Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks to the Minister for that response. During our review of the departmental budget in Committee of the Whole last year, I asked if we could have some folks go over there to take a look at the site for any potential environmental liabilities. Can the Minister tell this House whether, indeed, there was a visit to the site and what kind of environmental liabilities were found? Can he make that report public because it would have to be disclosed to any potential buyers?

Merci, monsieur le President. It was a difficult call today, but I guess I have to go with some questions on Mactung. These will be questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. When he was down in Vancouver for the Roundup Mining Conference, did he put all of his colleagues to work and have a big sign saying "Mactung for sale" on the GNWT booth down there? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

Merci, monsieur le President. We all know of the terrible environmental and financial legacy left by the Giant Mine here in Yellowknife. I'm here today to deliver some good news. The Giant Mine Oversight Board recently officially opened its storefront office here in Yellowknife on Franklin Avenue. This board is the public face of an independent environmental watchdog on the Giant Mine Remediation Project. It is set up under a legally binding environmental agreement among the following:

The Yellowknife's Dene First Nation;

North Slave Metis Alliance;

City of Yellowknife;

Alternatives North;

Gove...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. It doesn't sound like there is going to be one meeting where everybody is in the same room. I will try it one more time: how can the Minister say that junior kindergarten is going to be fully funded by GNWT when there are still these two outstanding issues, whether there is going to be inclusive funding for junior kindergarten students and the busing issue has not been resolved? How can the Minister say that it is fully funded? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Can the Minister tell us, this magical mystery meeting of ECE staff and the education authority chairs, has this actually been scheduled? What is the date of this meeting?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer from the Minister. Great that it has been shared with this House, but can he make this report public? It would obviously have to be disclosed to any potential buyers for the site. What are the actual financial liabilities associated with the environmental issues with the property? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks for the response. Is there actually a plan to sell this property? The folks on this side of the House have not seen anything. Is there a plan? Is there a sale price? What is going on with this property? Can the Minister tell this side of the House what is going on?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to my colleagues. I also want to salute the work of the Independent Environmental Monitoring Agency, the environmental watchdog on the Ekati Mine that served as a model for what was negotiated for Giant Mine. That agency was established in 1997 and has a stellar reputation for technical oversight and working with communities. Perhaps these two oversight bodies, the Giant Mine Oversight Board and the Independent Environmental Monitoring Agency, might prove to be examples for what can be done for the remediation of Norman Wells.

We in the North have developed...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Tyler Dempsey. He's the assistant manager of the Northern Frontier Visitor Centre. Staff there are very helpful. They offer a fantastic service. I'm not sure if she's there or not. I think Tracy Therrien might be up there. I can't see her. She's the manager, and I want to salute and congratulate them on all the fantastic work that they do. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. In my Frame Lake riding lies the heart of tourism service in our capital. The Northern Frontier Visitors Centre is a physical presence and is an online and on-call resource for tourism. The centre is the heartbeat of tourism for Yellowknife.

Just look at the numbers. In 2016, 55,233 people visited the centre. This is a visitation increase of more than 400 per cent from 12,230 visits recorded in 2015. The centre mailed out information packages to 7,402 customers last year. Website visits totalled 155,000 hits. The airport gift shop run by the Northern Frontier...