Bob McLeod

I like to think that trapping is a success story. We are contributing $1.75 million in assistance for 800 trappers, and I think it’s a very important way to maintain a way of life.

The diamond industry and about 1,200 miners that work and it contributes significant dollars to our GDP. The diamond mines and the mining industry have resulted in the Northwest Territories having the highest GDP for the past 10 years. So it’s very difficult to compare a billion dollar industry to a maybe one or two million dollar industry. But we are contributing to try to make all sectors successful in the...

The federal government recently announced the CanNor program. It’s headquartered in Iqaluit and it has district offices in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Also they do have programs that are operated out of there. The Member is correct; in the past there was ARDA programs, special ARDA programs, and when I questioned the federal government about was there ever any potential for ARDA programs coming back, they said there were already ARDA programs in existence and the funding is going to aboriginal governments. Although instead of ARDA it’s ARHDA funding. So as far as I understand...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend our congratulations to Mr. Robert Alexie Sr. of Fort McPherson and Mr. Glen Guthrie of Norman Wells. These gentlemen were recently acknowledged by the Fur Institute of Canada for their commitment of effort, outstanding achievements and valued contributions in the areas of wildlife management, conservation and trapping in Canada.

Mr. Robert Alexie Sr. of Fort McPherson was presented the Jim Bourque Award for his devotion to the principles of sustainable use of wildlife resources, improved animal welfare, the furthering of indigenous people’s cultures and the vital...

I think anything over three days would require a medical certificate and it’s based on operational requirements. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be only speculating. We don’t, once a person has medical leave, categorize the reasons leaving for being on medical leave. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have looked at those sectors. The Barren Ground Outfitters probably provide something in the neighbourhood of four to five million dollars in direct economic benefits to the Northwest Territories. Similarly, we looked at trapping and it’s very difficult to quantify other than the actual return, plus we estimate that if you had to go to the stores to buy country foods that the harvester provides, you’d probably be looking at something in the neighbourhood of $20 million. So we think that both sectors do provide economic benefits to the Northwest Territories and we try to continue that they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government has been involved with providing support to the trapping industry for many years and when I count up all the programs that we have, we’re providing approximately $1.75 million that we make available to assist trappers, and that’s not counting the $14.250 million that we’ve made available over the past some years since division as part of the Western Harvesters Assistance Program to allow harvesters to purchase new equipment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a long time educator, hockey supporter from minor hockey to old-timer, and also he now has an arena named after himself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Communities and Diamonds 2008 Annual Report of the Government of the Northwest Territories under the BHP Billiton, Diavik and De Beers Socio-economic Agreements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I said, we have a significant number of programs. One of the most successful ones we had was the Western Harvesters Assistance Program where we partnered with all the aboriginal governments so that trappers could make some capital investments such as buying equipment and so forth. I think there is only one or two communities left that still haven’t accessed that program.

With regard to seniors, certainly we talk quite a bit about our SEED program, our Strategic Environmental Economic Development program. We have programs in there under small business and micro business where people are...