David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We didn’t just react when the tragic occurrence happened at the Fred Henne beach here in Yellowknife earlier this summer. There is a process. We got the Lifesaving Society of Alberta to get involved and provide an audit at both Fred Henne beach and also the beach in Hay River. The report on the beach in Hay River will be coming out later this fall. Certainly, there are a number of recommendations contained in the report that will lead to a much safer beach and waterfront at Fred Henne Territorial Park. That is fundamental to all of this, is we want to ensure that we...

Mr. Speaker, holding both the transportation and economic development portfolios, I very much appreciate the strong contribution that transportation makes to a strong and prosperous Northwest Territories. Transportation has always been at the forefront of enabling Northerners to grow and develop our economy. Never has the role that transportation plays been more important to guaranteeing our future growth and prosperity than it is today.

Transportation infrastructure is a fundamental requirement and an enabler of economic development in the Northwest Territories. It allows an economy to begin...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I think it’s in the department and the government’s best interest to continue the dialogue with the community when it comes to placing infrastructure in and around communities. In this case it would be no different. I think if the community is interested in talking, we’ll be there to listen, and that’s our role and I know the picnic shelter in this case was supposed to be built on the south side of the bridge replacing the structure. But, again, I want to reiterate that we need to know exactly what the wants of the community are and in this case we’ll find that...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’re not anticipating any fee increases this year. For Members’ knowledge here, I should also mention that we’re introducing some regulatory improvements in the parks to allow for greater enforcement of the rules that we have in place there, primarily around the use of alcohol, ATVs, as well as the permitting of vehicle traffic in the park itself, which we think will certainly help the situation at Prelude. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will continue to make investments at the Prelude Lake Park. You’ll see a number of items addressed in this capital plan, but this is only the beginning and the Member knows that we need to continue to make investments that are going to make a difference. Expanding the parking lot, looking at opportunities, we’re looking at the replacement of the marina complex here in this plan, as well as some fencing and railing replacement and also some improvement to the beach area at Prelude. Also coming soon, in ‘15-16 we’re looking at a new loop to be constructed, loop D, an...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today with me I have Kelly Kaylo, assistant deputy minister for Industry, Tourism and Investments.

Yes, I would like to, at the earliest opportunity, get a chance to meet with community leaders in regard to the Willow River access road in Aklavik, and going forward we do have to find a way to get some further funding into Willow River access road program. The community can avail itself of accessing the Community Access Road Program that they have in the past. So that opportunity is still available to the community. We’re also hoping with the new Building Canada Plan that communities across the Northwest Territories will have opportunities for additional funding programs to look at programs...

Mr. Speaker, fundamental to all this is a diversified economy here in the Northwest Territories. It’s great news that the federal government has approved Gahcho Kue, and that will be very beneficial for the territory and the North Slave region.

There are opportunities elsewhere in this territory. The government has done a lot of work in advancing the Economic Opportunities Strategy where we’re going to talk about how we’re going to diversify the economy with agriculture, forestry, fishing and also tourism. This is an opportunity that’s before us, it’s something we can plan for, it’s something...

Mr. Speaker, we have to just continue with developing industry best practices when it comes to developing the resources that we have here in the Northwest Territories. I think that will bode well for us.

There has been a lot of research done on the integrity of wells that have been drilled and fracked. Again, I think it all comes down to putting the facts on the table. I know the United States government has done a great deal of work in that regard in trying to identify any contamination of groundwater from the drilling and fracturing of wells. I don’t believe in a million wells that were...

Mr. Speaker, responsible oil and gas development has the potential to grow and diversify the Northwest Territories economy, and help create a sustainable, prosperous territory. Nowhere has this reality been more apparent than in the Sahtu region. There is a lot to learn when it comes to ensuring our residents are prepared for rapid development, and any development continues to minimize environmental and social impacts. Today I would like to share the lessons learned during a recent trip to the Bakken oil formation in Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

I recently led a tour of the Bakken oil...