Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 56, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Act?

Thank you, committee. We have concluded consideration of Bill 56, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Act. Thank you to the Minister, and thank you to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 813-19(2), 2023-2024 Main Estimates. We will now consider the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Does the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs have any opening remarks?

Yes, I do, Madam Chair. I am pleased to present the 2023-2024 Main Estimates for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $62.577 million, or 50.8 percent, over the 2022-2023 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the department while continuing to meet the Government of the Northwest Territories' fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.

Much of the increase in the department's proposed main estimates is funding of $61.729 million to complete recovery work related to the 2022 flood in the Town of Hay River and on the K'atlodeeche First Nation Reserve.

Other highlights of the proposed estimates include an increase of $1.375 million in initiative funding. Of this amount, $833,000 is for community governments to assist them in providing municipal services and to fully achieve the Government of the Northwest Territories' mandate commitment to reduce the municipal funding gap by $5 million. There is also an increase of $89,000 for the Deline Got'ine government consistent with the terms of their financing agreement.

The remaining $453,000 in initiatives funding is to provide for three additional full-time emergency management organization positions to provide greater support to community governments and for the department to increase capacity for emergency management activities and support monitoring and situational awareness, mitigation, and prevention of territorial emergencies.

Other increases include $8,000 to support the costs of providing NWT 9-1-1 services in both French and English; $227,000 in forced growth funding for projected increases in rebates to senior and disabled persons for property taxes; and an increase of $15,000 for projected increases in amortization due to the depreciation of new vehicles in Fort Simpson and Inuvik.

Reductions reflected in the proposed main estimates include $507,000 for the sunsetting of one-time funding in 2022-2023 for additional NWT 9-1-1 staffing costs and $150,000 for auditing services required for the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. There is also a decrease of $120,000 in the contract services budgeted to reflect a reduction of this budgetary item across all departments.

These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly and vision of Budget 2023 by meeting the mandate commitment of reducing the municipal funding gap of $5 million.

I look forward to answering any questions the committee may have. That concludes my opening remarks, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you. Do you wish to bring witnesses into the House?

I do.

Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you. On my left is deputy minister Laura Gareau. And on my right is Jennifer Young, director of corporate affairs.

Thank you. Does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?

Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning with community governance starting on page 336, with information items on page 337 and 338. Are there any questions? There are no questions? Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I think this is the part of the budget where we can talk about transfer of land to community governments. And I know that there was some work done to look at how to do this, at least as a pilot or the first one with the City of Yellowknife, and I'm just wondering where we're at with that process. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We are working with the city on that right now. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks. I'd kind of like for a little bit more detail. Like, is there actually like areas identified? Have there been any consultations with Indigenous governments about their interest in some of those areas? Are you ready to sign over title to these areas to the city? Is there a timeline? Can I get a little bit more detail, Madam Chair. Thanks.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you. So it's just not the City of Yellowknife. So there's 65 lots applications submitted by community governments to the Department of Lands in 2022-2023. MACA's working with Lands to verify how many of the applications were completed. The process to complete a land transfer may extend beyond a fiscal year. We also need to understand that we also have to work with section 35; we need to consult with the Indigenous governments. We've also worked with the NWTAC on given the process of what we're trying to work on there, so we're working with them on that. And, yes, if the Member wishes further detail, we also have in 2021-2022 working with Tsiigehtchic, Ulukhaktok, Norman Wells, Sachs Harbour to adopt their community plans and zoning bylaws. This year we're working with 2022-2023 -- sorry, Enterprise, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Behchoko, Fort Simpson, Tulita. Our anticipated continue reviewing of their community plans. Wekweeti, Nahanni Butte, and Sambaa K'e are initiating review of their community plans and land use plans. So, again, like I said, we are in part of the consultation under section 35, Tulita, Enterprise, Fort McPherson, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Wekweeti, and Behchoko; we're also working on those there. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. And thanks to the Minister. That's a little more helpful. Can the Minister just tell us where we're at with regard to the process in Yellowknife? Has there been an agreed upon set of lands identified? Has there been any consultations with Indigenous governments? Is there a timeline when the process might be completed? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. So, yes, the Department of Lands is working with them. So like we're working with NWTAC on this as well. We have reached out to the City of Yellowknife. We're having those conversations. But we also need to do section 35. We're working on the boundary. There is pieces of land that the city has asked for, and we're working on those. I guess you call them low hanging fruit, to get those things -- that done, but there is some other areas that we still need to work on. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Is any of this going to happen before the end of this Assembly? Thanks, Madam Chair.