Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program 2016-2017 Annual Report." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member is correct. Traditional knowledge plays a large part in some of the work that we are doing, and I think we see that all across the Northwest Territories in the Mackenzie Delta, and you have just seen in the news in the last few days, some of the slides that they are having on the river just down from Inuvik. As far as opening a research centre, if the federal government is willing to put a lot of the money into it, and we can put some contribution towards it, we would be glad to look at a research centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to advise the House that the Government of the Northwest Territories has fulfilled its mandate commitment to complete the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic link, a project that will help modernize the economy and enable growth in all economic sectors. The Mackenzie Valley fibre link is an important part of the 18th Legislative Assembly's commitment to strategic investment, diversification, and modernization towards a high-tech future.

The completion of the nearly 1,200-kilometre fibre link brings affordable high-speed telecommunications to six...

Not really. We will just continue to move forward and try and access money, and continue to work with the federal government to actually try and access all pots of this money. One of the reasons we have gone through the exercise, we have gone through in the last couple of years, is to put ourselves in a position where they come to us and say, we have 75 cents on the dollar. Are you able to match it? I would like to be able to tell them that we are, and I think we have positioned ourselves very well to make our contributions to any capital projects, or any funding from the federal government...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I believe we are exploring some of the federal funding pots and trying to get some of the criteria for there to see if the project would fit under any one of those programs. I believe it does, but I will confirm that. If it does fit under one of their programs, there is usually a cost shared. I think it is 75 per cent federal dollars and 25 per cent territorial contribution, but I can assure the Member and all Members of this House that, if we get some indication of some funding from the federal government, this territorial government would be willing to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We can't give him all he wants right away. We'll give him half of what he wants for now, and when we are discussing the terms of the business plans, or capital plans, and that is what I should have said before instead of business plans, then we can make the determination there as to whether we included it into the capital planning document. I am sure we will get some feedback from committee, and we will take that into consideration. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in the spirit of cooperation and transparency, I will endeavour to get that information to the Members before the business plans. Thank you.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

The Member is absolutely correct. There is a research centre in Inuvik. The old one that the Member recalls seeing back in the days when he was going to school in Inuvik, that one is gone now, and we have replaced it with a brand new research centre. We are taking advantage of all the opportunities that are available to do polar research around the world, and that is one of the reasons we are quite excited about the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link and the opportunities that might bring to continue to do more research.

In speaking with the members of the industry, and they talk about the benefits of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We had initial input and an initial round of consultations on the Climate Change Strategic Framework. We are putting a "what we heard" document together, and our intention is that it will be released for external review and more feedback and comment in October. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.