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The standing committee notes that the department’s proposed 2013-14 operations and maintenance budget of $23,994,000 has increased by approximately 7 percent since the introduction of the department’s 2012-13 main estimates.
The number of positions in the department is 128.5.
This is an increase of 4 PYs from its 2012-13 main estimates.
The department’s proposed 2013-16 business plan provides an update on one of its previous priorities.
During the minister’s recent appearance before the standing committee, members were informed that the World Trade Organization has not yet reviewed this issue and that the department has provided funding to assist with the legal costs associated with this matter.
Nunavut’s Wildlife Act was passed by the First Legislative Assembly in 2003.
The department’s proposed 2013-16 business plan indicates that one of its priorities in 2012-13 is to, and I quote, “Complete implementation of the Wildlife Act and regulations.”
Mr. Chairman, on June 5, 2012, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated issued a news release titled, and I quote, “Narwhal Tusk Trade Restriction Lifted in All but One Community.”
The release indicated that the “Department of Fisheries and Oceans lifted international trade restrictions on narwhal tusks for all Nunavut communities except for Grise Fiord.”
It also indicated that “Grise Fiord is the community that continues to have a restriction on the international trade of narwhal products, as DFO has no scientific information on the distribution or abundance of narwhals in Jones Sound, Smith Sound or Parry Channel.”
The standing committee was pleased with this announcement and looks forward to ongoing updates as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the community of Grise Fiord work together to gather scientific and tradition knowledge on narwhal stocks near Grise Fiord.
The standing committee notes the announcement in October of 2009 regarding the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Greenland and the federal government on the Baffin Bay polar bear population.
Preliminary results from aerial surveys in the Foxe Basin indicate the method will work for that population.
Aerial surveys are planned in 2011-2012 for the Western Hudson Bay and Baffin Bay populations.
Members are encouraged to see that the department is incorporating concerns from elders and hunters to use less invasive methods for wildlife research in Nunavut and look forward to the minister providing the results of the aerial surveys in the western Hudson Bay and Baffin Bay [polar bear] populations with members at the earliest opportunity.
It indicates that the territorial polar bear “management plan has been initiated and it is anticipated to be finalized and in place by 2013.
The standing committee looks forward to the minister tabling the 2009-2010, 2010-11, and 2011-12 annual reports under this section of the Act.
I would also like to note, Mr. Chairman, that earlier today the minister may have tabled one of these documents.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s proposed 2013-16 business plan provides an update on one of its previous priorities concerning caribou management.
It indicates that the department “Completed all community and stakeholder consultations.”
It is anticipated the Caribou Management Strategy and implementation plan will be “completed prior to the end of the 2011-2012 fiscal year.”
The department’s proposed 2013-16 business plan provides an update on one its previous priorities.
The standing committee looks forward to ongoing updates on these initiatives.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s proposed 2013-16 business plan provides an update on one of its previous priorities.
Members note that on October 31, 2011, the minister delivered a statement in the House detailing the 2011 commercial fishery results.
He also indicated that the new research vessel, the MV Nuliajuk, conducted “research in Cumberland Sound and in areas near Clyde River and Qikiqtarjuaq.”
Mr. Chairman, the department’s proposed 2013-16 business plan provides an update on one of its previous priorities, which was to “Develop a Spill Level II Course (Environmental Investigations for Enforcement Officers) for Nunavut.” It indicates that “With the recent staffing of the Enforcement and Compliance Manager this priority is expected to be complete in 2012.”
The department’s proposed 2013-16 business plan also indicates that the department will “Develop Used Oil and Waste Fuel Management Regulations.”
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the 2013-14 main estimates and 2013-16 business plan of the Department of Environment.
Do members have any general comments to Minister Arreak’s opening comments?
Mr. Ningark: Thank you kindly, Mr. Chairman, for giving me the privilege to speak to this very important department, opening remarks for the Hon. James Arreak, Minister of Environment.
On page 3 of the minister’s statement, there’s a positive note, “plans for potential parks in non-decentralized communities” like Kugaaruk.
I think this has been anticipated for many years and people are looking forward to it becoming implemented one day under Parks and Special Places.
I don’t have anything else, but I’m heading over to the airport to see my wife, Celine, off to go home. I have been in politics for about 15 years together in NWT and Nunavut, but I have been married to Celine for over 40 years, so she’s my priority.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ningark. (interpretation ends) Bye.
Chairman: I have Mr. Aupaluktuq.
Welcome to the minister as well as his officials.
I’m really glad to see many young people and a variety of people of Baker Lake as well as all of Nunavut would welcome the minister’s comments, such as the environmental stewardship and, as he noted in his opening comments, to ensure that industrial projects in Nunavut are undertaken in such a manner that negative impacts to the environment are minimized through proactive pollution prevention initiatives and inspection and enforcement measures under the Environmental Protection Act.
For the young people listening as well and who have asked of their local as well as regional and territorial leaders, just to remind again that the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement’s intent was to protect and advocate for the Inuit values and protection of cultural and traditional practices, traditional areas, and environmental areas that implement the land claims agreement.
So it’s very welcoming.
I would just like to comment on the fact that many people back home as well as Nunavut welcome these opening comments, no doubt.
I’m sure my colleagues will have further questions as well as I in the page-by-page process.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. (interpretation) I envy those people who can make short opening comments.
Mr. Chairman, this is a very important department and I would like to welcome the minister, the deputy minister, and the ADM. I have a question regarding the Department of Environments’ mandate and prior to that, I want to make a short preamble.
I want to bring up the issue of scientific facts versus assumptions. What I think and what a scientist thinks is the same thing, an assumption.
I think greater emphasis is placed on a scientist’s assumptions, which are then considered to be scientific facts.
We place more emphasis on their assumptions than facts, if you understand me. I’m going to make a preamble on whether it’s an assumption or the truth and you can decide.
I believe in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit when somebody tells me about it.
I think it was 40 or 50 years ago in the Kivalliq that I was told about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. He was saying something about dog teams.
Qamutiks had sod runners and it was very hard to find polar bear skin that you could use to fix the sod runner on your qamutik.
What does that mean now?
Maybe they didn’t have any polar bear skins.
Maybe they didn’t get polar bears 40 or 50 years ago or maybe there was a very small population of polar bears at that time. I believe that the polar bear population was very small at that time.
What about the sealskin or the caribou?
It had to be polar bear hide. If you’re putting sod and glazing on your qamutik, it’s the best material to put glazing on your qamutik.
This is an indication that the polar bear population was very small. Was it an assumption or was it a fact?
At the appropriate time, I’m going to be asking questions on those issues while we’re on the wildlife subject. I think that the scientific community thinks that Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit are assumptions and that they don’t apply. Even if Inuit say that the mosquito population was overwhelming this past year, I would say, (interpretation ends) “How do you know?
Did you count them?”
Sometimes assumptions help. They indicate whether there is more wildlife or species.
(interpretation) These questions are what I will be raising as I believe we have to improve this situation, Mr. Chairman.
I will end there for now, and I am only halfway through my time allotment.
An Hon. Member (interpretation): Can I borrow your leftover time?
I also noted that you didn’t use the entire time allotment.
I have no further names on my list and I would like to move to the page-by-page review. (interpretation ends) I-4.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $4,325,000.
I want to return to the earlier comments, which I just want clarified. There are numerous items, but I am unsure as to the exact placement and whether I should have dealt with it earlier. I am slightly unsure, so if I am mistaken, you can direct me further, Mr. Chairman.
On I-4, in the English version, it talks about training of employees and career development training.
If we are on I-4, I wanted to ask a question in this category of planned activities related to the elders’ advisory committee.
If this was part of this area, which I suspect it is, I just want further clarification exactly what their role is, where they are, who they are, and obviously what their mandate is.
It’s quite vague in this area.
Was there a question in there to the witnesses at the witness table?
The legislation requires the creation of the committee, which is why it has been established, but this isn’t the first iteration of this committee as it has been in operation for awhile.
For operational details, I would ask that David Akeeagok, my deputy, be allowed to respond with more details, Mr. Chairman.
Currently, we have nine members on this committee.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the list handy, but we can provide that information shortly.
Furthermore, the elders’ advisory committee was established under the Wildlife Act and we have their terms of reference along with their mandate.
I also thank the deputy minister.
In my ignorance of their actual duties or work… .
The concept is acceptable and I respect their experience, which I want utilized to its fullest extent.
I doubt there are more knowledgeable people than our elders, especially related to our environment, the wildlife, the land, and marine areas we use.
I don’t have a copy of the legislation just mentioned, the Wildlife Act, within which the details were said to be written out.
Can he provide a short overview of this committee for Nunavummiut exactly what they do? How many times do they meet in a year? Who decides when this committee meets?
I would like to thank my colleague for asking those questions. It is a very important entity because they know about the environment and wildlife.
In regard to your question, they have met three times so far and they only met once last year due to lack of capacity.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Arreak. Minister, I would like to remind you that part of the question was: can you give us a brief overview of exactly what this entity does? Maybe you can respond to that portion of the question.
