Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as per my Member's statement, I have questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. My first question is: other than Lutselk'e, are there other Indigenous communities in the NWT that have informed ENR of their interest to launch programs such as Ni Hat'ni Dene? Thank you.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to talk about environmental conservation in the Northwest Territories and the need to include Indigenous governments in this effort. Earlier this year the federal government earmarked in its budget an unprecedented amount of money that is geared toward environmental conservation; $1.3 billion over five years, to be exact. This investment is reflective of the federal government's pledge to safeguard at least 17 per cent of Canada's lands and waterways by 2020.

Mr. Speaker, it is a very welcomed investment that our environment desperately needs...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in that letter the Minister advised priorities and planning that there is an evaluation process. The evaluation process has various steps. In the letter, the Minister indicated that steps 1, 2, and 3 will begin in the fall of 2018. We are well into the fall of 2018. I would like to ask the Minister if the evaluation process of the unauthorized occupants has begun?

One of the options for unauthorized occupants is to take the government to court, and I would like to ask the Minister if going to court over unauthorized occupation includes cabin that are out in the hinterland, like just the regular traditional pursuit cabins?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I heard what he just said, but will the Minister commit to engaging the federal government, I guess, in support of some of the proposals that may come forward? What I am asking is that we need some sort of coordination at some level, and I feel that the GNWT is in the best position to coordinate these type of programs. They have renewable resource officers, that I mentioned in there, who could work hand in hand with the guardians, who could assist in training the guardians. They could work with the rangers. They could work with the various groups in the...

I agree with the Minister, that $25 million set aside for proposals, I do not know what the end result of that was, but at this point the larger amount of money that has been put forward by the federal government of $1.3 billion, I have had all kinds of ideas for it. I would like to ask the Minister if the Department of ENR is prepared and willing to support additional Indigenous guardianship programs should they become of interest in other regions across the territory?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thought I would take the opportunity to recognize the two people interpreting from my riding, Mr. Tom Unka, who is interpreting in Denesoline and Chipweyan, and Maro Sundberg, who is interpreting in Dogrib language, Wiilideh. Thank you.

One of the items I spoke on during my Member's statement was a program rolled out by the Housing Corporation called aging in place, which is a good program. There are a lot of seniors taking advantage of it. It addresses a lot of the annual maintenance items, and some emergency items. There is enough money to do that, but there is not enough money in that specific program to really allow seniors to age in place. By that, I mean it's not really enough money to make a unit barrier-free or make a unit senior-friendly, and so on. I would like to ask the Minister if they would take a second look at...

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I talked today in my Member's statement about maybe direct funding, direct funding from the Housing Corporation. I have some questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. On Friday, the Minister responsible made a Minister's statement on housing in the Tlicho region. Part of that was striking a working group to begin working on some of the critical housing issues, as he referred to it. I would like to ask the Minister if he is prepared to work with other working groups, like perhaps a working group that covers the communities in my...

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will talk about the possibilities of direct funding by the NWT Housing Corporation to some of Indigenous communities that may be in a position to receive direct funding for the various home ownership programs delivered by the Housing Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, over the past few years there have been various strategies, initiatives, plans, and so on, all aimed at reducing core need for housing across the NWT. One of these strategies was announced last year by the federal government. They are calling it a Northern Housing Strategy, which provides $300...