Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes I look forward to the day when I won't have to be the one considering this anymore and the project is complete, but I will certainly take note of the Member's concerns. There is no doubt he's been speaking loudly and clearly to this particular issue and I will continue to pass it on to my department as a high priority.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has a good suggestion and we will certainly take that forward.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any scheduled meeting dates with the department and Indian Affairs at this point in time, so I can't respond to the Member, but I can assure him that it is one of the things the department has put on high priority, so that we have some kind of agreement on what can be funded this year and how much money is available this year, so we can start to see where this fits into the business plans.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the summer, I had meetings with the Secretary of State for Rural Development and infrastructure, Andy Mitchell, and one of the things we asked for consideration of was for main street paving in communities as a form of dust control. It was believed that it was one of the programs that would be funded under this program. So although we haven't decided yet and we haven't really met formally with Indian Affairs, who I understand are going to be administering the funding and we also haven't met formally with all the communities on this, we believe that this is one of the high priorities for this funding. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Ms. Sandy Lee on October 7, 2003, regarding the Northwest Territories sport, recreation and physical activity system.

On June 10, 2003, I met with Mr. Abe Theil, the president of Sport North, and Mr. Doug Rentmeister, Sport North's executive director, to discuss the concerns that were raised by their membership during the Sport North annual general meeting held May 23 to 25, 2003.

Mr. Theil indicated that the primary concerns raised by Sport North members included the following:

• • The cost of implementing the proposed Northwest Territories recreation and sport board, and the concern that it may take resources away from programs;
• • The addition of an extra layer of governance to the system;
• • The future role for Sport North in the system;
• • The process for selecting the representation on the new board;
• • The consultation process used to develop the recommendation on the establishment of the new board. Sport North members were specifically concerned about the lack of available information on the resources that are available for communities and sport and recreation partners;
• • The important role of volunteers and volunteer burnout and frustration; and,
• • The government's commitment to supporting sport and recreation.

At the meeting, I was able to respond directly to a number of Mr. Theil's concerns:

• • I provided a breakdown of funds that are currently spent by all sport and recreation partners in the Northwest Territories on administration, and indicated that rather than taking money away from programs, combining resources should help free up funding to reallocate to programs.
• • I clarified that the intent of the proposed changes was not to add a layer of governance, but rather to provide a forum for sport and recreation partners to share resources and programs.
• • I clarified that there is no intent to replace Sport North or any other partner, but rather to create the opportunity to allow them to work more closely together to achieve common goals. I offered to consider a mechanism to ensure the protection of existing organizations within the new body.
• • I reminded Mr. Theil that Sport North was an active participant in developing the recommendation for the creation of the new board, and was a signatory to the report that was submitted to me in March 2003.
• • I assured Mr. Theil that the department appreciates the important role that volunteers play in the sport and recreation system, as evidenced by our lead on the development of a volunteer support initiative.
• • I advised Mr. Theil that the department's plans to introduce changes to the Western Canada Lottery Act regulations were designed in part to generate more revenue to support the sport and recreation system.

As a result of this meeting, Sport North agreed to continue to participate in the interim coordinating team process that was set up by the sport and recreation partners to finalize the design for the new board, and to work towards solutions to the issues identified by its membership. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, our communities face a wide range of challenges each and every day and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs strives in a number of different ways to support community governments in dealing with these challenges. To this end, I am very pleased to advise Members of this Assembly that Municipal and Community Affairs has established a water licence contribution program to provide assistance to community governments that are going through the process of renewing their water licences.

Requirements for water licence applications have become more rigorous and as a result, community governments are challenged to adequately meet them. We are all keenly aware of the importance of safe water sources and systems in the post-Walkerton world. In order to limit liability, land and water boards are seeking greater assurances regarding the safety of the overall system. This, in turn, results in a requirement for specialized expertise including engineering and technical services.

Several communities that are going through the application renewal process have approached the department to seek assistance and support. Although communities are responsible to budget and plan for all aspects of providing municipal services, the new requirements have in some cases caught communities off guard when their planning has been based on outdated expectations. Municipal and Community Affairs have assisted communities on a case-by-case basis and, at the same time, have recognized that this is the shape of things to come. Many community governments will face the same challenges when their licences come up for renewal and they must go through the new application process.

Therefore, through internal departmental reallocations, Municipal and Community Affairs have established the water licence contribution fund. Community governments can apply for financial support in accordance with the eligibility criteria that are outlined in the department's water licence contribution policy. Community governments are eligible to receive funding under this policy during years when their water licences are up for renewal, and there is a requirement for considerable research and technical work needed in order to meet application requirements. In addition, community governments will be able to apply when unforeseen measures are required by a regulatory body in order to comply with licence requirements.

Mr. Speaker, this initiative supports the intent of the draft framework for managing drinking water quality in the Northwest Territories, which has been prepared by the departments of Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, Health and Social Services and Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that my department is able to provide community government with this additional type of support and I look forward to working with all of our partners to ensure the safety of the water supply for all Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Mr. Chairman, I am not sure I understood the member reading that out. Could he read it out again, please?

Mr. Chairman, I will ask Mr. Aitken to respond to that as that's a legal question.

Mr. Chairman, Ms. DeLancey is prepared to respond to that.