This is page numbers 929 - 964 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was communities.

Topics

Happy 26th Wedding Anniversary To Wife Celine
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in our line of work as politicians and MLAs, we carry on our own lives. Today I just wanted to stand up and wish a happy anniversary to my wife. It is 26 years today that we've been together.

---Applause

I had to double check here because I'm too busy doing my work to see exactly if it's 26 years, but it is. I just wanted to say that through these types of arrangements with your spouse, it has its ups and downs and its trials and tribulations. In it all, we have succeeded in coming to this experience so far to date. We have four wonderful children, we have one grandchild, as well, today. So through it all it has been a wonderful 26 years. It is a challenge at times, but we've been able to survive together this far. So I just wanted to wish my wife a happy anniversary today. Mahsi. Thank you.

---Applause

Happy 26th Wedding Anniversary To Wife Celine
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Let me join the rest of the Members in congratulating both you and Celine for this memorable occasion. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Levels Of Healthcare Services In NWT Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was not going to wade into this discussion that's been going on in this House by Members about the current predicament we find ourselves in with the specialists in the Northwest Territories but, Mr. Speaker, I feel that it must be said that residents across the Northwest Territories have come to expect a certain level of care. It's taken a long time to get to that level and when it drops, there is much concern raised. But I think we must all, in this arena, think about other communities in the Northwest Territories that do not have the same level as we do in the larger centres, and I must even refer to my community of Inuvik where we have a lot more services than in Tuktoyaktuk or Holman or Sachs Harbour.

Mr. Speaker, with all the information that's going to and fro in this House and outside this House, I think we have to ask ourselves seriously what we're trying to accomplish. Are we trying to ensure that the government keeps its fiscal situation in tact, or are we trying to ensure that we give the best dollar to those potential specialists that would come and work in the Northwest Territories at any cost?

Mr. Speaker, we've already heard that negotiations have broken off. We have heard that the government has laid a certain percentage down to try to ensure that we're competitive across the country. We've heard or been presented information from the doctors' side that they would like to ensure that they are among the best remunerated across the country. But, Mr. Speaker, those discussions are no longer happening. The timing couldn't be better, and in our life, Mr. Speaker, timing is everything. That the break of negotiation happens just when this session gets underway, and resumption could potentially begin three days before we lose the specialists as it has been identified.

But, Mr. Speaker, we have to ask ourselves, has everything possible been done? Well, I think if both parties can't agree, as we found out throughout the world in a democratic society, governments have put into a place a process of arbitration. If parties cannot agree, then go to arbitration. So, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest, as has been suggested, that both parties go to binding arbitration as soon as possible and put the people back first where they belong, not behind closed doors. Thank you.

---Applause

Levels Of Healthcare Services In NWT Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 214-14(6): Bathurst Port And Road Environmental Review
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Lafferty on March 11, 2003, regarding the Bathurst port and road project environmental review process.

The Department of RWED is funding this review and shares your concern regarding the impact on the people of the Northwest Territories, and most specifically to those in the Akaitcho, Tlicho and Yellowknife areas.

On March 12, 2003, at the 6th Session of the Legislative Assembly, Minister Antoine referred to a letter he had sent on March 6, 2003, to the Honourable Robert Nault, Minister of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. The letter asked him once again to review the Bathurst port and road project under the broader part 6 of section 12 of the Nunavut land claim agreement. This letter was a follow up to his initial letter sent to Minister Nault on August 19, 2002. A copy of this initial letter was also sent to the Nunavut Impact Review Board to be placed on the public registry.

Both letters stated similar concerns to those that you have expressed and also noted that our people depend on the wildlife of the area, especially the Bathurst caribou herd, and that many residents of the Northwest Territories, and other parts of Canada, benefit from business opportunities in the area. The notion of marine shipping in the Arctic has been raised as well, and is of particular concern to coastal communities such as Holman.

In mid-April 2003, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development referred the proposal back to the Nunavut Impact Review Board to request a new project proposal so that the department could make its decision based on current information. The Minister of the department cited various reasons for doing so, including transboundary issues such as marine transportation, the Bathurst caribou herd, and the established economics of the Western Arctic. In turn, the board referred the letter back to the proponent suggesting that a new project proposal be submitted by May 12th. The proponent was unable to do so.

When a new project description is received by the board, it will be referred again to the Minister of DIAND. In the interim, RWED staff have contacted the Nunavut Impact Review Board and requested to be listed as an interested party and receive regular updates. RWED staff have also shared caribou data with the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee to investigate the number of route crossings that might occur in the vicinity of the proposed road. RWED can also provide similar technical assistance to other organizations that are reviewing impacts of the project.

