This is page numbers 3107 – 3152 of the Hansard for the 17th 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 going.

Topics

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s commitment here. The true test of this Minister will be his willingness to defy the bureaucracy of the ivory tower and rule in a way that many remember him as a Regular Member.

Will this Minister commit to this House officially, and to the volunteers of Lifeguards for Lodune, and to the people of Yellowknife whether he works with the City of Yellowknife or not, to re-establish a Long

Lake beach lifeguard program for the summer of 2014 and thereafter? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment

Mr. Speaker, I have been in politics now for about 16 years and I do pride myself on being able to make the right decisions. In the case of having lifeguards at Fred Henne Park, I’ve committed to doing my best to ensure that we get all the answers. It’s not an issue of funding and it shouldn’t be an issue of funding. If it is going to make Fred Henne beach safer, there will be lifeguards at that beach next summer. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ENR. I would like to talk about the situation in Norman Wells. I was reading through the Biomass Energy Strategy document. It is very impressive. I want to ask the Minister in regards to the programs that are offered in the alternative use of energy and fuel in the Northwest Territories, can the Minister state to the House in regards to the programs that are now offered? Is it somewhere in this document that they can help the residents and the businesspeople in Norman Wells to look at conversion that is needed in this year before October 31, 2014?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of programs that are application-based. The ones delivered by ENR are the Alternative Energy Technologies Program, which is about $300,000 a year. Unfortunately, that program already has a waiting list. It has been subscribed Energy Conservation Program, which supports reduced usage of electro heat energies and water. Maximum grant contribution is $50,000 available. We are operating with a budget of about $200,000 this year. The Biomass Energy Program has a broad range of support programs to help people to convert to biomass. It is a $400,000 fund. We, as well, provide funding to Arctic Energy Alliance through their Energy Efficiency Incentive Program that has a range of programs that are available anywhere from $50 to $4,500 depending on the issue. We have a Commercial Energy Conservation and Efficiency Program, which provides rebates to businesses to support commercial operations that has a budget of $200,000. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Minister. It is quite an impressive list, the resource dollars that are allocated to these programs. The Minister did

indicate that there were programs that were over-subscribed or some are on a waiting list and the numbers that are given don’t seem to be enough for what I’m going to ask in terms of helping out the residents and businesses of Norman Wells.

Can the Minister then make a request to the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee to top up the funding to help the people in Norman Wells? As I stated, the conversion is quite high in Norman Wells and we are looking for some support from this government to help them out with their energy solutions.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

This issue is regularly on the agenda for the Ministerial Energy Climate Change Coordinating Committee and we’ll monitor those issues and those requirements. We recognize the unique nature of the challenges faced by the community of Norman Wells and the people who are converting. We will also continue to invest millions of dollars to make sure that our infrastructure, as well, is converted. But I will commit to the Member that that issue will be reviewed at MECC as we gather for our next meeting. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I certainly appreciate the Minister’s willingness to have more discussions with your colleagues on this issue. Is there any type of scheduling or programming for the Department of ENR, through Arctic Energy Alliance, to look at workshops or meetings in Norman Wells to look at the different types of programs that could be available to help with the residents? Like I said, there are 27 people out of 159 that are making this conversion and this would greatly help the town on the natural gas situation.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, Mr. Speaker. In fact, there is a position in Norman Wells that is dedicated to assist people to navigate those very specific program areas the Member mentioned. I will make sure to have a conversation with the deputy minister and the superintendent in Norman Wells. They are already engaged, but we will make sure they are aware of the concern expressed by the Member in this House.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I’m really happy with what the Minister is saying because of the situation for families in Norman Wells and the businesses. Is there any type of indication from this government or through the Ministers as to the number of people who are willing to look at biomass energy or wood pellet or situations that will help them with their conversion? Is there any type of updated report that says, yes, we can do 10 families now or we have to wait until later on? Is there a status report? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

As it pertains to the conversion to biomass, people have made their own determination in many cases, businesses have made their own determination. There is a migration to that alternate heating source. There is, we understand, development of a private industry there in terms of supplying pellets. In terms of access to these particular assistance programs for alternative energy changes, those are there. I will follow up with the staff, with the deputy, to make sure the folks in the region are aware of the Member’s concerns. All that is happening as we speak and we will work with individuals through the various programs we have available. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.1

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will table the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “Headline Statements from the Summary for Policymakers” from their fifth assessment of the physical science basis for climate change. I’d like to ask the Minister of Environment, would the Minister please confirm that this government accepts the latest report from the IPCC and that this government understands that “continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and that limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions” very soon. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very clearly, this government is aware of the impact of climate change. We’re aware of all reports done by the IPCC. There is no debate from us whether those findings are valid or not. We’re spending millions and millions of dollars as a government to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and global warming and we will continue to make those substantial investments as we balance a whole list of competing needs. Definitely there's no debate on this side of the House on whether their findings are valid or not. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I’m glad the Minister agrees with competing needs. That’s interesting. We are spending, of course, less and less each year on this issue. Could the Minister of the Environment confirm that this government understands that greenhouse emissions are created when we burn fossil fuels like oil and gas and if the oil and gas is left in the ground, they cannot create greenhouse gas emissions. Mahsi.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

We have a major economic initiative, alternative energy-based initiative, renewable resource energy-based initiative, which is the expansion of the transmission lines between Snare and the Taltson between $500 million to $700 million dollars. I consider that a very, very substantial investment. We are working throughout the North on expanding biomass, wind, solar. We are investing millions in that as well. We are spending millions upgrading our own facilities, converting to biomass. We’ve changed our guidelines for construction. Wherever you look, we are trying to lower our consumption and improve our energy efficiencies, work on conservation and we are a cold-weather jurisdiction, we are a cold-weather people and country. The fact of the matter is that for some time into the future, we are going to rely on non-renewable resources. At the same time, that does not deter us from working on the transition. Diamond mines are putting in wind, substantial investments in wind to cut their costs.

So we are well aware of the challenges. We deal with them every day and we are going to continue to invest in those alternative energy technologies and minimize our reliance on diesel and other petroleum products and, at the same time, recognizing that we still require them to have airplanes in the air, cars on the road and, in many cases, still to heat our houses. We have to have that balance between those factors and the ones we were just talking about.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister for that very long diatribe on something, but I assume that he understands when we burn fossil fuels, they release emissions, but if we leave the fossil fuels in the ground, they won’t release those emissions.

The Minister reported yesterday that he judged fracking developments in the Sahtu can be done sustainably, including environmentally so.

Could the Minister please provide the government’s estimate for the quantity of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses that will be released as a result of extracting and burning the oil and gas that is stored in the Sahtu shale oil deposit. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Before we go on, I apologize to the Member for almost cutting you short one question, but the preamble and the answers are so long. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we’ll work with committee and this House to provide all the necessary numbers we require to make the most informed decisions, in terms of the cost and benefits and the risk and rewards for the work in the Sahtu. The numbers

and the requests the Member has made will be factored into that information that is going to be pulled together as we move forward. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will look forward to those numbers. Yesterday the Minister of ENR stated in our House that the government and ENR have already decided we can manage the risk from fracking. We know that increasing greenhouse gas emissions is against all the best possible scientific advice we can have. We know the impacts of climate change are already having soaring costs to the people of the NWT and the planet.

If Sahtu oil is proven, how does the Minister propose to manage the risks caused by fracking a very large but unknown amount of fossil fuels so they can be burned and the resulting greenhouse gases deposited in our planet’s atmosphere? How will the Minister manage this, from unsustainable to sustainable?