Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The National Energy Board has released today its Arctic review report as well as a National Energy Board filing requirements for offshore drilling in the Canadian Arctic.

I understand with this National Energy Board release, this could fundamentally affect the future requirements for applications to drill and Canadian Arctic offshore developments. My question is for the Minister of ITI. I know this release has just been a couple hours old. Is there any initial response from this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, we’re confident with the work that the National Energy Board has been doing and we support the work that they continue to do. The key thing for us is that Northerners want to provide input into decision-making about future offshore drilling and they also want to be prepared in developing plans for future drilling projects. I think those are some things that we can take away from it. We’re pleased with the extensive engagement, as well, that Northerners had with the NEB to produce the Arctic review that was released earlier today. Thank you.

Thanks for the Minister’s initial response. Even in its early stages we are hearing from certain groups saying they weren’t consulted during this Arctic review process. Can I ask the Minister of ITI why that was so? Thank you.

The objective of the Arctic review was to gather information and knowledge through meaningful engagement and dialogue. The NEB did extensive consultation across the three northern territories, including more than 40 meetings in 11 communities, again, across all three territories. The review concluded with a week-long roundtable held in Inuvik during this past

September so participants could engage in face-to-face dialogue on offshore drilling. Nearly 200 people attended the meetings that were held in Inuvik. Another 300 people logged onto the session via computer to listen to the live Web broadcast that was played. That was also translated into Inuvialuktun, Inuktitut, Gwich’in and French.

We’re pleased with the extensive engagement with Northerners that took place to produce the Arctic review and are confident that everyone had an opportunity to participate in that review.

Thank you to the Minister for going into detail. Fundamentally, we would never want this to happen, but should we have an oil spill in the Arctic offshore similar to what we’ve experienced and seen that affected the world with the Gulf of Mexico, what does this review today mean to this government and to the people of the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Speaker, the prevention of an oil spill in the Canadian Arctic offshore is the primary goal. We’ve got to prevent that from happening. Again, we’re confident with the NEB’s response, that the regulatory regime has the tools needed to protect the safety of northern residents, workers and the environment.

In their application, applicants must submit a contingency plan that outlines what measures they will use to respond to an out-of-control well. A relief well is one contingency measure. Obviously, projects that are occurring in the Beaufort Sea would operate in significantly isolated and under different conditions compared to those in the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to direct my questions to the government today on behalf of the Patterson Sawmill in Hay River. This sawmill has been in existence for a number of years. It is not a huge company. It is a family-based business. They employ six full-time people. They have the ups and downs with issues with the size of the allowable timber cut being reduced, operating costs and, of course, the market price for the product that they harvest.

Pattersons want to stay in business. They’re the only business of this type in the Northwest Territories. We’re in the middle of a forest here in our part of the North and we would like to keep this business operational in Hay River. It’s extremely important to us. There are bright things on the horizon that may improve the fortunes of this company. How much money would we as a government spend to entice and induce a company

like this to come and set up in the North, and yet here’s a company that’s been here many, many years. They are asking for a postponement or abatement of the stumpage fees which they owe this government.

I would like to ask whoever wants to answer the question; I’m not sure if it’s the Minister of ENR or if it’s the Minister of ITI, but I would like to ask this government today. They’re ready to go to work. It’s the time of year when they can go out and cut. What is this government prepared to do to allow this company to continue to operate in Hay River? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been working closely with the Patterson’s operation for the last number of years. We had meetings again yesterday trying to come to some agreement to allow this process to proceed and the operation that the Member talked to about to remain in business. There is still some work to be done, but clearly there are challenges in terms of the revenue that they can generate, the costs that they are incurring and the simple things like stumpage fees and such that they have difficulty generating enough revenue to cover. But we are still at work trying to see if something can be salvaged. Thank you.

The time frame within which this company can go out on roads that are suitable for winter travel to get to the timber that they can harvest is very time sensitive. The clock is ticking. If they do not get in and out and harvest this product within a certain time frame, the option will be to close the sawmill. Tomorrow morning I will be receiving a briefing from a Hay River businessman that hopes to have a business opportunity developed that would make use of waste for biomass for a pellet and briquette mill in Hay River as well. This could potentially enhance the business enterprise of the Pattersons. This is very much on the horizon and very much a possibility to become a reality.

