Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, the NWT economy needs a boost right now and the Yellowknife Airport is an important instrument of economic diversity. Finding new, proven ways to support and fund improvements and growth at the airport will help strengthen and diversify the NWT economy and create benefits for all travellers and business that use the airport.

The Department of Transportation is engaged with air carriers, the public, and other key stakeholders who believe there is an opportunity to improve the Yellowknife Airport to support economic growth and better services. To achieve this, the Department of Transportation is proposing to introduce a new revolving fund framework for the airport, which would allow it to become financially self-sufficient by funding its own ongoing capital, operations, and maintenance expenditures.

Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknife Airport is currently funded through the government's consolidated revenues, making it another draw on GNWT resources used to fund all its other operations. Meanwhile, traffic at the airport increased 16 per cent from 2011 to 2015 and continues to rise. This additional pressure makes the need for costly improvements even more critical. The Department of Transportation believes the airport can use its robust passenger volumes to support itself financially if it were to use a fee system that is in line with other similarly sized airports in Canada. Moreover, this would shift the financial burden of supporting the airport away from NWT taxpayers to airport users, more than half of whom are non-residents.

Mr. Speaker, as outlined in the draft business plan developed for the Yellowknife Airport, the Department of Transportation has a very clear plan of how it would use these fees. All airport improvement fees would go towards making capital improvements, while other fees would be used to cover the cost of services provided to users. Input into this business plan was provided by key airport stakeholders who identified the improvements they believe are necessary for a strong and effective airport moving forward.

All of the actions identified in the business plan were accompanied by clear timelines for implementation. This plan will ensure the airport has the financial resources and flexibility it needs to provide enhanced services to travellers and more opportunities for northern businesses.

A dedicated source of funding for the airport means that more resources can be invested into things like increased parking and retail space, helping to attract more business to the airport and stimulate our economy. Improving the capacity of cargo facilities could benefit industries that rely on the timely and efficient movement of large quantities of goods and material to support their operations.

Infrastructure improvements such as upgraded lighting and a central de-icing facility to reduce travel delays would have a direct impact on the ability of airlines to deliver operations and services. Improved security services and expanded holding areas that reduce congestion, along with modern amenities, will improve traveller experience and comfort. It would also allow tourists visiting Yellowknife or connecting to other destinations in the Northwest Territories to take away better first and last impressions of the North.

The number of visitors to the Northwest Territories has increased 45 per cent over the past five years. While this growth is extremely positive for our tourism industry, it is putting a strain on the Yellowknife Airport, which needs to be upgraded and modestly expanded in the short term to cope with the pressures.

The possibilities for evolving the airport are many, but without a reliable funding model we cannot make the changes that are necessary for economic development and service growth. The minimal impact increased aeronautical fees would have on the cost of living would be greatly outweighed by the positive economic activity generated by improving the Yellowknife Airport. Already, approximately 1,000 people are employed directly through activity at the airport and there is an opportunity to generate more jobs for Northerners.

Mr. Speaker, the time is now to invest in the Yellowknife Airport as an important economic catalyst for our territory. With the support and feedback of residents and stakeholders we can work together to make infrastructure improvements that will attract investment, supporting the addition of more flights, increased passenger numbers, greater cargo volumes, and new business opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the work that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has done as part of the Government of the Northwest Territories' commitment to education, training, and youth development. Today, I would like to provide an update on the progress the department is making in the area of governance, capacity building, and support for community governments in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the cost of attending or delivering training in the Northwest Territories has always been high and can be challenging for community governments to work into their budgets, and for staff to accommodate in their busy work schedules. The Municipal and Community Affairs' School of Community Government has taken steps to improve accessibility and reduce the cost of training in the North through the use of digital and online technology. This will allow community government staff and elected officials to receive training online or via videoconference without leaving their home community.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, Municipal and Community Affairs signed a $248,000 funding agreement with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to support the development and implementation of an online platform for the delivery of self-directed and self-paced governance workshops to both municipal government elected officials and Aboriginal community governments with municipal-like responsibilities.

