Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my final question, for Prosper NWT I understand that we are transferring $1.5 million aroundabouts to them, but I also see that in their, you know, statement as information item, they're carrying an accumulative surplus each year of over $35 million. And so I wonder if the Minister can explain why they're not -- why they need to maintain a surplus of $35 million and why they can't use some of the surplus to fund, you know, what the GNWT is currently funding, you know, each year to the tune of $1.5 million. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And, Mr. Chair, I cannot explain to you how much I'm wishing that Prosper NWT was still sitting next to me. But, Mr. Chair -- and I'm going to very uneloquently describe this, but essentially those are their investments into loans, and so it's not cold hard cash, so to say, sitting there in their bank accounts not doing anything. Their role is to continuously invest dollars in northern businesses and to grow those businesses. And so it's not a bank account with $35 million sitting there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank for that explanation. Nothing further. Thank you.
Thank you. Next on my list I have is the Member from Monfwi.
Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Community futures for this fiscal year, I know it's to help business development or corporation, that's what it says. So do you think that's enough, or it's -- I think it -- well, for me, I don't think that's enough. So I just wanted to ask the Minister if there's going to be -- with everything that's happening in the Northwest Territories with the mine -- you know, with the diamond mines winding down and now we're going over to the Giant Mine remediations, so I know there's going to be a lot of those activities happening, and I'm sure there's other development corporation that might want to, you know -- for their own businesses, might want to pursue that. But this community futures program that I see here in the budget, it's not enough. I don't think it's enough. So is there going to be an increase in this budget?
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we've got the SEED funding program, which is a grant program and affords grants to people who are looking to invest in business ventures through ITI. We also have community futures. Now, community futures is a loan type program. And then in -- outside of ITI and Prosper NWT, which is now arm's length, we also have a loan type program there, and they also do have some grants. Like, for example, their digital investment piece is through grants. So there isn't an intent in this budget to increase the amount going to community futures, but all that to say there are different options depending on what people are looking to do. And then the other piece that I think is really crucial here is we are in the middle of doing a review of our community futures program because as I laid out, there are different programs, and there are some programs that have overlap and then my concern is potentially gaps in some spaces, and if as far as -- as not just the funding that's provided but also the supports that are provided. So we're doing a review of our community futures program, and that will give us also some recommendations as to how to improve the program like the Member is speaking to.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.
Okay, thank you. If the Minister can elaborate. Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, if she can elaborate a little bit on that. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So that's the -- that we call -- so the SCAP funding is agriculture funding. It was afforded to ITI by the federal government, and that funding is for different agriculture projects across the territory on an application base. It is very well tapped into. I believe by October, it was already 75, 76 percent allocated for the year, so it is a very popular program in the territory. And some people end up using it for equipment. Some people, I believe, use it for mentorship opportunity -- or training, rather. And so it has a fairly diverse range of what people can use it for. It's also been used for community gardens as well. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.
Okay, thank you. Yes, that's about it for this section. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. Is there any further questions from Members? Okay, seeing no further questions, please turn to page 238.
Industry, tourism and investment, economic diversification and business support, operations expenditure summary, 2025-2026 Main Estimates, $20,435,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Okay, thank you. Committee, we'll take a five minute break and we'll continue on.
---SHORT RECESS.
Okay, committee, we will continue on. Please grab your seats. Thank you.
Moving on to minerals and petroleum resources. Order. You're here for the boss. Thank you.
Moving on to minerals and petroleum resources beginning on page 243 with information items on page 246. Are there any questions? No further questions, please turn to page 244.
Industry, tourism and investment, minerals and petroleum resources, operations expenditure summary, 2025-2026 Main Estimates, $16,751,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Moving on to tourism and parks beginning on page 247 with information items on page 251. Are there any questions? No further questions, please turn to page 248. Industry, tourism and investment, tourism and parks, operations expenditure summary, 2025-2026 -- I'm sorry, okay, I'm sorry. Did I -- I didn't see your hand. Do you have a question going back to -- parks on page 251? I was just on a roll. Okay, go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm so sorry, and I thought I was from Frame Lake for a second.
Anyway, I know at some point in the business plan -- I am sorry, I do not have the page in front of me -- that under the tourism and parks activity, we speak about public safety and the fact that there are a high number of incidents here -- thank you to myself for finding it -- 131 incidents have been reported in parks in the NWT since April 2024. So I'd say probably about an eight-month period before these business plans updates were printed. That is an increase of 76 incidents from 2023. Can the Minister speak a little bit to the root causes of why we're having so many issues with public safety in parks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we had a number of communities evacuated and the -- our parks ended up being used as evacuation spots and ended up seeing a significant increase in incidents in our parks in the territory. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So it sounds, then, that this particular measure and target might resolve itself if, you know, all deities willing we don't have any evacuations this year. So is there -- is there any kind of plan here; what kind of approach is the department taking? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So what was done was we worked with communities to hire security for the parks in order to further support park users that were there because of the evacuation. So we will continue working with MACA and with Indigenous governments should the need arise. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And just generally speaking, in the Yellowknife area there are lots of folks throughout all of the Yellowknife ridings who use Fred Henne, use parks along the Ingraham Trail. Is there a notable increase of incidents outside of evacuation? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
No, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's really good to hear, and I appreciate that. I just know that when I was young, and when the Minister was young, and I'm sure we both did quite a -- a bunch of partying at the wonderful territorial parks, so. Even though she might not want me to talk about that. But, you know, making sure everybody is safe and enjoying those spaces is really important to me and our residents, so thanks for that. I'll leave it there.
Thank you. Any other Members that have questions? Member from the Deh Cho.
On parks, thank you, Mr. Chair. How is the department better promoting parks for residents outside of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. We have an excellent relationship with Tourism NWT who does wonderful work. We also have -- sorry, and I should toot their horn a little bit. They've done a tremendous amount of work promoting even on things like Good Morning America. And as soon as they have done that work, we've seen access to our tourism operators shoot through the roof and some of those people, of course, are using our parks. We also have a tremendous amount of marketing on social media. We also have information in visitors centres in other jurisdictions. And a great way to also promote it is to ensure that people are having a great experience when they travel to the territory and they tell their friends. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Community -- visitor information centres, are communities encouraged to open up those up or do they just make the request themselves to ITI to get a visitor information centre in their communities? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's certainly up to the community, and we're always happy to lend some suggestions and some expertise from our staff, and we can certainly support through a contribution agreement. But ultimately it is up to the community. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
So it's up to the community. Is that through the hamlet office or the IG, or who makes the request from the -- at the community level? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I would say that it could be different from different communities. But certainly, you would want to ensure that the community is aligned in that request and ultimately working together because then you have certainly a better product at the end of the day if you have community support for it. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
If one were to open in, let's say, the Deh Cho going between Enterprise and Fort Providence, somewhere in between there, what support is provided to open up a visitor information centre? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we can certainly help in the form of a business plan to ensure that all options are considered and that, you know, there's a robust plan that goes with it. I know that in the Member's area, there is incredible areas to go and visit. There's incredible artists. I know when I am in the region and I'm -- I get to see some earrings and stuff, I always wish I could buy them all, and so I think something like that would be incredibly successful. And so I would certainly say that having a conversation with the regional office and there can be conversations about stacking funding, say with CanNor, and certainly the region has the traffic along the road, so I think there's some great opportunities for some business ventures over there. Thank you.
