Good afternoon, Members. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is following through on its mandate commitment to strengthen connections with public and private sector partners and work to secure funding to advance planning and construction of transportation projects and invest in strategic transportation infrastructure across the Northwest Territories. These partnerships have resulted in investments to improve the quality of the Northwest Territories' highway system, which increases public safety and ensures efficient delivery of essential goods and services for communities.

This summer, the Government of the Northwest Territories, through the Department of Infrastructure, will oversee the delivery of a total of $46.4 million in rehabilitation of transportation-related projects across the territory.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide a brief summary of these ongoing improvements, starting with Highway No. 1, a section of which will undergo embankment rehabilitation and drainage improvements. In addition, 76 kilometres of this highway will be chipsealed, including the Fort Simpson and Kakisa access roads.

Sections of Highway No. 3 will also receive rehabilitation, and 84 kilometres of that highway will receive chipseal resurfacing. Additionally, a number of culverts are being replaced in an effort to address drainage issues. The Deh Cho bridge embankment remediation work will also be completed by the fall.

Highway No. 4, better known as the Ingraham Trail, will see embankment reconstruction and culvert installations, as well as additional improvements to drainage and guardrail installations where appropriate, over the summer.

Fort Resolution Highway No. 6 will undergo similar embankment reconstruction and drainage improvements, in addition to chipseal resurfacing at various kilometres, which will result in a fully chipsealed surface for this highway by the fall of 2018. Highway No. 7 will undergo resurfacing, repairs, and drainage improvements to mitigate impacts on the highway's water-susceptible soil.

Work will also be done on the Dempster highway over the summer and will include gravel hauling, crushing, and stockpiling, and the replacement of steel pipe culverts. In addition, the Inuvik airport access road will receive highway rehabilitation work. Mr. Speaker, the department is also making ongoing improvements to our inventory of bridges across the highway system. Work this summer includes the rehabilitation of two truss bridges on Highway No. 5 that have reached or surpassed their 50-year mark. Rehabilitation of the Buffalo River bridge is scheduled for completion this year, while work on the Hay River to Pine Point bridge will be tendered this summer, in time for construction work to commence in October 2018.

Pre-engineering work in support of moving the existing Oscar Creek bridge located along the Mackenzie Valley winter road onto the future alignment of the all-weather Mackenzie Valley highway will also take place. This work will also include geotechnical investigations and hydrotechnical, wildlife, and fish studies. Construction will commence in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. In addition to rehabilitation work on our major highways, construction will continue on the Canyon Creek all-season road south of Norman Wells and is expected to be complete by fall 2018.

Mr. Speaker, highway construction and rehabilitation of Northwest Territories highways are made possible through federal funding provided through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Plan for the Government of the Northwest Territories' first two bundles of highway capacity improvement projects.

As announced in Behchoko in January, the federal government has approved a third bundle of projects, which will build upon the improvements of Bundles 1 and 2 and support job creation and economic growth across the territory. This bundle will provide $95.5 million for additional improvements to the NWT highway system starting in 2019-2020. That includes 75 per cent of costs from the federal government, with the GNWT contributing the remaining 25 per cent. All of this work is providing important economic and employment opportunities for local and northern businesses.

Mr. Speaker, highway rehabilitation safeguards these important infrastructure assets which provide critical connections for people and communities. This government is committed to continuing enhancing the quality of our highways and to increase our resiliency to the unique challenges of our climate so our residents and visitors of the Northwest Territories feel secure in the reliability of the transportation system. As always, I am pleased to see these improvements continue and look forward to the progress of work as we will see through the territory this summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, a strong labour market is critical to the Northwest Territories' economic future. We know what jobs are in demand, and we are focused on preparing residents for those opportunities.

Through our Skills 4 Success actions, we are seeing progress in developing an educated, productive, and thriving labour force that will meet the needs of the territory's economy and meet our mandate commitment to improve labour market outcomes.

Mr. Speaker, a total of 25 former programs have been consolidated and streamlined into 10; program names have been simplified to be more intuitive and easily understood; and program offerings have been categorized into supports for individuals, employers, organizations, and communities.

Labour market programs have been redesigned to be more client-focused and reduce duplication. Program staff have streamlined programming, updated program guidelines, and updated intake forms for easier access by individuals, employers, and organizations.

