Thank you, Mr. Schauerte. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I can provide some assurance that they don't really seem to line up. I am looking at statement of operations. It has very different numbers in terms of expenses and revenues than what I see on 360. I am just trying to figure out how these two relate to each other. Why don't I just cut this short, Madam Chair? If you guys would actually present stuff in ways that were understandable, it would be far more helpful. Why don't I just seek a commitment out of the Minister to provide a written explanation as to why the annual report figures differ than what is in the main estimates? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I will provide that information to the Member. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Nothing further, Madam Chair.
Any further questions under sports, recreation, and youth or any of the work performed on behalf of others? Member for Thebacha.
On page 360, the grants, contradictions, and transfers, $5,200,000, how are those grants and contributions decided? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of MACA.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Mr. Gary Schauerte answer the question. Thank you.
Mr. Schauerte.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The applications for this funding come through our sport and recreation organizations. The primary organizations we work are Sport North, the Recreation and Parks Association, the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the Northwest Territories. Within that, we also have 29 territorial sport organizations, and we also have regional recreation associations, as well.
Through the planning process, the sport, physical activity, and recreation framework, which has been a matter of discussion in this House and with our department, that framework document is intended to guide the investment of our government in this fund. That framework lays out the key areas where we want to invest as a government in terms of this sector. It also underlines some of our primary policy initiatives, one of which I would highlight is the Safe Sport initiative that comes out of the Red Deer conference where all Ministers made a declaration that sports should be harassment-free. It's initiatives like that that we build into the sport and recreation framework. That's how we use that framework to guide the investment of these funds. Organizations make applications. We review those applications against the framework. The Minister has the final say on who gets the funding. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Schauerte. Member for Thebacha.
Just further to that, there is not a neutral board or a group? It's the five sports organizations that decide how the $5,200,000 is going to be distributed across the territory? Those five sporting groups are all stationed in the capital. There is so much disparity with regional centres and small communities. It just doesn't make sense how things are done. I don't hear much common sense here. As a government, if we don't start doing things and being accountable and transparent in what we do and how we distribute public funds, it's disturbing to me that this is the way we operate. If you're a good guy, you'll get this. If you're a good girl, you'll get that in that community. It's very disturbing. Thank you, Madam Chair. I am going to go on to my other question. That was a comment. On page 362, clean water and wastewater funds, $5,171,000. It's our part of whatever we put in. I want to know the terms of reference for this fund. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of MACA.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a federal agreement that is received. I will have Ms. Eleanor Young respond to the Member. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As the Minister mentioned, this was a bilateral agreement with Canada where we received $52 million to fund water and wastewater projects. There was an application process, an RFP process, with the ranking criteria to evaluate applications, and then, once the applications were reviewed, they were sent back to Canada for final approval. Canada had the final approval on all projects that were funded. In total, 29 community projects were funded through this $52 million of federal funding. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Thebacha.
The emergency management development fund for $81,000, that's the only thing I see in this whole thing for development on reserves. I would like to ask the question: we have two reserves in the Northwest Territories, one near Hay River and one in Fort Smith. Are we part of the Northwest Territories? I just want to know that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister, did you want to respond to that?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the two reserves are a part of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Thebacha.
