Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister of Education, Culture and Employment
The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland was first elected in the 19th Assembly as the MLA for Kam Lake in 2019, and has served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment since 2023 after being acclaimed to the 20th Assembly.
In addition to owning and operating a northern business for over 20 years, Minister Cleveland worked in a variety of communications and policy roles in both the public and private sectors before entering politics.
Between 2019 to 2023, she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Development, fulfilling a goal to be a part of the discussions and decisions affecting social programs in the Northwest Territories. Her noteworthy work on the Committee included guiding the considerable review and input into recommendations on housing in the NWT, suicide prevention, and improvements to caring for children in care and building supported families.
Within the scope of her portfolios, Minister Cleveland is focused on helping children grow into successful NWT residents that recognize opportunities and develop successful careers that contribute to a growing economy. She advocates for new approaches to sector diversification and innovation, and ensures the North is welcoming both skilled foreign workers and investment in the critical mineral resources across the territory. She persistently explores solutions for efficient and equitable access to programs and services, upholding a shared vision of an NWT where people are supported in the ways they wish to live, work, and grow.
Minister Cleveland is a lifelong resident of Yellowknife where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Prosper NWT, I can confirm for the Member, is currently working with ITI and reaching out to affected clients to discuss immediate needs, such as interest only payments or other accommodations to help clients as necessary. I can also confirm for the Member that Prosper NWT has already approved interest only payments for a client in the Sahtu with multiple loans resulting in significant monthly cash flow savings. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by acknowledging the difficult, difficult time that the low water levels are causing for many, many residents and businesses across the territory.
Mr. Speaker, we know that government supports won't replace work across the territory and in our communities, work that is vitally, vitally important. And we also know that these supports won't be all things to absolutely everyone in communities, but I want to assure the Member that we are heeding the urgency of this. I appreciate the Member making a Member's statement today on this...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ITI works closely with entrepreneurs and has roughly $1.4 million that it can feed right into entrepreneurial investments through its SEED program. In addition to that, I'd also like to mention that roughly the same amount is invested in the arts over at the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.
But in addition to investing in entrepreneurs through programs like that, specific to artists the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment also has some very unique programs to try to help grow artists across the territory and also expand their reach...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would definitely like the opportunity to see a lot more entrepreneurship across the territory, especially ensuring that we're supporting the development of entrepreneurship in our small communities.
With the subsidiaries that currently fall under Prosper NWT, they employ roughly eight full-time positions annually, and they cost Prosper NWT about $1.3 million a year. And so one of the goals that I have throughout the term of this Assembly is to work with the very skilled board members of Prosper NWT, who bring a lot of entrepreneurial experience...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that I have reached out to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and although departments don't currently have a specific program like this at this time, ITI is working with ECE along with other departments to determine what supports are available, how they can use the tools in their toolbox to ensure that we are responding to the needs of businesses in the Sahtu region. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regards to interest free loans through Prosper NWT, they do not have currently the authority to offer these to businesses. However, this is definitely something that, through this all-of-government approach to looking how we can respond to this situation, we are considering all tools that are available to us in our toolbox. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, some businesses start up and quietly happen from people's living rooms. And so I would love to know exactly who wants to become an entrepreneur and ensure that they have the support that they need. But I can certainly commit to providing the Member with any information we have, especially when they relate to BIP'd companies and entrepreneurs. But any information that I am able to provide the Member from both ITI and Prosper NWT, I will certainly be happy to do so. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the Deh Cho region, ITI spends about $1.3 million, and that's divided up between community futures to the tune of about just over $200,000, through the community transfer initiative to the tune of about $150,000, SEED contributions at roughly $734,000, economic diversification using the northern food development program at almost $57,000, the Canadian agriculture program as well as other various contributions account for almost $165,000 as well. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this Legislative Assembly was clear in its desire to work together to build a strong economic foundation. Establishing a sustainable and truly strong foundation needs to be an all of territory effort, supporting the growth and evolution of all education and skill development sectors from early learning to post-secondary learning and trades economy to care economy. But Mr. Speaker, we know that our economic vision is bigger than just us. Like many jurisdictions across the country, attracting new skilled residents is part of building a strong economic foundation.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can confirm to the Member that this is a holding topic at meetings with the education bodies, with the chairs, across the territory and is frequently discussed. Mr. Speaker, I can also confirm for the Member that this is something that is very important to me because we can it doesn't matter how much money we invest in education, if students around attending school then we cannot improve our education outcomes as a territory. Thank you.
