Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of ITI. About eight years ago I decided that I’d like to take a hike on the Canol Trail. At that time, Premier Joe Handley wanted to come along. Basically, the idea was to take some youth out because looking at the situation of our youth and that it might be a good opportunity to talk about the youth, give them some experience about being out on the land and talking with some of the older people and the leaders and what they want to do in life. Over the past eight years this hike has become an annual event.
Given that we know more than the past eight years that we’ve been on the trail, the Sahtu Park Development Committee made some strong recommendations, I want to ask the Minister, what is the department doing in respect to the Sahtu Park recommendations in regard to making some infrastructure improvements on the hiking trail of the Canol?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All the government can do and the department can do today is continue to work with the Sahtu Secretariat and the federal government in ensuring that eventually that park is developed. There are some concerns, of course, from a health and safety perspective with some of the sites that need to be remediated along that route. Also, Mr. Speaker, the federal government wants to retain control over that entire 222-mile trail. So they have a plan to remediate and they also have a plan to monitor after remediating. Our intention is that that land will eventually be transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
For the last 10 years, I’ve been getting tips, reports, as to the transfer of the Canol Heritage Trail, the sites and reports from the federal government. Our government has been hesitant and reluctant to take over full ownership until all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed on this issue. With regard to the park they built, there are some areas that are not contaminated. Some areas are pretty well as natural as can be since the creation of this world.
Are there things in the plan that would help the young people as to what we can do to improve the safety of the hiking trail for other hikers that do go on the trail?
Capital money for parks is scarce. We just had over $2 million for small capital projects at our parks across the Northwest Territories. Last year we had $50,000 for Doi T’oh and also this year we’re looking at a further investment of $150,000. We’re looking at a cable crossing at Twitya River. That is a treacherous river crossing, as the Member knows. So we’re looking at putting that investment into the area as well.
We need to find further investments as we move along and get that land transferred so we can continue to look at positive developments at that park. Thank you.
The youth that we had out there, about ages 14 to 20 years old from different regions, came to the Canol and we had private sponsors. Certainly, we appreciated the sponsors from this government to take the youth. I wanted to ask the Minister, would there be an opportunity for the young people… From the report I have, some of the recommendations for them to be on the trail for 25 miles, 70 miles, 50 miles, they saw a lot out there.
Can this department sit down with the youth and ask what they’ve learned, take their recommendations and where can we put some emergency shelters, some infrastructure, so we can make the hike more enjoyable yet challenging?
It’s in our best interest to utilize the information. I know the Member has been out there many years with the youth from the Northwest Territories walking the Canol Trial. It is very useful information that he has and the youth who have that have traversed the trail over the years. If there is an opportunity to sit down with the most recent participants on the Canol hike from last summer or this coming summer and look at areas where they believe we could put some infrastructure, we could make the park better for people who are travelling in the park, that’s certainly an area where our staff have a hard time getting out to, so any input the hikers and the Member can provide the department with is certainly in our best interest.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, on part of the hike, we have rules of conduct when hiking out on the trail. One of the things we thought would be good as part of the recommendations would be to put up some signs at mile 25 on Carcajou River or Twitya or Little Keele to let people know to respect the trail. They are entering into Sahtu Dene/Metis lands and to respect the Canol Heritage Trail. That’s part of the rules of conduct we have amongst our young hikers. Don’t throw garbage on the ground, take what you need to take out of there, be respectful of the area.
Is that something the Minister could look at? Maybe putting up some billboard signs for hikers as a reminder when they come onto the Sahtu lands?
Signage, of course, is important. Again, it would be in the department’s best interest to talk to the Member, talk to the people who have travelled the trail to find out where the best locations are for signage. I thank the Member for his offer and I’ll ensure the staff in the region get a chance to sit down with those who hike the trail and talk about where we can put the signage. We’ve had some capital dollars last year and we have more capital dollars earmarked for the area this coming year, so we may be able to look at some signage for the park. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
