I would like to inform the House that the Honourable Speaker is absent today due to a long-standing commitment within his constituency. I trust you will extend to me the same understanding that you have demonstrated to date towards Speaker Whitford. Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to report to you today that a Northwest Territories Crown Corporation, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, has won three of the highest environmental honours available from a national environmental organization. The awards come from VCR Inc., a voluntary, non-profit organization in Ottawa designed to celebrate the achievements of members in limiting their greenhouse gas emissions.

The Power Corporation has attained Gold Level Champion Reporter status for excellence in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Members can earn bronze and silver awards for accounting for and reporting emissions, but only those members who actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions can achieve gold level. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that the Northwest Territories Power Corporation has gone the extra mile and actually decreased its greenhouse gas emissions to below 1991 levels. Of some 980 registered members nation-wide, the corporation is one of only 45 gold level champions.

The corporation was further awarded first place in the Best New Submission category, and an honourable mention in the Electric Utilities category. The Power Corporation's prize-winning submission outlined a detailed and successful plan to reduce greenhouse gases.

The initiatives introduced by the corporation to reduce greenhouse gases include: development of hydro projects; recycling residual heat; improving efficiency of existing plants; replacing old-style streetlights; converting the Inuvik plant to natural gas; and installing wind energy conservation systems. Employing these methods, the Power Corporation has decreased greenhouse gas emissions by almost 14 percent since 1991.

Mr. Speaker, this achievement is particularly impressive when you take into consideration the difficulties associated with generating power in our harsh climate. It is my hope that the leadership the Northwest Territories Power Corporation has shown will encourage other northern organizations to follow suit and voluntarily record and reduce their greenhouse gases. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to clear up what I believe is a misunderstanding about the priority of maintenance operations on different sections of the territorial highway system. The Department of Transportation has only one maintenance priority, and that is to keep the highway system in safe travelling condition. In every region and on every highway, the department's maintenance staff works to achieve the same goal of a safe highway system.

That being said, Mr. Speaker, maintenance routines and requirements do change from one part of the highway system to another. Geographic differences in physical terrain and seasonal weather patterns call for different kinds of maintenance treatment. More importantly, differences in traffic volumes create different maintenance standards. The Department of Transportation's Highway Maintenance Manual identifies five categories of maintenance standards based on traffic volumes.

• • Highway No. 3 between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife is in maintenance category no. 2, with a traffic volume of between 250 and 500 vehicles a day.
• • The Dempster Highway between the Yukon border and the Tsiigehtchic River Crossing is a maintenance category no. 3 highway, with a traffic volume of between 150 and 250 vehicles a day.
• • With fewer than 80 vehicles a day, the Liard Highway between Nahanni Butte and the Junction with Highway No. 1 is in maintenance category no. 5.

For the reasons of terrain, climate and traffic, some sections of highway are much more difficult and expensive to maintain than others. Maintenance costs vary from a high of $21,300 per kilometre annually on the Dempster Highway through the Richardson Mountains, to a low of $3,100 per kilometre on Highway No. 1 between the N'dulee ferry crossing and Wrigley. The high cost of the Dempster is caused by high winds and drifting snow in the mountains. Highway No. 1 north of the N'dulee crossing has a low cost because it has very little traffic.

Among the most difficult and expensive sections to maintain is Highway No. 3 between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife. This is for two reasons. First of all, this part of Highway No. 3 was built over muskeg and permafrost. Secondly, it carries the highest volume of rural traffic in the Northwest Territories' highway system. Other difficult sections of highway to maintain are all of Highway No. 6 from the Buffalo River Junction to Fort Resolution, Highway No. 1 from its junction with Highway No. 7 to Fort Simpson and the Ingraham Trail.

The department's maintenance crews all do their best to keep these sections of highway in safe travelling condition. The different sections of highway do not all have the same budget because they each need different types and amounts of maintenance work. The maintenance priority always remains the same: keeping the highways in a good, safe operation condition. Across the system, that cost can vary tremendously. Again, Mr. Speaker, the Dempster Highway near the Yukon border costs seven times more to maintain than the Mackenzie Highway north of the N'dulee crossing. Yet they are both kept in a safe condition. One costs a lot more than the other, and that is the only difference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I received a copy of a proposal called the Community Response to Housing Needs: Emergency, Transitional, and Hard-to-House. Mr. Speaker, this proposal was put together by the Young Women's Christian Association of Yellowknife, the Yellowknife Women's Centre, the Salvation Army, and the Side Door. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the four non-government organizations in Yellowknife who worked to put this proposal together.

Amidst a time of fiscal restraint, this type of co-operative effort needs to be recognized and encouraged. The YWCA, the Women's Centre, the Salvation Army, and the Side Door have joined forces to recommend a strategy for responding to the housing needs of at risk people living in or moving to Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, as an urban centre, Yellowknife has recently experienced a significant increase in the number of high needs individuals and families moving here that require specialized housing and support services.

