EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Although we try to build up on our tourism level in the smaller communities there have to be facilities and attractions built for the tourists.
Why is it that the smaller communities have 20 thousand to 50 thousand in the plan and there is one for 275 thousand for Iqaluit and again 200 thousand for another project.
Looking at the 5 year plan it is about 3 million dollars that will be used and then looking at the smaller communities are they not going to get any funding in that 5 year plan.
They will need that money in order to attract their tourists and build up their tourism.
With these entities we are working together and I am not going to belittle the smaller communities.
The smaller communities in Nunavut are provided with funding, I will point out the smaller communities have been given money to build campsites.
There are some that have better established camp sites and if you look at the capital estimates there are different camp sites.
Looking at Iqaluit we are setting up a park and that is a little bit different than the campgrounds that are established in all the communities.
Looking at the plans we have to help the tourism sector in Iqaluit because it is the transportation hub and everything passes through here before they enter the rest of Nunavut.
It is for Iqaluit, the money is set aside for Iqaluit but it is an attraction that will decentralize to the other communities.
Before we move on to Mr. Barnabas somebody would like to make a comment.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you for passing that over.
Mr. Chairperson I just like to briefly a few individuals that have come over from Cambridge Bay.
We have with us Charlie Evalik who is president of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association.
Mayor Keith Peterson who members met with last night.
Also Claire Basler who is the general manager of the Kitikmeot Corporation.
A former constituent and one of the EIA staff right now David General who is accompanying them right now.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Ng and welcome to the gallery.
Mr. Barnabas I am sure you remember your question.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Again in the standing committee on Sustainable Development in the opening remarks it says here there is going to be 225 thousand dollars set aside for the visitors centre in Rankin Inlet. 2.2 million dollars will be spent on that project.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Barnabas. That will be an excellent question when we start the going line by line in the capital estimates.
Mr. Kilabuk if you would like to respond to that question.
In our 5-year plan we have 250 thousand dollars.
I believe that is the question that you are referring to.
We wanted to set aside some money for this particular project because there has to be renovations and replacements done on campgrounds.
There are quite a lot of laces like that in the Nunavut area.
Chairperson Thank you Mr. Kilabuk, Mr. Barnabas.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): I do not think that minister and I understand one another.
I am talking about the 125 thousand dollars that will be used this year to build a visitors centre in Rankin Inlet.
It is 2.05 million dollars in the capital plan.
I believe there is already a visitors' centre in Rankin Inlet what is that money going to be used for.
Chairperson (interpretation): I apologise at this moment I will give you general discretion Minister of whether you want to ask that question or not.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): I apologise we were on different wave lengths I did not know that he was talking about Rankin Inlet's visitor centre.
Rankin Inlet is the transportation hub in the Keewatin and it is is one of the communities that do not have a Visitors' Information Centre and the facility that they have, which is located in the airport, is quite small.
As Rankin Inlet is the transportation hub in the Keewatin we have included it in the plans.
We have recently agreed, if you have heard, that we are in the negotiation stage to develop a proposed park in Wager Bay.
Chairperson (interpretation): Ms. Thompson, I believe would like to supplement that. Ms. Thompson.
Hon. Manitok Thompson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to note that in Rankin Inlet there is no Visitors' Centre or Tourism Centre.
The reason why they put it in the Rankin Inlet airport is because this room was used for security, but because Tourism did not have an office they put the office in there.
It is supposed to be a security area for the airlines going down south.
I just wanted to make that clear to the members.
Mr. Barnabas do you have any more questions.
Mr. Barnabas (interpretation): Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, during questioning of witnesses I have not had much opportunity to ask questions and I would like that opportunity now.
Mr. Chairman, right now the smaller communities don't have any money set aside for them in regards to economic development in their communities but there is a lot of money for the renovations of campgrounds and other areas in the Nunavut region.
I just wanted to find that out.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Barnabas. Mr. Kilabuk.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Yes, perhaps if he could clarify his question.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Kilabuk. Mr. Barnabas he would like you to clarify your question.
Yes, there is money set aside for tourism and there is a lot that is being done for tourism in other regions.
I just wanted to know if smaller communities would have the opportunity to get some money.
They only have about 25 – 30 thousand to renovate the existing campgrounds in smaller communities.
I just wondered whether they have plans in place for smaller communities to get more money to upgrade their campgrounds and tourism sites.
I cannot really say at this time whether we have any plans in place for the smaller communities but we have some money set aside to promote tourism in those communities that we mentioned.
