Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in my statement I had mentioned supporting projects there for the small community industry. My first question to the Minister of ITI is: what is this government doing to support the small business, and more specifically in the Sahtu? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government invests daily into small businesses with all the stuff that we do in the Department of ITI for sure. We have targeted policies, programs, funding initiatives that we use. Last year we spent $18.7 million in grants and contributions to entrepreneurs and businesses in the NWT and groups with economic interests that operate within the NWT. We also have the SEED program, which I believe, if I check department records, we spend around $500,000 that is distributed within the Sahtu region alone.
Additionally, we provide an annual contribution to the Sahtu Business Development Corporation for programs and services that help support small businesses within the Member's region. So there are a number of things that we do and we will continue to do in the Sahtu.
I'm hearing a lot about money, but can the Minister offer an example of how it is actually supporting the working of delivery of programs to the owners of the Sahtu?
We are proud of the one-widow, one-to-one service that we provide in all the regions of the Northwest Territories. There's one in Norman Wells; its doors are open from 8:30 to 5:00 on a weekly basis for entrepreneurs to come in and access that.
I mentioned the Community Transfer Initiative; it was in place for economic development officers in Tulita and Norman Wells down in Fort Good Hope. They help residents with funding applications, establish business contacts by linking them for advice and training and to help them bring their new ideas forward.
More specifically, can the Minister elaborate a little bit on the next 12 months coming up on various conferences that are on the schedule that could be passed on to the residents of the Sahtu on workshops, for example, orientation between the program and what is available, that type of conference or workshops? Anything that's scheduled for the next coming 12 months?
In the Sahtu, we have a number of things that are going on. As far as right off the top of my head on conferences and stuff, I can't think of one that's coming up here in the short term. The one thing that I can speak about that's happening in the Sahtu region is the recent announcement of the Canyon Creek project. That's a good example of providing training and opportunities to residents in the Sahtu. That's going to bring approximately 50 jobs to the region. Also, in the last two years, ITI has worked with the people in the Sahtu to do the wire cleanup on the Canol Trail. There are two years done on that initiative, and we are encouraging the federal government to continue this project in the region this coming summer, to work on that, as it is going to bring a valuable trained workforce that has been trained in the region for future remediation of the Canol Trail.
Those are some of the initiatives that are happening right now in the region. I'll have to check with the department and see what other type of conferences and stuff we are trying to propose to bring to the region.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
My last question, Mr. Speaker: can the Minister provide that information to my office so I can relate that on to the Sahtu leadership? Thank you.
Yes. Once the department has pulled that information together, Mr. Speaker, we will provide that to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Question 51718(2):
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Recently, it was stated that there is an increase of visitors to the territorial parks all over the NWT. Now, those are great parks that we have, and we have six of them in my riding, so my question is: has ITI considered the possible links between territorial recreational parks and conservation areas? Mahsi.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Territorial parks are developed to promote recreational and economic development opportunities across the Northwest Territories, and we will continue to do that. The GNWT is led by the Department of ENR for our conservation network planning, and that includes both protected areas and conservation areas. They will be bringing that forward, their longterm strategy of doing that, and bringing their conservation areas with their plan forward on ecosystems and biodiversity. We will continue to work with them as a department on helping them support that. Our Territorial Parks Act, like I say, is based on recreation and economic development opportunities across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I think the territorial parks are great opportunities. I think we do not too bad of a job maintaining them. They are something that communities look forward to every year in terms of maintaining and, of course, having visitors, as well, but sometimes we get our backs against the wall. We could do discussion and then we have walls, and we have to overcome those walls. I think the Minister just alluded to that, perhaps. Hopefully, it doesn't happen, that possibility. What are we doing to maintain an ongoing dialogue between ENR and ITI on the development of parks?
As I said, ITI is responsible for territorial wayside parks. They were more for economic development than regional use. ENR is currently moving forward with their conservation of protected areas, and they are going to be coming forward with new legislation. When legislation is proposed, they have interdepartmental working groups that go through all these things, and these initiatives will be coming forward as it's a governmentwide initiative. We look forward to them bringing their LPs forward on this, so we will continue to work with them.
I think the increase of visitors to the park is a great opportunity for this government, plus communities, as well. My question to the Minister is: how are Deh Cho communities involved in the development of parks and tourism in the region?
All our six parks are in the South Slave, as the Member alluded to that are in his riding or, actually, in the South Slave, I guess. We continue to work with all Aboriginal groups and communities on how we are going to expand, how do we maintain and work with them, and how do we work with the community governments and Aboriginal governments to bring more economic opportunities based around tourism. We will continue to have that dialogue with all stakeholders in the region and across the Northwest Territories on how to improve that. We will continue to do that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is reassuring that there is a commitment in terms of working with communities. My final question is: how are Deh Cho parks tied into Aboriginal tourism initiatives in the NWT? Mahsi.
Aboriginal tourism is a great initiative that ITI has put forward. We will continue to work with anyone who accesses this program. There are a couple of initiatives there for community governments to access that. As I have said, the Department of ITI will continue to work with everybody, be it Aboriginal tourism, communities, Aboriginal governments, residents of the Northwest Territories, on how we can enhance and use our parks to the best benefit to the residents of the Northwest Territories and all the visitors that come here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
