Thank you. Member for Thebacha.
So, Madam Chair, Conibear Park used to have a visitor information centre and it was burnt down. It caught fire and was burned. It was during the winter. And since that happened, there's not been any centralized visitor information centre in that park. That park was donated by a family to the town of Fort Smith, and it had a kind of a log structure. And I just want to mention to the Minister, Madam Chair, that I'd like to see an erection of a visitor information centre within that park, along with a stage that they used to have many years ago. Since that left, we haven't had that in the community. We're supposed to be promoting these parks and these central areas for visitors and for the people of the community and surrounding communities, and I'd like them to examine that if possible. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the deputy minister was actually quite recently in Fort Smith and perhaps I'll just, rather than me speak for her, have her speak to just whatever conversations briefly she might have had. I don't know that there is a specific ask from the town to us just yet. But I'll turn it to her for just some different detail. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister Strand.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I was able to meet with the Town of Fort Smith on a number of items. Conibear Park is also, we know, a high priority for the town. And we are there to help as a lead on developing that project. So we also hope that they can move forward on it. Another interest of the town was Mission Park as well and what that can offer to the community. So that's one that we will also be reengaging on with all of the interested parties. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Thebacha.
The last question I have is the utilization of the new conference centre in Fort Smith. Both the new Salt River First Nation conference centre and the Fort Smith Metis Nation building conference centre; one is a bit older, one is a newer one, but I'd like to ensure that the department starts having some conferences, the smaller conferences, held in some of these buildings that are owned by Indigenous people, groups in Fort Smith. We're always saying that we're going to encourage Indigenous involvement in conferences and ownership, and I don't see very many conferences being held there that are held by the government. In fact, when they phone up they say oh, that's too much and they want to go somewhere else to have their conference. I think that is not okay. I'm sure they pay a good buck when they go to the Chateau Nova or the Explorer. So I'm just saying that we have to start encouraging our own Indigenous groups. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I completely agree. There is the Tourism NWT conference bureau that sits within NWT Tourism. What I'd suggest is perhaps ensuring that there's a more direct connection between the conference bureau, which admittedly was not seeing a significant amount of incoming conferences here during COVID but is back to work now and looking forward. So perhaps making sure that they can confirm with me, again on my list of things I want to talk to them about, that they have a direct liaison to the Town of Fort Smith and to the facilities that are there. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Thebacha.
One last comment. My last comment is I want to thank the deputy minister visiting Fort Smith. All the leaders that she approached and went to visit were very, very pleased with her visit. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Do we have any more questions or comments for tourism and parks? Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. I know they started this before me because I wasn't here the last week, Thursday. I just wanted to ask here tourism industry contribution. I just want to ask the Minister how much of this is being spent in Tlicho region?
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I have 20212022 actuals here, and I can provide that as a onepage summary to the Member. Perhaps that might be the easiest. Right now the breakdown that I have is by the administrative regions of the Government of the Northwest Territories and not necessarily relating to individual Members' ridings. So as I say, I can provide a twopage summary here to Members and then we'll try and see if we can provide that in more greater detail at the same time. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, that's why it's really important to have Tlicho region so that way we know how much money is being spent and what are we doing with program and services, so. And I know that there are a lot of people in my region they inquire they've been asking about getting into tourism business but the liability and for insurance, it's too costly for a lot of them. So I just wanted to know what is the department doing working with the local people to promote tourism for businesses?
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, again, Madam Chair, would look to pointing again to the list of funding programs that are going to be provided to all Members. But perhaps I'll turn to the deputy minister and see if she can add something more specific at this point. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister Strand.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, yes, I think there's an extensive list of things that our North Slave regional office have been working on with respect to the Tlicho. So first is the North Arm campground but we've also been working with Whati and the Tlicho communities offering different training courses. You know, on our tourism program on our website, and we can include these to the Member as well, are the different, you know, how to be a tourism operator and in those conversations, you know, there is that discussion on insurance and how we work on that. So we're fairly active with getting into the communities with our North Slave regional office. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you for the information. I know that we're next to Yellowknife. So, you know, like we're losing out on a lot of opportunities, especially within tourism. And here we don't even have a tourism visitors centre. You know, because I know a lot of people are saying they each out to the people but we have nothing for them because it's not just Yellowknife, and then some people that people that come from the south, they go to Yellowknife and they get tired of Yellowknife but we don't have nothing to offer them in Tlicho region. So that's why I'm saying that, because a lot of people are looking for authentic experience. And even last year when we had 100year celebration, we had a lot of tourism that were in Yellowknife that went to Behchoko when they heard about when we were having the celebration and they said yeah, like, we're tired; you know, like it's the same ole and they trying to reach out, go to other places, and as soon as they found the opportunity they went, they came and spent, you know like, they really enjoyed themselves. This is what I heard from some of them, and some of them were from Ontario, from the East Coast. So that's why I'm saying that, you know, like it would be nice. I would like to see this department, the Minister, to promote and to have a visitors centre in either in Behchoko or in Whati or the junction somewhere, you know. So that way the tourism when they're coming, we can tell them what we do have. But right now we don't have much to offer them, especially in our regions, because everything is in Yellowknife and Yellowknife is not the only place. We do need stuff too in the small communities. So that's why I'm just asking that, how come we don't have a visitors centre in Tlicho region? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, if the communities one of the communities in the Tlicho region are interested to work on some form of visitors centre or facility and, again, happy to receive that kind of a request. There's been a lot of work gone in to Whati to try to work with the community and decide what they may want in terms of tourism product or tourism opportunities. And my understanding is the Tlicho government has been taking the lead on these issues, quite rightfully, and happy to work with them on that. There's been a lot of money that has gone to the North Arm Park camping grounds area, including access to, you know, interpretive signage and boardwalks, etcetera. And, indeed, money has gone away from other projects in the North Slave region generally into the North Arm Park in order to get that done and to get it done early and on time. Community tourism coordinators would be another place I'd point, Madam Chair. There needs to be someone in the community and the community wants to have to have a community tourism coordinator, and that might help to advance more to put forward in a more advanced way what is available in an offer in the Tlicho community, because I mean, I think we'd all agree we'd like to see more but it will have to be Tlicho government led with us in support. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Is there a timeline for the North Arm Park; when is it going to be completed?
