Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the standard's already in place in the NWT as referenced in the current adopted edition of the National Building Code 2015. Many additional changes are incorporated in the 2020 edition of the NBC to further improve the accessibility design. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT is currently using the 2015 National Building Standards or the National Building Code. The code permits construction of mass timber buildings up to six stories. The 2020 edition that the Member's talking about was released in March of 2022, and the fire marshal's office has up to two years, or until 2024, to adopt it. But I'm happy here to say it to this here in the House and for the people out there that the fire marshal's office will be adopting it in the first quarter of the 2023 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Abstain.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents, Environmental Rights Act Annual Report 20212022; Policy 53.05 Environment and Natural Resources Statement of Environmental Values; and, What We Heard: Statement of Environmental Values, March 2022. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a government, as a Minister, I make a decision based on information provided to me. I should not make a decision based on what could be or can't be.

So, Mr. Speaker, the GNWT, again, has not developed a position on a regional assessment. The GNWT will not take a formal position until there is more information and engagement has occurred with Indigenous governments, Nunavut, regulatory bodies, as well as MLAs. Any GNWT position will take into account the views of all parties and stakeholders as well as the GNWT legal obligations, mandated items, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to probably just it's not going to be a perfect answer. So basically, and as in depth as the Member may want. So right now working on a potential regional strategy assessment in the Slave Geological Province is being led by the Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Regional studies are a federal responsibility under the MVRMA, CIRNAC, and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board are planning to hold a workshop later this month with Indigenous governments, resource management supports, on the regional strategic...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's actually convenient that the Member asked this question. We're just actually sending him a response to his email to us. So we are just finalizing it. We're working on that flowchart. We are going to have it up next week, early next week on there, but we will also make sure like I said, we'll make sure that Members from Deh Cho, Hay River North, Hay River South, as well as the insurance companies, have that information as well as the town and K'atlodeeche First Nation administration staff. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the RFP for apartments, hotels, and B and Bs was just done on Monday. We're working procurement, and we're trying to work as fast as we can to try and get that standard offer out there for accommodations. As soon as we get it, we will make sure that Members are aware of it as well as the contractors who have submitted to the bid. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NBC 2015 requires at least two exits, and there must be arranged so that they are clear, visible, identifiable, and accessible.

For public safety reasons, we cannot facilitate a single means of exit, the current adoption or adopted code, as well as the 2020 code, requires two exits to ensure that at least one exit is available during emergency evacuation if one is blocked due to fire or smoke. I do not want to be the Minister that has only one exit and we have a fatality going out there. So we are going to follow the code as it is and follow the...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the Department of Lands' progress related to enhancing transparency and client experience for residents of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands is an active member in the Government of the Northwest Territories Open Data Initiative, which aims to increase government transparency and accountability by proactively making data available to the public, while respecting our privacy, security, and legal obligations.

In support of this initiative, the Department recently expanded the information and data related to land...