Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the days get longer, everyone is considering their growing season, agriculture. I’ll follow up with my colleague’s questions for the Minister of ITI on agriculture.
The first question I want to follow up on is the question on the training course for the northern farmer training. Has the Minister committed to doing anything for the upcoming year in this area of training farmers?
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in response to Mrs. Groenewegen’s questions earlier, we have met with the TFA. We are aware of the training that they are proposing. We plan to meet with them again next week in Yellowknife. We are hoping to conclude negotiations on the Growing Forward Fund by the end of this fiscal year, another four weeks or so, at which time, I do believe, we’ll be able to provide some assistance and help in order to see this farmer training taking place in Hay River. We are very hopeful that it will happen.
I’m wondering if the Minister and his department have had any discussions outside of the Hay River area as far as bringing people from the Northwest Territories. I know there’s some agriculture happening in Norman Wells and Inuvik. Is there some interest in bringing people in from the communities for this type of training?
I think the really positive thing about having the training there is that we can get people from the communities to attend the training in Hay River, and take the skills and knowledge that they learn there back to their communities so that they can train and teach other people back in their communities. So, yes, there has been some indication that we will get some people from the communities that want to get the training and take that information knowledge back home.
I think some of the other issues that are out there, also in the agriculture area, is in training. Are there ways that we’re implementing these into the schools and institutions and stuff like that? The corrections facilities? Is there any indication from the department, as far as agriculture is concerned, of doing that type of education as well?
We haven’t had discussions. I know ITI has not had discussions as of yet with ECE on looking at putting a component in the schools, but that is a very good idea and certainly something that I will follow up on.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question about agriculture is the agriculture policy and the identification of lands and special taxation. Has the department done any additional work with that lately?
The only demand involving lands outside of municipalities is coming from Hay River. We have met with the Town of Hay River and the Territorial Farmers Association. They are looking at 300 acres of land within the municipality for agriculture, and our officials have spoken to both the town and the TFA and offered support in trying to find a way forward for utilization of that land for agricultural pursuits. We will continue to do that. There is also interest in Fort Smith and Enterprise, as well as Yellowknife for land for agricultural use. We’re continuing that dialogue as well.
