Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories released a Biomass Strategy in 2010. It’s time to put it into action.

Fort Providence is the ideal location for a biomass-based business. It is surrounded by forests, on the Mackenzie River, and at the junction of Highways No. 1 and No. 3, only distances from Yellowknife and Hay River where more and more homes and businesses are using wood pellets. Biomass products produced in Fort Providence could be shipped by barge to communities along the Mackenzie River.

Like most Northwest Territories communities, many people in Fort Providence already heat their homes with wood. The biomass industry would complement the traditional economy, take advantage of people’s existing land skills, and offer opportunities for employment.

[Translation] Recently the Environment Minister visited Fort Providence and he talked to people about biomass, from the meeting, in the future how are we going to be able to heat our homes using wood from around the area. In regard to that, they talked about woodchips and how they can work with the people in Fort Providence to possibly come out with a biomass production project. I feel that if there are further meetings in regard to this, it would be helpful. [Translation ends]

Deh Cho region is important to the Northwest Territories Biomass Strategy. There’s a pellet mill at Checkpoint in Jean Marie River which once operated a saw mill. We need to find ways to enhance the project at Checkpoint and get the sawmill back into production. Kakisa, Enterprise and the Hay River Reserve are also interested in opportunities for biomass. We can use this motivation to build our economy on sustainable resources.

The Deh Cho is a region of great potential. Fort Providence could be the biomass capital of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate the Premier and the Cabinet for being selected our leaders.

At the 17th Assembly, as we start defining our

course, pathing out our approach and trying to determine the best trail to take our people forward into the next four years, I’ve heard the Premier speak of working together, collaboration, all key fundamental aspects of ensuring that we uphold the principles of consensus. I’d like to ask the Premier if he has confirmed a forum or a date to follow up on the historic October 21st meeting with the Aboriginal

groups. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize two members of the Enterprise Hamlet Council: Mr. Craig McMaster and Mr. Dean Maher. Hopefully I got their names right.

In my riding we have Great Slave Lake. We have great rivers and spectacular waterfalls. We will have the new Deh Cho Bridge. Highway traffic is expected to increase over the next five years. We have people with strong skills in traditional crafts and art who can both produce goods and teach. I look forward to making progress in all these areas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want Members and the public to know the basic state of affairs in Deh Cho communities as we start our term in office.

Poor housing is a major problem. There are tremendous needs and they vary from community to community. Almost 42 percent of households in Fort Providence and on the Hay River Reserve are having serious problems with their homes. This is much worse than the Northwest Territories average. Many of these houses are under the control of our government, particularly in Fort Providence, so we should be able to do something about it.

It is worth noting that in Kakisa and Enterprise, where most residents own their own homes, housing problems are close to the territorial average of 32 percent. Even that is a higher number. We have to tackle our housing problems across the Northwest Territories.

The population is rising in most Deh Cho communities, particularly in Enterprise. The population has grown 44 percent since 2001. Only in Fort Providence has there been a slight decline.

So let’s move on to education and jobs. On the Hay River Reserve only 39 percent of residents have completed high school and the number isn’t much better in Fort Providence. Compare that to the Northwest Territories average of almost 70 percent.

In my riding, only Enterprise is close, and the employment rate there is above the Northwest Territories average.

We must educate all our young people, and provide upgrading and training for people who do not complete high school. Where education is failing, many people are without jobs. Only 36 percent of people aged 15 or older are working in Fort Providence. It is 41 percent in Kakisa and 44 percent on the reserve, still not very good. Compare that to 71 percent in the town of Hay River.

We have got to create more jobs in our smaller communities. All the issues I’ve mentioned, among others, are root causes of crime. In my riding, statistics are only available for Fort Providence. The crime rate in my community is double the Northwest Territories, which is itself seven times the national average. We can’t solve these problems overnight, but we have lots of capable people and lots of opportunities. The potential in the forestry industry is largely untapped. We could build log homes and manufacture wood pellets.

Tourism is another sector we should focus on in the entire Deh Cho region, which includes Nahanni National Park. Tourists spend about $1.7 million a year. There are only nine licensed tourism operators. By comparison, there are 16 in the Sahtu.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would also like to say thanks and I am glad that I am able to be sitting amongst you to represent my riding in Fort Providence, Enterprise, Hay River. They are the communities that voted me into this position and we have a lot of work ahead of us in the next four years. We also want to work for the betterment of our constituents and everybody in the Northwest Territories.

So I’d like to say thanks that I’m sitting amongst you again. The things that I feel are important to work on and we are all pretty much in the same boat. Who is going to be heading the head of the boat? We have to know who is, who our leaders are and there might be some rough waters for the future, but if we work well together, we will be able to represent our riding as good as we can.

Today, right now, it’s getting to be winter. In the past our ancestors were prepared for a rough winter and gathered food and preserved stuff, and we also wonder where we will be hunting and where we will be able to find moose, and these are the things that we knew in the past as Dene people. We work together well. We also have to think how we are going to be working well together with that in mind. [Translation ends]

…support also at the same time for our issues, concerns, dreams and desires and, of course, needs and wants of our constituents. There are common issues that we need to work on and build a sense of unity of working together, ensuring we all work for our constituents at the same time for the betterment of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.