Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, our Inuvik office is working on that option, as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Does that include something for Hay River, as well?
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I will pass this to Ms. Strand to provide more information. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Strand.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we have an inventory of wells throughout the territory, and we have not yet done a detailed assessment in the Deh Cho or in the South Slave. That is one area that needs to have some work done to see if there are any suitable sources to provide those resources to the Hay River area. That is part of a study that we would do. We would like to have some buy-in from the regions, as well. We can use some of our petroleum resources strategy funding to move down that avenue. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Strand. Member for Hay River South.
[microphone turned off]… the reality is we probably, around the Hay River area, we probably won't find any resources. We would have to bring it in from Alberta or BC. I just want to know if we've looked at that and the cost or feasibility of building a line from the south into Hay River and possibly some of the other smaller communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Currently, I don't know if we're looking down that, specifically. It doesn't sound like, from my deputy minister's response, that it is one. Hay River is not a thermal community. A lot of times, we are exploring LNG as an alternate to heavier hydrocarbon-intensive fuels such as diesel. If we have a nonthermal community, I don't believe that the push is there as much for an LNG-type diesel replacement. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not sure if you're speaking about diesel generation from the Power Corporation or not, or from the Northland, but Hay River is basically on diesel fuel and on propane. What I'm talking about is bringing in natural gas to replace propane and possibly diesel. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do have some sources there letting me know some gas options in the southwest of the Northwest Territories. I will come back to the Member with a more fulsome answer on this. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Probably in the past five years, maybe it was five years ago, there was some work done on some older wells in the Hay River region. Has there been more monitoring of some of those wells and if there looks like there will be any work done on them in the next while? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I will have Ms. Strand answer this question, thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Strand.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, there are some sour gas wells in the southwest NWT. OROGO is responsible for their monitoring. They have got their well watch program. Obviously, that is the lead right now. It is not a concern, but they are being watched and observed and also monitored. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Strand. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That is all for now, thank you.
Are there any further questions under minerals and petroleum resources from the Members? Seeing none, please turn to page 207, Industry, Tourism and Investment, minerals and petroleum resources, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $16,130,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now move on to Industry, Tourism and Investment, tourism and parks. Sergeant-at-Arms, can we change witnesses. Thank you. We are on pages 210 to 213, tourism and parks. Questions? Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to sitting on the hamlet council prior to myself coming back to the Assembly, we've been working with our community and I thought we'd been short-changed in the community of Tuktoyaktuk in regard to having a tourism office, any kind of support that you'd get for camping. Are there any plans, I guess? I don't see it in the Main Estimates, here, but are there any plans to change that to work with the community of Tuktoyaktuk in regard to having that work looked at and getting it done for the community, instead of putting it onto the hamlet and stretching their dollars out to having almost nothing? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. I'm just going to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms if you can bring in the witness, and then I'll get you to introduce and then answer the question. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to welcome back Ms. St-Denis. Thank you for coming back and joining us.
Thank you for that. Personally, yes, I'm going to work with you to support tourism in Tuktoyaktuk. I commit that to the Member right now. We are supporting currently a temporary visitors' centre in Tuktoyaktuk. Clearly, at the moment, maybe not quite so needed, but that is the plan, was to have something there temporarily until we could work with the community for a better solution permanently and get that resolved. We are supporting the hamlet on a community tourism strategy. I want to also commit that the department has learned some lessons, and I notice, working in Tulita, that they had started already with some of those supports in place for that community in anticipation of their road. So, while not relevant to your riding, the department did take lessons from the Tuktoyaktuk experience and improved upon it. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. No, just in regard to that, with the temporary shelter, hopefully you guys are going to donate it at the end, instead of pulling it out; donate it to the community. I know the community corporation, they want to build a really nice visitors' centre in the community, because Tuktoyaktuk is so awesome, and we just want to work together. Thank you, Madam Chair. That's all I have to say.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Are there further questions? Did you want to comment? Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we will be donating that building back to you afterwards. Thank you.
Any further questions? Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Madam Chair. [Translation] I'd like to speak on the North Arm area. When we look at it, it's just past Edzo, and that's where they have some gatherings over there. The Edzo people, the Behchoko people, and people travelling from the South also travel over there. It's not very big or huge, but we know that area gets really crowded, so this is why I want to ask the Minister [End of translation].
I'd like to inquire or ask questions about the North Arm Park just beyond Edzo. There have been some minor upgrades over the years, because my family has been going there, community members have been going there, I have been going there. We've seen some changes, but I do believe, once Edzo family members and also Rae Behchoko utilize that area, it gets full and there is no place to park for tourists who are coming from the South. Before COVID, of course. So that place gets full, and there is not much space in that area. I know they've done some extensions to the left side, to the north side; for the south side, they haven't touched the south side, yet, in all these years.
Madam Chair, I want to see the North Arm Park, it's such a beautiful park area, where, on the south shore of it, there can be a further expansion. It's just a beautiful spot, but all these years, nothing has been happening in that area. Is there a plan in place? Because my community is growing and we have tourism that is growing, as well, and that place could become a safety hazard eventually. I know there have been minor upgrades, and they may be coming again, but we need some major improvement on the south side of the shore. I'm just curious, from the Minister's perspective and her department, is there such a plan in place to further explore the southern part of the shore of North Arm? Masi.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We are starting the development of a 10- to 15-site campground at the North Arm. We also are constructing an outhouse and a new access road, a new gate house. In total, it's a capital project of $1.225 million. I do have a little bit more of a list of the breakdown: the gate house and living quarters; a campground loop design; an access road, as mentioned; the outhouse. So, yes, we are investing in the North Arm park. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Madam Chair. I certainly hope this is not one of those projects that has been deferred, because, on the left side, from the northern perspective, there have been some upgrades. I'm just wondering if the Minister is referring to that side, because I'm referring to the southern side, which has beautiful lake access. There can be further expansion in that area. If not, I certainly hope that the Minister will consider it down the road. I'm not talking immediately, but my community is growing and, with the tourism population growing, as well, there needs to be further expansion to the southern section of the short. However, the Minister can clarify. She might be referring to the northern part, but that can be clarified. Madam Chair, masi.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I would have to look at a map to clarify, so we will return. I do just want to say that, growing up, my parents were teachers, and we went camping all summer long, so I'm fully in support of expanding campgrounds across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Madam Chair. Since this North Arm Park obviously is in the heart of the Tlicho land, as well, there will obviously be engagement with the Aboriginal leadership, the communities, to have their input. Usually, when there's a major expansion, there is public engagement of what they want to see, whether it be a tourism spot with a history of the Tlicho Nation, and so forth. So I'm assuming that those are discussions that will be undertaken. If there is, then engaging the general public of the nearby communities, such as Behchoko and Edzo. I understand the Minister is open to that, which is much appreciated. Masi.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I most definitely want to consult and engage. I had to drill once and had everybody come and tell me that nobody wanted the health centre where I was drilling, and it was very, very uncomfortable for me; so I am well aware of what happens when a community does not have buy-in to a location. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Do you have any further questions? No. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The first question I have is: when the parks do open, are we doing anything with the rental fees that go with it? Are we going to be waiving those during this period? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
At this time, we haven't discussed waiving the rental fees for the parks. I do think that they are fairly nominal; however, definitely something I can have a discussion with my department about. Thank you, Madam Chair.
