Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions today for the Minister of Lands. There is currently work being done to develop a Recreational Land Lease Framework or policy, I think both at this point. It’s been ongoing for a while. I would like to ask some questions to the Minister about that policy.
First of all, I would like to know what this particular work is concentrating on. What is the focus on the work that’s being done? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Lands, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back when MACA had Commissioner’s land, we had started the work on a recreational policy framework on the area that we had covered or that was under our jurisdiction. Since devolution we’ve become responsible for 940,000 square kilometres, I keep reminding everybody. So we had to expand on the work that we’re actually doing. We’ve completed work through the MACA rec lease and policy, but we’ve had to expand on the work. Again, it’s building on the work that we were already doing through the Recreational Leasing Policy Framework that we were doing through MACA. I’m going on a little too long. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll sit down.
Thanks to the Minister. I understand that we are doing this work, but I don’t understand the actual focus of the work. In developing this Recreational Land Lease Policy, what is the department focusing in on or what particular kind of use is the department focusing in on? As part of that, I’d like to ask the Minister what his definition of recreational use is. Thank you.
Recreational is one of the highest demands here in and around the city. We have a focus area that we have withdrawn from any further potential leases until we do all the work to be sure that these areas sustain further development. We don’t want to be crowding these recreational areas. A lot of folks put up a small cabin and then they want to go out there for quiet enjoyment. That’s my definition of recreational, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister for the answer. From what I am hearing from the Minister and in general as people talk about the development of this policy, I’m hearing that it’s intended to regulate cabin use. It’s not living dwellings, but dwellings that are used on an irregular basis.
I’d like to know from the Minister, if land is required for a use other than cabin use or an itinerant dwelling, let’s say for a motocross track, and I have some constituents who are interested in doing that, I’d like to know from the Minister if they were already using an already established site but it’s within this corridor we’ve identified or withdrawn down the Ingraham Trail, is that the same as what the Minister has described as a recreational use? Thank you.
In this particular case that area is withdrawn and we have made it known that we are not entertaining any leases on any of the areas that are withdrawn. This would, I suppose, qualify as a recreational area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It goes to the desire of this group to establish an area where people can go and use motocross-type vehicles to get them out of going into the bush, so they aren’t destroying land which we don’t want them to destroy. The land in question has previously been used as a track. There are not going to be any dwellings on there, so it’s not going to be near any water. There are no lakes close to that and it’s unlikely that it’s going to be a prime site for any kind of a cabin.
So, if the use of this particular site is agreed to by the Yellowknives Dene or the Akaitcho Government, the Aboriginal government within which area it occurs, would the Minister consider entertaining a land lease for this particular site? Thank you.
We will do our consultation with the Aboriginal governments and get their views known. Again, the particular piece of property that we’re discussing, once the interim withdrawal expires, then we would consider taking leases on this particular piece of property. The issue we’re facing is we have had a lot of concern from folks around the capital that they find that too many of the areas are overpopulated and that’s one of the reasons we are doing this work, is we want to identify, through the rec leasing framework that MACA did… There was a lake that we had identified that had some potential cabin sites on it. The public told us no, that wasn’t a good idea, so we backed away from that and didn’t earmark any of them for cabins. Once we do our consultations, then we will determine our next steps and keep all Members of the House informed of our progress going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