Hon. James Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I can have our ADM, Mr. Pinksen, respond to your question.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Arreak. Mr. Pinksen.
Mr. Pinksen: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The elders’ committee was set up to provide advice directly to the minister on any matter that he feels he could use advice on.
They can initiate advice on other matters on their own. In recent years, the elders’ committee has provided advice on all of our major projects, such as the caribou strategy development, development of our climate change framework, Upagiaqtavut, and similar projects like that.
That’s the type of work that we refer to the elders’ committee.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Pinksen. Mr. Enook.
I am very pleased to hear that they are used as consultants. There are a lot of challenges when you have the environment portfolio. I hope the minister utilizes the elders’ group.
What have you consulted your elders’ group on?
Hon. James Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. They have a meeting once last year and it has been two years since they were created. I have not utilized them very much to date.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Arreak. Mr. Enook.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will ask more questions at a later time.
Again, we have training here. In the minister’s opening comments on page 3, it states here that they will provide ongoing training to the students at the Environmental Technology Program.
It is a very important program, especially when they have the training program in Pond Inlet. Exactly what does it mean by providing ongoing training and support to that program?
Hon. James Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a very important program.
In the past, it has been very helpful and it will be very helpful in the future.
I’ll have Mr. Akeeagok answer your question, Mr. Chairman.
This past year, we just created this program, which is an environmental assessment in English.
The environmental technology students started this training program this year. We also send our staff up to teach the students and they also give support to the students.
For example, if there was an oil spill or wildlife subjects, we can send our staff up to help with the training. This year, we’re focusing on environmental assessment and they’re geared towards the students who are taking the Environmental Technology Program.
I am proceeding very well for a change. Maybe my questions are finally making sense.
I have another question. I have been an MLA for the last 18 months and before that, I was involved and I was given direction by the people of Pond Inlet to get another wildlife officer.
I am envious that Arviat is getting another wildlife officer or conservation officer.
Could you tell the people of Pond Inlet why we can’t get another conservation officer?
We have been asking for one for a long time.
Why is it that we can’t fill the conservation officer position?
Is it impossible?
All 25 communities would have a conservation officer if we had unlimited amounts of money. However, Arviat is one of the larger communities. Iqaluit is the largest and Arviat is second only to Iqaluit in Nunavut.
There is a need to have that type of service available. They have one conservation officer and due to forced growth in that community, there is a requirement for another position.
Pond Inlet is quite large, but one position is adequate according to the size of the community.
We can ask another conservation officer from another community to help that conservation officer if there is a requirement.
I also thank you for slowly drawing out the details, making it clearer in my head.
Based on that response, I take it to mean that Pond Inlet residents are dealing with enough wildlife-related matters.
Time and again, researchers have indicated that the Pond Inlet area has some of the most abundant wildlife, with many different species in the vicinity. However, the department’s response is that Pond Inlet doesn’t have enough wildlife for this purpose.
Now, let’s say that a community requests more officers. I’ll use Pond as an example. Based on their request for additional manpower, do I understand that as long as HQ refuses to believe that there is a need, it will never be approved?
Am I correct in my understanding of this departmental bias?
As a department, we aren’t stating that Pond Inlet doesn’t deserve of another position due the lack of wildlife, but that all the activities can be handled by one conservation officer at this present time.
Although we maintain that position, it doesn’t stop any community from submitting further requests. We would look at how we can assist community requests, not just Pond Inlet, but all Nunavut communities.
I also thank the minister for his observation and that he didn’t believe that Pond Inlet lacks in wildlife. We are certainly appreciative that we occupy lands with such abundance in wildlife.
The reasoning for my raising the question was based on Pond Inlet residents’ belief due to the abundance of many species.
As the minister responded, he never said Pond Inlet doesn’t have wildlife.
Pond Inlet probably has more species of wildlife than many other communities. More activities could be undertaken in the area and a lot of activities aren’t necessarily just about wildlife issues.
We are faced with more requests for passage along our marine areas and we have to deal with a national park, amongst other things.
Let me get some clarity on this matter.
Even if we were to provide proper justification in Pond Inlet or another community for that matter, does this mean that as long as the minister isn’t convinced of our arguments for another officer, he won’t approve it?
Will it not be approved even when a community is trying to make their case known about their issues since they are familiar with their community, the lands their people use, and due to their knowledge of the required activities?
Even when we try to use proper justification for these requests as a community, does this mean it will always fall by the wayside so long as the minister personally doesn’t believe the arguments the community is trying to use?
