Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Lands.
The Tlicho government asked for a regional study of the socalled Slave Geological Province Corridor over a year ago, and a large workshop was held in June of this year. Can the Minister of Lands give us an update on the current status of proposed regional study? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this going to be a little bit longer answer because it's that much important question the Member asked.
As mentioned in my August 2022 update with SCEDI, the Mackenzie Valley Impact Review Board hosted a workshop introducing participants the concept of regional studies and started a conversation on potential regional studies and how it should look. The GNWT responded to CIRNAC requesting for feedback on the July 29th or sorry, responded to the July 29th. The response did not articulate a GNWT position but outlined some of the GNWT's key interests and consideration. As previously communicated, GNWT's position on a potential regional study will not be confirmed until after the GNWT has heard the views of Nunavut, Indigenous governments, and sought input from MLAs.
CIRNAC has not yet communicated its process, next steps, or the time of the federal decision. Under the MVRMA, the Minister of Northern Affairs makes decisions on whether to conduct a regional study. Lands staff will continue to engage CIRNAC on this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. But surely to goodness we have some sort of sense of whether this is a good thing or not before we have to go and consult with everybody. But I know that the time decision's up to the Minister of Northern Affairs. You know, geographic scope and name for this initiative are probably still up for grabs but hopefully we can avoid the colonial and racist term "slave."
Can the Minister tell us whether GNWT's taken a position on the name and geographic scope of a regional study? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT has not taken a position on the name or geographical scope or the regional strategic environmental assessment. CrownIndigenous relationships in Northern Affairs Canada has authorized authority for regional studies under the MVRMA, and they have been gathering perspectives and views regarding potential regional strategic environmental assessment. Our message to the federal government has been that if the federal government moves ahead on this, it is important that they hear the views of governments, Indigenous governments, and other stakeholders in the NWT and Nunavut before decisions are made, and that they provide adequate funding for participants. If a regional study does proceed, the GNWT would like to see it completed in a timely manner and provide guidance to how future development in the region has responsibility of that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Look, our government just can't hide in the weeds forever on this. As several Indigenous governments and the Chamber of Mines have already written to the federal minister, I've written to the federal minister with views on the regional study, and I think it's fair to say that all the parties actually support this in one way or another. So, you know, and the Minister said that our government supports participant funding; that's great. But in the letter that was submitted, it also said that no ongoing projects should be affected while a regional study is in process.
So can the Minister explain why our government continues to steamroll ahead with a Lockhart allseason road while the Bathurst caribou herd is still in decline and a regional study is being discussed. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're not steamrolling ahead. We're advancing the Geological Slave Corridor Project as it is a mandate commitment of the current Legislative Assembly. All 19 of us agreed to our mandate. Some of them may not agree with every one, and I didn't agree with all the mandates on there, but we collectively all agreed with it, that we would have a mandate and that was one of them.
So, Mr. Speaker, with the federal government federal funding secured to advance Lockhart allseason road to a shovelready state, along with planning, engineering, and environmental baseline collection of remaining proposed alignment to the Nunavut border. So that's going on right now.
As the Geological Province Corridor Project is likely to undergo environmental assessment, concerns related to Bathurst caribou will be assessed through that process. So, again, we are going through it that environmental study will be in there, and that will be about the Bathurst caribou. Trust me. Caribou are on my radar every day. I see it. I look at it. I'm dealing with it. And I'm working with Indigenous governments on this.
So the GNWT believes that planning and environmental baseline work relates to the corridor project will benefit not only the project but the information should also support a regional study if one proceeds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. It's a very interesting position. It's okay to plan and build roads into the range of the Bathurst caribou herd while the herd is in a precarious state but it's not okay to pause this work while we look at the future of the entire region. You know, I'm worried, Mr. Speaker, that this government is going to go ahead and file this project for regulatory approvals, land use permit, water licence, no matter what. We're heading straight for another Mackenzie Valley Highway Environmental Assessment that is now over nine years long, full of project splitting, delays and, quite frankly, wasting public resources.
So can the Minister tell us how this government is going to avoid such a mess while saying it supports a regional study? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Environmental assessments, in general, are specific to a project. While a regional strategic environmental assessment is much broader than looking at a single project and, in this case, a proposed much larger geographical scale. A regional strategic environmental assessment is designed to assist with the potential environment, social and economic effects, including cumulative effects are alternating strategies initiatives, policies, planning or programs for a particular region. Environmental assessments and regional studies processes do not compete with each other. They can be seen as working handinhand. The GNWT continues its work to advance environmental baseline planning and ensuring work to advance the corridor project. This information's also benefits a regional study if one proceeds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
