EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): We have started these already, with Coral Harbour, Kugaaruk and Hall Beach and we have to work with the communities. While we're working with these smaller communities and discussing with them what is needed in their communities we are also going to be working with other communities and do a needs assessment for the smaller communities.
My last question. Since the minister mentioned only a few communities and I'm sure that there are lots more, thirteen or fourteen other communities in Nunavut, what would the community have to do in order for your department to work with them.
What should the community do so that your department will work with them on their goals and objectives.
We are working with many communities at this time, the process is going and we will work with these communities and we'll also work with other communities where there aren't as many projects.
We could give assistance to the communities when they make applications and if they ask for help we can also give them assistance in writing up their applications.
Well this time it's the last question.
I would like to ask another question.
How will the communities know about the funding they can apply for.
(interpretation ends) What do the communities need to do to know to work with the departments.
Do you go into the communities to work with them, or do you talk to them about what they can do.
Yes, the Community Economic Development Officers, we work with these officials and they are under the umbrella of the hamlet councils. They are to give support to the communities and you can approach the Economic Development Officers at the local level or you can ask them to call our Department of Sustainable Development.
The three regions that I mentioned, Kivalliq, Kitikmeot, and Qikiqtaaluk.
In Qikiqtaaluk, the regional office is in Pond Inlet for Sustainable Development, they can work with that division to work on those applications.
Mr. McLean: Disaster, disaster, disaster.
That's all I can say. You know, I'm not blaming you Olayuk, and I'm not blaming the staff at this point.
But, for the life of me when you were a regular member and we looked at the total Parks budget, an alarm went off back then when I said, you know here we are committing millions and millions of dollars to Parks budgets and we don't have anything signed.
And I opposed it and a few of us wanted to do something about it at the time but there were a couple of members that didn't want to do anything about it.
So, here's where we are today.
Through the efforts of I don't know what, these IIBA's haven't been finalized and I know they’re going to be finalized in the next six months, I know they are, I feel it, for whatever reason.
It’s a sad day when I'm always up in this House lecturing about the traditional economy, arts and crafts, tourism and stuff like that, and millions of dollars are lapsing in budgets.
I can go on and I can ask questions about my community and the Parks that were always designated for there, and the frustration that my community went through trying to build a campground in the Park. All of a sudden a consultant shows up from Vancouver a year and a half ago, came into Baker Lake and asked everybody the same questions that consultants asked five years ago about building a campground on the Thelon River or the Kazan River.
They walk away with thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, questioning information that we knew was already there.
Like I say, we're at a point now where it's sad, and we're lapsing millions of dollars.
There's not a day that goes by in this House when a member doesn't stand up in the House and ask for something and I'm not blaming you, and I'm not blaming your deputy, and I'm not blaming your comptroller. But I know where the blame lies, and where it did happen before, and I know it's not going to happen when we come back next year, I know that there are going to be agreements on the IIBA's, we're going to move along.
The tourism industry has collapsed in this territory, as a result of certain things that were happening with this government in the last two and a half years.
There's been changes made and I am hoping the changes are going to give us a promising new future in this department, and in the industry. But on the capital side of it, you know, the deputy minister said that there's going to be an overlap in funding and something is going to be done about it and there's going to be projects moving ahead.
I'm hoping that by next year when we're sitting here doing capital, and I know we're not going to be sitting here and saying that money has lapsed and the IIBA's haven’t been finalized, because I know it's going to happen in the next six months.
That's just my feelings today, I am just shocked and outraged as to what happened and I know that you are not responsible for it, I know your deputy ministers not responsible for it.
So that's about all I can say, I'm more disappointed than anything, but not with you or your staff.
I know where the problem was and where it exists, and I'm hoping we talk about working together in this territory, that the organizations involved are going to sit down and represent the needs of the residents of Nunavut.
Not their own interests and what they think should be done because at the end of the day, Olayuk, it's us as politicians that have to provide a future for the people in these little communities that don’t have much in them to start with.
That's all I'm going to say with that.
Hunter asked a question and it caught me off guard and so that's why I'm reacting the way I am.
But, you know, a million and a half dollars to build a fish plant in the community, a small community, or two, or three, and that's where we as regular members get really upset when something doesn't happen and we know there's millions of dollars out there, and there's a need out there for certain things.  A lot of people don't understand it sometimes.
But the people that represent those communities know that people are looking for some kind of hope and when there is millions of dollars lapsed, it is really sad.
It is really sad day when this happens.
No question on that one.
More of a statement of frustration than anything.
I have very brief general comments to make and then a question to follow.
A few days ago, I thought you were working with the regional offices of economic development.
For example, in Kitikmeot your department has a division there in Kugluktuk for economic development.
I thought it was part of your department, I thought there was a close working relationship on a daily basis with that division as you said earlier in your response to the Member for Quttiktuq.
She asked you if you would work with the communities, or if you continue to work with the communities.
But with your response when I asked you a question a few days ago in regards to the fish plants that you didn't know about.
How can you get closer to the communities and us.
If you can at least have the application forms addressed to your department.
How can we make this process closer to your department, because there is a huge gap between your department and the Kugluktuk office. You didn't even seem to know what the division in Kugluktuk was doing.
How can we have a closer working relationship.
Yes, the application forms don't come to me directly.
I don't see the applications.
I can't say where the applications should be addressed. There is a close working relationship between our department and that division.
We work with Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak and Cambridge Bay closely.
When we had to deal with emergency cases it is evident that we have a close working relationship and we try to work with each other to the best of our abilities within our limited resources.
It is evident that if people would like to make applications, and they do make applications, but we can't fulfil them all and it's evident that division and our department are working closely together along with the staff at the Hamlet.
The Economic Development Officers, we work with them and they work with us according to the way I see it.
I see a close working relationship amongst our department and the economic development officers.
On my statement I mentioned our arts and crafts that people locally produce.
As I said, the soapstone quarries are getting further and further out.
Some of these sites are almost depleted.
You can only get so much from these sites.
Across Nunavut, if there was to be a capital project, has this been identified or is there any sign of a quarry site that needs to be worked on so that we could assist our carvers in that area.
Koanaqutit, Itsivautaq.
Yes, I remember correctly Mr. McLean had discussed or made a comment on how to make the soapstone easier to obtain for the carvers and the artists.
It’s evident too that in my riding of the two communities there’s a soapstone mine adjacent to the communities. There’s a safety issue there and we’re looking at how we can improve this by working together with our department and our mining division so that we can find alternatives to make it easier for the carvers to mine soapstone and how to market the art.
When the market for carvings is slowing down we’re looking at ways to assist them and review it.
Chairperson (interpretation): If there are no more questions from the members we’ll get to the page under Sustainable Development, Capital Estimates.
Just before we go to the Capital Estimates I would like my deputy to make some remarks first.
Mr. Campbell.
Mr. Campbell: I just wanted to clarify about the IIBA funding that we’ve been talking about on the capital.
We have never lost funds due to the IIBA.
What we’ve done is we’ve carried over the funds.
I just wanted to make sure I clarified that, so these funds are still there and will be used for IIBA purposes.
Just a point of clarification so that we won’t be misleading the members.
As well we have wildlife officers as well as CEDOs in each of the communities.
I’m just addressing Madam Williams’ questions.
We’re using these people to consult with the communities on the process to apply for business loans as well as the system of the capital program, particularly in the wildlife area.
So we’ll continue to do that.
We’re also in the process of reviewing, our notices are in the process right now to everybody here.
But we’re reviewing the way we structure the department primarily focusing on how we can work closer to the communities in the delivery of the programs and services that we do have.
So we’ll be looking at the recent structures and how we can enhance that process and how we can work closely with the communities out there.
So I just wanted to make these points.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the deputy for clarifying that but I guess my other question is this.
He indicated that they’ve never lapsed any funds as a result or the funds that were allocated to the IIBA.
Were there funds that were lapsed for capital projects that didn’t go ahead because there wasn’t an IIBA.
I want to clarify him saying that they didn’t lapse any funds for IIBA but as a result of the lack of IIBAs were there funds that were lapsed.
I guess that’s my question.
Chairperson (interpretation): Mr. Campbell.
Mr. Campbell: I just wanted to clarify again that what we’re talking about here is the carrying over of the funds that were targeted for IIBAs.
Those funds are still there and the FMB has been approving the carry over on an annual basis on these particular funds.
As for the lapsing of other specific projects I would refer that to my Director of Corporate Services.
Chairperson: Terryl.
Ms. Allen: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The 1.5 million dollars that was carried forward from last year was the unspent money in our capital projects.
It was carried forward and approved by the FMB as Supplementary No. 1, for the 2001/2002 budget.
So that was carried forward and added to our capital estimates for this fiscal year.
Shall we go to the Department of Sustainable Development Capital Estimates, page 11 - 6.
Under Sustainable Development.
Total Capital Estimates, 2 million 470 thousand.
Mr. Chairman, I just want to clarify that the projects that are listed on the following pages are part of that 11.6 if we have questions on items after that, do we ask them now, or are we approving this as we go through it.
You can ask questions on 11 - 7.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on 11 - 7, there is an amount in there for attraction development for the Sylvia Grinnell Park.
Last year we approved funding and what was supposed to happen last year was the design for a pedestrian footbridge across the river.
It was anticipated that the geo-technical site studies and design for the pedestrian bridge over the river, including the material lists and all that kind of stuff would go ahead this year.
I would like to ask the minister if that is included in this amount.
The amount is not there Mr. Chairman, for the pedestrian bridge at Sylvia Grinnell Park.
Mr. Chairman, he's got me all choked up. Mr. Chairman, maybe I can just ask the department, did they in fact, as they had indicated in the capital project substantiation sheets last year, did they in fact do the design and all of that work and study for that, including all the material lists and everything for that bridge as they had indicated they were going to.
Yes, Mr. Chairman, we are going to be working with DND on the bridge at the Sylvia Grinnell River.
We will be working with that group, National Defence on that bridge.
Mr. Chairman, I guess the minister is saying that they didn't do the design and that for the bridge as they had indicated they were going to do in last year's capital.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes you’re right, we have not done it.
Mr. Chairman, when I look at the five year capital plan, I don’t see that in there and I would like to ask the minister when can we expect to see that in there.
That was something that was supposed to go ahead this year.
So I would like to ask him when we can expect to see that done.
As I said, we will be working with National Defence to see what we can do with the bridge.
We will be working with them and they have provided some funding as well to support us with the bridge.
They have the funding for that.
I am not exactly sure when that would be completed.
Mr. Chairman, again, they had indicated last year that stuff was supposed to happen and it hasn't.
I wonder if the stuff that is in there this year, is that going to happen, or are we just going to be asking next year, where did that go, what happened to that, when is that going to be done.
I don't know how long it takes for the department to sit down, they said they were going to be meeting with DND last year and they still haven't done it.
When are we going to see that happen and when are we going to be seeing the designs and when can we expect to see the footbridge crossing the Sylvia Grinnell River.
It has been greatly anticipated, not only by the local hunters, and berry pickers in Iqaluit, but also the hordes of tourists that we see here in Iqaluit.
And we have seen over the last couple of years.
When are we going to see that happen.
We will be working on it next year.
As soon as the IIBAs are completed, we will start work on the footbridge.
So is the minister saying that this project didn't go ahead as a result of the IIBAs not being signed.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: No it is not due to the IIBAs.
It is also due to the preparation that we have to do with DND where we could start and how we could do it.
So we will probably start this year on the bridge.
Mr. Chairman, out of the, I believe it was 220 thousand dollars, or 200 thousand dollars that was allocated to that project last year, how much of that was to be used or earmarked for doing that work in relation to the foot bridge.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Mr. Akesuk.
Once we get the information, I'll let my colleague know about how much we spent on that.
I know it wasn't spent but I'd like to know how much wasn't spent. How much was allocated for it and if the minister can commit to ensuring that the, you know he indicated he will be carrying those projects forward and in the next fiscal year through a supplementary appropriation that's the method in which he indicated that they will be handling these projects.
I have the figures here, how much we spent so far on the projects for the Sylvia Grinnell Park, it's 72 thousand 500 spent so far towards the Silva Grinnell Park.
Again I was asking for how much was allocated for the actual design of the footbridge that was supposed to be done. Can we be reassured that once the IIBAs are signed and once the meetings are initiated with DND that we can see that amount put back into the budget as the amount was already previously approved.
We'll have to get back to you to see the exact amount of how much we spent so far on the footbridge.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Mr. Iqaqrialu has a question for the minister.
I don’t have a question but I don't want to approve the 2 million 470 thousand if that's the total of the activity that we're dealing with.
I am willing to go clause by clause.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Mr. Nutarak.
Yesterday the person sitting next to me was chairing the Committee of the Whole and he was asking are you agreed and from that I understood that I can say that I am in agreement.
Chairperson: (interpretation): At this time we're on 11-7.
Page 11-7 Sustainable Development. Branch Summary.
Sustainable Development. Buildings and works.
This 220 thousand, can the minister tell us what that was spent on last year.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): The funding was used for expanding and renovating visitors' centres.
There are nine visitors' centres, one in Arviat, one in Baker Lake, one in Cambridge Bay, Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung, Iqaluit, Kimmirut, Cape Dorset and Rankin Inlet, this money was used for renovating these visitors' centres in these communities.
Could I have the details.
We will provide him with the details once we get the information because we don't have the information right now.
On the 2002/2003 I would also like to know what that money is going to be spent on at headquarters.
The 2002/2003, 200 thousand dollars that is here is for various visitors' centres again and we don't know where we are going to spend it right now.
It will be spent on required fixing of the visitors' centres.
It is difficult to agree to spend 200 thousand dollars if we don't know where we are going to spend it.
That's the point I am getting to.
I know he has various visitors' centres around Nunavut, and that's why I asked on the 2001/2002 where we spent the 220 thousand, if we did indeed spend it.
I am sure the minister should have that information at his fingertips.
If there is some kind of plan to upgrade the visitors' centres, well I have no problems with that because they need ongoing maintenance.
But if we are just going to plug a figure of a couple of hundred thousand dollars every year for ongoing maintenance on visitors' centres, is that enough is what I am asking the minister.
We might need 400 thousand because the visitors' centres may be falling down, or getting in disrepair if there is not enough money approved.
That's why I am asking, if we are going to go ahead and approve 200 thousand for 2002/2003, do they have any kind of plan for upgrading these visitors' centres that are all over Nunavut.
I am not speaking against them because we need visitors' centres, but it is difficult to approve funding if you don't know where it is going.
I am sure the minister and his department know where it is going and what they are using it to upgrade.
But it would sure be nice to know where it is going.
There are three main visitors' centres that we still have to work on.
The Unikkaarvik Centre here in Iqaluit, the Arctic Coast Visitors' Centre, design and programming and also to purchase displays for Katimavik Visitors' Centre in Kimmirut.
I am a little slow today Mr. Chairman, is that 2001 since you said you were going to get me the information on where that money went.
So on the 2002/2003, part of the 200 thousand dollars is going to Kimmirut, part of the 200 thousand dollars is going to Iqaluit and part of the 200 thousand dollars is going to Kugluktuk.
Is that correct and that's the end of it.
Oh, Cambridge Bay.
So we got part going to Cambridge Bay, part of the 200 thousand dollars going to Kimmirut and part of the 200 thousand dollars going to Iqaluit.
So I am clear on where the 200 thousand dollars is going now.
Good that's all I need to know today.
He has nothing further.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With respect to the 200 thousand dollars, I am very envious of it.
But I would like to ask, if this 200 thousand dollars is going to be used only for visitors' centres that were mentioned, are they not going to concentrate on other visitors' centres that weren't mentioned.
This is my question, Mr. Chairman.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I didn't quite understand your question as to which communities you were talking about.
Which are recognized and which are not according to your definition.
Pond Inlet’s centre, last year was recognized through the Federal Government because of the National Park.
But the other places have not been given the same recognition as far as park activities are concerned.
I want to find out if there is any funding made available for these other parks that were not recognized.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes, Mr. Chairman, if there was left over funding we would be able to use this funding for parks or other places that aren't recognized.
I am grateful that I will be able to request funding from your department on this as well.
Under 11 - 7 on the community of Grise Fiord, I mentioned this earlier.
The wildlife office garage, 375 thousand.
Is this going to be built or is it just in the planning stages.
This is for the planning stages leading up to construction.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Minister. Ms. Williams.
Ms. Williams (interpretation): I just wanted clarification.
Are they going to be visiting the community to try and see how they are going to build this garage.
I don't have any more speakers according to my list.
Total Qikiqtaaluk region, 1 million 25 thousand.
With respect to Sanikiluaq, the wildlife office garage.
There is an amount allotted for 325 thousand for this garage.
Is it going to be a garage and a warehouse.
Is that why it is 325 thousand.
Do they not have a garage at this time.
Yes, the wildlife officers have to have proper space to work .
For example in Grise Fjord and Resolute Bay, we are looking into providing spaces for them, for the wildlife officers.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Going back to 11-8.
Total Kivalliq, 170 thousand.
Next page Kitikmeot. Total Kitikmeot region, 450 thousand.
Perhaps we were misunderstood during our community consultations on tourism.
In one of my communities, Gjoa Haven, I know you are aware that Gjoa Haven will be celebrating their 100th anniversary.
We're working on doing some attraction development.
I'm wondering why under 2002/2003 there's only 25 thousand for attraction development.
There's money in the amount of 125 thousand up to 2007 but now we'd like to do a lot of work in our community before our anniversary there.
We're dealing with capital estimates, perhaps Mr. Akesuk could respond.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 25 thousand is geared for tourism, so can be used for the anniversary coming up in Gjoa Haven.
So this money would be used for attraction development for that anniversary.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Just keep on track.
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): The 125 thousand for 2003/2007, will part of that be used for attraction development for this event.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): I apologize Mr. Chairman.
Could he ask his question again.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Mr. Puqiqnak
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): The capital estimates for 2002/2007 has 125 thousand and because we're celebrating the 100th anniversary in our community, will we be getting more money to add to this 25 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Is your question regarding 11-9.
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): It is on 11-8.