This new online platform has many potential applications. The department has recently partnered with the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories to develop the Local Government Administrators Essentials program in an online format. By increasing the accessibility of this type of programming, Municipal and Community Affairs aims to support enhanced capacity among senior administrative officers in communities across the North, as well as allowing the program to be delivered more often to accommodate staff turnover.

Mr. Speaker, the department has also been busy working to modify several existing courses so they can be delivered through the school's new online platform, including courses related to bylaw development and recreation planning. Several of these courses are currently in a pilot delivery phase, designed to ensure that the new approach to delivery is effective and provides results.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that Municipal and Community Affairs has also recently completed the development of a state-of-the-art training room, which provides all regional offices, and soon all community governments in the Northwest Territories, with the ability to participate in distance training. This new online training capacity has the potential to save community governments money through alleviating travel costs. It also provides the opportunity for more frequent delivery of short course offerings, or webinars, on specific issues or concerns that are common across communities. Eventually, the School of Community Government will have the ability to deliver training to all communities in the Northwest Territories via this new system. The first course to be delivered in this manner will be the Municipal Contracts course next month, with 16 people from seven communities participating in a combination of face-to-face and teleconference delivery approaches.

Mr. Speaker, this government has made a commitment in its mandate to provide capacity development to community governments across the Northwest Territories. The new platform, technologies, and facilities developed by Municipal and Community Affairs, as well as the work to adapt and update existing curricula, underscore the department's commitment to ensuring that community government staff and officials throughout the Northwest Territories have access to appropriate, relevant and high quality training as they need it. This will ultimately allow Municipal and Community Affairs to support improvements for community governments and subsequently, the quality of life of the residents in those communities.

I am hopeful, Mr. Speaker, that my colleagues will join me at the launch of our Distance Training Facility tomorrow, Thursday March 2^nd at 11:30 on the fifth floor of the Northwestel Building to witness this progress first-hand. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I've said in this Assembly, education is one of the cornerstones of development and success. There are always people behind a student's experience in education, and they are usually teachers or principals.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Ms. Carolyn Carroll, principal of both Harry Camsell School and Princess Alexandra School in Hay River, on being recognized as one of Canada's Outstanding Principals for 2017. Principals who receive the award are nominated by their colleagues, school staff, and community members. She is the ninth principal in the NWT to receive this honour.

Originally from Newfoundland, she came to the Northwest Territories in the late 1980s and taught throughout the Tlicho region. For the past 20 years, she has taught at all of the schools in Hay River, and as principal of Harry Camsell and Princess Alexandra since 2013.

Ms. Carroll has created inclusive learning environments at the schools with all staff members committed to a philosophy of child-centred learning and collaboration.

She recognizes the importance of the school reflecting the culture of the community, and has spearheaded a number of culturally responsive programs for the school populations.

Ms. Carroll is a strong believer in inquiry and play-based learning in students. In 2013, self-regulation was introduced in three classrooms in Harry Camsell School. Self-regulation helps students manage their energy levels. When teachers create classroom environments that minimize stressors as well as help students to recognize, respond, and manage their energy levels through self-regulation, students are better able to approach learning in a calm and focused manner.

At Harry Camsell, these classrooms include ways for students to help manage their energy, like stationary bicycles to help burn off extra energy, and options for children to learn and participate without sitting at desks.

In addition to her focus on student identity, culture, and learning, she is a strong believer in professional development for teachers and collaborative learning environments. As a team, they collectively set goals, share and analyze student data, plan targeted interventions, and share their successes.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Carroll is described as an "agent of change," with very positive support from her community and from the parents of the students in the schools. Her teaching principles reflect exactly what we're trying to embody at the department, Mr. Speaker. Education renewal is a strategy of transformative change in the NWT school system, with a focus on increasing student wellness and outcomes, and improving teacher wellness. We recognize we must do things differently to ensure the needs of our students and teachers are being met, and Ms. Carroll is a leader in this regard.

Ms. Carroll is currently attending a five-day Executive Leadership Training Program delivered by the internationally renowned Rotman School of Management. Once complete, she will join some 400 exceptional educators who comprise the National Academy of Canada's Outstanding Principals, which offers its members ongoing networking, mentorship and professional development opportunities.

