For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. I don't know if we have that detail but we'll turn to the deputy minister.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. At this point, and I should highlight here that I'm talking about staff that are on strength right now, as well as with the five, I think there's one Indigenous person. But I would have to go back and check the records to be certain. I believe it's one. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, because we got a commitment for looking into that. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would ask the Minister, will there be an opportunity for those that were impacted to be either reinstated in their positions, or at least have the opportunity to reapply and be rehired when that policy falls off the table? Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Simpson. Minister.
Thank you. For that detail, you're going to have to ask the Finance Minister what the policy is, what the HR policy is. I'm not going to get into that. It was a decision made by us on how we're going to move forward on this and so we are following the chief public health officer's directions, and we are working with the federal government on how we deal with it. And for that detail of how that's being implemented, maybe save that question for the Finance Minister. Thank you.
Mahsi, Minister. Are there any other questions for this section? Mr. Edjericon.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, thank you. This section I just want to make sure, are we I know we got the time limit in going through this. Is it or do we go through page by page and then we go through ten minutes of it? Or just can I get some clarification on that? Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Edjericon. Yes, what we do here is we go section by section, and I'll read off the section that we're on and the page numbers that we're dealing with. So we're working through the department, but as we move along, right. So now we're on corporate management. And you'll see at the top of the page, it says "corporate management", "corporate management", and the next one would be "environmental protection", which is a different section. So we're just sticking on corporate management right now. So you can just gear all your questions within that section. So you got eight minutes left to go.
Laughter
Thank you. Well, just reviewing these couple of pages here, including the graphs and that in there, and then also on page 69, it talks about activities. And I guess for me what stands out as we go through this section here is that we talk about wildlife, fish I know it's a little further down but when I went through it, one thing I don't see is that maybe if the Minister could maybe help me out so I understand with your department in terms of downstream users for fish and from the water coming down from Alberta, they say water is life and if it's life then, you know, we all eat the fish. So I just want to know if there's any fish studies done by your department so that we is there a report out there? I just want to let that out to you. Thank you.
Yes, maybe if I can just clarify, Mr. Edjericon. We got wildlife and fish on page 94. So we can save that question for when we get to that section because we're just dealing with corporate management at this time. We're on page we're starting from 72, 73, 74, 75. Mahsi.
So 72 there, the other thing is that I know last year we'd there was in the news where there was wasted meat that was found. You know, in the Dene culture, you know, we don't like to waste meat. We harvest what we need and that kind of thing. So I guess maybe you could help explain what assurances can you give me to see how we could prevent this from happening again for when hunters go out there, sometimes they waste meat, et cetera. Like, what are we doing to put a stop to that? Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Edjericon. Minister.
Thank you. So we do have enforcement. We have individuals that reach out to our departments, our regional offices, and we inspect it and that. But for that detail of how the process is, I'll ask the deputy minister, with your permission, to provide more information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So we have officers along the winter road that we're working with, but we're also working with harvesters. So before Christmas, we had a meeting with harvesters from the different Indigenous governments to come up with ways that we could work to improve, like, the respectfulness of harvest and to reduce waste. And then we had a leaders meeting where Minister Thompson met with his colleagues that went through what was brought forward by the harvesters at the December meeting in January. So there's some communications materials that are being developed, and there's work that has been identified for ENR to do but also within communities for their to be discussions related to wastage and respectful harvesting because it's something that needs to be addressed by everyone. So there's quite a bit of work that's going on related to respectful harvesting and reducing wastage. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, and I think thank you for your answer. And you also mentioned that you're also working with the local harvesters as well I'm assuming, and if you are, then you're also working closely with the Indigenous governments as well and to put an end to some of these activities.
I guess, Mr. Chairman, I don't I mean, I'm thinking here is that we got this section is a really interesting section but I just want to say that, you know, as a former Chief, I you know, when I used to go to assemblies and the Minister comes in and they do their speech and we try to ask questions and then the next thing you know, the time's up and they leave but then we don't get results. So I just want to say that, you know, it's actually an honour and privilege to sit here and question the Minister and get staff, and we can hear it firsthand. You know, so I have more questions in this document that I have for the Minister. I'll just leave it at that. Thank you.
