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Speaker: I will now call the House to order. We will proceed at this t= ime with prayers.
Prayers
DAILY ROUTINE
Speaker: We will proceed at this time with the Order Paper.
Tributes.
TRIBUTES
In recognition of Law Day and the 31st= anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Hon. Mr. Nixon: I rise today to pay tribute to Law = Day and the 31st anniversary of Canadian Charter of Rights= and Freedoms. Law Day is celebrated nationally on April 17.
Law Day recognizes the anniversary =
of the
proclamation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms signed o=
n
In honour of this milestone, the Ca= nadian Bar Association introduced Law Day in 1983 as a means to commemorate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which built upon the foundation of the Canadian Bill of Rights brought forward by Prime Minister Diefenbaker in 19= 60. Today’s celebration is also about educating the public about the legal system.
Prime Minister Diefenbaker stated t= hat a bill of rights was needed to take a forthright stand against discrimination based on colour, creed or racial origin. The Canadian Bill of Rights protec= ts numerous rights including the right to life, liberty and security of person, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality rights, rights to fundamen= tal justice and the right to counsel. These rights are reflected in the Cana= dian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which we are celebrating today.<= /p>
The bill of rights also included th=
e right
to enjoyment of property, which is not enshrined in the Charter. I
mentioned the Diefenbaker bill of rights because of his government’s =
important
commitment and contribution to the Canadian rights. I also want to note tha=
t
As we watched the funeral for Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher, I was reminded of her legacy. I admire the will=
ingness
of her government to agree to the transition of power from the
Law Day is marked by projects and
activities designed for the public to learn about the law, the legal
profession, and the legal institutions that form the cornerstones of our
Canadian democracy.
Law Day is organized nationally by =
the CBA
and locally by the association’s
Law Day’s purpose is to educa=
te and
inform Yukoners about the role and importance of law, with a particular emp=
hasis
on access to justice. This government continues to ensure that access to
justice remains a priority for all Yukoners through funding to Legal Aid and
alternative courts, such as the and the Domestic Violence Treatment Options Court. This year =
the
Government of Yukon is involved in a special campaign to ensure that some of
our most vulnerable citizens — children — are provided with acc=
ess
to justice through a national Cybertip campaign.
Internet crime, particularly crimes= against children, is on the rise throughout the world. We need Yukoners to report t= hese crimes through www.cybertip.ca or your lo= cal RCMP office when they are discovered. As adults, we must also take the time= to teach our children how to use the Internet appropriately to help them avoid cyber crime and cyber bullying before it occurs.
To help celebrate Law Day, the 23rd
annual Law Day charity fun run and walk will take place on Friday, May 3 at=
Not only will I start the race behi=
nd the
Whitehorse Visitor Information Centre, along the Millennium Trail, but I am=
participating
in the walk/run along with
LDAY’s aim is to enable perso=
ns with
learning disabilities to reach their maximum potential. This is a great
organization, making a very valuable contribution to
Ms.
Moorcroft: On behalf of th=
e Official
Opposition, I rise today to pay tribute to the 31st anniversary =
of
the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. On
The establishment of the Constitution Act, 1982 did several things. Notably, it created a document that codified the fundamental rights= and freedoms that Canadians have fought and struggled for since Confederation in 1867, and it entrenched the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Law Day is a national event celebra=
ting the
signing of the Canadian Charter of =
Rights
and Freedoms. Originated by the Canadian Bar Association and first held=
in
On the occasion of the anniversary =
of the Charter, I would like to note its =
impact
in
Yukon First Nation rights that are established in the Umbrella Final Agreement and in 11 final land claims agreements are constitutionally protected, and government must meet a high test in respecting the intent and content of these agreements. The duty to consult with First Nations means t= hat arbitrary decisions taken in the past can no longer occur. As a result of t= he Charter, governments now have a du= ty to consult aboriginal peoples when resource development and other government changes greatly affect them. It ensures First Nations will be able to participate in the process. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld government’s duty to consult with First Nations before infringing on aboriginal title when lands claimed by First Nations are proposed for devel= opment. In Delgamuukw, the court heard and recognized the validity of oral history evidence from First Nation elders, who took the court back to how t= hey had practised their laws to protect the lands and resources long before the first European knew they existed.
Another legacy of the Charter is the recognition of the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgendered, queer community. Since 1982, court decisions across <=
st1:country-region>
As a result of the Charter, =
the
culture has changed, and there is far greater acceptance of the LGBTQ commu=
nity
in our society. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms reminds us that we
must continue to work on inclusion and affirmation in
Today, as
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I rise today on= behalf of the Liberal caucus to pay tribute to Law Day and to the Canadian Char= ter of Rights and Freedoms.
Law Day was originated in 1983 by t=
he
Canadian Bar Association to raise Canadians’ awareness of our legal
rights and obligations. More recently, Law Day has been chosen appropriatel=
y to
also celebrate the signing of
Today,
As the first Commonwealth nation to=
adopt a
bill of rights,
The Charter
has had a major impact on the promotion and protection of human rights in <=
/span>
As Canadians, we can be proud of our country for we are a nation that believes in the rights of its citizens. The promise of fairness, justice, and opportunity is a beacon of hope that has drawn millions of new Canadians to our shores and opened up Canadian societ= ies to greater diversity.
We take this opportunity to thank a= nd recognize the hard work done by our Yukon Human Rights Commission and the Y= ukon Human Rights Board of Adjudication in defending the rights of many Yukoners= . We would also like to recognize the acknowledgments of many human rights worke= rs around the world in their struggle fighting for freedom and for democracy. Thank you.
Speaker: Are there any introductions of visitors?
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO=
RS
Hon. Mr. Kent: During what everyone knows as Educ=
ation
Week, I feel privileged to introduce three classes from Whitehorse that have
joined us here today, starting with Madame Colgan’s grade 4 class from
Whitehorse Elementary School. Many of the students in attendance wrote lett=
ers
to me when we were seeking advice for setting the school calendars, and I t=
hank
them for their input into that process. Also joining us today are two class=
es
from
As has been the custom here lately,= I would invite any members who are able to join me after Question Period in the mem= bers’ lounge to meet with the students, to do so. At this time, I will ask everyo= ne to welcome them to the Assembly.
Applause
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; I’d like =
to also
introduce today in the gallery a vital member of the
Applause
Speaker: Are there any returns or documents for tabling?
TABLING RETURNS AND DOCUMENTS
Hon. Mr. Cathers:&= #8195; I have two docu= ments for tabling today. The first is the current protocol between the minister r= esponsible for the Yukon Development Corporation — me — as representative = of the Government of Yukon, and the chair of the Yukon Development Corporation= as representative of the Yukon Development Corporation.
I also have for tabling the 2013 shareholder letter of expectation from the minister responsible for the Yuk= on Development Corporation to the Yukon Development Corporation, signed by me = and the chair.
Speaker: Are there any other returns or documents for tabling?<= /p>
Are there any reports of committees= ?
Are there any petitions to be prese= nted?
Are there any introductions of bill= s?
Are there any notices of motion?
NOTICES OF MOTION
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I rise to give = notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon to move energy planning in-house, away from the Yukon Energy Corporat= ion, to allow for broader public policy concerns to be part of the decision-maki= ng process.
Speaker: Is there a statement by a minister?
This brings us to Question Period.<= /span>
QUESTION PERIOD
Question re:
Music programs in the schools
Mr.
Tredger:=
Mr. Speaker, th=
is week
we are fortunate to be able to listen to and applaud the efforts of young Y=
ukoners
performing during the Rotary Music Festival. Studying music develops areas =
of
the brain involved in language and reasoning, encourages persistence, and
provides children with a means of self-expression.
However, less than half the schools=
in
Hon.
Mr.
I guess the other aspect is trying = to group some of the rural schools into rural hubs and perhaps have shared resources= between communities that are in close proximity, provided their calendars align. We have just received the final calendar start dates for many of the schools. We’ll look to incorporate some of the ideas brought forward by the me= mber opposite when we’re able to cluster those schools. I couldn’t a= gree more — music is an extremely important part of what we’re able = to offer to our students as far as their learning development and becoming good citi= zens in our society.
Mr.
Tredger:=
I would like to=
hear more
on music education being provided to students living outside of
While rural schools present special
challenges, there are solutions. What is the strategy for ensuring that all=
Hon.
Mr.
As mentioned again in my opening re=
sponse,
when it comes to delivering education in rural
Question re: Renewable energy strategy
Ms. White:<= /b> Yukoners are ve= ry disappointed in the lack of direction shown by government on renewable ener= gy. Yukoners participated in good faith in the energy charettes. They like the softer language of the Energy Corporation — language that hinted at flexibility, with words like “transition” and “optionR= 21;. I have for tabling the Yukon Energy Corporation background paper entitled, = LNG Transition Option.
The Yukon Party’s true colour=
s are
showing. “Transition” is now “replacement”. No opti=
ons,
no cost-benefit analysis. The minister is directing
When will the minister provide this= House with a cost-benefit analysis and timeline for replacing diesel with LNG, so that Yukoners can compare it with the cost associated with renewable energy options?
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: First of all, as has become unfortu=
nately
all too common in the House, the member, like many of her colleagues in
Question Period, is quite simply wrong and does not have her facts correct.=
I
would refer her and all Yukoners to the Energy Strategy for Yukon, w=
hich
is available on-line. It is something that is not only signed by me and com=
mitted
to by this government, but in fact it is referenced in the protocol and let=
ter
of expectation that I just tabled that is the current protocol between the
Yukon Development Corporation and me and the letter of expectations for the
Yukon Development Corporation and its subsidiary.
It does make reference to the pursu= it of and support for development of renewable energy, but as I’ve explaine= d to the member in the past, unlike her love for wind as the preferred source ab= ove all others, our primary focus is ensuring that when the development of new energy sources occurs, it’s done so in a manner that is responsible a= nd does not place an undue burden on ratepayers or taxpayers.
Ms. White:= 8195; Yesterday in th= is House, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources committed Yukoners, the = resources and the public utility to long-term increased reliance on a fossil fuel. Th= is commitment to fossil fuels was made despite the Yukon Party government̵= 7;s promise to implement the energy strategy. All last week, the minister faile= d to answer our questions based on the energy strategy, specifically — and= I quote from page 4: number one, “increase renewable energy supply in Y= ukon by 20% by 2020”; and number two, “support and demonstrate renew= able energy projects in communities off the electrical grid to reduce diesel use.”
Why won’t the minister share = his plan to support and demonstrate renewable energy projects in an off-grid communi= ty, if he has one, and what is the minister’s plan to increased renewable energy supply by 20 percent by 2020?
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: I would remind the member, if she l=
ooked
at the Energy Strategy for Yukon that she just quoted from, whose si=
gnature
is on that document. It’s mine.
That is something that this governm= ent remains committed to. I see the assistant heckler in chief is starting up f= rom the NDP benches again. I would point out to members, in fact, that we remain committed to the pursuit of renewable energies. We are currently working in support of feasibility studies in a number of areas.
The specific project that the Membe= r for Takhini-Kopper King stood here and asked me to commit to is a project that = will be assessed on its merits, but we’re not going to engage in commitmen= ts to support specific energy projects by specific proponents here in this Hou= se. They will be evaluated on their merits. They will be evaluated by staff of = the Energy Corporation and, of course, by the Policy branch in Energy, Mines and Resources. Also, as members may not know, because the NDP seems to often ha= ve a very loose understanding of the facts, there are also requirements under th= e Public Utilities Act for the revie= w of projects, and projects over certain size have to have approval by the Yukon Utilities Board before they can be added into the rate base.
Ms.
White:=
8195; I am sure Yukon=
ers are
confident now that they know the minister’s signature is guaranteeing
their renewable future. A lot of good departmental work on the potential of
renewable energy has already been done. I have for tabling a list of projec=
ts
largely abandoned by this government, to be replaced by LNG, a fossil fuel.=
Also, apparently, to be replaced wi=
th LNG
is a 2009 pan-territorial commitment to develop an inventory of current and
future renewable energy sources. Under this minister’s direction,
Where is this government’s co= mmitment to the long-term development of our hydro resources? The minister is saying= it takes a lot of time, but the Yukon Party has been in power for over 10 years and Yukoners have had enough waiting. Can the minister tell this House what progress it has made with long-term hydro power planning?
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: The member does not seem to be awar=
e of
it, but in fact the largest single federal investment in developing renewab=
le
energy north of 60 was the investment in the Mayo B energy project. However,
the timelines for hydro projects are quite significant. They are multi-year
projects. We do have a number that have had some work done on them that the=
Diesel generators and diesel-produc= ed electricity have been part of the Yukon Energy Corporation’s mix and Yukon Electrical’s mix for years. Both utilities are looking at movin= g to liquefied natural gas, because the capital infrastructure is roughly the sa= me cost for a generator, and the cost of fuel is roughly a third of that of diesel, plus the carbon emissions are lower.
Question re: Student information system= 8195;
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; In 2009, the Au=
ditor
General of
In her report, it emphasized the ne=
ed for a
comprehensive student information system. The government took the report and
bought a system from
Why did the Yukon Party government =
buy a
system that was already being boycotted by teachers in British Columbia
Hon.
Mr. Teachers are more proficient and
comfortable using the system. Many of the problems have come forth,
particularly in rural When it comes to the replacement of=
that
system, it has become necessary because the developer, Pearson School Syste=
ms,
is going to be decommissioning YSIS. It will need to be replaced by early 2=
016.
We’re working with the B.C. Ministry of Education. They’ve sent=
out
an RFP, and the In my initial tours of community sc=
hools
upon being named Minister of Education, that was one of the topics I addres=
sed
with staff in many of those schools. While there have been some problems wi=
th
the system, I do believe it is meeting some of the requirements that were
addressed by the Auditor General in providing us with good statistics and g=
ood
information. Again, we look forward to the replacement system and look forw=
ard
to engaging the education community in doing that. Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; I’m glad =
that
it’s finally stable, but the Yukon Party government has spent more th=
an
$750,000 on a student tracking system that was dead on arrival. Mentors of =
mine
compare it to operating with a hammer. It was already failing in B.C. and t=
he
government was warned by the Yukon Teachers Association not to buy this
product. The government went ahead anyway, a=
nd they
didn’t listen. The Yukon Party likes to brag about good fiscal manage=
ment
— the centrepiece of this year’s budget is the $27-million bail=
out
for the Yukon Hospital Corporation. This bailout is necessary because the
government allowed the corporation to borrow money that it could not pay ba=
ck.
Now, one of the biggest capital items on the Education budget, is an extra =
$750,000
to replace YSIS with a new program. Does the government think that havi=
ng to
replace a $750,000 tracking system only two years after using it is good fi=
scal
management? Hon.
Mr. Kent: Perhaps the member opposite didn=
217;t
listen to my first response, where I said it has become necessary to replace
the system because Pearson School Systems will be decommissioning YSIS, and=
it
needs to be replaced by 2016. Again, during my early time as Minister of
Education doing the community tours and talking to staff and school councils
and students, particularly in rural The price of that new system will be
dependent on whether or not we select the same system as B.C. or choose ind=
ependently.
We’re working hard to meet the requirements. Again, we aren’t
decommissioning YSIS — it’s the system owner, Pearson School
Systems. We’re looking forward to a replacement by early 2016, and
that’s precisely what I want to do — concentrate on moving forw=
ard
and providing a system for our teachers and our educators that is
user-friendly, but gives us the data that we need. Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; It’s a go=
od thing
that the company finally has given us an out to move away from this system,
because it didn’t do those things that it was supposed to do. The Gov=
ernment
of Yukon didn’t plan properly for the purchase of this new tracking
system to begin with. In 2010, it bought something from B.C. that didn̵=
7;t
work properly and that was pretty archaic. They spent over $750,000 on it, =
and
now Yukoners are paying again — another $750,000 for a new product to
provide the same service. This is poor planning. This is poor fiscal
management. I can only hope that the government=
does a
better job with the new system than it did with the old one, and I really h=
ope
that the minister is involving teachers, school councils and administrators=
and
making sure that they are involved from the beginning before we select it.<=
o:p> Can the minister tell Yukoners when=
the new
system will be up and running in our schools? Hon.
Mr. With respect to his question about
involving stakeholders, as I mentioned earlier this spring, a committee of
stakeholders will meet to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the current
system and determine requirements for any new student information system. We
are working with British Columbia right now, we’re part of their requ=
est
for proposals, so many of the questions raised in the final supplementary a=
re
questions that I’ve already answered, but I’m always happy to
repeat myself during Question Period for the benefit of the member opposite=
. Q=
uestion
re: Ms.
Moorcroft: The In spite of the extensive developme=
nt, the
Whitehorse Alaska Highway corridor stretch of highway hasn’t changed =
much
to accommodate the increased traffic. The When will this government be tablin=
g its
plans for Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: As I rise today, I just want to tha=
nk
those who do work for us keeping our highways safe and secure. This morning=
is
a good example of a bit of surprise from Mother Nature, and I heard our
maintenance people were out there. Addressing the member opposite,
that’s exactly what we are doing. We have a corridor study that
we’re doing. It’s not finalized yet; when it’s finalized,
I’ll be tabling it in the House. Ms.
Moorcroft: Last year, the =
minister
said that they would anticipate having public consultation on the There have been many developments o=
ver the
years along this stretch — intersections and lights. Some people have=
reported
safety concerns, about which I have written to the minister. The intermitte=
nt
turning lanes that have been developed to provide access to country residen=
tial
lots and subdivisions are hazardous. Mr. Speaker, the current conditions are
not safe. We need a better plan. Once again, I have to ask the minis=
ter: Where
is the long-term planning? Why has the minister not put a higher priority on
planning highway improvements along the Whitehorse Alaska Highway corridor
section? Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: Like I alluded to earlier, I will be
tabling that when it’s done. I wanted to get the point across he=
re that
we do work with the City of We’re also looking at the big=
picture
and that’s the whole corridor from cut-off to cut-off. When that comes
through, there will be a lot of different facts that come through from work=
ing
with the city. Whether it is ambulances or whether it’s the city main=
taining
it or us maintaining it, we work with the city on it, so it’s importa=
nt
that we do this thoroughly and we engage people. When the corridor study is
finished, I will bring it to the House and we’ll probably debate it. =
Ms.
Moorcroft: The minister sa=
id that
the government worked with the City of Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: I’m just going to quote from =
the letter
that I sent the Member for Copperbelt South: “Highways and Public Wor=
ks
confirmed that this intersection does not meet current Transportation
Association Canada safety standards” — that’s why we̵=
7;re
doing a highways corridor study too, by the way — “The posted s=
peed
limit is 90 and a minimum site distance of 305 metres is required in both
directions. Site distances at this access are approximately 250 metres to t=
he
south and 265 metres to the north. Given the current conditions, this acces=
s is
not safe.” That’s why I said we’re=
working
with the City of We work with the city; we address w=
here the
issues are. If the city is proposing a subdivision, we’ll work with t=
he
city on giving exactly what I just read in my response to the Member for
Copperbelt South — whether it meets tax standards or not. We’ll
work with the city to make sure it’s safe for the travelling public.<=
/span> Question re: Emergency me=
dical
services Ms.
Stick:=
8195; A medevac docto=
r is on
call to support the emergency medical service workers and community nurses.=
On
the front lines, If a physician is needed to attend =
to an
emergency in rural Can the minister tell us if the med=
evac program
will be maintained, or what options to replace and provide essential emerge=
ncy
services to rural Hon.
Mr. Graham: Of course the medevac system will be
maintained in the Ms.
Stick:=
8195; I was not sugge=
sting
that there would not be a medevac service in the Hon.
Mr. Graham: Well, Mr. Speaker, we’re all =
too
aware of how important our emergency medical services are across this terri=
tory.
That’s one of the reasons that the Minister of Community Services
recently had a large increase in that budget, because we do appreciate the =
job
they do for us. As I said to the members opposite s=
ome time
ago, we are currently discussing — not only with the medical community
and the Emergency Measures community — what format we will use in the
future, but we are hoping to come up with new and innovative features. We a=
ll
know that the cost of health care in the territory is increasing at a drama=
tic
rate, and what we’re looking for are not only solutions that will pro=
vide
the current service, but perhaps to provide it in a better way, perhaps at a
lower cost. Those are the things that we are currently looking at.=
p>
There is nothing that says <=
st1:place>EMS or services provide=
d currently
by physicians in the Question re: Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; Before the spri=
ng
sitting began, I attended a Business After Hours meeting in The long-standing Yukon Party commi=
tment to
build a new recreation centre in Will the minister admit that plans =
for a
new recreation centre in Hon.
Ms. Taylor: I’d like to thank the MLA for=
So there are dollars included withi=
n this
year’s budget, as there were the last number of years. In fact, we ha=
ve
extended our agreement with the City of In the meantime, we look forward to=
hearing
from the community of Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; I appreciate the
minister’s answers. I’m very well aware of the meetings that
they’ve had and the funding that is allocated for the existing buildi=
ng;
however, the minister didn’t answer my question, which is about a new
facility. The Yukon Party candidate in the =
span> The Yukon Party has broken its prom=
ise for
a new facility and instead wants the municipality to try to fix the old one.
The City of Why has the Yukon Party backed away=
from
its promise to build a new facility in our community? Hon.
Ms. Taylor: Again, just to correct the record f=
or the
member opposite, we are carrying on with our commitment of a $4-million
contribution agreement with the City of There is an oversight committee com=
prised
of representatives from the Department of Community Services, as well as
representatives from the City of So again, we are working with the C=
ity of Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; Mr. Speaker, be=
fore the
last election the Yukon Party held two sod-turning ceremonies for two capit=
al
projects. One was the MarshAlaska Highway corridor
functional plan in the fall of 2012. There have been a number of fatalities=
on
the highway over the years. A look at safety and accesses is overdue. None =
of
us want to drive by any more =
of
those roadside shrines that spring up when a traffic death occurs. <=
/p>
In Dawson the sod-turning orchestra= ted by the former MLA and the former Minister of Community Services was as far as = the new recreation centre has gone, and it seems like that’s as far as it’s going to go. It’s clear that a new facility has been taken= off the table and that the government has broken a major commitment it made to voters during the 2011 election campaign.
Let’s turn the page. What is = the cost for that stabilization mentioned in the engineering reports for the current facility in order to make it fully functional and also able to have an ice plant installed?
Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: Indeed, to start off where the memb=
er
opposite began his question, I would like to acknowledge the former MLA for=
But talking about investment in
Speaker: The time for Question Period has now elapsed.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT PRIVATE
MEMBERS’ BUSINESS
MOTIONS OTHER THAN GOVERNMENT MOTIONS
Motion No. 380
Clerk: Motion No. 380, standing in the name of Mr. Hassard.= p>
Speaker: It is moved by the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon to continue to enhance marketing of Yukon as a quality travel destina= tion through research-based, market-driven campaigns, especially in relation to Yukon’s primary markets of the United States, Canada and German-speak= ing Europe; secondary markets of Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan; and Yukon’s emerging markets of the Netherlands, South Korea and France.<= o:p>
Mr. Hassard: It gives me great pleasure to rise = today to speak on behalf of Motion No. 380.
In 2012, the
Each year, tourism generates approx=
imately
$200 million. Over one-quarter of the businesses in the
Why do people come to the
Following media familiarization tri=
ps led
by the department, both Reader’s Digest and Outside
magazine have highlighted
Visitor information centres in six =
Last year, the Government of Yukon =
added 10
works to the
$100,000 of funding was provided to=
support
20
Last year, the government, through = the Department of Tourism and Culture, provided $2.4 million in funding to 62 non-profit arts organizations and collectives. This funding enabled over 10= 0,000 audience members to enjoy more than 1,000 arts events.
The Culture Quest fund has been est= ablished as an ongoing funding program with $157,000 annually for projects that anim= ate our arts and culture.
The government provided $345,000 to= the Northern Cultural Expressions Society in funding to support its carving pro= grams that help emerging artists develop the artistic, social and business skills required for personal success.
A $200,000 contribution from the de=
partment
helped 80
In terms of marketing,
The new Haines Junction visitor inf=
ormation
centre located within the Dä Ku Cultural Centre in Haines Junction
showcases the work of 41
The YukonMuseum
How does the
In collaboration with the Klondike = Placer Miners Association, over 3,000 new fossils were collected for the paleontol= ogy program last year alone. Recently, the Government of Yukon and Kwanlin Dun celebrated two special Yukoners who found some ancient bison and reported t= hem.
Our history is interesting and comp=
elling.
Visitors to our territory want to experience our culture and our history. T=
he
government co-owns and co-manages three historic sites with the Vuntut Gwit=
chin
First Nation, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Selkirk First
Nations.
The government is leading a $479,000 archaeological site inventory and predictive modelling project supported by= CanNor. In partnership with the local First Nations, this project will assist the p= lacer mining industry in meeting regulatory and YESAA requirements.
In June of 2012, the government co-=
hosted
the Frozen Pasts — Third International Glacial Archaeology Symposium =
with
the Kwanlin Dun First Nation. The symposium explored
The palaeontology program continued=
to
provide an enhanced presence in the
The department’s historic pro=
perties
assistance program distributed $90,000 for 12 projects to preserve historic
places in
In May of 2012, the Heritage Resour=
ces unit’s
popular archaeology publication, The Frozen Past: The Yukon Ice Patches<=
/i>,
received national recognition, winning a public communications award from t=
he
Canadian Archaeological Association.
Some Yukoners may not be aware of h=
ow much
the
The government organized the Canadi=
an
Tourism Commission GoMedia marketplace in May 2012, hosting 125 internation=
al
and domestic media as well as 170 tourism industry members. A few of us here
were involved with the GoMedia thing that was here in
Also in 2012, the
Overseas visitors to the Visitation from The Department of Tourism and Cultu=
re is
undertaking a strategic assessment of its investment in tourism marketing. =
The
marketing program assessment will measure the effectiveness and the efficie=
ncy
of marketing investments delivered in The marketing program assessment wi=
ll
assess the return on investment for all geographic markets. The data for the
marketing program assessment will be drawn from border crossing statistics,=
air
arrivals, the 2012 The motion talks about the <=
st1:State>MuseumMuseumPark
The museum’s gift shop replic=
ating
George Johnston’s 1950s general store stocks Tlingit artifacts and cr=
afts
and has small
The Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre =
welcomes
visitors to participate in the day-to-day life of the Tlingit people whose
traditions are reflected in every aspect of the facility. The striking buil=
ding
on the shores of
The Campbell Region Interpretive Ce=
ntre is
a great place for tourists to get information and interesting displays on t=
he
Tourism and Culture recognizes coop=
erative
marketing initiatives as a strategic tool to significantly increase its glo=
bal
marketing reach and impact.
Through cooperative marketing, the =
$600,000 each year is allocated to
cooperative partnership marketing agreements with destination marketing org=
anizations,
NGOs, non-traditional partners, Canadian Tourism Commission and others.
Partnership marketing agreements focus on selling
$700,000 each year is allocated to =
the
tourism cooperative marketing fund. This fund provides 50-percent funding t=
o marketing
investment by
In relation to Yukon
Our marketing campaigns are designe=
d to
attract these kinds of visitors. In addition to Germany
The Fulda Challenge contributes
approximately $4 million annually in media coverage. As I mentioned earlier,
our secondary markets include the
The Yukon
I would just like to say in closing=
that I
believe everyone understands the importance of tourism in the
I look forward to hearing other peo= ple’s remarks in regard to Motion No. 380, and I look forward to unanimous agreem= ent when it comes time to vote. Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Barr:= 195; I am honoured t= o stand here and speak to Motion No. 380:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon to continue to enhance marketing of Yukon as a quality travel destina= tion through research-based, market-driven campaigns, especially in relation to = the Yukon’s primary markets of the United States, Canada, and German-spea= king Europe; secondary markets of Australia, United Kingdom and Japan; and Yukon’s emerging markets of the Netherlands, South Korea and France.<= /span>
I would also like to thank the Memb=
er for
Pelly-Nisutlin for his comments and his consideration in preparation for th=
is
motion.
I would like to also say that touri=
sm is
one of
Mr. Speaker, this is a dependable i=
ncome
stream. Let us reflect on this for a moment. There is more than $200 million
per year of direct revenue, not including the indirect revenues. This $200
million means jobs, taxes, purchases and all the things that build families,
communities and the territory. According to the Tourism Industry Associatio=
n of
the
It should also be noted that the to=
urism
industry supports the hard work of the mining industry and the importance t=
hat
industry plays in the
Both industries need room to grow a=
nd to
thrive. The mining industry also has a role to play in tourism, as evidence=
d by
The motion speaks of enhanced marke=
ting of
As this House knows, I run a B&=
B in the
Southern Lakes region, and I have a direct opportunity to speak to tourists
about the
It just goes on, and it also speaks=
to the
people who come to the
I would like to note, for example, =
the
rising sun ceremony in Carcross that happens on National Aboriginal Day on =
the
21st — tourists are up with the sunrise, along with member=
s of
the community and the people who drive from Whitehorse to witness such an
event, and then they stay the whole day to have the sunset ceremony and in =
that
feel the life of the community and the life of the people. So the conversat=
ion
over these long breakfasts is not only about what they see, but they want to
meet the real people of the
When they’re hiking on the tr= ails where they might spot a moose or a caribou or an eagle flying by, they also want to just take off into the bush, so they would like to bushwhack. You g= et these different people who really want to experience that sense of freedom. When there was a German-speaking tourist this winter, we were snowmobiling = up in the mountains out that way. One of the comments to one of the gals was, “How do you like that?” In her German English, she said, “= ;I like it. No, no. I love it.” It was so real.
Then listening to other people who =
maybe
get to experience this — we get to experience this. I believe
that’s why some of these people who come here on holidays end up movi=
ng
here. We do have many, for example, people from the
Mr. Speaker, how much time do I hav= e?
Speaker:
You’=
;re
unlimited. We’re here until
Mr.
Barr:=
195; Hang on. At
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)=
Mr. Barr:= 195; Say as much as I will — I will.
Some of the things that the people =
come to
see and talk about are there as they get off at the airports. We see these =
pictures
of wilderness, we see the expanse of mountains and vistas, and then
you’ll see one of the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers — som=
e of
the folks from Northern Cultural Expressions Society are part of that in the
pictures of the drumming and regalia. They want to see that. My concern, as
I’ll get to later, is that we in government have a responsibility to
guarantee that what we are advertising is here for the people to see.
There are some little things that I=
think
we have to pay attention to when we do market — for example, the high=
way
lodges that are now closed down, or from season to season. Many people
experienced a closed gas station, no longer open, and they’re thinking
that they can get gas. I would hope that the Minister of Highways and Public
Works is listening to ensure in this next upcoming season that people know =
they
are closed ahead of time, before they get there and realize they are out of
gas. I know that in Carcross last summer there were a few of us who kept gas
cans handy for tourists travelling the roads who couldn’t get to
The Official Opposition supports Mo= tion No. 380, but it would seem that the government is trying to eat their cake and = have it too. I’ll explain this.
It is not enough for this governmen=
t to pay
lip service to tourism and then support removing pristine wilderness as a
tourist draw and obliterate people’s livelihoods, but then they dismi=
ss
those very same tourists. The comments from the Minister of Energy, Mines a=
nd
Resources send the wrong message to tourists. The views of tourists from
Düsseldorf,
This government has spent tens of t=
housands
of dollars researching the
This government has re-branded the =
This isn’t a baseball game. T=
he City
of Yukon
We all know what I mean — tho=
se fake
fronts that make rickety old buildings look grand. It would seem that this =
is
the approach the government has to tourism in
I was just listening to the Premier
previously in Question Period speaking about bringing over a colour of sand
that would be able to aesthetically pave the
What I do think of, though, when I = do speak to what the community wants and needs or would like to see in this community — when I think of that section of Front Street in Dawson City alone — yet we cannot fix the drain in downtown Carcross that floods every = year or when we have a downpour that floods nearly half a block that tourists wo= uld then have to walk through or that affects the direct business to the other = side of the road — people who depend on people walking into their business, let alone the people who are going to walk into our nursing station. Could = we please have that drain fixed, for example?
When we have people coming to the <=
/span>
I am happy to see that there have b=
een
forward steps with the First Nations with the new village this summer. We h=
eard
talk in the House yesterday about paleontology and how we are running out of
space in our vaults to house all the artifacts. The Member for Pelly-Nisutl=
in
spoke to this and how several thousands of new pieces coming in are going to
have to be housed. The community house wants to have a museum. A bulk of the
paleontology artifacts are in drawers. Perhaps they could be displayed for =
the
public to see in this Southern Lakes area and possibly in conjunction with =
an
aviation museum in that particular area.
That makes a lot of sense, especial=
ly when
that port of entry is one of the larger entries into the Yukon from people =
who
visit from Outside, whether from the States, as we’ve talked about, or
from people who have come up on the cruise ships, and — what was it?
— 75 percent of people come from the
So it shouldn’t be that local= people have to — instead of stopping at four stops signs as you come into a kilometre stretch and then signs disappear mysteriously — if the gove= rnment would just listen to the communities before they spend the money putting up this stuff and then have to spend money again to take it down. That’s= not fiscally responsible, nor does it create an energy between government and communities that is a healthy working relationship.
I could go on about those different=
things
in that one area, and I guess I will. This area and the new visitor recepti=
on
centre — yes, we need it. However, if you speak to the people who del=
iver
that service — and it goes back to the government not listening to the
people.
The Yukon Party just does not seem = to want to listen to the people — especially the people who deliver the servi= ce. The people who have made agreements, the people who are emergency services — and I’ll use Tagish for example — wait to get the proper clothes, or want to take it out of their budget, which is not allotted, but they see that their clothes don’t fit or they’re old. It= is not an honouring of these agreements.
As I heard in Question Period, the =
teachers
who deliver the service aren’t being listened to as far as what the
Member for
I think of the people in Carcross a= t the visitor reception centre who greet the tourists day after day after day. You want to make them happy. Let them know that you’re listening and work with them, as in all sectors.
I think of
We have also seen how this governme=
nt fails
at capital projects, and many
I would also like to speak to land = use planning. The members opposite may wonder what land use planning has to do = with their motion, but it has a lot to do with it and I must make a passing refe= rence.
The mission statement of the Yukon =
Land Use
Planning Council states, “The Yukon Land Use Planning Council advocat=
es
land use planning as a comprehensive means of addressing cultural, social,
economic and environmental sustainability. The Yukon Land Use Planning Coun=
cil
promotes an open, fair and public process carried out by all Yukoners as set
out in the Yukon First Nations final agreements.”
Mr. Speaker, land use planning sets= out areas for various economic players, including tourism. The tourism industry — particularly wilderness tourism — has a vested interest in la= nd use planning, as they are an actor on the land base and they are building a sustainable industry that brings in hundreds of millions of dollars per yea= r to the Yukon.
The Lonely Planet guide has =
listed
the
The Lonely Planet guide does=
say
— and it says the rest of it, which doesn’t get said — th=
e
That brings us to the Peel land use planning process — a case in point here. It would appear that this go= vernment does not take land use planning seriously. They see it as a process where o= ther actors interfere with the mining industry, it would seem. I’ll state = that again — they see it as a process where actors interfere with the mini= ng industry, it would seem.
Mining and tourism, along with Yuko=
ners and
other sectors, need to share the land. Many areas of the
This brings me to land use planning=
. I
understand the Atlin Road new campground — I was listening to the Env=
ironment
minister state that construction on this campground will begin this spring =
and
that there is a YESAA process in place that will speak to the artifacts that
have been stated by locals are right in that area. The Minister of Environm=
ent
also stated that there are going to be meetings in a couple of weeks with t=
he
First Nations.
It’s interesting — I was speaking with some First Nations yesterday, and they haven’t heard of= a meeting time yet. So I would be really happy if the Minister of Environment= would maybe enlighten this member as to when the meetings with the First Nations = regarding the campground in Atlin will be — the time and date. I would like to = hear what transpires from that meeting that is set up for two weeks from now.
Another option spoken about in the =
final
agreements with Carcross-Tagish First Nation is Conrad becoming a historical
site. I might add there is a road in there, and there are historical buildi=
ngs
in Conrad. There is actually a bear cave people could go see.
There are old buildings from that t=
own of
I would see the caribou herd, which=
is struggling to survive, cross bet=
ween
Chootla Lake and Crag Lake and on to Caribou Mountain — like clockwork
every year. A permit for logging was allowed there and, since then, that ar=
ea
does not have caribou crossing. The elders who have lived here for generati=
ons
understand how sensitive this is for the wildlife. To see that with my own =
eyes
— when I think of what is coming up in Atlin, when there has been all=
of
this effort to regain this herd. I saw 28, but the highest number is 37.
That’s amazing, when you might have seen two or three before.
There is a point where, if we conti=
nue to
allow this to nurture, the elders and the people who have chosen a diet and=
who
eat their traditional foods may be able to harvest caribou in that area aga=
in.
Some have died waiting for that and have not eaten. So I would ask that we =
be
sensitive. It’s not only the tourists I was speaking about this winter
who almost jumped out of the car when they saw caribou back in that area ag=
ain
and who waited a month to be able to see that — I can’t imagine
— but the other people who come to the Yukon for that pristine wilder=
ness
experience, to see something not in a zoo, but to be able to come across it=
as
you’re coming down the road, face to face. I might say, though, pleas=
e do
not feed the bears — that’s not safe.
The motion has it wrong, Mr. Speake=
r,
although I will be supporting it. It’s not about enhanced marketing of
the th
century cathedrals, but we can compete with pristine wilderness and with
unspoiled vistas and wildlife.
Nowhere in this motion can the gove=
rnment
bring itself to mention the environment. Studies are important, but real co=
mmitment
to what makes the tourism industry a $200-million-plus industry to the
It is also odd that the government =
trots
out such a motion when it has turned its back on the impacts of federal cut=
s to
Parks Canada. This is a government that quietly rolled over to the federal
government on its cuts to Parks Canada. The tourism industry is none too ha=
ppy
with this government’s performance in standing up for
Last year, the Member of Parliament=
for the
These cuts will hurt our tourism in=
dustry.
There will be long-term effects, including the maintenance of these facilit=
ies.
These are not my words but the views and opinions of many prominent figures=
in
the tourism industry. Thankfully the private sector stepped forward at the =
last
moment and I wish to acknowledge their hard work and commitment to maintain=
ing
The question of
In conclusion, this government just doesn’t get it. Yes, they can string together the words to form a sentence and thus a motion about tourism, but they do not seem to understan= d the real nature of tourism. It would seem that they see tourism as an afterthou= ght and one that they are not entirely comfortable with. They put their other sectors ahead instead of on par. Look at the performance in pushing for resource extraction Look at how they have dealt with the Parks Canada cuts = and the poor infrastructure in our communities. Look at the ever-shifting brand= ing exercise they have undertaken for the last 10 years and their refusal to sh= are the land base in the Peel in a way that balances out the territory. You have heard what tourists from Germany and the United States think about protecti= ng Yukon’s pristine wilderness — the wilderness that drew them her= e to spend their hard-earned money. Our tourism model is largely based on a niche market that requires wilderness.
So, while supporting this motion, i=
t is the
Official Opposition’s real hope that this government will stop paying=
lip
service to tourism and put a real effort into protecting what makes =
Hon. Mr. Nixon: As Minister of Tourism and Culture,= I would especially like to thank the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin for bringing t= his motion forward. There is certainly a lot to share with respect to our work = in marketing overseas and, as I have only 20 minutes to speak, I’ll have= to summarize to a certain degree. There is a lot of good work being done.
Here is what we know. In 2012,
I found it extremely interesting to=
learn
that the overseas marketing we are doing in
I find it fascinating that <=
st1:place>
We also know that tourism is very i=
mportant
to the private sector economy of Yukon
Larger than Life — our solid =
Following media familiarization, or=
FAM,
trips led by the department, both Reader’s Digest and Outsi=
de
magazine have highlighted
So how do we make this possible? Fo=
r one,
the department’s marketing project with CanNor resulted in an increas=
e in
higher-yield overseas visitors, which has offset an anticipated decline in
visitors from the
We’re also very pleased to en=
ter into
a three-year marketing project just last fall with Holland America, for $50=
,000
per year to support joint efforts to promote cruise tour product, providing
significant revenues and benefits to Yukon’s tourism industry.
Our ongoing relationship with
I was very pleased to visit =
It’s important to speak about=
how
this government supports the touring artist fund. Our tourism sector continues to be =
a solid
and steady contributor to It’s important to note that t=
he
Department of Tourism and Culture implemented an overseas travel destination
awareness project to mitigate the possible effects of the global recession =
on
Overseas visitors to The additional $500,000 per year has
enabled What a great potential the Japanese=
market
has for the territory. Through the Department of Tourism and Culture it is =
our
objective to drive the preference for The Department of Tourism and Cultu=
re will
also provide training and support to Japanese, the With this work it’s important=
to
build a culture within the territory where we’re looking at developing
new summer and fall products for the Japanese, the At the same time, it’s import=
ant for
us to increase our I find the Australian market quite
interesting. Of all The success of the recent aurora ca=
mpaign
suggests that there is an opportunity to grow winter business as well. With=
a
strong and stable economy, much like ours in Of course, we have to give credit w=
here
credit is due. The Department of Tourism and Culture has been working dilig=
ently
for a number of years to enhance visitation from German-speaking The German-speaking We utilize a wide variety of tactic=
s to
increase visitation in our Australian and Asian markets. The Australian tou=
rism
market is increasingly important to For the In addition, the department support=
ed Gurus Explore TV fam tour in 2012. A crew travelled to the Yukon in la=
te
August filming two, five-minute stories, including one on Dawson and one on
Yukon’s wilderness. As I mentioned earlier, visitation from In November 2012, the department co=
ordinated
a sales call training seminar for Vancouver-based receptive tour operators =
targeting
the Japanese market. Just a couple of months prior, in S=
eptember
of last year, the department hosted Japan Canada Travel Association for a f=
am
tour of the In addition, It is clear to me that Ms.
White:=
8195; I am really exc=
ited,
actually, to be talking about an up-and-coming tourist market, and that is
mountain biking. I started mountain biking when I was in my early 20s and
mountain biking was just starting its upward climb in popularity. My first
season, I was working at the Chocolate Claim as a baker. I earned bruises,
scrapes and scratches every day and it was the most exciting time. I started
biking on a Kona Nunu, which is kind of an entry-level hardtail bicycle. My
friends would take me to the top of In the City of It’s super affordable. I thin=
k it is
$125 for the summer and you get all but $50 back at the end of the season w=
hen
you return the bike. We have three companies that offer mountain biking adv=
entures:
Up North Adventure, which can be found at www.upnorthadventures.com; C=
abin
Fever Adventures, which can be found at www.cabinfeveradventures.com<=
/a>;
and last, but certainly not least, Boréale Mountain Biking, which ca=
n be
found at www.borealebiking.ca.=
We’re graced in the The Carcross-Tagish First Nation go=
t behind
mountain biking and they’ve developed I’m going to talk a little bi=
t about
Boréale Mountain Biking, because it’s an amazing home-grown =
span> They have memberships in organizati=
ons like
the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and through that organization, they=
actively
pursue any and all journalistic leads that they’re provided. The reas=
on
why this is really important is because I believe Boréale Mountain
Biking has brought the world to the So Boréale goes out and finds the media connection and, with their partne=
rship
with Tourism I think this is very important. I j=
ust want
to show how big mountain biking could be for the territory. The first time =
we
were mentioned was in 2007 in Mountain Biking UK, and the title of t=
he
article was “Yukon Adventure”. We have been in Outer Edge
Magazine, the ultimate adventure magazine, and the title of that article
was “The 24-Hour Party People”. That was in August 2009. We have
been in Vélo Vert, l’Alaska et le We’ve been featured on the Ri=
de
Guide. The Ride Guide is a video clip. We had the Ride Guide Whitehorse com=
e up
here and it aired in August 2010. In Outside magazine — Out=
side
is actually one of the relationships that Boréale was able to forge =
with
the help of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. So they first made the
connections with Outside magazine through that organization. The fir=
st
time we were featured in Outside, the article was called, “Mou=
ntain
Biking Gets with the Flow”, and that was in February 2011. We’ve
been featured in Explore and the article was “Go here: Mountain
biking in Last, but certainly not least ̵=
2; oh,
not quite yet, sorry. Canadian Cycling Magazine had “Wild
Whitehorse — Mountain Bike Trails” in April 2012. Then again, <=
i>Bike
Magazine “Northern Rises” in fall 2012; and most recently, =
on That might not move you like it mov=
es me,
but So it’s no surprise, Mr. Spea=
ker, the
City of I have had the good fortune to be a=
ble to
go into communities like The mountain biking community in th=
e north
is vibrant. We have organizations like VeloNorth that encourages road riding
— so the road bikes that you see on the highway — and the
Contagious Mountain Bike Club, whose sole goal is to get people involved in
mountain biking. It’s contagious because it’s fun, so it’s
the Contagious Mountain Bike Club. The sole purpose of both those organizat=
ions
is to encourage people to get out on their bicycles. We have a couple of special races i=
n the We also have the Kluane Chilkat
International Bike Relay, also known as the “Haines to Haines”.
That starts in Haines Junction and ends in Although we’ve been awarded <=
i>Outside
magazine’s best biking destination, those of us who ride here have kn=
own
that forever. We know that we have phenomenal opportunities here. In the la=
st
five years, we’ve been featured in nearly every biking publication, if
only in photos. I think the one thing I’d lik=
e to see
is how the Government of Yukon can support the City of I look forward to having this incor=
porated
in the promotions that we’re talking about, knowing that, in my mind,
mountain biking is the tourist wave of the future. Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: It brings me great pleasure to stan=
d up
today and speak to Motion No. 380 put forward by the Member for Pelly-Nisut=
lin.
I’d like to thank him for that. Tourism is quite the interest of mine,
just as mountain biking is for the member opposite. I just would like to ad=
d to
her comments that Paddlewheel Adventures in Haines Junction also has mounta=
in
bikes for rent. The natural beauty of Kluane is wit=
hin
reach of visitors. Within Kluane’s boundaries is=
The jumping-off point for many of t=
he
visitors to the Kluane region is my hometown of Haines Junction. Not far fr=
om
Haines Junction is For an even better view, you can go=
by air.
For an awe-inspiring view of the park’s towering mountains and massiv=
e glaciers,
you can pack in more scenery in an hour of flying over the park that you co=
uld
in a month of hiking. It’s certainly the easiest way to get to The glaciers are remnants of the la=
st ice
age, making Kluane and the adjacent parks one of the largest non-polar icef=
ields
in the world. The glaciers are constantly being refreshed by new water from=
the
huge amount of snowfall in the park, which is fed by most of the Pacific ai=
r. This time of the year the Dall shee=
p are
low on If you do spot one, be sure to keep=
at a
distance in your car, approximately 30 metres away from it, which is about =
the
length of three buses, in order to not harass the animals. Often, spring is
most desirable for this type of viewing, as is viewing the swans that fly i=
n to
the open sloughs and swamps. But remember, at this time of year, if you thi=
nk
you see a baby swan in the spring, it’s not; it’s a duck. I want to speak a little bit to the=
tourism
opportunities, as a wilderness tourism guide for many years, and having wor=
ked
with the tourism industry, with the Chamber of Commerce. There is a vast nu=
mber
of opportunities for tourism in the Kluane riding. I want to speak a little=
bit
about the Kluane game sanctuary and the There are many tourism opportunitie=
s in the
Tatshenshini-Alsek park by snowmobilers in the game sanctuary, by ATVers,&n=
bsp;by
hikers, bikers, joggers, walkers and talkers. I talked to a resident who had
been hiking up there for many years. The Decoeli area is where the community
goes with their kids to go tobogganing. They take the snowmobiles and go up
there. In his many years of hiking, he was famous for telling the people he=
was
hiking with, “I’m guiding you guys today. So what about bears? I
run faster than you do — not a problem.” But he said it’s garbage R=
12;
seeing the destruction that we hear from the members opposite about snowmob=
iles
and ATVs from some of the other residents of the The Member for Takhini-Kopper King =
talked
about mountain biking. Mountain biking is incredibly popular. It was very p=
opular
in the southern parks. It’s not very welcome in Kluane right now. Hik=
ers
don’t like the bikers. But it’s time to look at maybe some of o=
ur
national park — I’m a firm believer that there’s no reason
that the 90 percent of the tourists — the people we’re getting =
over
here, who are going out with a guide or renting an RV or renting a camper a=
nd
trailer and trying to get out there — the Minister of Tourism and Cul=
ture
and I had this conversation this morning. There is no reason they can’t=
see the
Kaskawulsh Glacier — and that’s 90 percent of travellers. We ha=
ve
to be careful where we put parks and what we do with parks because existing
trails, i.e. up in I was looking through the greater K=
luane
— what’s that called? — tourism and economic development =
plan
that they did in 2000. I was looking through I want to speak a little bit about =
some of
the marketing that Tourism does. I’ve had the opportunity to work wit=
h Tourism;
I’ve been on numerous fishing shows. I was looking at the areas, the
primary markets of some of these areas — and I’ll speak a little
bit to each area. I was in the industry where the Condor flight would land =
and
we’d pick our clients up. Not many people knew where we were going or
what we were doing, but they were with a guide the whole time they were the=
re.
When we went down the river — I won’t say which river because I
don’t want it to be closed for me to go down — there was a cabin
there with a frying pan hanging on it. The customer would say, “Can we
stop there? I want to get a picture. Oh, can I take this?” No, this is
somebody’s traditional territory. They were guided by a true Yukoner =
who
had been here for awhile, who knew how tall the mountains were, but some of
them didn’t. Some of them came and wanted to hike in Kluane, which was
great. Thirty people worked at the establi=
shment I
worked for; they provided economic development in the community. Now itR=
17;s
the biggest driver in the community. I had the opportunity to work with =
Tourism
and shoot a few shows. This winter when I was flying out, they were showing
some winter tourism stuff and there was some snowmobile stuff I had done wi=
th
Tourism I had the opportunity to defend our=
great
country of I am just happy to say that I defen=
ded I believe we need to promote touris=
m in They do a fine job showing off the =
We have to look at some of the other
jurisdictions, like the A good example is when you pull int=
o town
in Haines Junction, we get a chance to go to the cultural centre. Parks Can=
ada
is just about to display some of their new stuff in there. The I would just like to speak a little=
bit
about the businesses in our communities. Ron Chambers is a wonderful First =
Nation
friend of mine who runs a boat tour on There are a few other businesses:
Paddle/Wheel Adventures does some great canoe and kayak stuff and some raft=
ing.
Bob Daffe of Tatshenshini Expediting does a wonderful job. The Tatshenshini=
is
an incredible river to go down. It’s a Class 6 in the spring and when=
the
water is high. It is definitely worth it. I’ve fallen into that river=
and
crawled back into the raft numerous times. There are local fishing companies
too. Dalton Trail Lodge provides a great service to some of the foreign
tourists we have been talking about. There is a boat on In closing, I am encouraged to see =
that
this is the avenue that we’re looking at with this In closing, I’d just like to =
thank
the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin for bringing this motion forward. Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; I’d like =
to start
by thanking the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin for bringing this motion forward
today, and I will say for the record that I will be in support of this moti=
on.
I do have a few concerns to address about how this will be accomplished and
where the money is coming from. Our tourism industry could thrive w=
ith more
government involvement — absolutely. But the marketing budget is stat=
ic.
In 2011-12, the budget was $6 million. This year it is forecast to be only =
$5.7
million. The real value put into the market itself is probably closer to $1=
.5
million. Given the limited funding we do have, it would be my preference to
concentrate our efforts on existing markets. There’s a risk of stretc=
hing
our dollars too thin and making no impact at all in some of these markets t=
he
Member for Pelly-Nisutlin has mentioned in his motion. There are other monies out there. T=
his
year, the government received $590,000 from CanNor for overseas travel dest=
ination
awareness funding — overseas travel marketing. It was a smart move by=
the
Department of Tourism and Culture to get this federal money. This allows
Tourism and Culture to spend its own money on staffing and other projects. =
Now,
a big percentage of the actual in-market spending comes from So what is the plan moving forward?=
Where
will we get the money to market overseas when this funding runs out? Will there be cuts, or will it come=
out of
the Destination: This is an issue, as this departmen=
t has
domestic spending on the doorstep that I hope they have plans for as well.
I’ll put a few of them on record here, specific to my constituency
— but clearly, there would be others. The slot machines at Gertie’s=
, for
example — they’re worth millions in revenue dollars for this
government, and they’re in need of an overhaul. Hundreds of thousands=
of
dollars will be needed to retrofit these machines to allow them to accept t=
he
new polymer Canadian bill. Does the government have money set aside to help=
KVA
with this extremely pressing issue? Look into your wallet, Mr. Speaker. See=
ing
as we’re talking about Gertie’s, I would make a bet that —
well, for one, you have more money in your pocket than I do. But I would al=
so
make a bet that all of those bills — all those 100s, all those 50s and
all those 20s in your wallet — are polymer bills. So, even with your =
best
intentions coming to the town of There is also a new program on the =
History
Channel called Yukon Gold. I am=
very
biased, but I will say that this is my favourite new TV show. I have friend=
s in
Not to mention, there is Discovery
Channel’s new season of Gold Rush — if they get their
permits in place, that is. Again, an excellent opportunity to open a dialog=
ue
with this production crew, to showcase Destination: I will be supporting this motion; h=
owever,
I am a bit perplexed as to where the money will be coming from, and I hope =
the
secondary market spending will not be to the detriment of our responsibilit=
ies
domestically. It’s very well-known that Par=
ks
Canada is not able to provide the same level of service it used to, and thi=
s is
unfortunate. Our tourism industry has leaned on their able shoulders for ye=
ars;
however, over the past 10 years we have seen Parks Canada slowly pulling ou=
t of
the It must be stated that the marketin=
g budget
remains almost unchanged from when the Yukon Party government took office o=
ver
a decade ago. This has not been without consequence. Border crossing number=
s in
2012 are lower than they were in 2005. Recognizing the importance of this
industry, we must do more to promote and protect the natural beauty and
historic resources of our territory, which help bring in over $200 million a
year. In closing, once again I’d ju=
st like
to say that I support this motion and thank the member opposite for bringin=
g it
forward. Hon.
Ms. Taylor: I would like to thank my colleague,=
the
Member for Pelly-Nisutlin, for bringing this important motion forward, which
speaks to the importance of tourism as a major economic mainstay in the
territory. It speaks to the importance of marketing and the role it has pla=
yed
and continues to play over the years. I served as Minister of Tourism and=
Culture
for a few years leading up to the last election. I can say I had the opport=
unity
to learn a few things about tourism and culture. Just to be very succinct: I
grew to garner a better appreciation for the industry and all it provides, =
the
intrinsic benefits and value to our quality of life and to the economy as we
know it today. I learned that tourism is ever-evol=
ving and
has been since 9/11. I don’t have to remind you, Mr. Speaker, what
happened on that very day. Ever since then, there has been a chain of event=
s throughout
the globe. It has made a significant impact, not just to the Canadian touri=
sm
market, but certainly it has had significant changes on the whole globe. =
span> I have learned how competitive tour=
ism is globally;
it is in fact very fierce. I had the opportunity to see this on a number of
occasions when I had the opportunity to travel to ITB, the largest travel t=
rade
show in I also learned — in order to =
sustain
tourism, in order to continue to deliver the very valuable programs and
services provided by Tourism and Culture, and in order to maintain its
competitiveness in the overall market — the importance of strategic
partnerships; partnerships with the private sector, with other governments =
with
other countries, with First Nation governments, communities and with indust=
ry
itself. Really, that’s what this moti=
on
speaks to; it talks about research based, industry-led, market-driven ̵=
2;
those are all very important because it wasn’t long ago that we
didn’t actually have as strong a partnership with the tourism industr=
y as
we do today. I can say that through the Tourism Industry Association of the
Yukon and their very important efforts, hard work and diligence every day on
behalf of industry — the partnership that the Yukon government has be=
en
able to work with, TIA Yukon, is through the creation of the Senior Marketi=
ng
Committee. The Senior Marketing Committee is primarily based with industry-=
led
individuals, individuals who have expertise in marketing skills and who are=
in
the industry. They live and breathe it and they have come to know over the
years what works and what isn’t working and it provides government th=
at
sense and that industry-led approach to delivering tourism marketing. It is because of this direction and
strength of industry, working in collaboration with the I can’t say enough about the
important role that SMC has in providing that strategic advice on an ongoing
basis in terms of providing advice for the programs it delivers, how it
delivers and where it delivers, which also leads to the development of the
three-year strategic plan. This was developed in collaboration with industr=
y.
Each and every year there is a tourism implementation plan, which is almost
like a report card on how we’re doing. It is really having that strong
industry lens on those public investments and many private investments R=
12;
it’s a true partnership. It has enabled the I have to say that when you look at=
the
rest of the country, The tourism implementation plan, ag=
ain, is
like the blueprint or road map for the way forward for the year ahead. It d=
oes
provide a breakdown of all the key markets — the domestic market, the
overseas market — and it even gets down into meetings, conventions,
incentive travel, sport tourism — and the list goes on. It’s a
great document and it helps guide and keeps focus on industry and the I just wanted to mention that, beca=
use I
think it’s a really important key attribute to the success of =
I am also very proud of the many
investments that have been made by the It is events such as even the 2010 =
Olympics
that took place in We have taken advantage of other ev=
ents,
such as Canada Winter Games and Arctic Winter Games, and we have again
leveraged that by working with the Canadian Tourism Commission and leveraged
funding through CanNor in other strategic investments made through the
Government of Canada. It has helped facilitate campaigns such as Look Up No=
rth.
That was the first time that the We also used events such as Hockey =
Day in I do commend the creativity of the
Department of Tourism and Culture, and I commend the expertise lent and sha=
red
by industry, which has made us the very strong territory we know today.
Likewise, all the partnerships we’ve been able to garner with Wildern=
ess
Tourism Association of the Our partnerships with arts and cult=
ure
— over the years, there were a lot of examples of other provinces that
looked to the Air access is another important one=
. I know
the Minister of Tourism and Culture spoke at great length about this as wel=
l.
One only has to take a look at the recent statistics. In the last five or s=
ix
years, people planing and deplaning at the Those are all very important to fac=
ilitate
and to continue to maintain that momentum that we have had over the last de=
cade
and some, by having international visitors coming directly over to the I guess what I’m trying to sa=
y is
that we have done very well with the dollars allotted and we have worked to
enhance dollars. The tourism cooperative marketing fund — and I’=
;ll
say this about the MLA for It is important to continue to inve=
st in
marketing programs, and it is very important to continue to invest in visit=
or
information centres or individuals and continue to invest in infrastructure.
That is so critical to the continued development and growth of the tourism
industry. I just wanted to say thank you agai=
n to my
colleague from Pelly-Nisutlin for bringing forward this important motion. I
certainly look forward to receiving the support of all members and, of cour=
se,
receiving the support of all of the members opposite for the budget as well,
which speaks to the importance of tourism. Ms.
Stick:=
8195; I will keep my =
comments
brief. I would like to thank the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin for bringing this
motion forward. Tourism is certainly an ongoing economic driver for the Some
Hon. Member: (Inaudible) Ms.
Stick:=
8195; Yes, enough det=
ails.
Anyway, I’d like to thank that member. I’d like to take a bit of a d=
ifferent
approach on tourism and I’d like to speak to this motion as a small
business owner and critic for small businesses in I find it’s the small busines=
s people
who often have more opportunity and time to chat and meet our tourists and =
to
share our knowledge of the I always remember in my first locat=
ion how
many times I had to tell people that Canadian Tire isn’t just tires. =
They
had no idea. Unfortunately for small businesses,=
I find
personally that advertising is one of those big-budget items. We are consta=
ntly
torn: are we advertising to the locals or are we advertising to tourists? O=
ften
those are two very different ways of advertising. The one might be magazines
and promotional materials; with the other we would just advertise in the lo=
cal
newspaper where a tourist might not see it. That becomes a concern for small
businesses. How do we get our product out there? When there are tough econo=
mic
times or a tight budget, it is often the tourist advertising that we tend to
cut. Our local Whitehorse Chamber of Com=
merce is
supportive of small businesses with training and planter-box programs, et c=
etera,
but not much in the way of advertising. I would suggest that perhaps this
government could start thinking about this and find ways of being more
supportive to small businesses in helping them out with their marketing. We=
are
not going to be travelling to So I would just like to close by sa=
ying
that I support this, but I would welcome and support partnerships that would
also give small businesses more opportunities to market their businesses, as
well as marketing tourism. Mr.
Tredger:=
I am pleased to=
rise to
speak to this motion. I would like to thank the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin f=
or
bringing this forward. I would also like to acknowledge and thank all of the
people in the civil service who work in Tourism and work to market the I am very fortunate to represent th=
e riding
of Mayo-Tatchun and I’m very proud to do that. I often say that as I =
get
out of Whitehorse in my car and head up the highway, my spirit lifts and it
feels a lot better as you head into the area, which I’m lucky to repr=
esent,
be it Mayo, Carmacks, Pelly Crossing or many places in between, or to some =
of
the land around that. It’s quite invigorating. There are a number of
sites that I can recommend in my area and encourage people who are listening
— people who are here and people who read this — to visit these
places because they are very unique and very special. Like people who have
spoken in the House earlier, I’m proud of my area. I’m proud of=
the
I think of I’m always excited when I vis=
it Mayo.
I’ve often taken time to go to Binet House and see the latest displays
and what’s being advertised and the look that gives into Mayo and his=
torical
Mayo and the pride the citizens of Mayo have shown when they display the st=
uff
that has made Mayo what Mayo is today. They share the information and
it’s a way to encourage tourists to get to know a little bit more abo=
ut
Mayo and its surrounding district. I think I would be remiss if I didn=
’t
talk about one of my favourite weekends of the year, and that’s the M=
ayo
Midnight Marathon. People from across the world come t=
o run.
We heard people talking about the all-night bike relays and bike races.
Mayo’s Midnight Marathon is just a wonderful event where the whole
community comes together and celebrates and makes an opportunity for people=
to
be involved in a marathon. Accompanying that is the art show and festival t=
hat
occurs on that weekend — and the farmers market. That’s where t=
he
people of Mayo bring their wares, their produce, and things that they’=
;ve
produced. There are musicians and it’s just a wonderful celebration in
the park. If you do get a chance, it is a wonderful way to spend a weekend.=
It
occurs on the weekend around the long weekend in June, and I would encourage
everyone to attend that. We move down the highway a little w=
ay and
end up in Pelly Crossing where the Big Jonathan House allows the people of =
Selkirk
First Nation to display some of their culture and some of their traditions.
It’s well worth a stop. Big Jonathan House is modelled on a house that
was built at If you can see it at In Carmacks, the Tagé Cho Hu=
dän
Interpretive Centre is open throughout the summer. It is an interpretive ce=
ntre
that showcases the past and present culture of the There are many sites and many thing=
s to see
around the I will warrant that word of mouth g=
oes a
long way and tourists, when they return home, talk of our spaces. They talk
about the hills and the vistas and the rivers. They talk about that great
little used-book store in One of the tourism opportunities th=
at is
expanding, and expanding very quickly, is tourism that involves cultural ac=
tivities
and First Nations. People from around the world are coming to Yukon to share
and experience First Nation cultures, to hear about a way of life, to
experience what the First Nation people experience, the values they have, t=
heir
world views and their visions. It’s critical that when we st=
art to
talk about tourism we talk about the expanding cultural and First Nation
tourism industry and the value added — the carving, the painting, the
music, the art — and it’s very exciting to see — to visit
Mayo or Pelly Crossing and see the First Nation dancers in their regalia and
the pride with which they strut their stuff. There are some things I think a gov=
ernment
can and must do to support the tourism industry. We need investments in inf=
rastructure,
and there are many Yukoners who are willing to do so, but they’re
hesitating because of a lack of land use planning. Some people will scoff at
that, but those people don’t understand business — because, as a
business investor, I need some certainty. I ask you: Would you build a motel =
in Some
Hon. Member: (Inaudible) Mr.
Tredger:=
Perfect —=
I
appreciate that. The minister opposite says to check with the City of So once he gets it built, the next =
day that
land can be staked. As soon as that land is staked — this piece of wi=
lderness
— structures without foundations intended for use of not more than 12
months can be built either on or nearby. Up to 250 person-days can be housed
there per year — no more than 10 people at a time, though —
construction of lines not exceeding 1.5 metres in width; construction of
corridors not exceeding five metres in width; trenching not exceeding 1,200
cubic metres on a group of three or more claims. This isn’t a pipe dream. This=
can
happen. We’re asking people to invest in the infrastructure necessary=
for
wilderness — surface area of clearings not to exceed 200 metres; off-=
road
use of vehicles in the winter; use of explosives not exceeding 1,000 kilogr=
ams
— we’re asking people to invest in our wilderness and in our
tourism with no certainty. A great leap of faith — can y=
ou take
it to the bank? Can you get a loan on that piece of property? Can you sell =
the
night sky when nearby a mine opens up and all of a sudden there is light
pollution? We’ve been very fortunate in =
the Sometimes people laugh when you sug=
gest
that maybe ATVs shouldn’t be used above the treeline or run through s=
ensitive
areas or restrict their use to trails. Sometimes people laugh and say
you’re restricting their freedom when you say maybe the people who bu=
ilt
that lodge have prior claim to the people who are going to mine the area. T=
he
answers aren’t easy, but if we’re going to have a tourism indus=
try
that grows and expands, we have to take advantage of our strengths, and our
strength is the I had the good fortune to see a cou=
ple of
tourists come with Great River Journey, which unfortunately did not survive=
bankruptcy.
But they had people paying big money to come on a regular basis to experien=
ce
our rivers, our cultures and our people. We have a gem. The Ms.
Moorcroft: I rise to speak=
in
favour of the How could I not, when — as ot=
hers
have said in speaking to this motion today — we have the privilege of
living in such a special place? The beauty and grandeur of <=
st1:State> As the 2013 Lonely Planet tr=
avel
guide says, “This vast and thinly populated wilderness has a grandeur=
and
beauty that can only be properly appreciated in person.” The Lonely
Planet travel guide says Climate change means that parts of =
the far
north are actually dissolving into the The story went that the wife of one=
of the
men on the hunting trip made him promise that he would walk around the edge=
s of
the glacier and not over the glacier because she was fearful of what might
happen out there on the glacier. In fact, the scientific investigation that=
was
done on Kwäday Dän Ts’inchi found that it was likely he had
either fallen into a crevasse or been caught in a sudden snowstorm. Radioca=
rbon
testing tells us that he died 200 years ago, give or take a few decades. Th=
is
was a wonderful example of a partnership between the When we speak about the I listened with interest to the Min=
ister of
Highways and Public Works talk about a balanced approach and the need to tr=
ust
the people who take care of the land. That would be the First Nations peopl=
e of
this territory who have occupied the land since time immemorial. I would li=
ke
to caution the government that if it chooses to destroy special areas like =
the
Peel region by opening it up to staking and resource extraction throughout,
instead of adopting the Final Recommended Tourism is an important sector of t=
he
economy. As the Member for Takhini-Kopper King noted, mountain biking is a =
huge
outdoor attraction bringing many people north to check out trails. Wilderne=
ss
tourism, canoe expeditions and whitewater rafting, and outfitters’ tr=
ips
into concessions for moose, sheep or bear hunts, dog mushing and photography
expeditions all contribute to economic development. The arts, music festivals, art fest=
ivals,
cultural events, museums and First Nation cultural centres also draw visito=
rs
to the The hospitality industry — be=
d and
breakfasts, hotels and restaurants, all benefit when we promote our tourism
industry and when we protect the land that sustains it. Tourism dollars bring in a lot of l=
ocal
benefits. I want to encourage this government to recognize the value of I want to urge the government to re=
cognize
that recognizing land claims agreements and taking a responsible approach t=
o development
is not only the right thing to do, but that it will in fact benefit our tou=
rism
industry, which we are speaking to in this motion debate today. Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; It is a pleasur=
e to be
able to stand in support of the motion presented today from the Member for
Pelly-Nisutlin. I’m not going to take a lot of time on this because I
think we’ve heard the views expressed quite eloquently by members on =
both
sides of this House this afternoon about how important each of us in our own
personal way and as representatives of the people and the constituents that
we’ve been elected to represent view the tourism industry, the touris=
m sector
in this territory. I think we do because we recognize =
that, as
my colleague from Riverdale South mentioned, roughly 70 percent of <=
st1:State> You have travelled. Many of the peo=
ple in
this Legislative Assembly have travelled. Many developed countries in Their notion of camping is not your=
or my
idea of camping. One year, we went down the One of the reasons I think it’=
;s
really important that we support the notion of research with respect to the
marketing of the Yukon and its tourism potential is that there is whole mar=
keting
and then, as quickly as that occurs, there’s counter marketing. We ne=
ed
to be able to inoculate this territory against negative impressions of this
territory. When the Minister of Tourism was speaking earlier this afternoon=
and
said that When you travel, one of the things =
that you
notice and you know is that the impact of the social media is enormous. Tou=
rism
destinations have lost significant tourism dollars because of Facebook,
Twitter, and TripAdvisor — comments made about safety; comments made
about what was an authentic place, no longer an authentic place. In 2007, I had the opportunity afte=
r many
years of work to take three and a half months and travel around east and =
span> Money spent on cooperative marketing
agreements with the tourism industry is really important, but the work that=
is
done on those cooperative marketing arrangements with private sector tourism
industry can be eliminated in a flash by views like those stated by the
Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. As my colleague the Member for
Mayo-Tatchun said, it’s all about people. If we show that we disrespe=
ct
people — because that is what a tourist is; they are not a widget, th=
ey
are a person who is making an actual conscious choice to spend their money =
in
our territory. We have to respect them. We have to show that respect in eve=
ry
single way, because things that are said in this Legislative Assembly are
conveyed in our media and are transported around the world in a flash, again
through social media and through every other means possible. When my colleague from Mayo-Tatchun=
was
speaking with respect to the importance of supporting the tourism sector in=
not
creating more risks for the private sector that gets involved in the tourism
sector, I heard a heckle from across the way with respect to the fact that =
business
is all about risk. But do you know what, Mr. Speaker? Tourism is already a =
very
risky business. The margins are very tight. Tourism operators are brave
risk-takers, but they do not need their government to ridicule them or their
potential or current customers. As we go forward and as we support this
government as it develops research-based and market-driven campaigns,
we’ll be working to make sure that that research is mindful that we a=
re
in a global economy that is struggling, and people are making difficult cho=
ices
about where they are spending their money. As we go after those high-yield
tourists, they have choices and they will make those choices based on wheth=
er
or not, when they come here, they are going to be seeing the authentic Yukon
— whether or not they are coming here — and they will be respec=
ted.
When they leave here, and they comm=
ent
about what they saw and why they think it’s so valuable — from
whatever their perspective is — they would hope that their views will=
be
respected, and not dismissed or ridiculed. So I’m pleased to support thi=
s motion
this afternoon. We look forward to supporting the dynamic growth of a very =
dynamic
industry — the tourism industry in the Speaker: If the member now speaks, he will close debate. Does any other
member wish to be heard? Mr.
Hassard: It’s very interesting to be h=
ere
today and to listen to the viewpoints of everyone here in the House. I could
make a lot of comments, but it’s probably better if I just keep them =
to
myself, and we can take this motion to a vote. Thank you very much.<=
/p>
Speaker: Are you prepared for the question? Some
Hon. Members: Division. =
Division Speaker: Division has been called. Bells Speaker: Madam Deputy Clerk, please poll the House. Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: Agree. Hon.
Mr. Cathers: Agree. Hon.
Ms. Taylor: Agree. Hon.
Mr. Graham: Agree. Hon.
Mr. Hon.
Mr. Nixon: Agree. Ms.
McLeod: Agree. Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: Agree. Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Agree. Mr.
Hassard: Agree. Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; Agree.=
p>
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; Agree.=
p>
Ms.
Moorcroft: Agree.=
p>
Ms.
White:=
8195; Agree.=
p>
Mr.
Tredger:=
Agree.=
p>
Mr.
Barr:=
195; Agree.=
p>
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; Agree.=
p>
Deputy
Clerk: Mr. Speaker, the results=
are
17 yea, nil nay. Speaker: The yeas have it. I declare the motion carried. Motion No. 380 agreed to<=
/i> Motion No. 409 Deputy
Clerk: Motion No. 409, standing=
in
the name of Ms. McLeod. Speaker: It has been moved by the =
Member
for THAT this
House urges the Yukon government to continue to implement the housing and l=
and
development commitments outlined in the Yukon Party’s 2011 election
platform, “Moving Forward Together”, by developing a housing ac=
tion
plan that builds on strategic investments and addresses the needs of Yukone=
rs
for a variety of housing options. Ms. McLeod: =
I am pleased to rise today to speak=
to
Motion No. 409. This government recognizes the need to continually address =
all
facets of the housing continuum in the I’d like to acknowledge the h=
ard work
of the Yukon Housing Corporation. Certainly, this is an area where
government’s actions are highly visible and where you can never say t=
hat
your work is done. Housing is a matter that affects everyone — young =
and
old, those considered high income and those not so much. We all need somewh=
ere
to live, and how we address social housing is one of the areas of focus for=
the
Yukon Housing Corporation. I’d like to take a little tim=
e to
talk about the projects in my riding of In That is an amazing presence. Of cou=
rse,
southeast I’m extremely pleased to hear=
about
the innovative way that Yukon Housing Corporation is addressing the need for
staff housing in rural I appreciate the work being done in=
the
education of homeowners and prospective homeowners. The self-builder courses
held earlier this year, in partnership with This motion calls for a housing act=
ion plan
that builds on strategic investments and addresses the needs of Yukoners. I=
can
see that much thought and deliberation has gone into the upcoming The housing action plan will be an
excellent tool to ensure that housing for Yukoners is a living plan that is
able to bend as it needs to bend and allow for monitoring and improvement as
needed. Finally, I commend the minister res=
ponsible
for the Yukon Housing Corporation for his diligent work on behalf of Yukone=
rs
by listening to Yukoners, and by moving forward. Thank you. Ms.
White:=
8195; I rise to speak=
to
Motion No. 409, put forward by the Member for Housing remains the single most imp=
ortant
issue for many Yukoners. The Yukon NDP has been calling for a housing strat=
egy
all along. You might not remember as clearly as I do, but my very first
opposition Wednesday called on this very thing. My motion read: “THAT
this House urges the Government of Yukon to work with all governments,
including First Nations governments, as well as non-profit and private hous=
ing
providers to develop a Yukon housing strategy and policy framework that wil=
l:
(1) include all Yukon communities; (2) have performance and risk management
measures; (3) be comprehensive, innovative, practical, and achievable; (4)
increase the housing supply; (5) improve housing affordability; and (6) sup=
port
individuals and families in greatest housing need. That day was a very valuable one fo=
r me, as
I was reminded about the power of language. I put forth the motion that I t=
ruly
believed this House could get behind. An amendment was moved that deleted=
the
words “develop a” and replaced them with “implement
its”. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, does it? But it was and=
it
still is. We were told in this House on We need more than words and certain=
ly more
than clever word games. Homelessness continues to be a growing concern. Many
rental unit prices continue to be through the roof, and real estate prices
simply are not affordable for many Yukoners even with the new down payment
assistance program, especially in this economy that is creating a growing g=
ap
between the rich and the poor. Yesterday I took a look at the job =
board on
YuWIN. Most of the jobs available have a pay scale between $10.54 an hour a=
nd
$15 an hour. Folks making around $14 an hour, for example, make roughly $27=
,000
a year. Excluding social housing, what are the affordable options for worke=
rs
making $14 an hour? Yukoners in this income bracket are being left behind by
the Yukon Party’s approach to housing. Today’s motion is weakened by=
its
reference to the Yukon Party platform. I went back to look at the Yukon
Party’s 2011 election platform to see what was said about housing, and
it’s pretty thin soup. Instead of moving forward with a
comprehensive housing plan, with meaningful targets and timelines, this
government continues to rattle off its list of one-off projects in consider=
ation
or underway, but a list of disjointed actions does not constitute a plan. A=
n ad
hoc, one-off approach to housing is part of what got us in this mess in the
first place, and it’s going to take much more than a long list of pro=
mises
to get us out. The housing challenges facing Yukon=
ers run
the full spectrum — from difficulty paying the rent or mortgages to h=
omelessness.
