This is page numbers 3653 - 3688 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 4th 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 agreed.

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Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Wherever ENR has a role to play, it’s my understanding that we are complying. If there are other departments involved in terms of

monitoring the employment and those types of things, I’m not in a position necessarily to speak to that. But I know, as a government, our intent is to fully comply and monitor where we have an obligation. Thank you.

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

In terms of the monitoring, I would ask the Minister, if his department could review the obligations in terms of this government, the aboriginal governments and the invited guests, the outfitters, in terms of the agreements here? In terms of monitoring, there are certain provisions within our regulations that would be very helpful in terms of working on a committed agreement by our communities and the outfitters in terms of employment, in terms of wildlife meat coming into the communities. Can the Minister look at having a review if all parties could sit down and see where we could strengthen this agreement?

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, I will, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

On the outfitters in terms of the ownership, can the Minister confirm if there have been no changes to the ownership of the Arctic Red Outfitters and that there’s no licence that needs to be changed in terms of this issue? Thank you.

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

My understanding was that the issue of concern was that in fact the licence had changed hands and there was concern about whether due process was followed. Thank you.

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d certainly be anxious to look at the due process in terms of this licence. I’ll ask the Minister again in terms of the outfitters and in terms of the wildlife officers that do monitor the outfitters in terms of wildlife meat, my understanding is there’s just over 8,000 pounds of meat that’s being taken out by the outfitters and that is equivalent to about $75,000 worth if you were to buy that in a retail store. Can the Minister confirm to me or answer to me in terms of this wildlife food that’s being taken out, that every part of this wildlife food is being distributed to the communities in the Sahtu or Gwich’in or Deh Cho communities?

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

As far as I’m aware, that is the practice. Thank you.

Question 159-16(4): Licensing Of Outfitters Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on the questions about the outfitters, I think one

of the integrated regulatory boards that we seemed to have missed here or, basically, I just noted, is the green resource boards in the Gwich’in Settlement Area and the Sahtu. We have a regulatory system that’s changed the management of wildlife and the regulatory boards that we established under the land claim agreements. I’d just like to ask the Minister exactly what is the role of the boards when it comes to outfitter licence? Because under the land claim agreements it specifically states that they would be an instrument for wildlife management in the settlement areas where the boards shall have the following powers: to establish the policies and report regulations in respect to harvesting of wildlife by any person, and it also lists under three commercial activities relating to wildlife, including commercial establishment of facilities, commercial harvesting, and then it also goes on to B, which is guiding and outfitting services. So under the land claim agreements, the boards have responsibilities in that general area.

So in light of the situation that happened between the Gwich’in and the Sahtu regions where you have two regions where an outfitter licence overlaps, you have two boards which overlap, I’d like to ask the Minister what role do the renewable resource councils play in the decision of acquiring a licence and also overseeing those licences?

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re talking a situation that involves dual jurisdictions, it involves conflicting rights of first refusal. I’ve indicated in this House that we’ve initiated a process within the Government of the Northwest Territories, with the aboriginal governments, with the management boards and stakeholders over the coming months to look at this whole issue in relation to how we do business, our obligations under the land claims and the roles of the boards that are creatures of those land claims, and we expect to have, hopefully, a resolution to that in the coming months. Thank you.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

If the Minister is serious about resolving this issue and where the dispute is between authorities and jurisdictions and, more importantly, an outfitter, I’d like to ask the Minister if he’s willing to facilitate a meeting between the different regions, the renewable resource councils, the aboriginal organizations, to talk about this particular matter and try to find ways to resolve this issue from happening in the future by having a meeting sooner than waiting a couple months down the road and coordinate a meeting within the next couple of weeks.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

November 2nd, 2009

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Work is underway to get this process going, recognizing the complexity of the situation and the circumstances,

the two land claims, different jurisdictions, a number of questions to be resolved in relation to aboriginal governments, management boards, the full role of the GNWT. We started this process, we just anticipate that the discussions may take some time, but we are on this one already.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Not even close to giving me an answer. Again, the question is: will the Minister intervene and try to coordinate a meeting between the parties with regard to the renewable resource councils and the aboriginal organizations to discuss this issue with regard to the outfitters between the Sahtu, the Gwich’in and to find resolutions to this problem going forward?

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

I have been involved in this issue since we first became aware of it. We’ve had discussions with the deputy and we’ve agreed on a course of action. The deputy, the most senior official in the Department of Natural Resources, is on this issue. We are getting the folks to the table and we are going to have this resolved hopefully through the process I have been talking about in this House today. Thank you.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister have a date for this particular meeting and can he keep myself and the Member for the Sahtu in the process going forward? Does he have a time for the prescribed meeting? Thank you.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, we will keep the Member for Mackenzie Delta and the Member for Sahtu fully informed. As well, I will get to them a timeline and a work plan of what is being planned in terms of the meetings required to resolve this issue. Thank you.

Question 160-16(4): Outfitters’ Licences Held In Settled Land Claim Areas
Oral Questions (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Question 161-16(4): Support For Survivors Of Residential School Experience
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Department of Executive regarding residential school survivors, more specifically to the parents who went to the school. Mr. Speaker, I have asked the Minister what type of programs this government is doing to support the residential schools survivors.

Question 161-16(4): Support For Survivors Of Residential School Experience
Oral Questions (Reversion)

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Question 161-16(4): Support For Survivors Of Residential School Experience
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would have to touch base with the appropriate Ministers and get that information or have those Ministers reply back to the Member in this area. Thank you.

Question 161-16(4): Support For Survivors Of Residential School Experience
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Some of the parents had sent their kids, or were told to send their kids, or kids were taken to these residential schools. Some of these parents, when they wanted to visit their children, had to stay outside the building and put their camps there and visit their children. There are lots of issues that need to be resolved there. I want to ask the Minister, the Women’s Advisory office provides a point of contact within the GNWT on issues of concern to women, would the Premier consider appointing a residential school advisor who would have a similar mandate to be a point of contact with our government for survivors of residential schools?

Question 161-16(4): Support For Survivors Of Residential School Experience
Oral Questions (Reversion)

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

There are a number of organizations involved in the residential school area between the federal government, our government and outside organizations and agencies. Before I could respond to that, I would have to see what’s happening out there. Again, I would go through the appropriate Ministers to get the information and respond at that point.