Again, we have written off, forgiven, supported in every kind of way with expensive studies and all kinds of expenditures of this government much more money than this relatively small amount of money that it would take to keep this very long time, established business in operation in Hay River. Time is of the essence. I appreciate the Minister is working on it and I know that his departmental officials did meet with Mr. Patterson yesterday, but I would like to hopefully get some kind of a commitment here on the floor of the House today that would give the Pattersons a signal that they are going to stay in business. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the fact that the officials continue to meet to try to find alternatives, there were arrangements made a year or so ago that were not successful, and we have, over the years, written off sums of money as well as deferred payments, reduced payments, any number of things that we could try to think of to allow both interests to have their needs met in terms of the business and the role and responsibility of government and as the administrators of the public purse. So the commitment is that we’re still looking at trying to find a way to do this. I will commit to the Member that when I’m finished in the House today, I’ve already indicated to the deputy minister that I would be calling him at the rise of the House and this will be one of the things on my list to talk about. Thank you.

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

We do greatly appreciate all of those efforts that the Minister refers to in what they have been able to do. This is not an easy business and strangely, after all these years, it’s still in a lot of ways a fledgling business, but we do hope that the other prospects for the waste material will come to fruition, that this will add additional revenue potential to this company and that we can do something in the short term. They’re not asking for a handout. They’re asking for a postponement or an abatement of the stumpage fees and it is six jobs. The work that they’re involved in in cutting firewood is in keeping with this government’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption in the North and, Mr. Speaker, it is six jobs that are very important to our community. So I would ask the Minister if he would, I’m going to be heading back to Hay River this afternoon, but if he would keep the Pattersons and myself apprised of the outcome of anything they can do to help resolve this issue. Thank you.

I acknowledge, as well, that the Member has been an impassioned advocate on behalf of the Pattersons over the years and to no small way that’s part of the reason that we’re still having these discussions. I appreciate that interest, and I’ve heard her concerns, and I will be following up and I will commit to keep her and her constituents informed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I’d like to follow up, this seems to be a bit of a theme today, but I’m wondering what work does the Minister have underway with his

colleagues, the Ministers of MACA and ENR, to free up agricultural land in our South Slave breadbasket, and I suppose the Deh Cho as well, to expand our agricultural industry towards the diversification of our economy away from one industrial sector? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of ITI, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That discussion has to take place with my colleagues on the accessibility of land, but certainly the agricultural component is something that’s of value here. We need to ensure that we’re getting programming dollars out to the various communities around the Northwest Territories. Under the Growing Forward Fund that we have from the federal government, we’ve put that program into 29 communities across the Northwest Territories, mostly small vegetable garden plots, but we are working with the money that we have to get programs out there for people to avail themselves of. Just a couple of weeks ago I was in Norman Wells. I had an opportunity to sample some Sahtu potatoes, a Sahtu chicken, as well as some processed Sahtu moose meat, which is very good.

It’s programs from ITI that are enabling local producers to continue to pursue locally provided fish, meat and agricultural products to not just the local community but they’re looking at perhaps even exporting those out of the Sahtu at some point in time to other communities. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that response. The Sahtu, of course, is a clear leader in this area, along with some other areas of the NWT. So hats off there, but seriously, the biggest issue is access to land. Studies by the Territorial Farmers’ Association have indicated it would be very easy to provide a very large proportion of the food we need in terms of vegetables and even domestic meat with a modicum of support, but land is the biggest issue. So I’ll look forward to progress on that issue.

My second question, briefly, is: What work does the Minister have underway with his colleague, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, to complete the forest inventories essential to the sustainable development of our forest resources, again, the diversification of our economy? Mahsi.

Obviously the potential in the area of forestry is immense here in the Northwest Territories, especially in the southwest corner of the territory and south of Great Slave Lake. Definitely we need to be looking towards devolution as a way and a means and the settlement of both the Akaitcho land claim and the Dehcho land claim to advance forestry and that sector here in the Northwest Territories, and that discussion will take place with ENR on ways that both ITI and ENR can work together, as we move forward toward devolution on getting the most we

can and maximizing the benefits of our forestry industry here. Thank you.

Thank you again for that response from the Minister. My third question along the line of diversification is Avalon Minerals has long been on record of offering secondary processing industry development if a deal can be made on economic electricity rates. What work does the Minister have underway with his colleague, again the Minister responsible for NTPC, to take advantage of this opportunity? Mahsi.

Obviously the opportunity at Avalon, not just for the mine but for the processing and the value added, a component to that is of great value to the economy here in the Northwest Territories and those discussions certainly are taking place. Thank you.