This is page numbers 4803 - 4830 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 funding. View the webstream of the day's session.

Topics

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Mr. Speaker, my question was if the Minister was aware that there was an organized community on the Taltson River, but I will move on. I would like to ask the Minister, if he is aware that there was a community called Rocher River, an organized community, complete with surveyed lots, if the Minister would find a way to consult with the people that actually lived in Rocher River prior to construction of the dam?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

At this point, right now, as I've said, I've clearly laid out the three Indigenous governments that the government is willing to engage with. I am willing to go into the communities to have a discussion with the local communities of Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, and Lutselk'e, in particular. At that point, maybe that's when there will be an opportunity for some questions from the Regular Members.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

It appears as though the Minister is not fully aware of who was impacted, and that's what I'm trying to get at here. The greatest impact of the Taltson dam was upon the people that lived in a place called Rocher River. I am a person that is from Rocher River. What happened there was the school burned down a few years before the Taltson dam was constructed. Many people felt that was deliberate, but the bottom line is, there was a group of people living there in an organized community. It had stores, two stores. They had a school, and they were a regular functioning community, and suddenly, after the school burned down, the people started moving. The people moved to the river to trap, trap on the rivers, continued to use Taltson as basically a lifeline for all the people there, and then, the dam was ---

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, what's your line of questioning?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Can the GNWT start working now with the elders, the remaining elders, that were from Rocher River to start developing a list of the families that were impacted as a result of the Taltson dam?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I've said, I'm willing to have a discussion with all impacted residents on this project. If we're going to sit down and have a discussion about the Taltson back when it was built, in the '60's, I think, if that's a discussion that some of the Member's riding wants to take place, we're going to have to have all parties at the table for that discussion. That's something that took place prior to devolution. That was under the federal government's watch, and that's probably a discussion that should be taking place with the federal government or maybe even at the Akaitcho main table. I'm willing to sit down with all residents in the South Slave who are impacted by us, who want to move this project forward and have those discussions.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Question 542-18(3): Taltson Hydroelectric Project
Oral Questions

February 11th, 2019

Page 4810

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when people are relocated, they are scattered all over the place because they don't have a home. They ended up, yes, in Fort Resolution, yes, in Yellowknife, some in Lutselk'e, some in Edmonton, Hay River. They're all over the place. There is no home. They are scattered around. These were the people that were greatly affected. I'm asking the Minister: I agree that Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, Lutselk'e, that will capture the majority of the people; however, there is a group that is going to be missed unless we pull that list together, so I'd like to ask the Minister again if he is prepared to work with, if it's the Aboriginal government that he needs to work with, then if he would develop a list of see who was originally impacted and include them in the discussions moving forward for the redevelopment of the Taltson dam?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I've said, I'm willing to have a conversation with anybody, but this is a conversation that has to include more than just me. As I said, this is something that happened, not under our watch, under the federal government's watch. There are other opportunities for those people to have those discussions at different venues, as I've said. I'm willing to have those discussions, and I suspect through more consultation with Indigenous governments and their leadership on moving this project forward, I can raise this question of around the impacted residents, and we'll see what the leadership wants to do in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today my questions are for the Minister of Lands. Some time ago, the Department of Lands started some really good work and some consultation with regard to the Yellowknife area recreational land use framework, I suppose. It went great guns for the first couple of years, and now, it seems as though it's been put on pause. It might have gone back into the archives or onto the shelf. I would like to ask the Minister if he can let us know what is underway with regard to the recreational land use planning and maybe even explain for folks what a recreational land use plan consists of? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, several years ago, we looked into this matter and have our recreational leasing management framework to guide us in this area. With respect to the Yellowknife periphery area, much of the work has been done. It is of course a commitment of this government to advance this process. We did recognize in the framework that there would be certain areas that are of priority, and, clearly, the Yellowknife area is a priority because of the heavy recreational use. I can advise that we are continuing to attempt to engage with our Aboriginal partners in that matter.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. Can the Minister maybe elaborate a little bit more on what is the reasoning for a recreational land use plan? My understanding is that they're not very well-used throughout the territory, if at all, that this version might be a pilot to some degree. Why a recreational land use plan? Why can't we just have recreational land use included in the comprehensive land use plans?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Of course, we are attempting to make progress in land use planning generally, but, if looked at from another point of view, recreational land use planning is kind of a subset of the larger issue of dealing with land management. We thought that, because of the heavy pressure in the Yellowknife area in particular, we would attempt to move forward on that project, which is a mandate commitment.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

I appreciate the Minister's answer. It seems to be a little bit lacking in some detail, but he did refer earlier to the recreational lease management framework, which, I guess, supports the recreational land use plan. I would like to ask the Minister: can the Minister provide maybe a little bit more insight on what the recreational lease management framework consists of?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

The framework deals with many issues, such as application of the framework, the development of the framework, and also identifying priority areas. As I mentioned earlier, a priority area is clearly that area around Yellowknife. The point of the framework was to encourage compliance, strengthen, enforcement and to give residents of the Northwest Territories certainty, or as much certainty as we could, in this area.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Member for Yellowknife North.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's reply, and, yes, definitely as it relates to those who have leases, in particular on the Ingraham Trail around Yellowknife, I would like to ask the Minister, under the forthcoming recreational lease management framework, will there be an opportunity at some point in time where leaseholders will actually have the opportunity to have ownership of this land, fee simple title?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

That is an interesting question, and I can see I can get some help from my fellow Cabinet Ministers on this issue. However, Members will recall the difficulties that we have been facing with the issue of equity leases, which is a much smaller issue than this. I certainly will take the question seriously, and it seems to me that we are not yet ready to make the kind of commitment requested by the Member opposite. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased, when I attended the opening of the Dene Wellness Centre on the K'atlodeeche First Nations Reserve in January, in the old building of the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre, with people being very familiar with it. The centre then was a treatment centre for the whole NWT. Now things have changed. The Minister of Health and Social Services stated its ongoing initiatives on land-based mobile addiction treatment and also aftercare for patients who are seeking to sober up in the NWT. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services.

The last agreement that the Dene Wellness Centre was operating on is from 2017. Then, the purpose and use of the wellness centre were being discussed. Now that the wellness centre is operating and serving its purpose, does the Minister see a need in terms of updating the contribution agreement that it has with KFN? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the Nats'ejee K'eh facility, we have had a lot of discussion with KFN on that building. Currently the Department of Health and Social Services is covering the lease costs on that building for KFN, which equates to about $6,000 a month. The owner of the building is currently working with KFN to see about transferring actual ownership of that building over to them. I know that there are some issues that they still need to work on, on that.

With respect to the programming that KFN had intended and delivering those services, they talked about wellness programs and other types of things. We are happy to work with them on those programs, and we are happy to help utilize that facility on a case-by-case basis.

As far as the wellness money that they get, that is a set allocated amount based on population and other things that all Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories get. That is federal money that flows through us to them, so we don't have the ability to increase those funds at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

The Minister, obviously, and his department are engaging with the K'atlodeeche First Nations. I am trying to determine the whole role of the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre. What are the key steps that the Minister has undertaken to ensure that, eventually, the transfer of the building is given to the K'atlodeeche First Nations?