Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In Fort Providence, there is an interest in terms of establishing a trail from perhaps the base of the Deh Cho bridge all the way to Fort Providence, and the community wants to create a project to draw in more tourists at the same time as trying to create a decent option up there for people who drive long ways up north, to give them an opportunity to walk the historical trail along the Deh Cho. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment: is there a program or funding available to create historical or interpretative signs for trails? Mahsi.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within Education, Culture and Employment, there is no direct funding for signage for trails. However, the good thing about consensus government and the departments is we do try to work together, so I have spoken to my colleague with Infrastructure. There is actually funding within Infrastructure, probably within the community access program, that can be utilized. We are more than willing to work with the MLA if he would like some more information on that.
I don't know where this trail is leading to, but I will try my best. Would the Minister have her staff in the Small Community Employment Support Program reach out to the community on how they can access funding for this project?.
I would love to be able to say yes, I will do that right away, but I would rather, actually, just because I know how busy we are, if the MLA could send me an email with the request, then we would be more than interested to get the staff to action it. We will work with both the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Infrastructure because there is also money under the small business employment fund that maybe we can use to get people to actually do some brush cutting in the trails. There are other resources that we would like to be able to support, so, yes, if the MLA will send us an email, we will make a commitment to work hard to make this a success story in his his community.
I was trying to highlight the Small Community Employment Support Program that has been in existence for some time. It is available for small communities to try to create employment projects in their communities. I am supposing that the Minister is quite familiar with that. I wanted to ask her: what are some of the successful projects that have been carried out so far with this program?
The small community employment fund is actually one of the successes of this government, in my opinion. It is actually putting money into the communities based on where the community thinks that it would be most appropriate. I can't stand here and say what successful projects are, because, in my opinion, every single community is a successful project because that community has defined where they want that funding to go.
One thing I would like to say, though, and I have said it to the communities that I have had access to, is that most of the applications that I have noticed coming in for the small community employment fund have been for one-time projects. I am trying to really stress to the communities that you can actually hire, for example, one person to drive that gravel truck, get that load of gravel, and dump it in the community, or you can actually start thinking more creatively and figuring out how we can actually make sustainable employment so that we can have our own truck and our own business with that. I am trying to get the communities to stop thinking so individually focused and start thinking about economic development, because that is the key.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has touched on some key points in terms of, perhaps, long-term views of the Small Community Employment Support Program. Will the program continue, and what are the future plans for this program? Mahsi.
As we all know, this Assembly is coming to an end at the end of the month here, so I can't commit that the program will always continue. I can certainly say that that program has been successful. I want to, again, thank some of the MLAs on the other side who have come forward to actually get it funded more. It is successful, it is working, and I am hoping that future governments will carry it forward into the next Assembly and in Assemblies to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Earlier today I talked a little bit about the need for the City of Yellowknife to maybe consider developing a charter for the City of Yellowknife. This is where we start to recognize some of the unique and evolving needs of the City. I just want to ask the Minister if he or his staff in the department are starting to see and understand that the City of Yellowknife is starting to take on a lot more different responsibilities and pressures. Is there a need for maybe developing a charter for the City of Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since I have been in the role for Municipal and Community Affairs, we have had some very good discussions working with the NWT Association of Communities, as well as the local government administrators of the Northwest Territories. This is something that is new. We are nearing the end of this government, and this might be something that might be pushed into the transitional documents moving forward. We are in our last week, but it is something that, I think, does need to be discussed to see how we can address the concerns from the Member, as well as leadership across the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for his reply. If there were such a charter or devolution of responsibilities that were to come to the city, what would it begin to look like? Are there some kind of amendments that we would have to do to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act? Is there some special type of devolution agreement similar to the process that we had to go through when we dealt with the feds devolving responsibility to us? Just so people can get a little understanding of what this might look like, does the Minister have something he can share with us in terms of what the next steps would look like?
