As I stated, with a large file such as this, we’re getting a lot of feedback from various parties and we’re followed up with those concerns or issues brought to our attention. There are some general ideas of where we should be focusing on.

All the great work that the Safety Advisory Committee recommended to my office, we are building on that, and again, we want to deliver that during the life of this Assembly, send out the final agreement and start implementing it. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there was huge consultation done prior to 2012 when the Safety Advisory Committee had their draft out, their re-draft and their third re-draft. So I really don’t understand what the Minister expects to learn by consulting again.

Since January 2012 to now, October 2014, there’s been ample time to do the consultation that he’s referencing. There’s been ample time to talk to the people in the industry and to get their concerns and hear them and deal with them.

So I’d like to know from the Minister, what is he expecting to learn by now doing further consultation? Thank you.

We have done our consultation or engagement part of the process. We’re following through with what’s been brought to our attention, whether it be a recommendation from various organizations. Not everybody is in agreement or there are pros and cons of particular regulations coming forward, so we want to make sure that it is the right product. It’s a large document for the whole Northwest Territories and along with Nunavut; we still have to work with Nunavut on this particular piece of work. But then again, it will be delivered during the life of this Assembly and I’m willing to sign off before this term ends. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary. Ms. Bisaro.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister. I know it’s a large document; I’ve looked at it. I would like to know from the Minister, if he’s talking about consultation and he’s talking about making sure that everybody likes the document – there was huge debate the first time this came out – so who is the Minister going to be consulting with? Thank you.

The

recommendation is with me, as the Minister responsible, and there have been various discussions that took place for over a year, since 2011 until today, even the latest there has been some correspondence that came to my attention that I need to follow up. There are some legality and network issues that we need to deal with.

Again, it is a large file, so we want to have the best product for the whole Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Again, I have to emphasize that during the life of this Assembly, we will be delivering and signing off this document. Mahsi.

Thank you Mr. Lafferty. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

I understand the conference bureau initiative is already underway. Can the Minister describe what the conference bureau hopes to achieve? Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This was part of our Economic Opportunities Strategy. Stemming from that, it’s an office that is set up in the Northwest Territories Tourism Marketing Destination Market Agency here in the Northwest Territories. Its goal and purpose is to attract people and meetings to the Northwest Territories, and I understand they have had some early success in trying to attract meetings and conventions here to the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Can the Minister discuss any early results so far? He has indicated that they are tracking visitor information. Mahsi.

Thank you. I know they are in discussion with a large national organization on hosting a conference here next year in the Northwest Territories. Because we have a dedicated person in that position, as well, they are familiarizing themselves with services and opportunities around the Northwest Territories. It isn’t just a Yellowknife Convention Bureau it is a Northwest Territories Convention Bureau and if something fits in a community, if a community can host a convention or a group of business leaders or a meeting, certainly those things will be looked at. We believe very highly that this bureau is going to be very successful in attracting conventions and visitors to the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

The Minister has indicated that one of the functions of the conference bureau is to track visitor information but at the same time ensure that there is indeed a list of meeting places that are quite possible that could be made for references for people that come up north.

Is the Minister willing to direct the conference bureau to consider adding some of the facilities in small communities, such as the Sandy Creek Lodge, to an inventory of venues for meetings and events? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, that is part of the role and the function of the Convention Bureau, is to identify lodges or places that could host meetings and conventions, and I would give the Sandy Creek Lodge a ringing endorsement. I know we’ve had meetings there ourselves and it certainly is a very nice facility and a facility that could host a

meeting of a substantial size on the Hay River Reserve. It’s something I am sure the Convention Bureau is aware of, but if they are not aware of it yet, they will be after today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for his reply.

What assistance is available to the owners and operators of facilities in our communities to successfully host conferences and other events, for example, hospitality training, facility maintenance and administrative needs? Mahsi.

Again, through the EOS, we have identified some money for training, and in the case of Sandy Creek Lodge on the Hay River Reserve, I will go back to the department and see if we can get some staff to contact the reserve and the folks that are operating the lodge to see where it is we can best help them and we’ll try to get them the help that they need. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Ramsay. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement about the important sector of fishery in the Hay River area, I will have questions for the Minister of ITI. Typically we have a fall session for the NWT Fishermen’s Federation. I would like to get an update on the infrastructure program that we are looking to do to upgrade the fish plant in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We really believe strongly that we can reinvigorate the fishing industry on Great Slave Lake. Through the Economic Opportunities Strategy we have identified $1.5 million to look at an export grade fish plant, a new fish plant in Hay River and something that we continue to move forward with, although $1.5 million won’t get us to where we need to go. We are going to need partners. We are currently in discussions with some potential partners on seeing that new fish plant built in Hay River. Thank you.

Also in my statement I talked about training and convincing people to go back into this industry.

What can the Minister indicate to me that they have done as far as business opportunities and business training that would encourage people to get back into the industry? Thank you.

We have a number of programs through ITI that are going to help in attracting new fishers to the industry and, as well, helping those that are already in the industry. We have a Fish Harvesters Support Program, we have a Commercial Fish Harvesters Support Program, we have a Fish Harvesters Expansion Program, we have a Fish Harvesters New Entrance Support Program and also some core funding available to existing fishermen on Great Slave Lake. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that has always been there is the selling and marketing of the fish. We know that there is an opportunity, maybe, in Alberta.

Has the department looked at this opportunity to market NWT fish in Alberta now that they are closing down some of their fishery?