Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ENR. As I mentioned in my statement, there is a lot of freelance camping that happened on the Ingraham Trail this weekend. I do appreciate that we wait all winter to get outside, but gathering in places outside of campgrounds presents some risks to both people and the environment. My question for you is: what kind of monitoring has your department done of the freelance camping on the Ingraham Trail in the last week? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for her question. The department does go out there and inspect various campsites and that. Unfortunately, right now, campsites are closed right now, so we have actually asked the public to advise us of situations so that we are aware of them and so that we can send staff out there to make sure that they are following the guidelines that we set out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I understand it, it's up to the public to police themselves in the matter of freelance camping, and there is no either proactive inspection or proactive education taking place with the campers about the risks of camping in wild places at this time.
We actually do get out there with the town people, being fire smart, being safe, looking out for the environment, don't feed bears, and stuff like that. Again, what we are trying to do is, because we are in a new environment, we do have stuff out there, but we don't have them out there on the weekends right now. We will look into this matter, and we will advise the public what we are going to be doing moving forward. Right now, we rely on the public because we are asking them to advise us of situations so that we can help them move forward. Wearing my other hat with the Minister of Lands, we do have inspectors out there, as well, but again, we are asking for people to work with us on this.
Thank you to the Minister for that. You don't inspect on weekends, so I'm going to say that that's when the most freelance camping takes place. How is your department keeping a lid on the potential risks of fires, sewage dumps, garbage dumps, bear interactions, and so on? How is your department keeping a lid on that if they don't go out on weekends?
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I guess I should clarify. They do do weekends, but right now, we aren't because we're in a new environment. The campgrounds that are going on right now, freelance and that, we are working on that. We are looking at that situation. We do have our bear line up. We have our fire line up. We have those things there. As for the sewers and that, we have to work across departments. As the Minister for ITI spoke about, we have people who are cross-trained. We work together with these matters.
Again, we are asking the public to bring it forward to us if we have concerns. We have heard the Member loud and clearly here. We will get back and educate people on this process. To get the details, I don't have that with me right in front of me right now, but I will make that commitment to this Member right now and to the public. What we will do is we will get that information to you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Just a reminder to Members and Ministers, please direct your questions and answers through me, Mr. Speaker. With that, final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that response. When should I expect to see this follow-up action? Thank you.
As for follow-up, I know that the department is listening to us right now. Within five days, I am hoping to have that answer, if not sooner. Thank you, Madam -- Mr. Speaker.
Must have been a long weekend there, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Lands. Previously, the Minister of Lands said that he will have a process set out for transferring land within municipal boundaries to municipal governments. Specifically, my concern is with the City of Yellowknife and transferring the vacant Commissioner's land, not the land that is currently withdrawn. Can the Minister provide an update on any process that has been made on this front? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have said in the House here before, we are working with Indigenous governments in the City of Yellowknife to move the process forward. We have had a number of meetings, and we are trying to work with them to come up with a process that works for everybody involved, including the City of Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
One of the concerns here is that, before the Department of Lands divests itself of lands, there needs to be section 35 consultation. I recognize that there are going to be multiple meetings and there are a number of processes here involving EIA. Can the Minister of Lands commit that they are doing the section 35 consultation, or is that work the responsibility of the city? I'm trying to figure out which party is actually responsible for the Section 35 consultation here.
Both. The City of Yellowknife needs to work with Indigenous governments, but we also need to work with Indigenous governments and the City of Yellowknife right now. We are working together. We are having numerous meetings; we are collaborating; we are having these conversations. Again, it's about people working together. We are trying to do what's right in a timely manner. I know it seems to be drawn out, but we are working together, and we have had a number of meetings.
I am glad to hear that they are working together. I am hoping that I won't be hearing that in three years and this issue won't be resolved. Another key issue in this matter is that, before the land can legally be transferred, the surveying costs for land of this size is significant. Can the Department of Lands update me on any efforts to find funding to conduct that surveying, and who is ultimately responsible that cost?
When it comes to surveying lands, it is actually the municipality's responsibility, not the department's. I am hoping that, within three years, it will be done, but again, it's about people working together. If they are not going to be able to work together, that is our challenge. Right now, from my understanding in talking with the YK Dene chiefs and the Mayor of Yellowknife, people are working together. They are working to come up with an agreement.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I respect that, and I know that land issues in the Northwest Territories are extremely complicated and that they can often get held up because they get tied into other, much larger, reconciliation issues. My final question is: can the Minister of Lands update me to any conversations that are ongoing with the North Slave Metis Alliance in regard to this transfer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
From my understanding, there have not been any conversations yet with the North Slave Metis, but we will confirm with the department and the city and get back to the Member. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Northwest Territories Housing Corporation 2020-2021 Consolidated Operating Budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee, Mr. Norn?
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates, Department of Infrastructure; and also further, Madam Chair, we wish to consider Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act.
Thank you, Mr. Norn. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will have a short recess and will resume with where we left off with Infrastructure, regional operations.
---SHORT RECESS
All right, committee. I am going to call committee back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021. We were at the Department of Infrastructure, and we were going to start regional operations. Does the Minister wish to bring witnesses to the House?
Yes, Madam Chair. I would like to bring Dr. Joe Dragon, my deputy minister, and Mr. Gary Brennan, the director of financial services.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses?
Thank you, Madam Chair. On everyone's left if we are looking at the back of the room is Dr. Joe Dragon, my deputy minister, and on his left, our right, is Mr. Gary Brennan, director of corporate services. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. All right. We will start with regional operations, beginning on page 239, with information items up to page 242. Questions. Did I miss something? There are no questions. Do we have questions? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Are we also dealing with the revolving fund pages that follow that? Thanks, Madam Chair.
We are dealing with pages 239 to 242, and then we will go on to the next following sections, technology service, after, so up to 242 right now, regional operations. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am just looking at the line item "highway operations," $80 million. Can I get a sense what that money is for? Is that all of our road maintenance costs, or does that also show up in the capital budget? If I could get a sense of which part of road maintenance is in this budget versus capital? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Excuse me, Madam Chair. I am a bit lost. Are we still on page 240?
[Microphone turned off]
Okay. [Microphone turned off] ...his question. Thank you.
Member, can you please repeat your question?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking at the item "highway operations" specifically, $80 million, and I would like to get a sense of what this line item entails and where exactly road maintenance falls within the operations budget versus the capital budget. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think this is one that I will ask Dr. Dragon to answer.
Thank you, Minister. Dr. Dragon.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, this allotment of $80 million is looking at all of our highway operations across the regions. Looking at a number of activities that we have within that program detail would look at resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, culvert repairs, that type of activity that goes right across the Territory. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member.
