This is page numbers 861 - 906 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 5th 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 health.

Return To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the questions I asked and so the people in our region, the people who are concerned about this program, can hear from the Minister that there is work being done on it, there is some consideration by his department, and so they can let their own people know. Mr. Speaker, have I asked the Minister, would he look again, would his department look at other facilities in the Northwest Territories, such as the Tl'oondih Healing Society up around Fort McPherson on the Peel River that has a good facility? We visited there a couple years ago. They had inmates in there. We haven't heard anything, at least I haven't heard anything as to what happened to the program, how it was received, some of the things that went on in that program that would make useful, sorry, that would make some benefits to the people that would look at this type of facility. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly the reintegration program that we have needs to be bolstered. I think much of this can be done through our community justice committees. I think we've had a number of successful programs. The Tl'oondih Healing Camp, we have done a review of the programming that was carried out there and I would certainly be prepared to come and discuss that and share that with committee members if they are interested in those specifics. I felt for some time that we have been under funding community justice committees and that these justice committees could play a much larger role in terms of programming, not just focussed on diversions from court, but also on reintegration and other types of programming. That's what we intend to do and I want to send a message to all the people of the Northwest Territories and certainly the Member's constituents. This is a priority for us. We think it's important and we will continue to support it. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 873

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the Minister's work on the community justice in our communities. I want to ask the Minister to help me through this process here and help the people who are listening in my region for offenders that are up before the community in terms of crimes they committed, how this would work in terms of having this offender moved to a camp somewhere in the region that would be more beneficial than to serve time in one of the institutions in Yellowknife or Hay River. How can that work? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 873

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of different ways and a number of different scenarios with many variables, but currently we are looking at bringing people out of the institutions and into the on-the-land camps. It could be envisioned that people, upon sentencing, end up going and doing some work right in the camps on the land. As I discussed yesterday, there are a number of criteria, a number of tests that need to be met. The inmate has to want to go and participate and it has to be deemed to be safe. But all these things, all of these considerations can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. I think we are certainly prepared to come and talk to Members more about how we can ensure more of our inmates are on the land and getting programming there as opposed to in our institutions. I think it has a lot of merit. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Question 315-15(5): On-the-land Rehabilitation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Before I go on to the next Member, I'd like to draw the Members' attention to the visitors' gallery and the presence of a former Member of this House, Mr. Leon Lafferty.

---Applause

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

Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my dream also included a resource revenue sharing deal.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, Connecting Canada: Coast to Coast to Coast is a very good document. I'd like to ask the Transportation Minister if this was an application given to Ottawa as to why we need a Mackenzie Valley highway. Thank you.

Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Return To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mahsi cho, there, Mr. Speaker. The Connecting Canada: Coast to Coast to Coast document was part of our strategy to seek support from our confederation, Council of Federation Premiers meeting back in August. They did agree to give us support and that's the document we've been using with the federal government to build our Mackenzie Valley highway. Mahsi.

Return To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I am glad to hear we have the Premiers', across the country, support. This document is being given to Ottawa. It makes a very compelling argument as to why we need a highway. Has Ottawa responded? What was Ottawa's response to this particular document? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was no formal response from the federal government. We are looking at some infrastructure announcements. In fact, the Premier along with our northern Premiers that come up with a proposal, I think it was called the Strategic Northern Infrastructure Fund Concept to the federal government, but there has been no uptake on that from our federal departments whatsoever, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we seem to talk 60 percent of the time, 30 percent we are doing documents, 10 percent is action. I would like to ask the Minister, why is Ottawa so reluctant to deal with the Northwest Territories and give us what is rightfully ours? We have to always seem to be making an argument with Ottawa to give us something we need. They say we are going to protect our Arctic sovereignty and all of this other good stuff they are always talking about, but when it comes time to put their money where their mouth is, they back out. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 874

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process that we outlayed in the Connecting Canada: Coast to Coast to Coast is a very good initiative. It was based on opening up... Well, based an opening concept up to the oil and gas reserves up in our Far North. That is something that the government was looking at seriously. It has some certainty that there is a project here. They will consider it more and more seriously, but right now what had occurred with our Connecting Canada: Coast to Coast to Coast, we did get support from our Premiers across Canada. But there was a federal election and the government had changed hands just after we developed that proposal for the Transportation Minister at that time. As to why, and I know the Member has been pressing resource revenue sharing that our North is rightfully entitled to, and he is going to get no disagreement from this side of the House, but that is something that we have to continue to press with the federal Minister and the federal government. Mahsi cho.

Further Return To Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Question 316-15(5): Importance Of Transportation Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Question 317-15(5): Construction Of Recreational Vehicle Parking Sites
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this morning are for Mr. Bell, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. It has to do with some infrastructure development here in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, regarding the development of RV park sites. Mr. Speaker, we learned last year that the department is looking at developing a parcel land next to what we know as the Folk on the Rocks site adjacent to Highway No. 3 and the Yellowknife Airport. This is something that I have been watching with a great deal of interest, Mr. Speaker. Has the highway been paved? Potentially, we are looking at a bridge coming in place. The North Slave will be a very good destination for highway travelers who potentially could bring some $8 million in revenue to the NWT by the year 2011.

Mr. Speaker, the choice of this site raises some concerns, principally for the Folk on the Rocks organization. It boxes their site in and limits their opportunities for expansion. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister could advise on the status of discussions with the Folk on the Rocks organization, Mr. Speaker.

Question 317-15(5): Construction Of Recreational Vehicle Parking Sites
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 317-15(5): Construction Of Recreational Vehicle Parking Sites
Question 317-15(5): Construction Of Recreational Vehicle Parking Sites
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Probably, we could use some context here, but in the interest of time, I won't revisit how we got here other than to say that there is a huge increase in demand for RV sites in Yellowknife. We are working very closely with the Folk on the Rocks organization. I think they have a business interest in being the operator of the park. We are working closely with them to understand if, in fact, that

is possible. There are a number of other steps underway. We have an application in to the city and we struck a deal with the recycling depot here in town that would provide some fill, some crushed glass as fill. It is a bit of a recycling project that would build up some of the site because we have some issues there, some geotechnical issues. So we are working on a number of fronts, but I can tell the Member that very much the Folk on the Rocks crew is involved in these discussions and will be included. Thank you.

Return To Question 317-15(5): Construction Of Recreational Vehicle Parking Sites
Question 317-15(5): Construction Of Recreational Vehicle Parking Sites
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.