All right. Mahsi, Mr. Edjericon. If there are no further questions, I'll allow the Minister to make a comment. Mahsi.
Yes, thank you very much. I have only been the Minister for the last two years, but I can tell you right now we've had the opportunity to meet with Indigenous governments, Indigenous leadership, and we had conversation, frank conversations, good communications, a lot of questions and answers, and we're trying to work together collaboratively. It's the most important part of what and how I feel with the department of ENR. We try to work with our Indigenous governments and our partners. And just for a little bit further detail, I'll ask the deputy minister to just give a little bit more update. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Minister. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I forgot to mention our hunter education program that's in nine schools, which I think is something that would also be of interest. So we've worked with ECE and converted our hunter education program that was developed with Indigenous governments, and it has been converted into a schoolbased program, and there's a pilot going on in nine of the schools. So I just wanted to highlight that as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi for that bit of news. That's good, good stuff. No further questions, please turn to page 73, operations expenditures summary, environment and natural resources, corporate management, operations expenditures summary, 20222023 Main Estimates, $14,984,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Environmental protection and waste management, beginning on page 76, with information items on page 78. And this one, for the new Members' information, yes, it ends on 78. Okay, I'll entertain questions on this section. Okay, Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. You'll want to reset the clock but I don't think I need the full ten minutes you might be relieved to know.
On this one, contaminated sites is listed as one of the program areas, and I note that in one of the very few successful environmental rights act requests for an investigation, there might have been two only successful in about 20 years. The last one, though, was about the Ptarmigan Mine, which is down the road here in Yellowknife. Quite frankly, it's a disgrace. People, tourists have to drive by that thing all the time, and it's just a total mess. But the Minister did conduct an investigation and said that work needed to done at the site. I understand it's one of these sites under devolution. So can the Minister tell me what has been done at the site? Is there money in this budget to actually do further work at the site? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
I'll just go to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ptarmigan is one of the accepted waste sites in the devolution agreement. So there are still negotiations ongoing. There's been much progress that has been made lately with the federal government. We have, based on the outcomes of that investigation, committed to dust suppressant which we're working on right now to get in place. There was fencing some signage and fencing repair, and there's additional fencing repair that will be occurring in the spring, and we're working on a land use permit at this time. I should mention the accepted waste sites negotiations are for more sites than just Ptarmigan, and they're all being considered in those discussions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So is there money in this budget to do work at Ptarmigan, and can we get reimbursed? And what is that amount? And can we get reimbursed for that money by the feds? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's part of the negotiations that we're having with the federal government at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair. To do the work I described. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Yeah, okay, thanks for that. Okay, for the tailings cover, the dust suppressant, stuff starts to dry out in May. Do we actually have the suppressant in stock, so to speak, and is it ready to be sprayed on or whatever in May? Because that's when the stuff starts to blow around, so. That's something we've seen from Giant Mine for years and the same out there so do we have the stuff ready to go? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Mr. O'Reilly.
That's one of the few times I think I've actually got a 'yes' in this house, so very pleased to hear that, and I know a lot of other Yellowknife residents and others will be quite happy with that.
So in the description of the activities carried out under what the purpose of this section of ENR is, there's words around prevention. Is there any policy work that this section of ENR is going to do this year? The only thing in six years that I've seen here was about a 10 or 12page document about some kind of vague GNWT policy around contaminated sites. Is there any other policy work, legislative changes, anything at all, that is going to help prevent messes like Ptarmigan Mine from happening again and again and again? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there is an approach to contaminated sites document that we have, and we have an ADM working group because this is a multidepartmental initiative, which we've shared with committee. There's a GNWT contaminated sites management work plan that has a number of policybased items that folks are working on at multiple departments, and we're on track with that work. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think I may have seen a document, but can the Minister commit to share it with standing committee and report regularly on progress on that initiative? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
