This is page numbers 3767 – 3794 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 community.

Topics

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I appreciate the Minister for providing that information. I understand the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs does the assessment, but the assessment is being used by Lands to come up with a value of how they are going to come up with lease payments, so I am asking the Minister again: how is this information shared, the information that the Lands department uses, to get that out to the residents?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

The Member is quite correct that, on the value of the lands, the lease payments are based. I believe with respect to municipals, which would be under the purview of the Minister of MACA, that, when assessments are set out for tax purposes, people are obviously informed of the assessment. As I mentioned earlier, I believe, I am not certain, but I think there is likely a breakdown in the assessments, in most communities, between land and buildings. I am not 100 per cent sure of that, but I believe that is the case, from memory. However, at least in the tax-based communities, then, once you have received that assessment, you do have the option of challenging it, so there is a safeguard against unfair or unreasonable assessments.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I thank the Minister for that information about tax-based communities. I am not talking about tax-based communities. I totally understand that process. The process is: as a taxpayer, you get an assessment; it has land and facilities on there; you have the right to then go to municipal government to appeal that decision. I am talking about designated authorities and the hamlets that do not have this process as the tax-based. So they have these assessments done. Then Land uses this assessment to come up with a lease payment, so can the Minister provide us this information and how it is done so that we can help the residents in these communities?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Again, I am not certain as to the manner in which MACA comes to these assessments or appraisals. That information probably could be obtained or possibly could be obtained from the Minister of MACA. I am not certain how the appraisers come to their figures, but I do know that we rely on those figures when rents are assessed.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I am not asking how the Department of Lands is getting the information. I understand that. The Minister has been very clear in the process. The Minister of MACA is very clear in the process. What I am asking is: how does his department use this information and how they share this information with the residents?

Because we have gone from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, but I am hearing from the Minister of MACA that the assessment is land and improvements, and then the Minister says Lands is using the assessment on just lands. So we want to know and my residents want to know how is this information shared with the residents? All they get is a slip right now saying your lease payment is X amount of dollars, so can the Minister make a commitment to explain the process to me so I can share this information with the residents? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Certainly, I would always be pleased to speak with the Member opposite. I do realize this is a complex issue, and we'll attempt to meet with him at his convenience. We will meet with him at convenience, and we will attempt to explain the process. I am also told in response to perhaps an earlier question that: for general taxation areas such as Fort Liard, a copy of the assessment roll is available at the community office as well as the regional MACA office. So it's somewhat similar to the other communities that are tax-based. It's rather similar to the other tax-based communities. Certainly, I would be prepared to meet with the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Auditor General in paragraph 63 of its report said that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs should take immediate action to reassess whether communities with fire departments meet the requirements under the Safety Act. Can the Minister report on progress under this recommendation? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this immediate time, since the Auditor General report was submitted, our Office of the Fire Marshal has been going into communities, working with each community, with their fire departments, to assess their fire departments and their needs to address fires at this time, and will continue right through until every community is done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate that response. Can the Minister tell us in how many communities this assessment tool has been completed and whether that list includes Norman Wells?

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

If I had notice that that question would come up today, I would have that figure on how many are done. However, I did not get notice that that question would come up. We have 33 communities. I have a lot of work that we are doing. Right off of the top of my head, I cannot tell you how many are actually done.

What I can tell you, though, is that we have gone into Norman Wells itself. We have worked with them. I want to clarify one thing, as well. The media has stated that we had shut down the fire department, that the community had shut down their fire department there or suspended them. That is not true, actually. It is not true. The fire department has not been suspended in Norman Wells. It is still functioning. We are working with them. We have identified in Norman Wells that they need additional training with their assessment. We are working on providing that support, that training that is needed for their fire department.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

One of the actions committed to in the response to the Office of the Auditor General's report was to develop a web-based fire training resource centre. Has that action been completed?

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Again, I don't know exactly if that has been completed. We are working on developing web-based training for a lot of our courses within the School of Community Government. We have 80 some courses in total.

I do know, however, that we provide face-to-face training. We provide tabletop exercises. We do have web-based training for some of the courses, and I am not exactly sure if that is one of them, but if it is one in the Auditor General's report, and if it is not done already, I can assure you that it will be. At this time, I do know that we do face-to-face training, and we also do tabletop exercises on a regular basis.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the commitments that the department made in its response to the Office of the Auditor General was to update the Fire Protection Act. Could the Minister tell us about the progress on updating that act? Thank you.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

At this moment, we are working on updating the Fire Protection Act. We have identified five acts within this time that we will be working on: the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, the 911 Act, the Western Canada Lottery Act, the Fire Emergency Act, the Emergency Protection Act. It is one that we are actually working on at this moment.

Again, I didn't know that this question was going to come up. I do not know right now where we stand exactly with that, but I do know that we are working on it at this moment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following eleven documents entitled "Aurora College Annual Report 2016-2017"; "Tlicho Community Services Agency Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year Ending June 30, 2018"; "Beaufort Delta District Education Council Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year (ending June 30, 2018)"; "South Slave Divisional Education Council Operating Plan for 2017-2018 (School Year ending June 30, 2018)"; "Sahtu Divisional Education Council Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year (ending June 30, 2018)"; "Dehcho Divisional Education Council Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year Ending June 30, 2018"; "Yellowknife Education District No. 1 Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year Ending June 30, 2018"; "Yellowknife Catholic Schools Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year (ending June 30, 2018)"; "Ndilo District Education Authority Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year (ending June 30, 2018)"; "Detah District Education Authority Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year (ending June 30, 2018)"; and "Commission scolaire francophone, Territoires du Nord-Ouest Operating Plan for 2017-2018 School Year (ending June 30, 2018). " Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Committee Report 4-18(3), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Adult Residential Addictions Treatment Facilities Tour 2017; Minister's Statement 1-18(3), North Slave Correctional Complex Inmate Concerns; Minister's Statement 19-18(3), Aurora College Foundational Review Process; and Tabled Document 63-18(3), Main Estimates 2018-2019, with the Member for Hay River North in the Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

I will call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee would like to consider Committee Report 4-18(3), Report on Adult Residential Addictions Treatment Facilities Tour 2017. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.