Masi. Member's statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Last week I made a Member's statement on the future of renewable energy in the North Slave region. I would like today to talk about the role of the Northwest Territories Power Corp. with regard to renewables and its relationship with the new Energy Plan announced in this House last week.

In the fall of 2015, NTPC issued an Expression of Interest for joint venture proposals to provide 10 megawatts of electricity through wind and solar in the North Slave. In April of this year, we learned that the process was cancelled. A number of proposals were received and significant effort went into their work. The parties that submitted proposals were told about the cancellation of the process through an e-mail and some were not pleased.

One of the former NTPC board members said that the direction to cancel the process came from the GNWT itself. It's unclear why GNWT would cancel this process of building energy diversity and sustainability. With some digging, we found a 2016 Strategic Plan for NTPC, obviously prepared before the recent change in governance. NTPC's mission was described as "to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally sound manner; striving to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NTPC exists to provide value to its shareholders and customers through the efforts of a highly dedicated, skilled, and productive workforce." Is this still its mission or are we on the way to mega-hydro development and power exports? To my mind, NTPC should be doing itself out of a job by building community and householder energy self-sufficiency. What of the future of the NWT Power Corp, the new Energy Plan? What will be the role of NTPC in the development of that plan now that deputy ministers make up the board? Will NTPC become the instrument for large dams and flooding communities for export of power? Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corp later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'm going to have questions there for the Minister responsible for Public Works and Services in regards to the barging resupply. Some communities along the Mackenzie River are solely dependent on one courier at this point in time and there's other couriers in the area but they, for some reason, do not have the port licence to stop in say, Fort Good Hope, for example, so the one courier is under contract with this government. I would like to get more information on the scheduling and so on to provide confidence to the two stores in Fort Good Hope, for example, and the other two communities that there will be scheduled service this year.

In most cases there, whether it's personal or this government or the capital project, it is dependent to ensure that those goods and services are being delivered on time and scheduled to take advantage of the summer construction season. That's just some logistical comments on that, but later on I will have questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to commemorate the grand opening of the Hay River Regional Health Centre which happened this past June 11th. I have to thank the well over 100 people who showed up on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to attend the event and christen the new $59 million facility. It's a beautiful, spacious, bright building and it bodes well for our communities' future wellness. It's one of the very first things you see as you drive into town and it makes a great first impression. The public administrator Mike Maher and CEO Erin Griffiths were excellent hosts and put on a great event.

I also have to thank the special guest speakers: Minister Abernethy, Minister Cochrane, Mayor Brad Mapes, KFN Chief Roy Fabien, and the MLA for Deh Cho, Mr. Michael Nadli. Of course, MLA Schumann and myself were also in attendance. He was there in his capacity as an MLA and was billed below me on the program, which was a bit of a coup I thought.

---Laughter

In addition to attending the opening, the Ministers who attended made a point of touring other facilities in Hay River and I want to thank them for showing interest in that as well. It was great to hear from Mr. Nadli and Chief Fabien. They spoke about their regions and their communities' ties to Hay River. It was a great reminder that even though we're spread far and wide in this territory, we're all neighbours. As Chief Fabien said, "We're all relatives sharing this land."

It was also great to hear that there has already been three babies born in the new health centre. We've entered into a new era where a generation will again be able to say that they were born and raised in Hay River.

While it's wonderful to have the new facility, we'll never forget how H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital served our region for the last 50 years. We owe a debt of gratitude to the founders and those who watched over it for many years, like Mr. Al Woods. The new health centre was a long time coming, so I also want to thank Hay River's previous MLAs whose voices in the Legislative Assembly ensured that we received the facility we needed: Ms. Jane Groenewegen, Mr. Robert Bouchard, and former Speaker of the House Paul Delorey.

Finally, and most importantly, I have to say thanks to the hospital staff who somehow kept things running smoothly and kept their composure during this major transition between buildings. If there are complaints about government services in Hay River, they're usually brought to me and I didn't hear a thing, so I know the staff did an amazing job. While I wish everyone in the region good health, and hope no one needs to use the new health centre I know many of us will, and I'm thankful that we have new state-of-the-art facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been two years since the community of Aklavik received funds to purchase a bridge for Willow River and I have thanked the department many times for that. Once that bridge was purchased the community hauled that to Aklavik, stored it there for the winter because by that time we couldn't haul it to Aklavik. Then last year we received more funding through the Community Access Program to haul this bridge up to the site at Willow River and get preparations started to actually put this bridge in place. But, Mr. Speaker, it has been over a year since we've received any more funding to complete the last stage of this project.

