This is page numbers 1977 – 2026 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 chair.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I made a note to ask this question. Last year the department added a research analyst into the fold. At the time, Madam Chair, I did have to question the rationale with that insertion. How were the measurable outcomes to adding this research analyst to this division last year?

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Vician.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Peter Vician

Thank you, Madam Chair. The specific measure in association with what the committee has seen with regard to the annual Tourism Marketing Plan. NWT Tourism relies on the department extensively for its statistical work in terms of guidance, and how various efforts made in the marketing of our tourism products worldwide reaches success. So it’s a reliance of the industry and dependence on the industry on the department for that statistical research. We’ve had a very limited capacity and appreciate the support for the additional position. That has been actioned on. That work continues and we will support the ongoing Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee’s review of the annual marketing plan and, as this House will see shortly, the proposed 2013-14 marketing plan developed by NWTT in concert with ourselves. I

have to candidly say the performance measures incorporated in that plan are exactly what this researcher contributes to developing and we’ve been very pleased with that presentation. It’s probably one of the best in terms of business planning processes that we use. I think that’s exactly why we needed that extra effort. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Vician. Industry, Tourism and Investment, tourism and parks, active positions, information item.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Agreed. Thank you. Page 12-31, economic diversification and business support, operations expenditure summary, $22.961 million.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Mr. Hawkins.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can the Minister explain on some of the work they’re doing in the traditional economy, please?

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Ramsay.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ve heard many discussions in the House in regard to the traditional economy. We’ve got the Take a Kid Trapping Program. We’ve got the Western Harvesters Assistance Program. We have increased the trappers’ grubstake as well. In fact, we’ve doubled the funding available to trappers across the Northwest Territories. We continue to make great strides in the traditional economy in that area. We’ve got some great staff in the department. Our furs are recognized around the globe and we continue to make progress. Perhaps for some further detail I will go to Deputy Minister Vician.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Mr. Vician.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Peter Vician

Thank you, Madam Chair. Of course, above all, we are most pleased with the success of the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program, an international brand that’s had extensive success and really provides the trappers of the Northwest Territories with direct income through the process we use in the Northwest Territories. In addition to that, as the Minister has indicated, our Western Harvesters Assistance Program, our support for local wildlife committees, our Community Harvesters Assistance Program, and probably, as well, most interesting is our Take a Kid Trapping Program which continues to be a huge success in bringing youth to participate on the land. We can’t measure the success of that for the small amount of money that is invested in that area, a little over

$125,000 by the department, but in partnership with other groups up to around $400,000.

One of the more recent programs I’d like to highlight for you is the High Procurement Program. This committee has identified this in the past. This is where we assist traditional craft producers in the Northwest Territories with a source of moose and caribou, but obviously the seal industry has been hard hit in the world and today we now repurchase seal product at wholesale price and provide that at discount price to our crafters around the Northwest Territories. Now, that’s extended, as well, to some of our beaver product. You’re seeing more and more of our crafters use that product across the territory providing that to artisans and making it a great step forward. Overall, this program has been a great success and, I believe, through the Minister, we’ve had some good response to that across the Northwest Territories.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Vician. Mr. Hawkins.

Committee Motion 3-17(4): Increased Funding For Tourism Industry Marketing, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to let the Minister know, and certainly the deputy minister know, I sincerely appreciated that detailed example because the traditional economy is very important to Northerners, as we all know.

I just want to change subjects, but on the same page. It’s no surprise that I, as well as many of the Members in this House, am very supportive of the film industry. We’ve seen such phenomenal growth and attention of the world. I think we’re just on the cusp of greater success, and in talking to many of the filmmakers in the Northwest Territories that some of whom I’ve gotten to know and some I’ve known since I was a kid, their work needs to be further supported by this government with better policy and ways of setting up grants. In the past there was talk about having a tax credit but recently I’m hearing more and more from them that the tax credit sort of means along those lines that you have to make money to have a tax credit and first the logistics behind it become cumbersome. I’ve even brought this subject to Mr. Miltenberger and see notes that we could simplify our process by providing a grant process rather than a tax credit. I think it could help everyone around. With that said, I’d like to move a motion.