These redesigned programs will help employers to find and train the workers they need, and they will assist individuals in accessing the training, skill upgrading, and supports they need to secure employment and advance in the labour market.

Mr. Speaker, communities understand their local labour market needs. They are key partners in bridging employment and training gaps for their residents. We want to work with communities and support them in finding innovative ways to enhance employment opportunities and outcomes.

For this reason, the Small Community Employment Support Program has been redesigned to provide funding through contribution agreements between the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and specific local designated authorities.

The program will now provide small communities and regional centres with the flexibility to establish their own priorities and work with employers to support local employment opportunities. I will be tabling the Small Community Employment Strategy later today.

Mr. Speaker, we are working hard to develop a labour force that will meet the needs of the Territory's economy now and in the future. For some occupations, this includes attracting qualified individuals to fill critical labour shortages. The Northwest Territories Nominee Program helps support employers to fill workforce gaps with skilled foreign nationals when there are no local or Canadian workers available.

Mr. Speaker, this suite of programs has aligned its goals under the Skills 4 Success strategy. We are focused on matching training and education with the labour market in the Northwest Territories; we are ensuring small communities have the programs and supports they require to build the programs they need; and we are attracting people with critical skills to the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, May 27^th to June 2^nd is Tourism Week across Canada. Tourism Week provides an opportunity to highlight the tourism sector and the economic opportunities that accompany it. Tourism is a key part of the Government of the Northwest Territories' commitment to advance regional economic growth and diversification.

This week, events and activities across our territory will bring people together to celebrate the places and experiences that encouraged 100,000 visitors to join us North of 60 last year.

Mr. Speaker, the heart of our booming tourism industry is its people, NWT residents who make visitors feel welcome and foster our international reputation for friendliness and warmth. This year, the Government of the Northwest Territories, through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, is shining a spotlight on these individuals with our NWT Host contest.

The department got a head start on Tourism Week by asking residents across the NWT to nominate people who put the face on our territory every day by engaging visitors and making them feel more welcome. Our social media feeds have come to life with stories about many NWT residents and what they do to advance our tourism sector, people like Fred Andrew Jr. from Tulita, who takes pride in sharing stories of the Mountain Dene and their use of the land with visitors; Hay River's Garry and Linda Carter, whose friendly approach and deep knowledge of the North make their river kayak tours an unforgettable experience; and Ulukhaktok's Patrick Joss, who, according to dozens of Facebook users, is a spectacular ambassador for his region and who makes visitors feel at home as soon as their planes touch down.

Mr. Speaker, we know that it takes more than just recognition to foster a thriving industry. It takes investment. To this end, we are investing in a number of tourism-related businesses, training, and initiatives to support our industry and to ensure there continues to be good news worth celebrating year after year.

Through our destination marketer, NWT Tourism, we will invest over $3 million to heighten awareness and interest in travel to our territory. In this Canada China Year of Tourism, this includes the targeted marketing opportunities in South Asia and our participation in the up-and-coming federally led trade mission to Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai.

Our parks are another focal point of investment. This year, we will be spending roughly $7.2 million to ensure they continue to be world-class. As we move into the camping season, visitors will already notice the highlights, like the new loop at Prelude Lake and the new overnight rental structure at Blackstone. Later this year, we will begin the construction of lake access roads in the Gwich'in Territorial Park.

Mr. Speaker, we are investing $1 million in projects designed to attract new visitors and build on tourism offerings across all five regions; $200,000, through our Community Tourism Infrastructure Program to help build transformative tourism infrastructure in small communities; support of Indigenous tourism initiatives to help share our vibrant cultures with the world; and investments to support new opportunities along our Arctic coast as the road to Tuktoyaktuk and the growing cruise ship sector continue to bring visitors into the far reaches of our North. Mr. Speaker, the value of our tourism industry has grown from $94 million in 2010 to $201 million last year. In the same period, the number of visitors passing through our territory has skyrocketed by more than 40,000 annually.

This suggests that our investments and efforts to increase tourism is working. This is good news and demonstrates the possibilities as we move towards a broader, more diverse economy. I am pleased to see these results, and I look forward to more success in our territory's second-largest industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the start of Tourism Week in Canada and to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of the tourism industry here in the Northwest Territories. We can all talk at great length about the need for further economic diversification into new industries in the Northwest Territories, but nothing compares to the sheer potential of our tourism markets. While I still believe that national resource extraction will continue to be the economic bedrock of the NWT, we must look toward other opportunities that can bolster our economy in times of low commodity prices and create economic growth, new jobs, and higher wages for Northerners.

