Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise this House of a cornerstone program of my department's strategy to develop the capabilities of community governments to take on greater responsibilities with respect to the management of public lands within their boundaries.
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and Arctic College Nunatta Campus have agreed to start a one-year certificate program in community land administration. This program is a fundamental element in assisting community governments to be ready to accept the devolution of land administration from the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, the program will start in January 1995 and be offered through the Nunatta Campus in Iqaluit. Future courses will be offered at other Arctic College campuses as the demand warrants.
In the program at Nunatta Campus, three six-week semesters will be offered. After each semester the student will return to his or her home community for a six-week practicum. Students sponsored by community governments will serve their practicums in the municipal office. This is the training approach most mayors favoured when my department discussed the options with them. I believe this combination of classroom and work experience will provide the best learning opportunity for the students and achieve the highest success rate of students who enrol and graduate.
The program will include courses in land administration, community planning, surveying, contracts and property law, communications and computers. The program has been initiated by my department with funding set aside as part of the implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act. Although initially this program will assist community governments, the program could eventually form the basis of an Arctic College program to assist other land management agencies requiring trained northern staff.
I encourage all community governments to take advantage of this opportunity and to prepare for the devolution of land administration responsibilities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.