Mr. Speaker, as I've mentioned before, in Aklavik they only have about three months to do this sort of work during the winter months. The next stage is to drill pilings and to put this bridge in place. We need to ensure that the next proposal is approved to ensure that we prepare this early winter and to complete the rest of the project. I'll have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 1955 Fred Carmichael became the first Aboriginal person in the North to get a pilot's licence. Over 60 years Fred has contributed to the community of Inuvik, the region, the Northwest Territories, and in fact, Canada. He's been an entrepreneur. He's flown in many search and rescue missions, also done a lot of medical evacuations throughout the Northwest Territories and has mentored numerous Aboriginal youth, as well as Aboriginal peoples and leaders that you can see in this House today. In 2010, Mr. Carmichael received the Order of Canada. In 2013 he received an honourary doctorate of law degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Carmichael is an integral part of the Community of Inuvik. He's also been a long-term service member with the Gwich'in Tribal Council, as well as being chair of the Aboriginal Pipeline Group and has done a lot of advocating on behalf of businesses, on behalf of the government to ensure that we get the economic development that is needed in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, last week on June 9th, Mr. Carmichael was inducted into the Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame with three other individuals. Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame inductees are selected for their contributions to Canada's development through their integral roles in the nation's aviation history. That, in fact, is what Mr. Carmichael did. He helped develop aviation in the North, he's contributed on many, many factors throughout the Northwest Territories. I'd just like Members to show their appreciation and help me acknowledge one of the inductees into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, Mr. Fred Carmichael. A great leader, a mentor, and Gwich'in person of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Frame Lake.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It's my pleasure to introduce my constituent Lorraine Sampson, who is a dear friend of mine and who recently retired from the GNWT as a family therapist. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Ms. Speaker. I'd like to recognize my constituency member Tricia Landry who is up in the gallery. Mahsi. Welcome. Also at the same time another constituent, Rolanda Landry who originally is from Kakisa but lives in Fort Providence. Welcome.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleague before me, I want to take this opportunity to recognize Yellowknife North resident Lindsay Arseneau and thank her for being here today. Thank you.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Nunakput has already recognized some of them, but I would like to recognize the United States Riding States Leaders Tour is in Yellowknife. They're learning about our territory and they're briefly observing our proceeding today. I would like to use this opportunity to recognize the Honourable Jeramey Anderson, representative from Mississippi, the Honourable Andrew Bumgardner is the representative from Connecticut. The Honourable Travis Bennett, representative from New Hampshire. The Honourable Drew Christensen, representative from Minnesota. The Honourable Tom Demmer, representative from Illinois. The Honourable Katie Hobbs, State Senator from Arizona. The Honourable Sarah Roberts, representative from Michigan. The Honourable Melissa Sargent, representative from Wisconsin, We have Dan Abele head of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Embassy of Canada in Washington. We also have Weston Bachman, the Intergovernmental Relations Officer, Embassy of Canada in Washington. I want to welcome you to the Northwest Territories and to our Assembly, and in the event that one of you gets to be President of the United States remember your hospitality here in the Northwest Territories.

---Laughter

I'd also like to use this opportunity to recognize Joseph Carnogursky and Lisa Semler, constituents of the newly created Twin Lakes, Mr. Moses, so welcome to the Assembly. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's always good to recognize good friends and success stories in the Northwest Territories. With that said, I would like to recognize Joseph and Lisa Carnogursky, have been good friends and have been very successful in their lives and what they do for residents of Inuvik and the region and throughout the North as well. I'd also like to recognize James and Maureen. I went to school with their kids, and they're all doing really well as well. Of course as mentioned here, the delegates for the United States Riding States Leaders. This is the first time they've been to Yellowknife. Welcome. I hope you're enjoying your experience. Hopefully Yellowknife gets on the tour lists more often. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.