Only recently, I had the opportunity to travel to the Sahtu region and witness the pristine beauty and unique culture there. From the majestic Mackenzie Mountains to the splendid waters of Great Bear Lake, it all left me with a vision for the future. I imagined ski chalets perched high in the mountains, streets lined with five-star restaurants and high-end stores with names like Prada, Givenchy, Swarovski, and even a Ferrari dealership to take advantage of the soon-to-be-completed Mackenzie Valley Highway. Why not, Mr. Speaker? When it comes to our tourism industry, the sky is the limit and there is no end to our potential.

Why do I bring up the Sahtu? Well, the Sahtu is isolated, Mr. Speaker. It needs a highway. Yellowknife is not alone in its challenges for the high-cost destination to travel to, and yet Yellowknife has become a destination city, a place of choice, that has led to the growth of a massive tourism economy, and, despite the enormous cost of doing business and travelling to our capital city, people from all over the world are still coming. For example, in February of this year, we saw a 4.6 per cent increase in hotel occupancy compared to 2017. In March of this year, we saw an astounding 8.3 per cent increase in occupancy compared to the year before. Mr. Speaker, it is clear our capital is a safe bet for investing in our tourism sector. With the GNWT funding a visitors' centre in Dawson City, it is time that we prioritize getting a stand-alone visitors' centre here in the capital.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot rest on our laurels and assume that the economy will take care of itself. We must make the right choices and invest strategically and build an economy that works best for our industries and best for tourism. The sector will never replace the mining sector, but it will create jobs. It will create new opportunities for work that will preserve what we also cherish so dearly, our unique culture, our language, our people, and our land. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Monday, March 19, I had the opportunity to attend a public meeting in Fort Liard that was being put on by the Departments of Lands, Municipal and Community Affairs, and Finances. The topic was about land and taxes.

I would have to say, overall, it was a good meeting. The staff did a great job of getting the information out to the people who were present. However, it did raise a number of concerns about how land taxes were collected for the Hamlet of Fort Liard.

Unfortunately, a number of individuals were told not to pay their taxes. This has caused a big mess for those people, the band, the hamlet, and the GNWT. I spoke to people who are wishing to pay the taxation bill, but they cannot because of their credit rating. The matter has been turned over to a third-party collections company, who are not very nice and tell the residents that they need to sell their homes to pay off this debt.

A couple of things that surprised me during the meeting:

1. The government decided that they would impose an interest rate at 15 per cent for all non-paid taxes. The rationale was to scare people to ensure people would pay their taxes on time. This didn't seem to be working.
2. Due to government cuts, the government had to go out to a third party to try and collect the taxes and interest.

After the meeting, I had to discuss with a number of residents about this issue, and I would like to share a couple of their stories with you.

1. One person had inherited his father's home but included a $15,000 debt in taxes and, astonishingly, another $55,000 in interest, for a total of $70,000.
2. An elder went missing, and the government told the family that they had to wait until he was legally declared dead before they could do anything. The waiting period is 10 years. However, the government still wants the family to pay the taxes. This is crazy.

This issue has been going on for a long time, and we need to come up with a solution to deal with it properly. It isn't going away and we can't remain silent on it any longer. These are the people we were elected to represent, and we need to do a better job. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance later today.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when you get a chance, you like to get outdoors and be adventurous. Many of us in this House do.

Mr. Speaker, a recent editorial in the Yellowknifer newspaper had a peculiar headline. "No Room Outdoors," was what it said. No room? That's a strange concept for NWT residents. With just a few of us scattered across this vast land, the idea of "no room" for people who want to get outside to fish, hike, camp, or just enjoy the outdoors, that's an odd concept, given where we live.

Mr. Speaker, the editorial was reflecting on the very high demand for serviced campsites in NWT parks. Every year, the first day of online bookings is busier than the year before. This year, we saw a 17 per cent increase over 2017. That's a great increase, but it also points out a weak spot in our parks system. Mr. Speaker, the number of reservations that were made and the reaction from people who couldn't make one make it clear: we need to expand our parks and provide more serviced campsites to meet the demand. That, or we need to start talking to partners who can.

