Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of strategic infrastructure, and I believe I'd like to focus in on specifically what I raised in terms of my Member's statement.
Mr. Speaker, when I raised the issue that the West Kitikmeot region is pushing a project, that it's on the second-tier list of the major projects list, industry -- local industry, even NWT industry doesn't see themselves as part of this sort of important venture that the territory needs, that adrenalin shot in the arm basically to our economy. Mr. Speaker, what can the Minister do to assure that our project -- our side of the project is now either included or will be added to that major list? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains.
Well done, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you. First of all, we're not second- tier, Mr. Speaker. We are on -- we're on the side of the list that puts the major projects office directly responsible for making sure that our project, in fact, gets moving and gets going. We've already met. Staff from strategic infrastructure were in Calgary to meet with the new major projects’ office. The YKDFN and the Tlicho are deeply involved in this project. We meet with them regularly. There's a significant plan that's been developed conjointly with those two nations on whose lands and traditional lands this project would potentially be running, in addition to which is a whole of government, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier already mentioned, we were actively meeting with counterparts in Ottawa, both myself, Minister Cleveland, the Premier's office. So this is actually moving on a number of fronts. And I've also spoken with the city of Yellowknife on this and done presentation last year and an update on this. So, again, happy to have the profile raised here, and I sort of number one would say I think perhaps it's time to do another perhaps meeting publicly with the city so we can get people aware of the work that is, in fact, ongoing on this. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I'm a little confused on the side versus second tier. It doesn't sound like it's on the list of number one projects, and it's not even the -- doesn't sound clear enough that it's even on the second visiting of this particular project. Can the Minister tell us what will it take to get it as a major -- sorry, the Arctic Economic Security Corridor identified as a major project in this next submission? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of people asking the federal government that very question. I'm not the federal government. What we are recognized, the Arctic Energy Security Corridor was formally recognized as a project of national interest, so there was five projects that are in it the first sort of -- if you're calling it tiers, they're in the first group of projects that were named as national projects. That is important for the projects that need to go through the Bill C5 process. Being named there gives them access to the schedule 2 or schedule 1 which changes how they're going to go through the regulatory process. Our regulatory system's different, Mr. Speaker. I don't need to go through the process that's there. I do need the major projects office to get involved, help us figure out the funding, the stacking of the funding, and the way that we're going to fund this project to get it moving. And so in that sense, Mr. Speaker, we are on this list, we are a project of strategic interest, we've got the major projects office involved, and I intend to work with them to make sure that they can get us across the line. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't go at length. My whole statement talked about the shot in the arm of adrenalin we need. So when can that initiative see the light of day where we'll get funding or our proposal will be reviewed for funding on this type of initiative? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's so much happening on many fronts on this. And so what I'm going to suggest is that we perhaps need to do a better job of telling our story on this project here. We were just in Ottawa. We spoke with a number of Ministers while we were there, with Council of Leaders. Council of Leaders are getting the word out. The Tlicho are getting the word out. YKDFN. But, again, there's a lot that's been happening. Both of those nations have gone through elections in just the last few months. Those processes are done now. We're all ready to get moving, and I would certainly like to say that we will get something out publicly about how we're working together and what our next steps are. Happy to make that commitment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains.