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Carolyn Carroll and her continued dedication to her students, community, and excellence in education. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about our commitment to action on climate change.

People in the Northwest Territories and other northern regions are among the first in the world to be experiencing the concrete, sometimes drastic impacts of climate change. How we confront climate change in our lives is a personal decision, but an effective response depends on individual and collective action now and in the future.

It is a complex issue and touches on a lot of areas of our lives. Climate change has an influence on how we heat our homes, and how much that costs. In our resource-driven economy it has an impact on jobs and local economies. For Indigenous people of the NWT, it now further threatens their traditional way of life. It is important to me as a leader in our territory that we have a solid plan in place and that we take action now. Our government has an opportunity to lead society towards sustainability. Many departments are working on a strategic framework to give GNWT departments guidance.

While this is an important start, I would advocate for more direct action to be taken. The reach of the framework should be expanded so that it incorporates teaching, research, demonstration, and accelerating solutions beyond the GNWT. We must state our commitment as individual leaders, and as a government, to provide guidance, and make the concrete changes necessary to address this challenging issue.

For example, as we expand educational opportunities we should also be investing in the long-term in our research institutions. As we improve healthcare, we should also apply northern research to measure how climate change is a factor in our people's health. As we design supports for small business, we must promote innovation and green technologies, and as we advance exploration we must prioritize carbon-neutral extractions methods and seek new ways to mitigate the impacts.

We should encourage more and better collaboration within our government departments, and partnerships with Aboriginal and community governments and the private sector. These are steps that will support real economic growth and create good jobs while doing the work to combat climate change and protect our pristine environment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have raised the plight of the Bathurst caribou herd in this House since the beginning of our term, probably almost as many times as the Minister of Transportation has talked about the Yellowknife Airport. To date, the responses from Cabinet have been non-committal at best. Ministers say work is being done to create a management plan while plowing ahead with plans for an all-weather road into the heart of the herd's remaining critical habitat, including its calving grounds. The only concrete actions by our government to date have been harvester restrictions. Not one square centimetre of habitat has been permanently protected in any way by our government.

I will commend the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for leading the Bathurst Caribou Herd Range Plan exercise that started in the fall of 2014. Even if it is years late and follows several damning findings and recommendations from environmental management boards, it is the only thing going in terms of a process to bring all the parties together to look at the future. A discussion paper and plain language summary were prepared in December 2016 and public consultations are to begin soon as announced by the Minister on February 8^th in this House.

I have reviewed the discussion paper and it presents a sound path forward with the following:

• Maintain human disturbance below threshold levels;
• Maintain connectivity between seasonal ranges;
• Maintain the integrity of sensitive habitats; and
• Manage human access.

To properly manage human activities and protect the Bathurst caribou herd, it will be necessary to implement cumulative effects disturbance frameworks, protect areas important to caribou, guide land use, and control access. The discussion paper suggests that we assemble guidance on practices related to caribou-friendly road construction techniques and consider winter-only access in the calving and post-calving and summer ranges of the Bathurst caribou herd.

The herd is in desperate condition with extreme limits on harvesting. It's incomprehensible that our government continues to plan for an all-weather corridor that would link up with a similar road on the Nunavut side of the boundary that would bisect the calving grounds and post-calving critical habitat. The discussion paper on range plan presents models for future development where people will have to make a choice between caribou or mines. What choice will our government make?

I will have questions later today for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, I had the profound enjoyment of taking in this year's Dead North Film Festival, watching 31 short films that capture the imagination and creativity of Northerners. Dead North is the world's only circumpolar genre film festival and has produced 90 original short films over the past five years. These films are not short on originality, Mr. Speaker, cutting across horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres, and for the most part, shot in familiar locations here in Canada's North. These films touch on themes as diverse as the traumatic legacy of residential schools, imagining an arctic zombie outbreak, or investigating a fur hat from space with an appetite for human flesh.

