation, program efficiencies, and cost-saving measures to ensure a change of course is not detrimental to our economy.
Key among these recommendations is the need for public consultation. The previous Finance Minister went to the public last fall on budget preparation. But note that he did not consider at that time how to increase revenues. The picture has changed since last fall, with the closure of Snap Lake and loss of the federal Territorial Formula Financing funding, to the tune of $10 million. Now is the time to consult, before the June offering of the full operating budget, and there is a model convenient to hand. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, faced with the recent crash in oil prices, moved swiftly to public consultation on budgetary measures. They recognized their fiscal situation was not temporary. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. They recognized their fiscal situation was not temporary and that before setting a direction that would be long-term, they would ask the citizens their views. They are asking citizens to identify a combination of measures to increase revenues, reduce expenditures, eliminate waste, and establish fiscal targets. Citizens have many choices for participation. They can comment on a discussion document, attend public discussion sessions and town hall meetings, host their own meetings, and make submissions online. In order to focus their comments, residents were asked to comment on three main questions:
What three things could government stop doing in order to save money?
What three new things could government do to raise money?
How can government be more innovative or efficient to provide quality services at lower costs?
These are the questions we need to ask the residents of the NWT, and since we can expect our fiscal situation to be as equally long-term as Newfoundland's, we need to build public support, ownership, and partnership in making our fiscal approach work. These questions align very well with the priorities called for in our committee's release. As this government points out and Newfoundland realized, our financial situation is not going to change in the short term. Government needs to move forward in partnership with civil society. It's not too late for consultation, and budgeting can't begin without it. I will have questions for the Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi Members’ statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I did some short eulogies for people that passed away in my riding. I'm going continue to do the same and finish those up.
[English translation not provided.] Today I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family of the late Noel Michael Francois, who sadly, passed away on November 14, 2015, more commonly known as Michael. Michael was born on August 30, 1982. He loved learning. He loved school and excelled in math, and did very well in calculus with a mechanical engineering program he completed at NAIT. Michael loved his boys, his parents, sisters, family. Michael's boys will follow in Michael's footsteps. They both excel in math and enjoy hockey, and are very sweet, well-mannered sons. Before becoming ill, Michael enjoyed working as a math and science tutor for the after-school program down at the Ndilo school. He planned to go back to school to complete his engineering program. He enjoyed playing the bass and he was always an Oilers fan, no matter what. He would have enjoyed Connor McDavid. Michael leaves behind his children Isaiah and Hayden Boucher-Francois; his parents Mike and Mary Jane Francois; his sisters Diane, Jackie, Mary Ann, Stella, Berna, Bernice, Helen; and his brother Sean. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews who loved him, and he loved them, and cousins and friends across the North.
I would like to send my deepest condolences to the Boucher-Beaulieu family of the late Isadore Boniface Boucher-Beaulieu of Fort Resolution. He was born September 20, 1988 and passed away February 6, 2015. Isadore enjoyed playing video games and riding around with his friends. He was a very kind-hearted young man who suffered from cancer since 2000. Even though he was sick, he did not show it. He always put his friends and family first. He was a very strong young man who did not show any pain. Isadore is survived by his mother Catherine Boucher and his father Leon Beaulieu; brother Brendan; sisters Elizabeth, Leanne, and Isabelle; and two nieces, Emily and Piper. Isadore will be sadly missed by all his friends and family in Fort Resolution, and all over the North.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many times in this House I have thanked the Department of Transportation for providing funding to the community of Aklavik for the Willow River project. Over the last two years, we have received funding from the department to purchase a bridge to put in place at Willow River. This bridge is now actually on site, but now the community needs funds to have this bridge in place and operational. The community is looking forward to the completion of this project so we can open up opportunities for tourism and also the community to go to have picnics or go hunting, more recreational activities for the community. I will have more questions for the Minister later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Sahtu.
Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to discuss in my Member’s statement here the daycare building in Norman Wells. It's a beautiful building contributed and donated by the Town of Norman Wells, the private sector, and the territorial government. It has since provided a meaningful service to the working parents, a vital component to the working class community of Norman wells, and a huge contribution to the child welfare side of the community. Today I will be addressing that concern to the Minister of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Minister of Finance on his statement on the fiscal update this morning. It's good to have some facts on the ground for us to consider and some clear projects for moving our economy forward.
I also agree with his assertion that the tax base at this time is too low to fuel the kind of revenues that we require. However, the low-hanging fruit of our economy has always been the mining sector, and of course our Territorial Formula Financing Grant. These are areas that we can work to directly expand by making the Northwest Territories the most attractive place to invest, live, and work. We should be looking at ways to lower taxes for businesses and create tax credits for investment and tax credits for people to encourage the growth of economic migration to the Northwest Territories.
Furthermore, we should be expanding useful programs, like the Mining Incentive Program, and looking at ways to settle land claims and create certainty for the industry so we can make use of those resources through enhanced features like a heritage fund that actually invests in our economy today, instead of keeping the money in reserve for a rainy day. We need to work diligently towards these activities, and we need to be bold and ambitious. I'm pleased to see that we are finally starting to move in that direction, but I would also like to see further public consultation and further discussion with this side of the House about how we are going to move forward.
I will have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment on how we are moving forward on mining. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take a moment to recognize Buffalo Airways, a business within the Range Lake constituency. This long-standing business has been a staple within our community for over 40 years. With the premiere of Ice Pilots Northwest Territories in 2009, we received international attention from this highly popular television show, located here in the North.
I would like to congratulate Buffalo Airways on six successful seasons and for the various nominations and awards won with this television series. Throughout the duration of the show, Ice Pilots was nominated four times for the Canadian Screen Awards, which brought them to a win in 2015. Ice Pilots received one last nomination for their final season, and I wish them the best of luck during the awards ceremony on March 13, 2016. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Detachment, abandonment, and denial are a few concepts I have come to learn in my brief personal journey. As I contemplate these three new concepts, I wonder just how many further issues there are because of the effects of the residential schools in our families and communities. [English translation not provided.]
I remember as a child, travelling by boat with my parents into my home community of Fort Providence. What impressed me was a towering building sitting atop the riverbank. There are times that I recall having to visit that large building, and I was scared to go into that building. That building was torn down in the 1970s, but its effects are still felt today. I became aware of the residential school experience from my parents sharing their stories. I recall my late father telling me that he was forced to learn French and forget about Slavey. When he left the residence, he was unable to speak to his mother, to his parents. His brother had to translate for him to communicate with his mother. [English translation not provided.]
At that time, students were then separated and detached from their parents. Students likely felt abandoned, and they were denied their language and culture. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Like all people that have been affected by residential school, my hope is that the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report will not be in vain. That the Government of Canada and the GNWT will work together to ensure initiatives of wellness and that healing will reach back into the far reaches of our nation and families. I dream that one day the Dene values of honour, love, and respect will be upheld in their highest level. That we learn once again to take care of ourselves and our relationships with each other and make Denendeh the place that it should be. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome everybody. Good morning. During my statements, I'm going to celebrate people who have contributed to our society, both in the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit regions of Nunakput and Inuvialuit. Today I'm going to commend Mr. Gerry Kisoun. I'm going to speak a few notes on Gerry right now. Gerry was born in the Mackenzie Delta during 1953. Gerry grew up as a trapper, like myself, and growing up on the trapline you realize the hardships of life and then you celebrate the rest. Gerry moved to Inuvik and Aklavik in 1956, today known as Inuvik, the East-3. Gerry attended Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and then attended Samuel Hearne Secondary School during his high school years. Gerry, in 1971, joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After seeing service in Alberta and the Yukon, Gerry eventually worked back to the Northwest Territories in the RCMP and retired in 1996. After retiring from the RCMP, Gerry took a position with Parks Canada and the Western Arctic Field Unit working with visitor services, which today is known as the Parks Canada Western Arctic Field Unit, which he retired from in 2013. Today, Gerry guides with the tourism company called Tundra North Tours, guiding and sharing many great stories of the people of the Mackenzie Delta.
Gerry is from Inuvialuit and Gwich'in background. With his wife Rosa, Gerry has four children and five grandchildren. Gerry has been involved in many, many areas that pertain to our people. Gerry took part in northern games since his teenage years, and continues to do so today. Gerry volunteered many hours with our Muskrat Jamboree, northern games, and other activities in our region, including the Northern Dene Games Summit, which is going on its fourth year now in Inuvik. Gerry sits on a number of boards, which take a good portion of his time. Also, Gerry is a recipient of the RCMP Long Service Medal in Canada, the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, the Queen's Jubilee Medal and, most recently, the Polar Medal. During 2011, Gerry was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Northwest Territories and was reappointed to another three-year term in 2014. Today, I just want to commend Gerry and thank him for keeping the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit culture strong and respectful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Marsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize our interpreter in the Dogrib language, Wiiliideh dialect, Mary Rose Sundberg. Thank you.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Because I can't really see the gallery clearly, I just want to thank all the many folks that are here today watching the ongoings.
---Laughter
Yesterday you heard me speak about the Arctic Inspiration Prize, and one of the beneficiaries in particular is FOXY, which stands for Fostering Open eXpression among Youth. I want to take this opportunity today to recognize the founders and operators of FOXY. We have with us today Ms. Candice Lys and Ms. Nancy MacNeill, and I want to thank you for your incredible contribution to Northern youth. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge Courteney Lizotte. Ms. Lizotte has been with the Range Lake North School for the past five years and has been the principal for the last two years. Earlier this year she was nominated by the PAC president of Range Lake North and has been recognized by The Learning Partnership as one of Canada's 40 Outstanding Principals this year. She's the only educator to be recognized for this acknowledgement from the NWT in 2016. She'll collect her award alongside other recipients in Toronto on February 23, 2016. We're grateful to have Ms. Lizotte within the Range Lake North School and look forward to many more years of her providing quality programming for the children within our community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Acknowledgements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to acknowledge the passing of Esther Braden. Mrs. Braden arrived in Yellowknife with her husband and five children in 1964 and she soon became a tireless and indispensible volunteer in our community. She most recently was involved with the Hard of Hearing Association and with the seniors, and she was a frequent entertainer at Aven Manor often playing the piano, which was a true love of hers. Her efforts earned her an Order of Canada in 2006. Mrs. Braden helped build Yellowknife in her reflection: kind and caring. As well as her own contributions to public life, Mrs. Braden's son George was the first premier of the NWT and her son Bill was a two-term Member for Great Slave. I offer the family my deepest sympathy for their loss. Their loss is our loss too. Masi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the Building Canada Plan last year the GNWT received a little over $300 million with just under $300 million of those dollars going to the Department of Transportation. Just under $300 million was put into bundles of under $100 million each, sorted out into the three bundles. Bundle number one has been rolled out and construction is underway. I'd like to ask the Minister of the Department of Transportation, when will the department be rolling out bundle number two? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department is currently seeking approvals required for bundle two. The current plan is to ask for supplemental funding for bundle two in the May/June session so work can proceed this summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'd like to ask if the Minister has been in touch with his federal counterparts or infrastructure counterparts from the federal government, and if they recognize the urgency of the approval of these bundles so that the constructions companies that will be doing the work can do their planning for the summer.
Both the federal government and the territorial government have recently gone through an election, which slowed down the process for approvals on this. Now the new governments are in place and bundle two is underway. I have recently met with Minister Sohi in Ottawa, and the new federal government has indicated they're all ready to approve the projects and get them out the door as quickly as possible.
I wonder if the Minister would be able to provide us some sort of a status on bundle number two from the Canada Building Plan, sort of like a status that gives us the next steps so that people out there that are in the business of construction can hear firsthand what type of schedule they're looking at in order to do their planning.
Bundle two will be considered by the Financial Management Board very soon.
