Thank you, Mr. Bohnet. Anything further, Mr. Krutko? Thank you. Again, committee, we’re on page 13-14, Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Yakeleya.

Page 13-14, Mr. Chair?

That’s correct.

Mr. Chair, the traditional knowledge funding has dropped quite considerably from $110,000 to $65,000 for ‘11-12. Is that the funding that’s going to be continued in the future or is that the last of the funding?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. It’s sort of been asked and answered, but any additional details, Minister Miltenberger?

No, Mr. Chairman, but just to reiterate for the Member that this is only part of the $225,000. Under grants and contributions there’s other money listed under compensation and benefits and other areas. The intent, as the deputy indicated, is to move forward with our commitment to traditional knowledge. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. I’m sure there are quite a few other details we’re provided as well that should be available in Hansard. Anything further here, committee, on page 13-14?

Let me just read out the specs, I guess. Environment and Natural Resources, activity summary, corporate management, grants and contributions, contributions, $65,000. Agreed.

Thank you, committee. Moving on to page 13-15, Environment and Natural Resources, information item, corporate management, active positions. Agreed?

Page 13-17, Environment and Natural Resources, activity summary, environment, operations expenditures summary, $8.662 million. Agreed? Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Chair, the alternative energy initiatives that are happening around the North there, I wanted to ask the Minister in looking at the biomass energy, I know there are some reports that have been out there on the Alternative Energy Initiative and the communities that would benefit greatly. I wanted to ask the Minister if they’ve come to a conclusion in terms of establishing something in the Sahtu to help them with the high cost of living, with opportunities and to reduce the greenhouse and all the other good stuff that goes on with the biomass, maybe a manufacturing plant. I also understand that they’re working in my community with some individuals and that they have implemented some initiatives to deal with woodstoves in our communities, or in the North here. When I look at the alternative energy initiatives, there’s not very much happening in the Sahtu on mega projects. There are some discussions around hydro. They haven’t gone very far. There are other projects that get a little more attention and our region is one of the highest costs, other than Nunakput. Our region, the Beaufort-Delta, has a high cost of living and doing business. So I wanted to see if there’s some initiative from the department to look at some of their alternative energy initiatives. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Deputy Minister Bohnet.

Thank you. I look forward to the workshops and the meetings that are going to be held in the Sahtu and how they’re going to work with this department and the other agencies to move forward.

On the woodstoves, I’ve been told -- and please correct me if so, Mr. Minister -- in terms of giving them to some of the people or putting them in some of the houses that need some professional, I don’t know if they have professional installers or they need to look at it in terms of however, or whatever, it became an issue that in our small communities that is more like... Maybe in the larger centres they need to do something like this, but in our smaller communities it makes it difficult to be asked to do something that is quite hard on the homeowner. So that is what I have been told and that is why some of the woodstoves are not going into some of the houses that were intended to. There is sort of a hiccup, that is my understanding and I ask to be corrected if I am wrong on this issue here.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The installation of woodstoves brings with it a number of safety requirements and insurance requirements. One of the reasons, in recognition of that issue, funding was given to the Arctic Energy Alliance to help them assist and make sure we could get that level of care brought in to where stoves are being installed so they are put in safely and they would stand the test for insurance purposes as well. Thank you.

That is where the hiccup is in terms of having these woodstoves put into some of the houses for some of the communities. They have been using woodstoves for many, many years and I don’t think some of the old-timers had to have, for insurance purposes, anybody come in there and look and say we can’t put it in there. They just bought it and they put it in, so that is where there are some disagreements. I hope they can resolve that issue, and maybe not, I am not too sure how they could do it.

It seems to be something that seems to be putting a damper on a good thing by this department to help out with the high cost of energy and all the goals that we strived for in the opening of the 16

th

Assembly. That is just something that I don’t think will get resolved here. I just wanted to make sure that the department knew that this was told to me

when I went into the Sahtu about a week or so ago. No more comment.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Comment received. Next on my list I have Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also would like to talk about a similar issue in regards to energy management. I think that we have to realize that communities are probably a little ways ahead of us in a lot of this stuff and I know that the communities I represent, Tsiighetchic, Fort McPherson especially, are looking long term which they are looking at setting goals of 2025 of trying to cut their emissions down to 50 percent, and I think the communities are trying to do their part as communities in the Arctic that can show the rest of the world that we are doing our part when it comes to climate change and reducing our usage of fossil fuels and looking at alternative types of energy. One of the areas that they are looking at is the area of biomass residual heat and also trying to find alternative ways of generating not only power but also of generating heat in communities. I think that we have to work in conjunction with those communities and I know that there has been some work going on in the communities that I represent where they have held workshops and whatnot. Again, I think that because of the interest of the communities in the Arctic and the fact that we are seeing in regards to climate change and not being proactive for them, sends a message that we are not really showing the rest of the world we are trying to set the example for the rest of them. So realizing we are impacted by what other people are doing but also by showing that we can do our part, too, by basically reducing our usage of fossil fuels. I would just like to know exactly, I know you mentioned that you are looking at going into the Sahtu communities, but again, I think that we have to ensure that we are working in conjunction with them, because in your presentation it seemed that the only group that you mentioned is working in partnership with the Arctic Energy Alliance, but I think that you also have to work in partnership with the organizations and community groups that basically are already working in conjunction with what they are looking at. In Fort McPherson, for instance, they are already looking at using chippers, and basically chipping wood and using woodchips as the means of heating buildings in the communities. I think that that is the type of stuff that we realistically have to work with, and support them and not to continue to compete against them. If anything, we have to work in relation. I would just like to know, what are we doing as a government to embrace those communities and those organizations that are trying to do their part to put ourselves on the world stage showing that we are doing our part to reduce our dependency on greenhouse gases.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.