This is page numbers 1899 – 1936 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 communities.

Topics

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Premier McLeod. Welcome to the visitors. Ms. Bisaro.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would also like to recognize Mr. Brian Chambers. He’s been an acquaintance for a long time, and a

colleague. We worked together on municipal issues when I was on city council. Welcome to the House, Brian.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Yakeleya.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’d like to also recognize the National Energy Board team, specifically Mr. Brian Chambers – I’ve also done some work with him – and also Chairman Caron.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dolynny.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you my newest member of the Range Lake constituency office, Mr. Grant Pryznk.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I understand that ITI and ENR are working on guidelines for hydraulic fracturing. What will these guidelines include?

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We continue our work on developing guidelines for hydraulic fracturing here in the Northwest Territories and we are going to make sure that we get it right. We’ve engaged a number of experts in the area and, in fact, even today had a meeting with the National Energy Board here in our Legislature. Also, last week we were speaking to the Government of Alberta through Minister Ken Hughes, the Minister of Energy in Alberta.

There are a lot of folks out there that want to help make sure that the Northwest Territories gets this right. We’re also following developments out east in New Brunswick with their guidelines. We’ll ensure that we do get it right and we hope to have a reply to EDI’s report on fracking sometime during the life of this current sitting. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

What is the Government of the Northwest Territories doing to address the capacity needs in the communities in connection with the exploration activities?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

As evidenced through this budget that was just presented to the House, we

are taking very seriously what is happening in the Sahtu, not just on the economic side but also the social side of policing, education, things like that. In my department we’re looking at adding a business development officer in Norman Wells to help address the issues surrounding business development and opportunities for people to get into business in the Sahtu. So we are answering the call when it comes to what is happening in the Sahtu. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you. I want to ask the Minister how often he meets with federal or industry representatives to discuss the needs of the development in the Sahtu region.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you. Any chance I get. Today it was at least three times. Any opportunity we get to let our federal colleagues know about what is happening in the Sahtu. Again, we have the National Energy Board here today. I met earlier today with the BDIC through my department at ITI. We really are getting the word out about what is happening there.

There’s going to be close to $700 million spent in the Sahtu in the coming few years. So we need to ensure that we are answering that call and we intend to do just that.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The vault is slowly opening up so that the needs of the Sahtu can be met.

I want to ask the Minister about hydraulic fracturing. What is the Minister doing with the National Energy Board, federal government and this government to give the people a very clear-cut educational opportunity to know about this technology that would help the industry or harm our environment? What is the Minister doing to make sure the people know what hydraulic fracturing is all about?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

We’ve done a number of things. We’ve had a number of meetings in the communities in the Sahtu. We’ve taken the Members from the Economic Development and Infrastructure committee on a fracking tour. There have been leaders from the Sahtu attend a fracking tour in Calgary as well. Sometime in April I’m hoping to get a group of business leaders from the Sahtu down to southeast Saskatchewan and into North Dakota to talk to Aboriginal leaders in Bakken about what has happened there, and how Aboriginal governments and leaders here in the Northwest Territories can translate what is happening in the Sahtu to business opportunities for their people and make a better life for them and their families. Certainly, we’re looking to get the guidelines right. It is taking us some time, but I want to assure the House and the Member that we want to make sure this is done right. We can’t afford to

mess this up. Rest assured, if there’s no fracking in the Sahtu, there will be no development, so we need to ensure we get it right.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement with questions for the Minister of ITI. In my statement I talked about the recognition success that Yellowknife has achieved on composting in partnership with Ecology North. While a project such as the Yellowknife central composting facility may be beyond the scale of our smaller communities, there are valuable lessons to be learned here. One Ecology North staff active in this project is from Hay River. Ecology North has been a prime mover in the local community garden effort. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can tell us what part composting development plays in the delivery of our agricultural programs.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Jane Groenewegen

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe composting can play a very big role. We were just down in Hay River this fall opening the egg grading facility there. I had an opportunity to tour the chicken barns that are there, and the amount of manure that is produced from those barns and how that’s going to be used as compost into developing other types of agricultural development in the South Slave. It was something that was very interesting.

I think there is a role for composting in communities that can take a look at it, and it is something that I know we have an agreement with the federal government for the Growing Forward 2 monies. It’s about $6 million over the next five years. It is something I think we should spend some time on and ensure there is a program to allow composting in communities that are looking for that opportunity.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I do note that I have used both that chicken manure and the Yellowknife composting products in my garden at home and I know many have. Obviously the goals Yellowknife sets out to achieve – waste reduction and making soil amendments available – are challenges facing our communities, all of them. Partners have learned that aggressive public education and motivation are essential for promoting participation.

With community gardens really taking off around the territory and very small transportation distances, there seems a big opportunity to begin establishing the habit of household composting as a contribution

to community gardens. My question is: Will the Minister commit to directing his agriculture program staff to examine opportunities to build composting into community garden projects?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment

Again, I think this is an important topic and it certainly is something I will agree to go back to the department to get them to have a look at. Education is a good thing, getting posters out, getting community announcements out on the benefits of composting. I think most people would understand what those benefits are. We need to do that and we’ll take a look at that, and I thank the Member for raising that issue today.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks for the comments and commitments from the Minister there. Obviously there are some real linkages with Municipal and Community Affairs here. The savings in landfill costs is in the $100,000 range. Organics, I believe, are often in the order of 25 or greater percent of the waste stream. Here is another opportunity for cooperation: the possible examination of helping communities set up organics drop-off points at the landfills.

Will the Minister commit to gathering the information I’ve requested from his staff and then consulting with the MACA Minister on possible opportunities and reporting to committee on his findings?

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment

That is something that we could do. Perhaps the Member could also get the EDI committee to write to us. I’d be more than happy to work with my colleague Mr. McLeod with MACA to get a better understanding of how this would work, and I look forward to a letter from committee, and the commitment of the Member to take a look at this and put some tangible things in place so that we can make a difference here.