Marci, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently, at this time, how are existing addictions programming targeted to serve the youth? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to addressing mental health and addictions issues across the Northwest Territories, the department is taking a holistic approach, and this includes a holistic approach to youth services, including services around addictions. We have community counselling positions throughout the Northwest Territories that can provide counselling to individuals who are struggling, both adults and youth. We have some specialized treatment options available for youth who are struggling from mental health and addictions. Many of those are in the south. We also have Trailcross in Fort Smith. Those programs are designed specifically for youth.

As we move forward with the action plan, Mr. Speaker, ways in which we can better target youth is part of the goal of this particular action plan. We do an awful lot, Mr. Speaker, but I think the Member can agree that we need to do more.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the other day in my Member's statement I talked about tourism and how tourism supports our goal of building a diversified economy. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. I would like to ask the Minister if the Minister can explain how and how much is ITI investing in tourism promotion in 2017-18. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think someone asked me this question yesterday, possibly. We invest roughly $5.5 million through grants and contributions and transfers to many tourism initiatives, including NWT tourism, Convention Bureau, Northern Frontier Visitors Centre, and Tourism Product Diversification Program and Tourism 2020. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply two days in a row. Much appreciated. As it relates to diversifying the economy, Mr. Speaker, my next question is to the Minister: what is the department doing to make it easier for potential owner/operators, or anyone for that matter, to enter into the tourism sector?

ITI has, right off the bat, the tourism diversification marketing program. This is available to provide funding to the operators to do research, identify market needs, and develop products, as well as promote new markets in the tourism industry. We also have upped our staff resources in the North Slave region to address the licensing issues and increasing park maintenance because of more pressure of using these facilities. We also have staffing under way for a new tourist development officer starting in 2017-18.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. My next question has a little bit of an Education Department component to it, but it more lies within the importance of the industry of tourism. I would like to know if the Minister could maybe explain to us what the department is doing, maybe in conjunction with other departments, as it relates to developing curriculum that we can infiltrate into our education system so those who have an interest in wanting to get into the tourism industry, whether it is food and beverage or fisheries or what have you, have an opportunity to learn about this industry in advance. Can the Minister please provide us with what the department is doing for education opportunities with regard to tourism?

When it comes to education and tourism, one of the things that comes to mind, right off the bat, is we have the business youth mentorship program that we have introduced. That is a line item that I believe we have roughly $170,000 in the budget for. We are also focusing on risk management and safety training for our outfitters and potential new outfitters to help them reduce their risk around insurance

and operations of their operation. Through ITI we also fund BDIC. BDIC has the entrepreneurship program, which they have had a couple of sessions here in Yellowknife where young entrepreneurs can go and take a course and see what it takes to get into business. That would apply even to the tourism industry. That was a very good course and it was well-attended.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for his reply. Mr. Speaker, finally, can the Minister tell us, Tourism 2020 recommends developing a large number of programs and resources like a welcoming program, an elders-in-residence program, and tourism guide books, to name a few. What progress are we making on these initiatives? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe, on Tourism 2020, we are making quite a bit of progress on a lot of different initiatives. We have just announced the new community tourism coordinator program to advance regional product development and packaging. We are focusing on risk management training, like I just mentioned, in the NWT for tourism operators. We continue to deliver community tours and infrastructure contributions to encourage development of community tourism infrastructure across the Northwest Territories. There are many initiatives under the Tourism 2020 plan, which was there to replace the previous two five-year plans. These things are moving ahead. As everyone knows in this House, tourism is the highlight of our economy moving forward. There is great expansive growth there. We will continue to support it.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Earlier I spoke about the Aboriginal Head Start program and its establishment in the Northwest Territories since 1995. So my question is to the Minister. Can the Minister indicate when Regular Members can expect the government's response to Motion 26-18(2)? Mahsi.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From the Member's statement earlier, we did contact the department and ask them to give us an update. I don’t have a firm date right now, but as soon as soon as we get it we will share it with the Members. Thank you.

I'd like to thank the Minister for his reply. How is the department working to address the questions and concerns of parents and educators who do not wish to change from the Aboriginal Head Start program to junior kindergarten?

As I said in the House yesterday, we're sending out packages to all the parents across the Northwest Territories. With the Aboriginal Head Start staff, our department has already been engaging with the staff. We made trips to Fort McPherson, Fort Providence, K’atlodeeche First Nations, and had those initial discussions and talks about implementing junior kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year.

My question relates to, of course, the optional head start program. So how will the introduction of junior kindergarten impact the funding granted to Aboriginal Head Start program's sites for the GNWT?

There will be no impact on the funds. We will still continue to fund the eight Aboriginal Head Start programs. In 2015-16 we funded them to the tune of $260,000. We're expecting, at the end of this year, the funds that we've given to all eight organizations would be in the area of around $285,000.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question is, there continue to be some anxiety concerning the fate of the Aboriginal Head Start program in light of the roll into the junior kindergarten. Has the Minister engaged his federal colleague who is mandated to oversee the Aboriginal Head Start programs here in the NWT and also the funding in terms of committing the dollars to these eight sites in the NWT? Has the Minister engaged his federal colleague to see if, you know, the two programs could exist in parallel to each other? Mahsi.

I personally have not engaged in that meeting. We did have staff meet with the Canadian Public Health Association of Canada. We invited Aboriginal Head Start staff in on that meeting to talk about the federal funding, and that wouldn't be affected. Currently, we do a joint junior kindergarten/Aboriginal Head Start program co-existing in some of our communities where they're both providing half-day services so families have that opportunity to have full daycare, quality early childhood programming for their kids.