Michael Nadli

The Minister has indicated that there is some cooperation between his department and ENR in terms of trying to advance this business initiative forward. What role does ITI have within the forest management agreement that was reached between the project proponent plus the community in terms of ensuring this business initiative is realized?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I made my statement regarding the wood pellet progress towards establishing an operation in my riding plus the South Slave region. Recently the community of Fort Providence and Aurora Pellets renewed their discussions and negotiations, so my questions are to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. My question is: what level of commitment does the GNWT have in terms of ensuring that the biomass industry has a role in the NWT economy? Mahsi.

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the biomass industry presents a great opportunity for the Northwest Territories. In May of this year, Aurora Wood Pellets got a legal title to 2.2 hectares of land in the Deh Cho, near Enterprise. Mr. Speaker, I've been a major supporter of biomass initiatives. Land tenure was a huge step towards developing a wood pellet plant in our region.

Mr. Speaker, a wood pellet plant would create much-needed jobs and help develop the local and regional workforce. The pellet mill is expected to produce at least 150,000 cubic metres of pellets each year and create 45 to 50...

Mr. Speaker, my question is the Aboriginal Head Start Program surely has amassed a lot of experience and expertise in terms of running program directly benefitting children in small communities. What lessons can be learned from the Aboriginal Head Start Program as Education, Culture and Employment moves forward with the implementation of the junior kindergarten?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I made my statement on profiling the Aboriginal Head Start Program so I wanted to follow up with questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. As I stated, the Aboriginal Head Start Program has been in operation for the past 20 years, and it's a federally funded initiative, so I wanted to ask the Minister: what is the status of the Aboriginal Head Start Program within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No further questions.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just trying to understand the process. At which point would the community be approached in terms of considering whether it could be given to the community to perhaps take over responsibility in terms of maintaining the building? Is that perhaps the last step in the policy? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Department of Justice take immediate action to extend the service contract and funding for delivery of A New Day Men's Healing Program by one year, to December 31, 2017, thereby granting sufficient time for the completion of a program evaluation as well as any subsequent required program transitions;

And further, the Legislative Assembly...

I'd like to thank the Minister for his reply. Recently we passed a motion in this House basically positioning the department to contemplate the idea of an implementation plan to move forward on the JK initiative. How will the Aboriginal Head Start Program be part of the JK Implementation Plan?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the Deh Gah School in Fort Providence, two recent graduates share a special connection. They made their journey from kindergarten to grade 12, to graduation, together. In fact, they started preschool together in an Aboriginal Head Start program in Fort Providence. We've talked about Aboriginal Head Start or AHS here, in the House, many times before, but, to give a brief history, Aboriginal Head Start is a federally funded program with a mandate to serve preschool aged children, providing early intervention and early childhood education to foster spiritual...