Thank you. I'll go to the ADM.

Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you for that. I think it's good to get the word out about these opportunities.

I have a question on commercial fisheries, and this relates to the revenue summary also back on page 230 but, you know, we're continuing to support our commercial fisheries, and we had predicted in 2024-2025 that revenues from fish sales were going to increase from $1.2 million to $1.6 million but last year the actual sort of sort of revenues ended up being more like $1.2 million, and now we're predicting again for this coming year still at $1.2 million.

Can the Minister explain what was the hope in terms of expected revenues last year to $1.6 million, and have we given up on whatever that hope is given that we're back to the same expectation for this year, or what's the plan going forward to try to increase revenues on fish sales? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, certainly last year we had some unexpected things happen. First of all, we had an evacuation at the end of the summer where 70 percent of the territory was evacuated and right around Great Slave Lake. The other part of that is we had significantly low water and so the fishers had a really hard time getting their boats into the water and waited them out for a bit and then ended up actually bringing their boats, some of them, over to Yellowknife to get them into the water or to other launch points because Hay River was just too low for them to get them into the water on that side. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I guess the question is so for this coming here, we're still predicting $1.2 million in revenues which was sort of what it was before. I understand there was many disruptions last year and the year before. Are we predicting, though, that revenues will increase or are we actively taking steps to try to make it increase, you know, barring further disasters and evacuations and plagues and all the rest? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Absolutely, the goal is to see the fish plant generate more and more revenue every year like a business. It is not the GNWT's intention to forever operate and own a fish plant. So what we really want to do is to be able to show that it's profitable and show what it can do. Currently, it is being operated by FFMC and so we work with them in order to understand what the forecast will be, but our goal is to look at some of those byproduct offshoots, make sure that we're encouraging and supporting fishers to get out on the lake, making sure that people are aware of these programs, and making sure that we're continuing to grow the sector and grow the industry. I think that, especially with the conversations that are happening right now across the country about buying Canadian, there's definitely always new opportunities to do some more internal trade and then also opportunities as well that lead us into other international markets too. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So it sounds like we are hopeful that we will exceed our revenue estimates or expectations for this year. I do hope to see that and certainly open to future conversations if we're encountering continuing challenges and barriers on how we can keep improving our fishing sector, which is very important.

I wanted to turn now to another one of ITI's goals in the business plan is to ensure there can be a transfer of skills from mine closure into new areas, and this is specifically listed under the housing priority. So I would interpret that to mean that the intention is to ensure that workers who might be transitioning away from a job with a mine that's closing could then work somehow in the housing sector. Can the Minister explain what the department is doing to try to make that happen or how she sees that pathway working for workers who might be losing their jobs at mines that are closing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we're working closely with Diavik. Diavik has their My Path program where they identify, you know, who the worker is, what their skill set is, and what their intentions post closure are. So some people intend to retire. Some people intend to start their own business. I had the opportunity to sit with a Member from the South Slave -- sorry, with a resident from the South Slave who currently works at Diavik and is in the process of putting their ducks in a row to get their own business started. And some of them intend to stay with Rio Tinto proper and look at new opportunities. But there are some people who are wanting to return to their home community and are not ready for retirement. And so the intent there is to ensure that we don't lose any skilled workers, and if somebody is returning to their home community and is, per se, an electrician or has gained experience as a heavy duty mechanic or whatever their skill set may be, we certainly don't want to lose their skill set or lose them from their home community. And so certainly trying to ensure that we are aligned with Diavik, that if there are people in that situation that we can ensure that we're connecting them with other opportunities in their home community. I know that in conversation with Housing NWT that at times they are missing some of the trades people that they need in order to do maintenance of their units and their infrastructure. So ensuring that we're connecting with people -- connecting people with opportunity is key. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my final question, for Prosper NWT I understand that we are transferring $1.5 million aroundabouts to them, but I also see that in their, you know, statement as information item, they're carrying an accumulative surplus each year of over $35 million. And so I wonder if the Minister can explain why they're not -- why they need to maintain a surplus of $35 million and why they can't use some of the surplus to fund, you know, what the GNWT is currently funding, you know, each year to the tune of $1.5 million. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And, Mr. Chair, I cannot explain to you how much I'm wishing that Prosper NWT was still sitting next to me. But, Mr. Chair -- and I'm going to very uneloquently describe this, but essentially those are their investments into loans, and so it's not cold hard cash, so to say, sitting there in their bank accounts not doing anything. Their role is to continuously invest dollars in northern businesses and to grow those businesses. And so it's not a bank account with $35 million sitting there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank for that explanation. Nothing further. Thank you.

Thank you. Next on my list I have is the Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we've got the SEED funding program, which is a grant program and affords grants to people who are looking to invest in business ventures through ITI. We also have community futures. Now, community futures is a loan type program. And then in -- outside of ITI and Prosper NWT, which is now arm's length, we also have a loan type program there, and they also do have some grants. Like, for example, their digital investment piece is through grants. So there isn't an intent in this budget to increase the amount going to community futures, but all that to say there are different options depending on what people are looking to do. And then the other piece that I think is really crucial here is we are in the middle of doing a review of our community futures program because as I laid out, there are different programs, and there are some programs that have overlap and then my concern is potentially gaps in some spaces, and if as far as -- as not just the funding that's provided but also the supports that are provided. So we're doing a review of our community futures program, and that will give us also some recommendations as to how to improve the program like the Member is speaking to.