Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Next we have Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question has been asked and answered. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Any further questions, committee, on page 109? Mr. Nakimayak?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just looking at the actuals from 2014-15 for climate change adaptation project, and this here it shows 200. Can the department explain the reduction? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Nakimayak. Ms. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Because of all of the work that’s been going on with the pan-Canadian framework, the federal government is looking at those contributions and they put forward $200,000 this year but are looking at other funding opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Any further questions, Mr. Nakimayak?
None at this moment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Nakimayak. Any further questions, committee, on page 109? Work performed on behalf of others, information item, are we agreed?
Agreed.
Agreed, thank you. Next we’re on page 110. Work performed on behalf of others, information item, any questions. Committee, are we agreed on page 110?
Agreed.
Agreed, thank you. On page 111, work performed on behalf of others, information item, any questions. Are we agreed?
Agreed
Agreed. That brings us to page 112. We’re nearing the end here, committee.
---Laughter
Work performed on behalf of others, information item, any questions. Are we agreed?
Agreed.
Okay. I see none. Committee, please return to department total on page 79. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that our guests and the Minister want to wrap this up, but I also recognize that there are a couple components that haven’t been discussed in our conversations over the last couple days with ENR, and so I think that before actually closing out this department there a couple points that I want to raise so that we’re on the public record. We have it in our mandate document, Mr. Chair, that we are going to finalize and implement the conservation action plan in order to finalize existing plans for protected areas. I wonder can the department please give as much information as they can on what that plan is, what resources we’re allocating, what kind of time frames we’re looking at. I think the public is looking for some clarification on what this is now. There’s been a name change apparently you know in recent months from preservation strategy to conservation network strategy. I think the public would really appreciate some clarification and elaboration on this aspect. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That document is currently going through the process. We just recently completed a discussion on it through the committee of Cabinet and the next stage is to Cabinet, so I’m assuming Members will see it shortly after that. We did previously engage with the Standing Committee from the last government. Near the end of the last government we engaged with all our partners on that document and we are currently running the revised document through the process I mentioned. The name change as from Conservation Action Plan and through the engagement process, it was decided that we would change the name now to the GNWT Priorities for Advancement of the Conservation Network Planning, and that document will focus on two key areas, one being the completion of the existing candidate areas and the second area being the renewed strategy. With part of devolution, we had the Protected Area Strategy and now going forward we’re going to have a renewed strategy that again focuses on the GNWT being the lead for that strategy. We hope to have that document out this summer. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Any further questions from Mr. Vanthuyne?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the deputy minister for that clarification. I feel that that’s well appreciated and certainly look forward to it coming forward to standing committees for further input. Mr. Chair, I wonder similarly, as it relates to the establishment of the Thaidene Nene park, can the department please maybe let us know where or what the status of that establishment is, who our partners are, what each partner’s role is, and is there still opportunity for the public to provide its views and opinions and input on the establishment of the park? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thaidene Nene is in a similar process as the conservation plan, we’re running it through the process. We, again, had pause to settle negotiations as a result of a transition period, the previous election, et cetera. We now are running through the system and we’ll have clearer direction through that process and which will allow us shortly afterwards to start the negotiating process to complete Thaidene Nene. Again, we expect hopefully we can complete Thaidene Nene in the next short while. We feel we’re not that far off from completing Thaidene Nene. As far as the negotiations of course we keep in contact with our partners and, again, just to inform them that a commitment is still there, that we will be back engaging with negotiations very shortly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Any further questions, Mr. Vanthuyne?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the deputy minister for that. Further, I’m wondering, do we have specific partners on this? When we say the term negotiate, with whom are we negotiating? What is that process? Is it with these partners? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The negotiating partners for Thaidene Nene is primarily the Akaitcho, being of course Lutselk’e, Yellowknife Dene First Nation, Fort Resolution. We also are having negotiations with the NWT Metis Nation, they’re part of the group as well. As far as other partners, of course there’s residents, there’s public forums, there’s the Chamber of Mines, et cetera. That’s through the engagement process so, again, of course part of the process going forward, to re-engage with those partners as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Any further questions, Mr. Vanthuyne?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To be clear, is it the territorial government that in fact is the lead on the establishment of the Thaidene Nene park?
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne, Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the territorial government is the lead for negotiation of Thaidene Nene. Again, that’s outside the national park footprint and, of course, understandably they would be the lead for that. Anything outside the proposed national park area would be the Government of Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Any further questions, Mr. Vanthuyne?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the department maybe recommend that if there was public input to be considered, like a recommendation from the public in terms of an actual change to be considered with the actual design, I don’t know if design’s the right term, of the part that affects, you know, the federal component of the park. You know, are we hearing now that there would be two different entities that individuals, Northerners in fact, would have to talk to? Is there a parks party or parks leads that we would have to talk to and then possibly even the territorial government because they are a partner in this? I wonder if there’s some clarification there, that if a good suggestion or one to be considered is coming forward from the public on a change to the Parks Canada portion of the park, to whom would they actually be directed to go and make that suggestion to? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The residents or the concerned parties for the Parks Canada portion absolutely would be directed to go to Parks Canada. Parks Canada is undertaking their own consultation and engagement process. To date, on just where we’re at, there is some refinement that needs to be completed on boundaries. Again, we have to have some further discussion. That refinement is to be a minor area. All of that is actually in the national park area, so most discussions would be for that area. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Vanthuyne, your time has expired, if you have further questions, you can go after the next person. That brings us to page 79, Environment and Natural Resources, departmental total, $90,315,000. It’s Mr. O’Reilly next, thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I didn’t want to dump on my colleague, but I did hear a couple remarks here that just started to set off some alarm bells for me. I think I heard the deputy minister say that they’re going to reopen negotiations. I’m hoping that we’re not looking at the whole arrangement unraveling at this point though the territorial government wanting to make a bunch of significant changes. I know that some of the other parties to these negotiations have had significant amounts of time invested and energy, and commitments from third parties that are time-dependent. I just get worried when I hear the words “reopen negotiations.” Perhaps we can just get a little bit of clarity here about what is actually taking place. Like, if we’re reopening negotiations on the whole package, I’m more than a little concerned. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. A couple things I guess. We’re not reopening negotiations. All what happened was this process was put on pause during the 17th Assembly for the election. What we’re doing is going back through the process and bringing this back to open the box back up and essentially to get things going again. It’s not like we’re re-negotiating. What we negotiated already we’re just… The process was put on pause and now we’re re-engaging with the stakeholders. One thing I’d like to suggest maybe is we can offer a briefing to committee on this whole process and then everyone can ask as many questions as they want. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Schumann. Any further questions, Mr. O’Reilly?
No. I do want to thank the Minister for that reassurance. If it’s just re-commencing where we left off, I’m more comfortable with it. I think that invitation from committee is probably on its way, may be on its way already, so I’ll look forward to getting that briefing. Thanks, Mr. Chair. One other question about this in general though, if I may. As part of this package on the conservation network action plan… I think that’s what… I don’t know if I got the title right. As part of that package, I guess we’re looking at having an overall strategy for conservation areas throughout the Northwest Territories, and presumably part of that is going to be legislation and looking at our toolbox. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Schumann.
Yes, it is. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Schumann. Any further questions, Mr. O’Reilly?
Thanks. A nice short answer, I’ll try to keep my questions shorter too. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Next we have Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to quickly go back: can the department clarify that we’re in fact hosting two different avenues of consultation: that the feds under Parks Canada are responsible for in hosting their own rounds of public consultations; and is the GNWT hosting its own rounds of consultation? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the Member’s correct.