RWED will continue to monitor this project and take action as required. In the meantime, I welcome comments from Members of the Assembly. As with all environmental assessment processes, our residents and agencies are encouraged to participate directly. Thank you.

Return To Question 214-14(6): Bathurst Port And Road Environmental Review
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize representatives from the Council of Persons with Disabilities who are in the gallery today: Ms. Cecily Hewitt and Michelle Peltier.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the author of my Members' statement today, again the Youth Parliament Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Matthew Harvey.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize Mr. Matthew Harvey. He has been around here so much that either he's going to become an MLA or a speech writer pretty soon. Mr. Speaker, he was Member for Frame Lake for Youth Parliament, but he's my constituent. He lives around the corner from me and I would like to welcome him to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to say welcome to everyone who is here that has come to see the Legislative Assembly. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with my Member's statement today, I would like to address my questions to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories now there are fewer fish being caught, fewer trees being cut, if any, fewer furs being harvested, there's less agricultural activity now than there has been in years gone by. I would like to know to what the Minister attributes this decline and diminishing non-renewable resource sector. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Return To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of reasons for the decline. First of all in the forestry area, we ran into a situation with the aboriginal groups whose interim measures agreement stipulates provisions for dealing with forestry. This is an area that we are working with. We also have to work with the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board on the right to access the use of the land. So we have regulatory processes in place that seem to... Once we find a way to work with these different regulatory processes, then perhaps we will have a good forestry industry. There is a demand for that as well. In terms of fish, the fish stocks are there in the lakes, particularly in Great Slave Lake. I think there were questions in the House about it. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is more or less responsible for the management of the lake. We, as RWED, are there to encourage a good management plan for the lake. However, we don't call the shots on that and we're going to keep on talking to DFO in this area. By the way, the DFO office in the North is very under-funded and under-resourced. They don't have enough resources and bodies to do all the work required.

With regard to fur, the trapping way of life has changed tremendously the last few years. There are still trappers out there. We are doing trapper training through some of our programs for our younger people in the North. However, there is a decline in the fur trapping activity. Maybe it's associated with the resource activity that's going on in the mining area north of Yellowknife, as well as the oil and gas exploration that's been quite active in the Mackenzie Delta as well as the Liard area. There is soon to be more activity down the valley. There is still activity going on, but there's a decline in the amount of fur that's being caught.

As for agriculture, we've always had a little bit of agriculture going on in the South Slave, a bit along the Mackenzie Valley to Inuvik. I think that will continue to be there. We would like to encourage more of that, so we need to put more emphasis into how we are going to do that in the agriculture area. Thank you.

Return To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister concur that there is still a tremendous amount of potential in these various sectors that he's spoke to and that I have questioned him about? Does he think there is a greater potential than is being realized today? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. It may be an opinion, but a professional opinion. The Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

My view, and that of the officials of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, is that this is an area where we need to see how we could work, especially in the forestry area. We need to find a way to try to work through these areas. There is tremendous potential there. There is interest from different companies to cut timber in the North.

Fishing is also a big industry. There are a lot of people involved in it and have been involved in the past and would like to be further involved. Fur trapping, there is always going to be that activity there. Agriculture also has a huge potential that hasn't been realized yet as well. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that we are not realizing the potential that is in these various renewable resource sector businesses, I would like to ask the Minister if he and his department, even on a prorated basis... You know, down scale it versus what they spend on promoting diamonds and oil and gas, even on a lesser scale. Does he and his department pay enough attention to this potential which is not being maximized at this time?

Supplementary To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Further Return To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is a huge department with many different files in there and activities covering all sectors of business in the Northwest Territories. The focus may seem to be on the bigger projects such as the diamond mining and now with oil and gas and the pipeline, however tourism is also a big industry item that we have been focussing on. The fishing, the forestry, the trapping and the agriculture, we have also focussed on this area but perhaps not as much as we should be able to. There is a continuing focus in this area on how we could do more in that area. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Question 303-14(6): Decline In Harvest Of Non-renewable Resources
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak about dust control and how this government has failed to serve people in the Northwest Territories on major health concerns as well as they did with the Official Languages Act, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to ask the Minister, what is the measurement, the bar, that determines if our health is compromised by the number of particles in the air, from the Health and Social Services standard? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.