Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs submitted a proposal to the federal and national disaster mitigation program. I'm pleased to report that we have been just recently approved for the amount of $250,000 through this program to complete a disaster mitigation plan for Tuktoyaktuk. The hamlet is also contributing $70,000 towards this project.

The mitigation plan will lessen the impact of future disasters resulting from intense wave action and severe storm surges. The plan will also guide the development and protection of critical infrastructure and improve planning and emergency preparedness and flood response. Both the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the hamlet council are supportive of this work, and we're pleased to be able to complete this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my second question to the Minister is: when will work be completed, and how will it involve community leadership and residents?

Work will begin right away, in the fall of 2016. We're assuming that the project will take approximately 16 months to complete. Much of the work will occur during the summer of 2017. In addition to community visits, the project will involve engagement, consultation, and collaboration with community leadership and residents. We also recognize that traditional knowledge is a really important part of understanding flood risk and the damage that has occurred over the years. As such, this traditional knowledge will be incorporated into the research. We'll also be sharing the report with the federal Minister of Infrastructure and with the Minister of the Environment.

Mr. Speaker, my third question to the Minister is: given the effort is aimed at completing a planning study only, what can be done beyond this project to actually protect the shoreline and residents in the future?

The Government of the Northwest Territories takes the climate change and the shoreline erosion very seriously, so we have seriously invested time and energy into lobbying the federal government.

Once the mitigation options are identified through the plan, the hamlet may also submit future funding proposals through this program to help fund mitigation projects, such as potentially relocating structures to safer areas, diversions, and flood proofing. We're also going to continue working closely with the hamlet to identify any options and opportunities to action the recommendations in the plan. Of course, we recognize that good community planning will be necessary to ensure success in this project, so the hamlet is currently taking steps in this area through their review of a community plan.

Once again, the Government of the Northwest Territories takes this issue very seriously, and we're looking for all funding and options to actually implement the plan once developed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that response, very detailed. Mr. Speaker, my final question for the Minister is: will funding be available in the future to complete mitigation projects? Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the moment, the federal government has made funding available for only five years. However, there remains a great interest amongst the provinces and territories and, I believe, the federal government to address the climate change issues that we're experiencing.

Therefore, MACA will continue to advocate for disaster mitigation funding through its role at the federal-provincial-territorial tables. As before, MACA will continue to work with the community to prepare any proposal that they wish to advance. However, there are no guarantees at this time that approval will be received. The program is entirely merit-based, and approval depends largely on where the greatest cost savings might be achieved from future flood events.

The hamlet currently has the ability, also, to allocate a portion or all of their community public infrastructure dollars yearly to mitigation projects to support the erosion issue that is impacting this community. We do recognize that the community of Tuktoyaktuk is in serious condition, and we are doing our best to try to support them in mitigating this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Mr. Speaker, the commitment to Cassidy Point leaseholders was made by the then assistant deputy minister of MACA in 1992. Thank you.

1992, that's a long time to follow through on a commitment. I appreciate the government's ability to do that. Could the Minister please provide this House, is there a tabled document that they can show, or was this a verbal commitment, a written commit? Can we table that document?

Mr. Speaker, I'm not able to table the 1992 letter to the Cassidy Point leaseholders. It's correspondence between a government official and private individuals about lease arrangements and contains information that is not appropriate for the public domain. However, I would be happy to share with the Member the exact wording made to the leaseholders at Cassidy Point. I'm quoting now: "The intention of Municipal and Community Affairs, MACA, is to grant title to the existing leaseholders on Cassidy Point by September 1993.

In order to accomplish this, a legal survey will be required to define the properties. The legal survey should be completed by September 1992 as a first step in the transfer of ownership. Title to only the Cassidy Point cottage leases are being offered at this time because of its long-term status as a cottage subdivision, its year-round access, and due to the absence of subdivision plans for other cottage areas on Commissioner's lands.

I thank the Minister for his answer. Can the Minister please explain to this House what arrangements were made with the Yellowknife Dene First Nation to allow this land to be sold instead of the common practice of returning the lease in the areas where land claims are not settled? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Department of Lands, under formal consultations with the Akaitcho Dene First Nation between December 2014 and February 2015 about offering existing leaseholders at Cassidy Point the opportunity to pursue fee simple title. This letter was also copied to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation chiefs. No concerns were raised during the consultation period. It is also important to note, Mr. Speaker, that Cassidy Point is not located within the Akaitcho Interim Withdrawal Area, which is an area temporarily protected from disposition in support of concluding a final agreement with the Akaitcho.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister, again, for his answer. I guess I'm a little concerned, if it's not part of that territory, then did they work with Yellowknife? But that would be further on, I'll be asking some questions on that. Will the Minister please explain if the arrangement made with the Yellowknives Dene or the Akaitcho First Nation or Regional Organization can be used in other unsettled areas? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is not GNWT policy to offer fee simple title in unsettled areas of the Northwest Territories. In certain circumstances, exceptions are possible, but it is important that we do not create a patchwork of exceptions and one-offs in our approach.

In the case of Cassidy Point, an exception was made to honour a long-standing commitment to leaseholders over two decades ago. Going forward, we want to rely on a systemic approach. Decisions will be based on broader policy goals of sustainable land management for the benefit of all Northerners, now a commitment to finalization of land claim agreements in all areas.

I suggest also, Mr. Speaker, that it is particularly important that the Government of the Northwest Territories honour its commitments no matter how old they are. It comes with the honour of the Crown. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have questions for the Minister of Justice. In the 17^th Assembly, the honourable Member for Great Slave was Minister of Justice at the time. During the time of his tenure as Justice Minister, he expressed his gratitude towards those involved with developing and delivering the New Day Program, as well as those men who were choosing a better way: "We know that family violence is deliberate. We know that violence is based on a pattern of behaviours against the will and against the well-being of family members. This program will be a significant step towards positive change." So that's when the pilot started, Mr. Speaker.

Today, my question for the current Minister of Justice: does the Minister recognize the significant achievements of the New Day Program in fulfilling the mandate of this Assembly and the designed intentions of the program, and does he commit to continuing to support this program after the pilot expires? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Certainly, Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes the seriousness of family violence in the Northwest Territories. We are committed to the types of programs such as New Day. As the Member opposite likely knows, this is a pilot project, however, which ends on December 31, 2016. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.