A large number of these people come from the communities, and the greatest increase has been in young people with no permanent homes. Mr. Speaker, the housing services in Yellowknife are provided by a number of agencies, but there is a lack of co-ordination between non-government organizations and social agencies, which results in gaps in service and some duplication.

Mr. Speaker, the YWCA, the Yellowknife Women's Centre, the Salvation Army and the Side Door want to work together with their partners within the Government of the Northwest Territories to develop a long-term strategy to address the special needs of hard-to-house people. I think the need to do this, Mr. Speaker, was highlighted by some of the reports we heard about one centre closing down here, perhaps within the next few days, in Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to point out that these groups are not looking, and I repeat, not looking, for an increase in funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories. They are looking for a co-ordinated approach to develop the inter-agency protocols, identify ongoing needs, and to maximize the current resources. A strong partnership would also be more effective in accessing federal funding and surplus federal housing. Mr. Speaker, a strategic long-term plan must be developed to address homelessness, particularly in this city. I will be forwarding this proposal to the Ministers responsible, asking that they meet together with the representatives from these agencies to consider it. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, honourable Members, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be forwarding this proposal to the Ministers responsible. I will be asking them to meet with representatives of these organizations, together, along with the Ministers from the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Education, Culture and Employment, and Health and Social Services.

Now that these non-government organizations are making a co-ordinated effort to work together, I will be encouraging and watching to ensure that the departments of this government do the same. This is no time for turf wars, or protectionist stances. By working together and maximizing our resources, government and non-government partners will be able to find real solutions for the betterment of our community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak briefly about the Western Arctic Leadership Program. Last week, the leadership program wrote letters to all of the Members, outlining their situation and asking for assistance. Mr. Speaker, in 1990, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, under the direction of the government Minister, Mr. Kakfwi, created the Western Arctic Leadership Program, based on his vision and his desire to see a program that would be a residence and an opportunity for children from small communities to learn and develop their leadership skills and to graduate from high school. It was modelled after the very successful environment of the former Grandin College, which was also located in Fort Smith.

Mr. Speaker, the students from this program study at the local high school, while they reside in a residence in Fort Smith. The program has very active house parents, and they focus both on the academic and on developing outdoor skills and leadership skills on the land. Over the past decade, dozens of students have passed through the program, and all but two of them have gone on to post-secondary education. Mr. Speaker, the first ever graduates from communities like Colville Lake, Fort Liard and Trout Lake were Western Arctic Leadership Program students. It is a successful program, Mr. Speaker, and I believe it has proven itself after ten years. It has a very blue chip board, if I may use that term. The former director for Grandin College, Father Pochat, is on the board.

The one problem, Mr. Speaker, is that the leadership program is facing funding problems. For the past half-dozen or so years, the board has had to cobble together sufficient resources every year to meet its budgetary needs, in order to keep the program running. They have money from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, and Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development has also thrown in some money to help promote the wilderness and leadership training on the land. Our Member of Parliament has also been very supportive.

However, it is a funding process that is very hard to sustain. The board has reached the point where it does not believe it can continue under that particular approach. In their letter to the Minister responsible for Education, they have asked for a more realistic funding commitment based on the proven track record of the leadership program, and the intent of the government, which I still believe is there.

Mr. Speaker, the leadership program has been an important part of the educational scene in the Northwest Territories. I hope the government will recognize the value of this program, and find ways to provide the support it needs. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a very important event which will take place in April and May, in both Yellowknife and Fort Smith. Mr. Speaker, ten years ago in Barrie, Ontario, Skills Canada, employers, educators, labour groups and governments began their program, working to ensure that students are exposed to, and will consider, jobs in the skilled trades and technology fields.

Through trial and error, it has been discovered that competitions make these occupations more visible and real for students, teachers and parents. In the past decade over 100,000 students have been directly influenced by the program. In 1999, the first Territorial Skills Competition was held in Fort Smith and Yellowknife. Over 80 students and apprentices from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut participated. A team of 53 competitors and team leaders went on to represent Team Nunavut/NWT at the Canadian Skills Competition in Kitchener. Mr. Speaker, we received five top five finishes, including two silver and a bronze medal.

The employers of our apprentices have been generous in providing paid leave for the competitors. At the national competitions, many of the competitors are offered jobs onsite.

Mr. Speaker, the goals of Skills Canada NWT should be the goals of all of us. To have more regional participation in these competitions at the high school level, to increase participation of young women in skilled trades and technology careers, and to have more companies registering and hiring apprentices.

In an effort to help Skills Canada NWT get established, HRDC has funded this program for the past two years, Additionally, in the past year alone, approximately $100,000 in-kind contributions were received in the form of equipment and materials, from local industry, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Aurora College.

