Shane Thompson

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have been in communications with DFN and their planning committee, and we have been corresponding through letters on some issues that we are trying to work out. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Like I said, last Monday, May 24th, I did attend the meeting with the City of Yellowknife and the YK Dene. In that conversation, in that meeting there, basically what I believe the conversation, what we heard, was that they were supportive of this as long as it does not infringe or interfere with the Dehcho Process.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The department has been meeting with the city several times this past summer and most recently as of Monday, February 24, when I had the opportunity of meeting with the city as well as YK Dene First Nation. We have a working group in place that involves the city, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Lands, and E and I, and so we are working together on this issue. The department's goal is to have the process document done hopefully this year, and then we will work on transferring the lands in the future. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

As I have tried to say here in the House, it's a three-party process. It's the federal government, us, and DFN. I understand that DFN and the federal government have agreed to this area right now. Again, I am not saying we do not agree with it, but it's about the process. The whole process needs to be addressed, and we need clear understanding of where we are going ahead of this. Again, this is a Cabinet issue, and we are trying to work with them. We have reached out to them in correspondence. The Premier has already met with the grand chief, and we are starting that process. What I will say...

This is actually a very complicated file because it involves EIA, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, and Lands, and DFN, and we are trying to work with them to get a clear understanding of the process, the big process, of how we are dealing with all issues with the Dehcho First Nations. Right now, this is where we are working on it. We have been corresponding through letters. As well, the Premier has already met with the grand chief about a month ago, I believe, or a month and a half ago, to start the negotiations again.

An MOU may not be the necessary document or process we need to do moving forward, so what we are doing is we are working with the municipality to come up with a document that will ensure, as we move forward 10, 20, 30, or 40 years down the road. It's going to meet the needs of the residents of Yellowknife and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Sorry. Thank you, Madam Chair. When we are looking at barriers, it is about trying to work with the communities to see what they want to do, what they want to harvest, and then again it is making sure that we are doing things within the right act, the framework and policies, moving forward. Again, it is about also training some of the staff. It is a mentoring process to it. Again, so these are some of the challenges from ENR's aspect of it. It is about how we work with the governments.

On my other half, it is about the ability to deal with the land. Again, it comes down to our regulations and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the deputy mayor, Cathy Kotchea, who is on her way up to the NWTAC meeting. She is from Fort Liard, and I think it's the first or second time she has been here, so I would like to thank her for being here. Thank you.

I may not have heard the question correctly, but I think we are talking about: do we have money that ENR helps with getting Indigenous governments involved? We do. We have funding for participants that includes honorariums, travel for the participants to engage in meetings, training sessions, and hands-on training opportunities. ENR involves community members in water monitoring programs as much as possible, including co-development of some programs, for example, the fish monitoring program for the Slave River.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes. Does that answer it because it makes everybody happy? Sorry. What benefits? We have a relationship with the Alberta government, and we are able to work with them. We have the ability of first response on these issues. Again, when the quality, quantity, or the biology is an issue, we have to get the information first. We get that information, and we are able to work with the people of the Government of Alberta, to make sure this is it.

We have also been able to have correspondence and work together. I have already reached out to the Government of Alberta and the...