Committee Motion 4-17(4): Development Of A Northern Film And Media Arts Industry Grant Program, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

February 19th, 2013

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I move that this committee strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories take immediate action to develop a northern film and media arts industry grant program to provide funding assistance for production filming in the

Northwest Territories to replace the proposed film tax credit system;

And further, that this grant program be implemented on an ongoing basis starting in the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Motion is being circulated. Motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think some of my colleagues may speak to this, but there are important people who are breaking ground every day. I want to give credit to people like Amos Scott, who I have known since I was a kid growing up in Simpson. He’s doing phenomenal work which is being recognized. He had a big production here recently at NACC and he had a great celebration when we were out at NWT Days. Artless Collection, Jay Bulckaet and Pablo Saravanja, they are doing phenomenal work. There are many other people. We know about the story of Lesser Blessed, people like Travis Mercredi working forward, making great strides. There are so many more success stories that could be built upon our growing film industry.

Rather than trying to use all the time up, I think the message is pretty clear that I think this is important, and what I’m suggesting is this is something that gets built in the budget programming going forward starting in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. As Mr. Miltenberger said the other day, they’re building the next budget as we speak, so it’s important to get these messages officially on the record. That’s all.

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion. Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Madam Chair. Very quickly. I appreciate this being brought forward and I will be supporting the motion. This is the sort of thing that both Yukon and Nunavut have. It’s been called for for a long time. We did a review of support for the film industry during the 16th Assembly. Some good improvements were made and this is taking the next logical step that addresses the big gap that remains out there. The SEED program is supportive but what is needed is exactly what’s defined in this motion. I will be supporting it.

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. To the motion. Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate Mr. Hawkins’ for bringing this motion forwards and I know colleagues that have been speaking towards it. This is just the evolutionary progression of what is just good stewardship and management of an industry.

This industry, as we are well aware, is very nomadic when it comes to our national and international filmmakers. This motion does speak very highly to helping our local film producers, as

mentioned by Mr. Hawkins. I had the pleasure of having one-on-one dialogues with the national film producers of Arctic Air and Ice Pilots NWT and they clearly said, as much as they appreciate tax incentives, that is not the impetus for them to do filming here in the North. What would be a value add to them was very clear. Their cost of air travel, their cost of lodging, these are true tangible costs. These were impediments for them to do business here, but they want to do business here. We have to make it easy for them. If we don’t make it easy for them, we know full well that the industry will move on. Just ask the Province of Saskatchewan. That was a lesson learned. We’ve got to learn from the mistakes, possibly of others, and make sure we put adequate measures to mitigate it.

On top of that, not speaking to this motion, is the fact that these very same stewards and film producers clearly indicated they needed cultural experts as well. I know, not speaking to the motion, but we’ve got to listen to these, these are fundamentally the stewards, these are the people who are promoting the NWT through film and industry, and I think we need to look at it. I hope that Cabinet is listening because if Cabinet is not listening, they’re saying no in essence to this industry by not supporting it.

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. To the motion. Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will be abstaining from this vote on this motion. The difficulty I have with this process is we’re talking about the 2013-2014 budget and this is an initiative they want implemented into the 2014-2015 budget. We have a process in place. We have a business plan process that, as a new Member, I think we have a way to put these initiatives into it. Every one of these Members here have initiatives that are good, strong initiatives. I can sit here and probably make 10 motions of things that I want in the 2014-2015 budget, a year from now, two years from now. Where are we going to go with this? If we’re going to continue the budget process, the discussion should be on the 2013-2014 budget and I’ve already indicated to the Member that I don’t support this concept of putting additional 2014-2015 items into this year’s budget. It’s not the process, that’s not the avenue we have to give our initiatives there. I will be abstaining from this motion.

---Applause

The Chair

The Chair Jane Groenewegen

Glad to see the Cabinet is listening. To the motion.