Some of Dead North's films have gone on to screen at major festivals around the world including Fantasia, BFI, New York City Horror Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, and soon, the prestigious International Cannes Film Festival in France. This great northern film festival is made possible by the support from local businesses and great organizations like the NWT Arts Council, Western Arctic Motion Pictures, and of course, the NWT Film Commission.

I am delighted that this event is so well received and is supported constantly by our community with tickets selling out in two hours this year. So without a doubt, Mr. Speaker, the Northerners want to tell their own stories by creating their own films here in the North. Not only is this something that Northerners want, but something Dead North proves that Northerners can do.

Mr. Speaker, one of those Northerners is Keith Robertson, whose film BAIT! won best poster at Dead North and now has been handpicked to continue on to the Cannes Film Festival, where it will be screened along with selective films as part of Telefilm's Not Short on Talent program. Apart from being a filmmaker, an amateur filmmaker, Mr. Robertson is a teacher at Range Lake North School and his success is proof positive that Dead North is a potentially life-changing creative experience. I want to congratulate him for his achievement, and I wish him continued success on this film and future projects as he continues to tell original northern stories.

Mr. Speaker, these projects are not only the work of one filmmaker. They're the work of actors, crew, and production teams, and I'm thrilled to see these efforts play out on the silver screen. I want to congratulate all of those who contribute to our growing film industry, and for this year's amazing Dead North Film Festival. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. See you at the movies.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to return to a subject discussed earlier this month by my colleague, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

In June, energy stakeholders will come together to run a charrette on carbon taxing from opportunities and possible rules to revenues and community energy projects. They'll also be planning for the use of micro-grids to reduce emissions. There have been NWT-based energy charrettes in the past, and the GNWT has been a major player. Some might say that we don't need another conference, or that we need to take action, not just talk about it.

Mr. Speaker, to that I say: progress can be slow, but that doesn't mean we should just stop trying. Discussion takes time, true, but that's how ideas for action are born. Charrettes bring people together to solve problems. Here, Aboriginal and community governments, industry, and environmental NGOs want to come together, Mr. Speaker. That's big. That means that these partners recognize the big questions raised by carbon taxing and ideas for alternative energy, and that they want to get together, find solutions, and make changes that will make a difference on the ground.

The Gwich'in Tribal Council is in full support, and like several other partners, the council is making a funding contribution. All Members recently received a background on this charrette. There's a seat at the table for the GNWT, and organizers are looking for a commitment, a commitment to participate and to complement the contributions already made by private donors. I hope they'll see us there, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, affordable energy, the cost of living, reduction in diesel use in remote communities, micro-grid technology, the impending carbon tax are all big, important issues, especially for the 26 off-grid communities. Today, we will focus our attention in this House on those issues.

Mr. Speaker, we have seen what is possible with micro-grids in Colville Lake and what is achievable with similar technology in the communities. The communities have also seen what is possible with power purchase agreements and economic opportunities in Lutselk'e, and what can be realized in the communities.

Mr. Speaker, in the upcoming federal budget there will be a $50 million fund for remote, Indigenous communities to assist in the transition off diesel fuel. We know a carbon tax is coming soon to the NWT and we need to get ready. There is much to discuss with the communities, Aboriginal governments, mines, businesses, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the people, the process and the table to bring Northerners together to exist. The time for these discussions is now, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Gwich'in Tribal Council is proposing to host a charrette in Yellowknife in June on the issues I have mentioned. Leaders from the Aboriginal governments, the president and board of the NWT Association of Communities, and mine representatives will be invited. To date, neither the GNWT nor the federal government have committed to be a part of this critical partnership event, even though it is a political priority for both governments.

Mr. Speaker, planning is well under way for this charrette. The GNWT should be playing a leadership role in this collaborative partnership. Our communities are looking for that leadership. The NWT Association of Communities are looking for that leadership. There is huge benefit to having the collective wisdom of all these Northerners gathered around a table, offering their collective advice and recommendations to government on how to move forward on the critical issues I mentioned in this statement.