Is that how I should understand it?
Right now, I continue to maintain our position. The current day-to-day operations in Pond Inlet can easily be handled by the conservation officer there.
The employee was unable to conduct his duties during his sickness, but he seems to be back to normal and we believe he has the capability for that.
If we can get notification from the member or the people of Pond Inlet when he is overloaded, we can help out, but we don’t have any funding in place to get another conservation officer other than the one for the community of Arviat.
With your permission, my deputy minister can elaborate on that, Mr. Chairman.
We review the communities to find out what is happening. We have employees who work here in the department and they assist us to find out what communities are doing in regard to their conservation officers.
Sometimes there are different things that are brought out, especially dangerous polar bears that come into the communities. If they need help, we can provide that. The day-to-day operations are reviewed every year with our departmental staff to find out from the communities themselves.
We hear what the member is saying and we will review what is happening in Pond Inlet.
Maybe the problem we have in our community or any community is that the department hears us, but they don’t do anything about it.
It’s good to hear that they have good staff here in their department, but they don’t have any good employees in the communities.
I wish we could have the luxury that your department has. We have a community that is growing.
We just make our comments from the community and nothing is being done about it.
It gets very frustrating if the government refuses our request. We don’t understand each other that way.
Do we understand that they have staff in their department and can I say to my people of Pond Inlet not to expect another conservation officer?
I thank the member for understanding our position as a department because we can’t provide another conservation officer this year for Pond Inlet. However, we will keep this open. Whenever they need some assistance, we will try to provide it from other communities through a conservation officer or just hire somebody from Pond Inlet.
I think Mr. Enook was done.
In Taloyoak, we had a conservation officer for some time.
There were supposed to be two conservation officers, but they only have one in Taloyoak.
When someone wants to work as a conservation officer in another community, there is no housing available.
We had a student apply for that position in Taloyoak, but there was no housing available, so that applicant couldn’t move there to assume their position.
Further, Gjoa Haven has a vacant conservation officer position, but again due to the lack of housing, the position can’t be filled.
Now, with Taloyoak, there are two positions available, but housing isn’t available.
I believe that we can work towards resolving this.
There are good positions set to assist our community, but they remain vacant due to the lack of housing. This applies to our teachers, conservation officers, and probation officers.
Lack of staff housing is causing problems within our communities. Students from several courses have applied for the positions, but the lack of housing continues to be the barrier. How is your department trying to meet this challenge, both in Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven?
I also thank the member for her question. However, I don’t have the details, so I can’t respond to it. I would ask that Mr. Pinksen be allowed to respond to that question.
It’s correct that the GN does have some shortages in staff housing and, in a number of cases, it has delayed staffing.
It’s correct in a number of communities.
It’s a certain reality for us that we have to deal with. Health personnel do tend to get priority over some other staff.
One of my staff has been lower down on the list when it comes to staffing priorities for access to housing and we just have to manage that.
What we have been doing is, when possible, we staff the person and put them temporarily in another community and they travel back and forth. That’s one solution we have tried. In some cases, staffing is delayed until we can find a house.
I wish we had more staff housing, but we have a limited amount.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Pinksen. Ms. Ugyuk.
There are three vacant positions, one in Gjoa Haven and two in Taloyoak, which could really assist these communities, especially due to their association with wildlife.
What are your plans and approximate dates for when housing would become available?
The plans related to this question are being undertaken by Nunavut Housing Corporation employees as we have identified these issues to them.
Our expectations are that the staff housing units will become available next year.
We continue to identify these issues with the Kitikmeot communities. There are vacancies due to the lack of housing, but we expect that some housing units will be constructed shortly down the road.
However, we aren’t constructing these units, but we continue to press for more housing and we continue to make requests for these units.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): I’m not really raising a question, but I want this to be taken into consideration. Many students take courses here in Iqaluit, especially students enrolled in the Environment Technology Program.
A student in the course from Taloyoak would like that position, but they don’t have housing available.
This has to be carefully considered as we want local residents to have employment not just in government, but in all local employment opportunities.
Since this can provide a benefit, it should be considered.
Thank you. That’s not a question. It’s just a comment.
At this time, we have Mr. Elliott.
I want to ask the minister what the Department of Environment’s role is. We had the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation before us and asked questions about the development partnership agreements when the mines are up and running.
What role does the Department of Environment play in that? Are they a partner at the table for the negotiations?
We tell the Department of Economic Development and Transportation what kinds of things we’re doing.
We don’t really have any partnership with that department.
I was just waiting for the translation to catch up.