Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on two events of some significance that took place in Tuktoyaktuk during the month of August of this year. On August 23rd, graduation ceremonies were held for four students who graduated from Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk. They were Amanda Nasagaluak, Charlene Steen, Curtis Wolki and Fred Voudrach, Jr. This event was well attended by proud parents and family members, teachers and members of the public. I know my colleagues here in the House join me in wishing these students every success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, another event that took place was the name change for the Tuktoyaktuk airport. The Tuktoyaktuk airport is now known as the James Gruben Airport. The naming of the airport after James Gruben will serve to acknowledge the skills and achievements of the late James Gruben. Mr. Speaker, James was well liked and respected by many. This was reflected by the fact that the air terminal was packed by well over 200 friends and relatives, including Nellie Cournoyea, chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and Freddy Carmichael, a lifelong friend and distinguished bush pilot himself.

Mr. Speaker, James spent many hours operating his bush plane out of the Tuktoyaktuk airport, as well as the Tuktoyaktuk Harbour. He was a highly skilled and trusted bush pilot who many local residents, including myself, had the pleasure of flying with. Mr. Speaker, as you enter the air terminal building in Tuktoyaktuk now you will be greeted by a life-size bronze statue carved to the likeness of James Gruben. There is also a plaque alongside the statue outlining the achievements of this famous young pilot.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Tuktoyaktuk, I wish to thank the Honourable Joe Handley, Minister of Transportation, and his department for their cooperation in allowing this name change to go forward. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Tuktoyaktuk, I wish to invite and welcome all Members of this House to the James Gruben Airport in Tuktoyaktuk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The community initiatives program is a way of assisting the non-tax-based communities to address local priorities in the areas of families and youth, healthy lifestyles and safety education with a special emphasis on active living. Main street chip sealing program also improves the quality of life for residents in these communities by improving road conditions and reducing dust. MACA continues to work to address the concerns and needs of non-tax-based communities in other ways.

In 2001, MACA provided community governments with support and assistance for monitoring community financial issues. Financial and auditing standards were developed to provide community governments with a baseline for reporting purposes. A community financial trends monitoring report was begun in 2000 and is now updated annually to provide community governments and MACA with the tools to identify issues which can be improved upon.

Mr. Speaker, issues related to land have always been high on the agenda of MACA. To help us better manage Commissioner's land in the NWT, MACA has developed a land administration strategic plan which will set out a framework and provide direction for future administration of Commissioner's land within the NWT. Another tool recently developed by MACA is the administration of Territorial Lands Act system, also known as ATLAS, which serves to integrate graphical and textural information for each parcel of Commissioner's land in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, while this technology is new and under development, it will serve as an important tool for community governments, aboriginal governments and any other stakeholders with an interest in land management.

Mr. Speaker, when possible, MACA shares costs and programs with other departments and governments in an effort to economize. I am pleased to report that through a partnership with the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, MACA expects to have satellite imagery for 25 communities in place by the end of 2003.

Mr. Speaker, MACA has also worked hard over the past four years to revitalize the sport and recreation system in the NWT. We have increased funding levels to community governments and regional recreational associations. We have established regional staff positions to help us better promote active living, sport and recreation. MACA took the lead in the department of an active living strategy in 2002-2003. I fully expect that, during the life of this government, MACA will complete establishment of a new governance structure for sport and recreation. This will help us better ensure an equitable access to programs and funding for all communities.

MACA continues to develop and support programs related to water and sewer by cost sharing water and sewage treatment expenses for tax-based municipalities along with assisting non-taxed-based communities to correct water and sewer system deficiencies. As we undertake this work in partnership with other GNWT departments and community governments, we recognize that water quality and sewage disposal are critically important for the health and well-being of all NWT residents.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that during the 14th Legislative Assembly, legislative change has also taken place. We have made amendments to the Fire Prevention Act, the Consumer Protection Act, and the Real Estate Agents' Licensing Act. More recently, I am pleased to report that the Municipal Statutes Replacement Act is currently before the House. I anticipate that this very important legislation will be enacted before the end of the 14th Assembly and will give our community government partners the tools they need to effectively address current issues as well as plan for the ongoing evolution fog governance in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, this is a summary of some of our more noteworthy programs and accomplishments during the last four years. Programs and funding are wonderful things but they are nothing without the dedication and support of the people who work in this area. Community leaders and staff, recreation professionals and community volunteers make things happen in our communities. Associations and organizations work to advance community issues on a regional and territorial basis. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the 120 professionals who make up MACA's workforce. It is a pleasure to thank all of my staff, both at headquarters and in regional offices, for their dedication, perseverance and commitment to our programs, services and the people we serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak about the accomplishments of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs during the 14th Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, the last four years have been a challenge for all of us. The Department of MACA has risen to that challenge. While continuing to provide both general support and direct assistance to communities through programs and services, we have also managed to respond to community interests and priorities by adding new programs.

A key component of MACA's programs has always been our support for community governments. One of our most important contributions is the financial aid we provide to community governments, which ensures they have the necessary tools and resources to address their needs. Since 2001, MACA has worked on revising our approach to community government funding in order to provide community governments with a workable and appropriate level of funding. We took 10 individual programs, which has provided inequitable levels of funding to community governments, and replaced them with three simplified programs relating to community funding formula, infrastructure funding and request for extraordinary funding. I am glad to report that the new approach reduces the administrative burden for communities and increases community authority and responsibility, while providing greater flexibility to address community priorities.

