Merci, Monsieur le President. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment knows that I am a big fan of the NWT archives and the territorial museum here in Yellowknife, that also needs a name change. I visit the archives once or twice a year and I have always received great service from the staff there. However, I am becoming increasingly worried about the state of whole building constructed in 1977 and our management, or lack thereof, of the archival and documentary heritage of the NWT. I have seen so many studies about the need to replace, expand, and upgrade the building in my almost eight years here that I have lost track of where we are with this important work.
Many important records covering the early years of the Government of the Northwest Territories are not even stored at the museum building due to lack of space. These records are stored in the government warehouse on Bryne Road. That building is totally unsuitable for any longterm storage. Lack of temperature or humidity controls place our archival records at considerable risk. Just think of the heat inside that building this summer. It would be unbearable and definitely not good for paper records.
These documents cover the transfer of authority from Ottawa to the Northwest Territories and other political development of our territories. They document the rise of Indigenous governments, negotiations over land rights, devolution, and many other significant events for the Northwest Territories. It's not just the government records that the NWT archives is responsible for but at least 21 other boards and agencies and numerous private records that have been donated and/or acquired.
When I review the antiquated Archives Act, which seems to date from 1981, there are virtually no standards or requirements for the archival heritage of the Northwest Territories. Section 5(2) says, quote, "the archivist is responsible for the safekeeping of every public record that is transferred to the archives under this section." End of quote. That's it. That's a lot of responsibility with what seems to be not enough resources to actually do it. I also note that the Archives Act has been on the list of legislation to be updated in both Assembly's that I have been part of it but it continually gets bumped. I will have questions later today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about GNWT's archival practices and whether they comply with the law. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
