Mr. Speaker, on April 7th to 14th, the Northwest Territories will join the rest of Canada in

celebrating National Wildlife Week. Throughout the week, the Department of Renewable Resources, schools and communities will take part in activities that recognize the public's role in protecting and managing this valuable resource. In Yellowknife, on April 14th, departmental staff will host a special "Amazing Sundays" wildlife event at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. In other communities, students can ask our wildlife experts questions through a special electronic bulletin board.

Harvesting wildlife has sustained northern cultures for thousands of years. Today, wildlife provides us with healthy foods, seasonal employment for trappers, guides and outfitters, clothing and material for arts and crafts, and the skills needed to harvest wildlife and make products remain valuable and connect us to our heritage. Through land claims agreements, the public role in managing wildlife has been formalized and is taken very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories, we are fortunate to have productive wildlife populations that are managed on a sustainable basis to provide the maximum benefits to people. We owe a great deal to wildlife and, as a sign of honour and respect, I would like to invite all Members of the Legislative Assembly to join in activities that celebrate National Wildlife Week. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, role models are important for all of us, but they are particularly important for our aboriginal youth because they show how a healthy lifestyle is essential in helping youth achieve their dreams.

Someone our young people can look up to is Brenda Kanayuk of Pond Inlet who is one of only nine people across the country named as a national native youth role model. Over the next two years, Ms. Kanayuk will travel to aboriginal communities to speak to youth about adopting healthier lifestyles.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Kanayuk has clearly made positive choices in her life and she spends a great deal of time helping others. She holds a number of leadership positions in the Baffin region. She credits her parents, grandparents and elders with helping her understand traditional values and approach life in a positive way.

Ms. Kanayuk and the others who have been recognized as national native youth role models will volunteer their time and take part in workshops, discussion groups or give presentations, depending on the wishes of the communities that invite them to speak.

Ms. Kanayuk celebrated the beginning of her term with the other role models during a gala evening hosted by the Governor General at Rideau Hall on February 23rd.

Mr. Speaker, the future will bring many challenges, particularly for our young people as they work to establish careers and families in a world that is changing very rapidly. Youth will have to work together to find their own solutions, but they will need the support of their families, their communities, aboriginal organizations and government.

Mr. Speaker, northerners can take pride in Brenda Kanayuk and the national recognition she has received. I am sure she will make a difference in the lives of the aboriginal youth she will meet in the coming years and help them learn to deal with change in a positive and healthy way. Thank you.

--- Applause

Mr. Speaker, this government has made a commitment to seek partnerships with aboriginal groups. I am pleased to report that progress is being made with respect to the delivery of economic development programs.

Sakku Investments Incorporated, the business arm of the Keewatin Inuit Association, the Community Futures Society in the Keewatin, and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism in the region have established the Kivalliq Partners in Development to improve business services to clients.

The partners have hired three cost-shared staff, all young people from the Keewatin who will work with departmental staff and employees of the Community Futures Society to provide one-stop shopping for the business community. This one-stop shop will improve the coordination of economic development services in the region, duplication of efforts and programs will be reduced, efficiency increased and access to programs improved. To increase efficiency and effectiveness even further, the partners plan to have Internet services available to every economic development officer in the smaller communities in the Keewatin by this summer, improving electronic access to business information and communications from around the world.

Sakku, NTI and the department have recently decided to pool their grant programs for small businesses in the region. The funds will be managed by the partners and allocated by communities. Decisions will be made at the community level which will give communities meaningful participation in their own economic development.

During this next year, the partners intend to research and develop an aftercare program, a youth entrepreneur program and amalgamate the management of Sakku, Business Credit Corporation and community futures loan portfolios.

To ensure increased business success, the partners have established a business training and resource centre in Arviat. The centre has a library of business training material and offers training courses in two languages at the community level. I am pleased to inform the House that the training centre has successfully delivered its first entrepreneur training module: an introduction to business bookkeeping.

Mr. Speaker, the results of this cooperative effort are very positive. The partners have invested $1.5 million to assist 30 small businesses expand their operations. This investment has generated 26 new full-time jobs and 31 new part-time jobs, with a payroll value of $1.2 million in the first year. By working together, the partners were able to achieve what they would not have been able to do alone: support this many applications to create badly-needed jobs in the Keewatin.

We have to do more with less in these financially-troubled times. The projected cost of departmental program delivery in the Keewatin will decrease from 41 cents on the dollar, to 30 cents. Mr. Speaker, this translates into an actual operational saving of over $150,000 per year. The other participants in the partnership are also realizing cost-savings with improved service.

Mr. Speaker, the Kivalliq Partners in Development is a great example of aboriginal groups and government working together to better serve the public. The results are very encouraging. I would like to congratulate the participating organizations, the leadership and staff for their efforts and vision. Thank you.

--- Applause

Quyannimik, Ohaqte.

--- Applause

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a recent initiative of the office of the Languages Commissioner. The office has organized an exhibit of student artwork to mark Aboriginal Languages Month and French Week. The exhibit is based on the theme "the importance of language in our lives" and is on display now in the great hall. Je suis tres impressione par la qualite des oeuvres d'art et la reflexion que les etudiants ont accordee A ce theme si important.

Language, culture and heritage shape how people understand the world and how they learn. Language and culture form the basis of the NWT school system, and are further supported through a variety of programs offered by my department, including the language bureau, support to museums and funding for community-based language and culture projects.

Be De Har Nah Tee, all efforts to emphasize the importance of understanding your own language are very important, particularly for young people, because the future of our official languages lies with them.

I would like to recognize the work of the Uqau-Silir-inir-mut Karni-sin-auyuq Nuna-ttiar-mi to draw attention to the importance of the NWT's official languages generally, and this poster contest in particular. Cela a evidemment encourage plusieurs jeunes de partout aux Territoires due Nord-Ouest 6 reflechir sur l'importance de garder leur langue et leur culture. Quyannimik, mahsi, marci, quana, merci, thank you.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak on the proposal by the government to transfer occupational health and safety from the Department of Safety and Public Services to the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories. The proposed transfer includes mine safety and, I understand, may include the Labour Standards Board.

During the review of the business plan of the Department of Safety and Public Services by the Standing Committee on Resource Management and Development, a recommendation went forward that the transfer of occupational health and safety not proceed until further information, rationalization and justification could be provided back to the standing committee. To date, this has not been provided.

During the review, committee Members were advised by departmental officials and the Minister that in most other jurisdictions, namely the provinces, the workers' compensation boards have responsibility for occupational health and safety, including mine safety. In the last several days, a number of organizations have expressed concern to me about the government's plans. These organizations are: the NWT Chamber of Mines; the NWT Chamber of Commerce; the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce; the NWT Construction Association; and, the NWT Association of Municipalities.

In the standing committee meetings, I was told that boards in all other jurisdictions in Canada have responsibility for occupational health and safety. Now I am told by some of the stakeholders that only four other boards in Canada have responsibility for occupational health and safety: Quebec; BC; Yukon; and, New Brunswick. The level of powers differ in each case.

I am also told that the levels of power and responsibility vary with each jurisdiction. None of them administer labour standards. Mine safety is the responsibility held by some WCBs but, again, the level of power and responsibility varies. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.