This is page numbers 131 - 159 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 1st 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 work.

Topics

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have discussions with my colleague and I’m sure I can get him to offer to come to Hay River and make a presentation to the Territorial Farmers’ Association as to exactly what process would have to be followed to do exactly what the Minister is requesting. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, that’s good and I’d like to invite both of the Ministers to come to Hay River; at his earliest convenience for Minister McLeod, ITI, to come and meet with the Territorial Farmers’ Association, as well. There are revisions to the PATA, or the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, on our legislative agenda right now. I would want to ask if this particular revision could be incorporated in that revision that’s underway now. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not familiar yet with the legislation she is referring to, but I’m sure that we could address that when we make a presentation. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we talk about wilderness camps all the time for young offenders and for adult offenders and there’s always a request for funding. I would like to see this government maybe be proactive. The reason this came to light was a piece of correspondence that I received on an adventure camp initiative for young women. I think it’s an excellent idea and I think it’s something that we can expand on to go throughout the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask Minister McLeod, I believe is the Minister of Youth, I would like to ask Minister McLeod if there is anything within the youth mandate that would allow him to make contributions to the operation of youth camps. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Youth, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister Responsible for Youth

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a budget under our youth portfolio for youth core programs. The criteria, this will be dollars that could be used for youth camps. We’ve funded, through our youth programs last year through the youth contribution and the Youth Corps Program, a total of, I believe it’s 55 different initiatives, and a good portion of those were youth camp-type workshops or on-the-land programs. So there are a number of ways we can provide for the youth to be on the land or be with the elders. The Department of Health, I believe, also has some Summer Camp Program dollars that they use. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I thank the Minister for that informative answer. I’d like to ask the Minister, how many requests would his department receive in any given year, and are these from the wilderness camps for offenders or just youth camps in particular? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Robert McLeod. Mr. Michael McLeod.

Further Return To Question 81-16(1): Youth Leadership Adventure Camp
Item 7: Oral Questions

November 29th, 2007

Deh Cho

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister Responsible for Youth

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to commit to coming back with that information. I know our programs are oversubscribed. We have, as I indicated, about 55 different initiatives and a great deal of them are geared towards youth at risk, and a lot of them are using it for different types of camps. We also have the Youth Abroad Program. We have the foster family coalition camp, and a sports and youth leadership conference, and youth forums and things of that nature, Mr. Speaker. However, I would have to commit to getting back with the number of applications that we receive overall. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Supplementary, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister if he gets communications from aboriginal groups, aboriginal governments about their desire to have youth camps in their region that are culturally based. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Robert McLeod. Mr. Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister Responsible for Youth

Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes. We’ve had requests and we’ve funded programs with the Inuvialuit and we’ve also worked with the Dehcho First Nations and others, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Supplementary, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems that a lot of money is going out to the youth camps and the youth. It is important because the youth are one of our best resources and anything we can invest in the youth, as long as Ottawa doesn’t take it away, will benefit the people in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would also commit to contributing to the Children First Society of Inuvik in their desire to have their own standalone building for day care and other programs. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Robert McLeod. Mr. Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Minister Responsible for Youth

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’d be glad to consider any applications that come forward from any of the communities across the Territories. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Michael McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last term I talked about the need for a territorial arts and cultural achievement award evening. It could be a focus or a way we could pinnacle our arts achievements throughout the Northwest Territories; whether it be culture, whether it be in the sense of visual arts, whether it be crafts. Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of Education, Culture and Employment was supportive of this initiative and, of course, the department, as I understood it, was working towards something. I’d like to ask the new and current Minister of the Department of Education, is he willing to continue to work on this project and do we

foresee anything coming forward in the near future as a discussion? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I definitely will get back to my department and see where the status is at. If there was a formal commitment made, then I will certainly look into that and work with Mr. Hawkins, as well, in that specific area. Mahsi.