Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am not actually really sure who is the lead on transferring the land to the City of Yellowknife. I think that MACA kind of writes the process but then lands at the end of the day, you know, has to do the work of getting it over there. So my question is for I guess the Minister of Lands on when we can expect the bulk land transfer to the City of Yellowknife to be complete? Thank you
Thank you, Minister of MACA.
Well, MACA doesn't deal with that, Madam Speaker, but the Minister of Lands, I guess that comes with me here.
I can tell this House that the department has been working with the City of Yellowknife to discuss potential land transfers. We have also worked, as MACA has worked with the city, to come up with a bulk land transfer agreement there. We are also in the process of finalizing and MOU which outlines which lands the city wants. So the city, when we first talked about was the big chunk of bulk land and then they realized it wasn't the bulk land that they were looking, the big chunk, they were looking for specifics to start out and so we got that process going on. Again, it's also about location of the land and what's available and while this work continues, the Member must be advised that the process for the application to the city also involves our consultation, which are obligations, which we need to work with our Indigenous governments to work with them on that. So we are working with the city. We are trying to get them to identify the locations and pieces of land that they want, and the application process is in place and we start going through that process. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have reviewed the Minister's department has kind of created a process that any community can look to if they want to go through a similar process, and I appreciate that. I am just wondering if we can get a bit more of a detailed timeline for the remaining process, you know, and the stages to transfer land. I understand there is this land selection, we need the City of Yellowknife to go and do that, we need them to get back to us on an MOU, and then there's a number of processes, surveying and then ultimately transfer. But I am just wondering if somewhere there could be provided a detailed kind of timeline on the steps that need to occur. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the MOU will include specific parcels, we need to work with Indigenous governments, as I said, to undertake our consultation obligations, as I said previously. And the House has heard me say this, is we just need to do it right. We need to make sure that we do everything right, so we get the process done so we don't have any challenges later on. After consultation, hearing from Indigenous governments, we can then finalize the MOU. I can say that we are hoping to get the draft and consultation done by the end of this year, not fiscal year but this year. Calendar year. But I don’t want to preempt the results of the consultation so unfortunately, I can't give you a firm timeline to finalize the MOU.
During this time that I mentioned, the city could still apply for pieces of land, certain parcels, and then we will go through that process to make sure that it is done properly. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. My understanding is that the YKDFN is in support of this, in fact it is one of the steps that is part of the boundary change where the city of Yellowknife is actually agreed to take land out of their municipal boundary and give it to the YKDFN, because right now the City of Yellowknife actually has quite a bit of their land in their land withdrawal in their boundaries, which I don't think is wanted or appropriate.
But I guess my question to the Minister is, you know, we have a new council coming in and they, this was very much an election issue as it has been an election I think every single city council for many years now. And I am just wondering if the department can reach out and give either the city or the new council, or the Minister can, a bit of briefing about what has been done so far, where the department's at and where the city's at, because it is clear that there is some misunderstanding and there is probably some work to be done both by their administration and our administration. But if the Minister's department could just reach out and make sure that this council is updated on what the actual facts are, I think that would help all of us. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you the preamble to the Member's question saying well, Yellowknife Dene is supportive of it, it's a little bit more complicated than that and I don't want to get into the House and have we have to recognize the consultation process of it and we are working with that. And the Member is right there, there some land withdrawals within the municipal boundaries that Yellowknife Dene have interest in. But in regards to his question, the department is more than willing to meet with council. We are more than willing to have that conversation but we just need this new elected council to reach out to us. We are more than willing to meet with them, have that conversation and if, even if the committee of SCEDE wishes to ask that, have an update, we could have a technical brief with them as well. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
