Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we got the question last year, I was hoping that we’d just reallocate this funding to other areas because we have one legitimate request in for this money right now. So we’re having a look at that. But I think as we go forward we may have to take this $168,000 because all the money that we do have, we allocate to the communities on a formula. Then we have this one pot here with $168,000 and it gives the impression that we’re funding anything that’s extraordinary. So we’d like to have a look at this one application we have now, but I think going forward we may have to...

I’ll commit to the Member that we’ll try and gather some of that information, if possible, and we’ll share it with committee.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That’s something that we could look at, but I can tell the Member that from the applications and the money that we allocate, a lot of this money goes to programs such as the Member is describing and we normally have a list where a lot of the money went. I can say that a lot of the money did go to, it actually went throughout the whole Northwest Territories. It doesn’t really have it broken down as to what the actual activity was, but I’m sure we’d be able to find some of that information and share it with committee, but I do know there’s a pretty good balance there. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’ll just touch briefly on that and then I’ll ask the deputy to speak to some of the meetings that they’ve had with some of the interested stakeholders, but I did commit to following up because there was some changes being made to the National Building Code. Actually, to be quite honest with Mr. Bromley, I haven’t followed up on that yet. I meant to go back into the site and see what some of the changes were, but I know our department has been working with some of the stakeholders in getting some of their input. So I’ll ask Mr. Williams to touch on that and I will commit...

It seems like when you go from 86 to the number that we have here, it’s a lot, but if you look at the 86 plus 33 that we inherited, that’s 119, so there are 119 existing positions. So there are 119 positions that are doing the work from AANDC and the territorial government, and we’ve identified, I think, the need for 25 new positions. I’m not sure if we’ve filled them yet but, I mean, we’re going to have to start briefing committee after April 1st to fill them in on some of the direction that we’re going on some of the hiring that we’ve been doing. It’s actually 119 existing. I know 86 came...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member is correct; they are fully subscribed.

With the decline in the CMHC funding, it’s getting awfully difficult for the Housing Corporation to put in other units, so we have to replace the ones that are already there. We have a lot of units that are old and that need replacing. The two units that I spoke to before, we’re doing our initial allocation for the market housing and the money that we had received through FMB and the Legislative Assembly to try and provide housing for professional staff in the community. We’re doing our initial allocation. I think there are a few that are earmarked for the Member’s riding. As well, next year...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mr. Damon Crossman who works for our sport and recreation division and a man that can find you anything when you go to the Arctic Winter Games. I’d also like to recognize and wish good luck to Jamie Koe, who is going off to the Brier, I believe it’s this weekend, and if you need someone to pack your brooms, I’m available. Thank you.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The capital budget we just passed, I think there were two units that were allocated for one of the Member’s communities, and there was an additional nine with the replacement of the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik, so that’s 11 that we have for this year. As well, through the Modernization and Improvement Program, which is a major retrofit, we’ve got 19 units scheduled for the Member’s riding.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today on the Department of Lands’ role in the new regulatory regime in the Northwest Territories post-devolution. The NWT Devolution of Lands and Resources Agreement will bring significant changes to the Northwest Territories. The Department of Lands has a key role in ensuring that the sustainable use of public land reflects the priorities and values of Northerners.

The Department of Lands will support, manage, protect and administer the sustainable use of public land in the Northwest Territories. It will assume land management responsibilities being...