We have to have plans in place to promote tourism so people from the south can start visiting those larger communities in order to get the smaller communities.
It is a lot easier to start up in the larger communities first before we get into the smaller communities.
Yes you are true, Mr. Kilabuk.
The communities have the opportunities for their needs as well.
The last response that he had is very sensitive for us as well because the smaller communities would like to have the opportunity to get some money to receive tourism dollars as well.
The first item that the minister talked about, the study that is going to be done and it will cost 220 thousand dollars over a five year period, or the Natural Resources Training Centre, that will cost 225 thousand dollars.
It is going to be approximately 3 million dollars to do this study.
I think that Natural Resources Training Centre was going to be located in Pangnirtung and thinking about decentralization, this is just a comment not a question.
In accordance with the decentralization plan, the government stated that they would look at the smaller communities for decentralization, but it seems like the larger communities have everything and with more jobs have more money allotted for themselves.
You can see it in the budget that is before us.
The larger communities that have been given jobs or have more jobs, such places as Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet and Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay, are the places that have the most jobs and more decentralized jobs.
You can see it by looking at the comments that are made on this paper.
If we were to do careful planning the places that should get tourism dollars should have been given elsewhere into the smaller communities, but they are given to the larger communities.
This is just a general comment and a concern that I have. There is not enough money set aside to help people develop small businesses.
If we were in the 1970's if the community requested 500 thousand it would have been available to the community.
Now today, because there is not enough money to develop communities and because there are so many rules about spending the money, there are not enough dollars for smaller communities.
Looking at the plan of Sustainable Development and the five-year capital plan, there is more money for the larger centres, somewhere in the range of 3 million dollars.
For the communities that don't have any infrastructure and communities that are not getting decentralized jobs, such places as Repulse Bay, Coral Harbour, these are the only small communities that are given some money.
It is somewhat embarrassing to see something like this, especially in view of the fact that the ordinary members have asked for spending but are not given it.
I would propose that the Natural Resources Training Centre be located in a smaller community anywhere in Nunavut, if we are going to be spending that amount of money.
I did not hear a question. Mr. Kilabuk would you like to respond.
The comments made by the member, I just wanted to give him a clear understanding, and the members of this House that when we were looking at who we were going to be in partnership with in regards to the training centre…I am sorry we were not clear.
We will be working with the Canadian Coast Guard, universities and Arctic College and fisheries people.
We are not exactly sure where that location might be for the Natural Resources Training Centre but when we discussed the location of that training centre, the members will have the opportunity to voice their concerns and to be involved in picking the location of that training centre.
You will have the opportunity to be involved in the decision of the location.
In regards to the comments made about decentralization, there are communities at this time that could be the location of decentralized jobs but they have no infrastructure at this time.
For the money that they would be requesting to start up a small business, when I became the minister I had those concerns as well in this regard.
I just want to make it clear to the members that our department is one of the departments that deal with the funding for small businesses.
There are also other organizations such as the Business Credit Corporation and Kakivak and Aboriginal Business Canada and the banks are some of the places where you can acquire some funding for starting up small businesses.
So what I proposed was to work with those organizations to assist people to start businesses and we are starting to work on this now but we are in the early stages at this time and my staff is also aware of what we have been doing.
We made and agreement and I have told the members that the Department of Sustainable Development is just starting up their department at this time and any questions from the members to deal with starting up businesses will be welcomed by our department.
Chairperson (Mr. Akesuk) (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Kilabuk.
I do not want to have a negative impact on private businesses in Nunavut, but I am going to speak that I believe in and something that I have experienced.
I will not be asking questions just making comments.
In Nunavut for those of us who have been living here for a very long time, it is not our tradition or culture to work at making money.
In spite of this we have been abused as Inuit people because we are ignorant of economic issues and business issues.
In the past we have realised that we were abused and we learned from our mistakes from the past.
In spite of the actions that have been taken against us, for example by temporary residents from the south, they did have the opportunities in the past and those opportunities were taken away from the Inuit.
Today we are now learning how to do the administration stuff and being a middle aged Inuk person we do not know how to do bookkeeping.
I know that when you do not know how to do all the administration stuff I know that in the past Inuit people have been used.
Therefore I would like your department to make a plan to treat everyone, no matter what race they are to be treated equally and so that opportunities will be equal to all people of Nunavut.
In the past it has been hard when you run into problems, like when people started getting their own private businesses and the staff who worked for the private company would start working for another person or another organization so that they could make more money.
