Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories we boast about our natural resources, whether it be oil and gas or diamonds. We really have a lot of potential. One thing that I think in many instances that we take for granted is the sustainable potential for tourism. My question today is to the Minister of ITI. What is the GNWT or ITI doing to further tourism development in the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure of the Member’s enthusiasm about the opportunities as I listened closely to his statement. I think it is by working with our folks across the Territories that we are going to develop a sustainable tourism industry here in the Northwest Territories. We are currently looking at a Tourism 2015 plan. A big component of that Tourism 2015 plan includes a component of Aboriginal tourism, which would certainly include cultural tourism as well. I know in the Member’s riding we are looking forward to the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge and using that as a springboard to further tourism in that area. Thank you.
I would like to thank the Minister for his response. Too often we are faced with many challenges presently here in the Northwest Territories and, for that matter, all over Canada. Small businesses sometimes are faced with challenges such as finding funding. One common response that people get in terms of trying to start their small businesses and implementing them is market disruption. What kind of commitment could the Minister make to small businesses that exist or plan on stating a tourism initiative in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.
Before I was elected to the House in 2003, I worked for some time as a tourism development officer in the North Slave region. That is the role and the function of tourism development officers. I would suggest that businesses that are interested in getting into tourism and developing tourism product in the Deh Cho and the South Slave and my colleague’s riding would get in touch with the department officials in the region and work through how it is that we can help them get into business to provide further tourism products here in the Northwest Territories and specifically in the Member’s riding. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, my final question is to the Minister. The Minister did mention that the department is looking at developing a plan for year 2015. I understand there are initiatives to ensure that people are involved from a broad perspective. How does he ensure that the community perspective, and also at the same time the Aboriginal perspective and also at the same time small businesses are involved with this initiative? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, there certainly is an Aboriginal component to Tourism 2015. There is an advisory panel, as well, on Aboriginal tourism that is part of Tourism 2015.
The future is very bright. I think we have a number of things that are putting the Northwest Territories on the map. Currently, I would like to suggest that the Northwest Territories is the reality show capital of Canada. We have Ice Road Truckers recently came back to the Northwest Territories to film the new season. We have NWT Ice Pilots, a very successful show, and also Licensed to Drill, a new television series is filmed in the Northwest Territories at sites I believe just outside Tulita and in the delta, and also Arctic Air. We have a number of commercials. I hope Members have seen that television show and saw the commercials.
We are doing our best to market the Northwest Territories. I think, in that effort the big winner is the beautiful landscape that we have here in the Northwest Territories and showcasing that to residents across this country and globally, as well, because that show is successful on-line as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
