Thank you. I'm pleased to present the 2016-17 main estimates for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Overall, the department's estimate proposes a net increase of $4.3 million, or five per cent, over the 2015-2016 Main Estimates. These estimates have taken into consideration the priorities and the mandate of the 18th Assembly while responding to the need to be fiscally responsible. Highlights of the proposed estimates include:

● $5.9 million increase in the budget for suppression of wildland fires;

● $1.6 million for the continued implementation of the Water Stewardship Strategy, including the implementation of transboundary water agreements with British Columbia and Alberta and the negotiation of similar agreements with Yukon and Saskatchewan;

● a net increase of $311,000 for the expansion of the hydrometric network in the Northwest Territories; and

● $2 million decrease in departmental spending.

The proposed Department of Environment and Natural Resources estimates supports the priorities of the 18thAssembly, including:

● collaborating and fostering government-to-government relations with Aboriginal governments;

● improving food security by encouraging local food production, traditional harvesting, effective co-management of caribou herds and other wildlife;

● investing in renewable resources, agriculture, arts, fisheries, forestry, manufacturing, tourism, and other traditional harvesting;

● improving coordination and effectiveness in resource management systems, recognizing traditional knowledge, land claim agreements, and devolution; and

● implementing a strategy to mitigate and adapt to climate change in collaboration with other governments and organizations.

This budget includes a number of significant actions which will help the Government of the Northwest Territories achieve these priorities:

● The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or ENR, will continue to collaborate with Aboriginal governments to complete the next phase of regulation-making under the Wildlife Act.

● ENR will continue to collaborate with Aboriginal governments, co-management boards, and

neighbouring

jurisdictions to protect and conserve our barrenground and boreal caribou populations and their habitat, as well as other wildlife species.

● ENR will continue to support emerging and existing forestry partners, providing essential forest planning, support, resource information, and advice to communities and entrepreneurs on a sustainable development.

● A new five-year Northwest Territories water stewardship action plan will identify key approaches to continuing successful implementation of the strategy by continuing strong collaboration and coordination among water partners. Ongoing capacity building within monitoring and research, concluding negotiations on the implementation, implementing transboundary water agreements and providing expert knowledge and advice on industrial development.

● The Government of the Northwest Territories priorities for conservation and network planning will be outlined in a five-year plan to move forward with finalizing and implementing a made-in-the-north approach to conservation and to continue the work of our Land Use and Sustainability Framework.

● The department will also continue to conduct and support environmental monitoring and research in the Northwest Territories to support and form resource decision-making and better understanding of cumulative impacts on our ecosystem.The department will lead in the development of the Northwest Territories climate change strategic framework which will identify key themes and gaps in the areas of mitigation and adaptation, monitoring, research, and public engagement.

These are just a few highlights of ENR's ambitious agenda to ensure the sustainable use of our natural resources and protection of our environment. That concludes my opening remarks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the concern about PY positions in the communities. Moving forward, we will do what's deemed to fit the ENR's business practice as best as possible and we will continue to look at hiring as many people as possible in the communities as the fire season event moves on in the current fiscal year. We will try to hire more people, as needed, and we will be committed to that. ENR is always committed to hiring as many fire personnel in the communities as we can. I look forward to maybe discussing it with the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In an attempt to minimize the impact of changes to the communities like Fort Resolution, ENR over the last two years, like I've said, has gone to only permanently hiring four out of the five-man crews. The fifth person for each crew has been hired on an as-and-when-needed basis as a casual for the summer.

Upon doing the review of the fire crews for the Northwest Territories, we changed from a five-man crew to a four-man crew and redistributed the resources territory-wide, and what the Member is saying is not totally accurate. We went from 28 crews to 36 crews across the Northwest Territories, and have added additional crews to a couple of communities, I think in Tsiigehtchic and Wekweeti.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the department anticipated this, we did a review a while back, a couple of years, on where we were going with fire crews. Over the last two fire seasons we've gone to basically having four four-man crews there with casual staff hired in these positions. We're still anticipating hiring these two individuals as casuals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Betty and Rocky Simpson from Hay River South. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell the House about a man who has played an important role in the lives of many in the Northwest Territories.

My uncle, Jim Schaefer, was born April 7, 1937 and spent much of his early years on the trap line. He spent the early years of his adult life working for Northern Transportation Company Limited and Northwest Territories Power Corporation, travelling to many communities up and down the valley and east to Gjoa Haven, building generator stations and putting up power lines.

Jim met his wife in Fort Resolution and raised his family in Fort Smith. In 1966 Jim became a journeyman electrician, earning his certificate in Fort Smith, and being only the 11thperson in the North to get his certificate. From there, he started his own business in the early 1970s. Jim was not only a hard-working entrepreneur and a dedicated family man, he was involved in the community, particularly in sports like broomball, baseball, and curling. The latter he excelled in, going to the Canadian Brier twice. Jim was also heavily involved in the local fire department and was a two-time winner of the Canadian Firefighters Curling Championship in his four trips to the national competition.

Mr. Speaker, his accolades didn't stop there. He was involved in the Metis Association, Caribou Management Boards, Hunters and Trappers Association, and youth justice. At the age of 41 Jim wanted to reconnect with the land, and went back to trapping for five years while teaching his children to live off the land. When he returned, he started his business up again, a better man.

He then became Chief of the Salt River First Nation and played an integral role in the signing of its Treaty Settlement Agreement in 2002. He was also the first president of what was once the NWT Hunters and Trappers Association and a committed advocate for trappers' rights.

Mr. Speaker, Jim was a family man through and through, and in the later years of his life, he spent much of it with family, especially his grandchildren whom he loved dearly. He never recovered from the loss of his wife Edna of 52 years, who passed away in 2014 from cancer. On June 2, 22 months after he lost his life partner, he also succumbed to cancer. Jim lived life to its fullest and has left us all with memories that we will cherish. He helped build the Northwest Territories we know today and, for that, we are all grateful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, no decisions have been made on…even if we were going to be building this road, we are still waiting to hear back from the federal government on infrastructure dollars of this road and when we receive those funds from the federal government, if we receive those funds from the federal government, how we proceed will be something that the department will have to look at in how we farm out this contract.

This road is not a subsidy for the mining industry. This road was brought forward by the Tlicho Government and it was pushed forward alongside with the Department of Transportation. And it's unfortunate maybe the member didn't get to read the business case before caucus decided that this was part of our 18thAssembly's in our mandate, but it is what it is. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.