Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all that I have at this time. Thank you.
Debates of Feb. 22nd, 2018
This is page numbers 3347 – 3406 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Just one follow-up question, please, Mr. Chair: what is the status of the recreational land use plan for Yellowknife? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Hagen
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Recreational Land Use Framework Agreement was going along at a reasonable pace, and then it collided a bit with the negotiations with the land claims with the Yellowknives, and they decided that they didn't want to support it and go forward until they either got close to resolving a land claim agreement or had a land claim agreement. We were instructed that land claims are the priority, and so we're holding off on it in hopes that there's some agreement in principal coming forth in this region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'd like to ask the witness how this information has been shared with people who have property on the Ingraham Trail, like I do. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Hagen
Well, the process, of course, we hope to bring it to successful completion. It's going a little slower than we wish it to. We're hoping that any day, any month, we'll get some traction with the Yellowknives, whose traditional land we're dealing with. So we haven't made any announcements because it's still an ongoing process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.
Any further questions from committee on pages 320 to 321? If not, I'll call the page. Operations expenditure summary, $10,758,000. Does the committee agree. Agreed? Thank you. Next, we have planning and coordination, operations expenditure summary, $6,991,000, from pages 322 to 326. Any questions? Ms. Green.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I understand this is the department in which I can ask the question about the money allocated to the agriculture strategy implementation. What role is the department playing in the implementation of the strategy with the $150,000 allocated? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Louis Sebert Thebacha
The department, of course, and we have responsibility for the lands, we're looking at our approach for land tenures and the availability of land for agricultural purposes. The problem, which is somewhat related to some of the matters I spoke of earlier, is that land availability in the unsettled land claim areas is constrained, if I can put it that way, by existing land withdrawals. So we do want to go ahead. This is in the interest of the government as a whole, mainly driven by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and their agricultural strategy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Minister's answer, but it doesn't really answer the question. So how does this money help the unsettled land claims? I'm missing something. Could the Minister please clarify? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Louis Sebert Thebacha
This money isn't to settle the land claims, but perhaps Mr. Hagen would elaborate a little more on how the money is being spent. I understand it's to develop policies and procedures for evaluating agricultural land lease applications, but he may have something to add.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Hagen
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. So, like the Minister mentioned, the Department of ITI has developed an agricultural strategy for the Northwest Territories, and the aim of the strategy is to provide guidance and direction as to its resources and policies. We come in as Lands and do an examination of the land tenure and land availability for agricultural purposes. There's a wide range of possibilities rather than the traditional focus of leasing of arable land; recent advances in agricultural techniques; there's permaculture and greenhouse culture, which doesn't take a lot of land availability, and that's what we don't have. In the unsettled land claim regions where the best lands are available for agriculture, particularly Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, all the lands are mostly withdrawn for land claim negotiations, and until those are settled there is very little land available for any large-scale agricultural farming. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, as I understand it, the idea is to look at alternatives to, sort of, open field agriculture in order to maximize the land that is available for agricultural purposes. Is that correct? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters (Reversion)