Debates of Feb. 16th, 2017

This is page numbers 1699 – 1740 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 going.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Anti-Poverty

Airport Infrastructure Funding

Inuvik-Aklavik Seasonal Winter Road

Socio-Economic Agreements

Northwest Territories Outstanding Volunteer Awards

Reducing The Cost Of Living For Northwest Territories Residents

Land Rights Agreements

Community Energy Plans

Anti-Poverty Initiatives

#lovenwtwater Bottled Water Campaign

Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee

Condolences To K'atlodeeche House Fire Victims

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Land Rights Agreements

Socio-Economic Agreements

Ice Road Maintenance Contracts

Northwest Territories Outstanding Volunteer Awards

Arctic Energy Alliance Programs In Sahtu Communities

#lovenwtwater Bottled Water Campaign

Summer Student Employment

Land Use Plans

Ice Road Maintenance Contracts

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Industry, Tourism And Investment, Deferral Of Minerals And Petroleum Services Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Industry, Tourism And Investment, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For The Department Of Industry, Tourism And Investment

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 51-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Industry, Tourism And Investment, Deferral Of Minerals And Petroleum Services Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess the one thing I want to make clear, though, is the Northern Frontier Visitors' Centre is not a GNWT asset. It is a non-profit organization. I understand the Member's comments. They are a victim of their own success, basically, with the amount of tourism increasing in the Northwest Territories. We will continue to reach out and try to help them as much as we can, but it is also the City of Yellowknife's responsibility to probably help them as much as they can, too. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly? Okay. Next we have Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to a tourism development officer and understanding the 51 plus the six that are coming in, has the department looked at expanding tourism outside Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The NWT TTA marketing strategy is a pan-territorial initiative, and they are looking at all regions of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he explain to us why the government or this organization bought 150 tickets to Yellowknife and not anywhere else to promote tourism? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Deputy Minister Jensen.

Jensen

The 150 Secrets Campaign is part of a broader strategy, a pan-territorial strategy. NWT Tourism, as I understand it, worked with a carrier, Air Canada, and that is how they worked out the 150 flights. There are going to be 10 flights beyond Yellowknife as part of the super prizes, so it is not just for Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Deputy Minister Jensen. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the deputy minister for his answer. These 10 super flights, wherever they are going, can the Minister or the deputy minister please advise this House where these super flights are going and what airline are they using outside of Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are not sure which airline they are going to use outside of that. NWT TTA is their own organization, and they made the decisions around this. If the Member would like, we could probably check with them and see what they are doing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to get that information from the Minister, so I thank him for his commitment to getting that information to me. I guess my next question is: we are bringing 150 people into the territories; has the government worked with the tourism organization to expand it outside the region, to promote the Nahanni, the Delta and that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am not sure if the Member is zeroing in on the 150 or the NWT TTA's initiative moving forward. If he is talking about the NWT TTA and then moving forward, they have their regional marketing initiative that they do. The ITI regional offices are also doing this. The Beaufort Delta, the Sahtu region, the Deh Cho region, North Slave region, South Slave region are all working on different aspects of that, and then they also have special marketing initiatives within the department, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for his answer. My question is: is the tourism association working with the government, working hand in hand to promote tourism across this great territory of ours? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess, to be clear, we made a contribution to NWT TTA. They pull their own board together from across the Northwest Territories to represent all the regions. They put together their regional marketing plans, territorial marketing plans, and how they are going to move the tourism initiative forward in the Northwest Territories. As the Ministry of ITI, we have a broad overview of what they do, but they pretty much run their NWT TTA as a totally separate entity. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Next, we have Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When I look at this particular department in the activities and the numbers written out there and allotted for different designations directed to tourism and parks operations, tour operators, and when I go back and look at the statement made by the same Minister here on November 2nd of last year, making reference to "between the year 2010-11 and 2015-16, the number of visitors to our territory has increased from 65,000 to 93,000 visitors; spending in this timeframe has also increased from $94.1 million to $167.1 million," I would say we are trying our best efforts, and that is a pretty good show on return.

The isolated region of the Sahtu wouldn't mind to get in on this glorified economy here, seeing that we have a number of attractions. Having a few hunters coming off the plane and coming back on the plane with their antlers, and a few paddlers down the Mackenzie River, is not going to cut it as far as contributing to tourism potential and sustaining some of the potential operators that do exist in that region, so therefore, when I look underneath budget allowances for community tourism infrastructure at $200,000, skills development, purchased services, I would like to work closely with this department on the allowances budget to look at producing results from the Deline destination brochure initiative that the Deline Got'ine Government has produced.

There are very similar attractions in Deline as there are here, so there is room for potential and room for that visitor market. In flight, it is only an hour and a half, an hour and 20 minutes from here, so there is some supported documentation to say that the Sahtu could realize this industry sector potential.

My only question is: what supports would these budgetary figures do for the Deline destination? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister Schumann.

Debates of Feb. 16th, 2017

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