Mr. Speaker, we take pride in showing off our pristine surroundings. Tourism is one of the bright spots of economic growth and diversity that we highlight in our mandate. We invite residents and visitors to experience the "Spectacular NWT." Heck, we even advertised as much on TV during the Olympics this year.

Imagine if you're someone from Ontario or BC or maybe even California. You saw that ad on TV during the Olympics, and now you're thinking about visiting the NWT. You go online, click on NWTParks.ca, follow the links, and there are no campsites to be had. Well, you'd probably spend your vacation and your money somewhere you can be sure to find a campsite. For the NWT, that's a lost opportunity for exposure, lost income for parks, and most definitely a loss for the economy.

Mr. Speaker, over 35,000 campers enjoyed NWT parks last year. We want that number to grow. We want to invite people to learn about and enjoy our spectacular homeland, but, Mr. Speaker, first we need to be able to offer them a place to pitch their tents and park their campers. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of ITI. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marsi Cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will speak about the Taltson River Dam. Mr. Speaker, in the mid-1960s the Taltson River Dam was built to provide clean and renewable energy to the Pine Point mine, a mine that operated for about 25 years.

Mr. Speaker, there are many people in my riding who are closely linked to the Taltson River, as this river was a lifeline for many people who lived along the river, which was mainly in the community of Rocher River, which had a population of about 150.

Mr. Speaker, many of the people from Rocher River believe that, when their school burned down in 1960, it was not rebuilt because of the government's desire to move people out of Rocher River and into nearby communities such as Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e, and Yellowknife. I, Mr. Speaker, am one of the children whose parents decided to relocate to Fort Resolution. I was four years old.

Once people began to move, the resistance posed by the chief of Rocher River had diminished, Mr. Speaker. There was no consultation or an environmental impact assessment. There was no regard for the social well-being of the people who depended on the Taltson River to sustain their families and livelihoods.

Mr. Speaker, imagine what would happen tomorrow if the school in Sambaa K'e was to burn down and the government decided not to build the new school and the people were suddenly told that they must move on their own to the communities of Fort Liard, Nahanni, or Fort Simpson and start from scratch in those communities.

Well, Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what happened to the people of Rocher River in the mid-1960s. Mr. Speaker, the government of the day had no regard for the people of Rocher River whatsoever. Some of the Treaty people moved to Fort Resolution and got small houses with no continuous heat, no running water, and no electricity, while the Metis people were left to their own resources to build themselves homes. Fortunately, there existed family ties between these two communities.

Mr. Speaker, as of today, the people of Rocher River have fully integrated into the community of Fort Resolution. However, many people feel that the main reason their school was never rebuilt was to make way for the construction of the Taltson River Dam. Ironically, Mr. Speaker, many people in Fort Resolution cannot afford the high cost of power.

I strongly feel, Mr. Speaker, that it is time for this government to acknowledge that the people of Rocher River have been significantly impacted by this series of events. Granted, Mr. Speaker, some of the people from Rocher River did okay, as they got educated in Fort Resolution and were able to continue to provide for their families. However, Mr. Speaker, not everyone was so fortunate; many people died on the streets here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur Ie President. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and the Environment met in Norman Wells May 8^th to the 10^th, my first visit in about 25 years.

We met with the Sahtu Secretariat Inc. and the Norman Wells Land Corporation. I learned a lot about the implementation of the Sahtu Agreement. We met with the Norman Wells Chamber of Commerce. While there is a strong interest in the Mackenzie Valley highway, people are also interested in economic diversification, particularly tourism and what the Doi T'oh Territorial Park and Canol Heritage Trail can bring to the region.

We met with Imperial Oil representatives, including some officials via video conference from Calgary. They said the company intends to continue production once the pipeline is fixed later this year. There are also some tremendous opportunities with remediation of the Imperial Oil facilities. The NWT has the potential to build a remediation economy if this is done right, with coordinated community oversight and capacity building.

We also had a visit of the new Sahtu Got'ine Regional Health and Social Services Centre that includes a long-term care component. It is a fabulous facility that will employ 70 people when it is fully operational, more than the Imperial Oil operations at Norman Wells.

We also had a tour of the new Canyon Creek road, the beginning of the Mackenzie Valley highway from Norman Wells. This project has been spaced out over two years to allow for the region to take better advantage of the employment, training, and contracting opportunities. This is the kind of road development I can support.

