Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the scope of impact, ENR is currently looking at all available options to support impacted trappers. Because of the extent of damage, this year only, the maximum available to the harvester disaster compensation program has been extended to up to $40,000 per site impacted, subject to criteria. ENR will work with trappers quickly to complete and process their claim. The scope of the damage may not be known until after the spring. We recognize the value that hunting and trapping provides the traditional economy in the Northwest Territories and the important cultural significance of the activities in this area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm a little bit disappointed to hear that number. I looked at a few of the photos, and, for example, I saw a few outboard motors sitting there that were water damaged. Giving an example, one 60 horsepower motor is in excess of $5,000. If it's $4,000 per site, that doesn't really do much to replace some of the equipment that is damaged for some of the trappers and hunters there. I am hoping that we could revisit this and work with the Minister to try to do a little bit more to help. In my next line of questioning, I do note that hunters and trappers from other areas of the NWT who have access were granted compensation for lost revenue and damaged equipment. Can the Minister provide more details from, let's say, for example, the last five years for where and who accessed these funding pots in the past?

Due to privacy, I can't provide specific details on who has accessed the program before, but I am more than willing to meet with the Member to have those conversations later on.

Thank you for the response. Since there's privacy there, I suppose there are some ATIP options, but at least, if we could get some numbers by region, that might help a little better to protect privacy. My next question is: can the Minister commit to having his department visit the areas affected, immediately, preferably, to provide an assessment on damaged and lost equipment in the area?

ENR took immediate action upon becoming aware of the flooding. Staff flew over the Taltson River system from the dam to the Great Slave Lake river outlet to assess the extent of the flooding and the impact of the cabin and property. Staff also travelled to Fort Resolution to speak with local trappers and cabin owners to collect information on the scope and impact of the flooding on their traplines, cabin, and equipment. ENR officers visited impacted sites along with local residents to obtain firsthand insight into the impact. Because of the spring melt, we may not know the full scope of the damage until this spring.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. It's really comforting to hear that his department is working with my constituents. I think it's always good to work together. That leads to my last question. We talked a little bit about environmental assessments. I believe that traditional knowledge is really important. You can take a sample size and do an environmental assessment, but you're never going to quite always get that. I think that oral knowledge, local knowledge, is so valuable. There is knowledge you can't get from Googling something or taking a topography report or a hydrology report. It's always good to work with our elders. My last question is: will the Minister consider any traditional input from our elders or have local elders work with scientists in any upcoming environmental assessments? Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Traditional knowledge is considered in the environmental assessment process. ENR has been and will continue to work with local and traditional knowledge holders related to the impact on the high water levels of the Taltson. Mr. Speaker, I must really stress to the Members in this House that ENR is about local and traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge. We build our answers, our information, collectively in all three parts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier about the importance of developing an agricultural industry in the Northwest Territories to make sure that our residents have food security. My question for the Minister of Lands is: is the department willing to develop agricultural leases? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department currently issues commercial leases for agricultural purposes. The department is currently working on agriculture-specific leases, evaluation criteria, and direct to support the issue of leases for agriculture purposes. We are also reviewing the type of leases that we issue as part of the work of implementing the Public Lands Act. It's part of our phase 1 step. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am glad to hear that that work is going. I believe phase 1 wraps up somewhere in 2023, so I will look forward to asking these questions in the next Assembly as well. Is part of that work to amend the commercial leases or the development of a new agricultural lease which would allow people to live on their farms? Presently, right now, if you get a commercial lease, you are not allowed to live there, and I know that many people have expressed the desire to actually live on their farms.

First of all, I would just like to comment on his comment. It will be done before this Assembly is done. It will be done, just so he knows. I have to make sure he understands because we don't know if we are going to be here in the 20^th Assembly.

In regards to his question, the department currently does not issue residential leases outside of community boundaries. However, the department has provided leases for agricultural use on Commissioner's land to allow for a resident or homesteader on a split parcel. Mixed use leases will be considered as part of the work we are doing to the implement the Public Lands Act. These questions that he hammers us with on the floor here, I greatly appreciate it because these are some of the things that we are trying to fix with these regulations.

I believe there was a commitment that this work was going to be done in the life of this Assembly. I am very happy to hear that. The issue right now is that we don't issue residential leases outside of municipal boundaries. You can only get a residential lease beside a commercial lease within the municipal boundaries, which is not where most of the farmland is. I think even larger to this issue is that much of our land is tied up in withdrawals or disputes, and it's very unclear. A lot of the history of what land is potentially farmable in the NWT has been lost.

My question is: has the Department of Lands done any surveying or identifying of potential arable land in the Northwest Territories? I know that many jurisdictions have vast agricultural land protections in place to make sure that that land is identified and prioritized for farming. Has the department identified potential farmland in the Northwest Territories?

I made that commitment a long time ago that we will have this. It's not a new commitment; it's something that we are actually doing to achieve in this Assembly. I thank the department and the staff for doing the hard work that they are doing. The department works closely with the Department of ITI who promotes and supports the agricultural sector of the economy. We continue to issue leases for agriculture in all areas of the NWT, except where there are restrictions related to issuing land tender, such as land withdrawal areas. If a resident is interested in obtaining an agriculture lease, they can contact the regional offices to discuss areas that may be available, and staff are available to assist them with the process.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That did not quite answer my question. What I am looking for is for the department to go out and do some sort of inventorying of the land that is arable in the Northwest Territories and has the potential for farming. If that land ends up in the hands of an Indigenous government, great; that is great news, and I am happy. Maybe we could settle some claims. However, I think actually tracking the land and making sure we know which land is arable and has potential for farming is a key step in this, so is the department willing to go out and inventory how much agricultural land we have? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No, we are not going to. We right now have unauthorized occupancy and public lands regulations we have to get done. We have got a number of things that we need to do. However, if somebody is interested in getting an agriculture piece of land, if they want to do a farm, they can reach out to the regional offices to see what is available. What they also have to understand is that each lease has to go through consultation, section 35, so we need to do it right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I hope to be out of here really, really quickly because these are four easy yeses. My questions today are for the Minister of the Housing Corporation, sir. My first question is: the mission statement of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation identifies six goals, all of which are associated with acquiring, building, and maintaining infrastructure; it does not identify the Housing Corporation's responsibility to provide safe and secure housing by addressing the personal needs of its clients. Will the Minister commit to redrafting the Housing Corporation's mission statement to reflect its responsibility to provide housing as a social service rather than solely as a commodity? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes. Thank you.

One of four. The legislation of the NWT Housing Corporation speaks to the financial and lending capabilities of the corporation but not to the expectation to provide access to integrated social support. Will the Minister commit to modernizing the legislation of the NWT Housing Corporation to provide access to the full range of financial and social supports to help all NWT residents access safe and secure housing?