EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
If we are only going to be focusing on promotion, it seems like it’s more geared towards the smaller communities, but in those communities where they have economic development officers, are they going to be getting any support promotion-wise for those communities that do have EDO’s?
I would like to know exactly what it means when we are talking about promoting the operations and stuff.
There’s the tourist groups that’s in a different sector.
So exactly what does that division do?
Hon. David Simailak (interpretation): The deputy minister will respond.
First of all, on the community economic development officers, there’s an allowance in our budget to the communities to access up to $90,000 annually for community economic development officers.
So, each of the municipalities are eligible for that funding. The municipalities can have an employee working as the Economic Development Officer.
The other part of the question is that the department, when we say promotion, it includes training and supporting the grants and contributions program that we do have.
The Community Initiatives Program that we have as well in the department. Our mandate as a department is to facilitate a process where we transfer some of that knowledge to the local business community as well as the hamlet councils where the CEDO’s are involved as well.
So, it’s not just promotion, it is as well advisory and training.
We’re trying to work with our partners in various agencies to assist with that including Nunavut Tourism, including the Municipal Training Organization.
We do have Program Officers as well that are supposed to be doing some after care and some of the program funding that we deliver at the community level.
So, those are just some of the few things that the department does from the regional level.
What Madame Keenainak didn’t mention was that we do have a headquarters function as well that is based out of Panniqtuuq.
They have a staff of nine people as well.
They are the people that review policies and make recommendations to the department and the minister on initiatives that do come to the department and recommendations from the community.
I consider this department to be one of the more important departments.
At the same time, it appears to be overloaded with a lot of sounding words and catch phrases about economic development but we really don’t have.
When you get down to communities, what kind of training of criteria do these Community Economic Development Officer supposed to posses, or what not, because in many communities, they’re not really equipped to address the small business applicants or whatever those interested in developing something are looking for.
So, could you explain to us what criteria or conditions are put into the Contribution Agreement or anybody qualified to be a Development Officer once that funding is transferred to the community or hamlet.
That’s exactly why we’re now providing, as I mentioned earlier in the day, $100,000 per year to the municipal training organization so that they can provide necessary training to the Community Economic Development Officers.
So, hopefully through that, the communities themselves will have qualified Community Economic Development Officers that are able to work in the community and do their jobs properly.
The other thing that we have is we have regional staff in each of the three regions that are there to support the Community Economic Development Officers in any support that the CEDO’s need and require in order to do their work.
In terms of what’s in the Contribution Agreement, I’ll get my Assistant Deputy Minister to deal with that specific item.
I can’t remember the details but we do see what they do at the community level.
We also have the community planning.
I can’t remember all the details but we can give you a sample Contribution Agreement some time later.
Mr. Curley: I’m not all that interested in the contribution agreement.
I just want to be convinced that the conditions that are put in, really, ...you would indicate what kind of abilities or what not the communities or hamlets are supposed to use that funding for because nowadays I think we have tremendous movements in counseling business and actually developing business plans as well as feasibility studies or market studies for all that matter.
The community harvesting stuff, we can’t get plans if something is not getting marketed, but I know Rankin Inlet does not have a chance if it’s solely based on own source because they have to have various kinds of abilities.
So what I am trying to say is, do they have the basic skills needed or do they go on the job training for a number of years before they actually allowed to operate independently?
I just want a bit of a convincing arguments from your side on the presentation that they are actually serving the communities, to work intensively with the government.
That lack of training was something that was identified and not just why they made an effort to start the municipal training organization to provide the necessary training to the CEDO’s.
The economic development officers also have their association now, but they are on themselves and through that they are also now trying to identify the specific training they need and they are accessing monies either through the municipal training organization or through other contributions.
So that was the weakness that was identified and we are trying to rectify that now by using municipal training organizations to provide the necessary training to the CEDO’s.
Mr. Curley: The minister will recall that I relate it to the two questions, the regional staff and exactly what they do.
My thinking is, if all of this economic planning and responsibilities for developing local strategies are offloaded to local organizations, the community or hamlets, why not also do the same thing with the regional staff and transfer some of these regional operation staff directly with municipal organizations somewhere so that they do have direct supervision in contact and advise that they need to carry their mandate?
You notice a significant difference in professional staff somewhere isolated and not close enough to the community.
You can’t really do a proper business plan or whatever developed for the community without having some other professional advise you.
So has that concept been considered?
If not, and I think that you should also consider that because you can’t really just offload at one huge responsibility to junior officer in the community and hope that the municipal council will eventually have a good economic plan.
Has that been considered at all that they do need more help?
Yes, as I mentioned following that weakness that was identified, and we are trying to rectify that now by providing the necessary training to the community economic development officers.
In terms of the more specific jobs such as developing a community business plan or others, communities are able to access their community initiatives programs to hire the necessary consultants and necessary experts to do those specific one-time job sort of things.
But in terms of transferring regional staff, I am not sure who to transfer them to, but if we were to look at transferring our regional staff because the way the system is set up now, we are starting to find more and more that the CEDO’s, the community economic development officers, are working more and more closely with our regional staff the necessary advice, or support, or whatever it is that the CEDO’s need in terms of getting support to do their jobs in the communities.
It’s an ongoing development.
We’re still working with the CEDO’s themselves and also with their territorial organizations, the Nunavut Economic Development Association to allow the CEDO’s to come to a point where they are able to work professionally.
And that is something we will continue to strive to do.
Mr. Curley: I appreciate the attempt to explain, because it is important.
I am not 100% sure myself, you know, the best training mode is through the municipal training organizations, because again the municipal training organizations responsible for fire fighter training and everything and all the other municipal infrastructure expertise that they need.
Are you not again putting that money into that group and hope that it will really serve the community economic development groups or officers?
So, that’s what I am trying to get at, because I am not 100% convinced that dedication and commitment and really the drive to get community groups established in the spirit of free enterprise is going to be done through municipal training groups.
So, for that reason, I am not asking for the solutions now, but I like you to think it over further and announce somewhere that they will put in place the proper mechanisms to get those skills needed, and transferred directly to the community economic officers.
Hon. David Simailak: Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Yes, like I mentioned, this is ongoing work.
It’s work in progress, it’s something that we will continue to monitor.
If it turns out that the municipal training organization is not using our money properly, although it is given to them specifically to train Community Economic Development Officers.
If, over time, we find out it’s not the best way to do it, we will certainly look at other options to provide the necessary training to the CEDO’s.
Mr. Curley: Thank you Mr. Chairman, I am going to back to where I left off on tourism.
I think that over the years, it’s an area that has always addressed needs and attention and development.
It’s an untapped industry as far as I see it and it uses our natural resources and it doesn’t use up anything, it’s not an non-renewable resource and it provides employment opportunities for Inuit and all the communities to do what they love to do.
They don’t need any doctor degree or specialized training to do that.
It’s something that Inuit do every day.
They can bring someone along with them and get paid for it.
I think the potential is great there, and I will always say that we need to build on, for anywhere to be successful, you need to build on the strengths and I really believe that one of the strengths of our territory is our people.
We need to find ways to capitalize and build on those strengths and I really believe that this area of economy is one way it can do that.
I think if you look at the tourism industry worldwide, it’s tripled in the last 50 years and it’s expected to triple again in the next 20 years or so.
It’s an industry that is very resilient and it has survived through all the different economic climates that is out there.
If you look at places like the Yukon, born on mining and other areas that depended on non renewable resources, they’re switching to tourism.
We have an opportunity here in Nunavut to get into tourism, before we get deplete our non-renewable resources.
Like I said earlier, with funding that’s in there, the minister indicated earlier that there’s core funding and it’s been the same for the last number of years.
So there’s not really any perception if you look at the numbers, or room for growth, you’re saying one thing, and yet you’re providing the resources for that area to grow.
The minister indicated that they are allowed to leverage federal dollars, if that’s out of the core funding or do they have a separate pot of money that they could tap into to be able to do that.
Because if they use their core funding dollars as leverage funding for other programs, then they got to look at downsizing the programs and services that they do offer.
I guess my question is, would the minister commit, I know it’s too late in this year’s budget, then one of the priorities this government is economic development.
The potential is great in that area, so would you commit to revisiting the whole tourism section, sector of our territory and look at some, putting forward some strategy and funding to try and develop that more aggressively in next year’s budget?
Yes, that is something that we will have to be looking at, and starting looking at already.
As I mentioned earlier, we have not, with a MOU with Nunavut Tourism.
Through that, we are able to work much more clearly, and much closer together in terms of developing the tourism industry in Nunavut.
And so we will be working much closely with Nunavut Tourism, an organization that, the industry themselves demanded be set up some years ago and not have government run tourism, they wanted to be in a much better position to run the tourism industry in Nunavut.
We’ve now more then doubled our contribution to Nunavut Tourism just in the last three years.
Three years ago, our contribution to Nunavut Tourism was only $1 million, it’s a little over $2 million now and no doubt will continue to grow as they themselves, Nunavut Tourism, continue to grow.
I’m sure that the people from Nunavut Tourism will be happy to hear that, because I’m sure they’re in the best position to deal with that.
Right now I believe they’re limited to what they can do with the funding that they have available to them.
One of the other areas in here, on K-10, dealing with Nunavut visitor’s centers, there again it’s good to see that there’s some funding in the budget for that, it wasn’t there before, that’s something that’s completely new funding, is that transferred from somewhere else and where are those dollars ear marked for?
I’ll have my assistant deputy minister answer that question please.
Mr. Chairman: Miss. Keenainak.
Miss. Keenainak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This particular one is specifically for the Pond Inlet facility, Nattinnaq Visitor’s Center.
There’s also some funding provided to the Baker Lake Visitor’s Centre, the Margaret Aniksak Visitor’s Centre in Arviat. There are a number of facilities like that.
Previously that was listed under other contribution agreements, one time contribution agreements.
For next year we decided to put that as a separate line item because those contributions were being provided annually.
So presented as new, but we are describing it in more detail so that is clearly in the main estimates for those visitor’s centres.
Thank you, Ms. Keenainak.
I think it is good again that we are seeing some dollars getting put out there to those.
I have been to two of those three visitor’s centres that you talked about and they are quite nice.
It is good to see funding going in there because there are people that go to those communities.
It has been a gateway community to different parks and things like that and it is important that we have a good presence there.
One other area that I wanted to ask is on K-11.
It is on Economic Development Initiatives, there is $4 million there.
I am just wondering if there is anything specific that those dollars are targeted to, any projects.
Or is that going to be basically a pool for groups or hamlets or municipalities to be able to tap into to use as leverage funding?
This money that we are looking at is there to support capital infrastructure priorities.
It’s not so much individual contributions to communities.
It’s something that we are looking at doing, mostly ourselves, as a department.
Potential investments could be natural capital; it should be stuff like building the knowledge base of Nunavut.
Physical capital although this is O&M money it will not be so much for actual physical capital.
There is human capital, organizational capital.
Different areas that we are looking at to support the necessary capital infrastructure that we need in Nunavut to promote business development in the north, to promote industry in the north.
So that $4 million we are looking right now at administering that ourselves, as a department.
If you are going to administer that out, to who?
Hon. David Simailak: I will get my Deputy Minister to answer that.
In addition to the minister’s response, we have prepared an Economic Development Fund proposal that has been approved in principle by Cabinet.
We have identified priority areas, mining, fisheries, arts and crafts and tourism are the priority areas that the Government of Nunavut would looking at investing the $4 million.
We are also anticipating and proposing to use the $4 million as our leverage to again whatever Economic Development funding we get from the $90 million that has been announced by INAC.
So it is our leverage as well toward some of those initiatives that have been identified under that proposal.
The minister indicated earlier that we have been having meeting both at his level, the minister level, and the Deputy Minister level to try and come up with a common approach to delivering the economic development initiatives in Nunavut.
This $4 million will go towards that as well as a primary focus.
Again, there was a letter that was written to the Members of the Legislative Assembly by our Minister advising them of this proposal and requesting comments on it earlier in January.
So, that’s the same one that we’re advancing and there was a listing of projects there identified.
Some of them would be ready to go.
Some of them would have to go through feasibility and studies like that being we entertain some of those projects. Some of the concerns that INAC had was they didn’t want to go into fiscal capital inequities because some of the projects, as I said would require some feasibility studies, some would require engineering studies and some require environmental studies.
So, we have to be in a meeting with the INAC officials in the next two weeks to determine what those priorities are. They would work together on with the Government of Nunavut.
I would like to thank the Deputy Minister for clarifying that.
I just want to ask, as he indicated this $4 million is going to tie into leverage funding for $90 million that we’re getting from the federal government.
Out of this $4 million is he indicating that the majority of this they want to use towards things like feasibility studies and engineering studies or was it the opposite.
I’d like to get that clarified.
Hon. David Simailak: I’d like to have my Deputy Minister answer that.
What I was suggesting was the list that we provided to INAC includes some Capital Infrastructure Projects in there.
Their concern was some of those projects may not be doable next year or within the next four years because of the requirements that feasibility studies have to be done or engineering studies have to be done or environmental assessments have to be done.
So, putting that aside, on that list, there is some projects there that might be doable next year or within the next two years or four years that we can certainly discuss and do an implementation plan on those projects is what they’re suggesting.
Those are the discussions that we’re having right now with INAC officials.
The proposal that the Minister has been advancing is a total investment of $60 million by the Government of Nunavut over 4 years but we can only speak for $4 million because that’s what’s being discussed here.
Any additional money towards the proposal would have to go through this process again next year.
I thank Mr. Campbell for clarifying that.
My next question deals with economic development and one of the things that the minister had indicated that they want to be doing or working on doing is implementing Economic Development Strategy that joint strategy between the government and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc and some of the initiatives identified in there.
As you know and I know the minister knows that for many years now I’ve been involved in a push to try and get community financial institutions in place in Nunavut communities.
I really believe this has to happen.
We’re not going to see, I don’t believe any of the major chartered banks going into communities.
It’s not worth it for them.
They don’t care about, their corporate culture is centred in Toronto and they just look at numbers and the Bank of Montreal is a perfect example of that.
They pulled out of here because they weren’t making enough money.
I know, I asked the Minister earlier on about the progress that the department is making in looking at community based financial institutions.
Could you further clarify where things are at with that in that division in his department?
In terms of advancing this idea, as a department, as a minister, as I mentioned in the House, a number days ago, it’s something that’s one of my own personal priorities.
As you say it’s something that’s drastically needed in Nunavut.
As mentioned in the House number of days ago, it’s something that I’ve been working on, aside from the work that Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated is doing with Atuqtuarvik, they are doing their own work on the file.
I have been meeting with people in Toronto, Credit Union, Central Ontario, in fact they’re interested in coming up here again to meet with me and also to meet with some local people that are interested in starting up a Credit Union movement in Nunavut.
So they’re very interested in coming up here and will be coming up very soon.
So hopefully that will lead to more discussions with those local groups and with other groups across Nunavut that is interested as well.
So hopefully that their trip up here will result in movement on the file.
I’m very pleased to hear that and you know I think as a minister’s predecessor in this Assembly would always used to say is that it’s no secret that the banks are making millions of dollars.
A community, Nunavut based Credit Union system.
We can make that money and keep that money in Nunavut.
I think that’s one thing that we always try and strive for, try and find ways to keep those dollars as much, as many times in Nunavut, it could be an organization that is owned by Nunavummiut whether they are by Inuit or non-Inuit, everyone’s a member.
So I think that’s another big plus for that.
My question to the minister is if they come and they are very interested and the local groups meet with them and they’re looking at things.
Would the minister commit to doing what he can within the fiscal restraints of his department and staff to try and help facilitate and ensure you, that if the goal is there, the desire is there from all sides to do what he can to make it happen so that we can finally see community-owned financial institutions in Nunavut, Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Chairman: Thank you, Tootoo.
That would depend entirely on how those discussions go, between myself and the group and also between the group and the local interest group and also with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.
Who knows maybe it’s something that’s very doable.
Maybe it’s something that Credit Union Central Ontario would want to do on their own with a north, Nunavut group or maybe with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated or Atuqtuarvik or local groups, I don’t know what the make up would be.
My department would certainly do whatever it can to support those developments.
Chairman(interpretation): Mr. Tootoo you have no more time, Mr. Curley.
Mr. Curley: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to speak on that as well.
I just want to at least also bring a word of caution of the commitment that may be hard to really put into place. If you look at the financial markets, the profit criteria /goal of these financial institution is obviously to transfer the shareholders to the Nunavut, and I’m not hundred percent sure it’s all that easy to establish a Credit Union because it’s not only about lending and earning interest, you have to set up an insurance fund probably double the size of your portfolio and who is going to invest into that insurance fund.
That was the reason why many of the groups like NTI, and the Credit Union that are prepared to take on the existing one, because the market for establishing customers up here is still quite low in that respect.
You have an institution is providing that service, eventually we’ll catch up with the market, but our market is still quite small.
I want to put a word of caution into this thing, because we can be appearing to say yes we will have a Credit Union but at the same time, who is going to put up the risk and set up an insurance fund that is required by the federal regulations.
And yes, that’s exactly why it would be the experts, the credit unions centrals themselves that would be the lead on this file.
My department will be there just to provide whatever support we can, if that file is to move forward.
They’re the experts, I’m not.