This is page numbers 275 - 296 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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 work.

Topics

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if I can get that information before session is completed this time. I am referring to the whole session at the end of June. Thank you.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I will look into getting that back to the Member for end of session.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker I have a Return to Written Question 1-18(2) asked by Mr. O'Reilly on February 23, 2016, to the Honourable Bob McLeod, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, regarding vacancies on co-management boards.

As of May 31, 2016, the Sahtu Land Use Planning Board and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board currently do not have quorum. All other co-management boards have sufficient membership to maintain a quorum.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to an effective regulatory system in the Northwest Territories. The GNWT is only one party in the overall system of board appointments in the Mackenzie Valley and Inuvialuit Settlement Region. While the GNWT endeavours to make timely appointments or nominations, the completion of board appointments depend on several factors: timely nominations from claimant group organizations; the process required to undertake federal security checks; and the time needed by the federal Minister or Governor in Council to finalize appointments.

Since 2014, the GNWT has maintained a Boards Registry which is publicly accessible and provides an up-to-date listing of all memberships that the GNWT appoints or nominates to. All board membership and vacancies as they become available are tracked and monitored to ensure that each board is able to maintain quorum.

Mr. Speaker, there are 14 co-management boards in the NWT with a combined total of 106 board positions. Of the 106 positions, 24 positions are currently vacant. Some of these positions have been vacant from as little as two weeks to as long as five and a half years. Of the 24 vacancies, the GNWT is the nomination authority for four. The GNWT has submitted names for the appointment of each of these four board members to fill these vacancies and are awaiting approval from the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada or Governor in Council.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 4-18(2) asked by Mr. Vanthuyne on March 3, 2016, to the Honourable Alfred Moses, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding Aurora College enrollment and achievement data.

The question was in three parts. The first part asked how many full-time and part-time students were registered at Aurora College at the beginning and at the end of each of the past three enrollment years. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a summary of these data.

The second part of the question asked how many full-time students completed their full course load for each of the last three years. A full course load at Aurora College is defined as at least 60 per cent of a full program course load. In 2012-13, 430 students were enrolled with a full course load, and of these, 338 students, or 79 per cent, successfully completed a full course load. In 2013-14, 434 students were enrolled with a full course load with 328 students, or 76 per cent, successfully completing a full course load. In 2014-15, 375 students were enrolled with a full course load, of these, 282 students, or 75 per cent, successfully completed a full course load.

The third part of the question asked what the successful completion rate of individual courses for full-time and part-time students has been for the past three years. In 2012-13, 87 per cent of courses taken by full-time students were completed, and 88 per cent of courses taken by part-time students were completed. In 2013-14, 87 per cent of courses taken by full-time students were completed, and 84 per cent of courses taken by part-time students were completed. In 2014-15, 86 per cent of courses taken by full-time students were completed, and 82 per cent of courses taken by part-time students were completed.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by Mr. O'Reilly on March 2, 2016, of the Honourable Robert C. McLeod, Minister of Lands, regarding environmental liabilities at the Prairie Creek Mine site.

Mr. O'Reilly asked when the most recent third party assessment of environmental liabilities for the Prairie Creek Mine site was carried out. I can confirm that this was carried out during the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board's land use permitting and water licensing process from 2012 to 2014. This was after the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board's environmental assessment of the proposed Prairie Creek Mine.

Mr. O'Reilly also asked four questions relating to the third party assessment of environmental liabilities at the Prairie Creek Mine site:

  1. Who conducted it?

The review was conducted through the land use permitting and water licensing process carried out by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. The board is an independent arm's length regulatory board that is free from political influence. As part of the process Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and Canadian Zinc each provided recommendations to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board on the amount of reclamation security. The estimate of existing and future liability provided by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada was prepared by Brodie Consulting Limited who have significant experience in northern mine site reclamation, including reclamation cost estimation. The board then considered the evidence provided in setting the amount of security to be held against the project within the land use permit and water licence.

  1. What was the scope of this assessment?

The reclaim cost estimates provided by Canadian Zinc and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada included considerations of cost related to pre-existing infrastructure at the site from the Cadillac Mine, as well as future water and land-related liabilities associated with the proposed activities.

  1. What was the amount of the liabilities estimated to exist?

After considering the evidence provided by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and Canadian Zinc, the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board set the total end of mine reclamation liability at $17.07 million. The board staged the provision of reclamation security through time within authorizations, to correspond with the project proceeding through various stages of development. The amount was between the estimate of $19,484,410 provided by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the estimate of $14,540,679 provided by Canadian Zinc.

  1. Can the Minister table this report?

The information requested is already available online through the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board's public registry. The information is accessible to the public and contains all the relevant reports and information identified above.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by Mr. O'Reilly on March 2, 2016, to the Honourable Robert C. McLeod, Minister of Lands, regarding the remediation of the Prairie Creak Mine site. Mr. O'Reilly asked four separate questions relating to the remediation of the Prairie Creek mine site and I will take them in turn.

  1. Is there an approved plan to carry out this work?

Under the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board's permitting and licensing process, the developer is required to maintain and update an Interim Closure and Reclamation Plan. During the environmental assessment, the developer submitted a Draft Preliminary Closure and Reclamation Plan dated February 2010.

Canadian Zinc's water licence for mining at Prairie Creek requires the company to submit a Closure and Reclamation Plan to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board for approval at least six months before extracting waste rock from the underground mine. Canadian Zinc will not be able to go into production until GNWT issues a surface lease authorizing mining activities at Prairie Creek. However, once Canadian Zinc submits a Closure and Reclamation Plan to the board, the GNWT will review and provide comments to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.

In addition to the requirement under their water licence, Canadian Zinc also holds several water licences, land use permits and tenure instruments containing provisions requiring reclamation of those specific activities before final clearance and closure.

  1. What is the current amount and form of financial instrument held as financial security for the Prairie Creek site remediation?

As of March 8, 2016, the GNWT holds a total of $2,075,000 in securities in relation to the Canadian Zinc Prairie Creek project. Later today at the appropriate time I will table a document entitled “Security held by GNWT for the Prairie Creek Project.”

  1. Does Canadian Zinc have the financial capacity to conduct a full remediation on the basis of its current worth?

Under the legislation, the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board considers the financial responsibility of the applicant and its ability to restore the site when the board is setting the security amount. At times, the board may ask the GNWT for its views on the financial capacity of a company. Currently, full security has been provided by Canadian Zinc as required under its water licences, land use permits, and land tenure instruments.

With regard to Canadian Zinc, the Government of the Northwest Territories has not assessed the financial capacity of the company. However, the GNWT generally monitors for signs of financial distress in companies who are operators of mine sites or advanced exploration sites. This includes monitoring the announcements from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada so that the GNWT may track companies from the Northwest Territories who are entering creditor protection.

  1. What is the plan to close any shortfall between the currently held financial security and the site environmental liability to ensure that there are no public liabilities?

The Government of the Northwest Territories is protected from the historic liability through the terms of the Devolution Agreement. If at some point in the future, Canadian Zinc wishes to begin negotiations with GNWT to receive a surface lease authorizing the company to commence mining activities at Prairie Creek, the full amount of reclamation security to cover existing and historic liabilities for the mine site would be assessed by the GNWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 13, petitions. Item 14, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 15, tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Service.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table 12 follow-up letters to the following oral questions: Oral Question 24-18(2): Health Care System Improvements; Oral Question 25-18(2): Seniors' Housing Shortages; Oral Question 30-18(2): Sahtu Regional Health Centre; Oral Question 34-18(2): Resources for “Aging in Place” Programs; Oral Question 51-18(2): Care Aids at Stanton Territorial Hospital; Oral Question 60-18(2): Health Care System Challenges in Nahendeh; Oral Question 61-18(2): Alcohol Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Options; Oral Question 66-18(2): Family Violence Shelters Funding; Oral Question 79-18(2): On-the-Land Healing Programs; Oral Question 105-18(2): Long-term Care Program Review; Oral Question 116-18(2): Disabilities Action Plan; Oral Question 40-18(2): GNWT Summer Student Employment Opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled “Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 44-18(2): Agricultural Land Availability.” Mr. Speaker, further to my Return to Written Question 3-18(2), I wish to table the following document entitled “Security Held by GNWT for the Prairie Creek Project.” Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents entitled “Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 56-18(2): Wage Subsidy for Child Care Workers” and “Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 74-18(2): Accommodating Students with Disabilities at Aurora College.” Mr. Speaker, further to my Return to Written Question 4-18(2), I wish to table the following document entitled “Aurora College Student Enrolments per Semester, 2013-14 to 2015-16.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled “Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 108-18(2): Boats for Aklavik RCMP Detachment.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi. I wish to table the following official results of the general election of the 18th Assembly, held on November 23, 2015. The official voting results are published in accordance with Section 265(1) and (2) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act. Pursuant to Section 266(2) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, I wish to table “Modernizing Election Administration, CEO Report on the Administration of 2015 Territorial General Election.” I would just like to thank Ms. Nicole Latour who is here with us from NWT Elections. Masi.

Tabling of documents. Item 16, notices of motion. Item 17, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 18, motions. Item 19, first reading of bills. Item 20, second reading of bills. Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Item 22, report of Committee of the Whole. Item 23, third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Orders Of The Day
Orders Of The Day

Page 275

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Orders of the day for Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.:

  1. Prayer
  2. Budget Address
  3. Ministers' Statements
  4. Members' Statements
  5. Returns to Oral Questions
  6. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
  7. Acknowledgements
  8. Oral Questions
  9. Written Questions
  10. Returns to Written Questions
  11. Replies to Commissioner's Opening Address
  12. Replies to Budget Address (Day 1 of 7)
  13. Petitions
  14. Report of Standing and Special Committees
  15. Report of Committees on the Review of Bills
  16. Tabling of Documents
  17. Notices of Motion
  18. Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
  19. Motions
  20. First Reading of Bills
  21. Second Reading of Bills
  22. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
  23. Report of Committee of the Whole
  24. Third Reading of Bills
  25. Orders of the Day

Orders Of The Day
Orders Of The Day

Page 275

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. This House adjourns until 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 1, 2016.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 3:23 p.m.