The standing committee also conducted some strategic planning, given the pre-glacial pace of bills from our Cabinet colleagues. Our committee has had only two bills to deal with in over two years. We need to set our own priorities to accomplish something for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Committee will be addressing procurement practices, considering ways for developing a knowledge economy, exploring options for improving the NWT's resource revenues, and more.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their issues and concerns with us. In particular, I would like to thank the Sahtu MLA for help with many of the arrangements and connections we made. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A small follow-up to my colleague from the Kam Lake riding.

Mr. Speaker, this is NWT Tourism Week, and I acknowledge the unique and pristine attractions our territory offers to world travelers in developing this emerging and continuous industry. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu contributes to the thriving and emerging industry to access the region's 26 per cent of the NWT Land Quantum, and the Great Bear Lake's 31,153 square kilometres of water mass providing world-class trophy fishing.

Providing the NWT with competitive advantages toward offering other world destinations is to further develop affordable connections. Mr. Speaker, Spectacular NWT, a tourism initiative under the direction of the Department of ITI providing promotional materials, has captured the unique residential cultures and tourism destinations of this significant area of Canada.

Our success, Mr. Speaker, is measured by the volumes and amount of visitors from other parts of the world to our destination. The last two surveys will conclude an increase, as previously mentioned by our respectful Minister. Mr. Speaker, later I will have questions to the Minister on a different subject. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Tuktoyaktuk road. Come the thaw, we have all heard the sad stories of the road closure. Major stretches of the road have dissolved into a slushy mess. An Inuvik Drum headline offers the optimistic forecast "Highway to remain open in the summer," and the best flattery from an engineer responsible for the project is that it won't "go to snot". Air service to the community was re-established last week as motorists took flight from a highway they can't depend on, despite it being an all-weather road, to get them there or get them home. The RV grapevine will be sending out red alerts, not just on the road closure, but on the conditions. So much for the tourism government is promoting this week. Once again, the government is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory with poor messaging.

The Minister recently provided us with an update, indicating that, depending on the weather, the road will reopen tomorrow after a 17-day closure. The Minister says some sections haven't been completed, are "susceptible to saturation," and require final gravel overlay and grading. He refers to these actions not as construction but as "repairs."

We know the government cut back on the originally designed depth of topping put on the road in order to keep the road on the predicted budget. It looks like we are going back to Plan A, depth of topping, begging the question of when construction under the projected budget ends and when the long bleed of mega-maintenance begins. The problem is the government's own making. They announced the road was complete and set those associated expectations, when clearly the road is not complete.

I am not looking to embarrass the government, but I've continually said that roads as an economic engine policy is wrong, especially when it leaves many of our residents living in squalid housing for want of money spent on roads. The $300 million bulge of roads spending has passed, and I see no economic bonanza commensurate to the expense. In fact, new tourism-related businesses that the government has invested in may now be floundering because of the condition the road is in.

The road to Tuktoyaktuk could join the Deh Cho bridge as a quagmire of failed fiscal management, just at the time we turn our budgets towards the Tlicho road. If the government is stuck on this course, they have to get the projects right. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Mr. Speaker, in the fall session last year, I raised concerns about the state of the health centre in Tsiigehtchic. The health centre was built in the mid-1980s and is in dire need of repairs, or better yet, replacement. Last year I stated that, in two years, the health centre had its pilings adjusted twice. When I asked the Minister of Health and Social Services if Tsiigehtchic was getting a new health centre, the Minister stated that Tsiigehtchic was in the 20-year capital plan, but that it was a ways out yet.

Mr. Speaker, in April the Department of Infrastructure put out a contract in the community to level the building again. However, this time, the health centre sustained substantial damage. This has resulted in the staff being forced to relocate to the Aurora College building because no one was allowed back in the health centre. Supplies were also moved to Aurora College. Staff in Fort McPherson and Inuvik were a great support to Tsiigehtchic to ensure that the community had all the medical supplies it needed for the spring.

Summer is fast approaching, and luckily there are no classes scheduled, but clearly it is not ideal to provide health services out of Aurora College, although the new building would be great.

Mr. Speaker, it is concerning for my constituents to get the essential healthcare they need out of an old building that is in such bad shape that it is now off-limits. The community needs a safe and functional health centre. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services on this topic later today. Thank you.

Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.