David Ramsay

I think the really positive thing about having the training there is that we can get people from the communities to attend the training in Hay River, and take the skills and knowledge that they learn there back to their communities so that they can train and teach other people back in their communities. So, yes, there has been some indication that we will get some people from the communities that want to get the training and take that information knowledge back home.

We do continue to work together and, I think, that’s how we are going to see the play that is taking place in the central Mackenzie in the Sahtu. We’re going to see it move forward because, again, that dialogue has taken place and will continue to take place between government, industry, business leaders and Aboriginal leaders in the region. That is the only way that we can move forward.

The Member said he is walking a line and we do have to walk that line. There has to be a balance on protecting the environment and development. We believe that by working together, we are going to achieve some...

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has some very good staff in the Sahtu. We’ve also modified the pipeline office in Hay River, it’s the Mackenzie Valley Petroleum Planning Office now. They do work now for and on behalf of what is happening in the Sahtu.

We’ve had the Sahtu Readiness Session that we were able to attend last fall. I have made a commitment to the Member that we will look at doing an exercise like that again this coming fall to get ready for what is happening so community leaders, business leaders and industry can get together in one room and try to understand...

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, we certainly have protocols in place when it comes to emergencies on our highway system; however, we don’t have those types of protocols when it comes to whether or not air rescue is brought into play. That is an area that we will continue to work on with the other departments that I mentioned earlier – Health and Social Services, MACA, Department of Justice – on enacting some protocols when it comes to air rescue. But for highway rescue, we do have protocols in place. Again, I’d be more than happy to share those protocols with the Members. We will get that to them...

Mr. Speaker, they would just follow the protocols that are in place. If they come across an accident scene, they’re to alert the authorities and monitor things. Again, if the Member wants specifics, I would be more than happy to get him specifics. It is different between a highway patrol officer… We have a number of front-line staff out on our highways. We have highway patrol officers and also equipment operators, so it’s much different. Thank you.

We haven’t done that analysis on those positions, but it’s certainly, as I mentioned earlier, as we move forward we get the deal done with the federal government on Growing Forward 2 and we put more of an emphasis on agriculture, and we’re getting closer to the devolution deal being done, once that’s complete and we take over responsibility of land management here in the Northwest Territories, positions like that may certainly make a lot of sense for us to have. As to a location, I think I said it earlier that Hay River would certainly make a good case for those positions.

Over the past four or five years, we’ve had many more staff working on agricultural initiatives. They’re balancing their workload with other things as well. I would be guessing, but I would say five staff in the area that would deal with this type of work on a day-to-day basis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the concern over what is happening in the Mackenzie Valley. Certainly the developments occurring in the Sahtu region are significant and substantial. The Economic Opportunities Strategy Advisory Panel has held several meetings where the developments occurring in the Sahtu have been raised. I’ve been assured that the panel will be bringing forward a number of recommendations for consideration by this government, which may include a discussion regarding the establishment of a special economic zone.

As industry moves forward to a positive decision to produce...

We haven’t had discussions. I know ITI has not had discussions as of yet with ECE on looking at putting a component in the schools, but that is a very good idea and certainly something that I will follow up on.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in response to Mrs. Groenewegen’s questions earlier, we have met with the TFA. We are aware of the training that they are proposing. We plan to meet with them again next week in Yellowknife. We are hoping to conclude negotiations on the Growing Forward Fund by the end of this fiscal year, another four weeks or so, at which time, I do believe, we’ll be able to provide some assistance and help in order to see this farmer training taking place in Hay River. We are very hopeful that it will happen.