Alfred Moses

Thank you. I know I’ve asked questions in the House at one time or another about the need to invest more into our traditional economy and into our harvesters throughout the Northwest Territories, especially up in some of the regions where we did have some development going on and possibly some work that has been going on in terms of having some of the animals migrate in different routes than they used to. In some cases our hunters and trappers have to travel further now to get either fur or to get the animals that they’re hunting. That needs to be addressed.

We do forced growth in a lot of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a couple of news reports here. The first one is from Northern Journal, October 27, 2014, and it’s entitled “Cultural resurgence at core of the Dechinta studies – all women cohort attends fall semester out on the land.”

The second one is from the Globe and Mail, entitled “Learning from the land in the North,” and it’s referencing the work that Dechinta University has done as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, 90 percent of the alumni go into the NWT labour force. I made a comment yesterday about the NWT Labour Force Framework.

Will the Minister work with Dechinta University and work with our alumni to get them into the labour force within the Northwest Territories as well as create jobs in our small communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m glad to hear discussions are in the works and moving forward. I haven’t seen government work so hard in terms of education and developing this Education Renewal and Innovation, working with Aurora College and making changes in our education system. We’ve done a lot of work in the last three years. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I’m looking at ways we can move forward.

We have already got a very unique university looking at unique ways to educate our people. One of my colleagues mentioned Canada not having a university. When we met with the Norway ambassadors for NWT Days, they mentioned...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are joined here today with some individuals that graduated the Dechinta program, Dechinta alumni, as well as staff, and I’d just like to take the opportunity to recognize all those who have gone through the program: Ms. Cheryl Mandeville, Savannah Lantz, Justina Black, Rebecca Grooms, Charlotte Overvold, Trisha Smith, Mandee McDonald, and some of the staff as well, and Jimmy Billard and Erin Freeland-Ballantyne.

Just to note that of the 100 percent completion, 49 percent of those individuals pursue further education post-secondary, 57 of them are employed and 90...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start off by saying that was nice to see the NWT Teachers’ Association set up their display and their meet-and-greet in the Great Hall this morning. They do it every year to talk about the successes and the great work of their educators.

I’d like to recognize all the educators throughout the North, but take this opportunity to recognize a certain group that does extraordinary work, and that’s the staff at the Dechinta Bush University. They have taken a very unique approach in promoting our traditional knowledge, culture and education throughout the Northwest...

Thank you for the explanation. Also, I know that discussions have already been going on in the communities. Just referring back, because we don’t have the report in front of us so we have to go by what has been quoted in some of the papers, it talks about some of our experts who have been in the field a long time, stating that in some of the cases a personal opinion is that this is going to be a fairly dry season, if not drier than last year. As I mentioned in briefings before, I’ve talked to people in the fire suppression division and they’re saying the same things.

It’s also mentioned here...

I appreciate the response. I think that’s something that really seriously needs to be looked at in terms of increasing the incentives and the grants to our harvesters because they are spending a lot of money and I’m not sure what their return on investment is for going out on the land.

I just want to speak to this Energy Efficiency Incentive Program. I know we talked in the House about that Net Metering Program kind of developed about a year ago today I guess. For businesses, the Net Metering Program is limited at five kilowatts and it’s not feasible for some businesses to invest in their own...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t have a whole lot to add in terms of what other Members had said yesterday, but just a couple of comments.

I’m really glad to see the investment in the traditional economy programs. I know that some of our residents who used to work in some industries that used to be up and running and don’t have that opportunity anymore because the economy is pretty slow have looked at going into the traditional economy, whether it’s harvesting or trapping, and even though the investment is there, I’m not too sure how much of it is new dollars. I won’t get into the detail as we’ll...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 36, Health and Social Services Professions Act, and wishes to report that Bill 36 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted.