This is page numbers 4521 - 4570 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 work.

Topics

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. Next, we have Industry, Tourism and Investment, tourism and parks, information items on page 39 and 40. Are there any questions? Ms. Green.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this listing of projects doesn't say anything about the Yellowknife Visitors' Centre. Could the Minister update us on the plan to replace the Yellowknife Visitors' Centre? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. Schumann.

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As this has been a matter of discussion in the House a number of times, most Members are well aware, we are in discussions with the City of Yellowknife on moving forward on how we can work with the city and planning with ITI and some other key partners around this initiative. I know it's very important to the Members of Yellowknife in particular, but we are working with the City of Yellowknife to come up with a strong vision for tourism in the City of Yellowknife and how this includes a longer-term visitors' centre. Those discussions will continue to be ongoing, and I believe Infrastructure will probably be at the table at some point as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Ms. Green.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Minister please indicate when he expects these discussions to come to some kind of culmination? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The City of Yellowknife is responsible for visitors' services. With those ongoing discussions, we are at the stage where we are still looking at these things and having those discussions with the city, but once we are at the stage where there are program design possibilities, we will working, like I said, with the Departments of Infrastructure and Finance to see what the options are for facilities and the appropriate time to enter into discussions around potential funding if something should come out of that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Ms. Green.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. That would be a great answer if there was already a visitors' centre and we were looking at replacing it, but the fact is that the visitors' centre is now in the boardroom at the city hall. There doesn't seem to be an end point to the collaboration and discussions and planning, which I personally don't find very satisfying. Is the Minister able to expedite this in any way? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This has been an ongoing issue. We know that. We already know the concerns that we have around the tourism industry in Yellowknife, but I could have the staff have a look at if there's a way to expedite this and get back to committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Ms. Green.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you. I would appreciate him doing that. We are now a year and a half without a visitors' centre and with no firm plan to replace it. Being able to say when that might happen, to accept themselves' goal, to reach, I think would be very useful. If he could do that, that would be helpful.

On the topic of the visitors' centre, has the Minister determined what will happen to the old visitors' centre, the one that is currently boarded up? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As all Members know, the existing tourism visitors' centre that was shut down has been stabilized by the Department of Infrastructure. We have spent some money there to stabilize it. They are doing a program review and doing a design aspect looking at the things viable. Once we hit some interest from other parties, along with discussions possibly even with the City of Yellowknife, they will enter into the idea of maybe if we wanted to move in there if we can save that building or what can be done with it. At this present time, that's the situation with the visitors' centre that is shut down. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Ms. Green.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Once again, I would like to ask about timing. I don't get any sense of whether this is a six-month or six-year project. Could the Minister clarify that, please?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I have clearly laid out, there are lots of discussions going on around this. We realize the urgency around it. The City of Yellowknife just recently had their election. We will be going into an election coming up here within the next eleven months or so. We, as I have stated in my earlier comment, that I could ask some of my staff to look at it. There's a way to expedite this, but there is going to be a number of partners that need to come to the table: funding, there's a capital process that has to take place. For the Government of the Northwest Territories, they're going to be funding this. If it's a loaner with partners regardless of how much capital we put into this, but we need to work with everybody and we will continue to do that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Schumann. Ms. Green.

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you. Well, given the amount of money that tourism is bringing to the territory, I think that the more quickly we can get to providing better services for visitors, the more successful we will be in building up our tourism numbers.

I want to ask some questions as well about the parks. The North Slave parks are very heavily used, often by people who live in the North Slave. My question is whether there are any plans to expand any of the North Slave parks or to develop any new parks, for example in the Tlicho or Deh Cho areas. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Schumann.

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have recently added a loop at Prelude. That has added some capacity. As the Member knows, we are presently in discussion with the Tlicho and what we can do on the North Arm Park in their region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.