Kevin A. Menicoche

Certainly everybody in the North and throughout the world is interested in following up on alternate energy supplies. I think the key industry for Jean Marie River is the forestry industry. Is there a fund for a sustainable forest harvesting study that the Minister is aware of?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement on sawmills, particularly Jean Marie River. Perhaps I’ll ask the Minister of ITI, as he had the Western Harvesters Fund. Are there existing sawmills that are funded within his department right now or is there a specific program to fund sawmills?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I think Jean Marie River is eligible to access that type of funding. I think the key message here is that right now our government is not concentrating on the forestry industry. I know we have some business planning coming up. I’d like to ask the Minister and even government on the other side of the House to ensure that it’s part of our strategy in the upcoming business planning cycle. It’s a complementary strategy to our Biomass Strategy.

Indeed, the community of Jean Marie River is very excited for the Biomass Initiative because that is something that they are pursuing as well. The community is also concerned about their existing sawmill operations because the sawmill operations are good. It produces the fuel, the need for biomass co-generation, et cetera. Can we look at stand-alone or project-specific dollars within ITI or maybe…I think the Minister is also leading the energy committee. Can we look at something that can take up the stimulus needed for the forestry industry?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The communities in my constituency are very interested in creating sustainable businesses that will employ community members now and in the future. One business like this is the harvesting of logs and operating a sawmill. One example is Jean Marie River.

I spoke earlier this session about Jean Marie River’s desire to operate a biomass co-generation unit using sawdust and scrap from a sawmill to produce wood pellets. The problem in communities may be getting financial assistance for logging and sawmill operations, let alone establishing an innovative and carbon neutral...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to speak in favour of the motion. I think it was a good program. We used to have it before with our territorial government. I would like to see the department try to make the resources available to make this manageable to deliver small community chipsealing program. I think that it is something that our government can do, one little small thing, that will help make lives better in the communities.

Quite often there is a larger chipsealing program going by one of the communities who can utilize that and to take into account the smaller communities. For some...

[English translation not provided.]

I would like to express my respect and appreciation for these language workers. I would also like to support all my constituents who speak South Slavey every day in the community in their home. I would like to encourage everybody to pass South Slavey on to their children and grandchildren. We can only secure a future for our First Nation languages if our children continue to speak South Slavey. [English translation not provided.]

Last week I was glad to hear the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment was advancing the implementation of the Dene Kede...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize Chief Isadore Simon from Jean Marie River who is in the gallery here today. I’m very happy to see him. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. As well, with him is Ms. Nina Firth-Larsson of Heating Technologies Limited. Her company is assisting the chief in the biomass proposal. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was just looking under Fort Simpson. We have lots of major retrofits and they are probably very needed mid-life retrofits, et cetera. But in our infrastructure acquisition plan, I don’t see one new unit, so maybe if the Minister can address the reason for it. Is there an additional plan or strategy that they have in terms of adding additional units to Fort Simpson? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I would like to continue with NWT Housing Corporation as well as the Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. Thank you.