Mr. Speaker, many MLAs may have heard recently of the difficulties facing community governments in acquiring insurance. MACA has worked extensively with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities to provide funding and support for the creation of the northern communities insurance exchange. This will give our community governments access to a workable and cost-effective alternative to traditional insurance.

Mr. Speaker, MACA is not just a source of funding for community governments. We continue to play an important role in the training needs of community government staff through the delivery of programs from our School of community Government. Since its inception, the school has provided training for senior administrative officers, housing managers, lands officers, bylaw officer training, and finance and public works management. In addition, the introduction of occupational standards and certification for senior administrative officers and other community employees provides professional recognition and certainty regarding competence. These activities demonstrate the department's commitment to develop the abilities for community government councils and employees so that they can manage increasing authorities and responsibilities. MACA will continue to develop and deliver programs as additional. Training requirements are identified.

Mr. Speaker, we believe that our programs must meet the needs of all community governments. For those communities that are non-tax-based, MACA has established two new programs: the community initiatives program and the main street chip sealing program. The community initiatives program is a way of assisting the non-tax-based...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 34(6) so that all Ministers' statements with the Clerk can be delivered today.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to talk today about the accomplishments of the Department of Public Works and Services during the 14th Assembly.

I am especially proud of the contribution that Public Works and Services has made to the interdepartmental team working on the safe water initiative. Public Works and Services, along with Municipal and Community Affairs, Health and Social Services and Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, have collaborated on a number of activities aimed at ensuring that every NWT community has safe drinking water.

These efforts include practical approaches, like inspecting and assessing the water supply systems in all non-tax-based communities, providing technical advice and assistance to community water system operators, and assisting with planning of facility improvements. The department also led development of a framework and strategy for managing the NWT drinking water system which will be used to guide future system improvements. The success of Public Works and Services staff and other members of the team in ensuring safe drinking water is reflected in the test results that are now posted on the Internet as part of the Public Works and Services Web site.

Another important step taken to ensure the health of NWT residents has been the completing of environmental assessments of the tank farms operated through the petroleum products division. As part of our voluntary compliance agreement with RWED, the department has developed a plan for remediation of sites, beginning this year at several locations.

During the last four years, Mr. Speaker, many important facilities have been built across the NWT. The total value of these projects exceeds $164 million. I would like to highlight a few of the projects. Two of the largest and most complex buildings ever managed by the department were constructed in Yellowknife and Inuvik. Other projects, such as the new Fort McPherson water source and the renovations to several schools in the South Slave, are providing services locally. Whatever the program area, the efforts of Public Works and Services staff have benefited residents throughout the North.

Mr. Speaker, because of its broad expertise in construction and operation of northern facilities, PWS has been developing publications to assist communities and contractors in the design and construction of northern facilities. The good building practice manual has been well received by the construction industry and serves as a guide for design consultants. A booklet and checklist on fire prevention in public buildings has been widely distributed and actively used. A third publication is almost ready for publication. That one is called Good Engineering Practice for Northern Water and Sewer Systems. It will serve as an additional building block in the structure that is in place to protect our community drinking water.

On the national scene, Mr. Speaker, PWS has taken the lead in representing NWT interests before the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission. The result of this work has been the designation of the three territories as high-cost serving areas. Southern telephone companies are now required to subsidize NorthwesTel operations. With this support, NorthwesTel has started a $75 million, four-year system improvement plan that will result in a total infrastructure upgrade to their facilities, and thus better quality telecommunications services for residents. We can now expect to get the same basic array of telecommunication services in our small northern communities as are available in larger centres in southern Canada. Moreover we continue to pay for these services at rates that are comparable to other jurisdictions rather than at rates that reflect the much higher cost of providing the service in the North.

Many of the services that Public Works and Services provides are designed to support departments in the delivery of their programs. While they may not be visible to those outside of government, they are critical for the effective delivery of the programs that northern residents rely on. Nowhere are these services more important than in the field of computer systems and data communications. The department has recently established a storage area network to support introduction of major data systems that are under development by various departments. They have also improved computer security by implementing a corporate firewall, virus protection and spam filtering systems. In Yellowknife, a fibre optics network has been set up to handle the large amount of data being transmitted between GNWT buildings.

Mr. Speaker, I have enjoyed my years as Minister of Public Works and Services. It is a practical department, providing concrete services that have an impact on our everyday lives. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at PWS for their hard work and loyal support throughout these years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, rather than go into a detailed answer, I'm going to take your question as notice and respond to the Member in writing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I could commit to having a summary of our meeting that we had with Sport North over the summer and pass that on to the Member, yes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I did have a meeting with the president of Sport North and because it was over the summer the only way I had of reporting back to the membership is through the process I'm using right now, which is the report on what the interim committee has been doing, which includes the representative of Sport North on there, what they've been doing over the summer and what they are looking forward to doing the rest of this fiscal year. Their recommendations to us so far is that we should proceed as planned and have the new sports and recreation council in place by April 1st. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I realize that there are some Members who would like to have more time to review the information that was tabled and I've discussed this with my department as well. Although we feel that the interim committee has been reviewing all the information that they've received from their people that they represent and that they put forward some recommendations to the department on how to proceed and at what pace, I feel that there's still a need for input from the ordinary Members if possible before signing off on this new policy. Thank you.