Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I believe we are missing a significant opportunity to live better, eat better, diversify our economy, create local jobs and be more independent in the Northwest Territories. We must grow in quantity more of our own food.
A constituent tells me, “Have you ever thought what happens when the food trucks stop coming north?” We tend to forget that the southern half of our territory is very sunny and has some potentially good agriculture land. Hay River has had some degree of success and so could Fort Simpson and probably other communities as well. It is a vision shared by some of my constituents and others throughout the North. The problem is access to land. We have a huge and great land, but the rules for using them are pretty heavy duty, especially considering that farms are so common all over Canada and they have easier access.
I’m not sure if devolution of land and the taking over of a federal application process has complicated things. In the Deh Cho for a lease or sale of Commissioner’s land, the GNWT must seek the approval of the a
ffected Dehcho First Nation. That’s
fine; it’s only a 30-day process, in theory anyway. It is set out in the Interim Measures Agreement.
Where the Dehcho Land Use Planning Process fits in is not so clear. The planning committ
ee’s website
refers to economic and political barriers to agriculture, and that’s about it. Then we have our departments of Lands, and Industry, Tourism and Investment. ITI is working gung-ho, well, sort of, on the Agriculture Strategy, and Lands department seems to have a bunch of rules they may or may not be sorting out.
But let’s not leave out the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, the purveyor of permits under federal rules. As I understand it, if land needs to be cleared with heavy machinery, then a would-be farmer has to apply for a land use permit and then wait for it. On the other hand, if land is already cleared, it seems no land use permit is required. To me, it looks like anyone who wants to farm or wants to grow healthy food for us all to eat had better be a darn good lawyer as well. The rules are not clear. It is no wonder applicants are frustrated.
I will have questions later on for the Minister of Lands during question period. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.