Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department responsible for Education, Culture and Employment Programs provides a full range of heritage programs and services. The effects of these programs are far reaching, and their success depends very much on the participation of the public. To ensure that the needs of the communities are met consistently, fairly and equitably, my department is developing a strategy to guide the distribution of financial and professional support to museums, historical buildings and heritage projects. At this point, I would like to bring the Legislative Assembly up-to-date on our progress on this strategy.

The role of the museums/heritage division is to provide community groups with the tools, professional expertise and financial support they need to preserve the aspects of their heritage they consider to be most significant. I would like to emphasize, however, that community initiative is critical to the operation of community-based heritage programs. My department will work to provide programs and services that are flexible and will respond to community needs, however, the initiative for community-based heritage programs should rest with the communities.

My department's goal is -- within the constraints of our budget and staff resources -- to support heritage programming in any community that expressed a desire to participate. To meet this goal, and to provide consistent and fair service, our proposed strategy will incorporation a number of features. These include three proposed policies that will define and provide direction for NWT heritage programs.

Standards and criteria required to provide a consistent and equitable basis for the delivery of all heritage services are also being proposed. My department proposed to encourage and coordinate a network of community-based heritage groups to improve communication between government and communities, as well as encouraging increased communication among the communities themselves. The range of professional, financial and advisory services offered by the museums/heritage division will be advertised to the communities and a framework will be developed for legislation to protect historic buildings and heritage sites.

The three proposed policies will guide heritage services, archives operations and the disposal of library and museum collections. The heritage services policy would identify heritage programs administered by the department and define those programs, and the relationship between the museums/heritage division and community-based heritage programs.

The Northwest Territories archives policy would provide direction for administration of the Northwest Territories archives, particularly with regard to the collection, preservation and management of non-governmental records. The responsibility for the government records is addressed under the Archives Act, the collections disposal policy would provide the direction and accountability for the disposal of library museum collections, particularly, with regard to the transfer of those collections to department-based programs.