Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, at this point, the paper and the consultation process around coming up with a bit more of a strategy, that is being done in house. No further funds are required in this respect. It is an area where I can say there has been a fair bit of interest from the federal government with CanNor and with CIRNAC. There is what's called the SPI funding and I'm going to get the acronym wrong SPI funding, which is an area of strategic partnership initiative funding, which we expect could well support some training if that is what's required. But, really, at this point the first step is to go out and figure out where are the gaps, what gaps need filling, so that more businesses and residents can participate in the remediation work. That is within the mineral resource sector at the closure stages of that industry. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm going to ask for your indulgence; I've got two more questions.
The SEED program I understand went through some kind of a review in 20212022 but no changes have been made. There's no increase in funds. What's going on with that previous review; and the Minister alluded to another review, why are we doing another review and when is it going to get completed? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'd like to send this to the deputy minister to give a bit more of a sense about where it's been and where it's going. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yes, with respect to the SEED review, it was during the COVID years so yes, the intake wasn't that high. That being said, we still did get some direction. What you'll see coming for SEED very shortly is, one, release of some guidelines for SEED. The department is looking to create guidelines that are consistent for all of our programs. So this is obviously a very important one. We did look at market disruption and the equity piece. The second piece coming out will be program evaluation matrices for the SEED programs.
And I think, you know, what we are looking at right now is how you define need. So you can talk about market disruption or you can actually try and see how you define "need" a bit better that isn't necessarily market disruption. The Yukon, for example, doesn't have market disruption but they have a way to evaluate needs. So those are things that the department's going to be looking at and hopefully we will be having something out on those two pieces in the next four to six months. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate it. I just have one more question. The northern food development program, one of the things that, you know, there was a joint public hearing or SCEDE had a public hearing I think last week on this, or maybe it was the week before. And one of the things that came out of that meeting was there doesn't seem to be any way to actually measure agricultural production in the Northwest Territories. So we give out money, but we have no way of actually knowing whether there's increased agricultural production; there's, you know, some way of addressing food security in some way. What kind of stipulations are there in contributions agreements for the northern food development program about reporting of data and, you know, whether people actually increased their food production or sales or whatever? Is that part of the reporting requirements under contribution agreements for this program or other agricultural supports from the department and if it's not part of the reporting requirements, when it is going to start to be made part of the reporting requirements? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. And Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Mr. Chair, there's certainly are particularly because of the nature of this being in a joint federal program, the federal programs do have reporting requirements. There are some data collection. I don't have one of those agreements in front of me but what I can commit to do is to perhaps provide we'll go back and see what we can provide in terms from those reporting requirements that we have so we can provide that to the Member and if it's public, we'll make that public. I just need to confirm that there's nothing within those agreements that I'm unaware of that would limit that.
As for new data that may be gathered, all I can say on that one, Mr. Chair, is that the new agricultural partnership process with the federal government was live to the need for more data. I recall that being very clearly discussed amongst all the ministers. So there may well be some support and guidance coming on a panCanadian level and happy to report back as that continues to develop. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi for that. Mr. Edjericon.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I got a few questions. In regards to your on page 230 and then I go to page 232, in here it talks about South Slave region. As you know, I represent the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, which is four communities. In here, can you explain to me it says fulltime, and there's ten positions. Can you explain to me where are the positions? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, none of I mean, GNWT is not organized based on the 19 ridings of the Legislative Assembly. So I appreciate that we'll have to get some detail there. I'm not sure if I have it broken down by 19 Members here. And let me see if the deputy minister is able to and if not, we'll certainly get back to the Member with that detail. Thanks.
Deputy minister.
Those positions would be both based in Hay River and Fort Smith, Mr. Chair.
All right, mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know this year my colleague Jane, MLA from the Tlicho region talked about the way the Tlicho is mixed into the North Slave. I also too want to raise that as an issue because you just clarified to me that, you know, you don't have that information right now but it's only Hay River and Fort Smith. But then so when you say that, this information is kind of skewed in a way that it rolls in Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e and N'dilo and Dettah. So where does N'dilo and Dettah fall in? Does that fall into the North sorry, South Slave? Or sorry, North Slave? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, in general, would be under the North Slave. Again, we're not going to be in a position as a government to break down to allocate regions to being 19 regions. Whatever economies of scale that we have in the North, which are few and far between already, would be utterly lost. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.
Okay, thank you. Thank you for that and for clarifying that. I'm not sure when on one hand, you know, when I became the MLA, I represent the four communities of Tu NedheWiilideh, and I'm not sure when are we, the government, you're going to start looking to recognize that, because right now as it is the positions that are on these documents, or the monies that's going to the North or South Slave region, it's really I mean, how much money is it really coming into Dettah and N'dilo, to Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So certainly some effort can be made perhaps to try to determine what monies are going in, and it would depend upon if we're looking at positions or if we're looking at contributions. There are EDO contribution agreements, for example with the YKDFN and Fort Res, where we are funding an economic development officer in those two communities. There would obviously be quite a large number of, you know, individual grants and contributions that go to individual businesses in all four of those communities and that would be in the contract report so we can provide that detail. There would be quite a number of supports that flow from the headquarters office, probably to Dettah and N'dilo in particular. So again, you know, there's a lot of funds that go out but perhaps, as I said, I can identify if it's a public servant question or if it's money into grants and contributions and then that can be a starting point to try to break that down a bit. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So it's just a matter of time I guess, that the department's going to have to start catching up and starting to recognize that Tu NedheWiilideh riding is a separate riding on its own. It's got four communities but yet we're rolled into the South Slave region and the positions that are there are not identified. So then when you say that there's money going to be going to South Slave region, really it's only going to include Hay River and Fort Smith but nothing for Tu Nedhe, which is N'dilo, Dettah, Fort Res and Lutselk'e. But that's okay, I'm hoping that the Minister could just elaborate a little bit on that as to when this might happen. Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, again, the entire Government of the Northwest Territories is not reorganize itself into 19 ridings. The Beaufort Delta allocate region right now includes all of Nunakput, both of the Inuvik ridings and the Mackenzie Delta. So we're not drawn up into 19 different groups. There are public servants based in the communities of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. There are positions funded with YKDFN as well with respect, as I said, to the EDO for example. And there's funds that go out to individual community members. Some of it is done through the regional determinations, so there's regional headquarters in North Slave which, in this case, is based in Yellowknife. But there's not going to be a splitting up of government services into 19. So if the question is when, that is not on the horizon for the government. The budgeting that would be required would be significant and it would completely undercut the availability to actually put monies into the communities and out to residents. Thank you.
Mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.
Thank you. I only got three minutes and 42 seconds left so I think we'll have that discussion at another day. But I think it's a valid question that, you know, we need to be recognized and that monies that are going into the South Slave region or North Slave region, that it goes in for my riding goes into different regions and it's all over the place so that needs to be recognized.
Anyways, moving forward though, right now as it is as we and you mentioned in your speech today that there's we're going to be closing the mines in the next couple years. And we're going to be looking at new ways to create employment and jobs going forward to sustain ourselves and especially right now in our communities, we have members that are working at the mine site that have picked up a lot of good skills along the way in the last 25 years in the operation of the mining industry. So I guess the question to the Minister, what are we going to do to look at how we're going to offset that because when that happens, what are we going to fall back on to, because right now in here, you know, I don't see anything in here that's forestry, and I look under ITI or sorry, infrastructure, and I'm thinking, you know, we're going to have to start shifting gears here and looking for new ways to build homes. And so forestry is one way, and I just thought maybe if you could elaborate on that a little bit. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I agree. I want all the things. So, you know, the forestry specifically, that would actually fall under ENR. And, again, I'm going to add that to my list, the ENLR department, so lands, natural resources Lands, ENR well, now ECC and us do meet, and I'll add that to our next meeting item, just to make sure that we're checking in and working together from an economic development perspective and from the forestry perspective. You know, we want to continue to see mineral resource development. We want to see Indigenous governments participating at an equity stage in mineral resource development.
Folks that are from communities that are in that industry now can utilize their skills. You know, we're working right now with Diavik; we're sitting with them. But I know the other two mines are more than happy to hire more local workers and not bring up a flyin workforce. So in a short term, there will be some jobs available. But in the long term, again I would really like to see all the opportunities. I mean, again I talked earlier about fishery. All of the communities around Great Slave Lake have an opportunity to participate in the fishery and in the fishery revitalization, and we are not anywhere close to meeting the maximum. So there really are a lot of opportunities. I don't have a clock in front of me. I'll wrap up, which is to say that I open that regional economic development plans are an opportunity for individual communities to see the opportunities and then to be able to access the training to take advantage of them. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I had one more a couple quick questions here if I could. In Hay River they have the Aurora Wood Pellets, and they have an arrangement with I guess that company in that's going to made up to look at building wood pellets, etcetera. Would you have any more information on that so you could share with us on that, or is that going to be in Minister Thompson's portfolio? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is yet another chance for ECC and ITI to work together. Minister Thompson and I have spoken about the Aurora Wood Pellets project many times. The deputy minister will likely have the latest on that. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yes, Aurora Wood Pellets, or AWP, they have evolved. They have a very aggressive business plan, including wood pellet and a sawmill. ENR and ITI are working together to support them as they wish. They have multiple business plans. Agriculture, as I said, wood pellets, sawmill. Right now they are have invested significantly in a railhead where they are bringing in a lot of the supplies for the diamond mines fuel, dry products. So, you know, we're very optimistic that this will be an economic opportunity down in that region. And as I said, we will be continually working them as they wish. Thank you, Mr. Chair
Mahsi. Committee, we went through one round of ten minutes each. There are no further questions, we'll move on.
Please turn to page 229, Industry, Tourism and Investment, economic diversification and business support, operations expenditures summary, 20232024 Main Estimates, $18,959,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Mahsi. Minerals and petroleum resources beginning on page 234, with information item on pages 235 and 236. Questions? Somebody's tired to raise their arm? I'm not seeing any questions in this section. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So on 234, there's Minerals and Petroleum Resources Act implementation. In 20212022, the actuals, it was almost $200,000 overspent. But how much total have we actually spent on the Mineral Resources Act implementation as a government to date? Maybe to the end of the fiscal year. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, let me get back to the Member on that. The challenge I would see on that is there's going to be MARS funding. There's going to be the mineral resource the sort of specific line item here, and I want to make sure that we don't lose anything over the course of a few fiscal years. It's embedded work that this is what this is sort of where this is the meat of what a lot of public servants over at ITI do right now, but we'll try our best to pull the specifics of it. I'm confident I won't have that number and, yes, the mining recorder’s office as well. So it's work that's spread out in a lot of places. There's not a single line item. We'll do our best to put something together. Thank you.
All right, mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
No, thanks, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I appreciate that. And it is important work, and I think we want to get it right. And in Ontario they took ten years to do this. So yeah, maybe I'll just turn to the same there is some line items in the contributions around this. There's a line item, Mineral Resources Act Implementation under contributions. It was $22,000 back in 20212022. In 20232024, it's anticipated to be $12,000. What's that money for and who actually gets it? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I believe that is probably funding that's going directly to the Indigenous governments, and I'm getting some nods around me. So that is part of the contributions to support their participation in that process. Thank you.
