Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Lands. In regard to transferring Commissioner's land within city boundaries to the City of Yellowknife, what formal arrangements have been put in place at this time for this initiative and what are their timelines? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The department has been meeting with the city several times this past summer and most recently as of Monday, February 24, when I had the opportunity of meeting with the city as well as YK Dene First Nation. We have a working group in place that involves the city, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Lands, and E and I, and so we are working together on this issue. The department's goal is to have the process document done hopefully this year, and then we will work on transferring the lands in the future. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
This past weekend was the NWT Association of Communities AGM in Inuvik. Since long before the election of the 19th Assembly, the topic of Commissioner's land within the City of Yellowknife has definitely been a hot topic. What commitments were made at the AGM in regard to the transfer of Commissioner's land to municipalities?
Yes. We did attend the NWTAC meeting, and there were no commitments or no questions asked from the association in regard to this issue, but I can tell this House and the public that we have had communications with the various tax-base communities on how we can move forward on this issue. This is very complex, and we are trying to work together.
I am wondering if local Indigenous governments are supportive of land-transfer initiatives within the City of Yellowknife.
Like I said, last Monday, May 24th, I did attend the meeting with the City of Yellowknife and the YK Dene. In that conversation, in that meeting there, basically what I believe the conversation, what we heard, was that they were supportive of this as long as it does not infringe or interfere with the Dehcho Process.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake, final supplementary.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's my understanding that the City of Yellowknife requested a memorandum of understanding in partnership with the City of Yellowknife, local Indigenous governments, and the GNWT. Will the Minister be prepared to satisfy this request for a memorandum of understanding, committing to working together on land-transfer solutions? Thank you.
An MOU may not be the necessary document or process we need to do moving forward, so what we are doing is we are working with the municipality to come up with a document that will ensure, as we move forward 10, 20, 30, or 40 years down the road. It's going to meet the needs of the residents of Yellowknife and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
