Mr. Speaker, the last decade has seen our Great Slave Lake fishery hit hard by circumstances well beyond its influence and control.  Commercial fishing in our territory has, as a result, declined significantly. 

What has not declined is the number of fish in the lake, the quality of this food source, or the proven markets we can use to rebuild our fishery.  They offer the opportunity to restore an industry that remains important and vital to our economy and to our territory.

Mr.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Energy Strategy will support the transition to a lower carbon economy in the NWT in the transportation, heating, electricity and industrial sectors by supporting efficiency as well as renewable and alternative energy solutions.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the progress made on the development of a range plan for the Bathurst caribou herd.

As Members may be aware, cumulative impact concerns were raised during environmental assessments of the Gahcho Kue, Fortune Minerals NICO project and the Jay Pipe project expansion.  Each Environmental Assessment recommended that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop approaches for cumulative effects monitoring.

Mr. Speaker, investments in our transportation system are critical for creating economic and social opportunities for northerners. The Department of Transportation’s commitment to securing federal funding to advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway under the mandate of the 18^th Legislative Assembly is intended to capture these kinds of opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, caribou herds across northern Canada have been declining. Many are at or near historic low numbers.  

These declines prompted the Committee on Status of Endangered Species in Canada to assess barren-ground caribou across Canada, including herds in the Northwest Territories, as a threatened species in November 2016.

Mr. Speaker, residents of the NWT have told us that they want to advance food production in their regions and communities.  With the support of federal and GNWT funding, community-based gardens, greenhouses, farmer’s markets and other food-related businesses and associations are flourishing across the NWT.

Access to locally grown, locally sourced foods continues to increase for NWT residents.   Small-scale entrepreneurial opportunities are becoming available through markets, festivals, and conferences.

Mr. Speaker, in order to address the Priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has made the commitment to work in partnership with other orders of government to address affordable housing requirements in support of their service delivery to Northwest Territories residents.

Mr. Speaker, early in the New Year, an important milestone was achieved with the announcement of conditional federal funding to construct the Tłı̨chǫ All-season Road. This represents a critical step towards fulfilling the mandate of the 18^th Legislative Assembly to capture opportunities for investment in transportation infrastructure in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that the Department of Transportation’s contractor has started its fourth and final winter of construction on the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. As we come nearer to completing construction, I want to talk about the significance of this project to the communities of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk and residents of the Beaufort Delta.