Debates of June 5, 2006 (day 5)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Minister Brendan Bell made a statement today about tourism. I’d like to ask, I don’t know if it’s either him or it’s the Minister of MACA, in terms of the Northwest Territories tourism initiative. The birthplace of ice hockey in Canada in the Northwest Territories is at stake here. So I want to ask the Minister of Tourism if his department or staff could look at any type of initiative to support this claim here in the North here. Would the Minister provide me with some direction in terms of what can his department do to fully support the community of Deline and the Northwest Territories to bring prominence to the community of Deline in the Northwest Territories on the birthplace of ice hockey?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 60-15(5): Support For Deline As The Birthplace Of Hockey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re really getting down to it at the end of question period; it’s commitment time. I appreciate the work that the Member has done in raising the profile of Deline as the birthplace of Hockey. He did draw national attention to this. He’s done some good work in this regard. I know that the NWT Tourism Association has been interested in this. Certainly our department and region is aware of it and if there are proposals that come forward, I know that the department would consider those. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 60-15(5): Support For Deline As The Birthplace Of Hockey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now the gloves come off here.

Oooh.

I’m looking forward to commitments from the tourism department. Why, Mr. Speaker, why can’t his department and his people go into Deline, talk to the elders and talk to them in terms of what the community wants to do? Why couldn’t he go in there, because it’s always up to the people? Something like this, you know, it’s going to take quite a lot of energy from a lot of good people just to put this thing on the map here. So the birthplace needs to be told and it needs to take the Minister from this department to go into Deline, talk to people, they have some wonderful ideas. So will the Minister direct his staff to go into Deline, talk to the original hockey players on the birthplace of hockey in Canada? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 60-15(5): Support For Deline As The Birthplace Of Hockey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn’t aware that anybody who played in that game was still around to talk to.

---Laughter

But seriously, Mr. Speaker, I think it’s a good initiative and I think there’s lots of reasons that we should champion an initiative like this. Of course, our department works with would be entrepreneurs who have business ideas. We want to support them. Our NWT tourism folks are the champions of our destination marketing and they would very much be involved. But I will, again, bring this to the attention of my regional people in the Sahtu who I am sure would be more than willing to sit down with the community and talk about their plans going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 60-15(5): Support For Deline As The Birthplace Of Hockey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with bannock and lard we live long.

---Laughter

You know, the people in the Sahtu. So, Mr. Speaker, again, I ask the Minister of Tourism maybe if he can chat with the Minister of MACA in terms of can their departments get together and look at getting this…(inaudible)…sports and also tourism and come to a decision as to let’s put some money aside, let’s bring the community of Deline and the original birthplace of ice hockey on the map. It’s hockey time, it’s hockey season and it’s hockey night in Deline. Let’s do something for Deline and the people of the Northwest Territories and Canada and show them we mean business, okay? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 60-15(5): Support For Deline As The Birthplace Of Hockey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hockey night in Deline does have a nice ring to it and I don’t want to rope MACA in here as well, but, Mr. Speaker…

---Laughter

In our Tourism 2010 Strategy there is quite a bit of money for product development, but it has to be regionally driven, it has to be about regional priorities and it would have to be a community-based proposal and submission. But if that were to come forward, I know that we would work with the community to try to advance this as a priority. I think it makes a lot of sense notwithstanding whether or not MACA can be involved, I think government-wide there certainly is rationale for an initiative like this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 60-15(5): Support For Deline As The Birthplace Of Hockey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was hoping the Minister would give the hook to the Minister here in terms of pulling into this initiative in terms of at least documenting the oral tradition of Sir John Franklin’s diary into a written document by the elders. So can the Minister, again, I would ask him, I would appreciate his response, if we would ask the Minister of MACA to look at some form of funding or any one of his departments in terms of documenting this important history here. It’s got to be told, and let’s do it; our government is willing to make a motion and to pass it; let’s walk our talk in terms of putting some serious onto this statement here. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 60-15(5): Support For Deline As The Birthplace Of Hockey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure what I’m able to do in terms of making the Minister of MACA aware of this initiative. He’s obviously right beside me, I know he has heard the questions and, Mr. Speaker, there’s not much more that I can say other than if there’s a community-based proposal, we’ll certainly work with the community. It is an interesting idea and it’s a fascinating and compelling story and if there’s a way for us to support Deline as the birthplace of hockey, that is something we’d be prepared to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause