EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I understand his question about this funding search. The funding was going to be identified by the (interpretation ends) New Building Canada Fund and the Airport Capital Assistance Program, (interpretation) which I believe he is asking about.
At this time, so I won’t have to request a new witness, I can respond briefly. We are still anticipating a response in the upcoming few months in the short term when the federal government presents its budget. We have expectations and we would hope that funding will be provided to the northern projects that we could apply towards.
That is all I can respond with. After the federal budget presentation, we will be working with them on our options.
Moving on, if I have time, the Inuit Training Fund, I think I can ask under this branch.
In your business plan on page 218 it has the Inuit employment targets and it shows the different categories up to senior positions.
However, in the (interpretation ends) senior management (interpretation) that I don’t quite grasp, as of September 30, 2016, there were 11 positions, but as of March 31, 2018, there were only 10... .
Oh, okay. I apologize.
There are two categories here, for example, middle management positions and professional positions. The figures indicate a drop of two positions.
What is the reason for the reduction of the two positions?
We had an employee in that position under the (interpretation ends) Energy Secretariat (interpretation) that was transferred to another government department. That is the reason why that number fell.
Within the same business plan specifically on page 219... . Thank you for identifying why the numbers fell.
However, within your plan you have an internship program for Inuit, which is the Sivuliqtiksat program, the summer student employment program, and the Hivuliqtikhanut Program in place.
Do you have any positions filled with Nunavut beneficiaries? As an example, for these higher management positions, have you done any research into doing that?
There are quite a number of programs the member referenced that apply to the whole government, such as the Summer Student Employment Equity Program, which my department is trying to improve. In 2015 we had 16 Inuit working for us and we have commenced our plans for recruiting more students.
They can also take training at the higher level. This will be reviewed with that in mind.
Mr. Joanasie, any more questions?
Another item relates to the various programs within government that are specific to employment training.
However, there are other outside scholarships, such as airline engineering or pilot training.
I noted that on page 220 it references the (interpretation ends) Aviation Scholarship (interpretation) Program specific for students. I suppose you have tried to recruit Inuit beneficiaries in the program.
My question is: has this scholarship been utilized by Inuit?
We provide funding for the Aviation Scholarship Program.
There were five students last year. We’re now starting to expect a change because it’s usually around $30,000 that they can apply for their funding. Also the Aviation Scholarship Program is primarily aimed at pilot training.
There were Inuit who received $5,000 for the 2015-16 school year.
Now we’re starting to consider an increase to the program funding. I believe that up to $7,500 can be approved.
We could allocate the funding for a fewer number of students, not just for pilot training. It could include administrative training at the airlines.
How can I say it in Inuktitut? I’m sorry. I don’t think I said it properly in Inuktitut.
I think it would be called (interpretation ends) aviation management (interpretation) in English. The funding can be approved for air cadet training, which I believe is done through flight simulation.
On page 199 of the business plan, the second-last bullet, you talk about “Complete planning work for remediation and removal of decommissioned airport buildings in Qikiqtarjuaq, Coral Harbour, Nanisivik, Sanikiluaq and Resolute Bay.”
I’m wondering if you can give us an update today on where we are with this particular project.
Minister Ell-Kanayuk, if you can’t respond to the member right now, I know that the member can wait until we go to that page, but if you can respond to the question, I’ll allow you. Minister Ell-Kanayuk.
With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would have to bring in a different witness. If you can’t wait for that page, then we can do that.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Ell-Kanayuk. (interpretation ends) Mr. Rumbolt, it’s your choice.
If you absolutely must have the answer this evening, the minister asked to bring one of her staff.
Mr. Rumbolt, give me direction, please.
No, I’ll wait for that particular line item.
Chairman: Thank you for that clear and precise direction.
I’m not sure now if I could ask these questions either.
We’re following the business plan under K-4. I believe that’s what we’re on. We’re following the business and here, for example, I would like to ask questions about community transportation initiatives.
I don’t know if I can ask that or should I wait now.
I would also like to ask questions about responsible development and about the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
I’m not sure what I should be doing.
I give it back to you to decide, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Minister Ell-Kanayuk, I believe Ms. Angnakak would like to ask questions on page K-4 of your main estimates.
If you can bring in another official, we could do that right now because she would like to ask questions on page K-4.
Minister Ell-Kanayuk, please respond.
It seems like we can respond to the member’s questions without changing officials.
Chairman: Thank you for that clear and precise answer.
Under Community Transpiration Initiatives it says here in your business plan on page 197 that it “supports communities to develop local transportation facilities and infrastructure to connect communities to each other, natural resource development opportunities and traditional livelihood activities.”
That’s a whole lot of different things you just put in one together. The budget was increased from $1.5 million to $4 million. Can you elaborate what you are trying to do here and what is the goal?
We’re trying to increase the funding line item under Community Transportation Initiatives in 2017-18 to $4 million and it will increase by $2.5 million if you approve it.
We want to review a number of programs under this.
As I stated earlier, this fund has been heavily tapped by a majority of the communities.
I also tabled a document a few days ago for community transportation in 2016-17. On page 11 it elaborates the funding at the community level.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Chairman, the program will allow communities to decide for themselves which projects provide the best use of government funds.
Communities do have challenges that must be overcome in order to complete their projects as proposed, including short construction seasons, limited equipment, limited access to engineering expertise, and limited funding.
The program is to attract infrastructure and investment. Furthermore, the communities can use this fund to enable them to increase their road and marine inventories in a shorter time frame.
I might ask a few more questions on that later on when we get into the next couple sections over.
The other question I have, let me just find it.
You say on page 199 that you want to “Coordinate activities to promote economic growth through responsible development across all sectors and continue to promote a regulatory regime that will attract responsible resource developers.”
In your business plan the status on that is that you continue to work with regulatory agencies.
I’m wondering if you can give us an example of what you’re doing to achieve this goal.
I think I can respond to that question, but I would like to refer it to my Assistant Deputy Minister, Mr. Bernie MacIsaac.
Chairman: Mr. MacIsaac.
Mr. MacIsaac: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
What that section refers to is attracting investment to the territory. One of the key criteria that investors look at is how smooth and how easy is it for a proponent to move their way through the regulatory system.
The Government of Nunavut, through EDT and also through other departments, participates in all major project reviews through the Nunavut Impact Review Board and the Nunavut Planning Commission.
I’ll probably be asking more questions on that later on when we get to the other sections.
I would like to ask a question now on the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation.
One of the things that stood out, you have a budget of $700,000, but in your description on page 198 of the business plan there are a whole lot of things that are going happen with that $700,000. “...a combination of accessible finance and micro-financing support for higher risk Nunavut businesses. Included in this financing are term loans, loan guarantees and contract security bonding to enterprises that cannot obtain the necessary finances from other traditional...”
That seems like a lot to go into that $700,000.
Is it normal or reasonable to expect all of that from that kind of funding?
I see it hasn’t increased.
Has there been any demand to increase that amount?
The Nunavut Business Credit Corporation has been about the same. It has increased by about $100,000.
That provides for them to increase their corporation’s outreach activities. The business credit corporation currently is able to function through the interest from the loans that they provide.
What’s their core funding use out of that $700,000?
The $700,000 is provided to them. It’s mostly for salaries and their office.
I don’t think I understood her question perhaps, I mean her answer.
I understood my own question. My question was: out of that $700,000, how much of it is used for their core funding versus all these other things like term loans, loan guarantees, and that? It’s kind of what I was looking for.
With your permission, I’ll let Ms. Rowe answer that as she has been there before.
Mr. Rowe: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The $700,000 is their core funding.
They use that to enhance their spending because the interest on their loans isn’t enough to support them fully yet.
The $700,000 goes towards activities they do. It was increased by $100,000 to help them with community outreach. The $700,000 is just really a portion of the money they use for operations.
The description here basically talks about everything that the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation does. We’re just giving $700,000 towards those activities.
As I understand it, the $700,000 is used for the core funding for salaries, O&M, and everything else.
All these other things like term loans, loan guarantees, and everything are actually funded through a different source.
Is it the $1 million funding that they get to provide loans?
I don’t know. Can you clarify that, please.
If I don’t answer this properly, I can ask Ms. Rowe to attempt after myself.
They have a portfolio of over $20 million in loans across the territory and the growing private sector, fulfilling the financial needs of entrepreneurs who require between $250,000 and $1 million in loans or guarantees from the way they do their loans.
I understand that the $1 million is the limit they can actually loan out.
In your business plan just the word “included in this financing” it says, so it led me to believe that the $700,000 did all of that too. Just the way it was worded, it was a little bit confusing.
That’s all from me. (interpretation) That’s just a comment. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $21,282,000.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 34 and the main estimates, and would like to report progress.
Item 22. (interpretation) Orders of the Day. Mr. Clerk.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) This House stands adjourned until Friday, March 10, at 9:00 a.m.
>>House adjourned at 19:47 Appendix – March 9, 2017
Friday, March 10, 2017
Pages 3936 – 3971
Opening Prayer 3936
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 3936
Report of the Committee of the Whole 3970
Orders of the Day 3970
Friday, March 10, 2017 3936
Bill 34 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2017-2018 – Economic Development and Transportation – Consideration in Committee 3937
Speaker (Hon. George Qulaut) (interpretation): Can you say the opening prayer, please, Mr. Peter Taptuna.
Speaker: Hon. Member for Hudson Bay, Mr. Allan Rumbolt.
Good morning, members and good morning to the people of Nunavut.
Bills 19, 26, 27, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 41, and 43 with Mr. Enook in the Chair.
I ask that all members remain at their desks so that we can immediately proceed to the Committee of the Whole.
I would now like to call the committee meeting to order.  First of all, to Nunavummiut watching the televised proceedings and listening to the radio broadcast, welcome to your committee.
In Committee of the Whole we have the following items to deal with: Bills 19, 26, 27, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 41, and 43.
Mr. Chairman we wish to continue with Bill 34 and continue with the review of the main estimates of the Department Economic Development and Transportation, followed by the following: Nunavut Arctic College, the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Department of Environment, Culture and Heritage, and the Legislative Assembly.
Good morning, Minister Ell-Kanayuk.
I’ll first ask if you have officials you wish to join you at the witness table.
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Do members agree to have Minister Ell-Kanayuk’s officials join her at the witness table?
Just to remind you, we will be starting on page K-5.
Minister Ell-Kanayuk, for the record, please introduce your witnesses.
To my left is my Deputy Minister, Sherri Rowe, and to my right is my Assistant Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Bernie MacIsaac.
Ms. Rowe and Mr. MacIsaac, welcome to the House.
The House was informed of the rules yesterday. If you don’t remember them, I will remind you.
We’re on K-5.
Economic Development and Transportation. Economic Development. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $21,750,000.
Ms. Angnakak, please make yourself visible. I can’t see very far.
Ms. Angnakak (interpretation): That may be the case.
I was raising my hand. (interpretation ends) I’ll be talking about tourism this morning to start off with.
On September 22, 2016 the Government of Nunavut announced that the Department of Economic Development and Transportation’s Tourism and Cultural Industries Division would be assuming responsibility for tourism development, marketing and research, visitor experience, and visitor centre operations, and that Nunavut Tourism would continue as a membership-based association that would focus on supporting its members.
How many full-time positions did Nunavut Tourism have prior to this announcement and how many will it have after the end of the current 2016-17 fiscal year?
I can respond to part of that question.
Nine full-time positions will be transferred to our Department of (interpretation ends) Economic Development. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Angnakak: The number of positions in your department’s Tourism and Cultural Industries Division is budgeted to increase from 9 in the 2016-17 fiscal year to 19.
How many of these positions are planned to be filled with former employees of Nunavut Tourism?
The positions will be advertised using the usual practices of the government for advertising positions through competitions. If former employees of Nunavut Tourism wanted to apply for those positions through that process, they are able do so.
Ms. Angnakak. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Your department’s draft 2017-2020 business plan also indicates that one of your department’s priorities has been to “Initiate an economic impact study on tourism…” and that was “…to determine the impact of tourism activities on the Nunavut economy and the impact of external economic factors on tourism in Nunavut.”
Your business plan also indicates that the first phase of the study has been completed and phase 2 is underway.
What conclusions were reached during the first phase of the study, and why was the study done in two phases?
I would like to refer the question to my Assistant Deputy Minister, Mr. MacIsaac.
The first phase of developing a Nunavut tourism economic impact model included the economic outputs and the impact of tourism on the gross domestic product, labour income, and jobs created.
We’re still analyzing the data that we collected and we’re compiling the report and compiling the information for the report.
The reason it was divided into two phases was largely related to funding.
Phase 2 will be largely funded by the federal government.
Can the department tell us how much the study costs in total?
We don’t have that figure in front of us and we can pass it on to the member.
She said that she will provide that information to you.
In your business plan, No. 204, it says here that the department assists the “Nunavut Tourism Association with delivery of the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council National Occupational Standards…” It’s a great big, long title. “…and address training needs of community stakeholders to strengthen tourism industry readiness and capacity.”
The status is that “A partnership agreement has been put in place and work has started…” Can you provide us with more details on what that all means and what the impact will be at the end of it all?
I’ll ask my Assistant Deputy Minister, Bernie MacIsaac, to answer that question.
The department and this division of tourism engage in a number of multi-party discussions across the country, including aboriginal tourism, business associations, and bodies that include all territories, provinces, and the federal government.
There’s a common theme in all these discussions in that the economic impact of tourism with respect to jobs and also with respect to business opportunities is an area that requires more work.
The Government of Nunavut sees this as an opportunity for us to learn from the efforts of other jurisdiction on how they addressed job opportunities and also business opportunities in Nunavut.
I don’t work in the field; I never have in the tourism field. One of the things that I always seem to see is that people want to always market Nunavut, which is a great thing, but very often I find the foundation is not well developed.
I think we need to do a lot more training around the hospitality part of tourism and even just the basic things of making sure that there are proper accommodations where we market that, if you’re going to market a community, they actually can deliver a service.
When I looked at the business plan, I think it was in draft form at the time a few years ago or a couple of years ago, it seemed to be very much geared towards the marketing side, but not so much at the foundation parts of tourism.
I don’t know maybe this is going on, but it seemed when I was growing up anyhow in Pangnirtung, we were young teenagers and we actually went to a course that was delivered in Pangnirtung for outfitting. The whole community was sort of encouraged to take part in these kinds of things like fishing; how to look after the fish properly and stuff like that.
I’m wondering: what kind of emphasis are you going to look at?
Are you going to look at this? Do you feel that there is more need to put more work into having a better foundation that we could market?
It’s part of our priorities in 2017-18 to develop a curriculum of targeted training and certification in the tourism sector. Also, the funding has been moved from Nunavut Tourism to Community Tourism and Cultural Industries under ED&T.
The focus is to align this funding with a more robust resource development mandate under the TCI.
It makes sense from an administrative and development perspective to do that.
Can the minister or her department officials tell us then: when we talk about working with more of a foundation level of developing our tourism market, what areas do they feel should be made a priority under that heading?
I’ll have my Assistant Deputy Minister, Mr. MacIsaac, respond to that.
The member is exactly right. There are three basic areas that we feel are important. One is the training, as the member had mentioned, and preparing people to work in this business.
The second is developing the infrastructure that would be required to allow for more tourism in communities. I’m talking about things like better hotels or revamped hotels. Another area is product, which would be when a tourist goes to a community, what they can do and what services are available in the community to provide for the tourists.
With the latest realignment between Nunavut Tourism and our department, the Department of Tourism and Cultural Industries, one of the main transfers was what’s called the destination marketing organization, which actually markets Nunavut.
If we’re going to be marketing Nunavut to the world to come here, we need to be able to be able to house them, feed them, and give them interesting things to do.
I think you’re definitely going in the right direction. I like to hear that.
Yesterday when the finance minister was before us, we were talking about the issue of how to promote Nunavut.
When he was before us, it was regarding how to entice potential employees to come to Nunavut.
Is that something that your department can work with Finance?
When you see on TV about Newfoundland, they have a very good ad about their community. The Northwest Territories has a great ad and even the Yukon.
Could we look at doing something like that and maybe the two departments collaborating with one another? You can put what they say together and, I think, save a lot of money.
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) We can work with the Department of Finance and whoever is interested in working with us.
Good morning, Madam Minister, your officials, as well as the people of Nunavut and Baker Lake.
I would like to ask questions to the minister.
I’m sure she will understand that I asked this question when I was first elected. (interpretation ends) Your department’s Development Partnership Agreement Policy expired on March 31, 2016.
Under this policy, mining companies that entered into DPAs with the Government of Nunavut were eligible to apply for fuel tax rebates.
On December 22, 2016 the Department of Finance announced that fuel tax rebates will “only be available to individuals and firms engaged in traditional activities and mining exploration.
The rebate will no longer be available to firms using the fuel for mining development, extraction or reclamation.”
On March 3, 2016 you stated in the Legislative Assembly that your department and the Department of Finance were “working on developing a replacement for the development partnership agreement.”
We are in the final stages of finalizing the development of that.
Although I know my next question will have more than one impact, what is the status of the government’s current development partnership agreement with the company that operates the Meadowbank mine?
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will have my Assistant Deputy Minister, Mr. MacIsaac, respond.
This is the last year of the current development partnership agreement with Agnico Eagle Mines.
They were the only producing mine that we had entered into an agreement with and this would be the last year.
We have entered into agreements with a number of exploration companies and those relationships where they will be able to take advantage of the fuel tax rebate will continue.
When we look at the DPAs, are you going to be negotiating or working on a new DPA with Agnico Eagle seeing that they are now going to have a satellite project?
We are working on a more comprehensive memorandum of understanding with Agnico Eagle.
In your business plan on page 205, in the first paragraph under Minerals and Petroleum Resources, the funding for that was $2,047,000 last year, but the funding has decreased to $1,788,000 for this fiscal year.
If they can explain what the reason is for the decrease, I would appreciate it.
I’ll have my Assistant Deputy Minister, Mr. MacIsaac, respond.