Mahsi. Not seeing any further questions on this section all the hands came up all of a sudden there. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to go to I guess back to the fishing. And we have the revitalization strategy so I'm just wondering if there will be any more additional funds allocated to advancing that strategy and efforts to increase, I guess, the number of fishers into the territories or into the industry? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, right now we did have an influx just as part of the winter fishery obviously for this current fiscal to support the winter fishery. But that was a million dollars. As for what might be needed for I mean, I don't know how far into the future we're looking. I mean, there may well need to be something further into the future but at the moment, CanNor has provided some significant supports. It's going directly to Tu Cho, not to the GNWT, so it's not necessarily showing up here. But they have received, as I say, a million dollars going in to support their development of the industry. With that kind of support for the moment, there's not an immediate need from the GNWT. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So are we looking, I guess, at the federal government programs to, I guess, to advance the revitalization strategy more so than use internal funds? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm happy to take the federal money before I need to spend the GNWT's money. And for the moment, we have seen a fair bit of support from CanNor. And I think I said earlier this fiscal, I think I meant this book in front of me. So it's for the 20232024 year that there's a million dollars expected to go in to the Tu Cho on behalf of CanNor. At least that's what we were sort of hoping right now. Nothing is completely confirmed but anticipating that dollar that those dollars are invested. And if so, there is not again, there's not a need for more money from the GNWT. There has also been a fair bit of money from CanNor into the fish plant and into the fish revitalization strategy. So it's an area where we expect them to continue to be involved, given the investments to date. And, you know, certainly, as with anything, if the GNWT winds up in a situation to have to fill gaps, then that can happen. But for now, it doesn't look like that's a need that's been identified. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to question about the Canadian Agriculture Partnership. You know, we see the increase there from 488 to 1220, and I'm just wondering, you know, we're spending that kind of money and what benefits or when we will we see benefits from money spent in agriculturaltype partnerships or initiatives? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. With respect to seeing benefits, I mean, Mr. Chair, this is an area that was seeing fairly significant growth prior to two years of rather significant floods obviously and the agriculture sector was very dramatically impacted by the floods. I know the Member will be very well aware of that. That said, we are seeing that the sector's bouncing back, that folks are returning, and it's hoped that with given that there's been this change on the federal system and the increase of money coming through the federal CAP program, that this may be an opportunity for folks to really rebuild in a sort of rapid fashion. So, again, exactly what the timeline of growth will be, perhaps after next Friday when I'm at the agriculture association's AGM, Mr. Chair, I'd be happy to answer more questions about what they envision to be the next steps for their industry. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, one of the issues, I guess, well after the flooding is that, you know, location of land that was being used for agriculture. And so some of the people actually are looking for different areas to secure so they can continue. I guess one of the issues is going through the consultation with the Indigenous groups. So is your department, I guess, working with Lands to try and identify and maybe secure lands for people who want to continue farming that are outside of the flood zone? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am familiar with at least one project in particular where I know there was definitely a story of an individual who I think in fact did go ahead and move away. But, Mr. Chair, simple answer, absolutely happy to work with Lands. I know the department officials are already working with Lands and there was, not that long ago, that myself and Minister Thompson often had regular checkins and meetings because we have overlaps such as this one. So what I can do on my end is confirm that we'll add that to a future meeting that we have between the two departments with Ministers and deputies. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And one thing I mentioned earlier today was support for retail businesses. I know in Hay River I've talked to a number of them and a lot of them are suffering, I guess, you know, because of COVID, because of the flooding. And, you know, some are, you know, talking about actually closing up shop. They're finding it difficult, you know, to find to get goods. They're finding it difficult to compete against, you know, the big box stores, you know, with online shopping and that. So I think it's we need to do something to provide some support for it, and that was what I was asking for earlier today, was to earmark some dollars specifically for that. And that's just not for not just for Hay River but for Yellowknife and other communities as well because, you know, you look at the downtown core here in Yellowknife and you see that it's pretty well dried up for retail outlets. So is there anything on the radar to provide support directly to the small retailers? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, I mean this is a time where I would say that the pandemic recovery, although many indicators show a recovery, there certainly are it certainly hasn't been even. It hasn't been even for all individual businesses or all individual retailers for example. I can certainly follow up, you know, perhaps with some of the chambers as well, just to see if there's specific types of businesses or retailers that are struggling more than others. One of the things I can say that's happening, perhaps more over on the BDIC side, is that there's efforts to work with businesses to develop online their own online marketing and their own online sales opportunities and basically to try to innovate the business models that exist because the industry's changing and commercialization's changing across Canada. It's we can't cover losses. We can cover changes in innovations. And I say "we" in the broad sense ITI and BDIC. So happy to provide more information of that sort to the Member if that's what he's looking for. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just on economic diversification and business supports, I see that we went from 349 down to nothing. Can you just talk a bit about that and give me some idea of, you know, when we talk to diversification, what are we looking at, I guess, on a smaller scale for communities? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Mr. Chair, I'm going to suggest this go to the deputy minister, please.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So with respect to that category within our grants and contributions, those are contributions that we don't project. Those are ones that come in after the yearend is over. For example, we've had oneoff contributions to heritage centres or our producers incentive program for film. It's not a budgeted program, but we fund that. So you will see them in our actuals for this year as well. So, you know, that is I hope explains that category. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. One area that is of interest to me, and there's a few of them, buildings I guess, around the territories is the makerspaces. And it would be nice to see some of that rolled out into some of the other regional centers and maybe, to some extent, to the smaller communities as well. Is there any thought, I guess, or has there been any thought in how to address that and promote that from the department's side? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am a huge fan of the makerspaces as well. I know that the makerspace here in Yellowknife has done a lot with an initial investment from ITI. In fact, I think I'm meeting with them for an update tomorrow because they are continuing to see an expansion of their programs. I can say, very frankly, the thing that I've heard from them as to what their success has been, as well as in Inuvik what the challenges they're seeing, is having a local champion, someone who also believes in the program as much as the Member and I do. We can provide those dollars, but if there's not someone to grow and expand the program, it won't grow and expand. It does need someone there. So yes, Mr. Chair, we're happy to work with any local community, community organization, that's interested. There is funding available under the innovation strategies with the department, but we need someone at the community level to be the champion. Thank you.
Mahsi for that. Next, I have Mr. O'Reilly.
Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. So earlier I'd asked about whether there were any organizations that did not receive the 2.2 percent increase, and on page 230, it's pretty clear that a number of organizations did not receive the increase, or at least areas advance the knowledge economy, Business Development Investment Corporation, commercial fisheries, Great Northern Arts Festival, SEED. You know, I recognize that some of these are, you know, programs rather than individual NGOs but can the Minister you know, some of the other ones did, like community futures, community transfer initiatives. Could the Minister try to explain again for me why some programs got an increase, and some did not? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, thank you, I'm happy to have the question. So this wasn't intended to be a blanket increase to every funding pot, every contribution agreement, every grant agreement, every program dollar that goes out the door to the nonprofit sectors across the Northwest Territories. This was to address the fact that for up to now, nonprofits were out offering services and conducting business really that, without their taking that on, the Government of the Northwest Territories would have to take it inside. So the easier examples often are around the health and social services side. So, for example, you know, organizations that provide sheltering services, that provide disability services, that provide residential services. On ITI's side, it's tourism association that does work and the CF's deliver the programming to the business sector on our behalf. If they weren't doing it, public servants would have to do that work. Public servants see increases obviously in their wages. The nonprofits were not. That was the gap that we were trying to fill, not to increase every single, you know, projectbased fund that goes out the door. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Just for clarification, what was the CF you mentioned?
Sorry. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Community futures. The community futures organizations.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Okay, I got some specific questions about some of the funding programs here if I could.
Let's start with advance the knowledge economy. Yeah, there's a big drop there from 240 to 100 this year. And I see that there's actually an ongoing engagement that I think ITI seems to now have the lead on this. So why has this dropped, especially when, you know, there's this public engagement going on and probably looking for some money to maybe start to implement and do some things? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, there were two areas of sunset in here, and that's what led to the drop. The first is with respect to the advancing the knowledge economy, there was a position there that is as that work has advanced already now and there is this strategy in place that that position is gone. And then also there's some changes with respect to, again, the makerspace, money that was there has moved out as well. So, you know, in short and then to say that, yes, there's the work that's going on currently on the regional economic development plans but that wouldn't necessarily depending on well, depending on what comes of those plans, it wouldn't necessarily come in the same spot here. There may be I mean, there could be a whole number of different ways to advance individual projects and plans across the individual regions. Each one may well be quite different. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So let's talk about the knowledge economy piece. I think somehow the name's been morphed into something called the innovation action plan, which I really don't understand what it means. But I think it gives the connotation that somehow something has to be new and swanky before it's going to get funded. It's really looks like it's really aimed at the commercialization of knowledge. I think there's a number of other aspects here, like, you know, intellectual property rights when it comes to traditional knowledge that needs to be looked at. But in any event, I disagree with the name that the Minister's given this. But if the regional economic plans are in here, what's the status of that work and is it actually going to get done in the lifetime of this Assembly? And although the department seems to be out there talking about regional economic development plans, the mandate item actually is about setting regional economic diversification targets. That's something different than a plan. So maybe the Minister can address a few of those comments. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So work is underway right now to put together regional economic development plans. And I know I've had this conversation with the Member before as to whether one can have a target before one even has a plan so, you know, again, and we may have to agree to disagree about the process by which that is determined, but having something there, having some guidance and some direction so that communities can then develop their targets once they know some of their areas, that may well be the ultimate outcome of it. But it's meant to be something that empowers and drives community economic development and in a measurable fashion.
They are expected to be completed this Assembly by certainly before the August session, if not hopefully even sooner, much sooner than that.
And the knowledge economy versus innovation, Mr. Chair, I think it was if I'm not mistaken, last year we went out to do the work around the knowledge economy. It came back very, very clearly from the consultation process that went out publicly that most folks did not like the word "knowledge" economy. They didn't understand it, didn't make sense to them. So, you know, it's not unanimous by any stretch and this House shows that, but the recommendations we got quite firmly were to make it a name that more people could identify with and that aligned more to the federal government's approach which may help us get some money for it. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Mr. Chair, yeah, I guess we're going to have to agree continue to agree to disagree. So where does the remediation economy fit into all this stuff? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that is something that is a ITI lead but it is worked on, as I mentioned earlier, a shared area with Department of ENR as well. And right now it's under ITI as there's a discussion paper out for comment and review, and it would certainly be helpful if more people would look at it and provide their comments and feedback to it. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So is there any money earmarked in this budget for further work on our remediation economy? And I guess I'm not talking about the $20 million contract that went to a southern firm to do remediation at Cameron Hills where nobody's getting any jobs out of it from the Northwest Territories, but is there any actual dollars in here for further work on remediation economy? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
