Bob McLeod

We distribute it to all departments, which it does not include NTPC because there is no businesses that provide that service and it is not our intention to look at other forms of generating power, but the boards and agencies are covered under either health or education. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Not at this time.

We’re proposing $1 million for 2011-12.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Probably four years ago the federal government announced that they were investing approximately $39 million between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories to expand and improve on the broadband infrastructure. Nunavut got the majority of the money. I think they got $25 million and the Northwest Territories got $14 million. This is our contribution to assist with the O and M and administration with the Falcon Communications. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, tourism brings over $100 million in new spending into our Territory each year. Today I will highlight the development of two key marketing activities that will strengthen the Northwest Territories tourism sector and attract even more visitors to enjoy this beautiful land we call home.

Supporting the tourism industry is one of the key activities the Government of the Northwest Territories is pursuing as part of its Maximizing Opportunities Strategic Initiative. Through these efforts, we continue to work towards the Assembly’s goal of diversifying our economy and supporting the...

We have a pan-northern tourism marketing approach with the other two territories. We’re targeting not only Edmonton but four other major Canadian cities so that we can get southern tourists to come and visit the North. We’ll be launching a promotional campaign both on TV and the print media. You may have seen some of the ads that have already been placed in southern papers. I should add, on top of that we are developing package tours that will emanate from Edmonton so that we will get visitors to come to Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories.

Thank you. Because we’re so close to Edmonton, we feel that we have our tourism bureau right here in Yellowknife operating out of Edmonton. But to be more specific, we do work very closely with the Edmonton market through NWT Tourism, and NWT Tourism has developed some very specific promotions with Edmonton as well as some generic promotions.

The specific promotions are we’ll be participating in the Edmonton RV Show this year as well as the Edmonton Boat and Sportsman Show. As part of that, we will be operating a fly-fishing pond and a movie screen, so that means we’ll have preferential...

Mr. Speaker, I recall that, in previous life, when I was involved with the Fur Institute of Canada, there had been a harvesting program or high school programs that were developed so that they could be incorporated into schools and I will follow up on that and follow up with the Minister to see if we could continue that work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We undertake a review of our program and the Member would be pleased to know that some of the communities, when the children or the youth go out on the land, one of the teachers actually goes out with them. For example, in Colville Lake where the teacher went out with the youth and spent two or three weeks out there, so I’m sure the educator learned a lot as well. Also, in the past when we’ve done these reviews, we saw fit to expand our program, so that in 2009-10 we also added Take a Kid Harvesting Program. We find that it has been successful. As we review it, we will endeavour to make it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to recognize in the gallery today Ms. Jenni Bruce, the chair of NWT Tourism; Mr. Larry Jacquard, board member of NWT Tourism; Mr. Gerry LaPrieur, executive director of NWT Tourism; and Mr. Doug Doan, assistant deputy minister of ITI and also a member of the Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee.