Debates of Feb. 23rd, 2022

This is page numbers 3441 - 3480 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 work.

Topics

Oral Questions
Members Present
Prayer
Annual Status Report on the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2019-2023
Pink Shirt Day
Mental Health Post-Pandemic
Mental Health
Hydrogen Power
Economy
Mental Health
Northwest Territories Health Report in the Tlicho Region
Paid Sick Leave
Mental Health Wellness
Eulogy for Evelyn Krutko
Eulogy for Rita Rowe
Hydrogen Power
Mental Health Post-Pandemic
Housing
Mackenzie Valley Highway
Mental Health
Indigenous Recruitment and Retention
Paid Sick Leave
Mental Health Leave
Federal Grants
Northwest Territories Health Status Report
Alberta Tar Sands Tailings
Tabled Document 567-19(2): Annual Status Report - 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, February 2021 - January 2022
Tabled Document 568-19(2): Yellowknife Catholic Schools 2021-2022 Capital Plan (Amended) Tabled Document 569-19(2): Yellowknife Education District No. 1 2021-2022 Capital Plan (Amended)
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole On Bills And Other Matters
Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Orders Of The Day

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Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for that clarification earlier because I was the chairman for the Impact Review Board, and I've been through that as well, so thank you.

Another question to Mr. Chairman is that now that -- I guess I want to know how's the department working with the remediation portion? Once they identify this and figure out the costs and that, how's that work going to be let out? Is it going to be done through contracts or can that be done through working with Indigenous governments and that kind of thing? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Edjericon. Minister.

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

So depending on the projects, we were working with a variety of options. Again, it's very -- it depends on what project we're talking about and how we're doing with it. We do have -- or conversations with various organizations and governments moving forward on it. So again, until we have a specific site that you're talking about, we look at the whole gamut moving forward. There's a number of options available to us. But I really need to stress if we can work with Indigenous governments as best we can, we do that there, so. But for further detail, I'll ask the deputy minister to add to this. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi. Deputy minister.

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Kelly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So we use GNWT procurement policies for the GNWT remediation work that is ongoing. So there's the BIP policy. I think we're doing a lot of work these days on the remediation economy with our fellow departments of Finance, ITI, and ECE, looking at opportunities for remediation economy for northern and northern Indigenous businesses. And there's been a bunch of work that's been done through Giant Mine that we're learning from as well related to Indigenous involvement in Indigenous businesses and also northern businesses in that remediation project which is very large. So there's a number of different things that are going on to work with Indigenous governments related to the remediation economy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.

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Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess during your investigation and trying to determine the type or magnitude of reclamation you guys are looking at, I guess I'm wondering once you guys determine, say at Ptarmigan Mine, if -- that used to be a gold mine, and I'm assuming that there's probably tailings et cetera and similar to the Giant Mine. I just want at what point do we say that this one here needs to go to an environmental assessment, because to me, when you start reclamation it is a big project, and I just want to put that out there. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Edjericon. Minister.

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

For that detail, I'll turn it to deputy minister. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deputy minister.

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Kelly

We would apply for -- thank you, Mr. Chair. We would apply for -- maybe I'll just take it back a step further.

So we would do work and we do a human health and environment risk assessment and a remedial action plan that would outline what we would do for the site to get it to the conditions that are agreed upon. And then we would get a land use permit. And during that land use permit, it would be screened. And if it was was necessary, then an EA would be called. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi. Mr. Edjericon.

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Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

That concludes my questions. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi. Any further questions from committee on this section? Whoops, Ms. Weyallon-Armstrong.

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Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

I see here in the budget it says the actuals from 395, the main estimates was different and that it went down. So it really -- so for the main estimates for this upcoming fiscal year's lower. What happened, and why is that?

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Ms. Weyallon-Armstrong. Minister.

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

For that detail, I'll just turn to the deputy minister. Yeah, because there's a number of avenues and other lines there that -- yeah, I'll just turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deputy minister.

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Kelly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It went up $8,000 from the 2021-2022 revised main estimates to 2022-2023 Main Estimates, and that's due to collective bargaining. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi. Ms. Weyallon Armstrong.

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Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

With respect to this contaminated site, so how many communities are you guys working with at the moment?

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Ms. Weyallon Armstrong. Minister.

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Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Ronald Bonnetrouge

Deputy minister.

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Kelly

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're working with the communities that are located close to the contaminated sites that we're working on. I don't have the exact number in front of me at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.