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe it is open at least largely open, to be this summer, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you.
Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to talk about, I guess, the arts and one thing I still see that there's a need for is to secure naturally tanned hides for crafts and garments and those type of things. I'm just wondering what the government is or the department's doing to ensure that happens so that we don't have you know, don't have the artists having to go south to look for tanned hides that aren't from the Northwest Territories or are commercially tanned? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, this is another area that I think what I may have to do is put this one on my list for our shared multidepartment sit down between the LNR departments. ENR does play, I believe, a lead role or a significant role in terms of accessing hides. There have been some pilot programs, I believe, over the last year or so, in terms of finding different ways to provide access to hides, and I have heard the different views from members of the community as to whether or not those were appropriate and culturally relevant. So as I say, I will put that on my list for a meeting and once we've had that meeting, we'll confirm with the Member what opportunities there may be going forward between the two departments. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Next question here. You know, I guess last week we had the agri conference here in Yellowknife. So I'm just wondering, you know, we talk about agritourism and that. How much interest is there by the Indigenous governments or persons or businesses, I guess, in providing that type of service? Because, you know, when I look at it, when I look at tourism, and it doesn't seem that's something that Indigenous people may want to do. So I'm just and I may be wrong, so I just want to be corrected if I am, to see if you know, how much interest there is. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I can't say on the perspective of what Indigenous governments' view on it might be. What I can speak to a bit more is with respect to the foraging and harvesting opportunities, you know, for example Ecology North, I believe, has been running tours out to do harvesting walks or foraging walks here just in Yellowknife. So to the extent that these are the people who understand and know the land the best, I would think those opportunities are there. Whether they want to commodify that and turn that into a tourism product, again, there is funding opportunity for mentorship, for mentor training, and then to market their products through NWT Tourism. And it's just a matter of connecting those opportunities should people be interested in doing so. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I see an opportunity there, I guess, for Indigenous people, especially when you're looking at, you know, whether it's, you know, berries or whatever it is that's grown naturally or in the Northwest Territories, and like I say walking tours and that. So, you know, there's a real opportunity I think there. But just, I was just trying to get a sense on the, you know, run of the mill of agriculture that is, you know, that we see from the south that's moved into the North, that's all. So more of a just a comment. But I'll just go on here.
The other thing that we don't seem to talk about much is the new initiatives as well for tourism. Like, we have some, you know, beautiful places around here. Like, Hay River, you know, we've got Louise Falls; we've got Alexander Falls; you know, we've got the lake and all that. You know, and I look at it, and I you know, when I go down there I'm thinking, you know, what could we do different here? And then I talk to some of the people that work in the department and that and, you know, one thing we should be looking at is expanding what we have and, like, for, you know, around Enterprise there, the falls is, you know, a walking bridge or something like that. Is that something that the department is looking at, new initiatives to expand what we have for tourism into, you know you go to the falls and you're kind of you're concentrated in one spot but you may be able to get over top of it, you know, and things like that. I know there might be a little bit of a liability issue there but, you know, we got to throw those type of ideas out there. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, happy I mean, the ideas, I couldn't agree more with. Happy to have the ideas. Exactly who the champion might be and then connecting the champions to the funding is, I suppose, the more challenging side. That said, I would note that there is now funding for interpretive programming within parks, which is new. That is an asset I have heard here. And there's now $50,000 per year proposed to support interpretive programming which hopefully would I mean, I'd love to see that be fully expended this year. It certainly would give that valueadd about the distinctness of each culture and region. So, you know, I'm happy to give that a little plug and a little nudge and I'd be happy to also see that it gets fully utilized. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. One other area here is you know, where I can see expansion is the border there to Highway No. 1. You know, again, we got beautiful, you know, booth there or building there for tourists and we've got places for people to stay. But I think that could be expanded. But the issue there is that it comes down to power. And right now we're generating power either with diesel generators or sometimes with other sources. And we have Alberta we have power there going I'm not sure how far it goes into. If it goes to Indian Cabins or a little bit this side. And I would like, I guess, the department to take a look at the cost of possibly bringing that line into the territories to provide power to it, because we are spending a lot of money anyway, and see if it would make sense because we wouldn't be maintaining we wouldn't be having to maintain generators and, you know, worry about that. So it would just allow us maybe to expand the season a little bit around there and expand the services that we could provide to tourism. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of ITI.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And, Madam Chair, I've certainly not heard it proposed from within the department or with colleagues over at Infrastructure that Alberta Power can come up here in any sort of easy or cost-efficient basis. Certainly would love to be frankly wrong about that, Madam Chair. But there are efforts underway to move to renewables where possible, that some of the parks are seeing a move to having some small scale various renewable initiatives, particularly around solar. So again, I can perhaps get back to the Member with respect to what's happening. It's often an Infrastructure/ITI joint initiative and often under the small cap side of the capital budget. So, you know, not to say that it gets lost in the small cap budget, Madam Chair, but there's a long list of items there and they may not all get the attention that they deserve for the fact that they are actually providing power alternatives at the parks which does have a significant impact trickling effect on other things like tourism. So let me get I can highlight a few of those initiatives. I just don't have the capital budget, small cap, projects in front of me. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Member for Hay River South.
That's all. Thank you.