At this time, I have nothing in terms of what the next steps would be. Obviously, as I said in the previous answer, it is something that can go into a transitional document as something that might be taken under consideration for whoever is going to be sitting in this House. Those are the only next steps that I would say, to have those discussions moving forward, but it is really going to be on who is in this House next government to have those discussions. Like I said, we have a week left, and we will see what we will begin doing. I will make sure that our department has an indication that this is something that needs to be considered.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on the crisis of the Bathurst caribou herd. In the last sitting in June I asked the Minister about a trip that he took to Kugluktuk to meet with Nunavut officials. He has since provided a copy of the agenda for that meeting. Can the Minister provide an update of any further discussions with the Government of Nunavut to protect the Bathurst caribou herd? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I always appreciate the Member's questions on the caribou, because it gives us an opportunity to speak of our dedication to the preservation of the caribou across the Northwest Territories, because they are very important to our existence. We have to do what we can to protect them.
Having said that, I did say that we met with the Nunavut Minister. I appreciate their dedication to the preservation of the caribou herds across the north, because they are very important to their people as well. We did ask our officials to initiate some technical discussions on the proposed content for a new memorandum of understanding, and the updated memorandum of understanding will build on the existing MOU, cooperation on managing shared population of caribou, signed by our two governments in February of 2017. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to thank the Minister for that good information. It is great to hear that we may finally get an updated memorandum of understanding. Can the Minister tell us whether this agreement will provide for any temporary and/or permanent protection of habitat?
We did task our officials to come up with some technical information, and we have a very close relationship with the Government of Nunavut. The 2017 MOU helped to formalize and support our longstanding relationship. The new MOU will focus on several key areas, including research and monitoring, data sharing, harvest management, predators, habitat, and co-management. We will continue to work with our partners over in Nunavut on the proposed MOU with the goal to complete this by the upcoming fall of this year, actually. We will be informed by ongoing discussions with our co-management partners in both jurisdictions.
I want to thank the Minister for that information. I don't think that I heard the words "habitat protection," though. I mentioned in my statement that Cabinet is still sitting on the Bathurst Caribou Range Plan. Can the Minister provide an update as to when Cabinet will approve this plan and announce that publicly?
My apologies; I did say "habitat," and I would assume that "habitat protection" would also be part of that discussion, as well.
We are committed to implementing the new Bathurst Caribou Range Plan, now that it has been approved by Cabinet. The range plan was developed collaboratively with 21 organizations, including Indigenous governments, industry, environmental groups, renewable resource boards, and the federal government.
Again, I have to give a shout-out to Ottawa Aboriginal partners who understand that the preservation of the caribou herd is very important to people across the Northwest Territories, and they are doing their part. Shout-out to them for the good work and leadership that they are showing.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that great news. I had no idea, nor did the public know, that the Cabinet had actually approved the Bathurst caribou range plan. I know there are a lot of people and the remaining 8,000 Bathurst caribou are happy about that. Of course, there is always money for roads, including $10 million more for the GNWT contribution for the Slave Geological Province Road. It will likely come forward as the first supplementary appropriation for the 19th Assembly. Can the Minister tell this House: when will money actually start to flow for work to implement the Bathurst caribou range plan? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
The Member makes a good point. There is always money for infrastructure projects that creates employment across the Northwest Territories. It is what the people of the Northwest Territories have told us is one of their priorities, is to work. The range plan will serve as a document to guide the GNWT.
we have identified some funding as we went through our business plans. We have worked with Ottawa, trying to secure some funding. We have actually doubled our efforts in some of the initiatives that have been brought forward by the Aboriginal governments and partnership with us, including Boots on the Ground, which only happens once a year. With the new funding, it is going on twice year now. It proved to be a very valuable contribution in following the caribou. There has been some money that has been earmarked for it. We will continue to make increased investments, working with our co-management partner on the preservation of caribou in the Northwest Territories, which is very important to us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Committee Report 31-18(3) be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
Committee Report 31-18(3): is now deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Committee Report 31-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 46: Public Land Act be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
Committee Report 31-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 46: Public Land Act is now moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Masi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive rule 100(4) and to have Committee Report 31-18(3) moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive rule 100(4) to have Committee Report 31-18(3) moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Committee Report 32-18(3) be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried.
---Carried
Committee Report 32-18(3) is now deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that Committee Report 32-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried.
---Carried
Committee Report 32-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives is received by Assembly and moved to Committee of the Whole for further consideration.