We talk about disparities in First Nations. We have two reserves, and throughout the document that we have gone through so far, this is the first time I have every seen anything allocated to a reserve, $81,000. How far is $81,000 going to go with funding to two reserves? Most of the time, they don't even recognize Salt River First Nation, because there is some discrepancy that happened because the Hay River reserve was part of the whole territorial thing going back in other Assemblies. I'm just wondering about this fund, how it's allocated, the terms of reference, and who it is allocated to. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of MACA.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Ms. Eleanor Young respond. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a funding agreement with Canada to try to support the GNWT to support emergency planning for the two reserves. It is funding allocated currently to the GNWT to support the planning exercise for the two reserves. I think it's a two-year agreement, and there is intention to have some broader conversations about emergency management for First Nations beyond this. Public Safety Canada has not given us clarity on how that project is going to move forward. It is a conversation that they have indicated that they want to start to have, and this funding was the first piece of that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Thebacha? Thank you. Any further questions under the sport, recreation and youth? Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not going to talk about the numbers as much because, when it comes to youth, we have got to put money to support them through sports and recreation and that. However, I would like to know, when we talk about youth in this, what are we talking about in terms of age group? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of MACA.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to provide the Member with the number of youth programs that we do have. I don't want to say that there are discrepancies in the programming that we do have because they extend out to not only sport and recreation but also programming for leadership, leadership-building, skill-building, and also looking at the motivation of youth, as well. Just looking at the age groups, I don't want to say there is a discrepancy among that, but possibly for the attendance of sport and recreation programming. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I ask that because I look at the numbers, I look at the programs, and I am just wondering who is actually accessing those programs. It seems to me that it's probably a specific or maybe a limited number of youth because, in talking to some of the constituents in Hay River, just as an example, one person there, her son graduated from school and is at home now. He has got a lot of friends, and they come over because they have got nowhere to go and nothing to do. They stay at his house, partly because maybe the parents are drinking and a number of things. I am just wondering: are we targeting that group of youth, as well, whether we are targeting them through MACA, or is it a combination of through MACA; Education, Culture and Employment; and health? I have to ask: how are we doing that? Are we letting a group of youth slip through the cracks? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of MACA.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The funding that is offered by Municipal and Community Affairs is offered to the municipalities, the non-profit organizations, and also sport organizations. I don't want to just mislead the Member, but within the department, we do have youth and sport and recreation positions that go out into the communities. Also, they support the NGOs on what it is that they want to create to enhance youth opportunities and activities. I just hope that answers your question, Madam Chair, but if not, I am not too sure. With that information, I just wanted to say that I want to stay away from that MACA does not come in and create the non-profit organizations and have those organizations as the youth abroad; that is independent. Looking at youth groups, youth centres, those are independent, but MACA provides the funding for those organizations to get started and for them to function. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Part of the question was: does MACA work with ECE and health in identifying targeted groups or targeted youth groups when it comes to funding? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of MACA.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Mr. Gary Schauerte respond. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Schauerte.
Thank you, Madam Chair. One program I think I would point to is the healthy choices initiative where we work closely with education and health on programming around after-school physical activity. One of the things we learned in our business is that young people can get in a lot of trouble between 3:30 and 5:00, when nobody is watching, and this program was specifically designed based on research around that targeted youth group. What we offer through working with schools and other service providers, youth centres or those kind of things, is an opportunity for structured programming between that period of time. As part of that, we are also offering healthy food snacks and things like that that are consistent with nutrition objectives. The idea is that we are looking at a perhaps at-risk group of youth, and we are trying to provide a program in response in a healthy way and doing that consistent with our colleagues at ECE and health, as well. I think that is an example of a program that may be trying to achieve some results in the area that the Member has asked questions. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Schauerte. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. Thank you for that answer. That is some clarification. It's that at-risk group that concerns me because, if you have families that have money, they usually ensure that their children are looked after. It's that at-risk that really concerns me because they are out there and they do not have the support, so I am just glad to hear that you are working with ECE and with health on this. I will pursue the matter further. Thank you, Madam Chair. That is all.
Thank you, Member. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am just looking at page 362, work performed on behalf of others. There is New Building Canada Plan, Small Community Fund. There is a big jump from the actuals to now. I just looked on the federal website exactly what this is. It looks like it was established in 2014. I just wanted to get a quick description of what this is and then how long because, like any federal gift, there is always usually a time limit on it. If I can get those two questions answered? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Deputy Minister Young respond. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Most of the agreements we currently have with Canada for infrastructure are 10 years in length and then potential for extension or renewal after that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
