Wally Schumann

A lead person within the Department of Transportation will be developing an opening ceremony and will be working in conjunction with the communities, with the other GNWT departments, and with the Government of Canada to ensure adequate input is received from all stakeholders. We are anticipating having a concept and preliminary plan for the grand opening later this summer in 2016.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to go back to the department and find out exactly how we are going to track this stuff. I will share that information with the Member as soon as I can get that information to him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker

Thank you, Ms. Speaker. The department is working on the Conservation Net Reduction Plan to bring forward towards this House here during this session. Hopefully we’re going to bring forward our new strategy and Conservation Action Plan. These two questions that he’s proposed to me are both related to the conservation area that he’s referring to. The woodland caribou has a strategy that we’re developing right now with our Aboriginal partners and collaboratively with all people, user groups, and that. I’m glad to say that the working group has worked on a plan and we’re expecting to release that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think that this is another initiative that the department’s bringing forward and it’s working its way through the system. I think this is something we would gladly bring to committee on a briefing and have a good discussion with everyone and get them up to speed on where we’re at, so we’ll offer that too. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the Member’s correct.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A couple things I guess. We’re not reopening negotiations. All what happened was this process was put on pause during the 17th Assembly for the election. What we’re doing is going back through the process and bringing this back to open the box back up and essentially to get things going again. It’s not like we’re re-negotiating. What we negotiated already we’re just… The process was put on pause and now we’re re-engaging with the stakeholders. One thing I’d like to suggest maybe is we can offer a briefing to committee on this whole process and then everyone can ask as...

The Pine Point site falls under the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. ENR works closely with all other departments. Related to this land use it would be the Department of Lands and ENR. Under ENR we’d have a water licence and all these things are monitored adverse to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. Back to the federal government, if it’s a federal government responsibility and we’re still trying to figure out how that’s working with devolution. The remediation plan will have to be coming probably from the federal government; no different than other federal sites.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to check with the federal government if this is part of the devolution final agreement on contaminated sites and get back to the Member where that’s at if it’s part of devolution.

I would have to get back to the Member on that particular issue. I’m not quite certain how they’re linked together. In the land use plan there’s a Territorial Land Use Plan Strategy and the Deh Cho has their process for their protected areas as well. I’d have to get back to the Member on that.

Thank you, Ms. Speaker. As I’ve said, we are moving forward with the conservation network planning for the NWT. Hopefully within this session we’re going to be tabling Healthy Land, Healthy People NWT Conservation Area Action Plan 2015-2020. Within that strategy it’s going to have an engagement section and we want to get going on all these areas that were put forward as soon as we can once this is brought to the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.