Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is an area where we work with industry and also the communities and we provide a liaison function and also I guess a navigator kind of role I would think. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m familiar with another initiative that’s very similar in its nature. It’s called the Interim Resource Management Assistance Program where non-claiming groups could access funding to participate in regulatory processes, whether it’s an environmental assessment or participating in the liaison with a lot of groups across the North. How does that compare with the IRMA Program, the client service and the community relations? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My recollection of an IRMA is that it was a cost-shared program between the Government of Canada and the Government of Northwest Territories on a two-third/one-third basis, and it was application based and funding was provided directly to the Aboriginal government that applied for the money. This is different than the fact that it’s working between industry and the Aboriginal communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Nadli?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No further questions.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Further questions. Mr. O’Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I do have a couple of areas I want to explore and I think I’m going got probably run out of time, or r we’re going to have to have dinner soon, but the contribution to the Chamber of Mines that’s shown on this page, is that core funding that’s provided to this Chamber of Mines? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s not core funding. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. If it’s not core funding, what is the funding actually for? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. ITI’s contribution to the Chamber of Mines is a decision that’s made yearly and it’s one that provides funding to assist with ITI in implementing the Mineral Development Strategy. We see it as funding as not an operating subsidy. It’s not used for salaries or for rent. Funding is tailored on a yearly basis and is largely a partnership with the chamber to deliver on promotional efforts in support of marketing the Northwest Territories to the resource industry and help promote the Northwest Territories as an attractive and high potential destination for investment dollars. Events include the NWT information session, one half day at PDAC which is a Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, invests in CanNor Seminar, at PDAC, participation at PDAC, and also the Cordilleran Roundup. ITI also partners with the chamber to do targeted research on a case-by-case basis. One such example was the recently released Abacus Mining Survey that was a public opinion poll on mining in the Northwest Territories. This survey serves as a baseline from which we can assess our report card on how the Northwest Territories is doing on many subjects such as regulatory, socio-economic, and environmental. Funding also assists in their capacity to engage in reviews of legislation and regulations such as ongoing reviews of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. Funding also works towards education initiatives. Examples include bartering with the Chamber of Mines last fall to complete three successful prospecting courses in Yellowknife, Ndilo, and Behchoko. Fifty participants attended and completed the course. Student engagement at the Geoscience Forum in Yellowknife where we support education connections so that local students and educators can learn about minerals in the mining industry through hands-on activities and also a career exploration event. The Mineral Development Strategy has funded the transportation for students from Yellowknife, Detah, Ndilo, and Behchoko to attend this event. Eleven classes from grade four to six attended in 2015. The chamber also assisted and participated in the Regional Mineral Strategy Workshop and is involved ongoing in the future delivery of workshops. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. We’re going to keep going? It’s after 6:00. Okay. The last of the questions I have is where would I find funding for the Mineral Industry Advisory Board? Is that in this section? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s not under the contributions; it’s under O and M. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I presume that we’re in the right section here, so what’s the funding for the Mineral Industry Advisory Board? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The maximum allotted is $10,000; the amount utilized has averaged around $5,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’m just wondering if the Minister can explain what the difference is between the Mineral Industry Advisory Board and the Chamber of Mines. I understand the membership might be different, but can you explain now the function of these two organizations is different? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The mineral advisory board provides high-level advice to myself and the chamber deals with mining on an issue-by-issue basis. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess though in some cases the Minister’s getting advice from the same people? Because probably some of the same people involved in the chamber are also involved with the Mineral Industry Advisory Board? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are some members that are on both, but they’re essentially different and they’re not carbon copies of both boards. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can anybody tell me how often does this Mineral Industry Advisory Board meet? Is it once, twice a year, and have they actually met in the last year? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We meet at least once a year. I think this year, because they had a new minister, we were going to attempt to meet this summer as well. We met in January, and we are looking at meeting again. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I understand that the membership of the board is just people from the mining industry, and that’s good, but has the department looked at a way to try to broaden representation of other public interests on the board, including say Aboriginal governments or environmental organizations to just provide a bit more representative set of advice to the Minister? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. The chamber has a number of Aboriginal business people, Aboriginal miners on their board. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Recognizing the time, I shall call for a break for dinner.
---SHORT RECESS
We will resume on page 245. Any further questions? Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I’ll see if I do any better on a full belly. I wanted to go back to the Mineral Industry Advisory Board. I think I heard the Premier say that there were Aboriginal members of the Chamber of Mines, and that… I’m not quite sure what the connection is to the Mineral Industry Advisory Board because I was asking about whether the department was prepared to consider broadening the membership of the Mineral Industry Advisory Board to include other interests, including Aboriginal governments and environmental organizations and so on. Can I ask again of the Minister: is the department prepared to look at broadening the representation on the Mineral Industry Advisory Board? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do have an Aboriginal member on the Mineral Industry Advisory Board. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. That’s helpful to know, but is the Minister prepared to expand the board to make it more representative of other public interests, environmental organizations or tourism or whatever? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’ll review the terms of reference of the Mineral Industry Advisory Board and see if it falls within the parameters, but we’re always prepared to look at all boards. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. O’Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, and I have looked at the terms of reference for the Mineral Industry Advisory Board and I believe that there were concerns actually raised in this House in the previous Assembly about the need to make it more representative of various interests. I’m just wondering when the Minister might be able to consider that and get back to Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
