Thank you, Madam Chair. I look forward to seeing that Arts Strategy and continuing these conversations. On to the Northern Food Development Program, can the Minister inform me if this has been fully subscribed to over the previous year? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe that the food program one is one that is application based, so, therefore, sometimes we have the amount of money, we think we're going to spend it all, and then somebody doesn't meet their obligations or retracts their application or such. That's why you would see different numbers there. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the Northern Food Development Program is application based. A number of the South Slave where we have fertile land have been unable to access this. I know it's not fully subscribed to, so I think it's a bit of a problem with the program as opposed to a lack of desire to develop more food and food security. Could the Minister update me if whether there will be a review of this program to make sure that, when we have this $550,000 here, it's actually going to get out the door? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Food security is obviously a mandate priority of our Assembly. Yes, we are currently actually reviewing all of our programs around food security. We are creating, I don't know what we want to call it at this point, but maybe a secretariat, maybe not the right word, but a group within the department whose focus will be solely on food security, then to liaise with the other departments, with health and others, that would have roles to play in that. We're recognizing that food security is no longer just a little section tacked onto the side and that it does need its own focus and it needs somebody looking at it from an overarching umbrella, from building greenhouses all the way to food inspection, to home gardening, to commercial gardening projects and such. We do see that this is much needed. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. I will move on to the Member for Kam Lake now.
Thanks very much, Madam Chair. I am with my colleague from Yellowknife North: this is a very exciting page. Your comments about how ITI considers themselves allies to northern entrepreneurs and business community was not lost on me. Without further ado, the Great Northern Arts Festival was unfortunately, like many of our festivals, cancelled this year. I'm wondering, with the line item of $25,000 that was associated with that, what is ITI's plan for that money now? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. At this time - actually, it's funny, we've just had this conversation – we don't want to say no funding for that program because we want to give the opportunity to the organizers to see if they can somehow adapt their program and still manage to put it on. If someone is going to be creative and come up with a COVID solution. We've been encouraging. We don't want to be like, "Oh, sorry, we already took your money and spent it somewhere else." We still plan to flow that money to that group so that they can do with it and see how they can adapt. Of course, we will encourage social distancing and such when they do so and provide them guidance and any help they need in order to adapt. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That makes me very happy to hear because I feel like, if there is anybody who can figure out how adapt, it would be an artist.
My next question is in regard to Northern Food Development Program, like my colleague discussed, that food security is a priority of this Assembly. Food security has also been identified as something that is going to be top of mind throughout our COVID recovery. One of the things that we have seen in many communities throughout the North, Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik especially, is there are people who have really mastered creating businesses around food security. One of my questions is: has ITI looked at maybe working with some of these people who have really had success in some communities to help create business plans that can be transferred to other communities and used within other communities? Because, while we know that people might be really great at their craft, not everybody has the capacity or skill set to be a business owner. Is there any way that we can put together, kind of, cooperatives amongst business owners to help support one another might be a really big positive in the Northwest Territories to be able to grow business, especially within our small communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think this was actually a conversation we also had as part of our priorities, was sort of almost a mentorship-type program and pairing up maybe people who are new to the business world with those who have great experience. I am open to that, and I do encourage my department to put those relationships in place. Maybe, at this time, it would be a little bit more informal than it would be a formalized program, but I am definitely open to having a conversation about formalizing the program.
I did just want to point out that the northern food fund is for commercial growers, and we have been working with them to do that. For example, the Inuvik greenhouse was a community-ran greenhouse with a coordinator, and we helped with that. We are also assisting in a new territorial agriculture association. I think that would actually be a great avenue or venue for this mentoring and networking type of situation to evolve. We will definitely ensure that is part of that discussion. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. My next question is in regard to the Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development, the SEED Program, which we did just discuss a couple of days ago here in the House, so I will make sure that I don't overstep on those questions. This, to me, is one of the most exciting programs that ITI has, especially right now where we have a lot of businesses needing support in the Northwest Territories.
One of the concerns that I have heard from my constituents in regard to the SEED Program is that there isn't a northern, kind of, commitment clause within there. People really could come and take advantage of the public purse and really set themselves up really well for opening a business down south. Is ITI open to revisiting some of the clauses within the SEED Program to make sure that, if people are benefitting from this program, they are committed to the North and they are committed to staying here and operating their businesses here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I am open to having a conversation. Right now, I do know that we do have the northern residency requirement for some of these programs. All of the focus within the guidelines are for northern retention or use in the North. I do recognize, though, that you can tell people all you want that this is the way that you should do it, and if there are no teeth or penalties in there, then people will take advantage. I do commit to the Member to reviewing the program policies for myself and seeing where we can incorporate, I don't want to call it penalties, but accountability into these programs. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am definitely interested to see that, and I am definitely interested to work with the Minister on that, because I think, if we're going to put this kind of money out into the business community of the Northwest Territories, then it would be great for it to stick around and the people of the Northwest Territories to see the benefit of it.
Another concern that I have had coming out of the business community, especially right now within COVID, is that people are filling out a lot of applications right now for business supports. Some of them are to the federal government, some of them are to CanNor, some of them are to BDIC, and then some of them are to our department. Some of the frustration is that some people just don't know where they belong. If they get a denial from here or from there, it can be very frustrating to people just to be unsure where they can fit. Can I get a commitment from the Minister to have more of a triage type of a system, almost like a support navigator, where people will work with business owners that contact ITI in order to help them figure out where they fit? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is my understanding that the SEED application isn't quite so bad as, perhaps, some of the federal requirements are, but having not applied for SEED funding myself, I will go and ensure that that is the case. We do have the regional offices to act as pathfinders. We offer that always through ITI. We have been encouraging people to reach out to the regional office if they are having trouble with any sorts of applications. I believe that we have also been offering that help even on federal programs or navigating programs that are not our own. I do recognize that the offices and staff are quite busy right now. If people are finding that they're falling through the cracks or they are not getting a response, I had offered out prior, and I offer it out again, that I am more than willing to advocate for people if they are more than willing to reach out to me. I see my DM is kind of smiling at that.
