Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment. Before I go there, I just wanted to acknowledge this statement that I read today. It was developed by a student of the Introduction to Northern Leadership program in Fort Providence, as part of the Commit to Learning Centre’s extension of their World College program. This statement was regarding the Telemia camp, which I think most MLAs had an opportunity to visit last summer. The students are seeking the wisdom and guidance of the Minister, so the first question is to the Minister: is the Minister aware of Fort Providence’s interest to develop Telemia to be a tourist camp? Mahsi.
Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister, I am not well aware that they have an application in to develop that tourism camp. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The second question was if, perhaps, the Minister could try and imagine what it is that the community is desiring in terms of trying to tap into the tourism opportunities. What steps would he envision in terms of requiring to upgrade the Telemia camp, to make it a tourism attraction, in terms of, perhaps, the perspective from the Department of ITI?
We are always looking at ways of investing in the regions to promote tourism. I can sit down with the Member and have a conversation with him on what the community envisions in moving that forward, and seeing what program that we have within the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment will help fit the bill, to help them realize their dream of tourism there.
I appreciate the Minister’s extension in terms of meeting, and having a discussion, in terms of, perhaps, this opportunity. Before we meet, maybe the Minister can inform this side of the House, in terms of whether there is any Aboriginal tourism funding available, to help get the Telemia camp up and running?
I have announced earlier in the House, during this session, all the tourism programs that we have. We have the regional development workshops that we have had in different regions. We just recently had one in the Deh Cho, which pulled a bunch of stakeholders together from the Members’ riding. It was well attended by all Aboriginal governments and groups from the region. We do have an economic development person in every region, to help facilitate tourism. We can sit down and have a look at how we are going to do that. There are a number of different opportunities, different pots of money from the Community Tourism Coordinator program, to the Youth Mentorship one, to the regional tourism advisors that we have in all the regions. There are a number of opportunities that we can use to look at those opportunities.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think part of the challenge is to try, from a regional perspective, to maybe funnel those efforts into a community-type delivery, so that communities could, at least, realize some of the benefits that tourism could bring to at least some communities that really need the employment opportunities. My last question is: how can local people in our province explore tourism career opportunities and get further training? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have said, we have a number of new initiatives, along with the old ones, to help promote tourism in the Northwest Territories. If the Member would like, I can have the regional superintendent for ITI to go in there and have a discussion with the community on how they can leverage some of these dollars and programs, to reach the potential that they desire.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