This year the second Skills Canada NWT Competition will be held April 19th and 20th in Fort Smith, and May 11th in Yellowknife, to select Team NWT for the national skills competition this June. Territorial industry is facing a critical shortage of skilled labour. Opportunities are being lost in current oil, gas and mineral development. More youth participating in Skills Canada NWT competitions is a win-win situation. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge the government to fund and continue their support of this worthwhile project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak on the Western Arctic Leadership Program in Fort Smith. Mr. Speaker, grades up to 12 are available to our students in most of our smaller communities in the Northwest Territories. However, the resources are limited. A high school class may consist of a teacher teaching two or three students, from grades nine through to grade twelve.

The Western Arctic Leadership Program offers an option to those students who want more than what can be offered in the communities. Some students want to be educated in an environment with computer labs and science labs or where the sports programs have the facilities and qualified gym teachers.

Mr. Speaker, the program in Fort Smith has been in operation since 1990. It was designed to develop the qualities of the youth of the Northwest Territories. This program, in its infancy, was initially funded by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Lately, this program and its board of directors have had to struggle from year to year to deal with the ever-dwindling financial support from the government.

Mr. Speaker, over the years, the board of directors of the Western Arctic Leadership Program have made many attempts to secure funding from different sources. They have applied to foundations across Canada, as well as to major corporations within and outside the Northwest Territories. They have also lobbied our government and the Government of Canada to no avail.

Mr. Speaker, the Western Arctic Leadership Program has had a very good success rate over the past ten years, and has produced many students who are now in our workforce or in post-secondary institutions in the south. This program has seen students from many communities across the North, and has played an important role in furthering their education. This program has proven to be an excellent service to our youth. This program gives the youth of the Northwest Territories the opportunity to advance their education through sources that are not available to them in their own communities. I hope this government can come up with the required support this program needs to continue. I will be asking questions on this issue during question period.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For years now, this government has been deferring a response to concerns regarding the current residency requirements to obtain a hunting licence in the North. I am aware this has been an ongoing issue for many, many years and there have been repeated requests by Members of this Assembly to have the regulations changed in the Wildlife Act. These changes are being requested to allow members of the Military and RCMP the privilege of hunting without having to wait the current two-year period.

Last Friday, Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Mr. Dent, asked questions relating to our current legislation, which does not recognize the limitations and restrictions of DND and RCMP staff. My colleague also questioned the Minister responsible for the Wildlife Act on whether or not new amendments will recognize the employment restrictions these two groups of federal employees have.

I am very concerned, Mr. Speaker, that this government will fail to recognize the calls for legislative revisions to allow members of these two groups to ever hunt in the North. I have reviewed Hansards of the previous Assembly and a great deal of previous correspondence relating to repeated requests to add provisions to address the residence requirement of RCMP and DND officials.

I was disappointed when I read the response of the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development in the unedited Hansard from Friday's question period. He had suggested, and I quote, "it would probably be a lot faster if they just extended their stay, so they would not have to leave the Northwest Territories before enjoying the hunting privileges everyone else enjoys through their extended stays."

Mr. Speaker, we all know RCMP and DND staff often do not have any say as to where the federal government stations them. Many are posted for only two-year placements. This time limit is out of their hands. Mr. Speaker, we should take this request seriously and change our hunting regulations to accommodate these individuals in public service. This should be changed out of respect and appreciation for these federal servants and to bring legislation in line with many other jurisdictions In Canada. We need to make these changes, Mr. Speaker.

On Friday, the Minister stated such an exemption could violate the provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Again, Mr. Speaker, I have to seriously question what would make our hunting regulations so unique. There has not been a challenge to the Charter of Rights in any other jurisdiction in Canada on this matter. Later today, I will be directing my questions to Premier Kakfwi, the Minister responsible for this legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement this afternoon is on the arts. This past weekend, I attended two performances here in Yellowknife that demonstrate the diversity and ambition of creative people in the North. On Friday night, northern filmmaker Dennis Allen premiered his film called Someplace Better. It dealt in thought-provoking ways, Mr. Speaker, with the issues of elder abuse, suicide, alcohol abuse and prejudice in northern society. It was produced with the assistance of many local sponsors, and starred a number of Yellowknife personalities including John Holman, Ben Nind, and elder Helen Tobie of Dettah.

On Sunday, my family and I took in an afternoon matinee production of a children's fantasy called The Education of the Snow King. It was written by a local playwright, Bruce Valpy, and starring his royal highness, the Snow King, Tony Foliot, at the Snow King's Castle on the ice of Yellowknife Bay.

Yellowknifers of all walks of life, Mr. Speaker, and thousands of visitors to our town in the winter, marvelled at, and even helped to build, this castle down on the bay. For the past several years, Mr. Foliot and his friends have created an amazing attraction, and a celebration of winter. I salute their efforts, and those of other northern artisans, passionate and creative individuals all, and the colour and contribution they make to our lives and our lifestyles. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a friend and constituent from Fort Smith, Ms. Bea Campbell. She is the co-chair of the Fort Smith Board of Health, as well as president of the Senior's Society for Fort Smith. Thank you.

-- Applause

Welcome to the House. Item 5, recognition of visitors in gallery. Mr. Dent.