The 18^th Assembly, the first Assembly after devolution, made a commitment to Northerners to doing things differently, to getting things done. Northerners from all sectors have organized themselves to work with government on these issues. They have contributed funds towards the charrette. They are reaching out to the government to join this collaborative partnership to sort out these critical issues. It is time for the government to step up and step forward. Northerners are moving, and they need the government to move with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Climate change. Mr. Speaker, evidence of climate change is all around us and affects every aspect of the way we do business and everyday living standards. We are seeing animals and birds never seen in these parts before.

Mr. Speaker, resupplies to Fort Good Hope is a prime example, amongst others. The last barge destined for that community rarely makes it due to low water seasons and the challenges faced between Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope with two sets of rapids.

The impact of this is fuel, public and private goods and services destined for that community, building materials. If they do not make the destination, building projects are prolonged. They are delayed. Private groceries do not end up to resupply the community household until the following winter access road season, and fuel by this government destined for the community there is handled twice. It's then brought back to the community of Norman Wells, stored, and trucked over the winter road season. Our winter road seasons are experiencing shorter seasons and also warmer, mild temperatures.

Mr. Speaker, Northerners are resilient. We are now saying we need more all-weather road infrastructures to connect our lacking 28 per cent non-community connected to the all-weather road systems. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in December 2015, world leaders gathered in Paris signed the historic agreement to fight climate change. They committed to ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas production and to halt the disastrous advance of global warming. Last year, the Mining Association of Canada endorsed the federal government's effort to establish a national price on carbon pollution.

In the months since the signing of the Paris Agreement, our federal government has announced its intention to introduce a carbon price. Ottawa has consulted with provinces and territories, asking them to develop a system for their jurisdiction, which honours minimum reductions. Our government has participated in these processes and I understand there is federal funding to offset costs.

Throughout this mandate, this government has missed no opportunity to condemn carbon pricing, without a mandate from the Assembly's committees for taking this position. Even while signing the national climate change framework in Ottawa last December, the Premier remained reluctant of pricing carbon, intoning fears of cost impact and skepticism at the significance of NWT greenhouse gas reductions.

As we know, the impacts of climate change are all the greater here in the NWT. If anything, these exaggerated impacts call us to make an even greater northern commitment and example as we call upon the world's governments and industrial leaders to ease the damage most felt here.

Mr. Speaker, the time for resistance to the inevitable is past. It is time for acceptance, endorsement, and action. When our world leadership en masse, our global corporate leadership, and the national organization representing our mainstay economic driver call for action on carbon pricing, we need to climb on board. I will have questions for the Premier on the current state of NWT carbon pricing development. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have been travelling across the NWT, the topic of caribou comes up with a lot of people. The more people I talked to, the more I became interested in what was happening in the Deh Cho in this area. After doing research, I found out the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is doing studies with boreal caribou in the Deh Cho.

Mr. Speaker, it was initiated in 2004 with the deployment of 10 satellite collars on adult female caribou at the request of, and after consultation with, Sambaa K'e Dene Band.

I am happy to say that there are extensive consultations in response to requests from other registered First Nations, and have increased the study area and number of First Nations partners in this study.

From looking at the Dehcho Boreal Caribou Study Progress Report, which was completed by April 2016, a total of 145 collars have been deployed on adult female boreal caribou.

Mr. Speaker, in the report, the department studies talk about the daily movement patterns of collared female caribou, which determines when and where a female boreal caribou calved or not. The great thing about using movement data is the department does not need to use the aerial survey, which helps reduce disturbance during the calving period.

Mr. Speaker, as seen from the high number of births and pregnancies from the collared females, this implies that capture and wearing a collar has not prevented females from becoming pregnant nor bearing calves. This is good to hear as they continue to study and monitor the caribou in the Deh Cho.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say the department and regional staff are doing a great job of studying the caribou in our region. It is very interesting to see the home range of the caribou in the Deh Cho.

Mr. Speaker, I was impressed that, in January 2016, the department was part of a cooperative inter-jurisdictional project that had the first aerial wolf survey conducted in the Deh Cho. This information is helping the department with their caribou study.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the department for doing a great job and encourage them to continue doing it. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.