Mr. Speaker, I wish to provide additional information to supplement my responses given during Oral Question Period on September 29, 2015 regarding dredging the Port of Hay River.  The Department of Transportation has received a response from Fisheries and Oceans Canada to our most recent letter requesting dredging and federal marine facility maintenance. 

The Government of the Northwest Territories is keenly aware of the critical need to restore the East Channel of the Hay River and its approaches from Great Slave Lake back to safe marine navigating conditions. 

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or ENR, Strategic Plan for 2015 – 2020. This Strategic Plan, which will be tabled later today, establishes a vision, mission, values, goals, and objectives for the Department. The Strategic Plan incorporates the new responsibilities of ENR post- Devolution.

The 2015-2020 ENR Strategic Plan aligns with government policies, including the ENR Establishment Policy, and the GNWT Sustainable Development Policy and the Land Use and Sustainability Framework.

Mr. Speaker, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is an important milestone in Canada’s history. The release of their report, ‘Honouring the Truth, Reconciling the Future’ this past June has moved the national discussion to reconciliation and provided tangible actions that need to be taken.

Mr. Speaker, community governments are critical partners in building a strong and independent North. As we near the end of our term, it is a good time to look back at the work we have done to support community governments and the challenges that still remain.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on our plans to improve care and services for our residents by improving the Health and Social Services System.

On June 4^th, 2015, Bill 44: An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act, received Assent in the Legislative Assembly. With the Assent of Bill 44 we now have the legislative mechanism to bring the NWT Health and Social Services System together.

Mr. Speaker, providing our residents with opportunities to make healthy choices is a priority that has strong support from this Assembly and the Government of the Northwest Territories.

This support extends to all citizens, including those serving sentences in a correctional facility. Progress made by the Department of Justice over the past six months will mean inmates looking to make better choices and return to their communities as healthy contributing members will be better supported.

Mr. Speaker, we often talk about the people of the NWT as being our greatest resource. I think it’s fair to say that our Government of the Northwest Territories’ public service is made up of many of those remarkable people who dedicate themselves to public service. Today I would like to acknowledge one of those public servants who has dedicated 25 years to this Government and the people of the NWT.

The 2014/2015 Public Works and Services Energy Conservation Projects Annual Report published in June 2015, is both a retrospective of what the Government of the NWT has achieved since annual reporting first began, and an overview of important changes we have made to support this work going forward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to report positive results and trends from this government’s investments and initiatives in the NWT tourism sector.

The official tourism statistics for the last fiscal year will be available in late October but the preliminary results are promising.  We are seeing a broad spectrum of interest in the tourism activities available in the Northwest Territories. In particular, the segment of visitors from China, who are commonly associated with aurora viewing, are exploring well beyond this sector.  

Mr. Speaker, it isn’t very often we can say that weather forecasters were spot-on with their projections, however this fire season it seems they got it right.