Thank you, Minister. Just remember, we still have our translators translating, so if you guys can slow down. Member for Great Slave.

Yes. Slow down but use less words so you don't take more of my time. I get what you're saying. I don't necessarily always believe, though that an -- it's been a long few weeks -- undersubscribed program necessarily means the need is not there for it, and I would maybe have a look at whether or not it's undersubscribed in that people aren't aware of it or there's barriers to applying on it because I just can't believe that there wouldn't be a need for this program? With that and, actually, it reminded me of a question I just forgot to ask you about the BDIC was: both of these are sort of in that. You've gone out. You're collecting information. You have either consultants or others compiling that for you, and it's coming across your desk or will be soon. Where does the committee sit in inputting on both of those situations, strategy plan for the BDIC as well as the food strategy programs? I would prefer to see that we have a chance to give input on that ahead of any finalization of those programs? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I seem to recall the last time BDIC appeared collectively with committee that they had said that we would have a draft to committee before it becomes finalized, so let me just repeat that now. With respect to food security, Madam Chair, I have only just recently received a rather large amount of information on food security and where it's at. Rather than me try to find it, why don't I turn to Deputy Minister Strand.

Thank you. Deputy Minister.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the deputy minister's comments around the collaboration. When I hear the Minister commenting that it's ENR, it's health, you know. I'm assuming and hoping it's getting to a point where someone is going to take ownership of the program because I do think that we don't want to end up in a situation where some of our social programs, it's: who does it belong to? I see the Minister nodding along yes to that, so I'll just do that one as a comment.

Back to the arts program and arts funding, I've mentioned this around other programs in different departments, but another need I'm hearing about in this area is not a need for funding for projects, necessarily, but a need for funding for core funding, for executive director positions. When I spoke with people in the music industry, they were telling me that their equivalent music counterparts in the South are funded positions, and they are funded by their governments with at least some sort of siphon to help. Here, it's all volunteer, and as we all know in the North, as soon as that magical volunteer who runs that entire organization leaves, the entire things falls apart. There is no transfer of knowledge between who is left and who is there. People get disgruntled; they get frustrated. I think, if we truly want to invest in our arts going forward, an economy around our arts, then we need to ensure that we're funding the administrative part of that work. I think we would find that would not only increase employment in small communities, it would increase Indigenous employment, it would increase P2 employment, and it would allow our arts and music scene to flourish. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not sure if the Minister wants to comment.

Minister, did you have a comment?

That's a challenging one to solve, Madam Chair. No, and I don't mean to laugh to make light. I suspect most people in this room would not disagree. Right now, the ITI-focused programming does tend to be project-specific or event-specific, whether it's direct under, for instance, the Northern Arts Festival or through the SEED programming that does tend to supply funding for events. Again, ECE and ITI work quite closely in terms of the arts strategy, and we've had some discussions about we have a great strategy. What will we do to ensure that there is the funding to meet its goals? I don't have an answer right now, Madam Chair, and I'm not sure what commitment I can even give, other than to say that, again, we are going to continue to have conversations about that strategy going forward, and the point has been clearly heard, that this may well be an opportunity for economic development, as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Any further questions?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm sneaking in my last one before my last minute is up. This area, when I look at the overall amounts of numbers, the line numbers on page 211, there is a $4 million drop, which is the COVID relief that was given to us. Basically, this area has not increased in budget from pre-COVID times to now. Given that this is actually everything we need to do to more our economy forward and we don't have an emerging strongly plan at this point for us to look at, I am a little bit disappointed and surprised to not see any further or additional funding into these programs, and I would urge the Minister and her department to go back to FMB or try to get more money here, or however she has to do her magic, to invest more money into this area because this is going to actually help us achieve a lot of our mandate priorities, including the ones I was mentioning just in my last comment. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, I think I may be putting my other hat on a little bit, but this isn't the recovery budget, per se. It's the "keep things afloat so that we can recover" budget. This is a good example of that, where a lot of the work that was and is happening with respect to advancing the mandate does happen. For ITI, to the extent that it's happening here, it continues to happen. The budgets haven't changed; they're still there and the work is moving forward. Again, with respect to COVID recovery, I will again defer and just say: more to come on that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am going to start with the Great Northern Arts Festival. I am happy to see that this is still staying here, given that it's a COVID year and it's easy in COVID to try and take out stuff like this, but I think this is such an important festival. It is something that is celebrated throughout the North and very important. What I'm wondering is if there has ever been discussion of actually increasing this line item and taking advantage of the fact that a lot of the world is back on lockdown? I think there is a great opportunity here for us to support our digital media creatives within the Northwest Territories and to take the Great Northern Arts Festival to a more virtual platform so that you still do have people in the territory who are here, who are able to participat, but able to offer kind of a pay-per-use-type platform for people who are around the world, who can participate in workshops and such with our fabulous creatives we have all around the Northwest Territories. Is the Minister willing to actually increase this line item? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. At this point, this particular year, there wasn't a conversation around increasing for the arts festival. I don't disagree that there are opportunities to pivot online, and this funding is still sitting here and available for the support of the festival in whatever form it might be. There have been some important announcements recently from the federal government with respect to creative funding and arts funding specifically, COVID-related, COVID-inspired, perhaps. As we've often done, we want to make sure we're taking advantage of the federal dollars so that we can then fill in the gaps and support them and be complementary to what is available. For this year, again, as I say, this year, this is not changing, but as we go forward and we reopen, hopefully the future is bright. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I hear what the Minister is saying, but I do think it's a lost opportunity, especially when the rest of the world is sitting at home with chequebooks waiting to fill their days with something other than Netflix. I'm going to move on, though, to SEED funding. I am wondering how many people took part or took advantage of the bookkeeping support through SEED funding? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Hoping that she will have the most up-to-date numbers, I would suggest we go to Deputy Minister Strand, please.

Thank you. Deputy Minister Strand.