Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ITI and, again, I want to thank her for having that meeting. I know it was a tough one to schedule. So, around the conversation of airships with proper support and prototype testing for airships could begin here in the Northwest Territories in as little to two to five years. So, can the Minister give us her thoughts around the viability of the airships in the North given our meeting. Thank you
DEPUTY SPEAKER:
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't know that my thoughts are necessarily the ones that matter the most. I am not going to be the expert in the area but I was fortunate to be joined at this meeting, staff, technical staff from the Department of Infrastructure, technical staff from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and it certainly was an interesting opportunity to learn about all of the tremendous possibility that could exist within the use of airships in the North or other remote sites.
So, you know, as far as the viability, I think there is a probably a number of challenges not the least of which would be the infrastructure to switch over to allow them to land for instance. But, certainly, we’re grateful to have the conversation. The ideas can't get anywhere if the conversations don't start. So I am also going to extend my appreciation for having the opportunity to meet with the folks who are the experts in that area. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And yes, I know I have not given the Minister a long time to mull over the possibilities of airships so I do appreciate that the department and the Minister is open to this. And I guess where I come from there's sort of twofold here, is that the airships could provide some transportation solutions for us but they are also an economic potential piece. And so can the Minister speak around whether or not she found that the applicability or the ability to attract this type of work as an economic arm or in the cold weather testing area, did she see that as being something that was viable from the conversation? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it is a conversation that I will have to have more with Minister Archie and my counterparts, her and her counterparts, over in the Department of Infrastructure, and then more importantly with our colleagues over in the federal government and the Department of Transport. They are responsible for regulating the airship industry and that will be certainly a first point of call before we are ever likely to get far head.
But to the extent that cold weather testing of various aviation products is out and is of interest to them, so once this idea does get to the federal table, well, then, the Northwest Territories has been a place where we have had cold weather testing. Recent Korean military helicopter testing brought I think over 60 people to the Northwest Territories for a period of time and a fairly significant economic investment. So, certainly share the interest in being a place, that if it is going to be some viability testing, then we would certainly want to be at the top of that list. So, again, don't want to miss opportunities and I am glad to make sure that that conversation is had. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister kind of answered one of my questions there so I am just going to go out a little bit further here. Given that, you know, we are really, and I get that this crosses two departments so I am just going to ask the Minister to bear with me, given that we are in the phase now of talking about the airport expansion at the Yellowknife Airport and given that, you know, cold weather testing is an area that we do want to be expanding, not only for the airships but for others, does the Minister see an option to have a cold weather sort of testing area in the new airport? So I am not saying just for this particular one but maybe rather than having people just randomly come and having to interfere with our regular airport or have the airport work around them, we could actually incorporate this into the design. Is that something that the Minister sees as feasible, or are we talking about land issues and it's just not going to happen? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, that is something that would involve probably not just one or two departments, probably multiple departments. So, you know, I can certainly commit to having a more detailed conversation about that prospect with all relevant colleagues over here and, you know, just noting that it was clear in our conversations when we had this meeting last week, there are some particular infrastructure requirements that are different for a dirigible than what there might to accommodate a regular or more traditional airplane. You know, but that's again, that in and of itself isn't a reason to not start having the conversation. So, you know, the idea that this could be a cold weather testing place, again, I'd be happy to bring that back and bring it back to the Member or to this House. It certainly is one that we had some good success in thus far. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can the Minister commit to working with me to try and get the Aviation Innovations Conference to come here sometime in the next couple of years? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I think NWT Tourism, who has a funding portfolio for bringing up conferences, would probably love to have that conversation. So let's commit to having the conversation and seeing where that can go. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
