David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a number of supports through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment that help people get out on the land through the CHAP funding, also the Take a Kid Trapping Program that we have. We’ve also got some other programs that we’ve got up and running – Take a Kid Gardening Program, that’s run by the regions around the territory – we’ll also encourage people to get out on the land and pursue traditional-type activities. Thank you.

Again, I thank the Member for raising the concerns today. It is important to note, as I mentioned earlier, that the federal government is looking at a five-year time frame for the remediation. They’re also looking at an additional five years for monitoring, after the end of that initial five-year remediation period. But we have to continue to move forward and seek the means to have that land transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Once we do that, the Member is right; I mean, it has to be co-managed. That’s certainly a recipe for success that the Government of the Northwest...

Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct; we are looking at putting a cable crossing across the Twitya River. The good news is the remediation work will start next summer. The federal government has made a commitment to look at the remediation beginning next summer. That’s a period of approximately five years that they feel that they need to spend remediating the area. There are a number of waste sites, four in particular that were classified as Class 1 waste sites that would be targeted immediately for cleanup and remediation.

The beauty of that Canol Trail would certainly rival anything that Banff...

We do have the Take a Kid Trapping Program, Take a Kid Harvesting Program. It’s $125,000 a year. We also have the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program at $600,000 a year. We also have the Western Harvesters Assistance Program, or WHAP, that’s $15 million a year. We also support local wildlife committees. We also look at the Community Harvesters Assistance Program, that’s another $1 million that we put out there. We do also have a Harvesters Disaster Compensation Program that we run through the Department of ITI, all there to assist people as they pursue traditional lifestyles on the land...

Thank you. I talked of some earlier and the issue the Member brings up, of course, runs across the numerous departments with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Health and Social Services, Education, Culture and Employment, certainly ITI. We have initiatives, the Healthy Lifestyle Initiative, that encourages people to pursue activities and certainly that’s a discussion that we have to continue to have on how to get people out on the land pursuing their traditional activities.

As we mentioned, we have programs and I’d be more than happy to talk to the Member and the other Regular...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As oil and gas regulator, I am fully committed to ensuring that NWT petroleum resources are developed responsibly in a way that creates benefits for our people and communities and protects our environment. I am guided in my decisions by a well-developed framework of legislation, regulations and policies that includes the Oil and Gas Operations Act, or OGOA, and Petroleum Resources Act. I am responsible through OGOA for ensuring human health and safety and environmental protection for all oil and gas development activities such as seismic operations, drilling of wells...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Members for their comments as well.

FASD affects far too many Northerners. As a government, we are committed to supporting people who live with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. We are always seeking out new and better ways to offer that support. That can include working with both Yukon and Nunavut and learning from their experiences. We certainly appreciate the commitment that led Ryan Leef, the Yukon Member of Parliament, to introduce this private member’s bill in Parliament.

People with FASD need access to services and supports when they run into trouble...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Agriculture Products Marketing Council 2013-2014 Annual Report.” Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before the House today to inform you that Cabinet has agreed to begin developing regulations under the NWT Oil and Gas Operations Act that will set out filing requirements for projects involving hydraulic fracturing.

The Northwest Territories has significant natural resource potential that could help create prosperity, jobs and economic opportunities for Northerners and the whole country. Devolution has given the Government of the Northwest Territories new powers to manage resource development. We are committed to using those new powers to ensure that the development of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 27, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill corrects inconsistencies and errors in the statutes of the Northwest Territories. The bill deals with another matter of a minor, non-controversial and uncomplicated nature in the statutes and repeals provisions that have ceased to have effect. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.