I know that business people are very wise and intelligent and they do things behind your back to make money.
For that reason, as we are learning the business world today there should be more equal opportunities for all the people of Nunavut.
A problem that I have seen in the past as well is that the correspondence and documents are only written in English.
As a unilingual Inuktitut speaking person when you cannot read English it has been a hindrance for us when we want to start up a business.
This will have to be resolved too so that unilingual Inuktitut speaking people can apply to start up their own businesses.
One of the problems that I have also seen in the past is the banks.
The financial institutions.
When people start borrowing money from the bank, I know that this has been a problem area for us because when you try to run your own businesses and due to ignorance of administration we were losing money and going bankrupt.
So these are the experiences that we have seen.
I think as Inuit people we should be standing up on our own two feet and should have the equal opportunity to start businesses without being abused.
Today in Nunavut in the smaller and the larger communities, I know that it is getting harder and harder to make money in the smaller communities because the other people from the outside get the opportunity rather than the local person.
That hinders the development of the community.
Those communities would have been developed far more than they are today if the community had been given a fair opportunity.
I am sure that the smaller communities would have had more opportunity, but due to ignorance it did not happen.
But as we are learning more and more about the business world we should be given the opportunity to take part and be involved so that unilingual Inuktitut speaking people have the same opportunity as English speaking people.
Even all the documents in the system will have to be clear so that our people will understand it and that way there could be a close working relationship and a better social life.
I just wanted to point that out, I know that I might have effected some businesses but I wanted to speak my feelings.
Any general comments Mr. Minister.
I just wanted to point out that we will make the application forms available both in English and Inuktitut and they are both available in both languages through our department.
The application forms will be uniform all across Nunavut and one thing that I understood when I became the minister is that we needed clearer application forms.
I am very pleased that this has been completed and these application forms have been sent to the communities.
If any of the communities did not receive copies of the application forms they will be receiving them.
However through our department, our staff in the department understand that the funds that are made available for people will ensure that everyone is treated equally.
The Economic Development Officers are available to assist anybody and we would like to train them further so that they will have more knowledge and so that they can assist the people better.
Chairperson: Thank you Mr. Kilabuk. Mr. Havioyak.
I just wanted to talk about  Sustainable Development in the Kitikmeot region because in the past they have helped a lot with wildlife and they have carried out the West Kitikmeot/Slave Study.
Near Kugluktuk Bay they have helped us a lot too.
I am sorry I did not see that person in here.
The animals, how can we find out how to work on these.
I just wanted to find out more about this as to how the Federal Government and the GNWT who also receive money from them so they can finish off what they are doing with Sustainable Development.
We cannot say some of those words so we will try to help them.
Some of the work that they have is near Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay, Bay Chimo.
Yes it is entirely true that it is not included in the budget.
The West Kitikmeot/Slave Study is not included in the budget but the review has already been ongoing.
We do plan to complete it but we will review it outside of our main estimates.
It is true that it is not in the main estimates but we will review it.
Chairperson (Mr. Iqaqrialu) (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Kilabuk.
I am now the Chairperson, Mr. Havioyak.
I just wanted to say that if they did get a budget it would be done.
It is important for our future in the Kitikmeot because we can never find out how our resources are going to be used or planned for, but it cannot be done without a budget.
I am sure that we will be able to respond to you by next week or the week after as to what kind of plans we do have.
I will be able to respond to you by next week or the week after.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Minister Kilabuk.
I don't want to ask too many questions to my friend, to the rookie minister but that is the only way that I will be able to get clarification is by asking questions.
I think it was last year or the year before when we wanted to enhance the carvers and arts and crafts people why did that budget not change.
The Nunavut Arts and Craft funding for 100 thousand dollars did not even go up.
We stated that we want to assist or give support to the arts and craft people.
As Members of the Legislative Assembly we stated we want to give more support to the carvers of Nunavut.
Because it is the only means of their income.
We said we want them to give further support and yet the budget has not increased yet. If we can give them further support by increasing the budget.
Why did you not increase the budget.
Yes, the 100 thousand dollar program for the Nunavut Arts and Craft Association.
Last year we budgeted 400 thousand dollars for that.
But I am very pleased today that the Nunavut Arts and Craft Association can lobby.
They have been able to sustain themselves and although this 100 thousand dollars may look small.
But once we have to recognise Nunavut Arts and Craft Association can sustain themselves.
They have raised 514 thousand by themselves.