Another part is that we are also reviewing any of the denied applications, both, I believe, with the BDIC and SEED, so that we can ensure that it hasn't been a matter of some T not being crossed or some I not being dotted that people are losing the funding. That is not our intent. We do encourage, if anybody has been denied or needs further help, that they do reach out to either myself and my staff or through the department.
Also, I will say that the federal government does have a pathfinder line as well. Again, I won't profess to know how well the federal government's navigational supports are, but I would encourage people to do that. Like I said, the staff are there to help. If people are finding that they are not getting help from the staff, please encourage them to come to me. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I would like to just shift streams a little bit here over to page 202. I think that the Northwest Territories' Nominee Program falls under that. Can you explain how we make money off the nomination program and how we spend money off the nomination program, please?
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think this is one that I am going to pass over to -- I don't see anybody raising their hands -- Ms. St-Denis. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. St-Denis.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do accept application fees when applications are received, and then we have staff who are actually part of our staffing complement who work on those applications. At this point in time, we do have some applications that are in their final stages. As far as intake right now, we are on a bit of a pause, because phase 2 requires a face-to-face meeting. In the current COVID situation, we do have a pause on phase 2.
Thank you, Ms. St-Denis. Member.
Thanks very much, Madam Chair. I am just curious; if somebody decides that they want to move to the Northwest Territories and start a business, is there any kind of rule that stipulates what kind of business they can come here to start? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would imagine that we are looking at some things such as competitiveness and such, but I think I will ask Ms. St-Denis to answer this question.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. St-Denis.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Part of the nominee program is about being an entrepreneur and having that entrepreneurial spirit. We have definitely seen an increase in applications in the South Slave, specifically Hay River, where we have seen a variety of service companies being started. There may have been a few that are both in the restaurant business, but they would be different types of restaurants or different types of service companies. I think, as a government, we want to try to be open-minded about what those businesses and those businesspeople are interested in coming to provide to the territory. We are, of course, always open to talk about opportunities outside of Yellowknife, and I think that we have been very successful in the South Slave. Thank you.
Thank you. I will move on now to the Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to start off with the BDIC and the development component of the BDIC. To my knowledge, since the amalgamation of the lending side and the development side, the development side has really done nothing. In the past, they have joint ventured with, say, the Fort McPherson Tent and Canvas, Dene Fur Clouds, and Acho Dene, I think, Crafts, as well.
I guess, unlike my colleague from Yellowknife North, I know that these partnerships have a positive impact on the residents, even though they operate at a loss. I think that it is important that we realize that, in the smaller communities where there is nothing, we have to have something. It allows people to earn some extra money. It allows people, also, to practise, I guess, a way of life in creating the arts, for instance. I would like to see that development side to look at expanding and doing something, whether it's with respect to the fishery. It could be with artisans. Tannery is another thing that we've talked about. I know that many artisans can't find moose hide, for instance, and it's tough. There's things that we could do with it, and I think we have to realize that, in the North, we're either paying out the money to ECE or we're allowing people to make a bit of a living with it, and I think this development side of the corporation is something that we need to expand on. I'd just like to hear some comments on how you feel about that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It's my understanding that, when a new Minister comes in, that that Minister has those conversations with the different groups or organizations within their departments and tells them how they want to see things go. Without speaking for the prior Minister, I think there was a focus on banking. That is what I have heard, more the lending side of things. However, I would believe that, with our new government and our conversation about how dollars are a lot more complex than just what you see going across that ledger and instead, in fact, have all those benefits of which you spoke about; we pay for it here or we pay for it in Minister Simpson's department. With that being said, my goal is to develop more than to be just a lender. I would like to see the BDIC used to create sustainable business. I don't want them to stay dependent on us, and I do want them to be successful, but, yes, I do agree that we need to be investing in areas where perhaps a bank is going to look at that and say, "That's not something we would do," but we know the North is different, and we know we operate differently, so, yes, I would say that I'm very committed to seeing the developing side go forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
I'm pleased to hear that. I guess I just want to turn to fisheries, commercial fisheries. With respect to the freight costs, what's the criteria for fishers to access this fund, and how is it divvied up? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
I'm looking through my thousand pages here. Actually, I think I will just pass this one over to Ms. St-Denis because I'm sure she has that knowledge on hand, and I won't waste your time looking through my papers. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. St-Denis.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Those freight costs are based on sales through the fish plant, through to FFMC and the various zones.
Thank you. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I just want to revisit the fish plant, the proposed fish plant. Have we revisited how we're going to approach that? Are we looking at receiving stations in, say, for instance, Yellowknife? The Member for Yellowknife North had indicated there are fishers here doing quite a bit of fishing, so we may need a receiving station here. With respect to all this, I just want to make sure that we do the right thing. It would be nice to have a big shiny plant in Hay River, but, if it's not the right thing to do, then I would like to have what we need in Hay River and then something that's either in Yellowknife or Fort Resolution if that's the best route to go. I'm just wondering what the department has done in terms of reviewing that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we actually do have intakes in Yellowknife and Fort Resolution, and they will support the plant in Hay River. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
