Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I applaud the Minister for taking their leadership initiative and trying to engage other departments and trying to step away from working in silos. Has MACA considered ways it can help make life easier for people living in small communities so that they don't have to move away for jobs and also for educational reasons? Mahsi.

Recently in the work of the Auditor General's report it highlighted this department does indeed work with small communities. My question is: how will MACA's response to the Auditor General's recent recommendations improve the outlook for small communities?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the majority of the NWT is made up of small communities -- 26 small communities and seven regional centres and two of them in the capital of Yellowknife. Earlier this month, a report on CBC North stated that 2016 population statistics show a decline in small communities compared to the 2011 census. Overall growth of the NWT population remains flat. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, economic activities of small communities include traditional activities such as fishing, hunting and trapping, tourism, and seasonal jobs. Governments and First Nations...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, minor hockey brings people together in communities across the Northwest Territories and Canada.

Fort Providence has not seen organized hockey for children since the late 1980s, but it has recently made a comeback thanks to the efforts of the Parents' Minor Hockey Committee and its newly elected president, Mr. Tim Cragg.

Mr. Speaker, many Members of this House and people listening to our proceedings today have good memories of growing up with minor hockey. Some of us still play hockey, thanks to participation in minor hockey leagues.

Mr. Speaker, minor hockey led...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. [English translation not provided]. I, too, had some comments in terms of some common themes that reflect the riding that I represent.

Just to start off, this department saw a decrease from last year of 1.5 per cent. It is one of two biggest departments besides Health and Social Services that take a big chunk of this $1.8 billion operation that we call GNWT.

Just some things that I wanted to highlight. I know this department is moving forward on the Education Act. In my recent discussion with one of the communities that I represent, they wanted to ensure that, if there is a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the scope of possibilities has widened in terms of how perhaps this department can maybe refocus its energy if the oil and gas industry is non-existent. So I'm just trying to understand whether this department would be perhaps a lead agency in terms of engaging. You know, there may be some consideration of developing at least the infrastructure so that in eventually, maybe 10 years, 20 years down the road, there's a need to access the oil fields and the gas fields that more likely haven't been found yet.

Is there perhaps some consideration of examining the pipeline...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I had some questions in regard to the petroleum industry in terms of I think it's been stated that in terms of the potential outlook for this industry to exist and operate in the NWT, you know there's no prospect of, or likely any form of, activity in this economic sector for the next 10 years. So understanding that, over the course of at least the past three years or so we've seen a fairly consistent decline in terms of petroleum resources in terms of how this department engages oil and gas companies in terms of their activity in the NWT plus communities as...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The other point that I wanted to understand is that there's an increasing interest in collaboration and cooperation in terms of working with communities, and also the management of territorial parks and so forth, but to basically take an opportunity of the growing number of visitors to the parks and it's a very good thing, and so I wanted to understand that communities want to, of course, be involved. So is it critical or integral that communities have an opportunity to develop their local community tourism strategies? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just trying again to understand the efforts towards tourism. I mean, generally the initiatives that this department has undertaken are very constructive in terms of dialoguing with the communities and trying to take an opportunity of the tourism industry, but inevitably there could be the unintentional disparities between the concentration of resources say in Yellowknife, other regions, or the communities. So I'm just trying to understand.

The Minister had indicated at least the total amount for tourism and parks is $5.5 million. Is there an understanding of how much...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Specifically the question I was asking is: what is the total of the number of territorial parks that we have? I understand territorial parks would mean we have day-use areas, we have campgrounds. For example, in the Deh Cho riding we have Twin Falls and parks and then we have Lady Evelyn Falls campgrounds and then we have on the Kakisa River we have a day-use area. So I just wanted to know how many of those facilities that we have across the NWT? Mahsi.