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

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2016 the Government of the Northwest Territories purchased NTCL and all the lands that came with it. There are substantial tracts of lands in Hay River that came with that purchase. We have had questions in this House about what is going to happen with those lands. Last I heard, there were environmental assessments happening on some of the prioritized sites. I would like an update from the Minister of Infrastructure on what environmental assessments have been done and on which former NTCL lands, particularly in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is working in company with the Department of Infrastructure to carry out environmental assessments on property formerly owned by NTCL. ENR has completed environmental assessments of the Government of the Northwest Territories' shipyard and marine terminal lots in Hay River.

The lots were assessed, including operating sites under Schedule 7 party to the Northwest Territories Land and Resources Devolution Agreement. These sites were a high priority for assessment. The final Phase I and II ESA report is due March 16, 2018. ENR will share the findings with the Department of Infrastructure once available. Future remediation plans will depend on the outcome of these assessments.

ENR and Infrastructure are also conferring regarding former NTCL properties at Norman Wells, Inuvik, and Tuktoyaktuk. These sites will be determined and prioritized based on the assessment in 2018-2019. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Could the Minister be a little more specific and maybe outline which sites in Hay River? I know there are a lot of waterfront sites there. There are a lot in Old Town in my riding. I would like a little more specificity if he can.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

The synchro-lift down at the site right along the lake has been done; Hay River barge storage area, which is also along the waterfront down in Old Town; and eight Hay River water lots, leased lots along inner harbour, as well.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

I am glad that those are the sites they are looking at first. That is some prime real estate. It is beautiful down there in Old Town, especially right on the channel. Based on the initial findings, I know it is not complete and they don't have the final report. Does the department have an estimate, even a ballpark figure, for what it might cost to remediate these sites?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I think this is early days yet. We get the assessments back to put a price tag on these. Once that comes in somewhere, I can share that with the Member.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that, the last time I asked these questions, the Minister stated there was a best land-use management plan that is coming out later this year. I guess that will inform when we can start disposing of these lots. I drive by the synchro-lift quite often just to see what is going on. I see there has been lots of work done. Can the Minister maybe talk about the sort of work that has been done at the synchro-lift site to address the environmental hazards that were inherited when the government purchased that site? Thank you.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Significant amount of clean-up work has been done at the Hay River shipyard site last year. We worked closely with the Department of Workers' Compensation to ensure that health and safety concerns to the public and employees would be mitigated appropriately and to develop a plan and a timeline that the site's assessments, including human health and ecological risk assessments, to include long-term progressive remediation goals would take place. We worked closely with them.

We did some early clean-up around there around some I guess we would want to call it low-hanging fruit that had to be done immediately. We spent a significant amount of money doing that. That will be staged out in the years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of confusion on how lots are assessed in the NWT. People assume it is Lands. We have now been told that this is the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs' responsibility. Can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs please explain why the department has been assigned this task? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member's question about why we have been assigned this task is a little bit confusing. I don't know the history on why Municipal and Community Affairs was assigned that. My guess would be that we are Municipal and Community Affairs and our job is to make sure that the communities have the supports that they need. Assessing them would be considered one of those supports. Again, though, I wasn't here back in the day when it was originally assigned to Municipal and Community Affairs

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I thank the Minister for that answer. I have been hearing other information. It has been good. I will use the Minister's information and my colleagues' information to help understand the history of it. My next question is: I know in Fort Simpson I have heard assessments going up double from the previous years and nothing has been done to the lot. I have asked a number of people why this has come about and why values have increased. I have received different answers. Can the Minister please explain the process of how the department comes up with the value of the lot?

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

The assessment of the properties is done by the value of the land and any assets that are located on the land as the MLA has stated that he has seen taxes go up without any improvements done. There are two types of property assessments. There is one that is done on an annual basis. That captures changes to the existing property, such as if there are renovations, additions, et cetera. Then there is a general assessment that is completed at least once every 10 years. That updates the value of the land and improvements from the date of the last general assessment.

Like I said, there are two different assessment processes. Some communities just happen to get in that position where the general tax assessment is increased. The City of Yellowknife went through that a couple years ago, I believe.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Just from hearing that answer and hearing the Minister of Lands in previous sittings here, do improvements on the land help or increase the value of the land that is presently there?

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Yes, the assessment to land is taking into consideration not only the land, but all infrastructure that is on the land. I will use Yellowknife. If you buy a lot in Yellowknife, you might be looking at a couple of hundred thousand, but once you put a trailer onto that or a unit onto that, it does increase the market value of that property. That is taken into consideration.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you very much to the Minister for that answer. I guess my next question is: in regard to Commissioner's land and territorial lands within municipal boundaries, are they taxed with the assessment value? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

All lands are taxed, except there are some exemptions. So for a complete listing of the properties that are exempt, you would have to go into the PATA, but things such as land claims agreements would impact that, as well. So, there are exemptions to taxable properties, usually by land agreements, Aboriginal government agreements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment about, you guessed it, procurement. Obviously, businesses continue to come forward, business owners continue to come forward. How is the department using procurement policies to level the playing field with southern companies that are doing business in the Northwest Territories, to give a competitive edge to northern businesses? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier said in the House previously, BIP was probably the best policy ever created by the Government of the Northwest Territories. BIP allows northern businesses and northern registered businesses that opportunity to give them that extra advantage on southern procurement of companies that are not BIP, and it is a significant amount that gives us leverage as the Northwest Territories to protect northern businesses.