Which the Nunavut Government would not have been able to contribute to.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Kilabuk. Mr. McLean.
I will keep my comments brief, I do not need an answer, and I will not talk too long to the light of Mr. Picco.
I was very pleased with your statement regarding the launch of the Arctic Traveller.
I think that shows a lot of foresight for getting that magazine to the masses to promote and highlight our tremendous new Territory.
I was extremely pleased to see that Nunavut Tourism achieved 40 million dollars with additional spin-offs of 10.
Which brings us to a total of 50 million dollars that Nunavut Tourism had a hand to bring into the new Territory.
I have been one of the harshest critics on tourism asking as you know in the Standing Committee meetings and other meetings.
Are we getting a buck from this organisation.
Seeing this figure of close to 50 million dollars of Tourism dollars brought in from the south or from outside, those are new dollars that create economic opportunities in this Territory.
I am extremely pleased that Nunavut Tourism has contributed.
They are not fully responsible for this 50 million dollars brought in.
However, I think I am satisfied now for that 1.1 million dollars that we gave to them.
That they brought in close to 50 million dollars worth of economic spin-offs.
How you come to that figure or how they came to this figure I would certainly like to see it.
You can probably justify it or they can justify it how they brought in that 50 million or contributed to bring in that amount.
They also seem they were going to bring in have some survey done this summer at the airports.
How many tourists we bring into Nunavut.
Try to approximate how many dollars.
I will ask a question later about if they brought in 50 million dollars.
I think that is one of our best investments that we ever done.
We have only been in business for a year in this Territory.
But if they brought in that kind of money we should give them 2 or 3 million dollars so they can make 150 million dollars.
I would certainly approve that if I was on the Standing Committee.
I have to commend you that 50 million dollars does not sound like a lot of money outside of this Territory but inside this Territory if that money is indeed being spent on hotels, airfares and arts and crafts things like that.
It is a certainly job well done.
You all know what I was saying about Nunavut Tourism over the last year.
So you know if they generated 50 million dollars or they were instrumental or they were involved in generating this kind of revenue into Nunavut, I think they are doing a good job at this point.
I would like to certainly see them give an extra boost or some added help to increase that.
Because like your statement says that the tourism business is estimated at 455 Billion US.
Which is probably 700 Billion Canadian.
If we can get one percent of that we would be further ahead than most organisations.
I will be looking to see next year how much that increases.
Like I say we have been getting a lot of promotion from the world on the creation of Nunavut and I can suspect it will increase.
It says here that Sustainable Development has been discussing with NTI and Northern Affairs Canada that the development of an economic agreement with Nunavut.
The business plan states that an economic package for the three Northern Territories expect to be considered by the Federal Cabinet late this year and early next year.
Do you anticipate that there will be an additional dollars from the Federal Government into this program and how much.
I would like to thank the Member for asking that question.
The Department of Sustainable Development is not going to be the only Department working on this issue.
The contributions that we got from the Federal Government are the ones that are requested are going through negotiations at this time with the Federal Government.
Our leaders will again be speaking with the other party sometime this month.
We are just going through the negotiation stage at this time and I can not give you a definite answer at this point.
I can tell you we are negotiating and if we do come to an agreement.
I will keep Members up to date.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. McLean.
There was a comment you made in May in setting up the Minister’s Forum on the Economy.
The old government did about 15 of them every 5 years and we studied the Territory to death Nunavut and the NWT.
All it has benefited Minister Forum on the Economy is the high priced consultants walking away where between 300-500 thousand dollars for studies that sit on desks and shelves and other offices.
It really never get around to what is really going to accomplish or what it going to do.
Maybe wish, will, can, may.
Can you guarantee to me that this Minister Forum on the Economy is not going to be another one of these dog and pony shows that goes off travels Nunavut and we are all going to hear the same thing.
We need to create employment.
We need more money for the traditional economy.
We need more benefits for the smaller communities.
We can go on and on and on.
Is this another study that is going to cost us 2 or 300 thousand dollars that could have been spent wisely someplace else.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. McLean. Mr. Minister.
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. (interpretation ends)
There are no consultants in this process.
All the Mayors and the Members of the Legislative Assembly are invited to this meeting.
This is one we identified the need.
It is to revisit our program delivery in grants and contribution to see if we should be looking at making improvements in some of the programs or services.
At the end of the meeting we want to use this information and input from the Mayors and the Members if there are recommendations to start adjusting our programs.
To meet the needs of Nunavummiut.
So we are really confident and looking forward to holding this meeting.