Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on April 2nd, 2009

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Peter.

[Peter Vician]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Energy is a priority for the GNWT. The Government of the Northwest Territories recently announced a $60 million multi-year investment in a whole spectrum of energy initiatives. We are reliant on fossil fuels for the majority of the smaller communities that depend on diesel, particularly, for electricity generation. But we are blessed with a wonderful hydro system in the southern region of the territory, and we are making investments toward the development of the Taltson project, which is a very significant hydroelectric project for the territories. We see a large potential for that to be there for the future, even supplying industrial users, whether it's the Mackenzie gas project or additional diamond mining.

Through you, Mr. Chairman, I will leave documentation for the benefit of the committee on our energy investments, our priorities. It's a lot of work done by the government.

Thank you.

[Harvey Brooks]

From the Yukon's perspective, it is also an extremely important issue. In any major development in mining or any other manufacturing development that would take place, the very first question that comes is, where is the power source, and is it dependable? For most remote mining activities right now, that would likely be diesel-generated power, which isn't ideal.

The government has recently put out an energy strategy that defines a number of alternative energy sources it's investigating. The Yukon is looking at the geothermal opportunities within the Yukon. It has some operating wind power demonstration sites. It is also looking at biomass, potential for wood pellets, and things of that nature.

But its number one focus is on the expansion and the shoring up of the hydro system. Almost all of the power in the Yukon now is hydro-developed, but it needs additional infrastructure in terms of connectedness of transmission lines. It also needs some shoring up of resources to expand the power base to ensure that it is reliable. There are some issues of reliability around the base.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Do I have some time left?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

No, not really, I'm sorry. We're just about out.

Now we move to Mr. Bagnell. You have five minutes.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you once again.

I only have one question, but it's for all three of you, so try to share. You only have about four minutes. The one question is, if you could get only one thing from the federal government to help your economic development, what would that one item be that the federal government could provide?

While you're thinking of that, I just wanted to ask Harvey a question. The Yukon government wanted me to ask on Tuesday, when we had INAC officials here, what the status is of the joint working group that they've asked for on the new economic development agency. I wonder if Harvey wanted to comment. You can see their answer in the minutes, but I just wonder if Harvey wanted to comment on that at all.

Each of you can answer that one question that I had.

[Harvey Brooks]

I think we're very encouraged from what we hear from senior politicians on the federal side, that there's willingness to work together towards the establishment of the organization. We have a meeting this afternoon in which we hope to learn more about how we might move forward on that. We really think it's vitally important to establishing how the agency is going to run and operate in the initial stages. The territories are involved in the working group to set that up.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Rosemary, your one wish?

[Rosemary Keenainak]

That's one wish, but we're doing it jointly, so I get to add on to it. One of the things I emphasized in my opening comments was that education and training are going to be critical for Nunavummiut to be involved in the opportunities that are going to be coming in all the sectors. Assistance and partnership with Nunavut in terms of training and education of Nunavummiut would be my one wish.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Peter.

[Peter Vician]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I've spoken about devolution. I think that's the overarching statement. However, let me say that in the short term, investment in critical infrastructure in the territory is the priority for our government. It's why we're pleased to hear about these investments recently by the federal government. It's one of the key recommendations. It's a myriad of types of infrastructure, but transportation, energy, even environmental infrastructure that comes with the plan.

Thank you.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Rosemary, in response to your answer, has the government responded sufficiently to the Berger report in contributing to education, as was requested by that report?

[Rosemary Keenainak]

The federal government? I don't think so. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

You have two minutes left, Mr. Bagnell.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

We still have two minutes? I don't want to let that go by.

[Harvey Brooks]

Can I speak to infrastructure as a key request?

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Yes.

[Harvey Brooks]

Our number one ask at this point is along the critical infrastructure line as well. It's energy related and deals with the last question. It's along the ability to connect our two main transmission corridors, and also the extension of one of our hydro projects, called the Mayo B project, which would substantively increase and shore up our hydroelectric capacity within the territory.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Is there any quick comment on what the federal government could do to help in mining?

[Peter Vician]

The regulatory system. Act on the recommendations that Mr. McCrank, the environmental audit, the GNWT, and other parties have brought forward to the federal government. I believe you heard from the assistant deputy just a few days ago that this is the objective. We want to see execution and implementation of those changes in a timely manner.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Are there any other comments?

[Harvey Brooks]

I'd like to say that we're in a different situation. We are managing our own affairs with regard to mining—with federal government departments, of course. However, we are good. We seem to be one of the models across Canada for mining regulation and sustainable development.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Right. Thank you.

Mr. Rickford, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome to all the witnesses.

I have two remarks on the territories. First, I had the opportunity to live there and work as a registered nurse in Arviat and then Cambridge Bay and have some great memories and appreciation for the challenges. My memories of being out on the land: hunting was extraordinary. I'm also from the Kenora riding, and we share a significant portion of the Hudson Bay coastline with some parts of your territory, and also have an appreciation for vast territory that has some various needs. Those needs, and the ones I want to review here within this five minutes, are as follows. When I was elected, we identified that infrastructure, economic diversification, and education and training were probably the three places where we really needed to drill down and explore.

Like your territories, we have some small towns and cities with certain degrees of better infrastructure and access to training, and then the more remote communities of course are without some of those. We tend to specialize in certain things. Again to the territories' credit, in areas of nursing you were right out there on the cutting edge of developing advance practice nursing for understanding and appreciating what challenges the more remote communities faced. So I want to review some of these areas here.

With respect to infrastructure, I know you talked broadly about some of the key territorial infrastructure needs. Rosemary, could you comment on the absolute key infrastructure projects in the remote community? What are the top three or four that must be done to support a broad economic diversification strategy that includes a number of the items that were identified here and also contemplates health? What are some of the key infrastructures?