Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I understand that ITI and ENR are working on guidelines for hydraulic fracturing. What will these guidelines include?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Minister Ramsay.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. We continue our work on developing guidelines for hydraulic fracturing here in the Northwest Territories and we are going to make sure that we get it right. We’ve engaged a number of experts in the area and, in fact, even today had a meeting with the National Energy Board here in our Legislature. Also, last week we were speaking to the Government of Alberta through Minister Ken Hughes, the Minister of Energy in Alberta.
There are a lot of folks out there that want to help make sure that the Northwest Territories gets this right. We’re also following developments out east in New Brunswick with their guidelines. We’ll ensure that we do get it right and we hope to have a reply to EDI’s report on fracking sometime during the life of this current sitting. Thank you.
What is the Government of the Northwest Territories doing to address the capacity needs in the communities in connection with the exploration activities?
As evidenced through this budget that was just presented to the House, we are taking very seriously what is happening in the Sahtu, not just on the economic side but also the social side of policing, education, things like that. In my department we’re looking at adding a business development officer in Norman Wells to help address the issues surrounding business development and opportunities for people to get into business in the Sahtu. So we are answering the call when it comes to what is happening in the Sahtu. Thank you.
Thank you. I want to ask the Minister how often he meets with federal or industry representatives to discuss the needs of the development in the Sahtu region.
Thank you. Any chance I get. Today it was at least three times. Any opportunity we get to let our federal colleagues know about what is happening in the Sahtu. Again, we have the National Energy Board here today. I met earlier today with the BDIC through my department at ITI. We really are getting the word out about what is happening there.
There’s going to be close to $700 million spent in the Sahtu in the coming few years. So we need to ensure that we are answering that call and we intend to do just that.
Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The vault is slowly opening up so that the needs of the Sahtu can be met.
I want to ask the Minister about hydraulic fracturing. What is the Minister doing with the National Energy Board, federal government and this government to give the people a very clear-cut educational opportunity to know about this technology that would help the industry or harm our environment? What is the Minister doing to make sure the people know what hydraulic fracturing is all about?
We’ve done a number of things. We’ve had a number of meetings in the communities in the Sahtu. We’ve taken the Members from the Economic Development and Infrastructure committee on a fracking tour. There have been leaders from the Sahtu attend a fracking tour in Calgary as well. Sometime in April I’m hoping to get a group of business leaders from the Sahtu down to southeast Saskatchewan and into North Dakota to talk to Aboriginal leaders in Bakken about what has happened there, and how Aboriginal governments and leaders here in the Northwest Territories can translate what is happening in the Sahtu to business opportunities for their people and make a better life for them and their families. Certainly, we’re looking to get the guidelines right. It is taking us some time, but I want to assure the House and the Member that we want to make sure this is done right. We can’t afford to mess this up. Rest assured, if there’s no fracking in the Sahtu, there will be no development, so we need to ensure we get it right.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
