Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the Members that the Honourable Glen Abernethy will be absent in the House today due to illness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. The Honourable Premier.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to update this Assembly on negotiations toward the shared management of oil and gas resources in the NWT offshore, along with our ongoing work to undertake a five-year, science-based review of the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas activity in Arctic waters.
Mr. Speaker, the devolution agreement commits Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories, with the participation of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, to undertake negotiations for the management of oil and gas resources and the sharing of revenues in the offshore. Canada made a similar commitment to the Government of Yukon.
Northerners should be in charge of decisions about the future of the North and need the opportunity to grow the Northwest Territories economy based on the responsible development of the Northwest Territories' rich reserves of natural resources.
As Members are aware, negotiations began in April of this year in Inuvik. Since that time, two additional negotiation sessions have been held, one in Yellowknife in May and one in Calgary in June. An approach to guide ongoing negotiations has been agreed upon and will anchor the negotiation across the federal and Northwest Territories election periods.
Negotiations are set to resume in January 2020, but work will continue with ongoing discussions and preparation for negotiations to continue until then.
Mr. Speaker, concurrent with negotiations, a separate table has been established to oversee the five-year, science-based review process for the federal moratorium on offshore activity in the Western Arctic, which was unilaterally imposed by Canada in 2016 without any consultation with our government.
Parties to this table include Canada, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon. This provides the GNWT and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation with direct input into the science-based review and also the decision on whether or not the moratorium will be lifted following the completion of the five-year review.
This work is a priority of our government and is a mandate item. To show our commitment to this important work, we have established a small Office of Devolution Initiatives within the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, comprised of three staff. This office will lead our work on this file, along with work associated with a review of the transitional provisions under the devolution agreement with respect to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT remains committed to ensuring that northern decision-makers have a strong role in resource management decisions that will directly affect NWT residents. Decisions cannot and should not be made unilaterally from Ottawa. Our work to negotiate an offshore resource and revenue-sharing regime in the Beaufort region is a tangible step towards empowering Northerners through self-determination.
I look forward to the work ahead and hope that this important work will be successfully completed early in the life of the 19th Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, the issue of property tax arrears has often been cited as a barrier for residents trying to purchase land, obtain a mortgage, or access various Government of the Northwest Territories programs. Frequently, a significant portion of these arrears are attributable to interest charged on outstanding debt. The impact of this interest compounds over time and can leave residents with significant challenges to recover.
To address the issue of accumulated arrears, the government has established the Property Tax Arrears Program. This program is designed to provide property tax interest relief to residents of the General Taxation Area who have property tax or residential lease arrears in excess of 24 months. This program does not apply to Municipal Taxation Area property taxes, as those are the responsibility of the tax-based municipal governments.
In order to qualify for interest relief through the program, applicants will be required to enter into legal agreements that require the property holder to make agreed-upon monthly payments on the principal owed on their property taxes. Remission or forgiveness of interest on arrears will be granted in instalments when the property holder has met their financial obligations under the agreement.
To be clear, there is no forgiveness of the principal owed for property taxes under this program, only on the interest calculated on arrears.
To illustrate an impact of the program, I will use the example of a homeowner who owes over $34,000 in property tax arrears. This is comprised of about $4,900 in taxes and approximately $29,000 in interest. Should the homeowner choose to participate in the Property Tax Arrears Program, we would enter into an agreement to pay the $4,900 in affordable monthly payments, and the $29,000 in interest would be forgiven. This is not a unique circumstance.
I believe the Property Tax Arrears Program will provide a path forward for residents who want to address their current property tax arrears. This program, along with the Standard Interest Rate Statutes Amendment Act, should ensure that these large accumulated property tax arrears are a thing of the past for most residents in the General Taxation Area.
The program is now being advertised and communication is being undertaken to advise residents of the program and how they can apply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is following through on our mandate commitment to strengthen connections with our public- and private-sector partners in the transportation infrastructure.
Marine transportation is an essential lifeline for residents and businesses in many small communities of the Northwest Territories. Communities on Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River, and the Western Arctic coast rely on tugboats and barges for the resupply of essential goods and fuel.
With this in mind, the Government of the Northwest Territories continues work to develop, maintain, and improve marine infrastructure and services by exploring ways to increase economic benefits in this industry, minimize environmental impacts, train Northerners, and regularly address needs and gaps in marine infrastructure and services.
We continue to improve our capacity to operate a reliable, professional marine shipping service in a challenging Arctic environment and remain committed to providing the best service possible to all of our customers. To date, the Marine Transportation Services is on schedule toward a successful 2019 sailing season. This season's schedule was designed with substantial contingency to minimize risks and to avoid interruption to service.
We are working with our partners at the Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Ice Service, and others to monitor water levels and ice conditions, and we will adjust the schedule if conditions demand. Marine Transportation Services has added a customer service position to answer questions from the public and advise customers of progress and of anticipated dates of arrival to each community.
Mr. Speaker, this sailing season, we anticipate the completion of more than $36 million in commercial marine services and maintenance contracts, and the delivery of 45 million litres of fuel and nearly 10,000 tonnes of cargo.
Five of our tugs are operating on Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River, in the Beaufort Sea, the Amundsen Gulf, and the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. Two other vessels have been activated, one repositioning from Churchill to Tuktoyaktuk and the other operating on Great Slave Lake. We expect that 184 employees will be engaged to support the 2019 operations at peak season, 97 of them NWT residents, 33 of whom are local Indigenous persons.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that our activities proceed in a way that minimizes environmental impacts. The Department of Infrastructure continues to work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to carry out environmental site assessments on sites operated by Marine Transportation Services. Assessments will continue at specific locations to determine if there is any risk of contaminants migrating off of site.
We also continue to explore opportunities to partner with other Government of the Northwest Territories departments, Indigenous governments, and development corporations to provide business opportunities, training, and employment.
Mr. Speaker, in the area of training, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport Canada, and the Nunavut Fisheries and Marine Training Consortium joined forces to establish what has become a thriving Marine Training Centre at the Hay River Marine Terminal, a facility that has now delivered hundreds of courses to Northwest Territories students. The expansion of the Marine Training Centre this year includes additional classroom space and course offerings, including a Bridgewatch Rating Program, Small Vessel Operator Proficiency, and a Fishing Master's Program.
The Marine Placement Program matches graduates from the Marine Training Centre with jobs and economic opportunities. In the 2019 sailing season, saw six graduates from the Marine Training Centre take deckhand positions with Marine Transportation Services, including one placement on each operational tugboat and two positions on the Hay River harbour tug. Graduates from the Marine Training Centre have secured employment with the Canadian Coast Guard, and some will sail on the icebreakers that will visit our coastal waters this season.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to training and employment opportunities, the Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes the need to support the marine industry by improving marine infrastructure and services. A great deal of maintenance and repair work has been done and continues to be done at the Government of the Northwest Territories Hay River cargo terminal and shipyard facilities, but much work remains to improve marine infrastructure and services in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, one of the ways the Government of the Northwest Territories will improve our marine services is by upgrading our fleet. Four double-hulled barges are being built for delivery to Tuktoyaktuk in August of 2020. An extensive overhaul is being performed on one of our own tugboats, the Jock McNiven. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel the Eckaloo will be undergoing major maintenance at the shipyard this winter. These initiatives will employ about 30 people throughout the off-season.
We also continue to pursue federal funding to support investment in marine assets and infrastructure. The Government of the Northwest Territories has applied for funding from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency for a study that would examine the impacts of climate change on marine assets and services in the Beaufort Delta. The study would recommend operational and infrastructure improvements to mitigate risks to community resupply, as well as potential economic, employment, and community development opportunities that could be leveraged.
Mr. Speaker, there is also work that remains to be done in support of marine operations in the Northwest Territories that requires the federal government to step up to the plate. Restoring the Hay River Harbour and other vital initiatives, such as icebreaking support and remote federal marine resupply sites, require action by the federal government, and I will continue to press my federal counterpart on the importance of working with us to find solutions.
Through our federal, community and industry partnerships, the Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to strengthen and support the marine infrastructure and services in the Northwest Territories for the benefit of Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ensuring that housing programs and services reflect community values and priorities has been a key commitment of this government. Implementing Northern Solutions for Northern Housing also means working in partnership with other orders of government to develop more affordable housing. To meet these commitments, we have been working hand-in-hand with local governments to develop community housing plans that will guide and support their housing aspirations.
Mr. Speaker, the community housing plan process is well under way, with 12 communities across the Northwest Territories engaged in this work. We are close to celebrating the establishment of a community housing plan for the community of Whati, as well as Paulatuk and Fort Liard close behind.
We recognize that we have set ambitious goals for ourselves with this initiative. It takes time to do these community plans right. We are committed to working with our partners and residents in a meaningful and respectful manner. It is important that we take the time to listen and learn from each other, and sometimes that means that we cannot rush things.
This respect will ensure that community leaders and residents have full involvement in the creation of these plans, feel a sense of ownership, use the plans, and see them as a great tool to guide housing decisions in their communities.
In that spirit of respect, community leadership is critical and we are working closely with local leaders. Chiefs, mayors, and their councils have recognized from the beginning how important it is for their communities' voices to be heard.
We have also hired local housing facilitators to assist with the community planning and outreach to community residents. These contacts have been invaluable, and we could not do this work without their help.
Housing is one of the most important aspects of our lives. Having a roof over our heads is the starting point for successful, healthy living. Historically, our territory has faced many housing challenges, and talking about those challenges can be tough. Despite that, the turnout when we have our community meetings has been huge.
I am impressed by the broad participation. I want to thank everyone at the community level for coming out and sharing their knowledge and for working with us to develop your community plans.
Mr. Speaker, when I say that these plans belong to our communities, I mean it. Without the investment of time from community leaders and the residents, this would be a top-down exercise. We are taking the time to make sure these plans reflect local wisdom, experience, and a vision for the future. Several community housing plans will soon be complete, and I am confident communities will use them strategically to help meet local housing priorities. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about funding for the NWT SPCA. This organization serves 31 communities in the NWT, with the important mission of providing humane treatment of animals.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and want to offer credit to this government that it came through with $43,000 in stabilization for the NWT SPCA. It was a hard-fought achievement, and it is a good-news story. I appreciate that the government came around, and so will many Northerners. Everyone who worked to make this funding possible should be proud of the achievement.
Just last weekend, I was part of the SPCA's public fundraising event. Even with the one-time funding that was provided previously by the GNWT, the SPCA has to work constantly to find the financial resources it needs, and no wonder. It employs up to 12 people. It spends $30,000 a year providing dog food and straw to NWT communities. It spends $50,000 a year on medical supplies. It fundraised to buy its own piece of land and build its own new building, which it now pays to operate. It relies heavily on volunteers including its board members. These are people who volunteer their time because they care about the welfare of our animals.
I am proud that the NWT SPCA receive these funds, but I think this government has to go another step further and provide ongoing financial support. The City of Yellowknife supports the SPCA to the tune of almost $20,000 a year. Individuals and businesses contribute thousands a year. The territorial government needs to step up and provide ongoing annual funding to support the SPCA's important work through whatever means.
Mr. Speaker, 31 communities count on the services the SPCA provides. Those include the community spay-neuter program, the pet food and supplies for communities program, animal rescue and protection, and the animal health initiative program, and the demand is growing.
The SPCA has achieved a lot, and this territory needs its services, but it's warning us that it can't continue without the right support. Our government needs to commit to help relieve the burden with dependable, long-term financial support. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to speak about some amazing accomplishments for some constituents from the Nahendeh region this summer.
Mr. Speaker, in December 2017, Jessie Loutit received a call from Rowing Canada's head coach, officially inviting her to join the national team starting in January 2018. With this official invitation to join the team, she is now a carded athlete with Sport Canada with an ultimate goal of representing Canada at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
On August 8, Jessie and her partner, Larissa Werbicki, took another step towards this ultimate goal by winning Canada's first rowing medal at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Peru. Jessie and her partner remained in second place throughout the race, finishing just behind the Chilean duo with a time of 7:30:06. This is Larissa's and Jessie's first Pan Am Games, and Jessie's first international medal.
Mr. Speaker, Brenda Moreau, single mother to four, has been a dart player since 1993, with many achievements under her belt representing the NWT in darts. In 2008 she received a distinguished award with the National Dart Federation for Athlete of the Year. She has been to every province and travelled extensively to attain a ranking for her territory to be proud of. This past March, she was in the play downs in Hay River, coming out first for the NWT. In June, she travelled to Saskatoon and ranked fifth in the "Land of the Living Skies" ladies' single event; and July 17th at the National Canadian Women's Championships. On August 3, 2019, she took home a huge victory, placing first at the Calgary Open.
Currently, Brenda Moreau is ranked third in Canada, and plans to remain in the top 16 for the 2019-2020 dart season running up to April 30, 2020. With the plans to attend six more ranked tournaments her main goal was to get a coveted win and receive an invitation to the World Masters to represent Fort Simpson, the Northwest Territories, and Canada.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday three Nahendeh youth were part of the Northern Youth Abroad graduation ceremony with other participants. They got to share some of their things that they accomplished this summer. I'd like to congratulate Jolan Kotchea from Fort Liard, Emily Hardistay-Marcallais from Fort Simpson, and Holly Norwegian from Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson. At this point in time, Mr. Speaker, I would like unanimous consent to finish my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. As I said, Holly Norwegian from Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson on completing the whole program. I have witnessed their personal growth and look forward to their next adventure.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Dehcho Braves, mixed slo-pitch team, for winning the B Division title this past weekend in Yellowknife. This team has been doing a great job representing the community of Fort Simpson throughout the year. I wish them the best, and the other teams that are attending this weekend's tournament in the Annual Fort Simpson Slo-Pitch tournament. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak about the Northern Housing Summit that was held in Inuvik this past April. This summit was attended by over 100 subject matter experts and community leaders from across the Northwest Territories and beyond. The focus of the summit was on communicating housing investment opportunities to stakeholders, providing a collaborative forum for partnership building exempting community design and capacity building tools, and boosting community and stakeholder relationships, an excellent networking engagement.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that this summit has been discussed here in the Legislature in detail before, but now, more than three months after the event, I would like to talk about what came out of the summit and what are the next steps.
According to a summary report by the NWT Housing Corporation that was tabled in the last session, the summit was largely successful. Communities, Indigenous organizations, and other stakeholders who were given valuable information about investment opportunities such as the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. It gave stakeholders the chance to consider how to realize their housing aspirations and plan for healthy communities now and into the future. It allows allowed for building partnerships and deepening relationships between many individuals and organizations.
Mr. Speaker, I am interested in where we go from here. As I see it, we have an opportunity to develop some meaningful, local, appropriate housing initiatives all across the Northwest Territories. If we can make efficient use of the National Housing Co-investment Fund, there is a $60-million carve-out just for the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to complete my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mahsi, colleagues. Let's ensure we use this money to support the housing aspirations of all our communities, and let's ensure we start identifying and starting projects under this fund in the very near future. I also think that the community housing plans currently being undertaken by the corporation could provide a useful and helpful roadmap for communities in this regard.
Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions to the appropriate Minister. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2016, at the start of the 18th Assembly, the GNWT continued to acknowledge that there exists a gap between the core funding and needs of community governments. The government has set a target of nine years to close this gap, and here we are, four years later. MACA's 2018-2019 Business Plan says we're still nine years away from balancing this deficit.
The NWT Association of Municipalities identified a $40-million deficit in funding. In the attached report prepared by the Conference Board of Canada, which was included with their submission, it stated that closing the funding gap would create more than 200 jobs a year and would have a net positive impact on the economy of the Northwest Territories as a whole.
Every budget that this shortfall in funding to community governments remains. The amount of difference compounds. In effect, this means that the gap that exists today is bigger than it was in 2016, simply from inflation, let alone adding up every extra unanticipated costs that community governments have to cover. It is unacceptable that such a significant and well-known issue has had its timelines blown through and pushed to the next Assembly. I caution the 19th Assembly that, when this issue is raised, "further study will be needed," be aware that this is what committee and community leaders have heard on this issue for some time now. Community leaders from across the territory have expressed to me that the department has been updating them on the new pending release of the strategy to close the gap, but they have been kept in the dark and have been insufficiently consulted on the work done to date.
Mr. Speaker, we need a costed strategy, followed by real dollars with incremental funding increases year-on-year until the gap is closed. Yes, finding this funding may be difficult, but we must not keep our heads in the sand hoping that this issue will just resolve itself in a few more years with dollars from Ottawa that we don't know are coming.
This deficit hurts people in our communities most. It stifles economic growth, access to services, and leave communities in a worse spot each year than they were before. Most importantly, it adds to the cost of living, because, if municipalities don't have enough to cover their costs, they pass that on to their residents. We must stop this. We must support our communities, respect our community leadership, and live up to our promises of full community funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. By now, most Canadians are aware of the history of residential schools. What they may not know is that there were also over 700 Indian day schools operated by the federal government between the time the first one opened in 1828 until the last one closed its doors in 1997. It is estimated that over 200,000 Indigenous children attended these schools. While these students were able to return home at the end of the day, many still suffered trauma, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of the authority figures entrusted with their care.
More than 35 of these day schools operated in the NWT from 1958 to 1969 in at least 26 locations, including the Trout Rock Seasonal School, the Rocher River Day School, and schools at Pine Point and Reindeer Station. I attended the Elizabeth Ward day school in Fort Providence, and my parents attended the Sacred Heart Residential School, also in Fort Providence.
Mr. Speaker, on March 12 of this year, the Government of Canada announced that it had reached a proposed settlement agreement regarding the national Indian day schools class action lawsuit. This lawsuit was brought on by Mr. Garry McLean, an Indigenous leader and mentor, on behalf of all former students who attended these schools. Mr. McLean sadly passed away of cancer in February of this year at the age of 67, but as part of the settlement, a $200 million legacy fund has been established in his name. The fund will provide grants on application from charities and not-for-profit organizations to support commemoration projects, health and wellness programs, truth-telling events, and the restoration and preservation of Indigenous languages and culture. The proposed settlement agreement also includes $10,000 in individual compensation for those who suffered harm while attending Indian day school. For those who have suffered the most severe abuses, additional compensation, ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, may be awarded.
On May 13 to 15, a hearing took place in Winnipeg for the court to decide whether the proposed settlement is approved. Until that happens, no payments can be made, but people who may want to make a claim can register as part of the class action group. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. You can also make sure that the school you attended is listed on Schedule K, which is the official list of federal Indian day schools.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that all of the residents of the Northwest Territories who attended federal day schools learn about their rights and obligations related to their settlement, which also covers people who have passed away since July 31, 2007. I encourage anyone who has questions to visit the official Federal Indian Day School Class Action website at www.indiandayschools.com. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People don't like to think about what will happen after they pass away. Unfortunately, this means that, on top of grieving the death of a loved one, families are left to deal with their estate. This is made even more complicated if someone died without a will.
The Department of Justice has a Legal Aid Outreach clinic which can provide free advice on wills and estates, and I encourage the Minister to ensure that this important office continues helping residents by assisting with wills. By clearly putting your wishes on paper, families will know how you wanted your estate dealt with. This will make handling the estate after death easier for everyone.
Unfortunately, across the NWT, there are many people who do not have wills. Over the last number of years, my constituents have had to deal with estates of their loved ones, and many have had to hire a lawyer to assist them, a cost that many of my constituents can barely afford. This is going to become a larger problem in every community in the NWT in the future, as elders are one of our fastest growing populations.
The public trustee can assist with some causes, but only in certain situations. This leaves most residents trying to figure out the legal questions on estates by themselves, a frustrating and exhausting exercise. Many of these estates are small, but some involve family homes and potentially several heirs with claims to them.
I don't think that we want to be in a situation where the children have to mortgage the home to pay for a lawyer to settle the estate. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The Legal Aid Outreach office can only provide advice on how to deal with the estate, but, if there are complications or a dispute between heirs, lawyers are often needed. If Legal Aid was able to assist in probating wills, this may help address this growing issue.
I will have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT is implementing its strategy to revitalize the Great Slave Lake commercial fishery. I am very supportive of its goals, mainly to develop a commercial fishery into a sustainable industry and to increase returns to fishers. However, I am very troubled by the approach that the Department of ITI has taken in its dealings with the fishermen, which, from what I hear, sounds like a paternalistic way of doing business that should have been dead and buried decades ago.
A key component of this strategy is the construction of a new fish processing plant in Hay River. From what I can tell, the $12-million facility will be owned and managed by ITI and, at some point, the Tu Cho Fishers Co-operative, a co-op of local fishers, will somehow come to own the plant, or maybe they'll lease it, or maybe they'll just manage it. It is all very unclear to me, and it is unclear to the fishermen, as well.
The GNWT used the names of the Tu Cho Cooperative and the NWT Fishermen's Federation to access $10 million of federal funds to help build the plant, but is treating the fishermen more like pawns than partners. The government has well-paid employees and budgets for consultants, all of whom can work to advance the department's own interests on this project. They are actually in the process of hiring someone to manage the plant right now.
If ITI thought of the fishermen as partners, then they would ensure that they had similar supports. Neither the federation nor the co-op has the administrative capacity or the budget to hire someone with the skills needed to help them fully participate in the project and to advocate on their behalf, and ITI uses this power disparity to steamroll ahead while fishers are kept in the dark. Their participation is further eroded by ITI's insistence on engaging individual fishers instead of the elected heads of the federation or the co-op, and approach that has sown division among fishers. That's colonialism 101, Mr. Speaker.
The government has also actively taken steps to reduce influence of fishermen. The GNWT has a seat on the board of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, which has always been filled by a fisherman, but this summer the GNWT installed one of its own on the board. That directly contradicts the very first recommendation of the federal ministerial advisory panel that has been studying freshwater for the past number of years, which recommends increasing fisher participation on the board.
I have also been informed that ITI has discouraged the fishermen from pursuing partnerships with Indigenous governments and has worked to thwart the efforts of Indigenous entrepreneurs who want to invest in the industry and help it grow.
Mr. Speaker, ITI should not be working to consolidate its power and crush its competitors. The department has lost sight of the goals of the strategy and who the strategy is meant to benefit, and that needs to change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. The fibre optic line now runs from Alberta to Inuvik, a project completed in 2017 that will cost about $95 million and $3 million a year to operate. That fibre link was funded on the understanding of big community benefits down the Mackenzie Valley. Let's go back and look at the record. As early as 2011, the then-Minister of Health was promoting "a very ambitious plan that would provide a fibre optic link to all the communities. There would be cell phones, Internet, TV, all those systems in the community."
When the budget proposal was reviewed in 2015, the Finance Minister was asked if the proposal was for "getting a fibre optic line right in the homes." He said, "The intention is to have a clear point of presence in all the communities."
The March 2017 media release announcing the completion of the line said that residents and businesses would now have a hook-up point "located in Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Tulita, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Inuvik, and in High Level."
This Finance Minister's 2017 statement in this House said that "the completion of the nearly 1,200-kilometre fibre link brings affordable, high-speed telecommunications to six communities along the Mackenzie Valley, including Inuvik."
Unfortunately for the communities along the route, few of these magical promises have come true. The fibre line hook-up point is not in all the communities. For Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Tulita, Norman Wells, and Fort Good Hope, the fibre line runs past the communities. As I understand it, it will cost $1 million plus to run the line into the communities. Without that money, the line might as well not be there.
This is extremely serious, Mr. Speaker. The Members of this House approved millions of dollars in expenditures of public funds because the government promised the project would deliver services in these communities, not past them. The justification of improved Internet service for these communities was repeatedly used in approving these expenditures. At the same time, numerous predictions were also made of large revenue streams to help offset the costs of this project.
Later today I will have questions for the Minister of Finance as to why the anticipated improvements to community Internet services along the fibre link have yet to happen and why the anticipated revenues from this project have not panned out. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about the urgent need to accelerate the economic diversification of our economy. Members learned this lesson during the first week of this Assembly, when De Beers told us they plan to close the Snap Lake diamond mine. It was a timely reminder that all the diamond mines are forecasted to close in the next 10 years, starting at the end of the 19th Assembly. There may be ways to extend the life of each of them, but their best days are probably done.
Mr. Speaker, there is no ready replacement for diamond mining and the benefits it provides. This is a particular worry for residents whose development corporations provide training and work at the mines; Det'on Cho Corporation, for example, employs nearly 1,000 people in its own companies and joint ventures. The last thing any of us wants to see is most of these people out of work, but there are few alternatives in this area, except for the Giant Mine remediation. Clearly, it's time to ramp up our economic diversification efforts.
Yesterday the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment told us it's all good, but the fact is that the government has not made investment and diversification a priority. In fact, there is less money being spent on it in this budget than there was two years ago. Some industries are thriving anyway. Spending by tourists has doubled since 2012 and government support has gone up, too, but it's still peanuts compared to the support that is needed. Most glaring is government's failure to invest in new visitor services in Yellowknife. There is a road to the Arctic Ocean, but no campgrounds there. How is the government helping Whati prepare for an influx of visitors?
Business is leading the way with services, but it's up to government to provide the necessary infrastructure. This investment would benefit communities throughout the NWT, creating jobs and revenue. We know from the 100,000-plus visitors who travelled to the Northwest Territories in 2017-2018 that they are interested in the North's unique culture and landscapes, but are often stuck for a place to camp or stay or get out on the water. Where is the action on that?
Mr. Speaker, the government has a track record of backing the big at the expense of the small, but there is no reason to sneer at the small enterprises that will create a broader economic base, greater stability, greater employment for dollar of input. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no reason to sneer at the small enterprises that will create a broader economic base, greater stability, greater employment for dollar of input, and greater economic multiplier for dollar earned. These jobs won't look so small when the diamond mines have closed. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
