Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program does not contribute directly to that. We have climate change programs within the department that would be more related to that particular outcome. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all the questions I have on this department at this time. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. Is there any further questions? Seeing none, please turn to page 84.
Environment and Climate Change, corporate management, operations expenditure summary -- no further questions? Please turn to page 88.
Environment and Climate Change, environmental management, monitoring and climate change, operations expenditure summary, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, $21,815,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Moving on to policy and strategic planning, beginning on page 92 with information items on page 96. Are there any questions? I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So given that the department in their business plan has highlighted a great deal of sustainable livelihoods activities, partnerships, and programming under encouraging community wellness, I'm curious as to the difference between the revised estimates of 2023-2024 and the main estimates of 2024-2025, noting, of course, that it's an increase from the mains of the last fiscal, which is great but, yeah, just looking for the full story here, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, one moment, please.
The variance of $1.081 million between 2022-2023 Actuals and the 2023-2024 Main Estimates is due to carryovers of funding from 2022-2023 for cost sharing agreements related to the nature fund, Deh Cho conservation, and protected areas of Inuvialuit-owned lands, and therefore increased spending. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go back to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you for that answer. Noting that I might actually be a reduction on this line item, could the Minister please speak to the reduction in the policy legislation evaluation and communications from last year's expenditures. Thank you. And it's actually quite significant as compared to 2022-2023. I expect this might be in part due to efficiencies from the merger but just curious. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the decrease of $862,000 between 2023-2024 Revised Main Estimates and the 2024-2025 Main Estimates is due to reduction of five positions - director of policy, manager of policy, manager of legislation, manager of communications, and an administrative assistant, and a reduction in annual printing costs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I'm assuming, yes, that's a yes, it's due to the merger and also the reduction of printing costs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the Minister to the question.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that's a yes. My apologies.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave. No further questions?
Next on my list I have the Member from Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is I see quite a reduction to the nature fund protected areas. You got three candidates there. Three candidates there, and they took quite a drastic cut.
Can the Minister explain the rationale behind these cuts? I'm curious to see if there is a contribution agreement or a conservation agreement that might be jeopardized in this reduction. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the reduction of this line item was due to the sunsetting of an agreement with the federal government and related to associated funding. The ongoing and continued work will be addressed through the potential project finance for permanence initiative with the Government of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is there any discussions going on to reactivate that sunset? Can the Minister explain. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as I indicated there is an initiative, the project finance for permanence, which is an initiative between Indigenous governments and the federal government. Related to that in relation to the Department of Environment and Climate Change, there is a bilateral nature agreement that is in the discussion phase right now that would support that work. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thanks to the Minister for that information on potential renewals.
My next question is related, further on down the line, to the traditional knowledge. Traditional knowledge is a local science, which I think everybody respects and have gained with practical experience living on the land. In recognition of that talent or that experience, is there any movement or initiatives by this department in that area to look at a knowledge economy in recognition of the traditional knowledge that we have out there in our territory? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the Minister to the question.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'll pass that to Dr. Kelly for a reply, please. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Traditional knowledge is factored into initiatives across the department, not just in this particular line item. So all of the different activities in the main estimates have aspects of traditional knowledge. For like a specific piece, in this work we do in the sustainable livelihoods, there's lots of work on traditional knowledge. And we have a traditional knowledge action plan that has been developed from input with Indigenous governments that's under development at this time too. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thanks to deputy minister Kelly there for providing that information. So it does exist. I'm just curious, I had the privilege of travelling on a scheduled flight from Deline and there was a student doing an ice monitoring survey in Deline on the Great Bear Lake ice situation and the movements and so on. So the study required her to stay there at length. Is there any initiatives underway with the department to work with the Laurier Institute, I think it is. They have an office here on the first floor of the Scotia Centre. That individual that I encountered or interacted with does. She's a student to the Laurier Institute, and they do have an office here. I'm just wondering if there is some common interest from your office to work with the Sir Wilfred Laurier office here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yes, the department has a longstanding relationship with Sir Wilfred Laurier University and supports research in many aspects of the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from the Sahtu.
No further questions there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member for the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is about disaster compensation, 225. How many cabins that were lost in the wildfire of last year, does the Minister know how many of the cabins that were lost and compensated from last year? Thank you.
Thank you. To the Minister to the question.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't have a specific number as to the number of cabins that were lost, but I am aware that there were 33 claims related to compensation under the disaster compensation program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
Of those 33, how many were given their grants? Thank you. Or paid out.
Thank you. To the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. All of those claims were successfully resolved to date. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
The reason I'm asking is I have people calling me and saying that they didn't get anything from -- they lost their cabin last year in the fire, in the wildfire, and they didn't get anything. So is there some way that maybe their application didn't get looked at or it didn't get in, or? I just need that information so I could bring it back to some of these. They were in the Hay River, Deh Cho region. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, those requests can go directly to the regional office, the regional superintendent for follow up. There is no cutoff date on the actual program submission, so there is still opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