Working and middle-class people can’t afford pricey residential lots =
and
new home construction. Businesses struggle to recruit and retain the staff =
they
need to operate. Young people, families and transient workers are forced to
leave the territory to find work where housing is more available and afford=
able.
The list goes on. My point here is that the housing crisis affects us all. =
The motion before the House urges t=
he
government to continue to implement the housing and land development commit=
ments
outlined in the Yukon Party’s 2011 election platform “Moving
Forward Together” by developing a housing action plan that builds on
strategic investments and addresses the needs of Yukoners for a variety of housing options. When it comes to housing, there is =
another
key problem with the Yukon Party platform. It is overly reliant on an ideol=
ogy
that is simply not delivering results, like affordable housing or living wa=
ges.
I am talking about the persistent trickle-down theory. When it comes to
housing, this theory manifests itself as a belief that currently housed
Yukoners will upgrade by buying bigger houses or building on new, expensive
lots like those in Grizzly Valley, and then this upward mobility will lead =
to
an increased supply of more affordable vacancies to rent or buy. The
trickle-down theory, it turns out, does not hold water. The Yukon Party platform has not de=
livered
on this most important issue of housing — the issue of affordable hou=
sing
and homelessness. That is precisely why the government is now acknowledging=
it
needs an action plan. An action plan must be comprehensive; it must include=
all
stakeholders in housing in urban and rural communities; it must respond to =
the
needs of people with all levels of income and cultural identities. An action
plan must be innovative. The creative solutions are out there, but it will =
take
government vision and a willingness to lead and to be bold to turn those
solutions from ideas into reality. An action plan must be practical and
achievable. It needs to be grounded in the reality in the current housing
crisis. It must contain concrete steps, with sufficient resource allocation=
to
achieve them. The way forward must be carefully planned or nothing will be
achieved. A comprehensive action plan must in=
clude
all It affects more than just Strategies and action plans are eff=
ective
only if they have framework in place that allows the elements in them to be
measurable and evaluated. It’s hard to measure progress if we donR=
17;t
know what we’ve set out to achieve. Goals, timelines and benchmarks a=
re
critical if we truly want to address this crisis in a systematic and lasting
way. Another item from the platform that=
did not
bear fruit was — and I quote from the platform: “Make Crown land
available to the private sector to ensure new rental accommodations are
available in What happened to Even with the information we gained=
from
ATIPP, it is still unclear why the two bids were denied and were said to not
meet — and I quote: “the minimum eligibility requirements”=
;.
Sadly, Government must work cooperatively =
with
private developers. They cannot expect the private sector what is ultimatel=
y a
societal problem. Their job is to develop land, build houses and earn a pro=
fit.
It’s the job of government to help address our collective challenges.
Government must establish clear expectations and guidelines for private
partners. What we heard from developers on Yesterday in the Justice debate, my
colleague from Copperbelt South asked the Minister of Justice the current
status regarding First Nations and the land titles issue. The debate ended
before we heard his answer. Government must partner with First Nations and
facilitate their desire to become involved in development of their traditio=
nal
areas. In the City of By helping them with titling the la=
nd and
leasing arrangements, they will become paramount in lot development. This, I
might point out, Mr. Speaker, is also an item in the Yukon Party platform
— an item on which there has been no visible progress. The Yukon Party
platform has not delivered on these most important issues of housing; that =
is
precisely why the government is now acknowledging it needs an action plan, a
strategic approach that considers and integrates a full continuum of housing
needs. I would like to support this motion=
but in
order to do so, I propose the following amendment. Amendment proposed Ms. White: I move <=
/p>
THAT Motion No. 409 be amended by d=
eleting
the phrase “continue to implement the housing and land development
commitments outlined in the Yukon Party’s 2011 election platform,
‘Moving Forward Together’, by developing” and replacing it
with the phrase “develop and implement”. Speaker: The amendment is in order. It has been moved by the Member for
Takhini-Kopper King THAT Motion No. 409 be amended by d=
eleting
the phrase “continue to implement the housing and land development
commitments outlined in the Yukon Party’s 2011 election platform,
“Moving Forward Together”, by developing” and replace it =
with
the phrase “develop and implement”. Ms.
White:=
8195; The motion as a=
mended
would read “THAT this House urges the I think I was clear in where I was =
coming
from prior to the amendment. I believe that simplicity is key. As it stands
now, the government has already started on this good work. On “‘Housing is an issue t=
hat is
important to all Yukoners and by working in partnership with stakeholders, =
I am
confident that we can move forward to create a realistic housing plan for a=
ll I think that lays it out pretty cle=
arly,
and I’m pleased to see that movement from government. Knowing that th=
is
is the press release that came out on Hon.
Mr. Kent: I want to thank the Member for Wats=
on
Lake for bringing forward the original motion and let members of the House =
know
that we will not be able to support the amendment brought forward by the MLA
for Takhini-Kopper King. I’ll go into some of the reasons why over the
next number of minutes during my time here. When it comes to “Moving Forw=
ard
Together” — our platform for the 2000 election — it was b=
uilt
and grounded in a lot of the great work that was done by previous Yukon Par=
ty
governments when it came to housing. Over $100 million was invested by prev=
ious
Yukon Party governments in housing projects around the territory. From 2009=
to
2011, the Yukon Housing Corporation alone constructed or purchased 77 housi=
ng
units for low-income Yukoners. Those weren’t just in Previous Yukon Party government =
212;
again a six-unit family townhouse in Ingram; four single-family residences =
in
Carmacks; four single-family residences in Ross River; six duplex suites in
Takhini North — the Member for Takhini-Kopper King’s own riding
— six mobile homes, three of which were in Carmacks and three were in
Ross River. Again, Yukon Party government’=
;s investments
from 2007 to 2011 — and again this is providing that context for memb=
ers
in the House on how we arrived at those commitments in the 2011 election
platform. Through the Yukon Housing Corporation in that time — the 20=
07-11
window — the Of those 113 units, the buildings p=
romote
independent living and the opportunity for seniors to reside in their own h=
ome
and remain in their community, close to families and friends. So 30 of those
— the 30-suite Waterfront Place seniors facility was constructed in
Whitehorse; nine suites in Haines Junction; 12 suites in Watson Lake; a
six-suite facility in Faro; an eight-suite facility in Teslin and 48 suites=
in
the member’s riding — again, the athletes village residence in
Whitehorse at 600 College Drive. Those were tremendous investments t=
hat
previous Yukon Party governments have made in housing and, I would argue,
significantly more than any previous government before. I think the partner=
ship
with the Government of Canada and the work that we have been able to undert=
ake
— or the previous Yukon Party government was able to undertake —
has led to those significant investments that we have been able to make for
social housing and seniors housing over the past number of years. =
p>
Now where we’ve arrived at is=
the
planning for the 2011 Yukon Party’s election platform, “Moving
Forward Together”. I think that many of the aspects in there, of cour=
se,
are very important to Yukoners. We want to take immediate action on housing.
That’s what we heard on the doorsteps. That’s what Yukoners
expected us to do, and that’s a promise that we made to them. They re=
sponded
by electing the third consecutive Yukon Party majority government to this H=
ouse.
We were elected with the understanding that we would take immediate action,=
and
that’s exactly what we did. The Minister of Community Services =
—
a huge investment in lot development around the territory, including work on
Whistle Bend with the City of Whitehorse, I might add, to come up with a de=
sign
that works for the city, and now we have lots available for sale over the
counter — something that existed in the Yukon 10, 12, 13 years ago for
perhaps different reasons, but now the demand is there and we’ve matc=
hed
that demand and exceeded that demand with extra supply. Yukoners wanted us to take immediat=
e action
for adults living with FASD, and that’s what we’ve done through
Options for I think I should take this opportun=
ity to
congratulate that non-government organization, Options for Yukoners asked us to take action on=
housing
options for women and children who were fleeing abuse, and that’s what
we’ve done with Betty’s Haven, an investment made by this
government of $4.5 million. I understand that construction is progressing q=
uite
rapidly on that facility as well. Yukoners asked us to take action on=
a youth
shelter. The Minister of Health and Social Services has done that, in partn=
ership
with the Yukon Housing Corporation, and we have a new youth shelter that is=
now
available in the downtown Whitehorse core and have taken those shelter beds=
out
of the Sarah Steele Building where they were previously located. Yukoners asked us to take action on=
seniors
housing, and that’s precisely what we’ve done. Last August I was
able to participate along with the Premier, the chair of the Yukon Housing
Corporation Board of Directors, Mme. Derome, as well as our Member of
Parliament, Ryan Leef, in announcing a new, 34-unit seniors complex that wi=
ll
be built at Those are a few of the government=
8217;s
accomplishments, but there are also partnerships that we’ve undertaken
over the past while. There are a number of accomplishments since the 2012 fa=
ll
legislative sitting. The Yukon Housing Corporation Board of Directors and
executive developed and are now implementing the corporation’s strate=
gic
five-year plan. I know that’s an exciting development for them, and it
has been supported by many NGOs, including the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition=
, because
it’s different from the last one. The Housing Corporation Board of
Directors and the staff of the Housing Corporation put a significant amount=
of
work into developing that strategic plan, which would facilitate access to =
more
attainable and sustainable home ownership in the Number two is to support initiative=
s to
increase the availability and affordability of rental accommodation in the =
Third, to develop strategic partner=
ships
with Yukon government departments, other governments, non-government organi=
zations
and the private sector in pursuit of collaborative initiatives to enhance t=
he
full range of choices along the housing continuum in Yukon. The fourth strategic goal — t=
he
fourth and fifth are more internal strategic goals, but I am going to read =
them
into the record because they are important to the individuals who work at t=
he
Housing Corporation. The fourth one is to work to continually improve the
corporation’s organizational effectiveness and accountability framewo=
rk
to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of the corporation’s
established and newly created or enhanced programs. The fifth is to ensure adequate hum=
an
resources planning and capacity to support the strategic goals and operatio=
nal
plans of the corporation. There has been a tremendous amount =
of work
and I applaud the Yukon Housing Corporation Board of Directors for the work
that they have put into this new direction. I’m looking forward to
working with them as we move to implement that. Again, going back to the Yu=
kon
Party’s 2011 platform, there were a number of initiatives that were i=
dentified
in there and they were real initiatives, real projects that we needed to get
off the ground immediately to address the needs of Yukoners who were looking
for housing. Absolutely, we took an innovative approach to We didn’t want to miss an opp=
ortunity
to attempt something like that. I applaud the Minister of Energy, Mines and
Resources and the Premier for identifying innovative opportunities for us.
Another one was announced this week by the Yukon Housing Corporation Board =
of
Directors, and that’s the option for them to seek an expression of
interest — they have issued an expression of interest to identify par=
ties
who may be interested in providing staff housing services in The press release goes on to state =
that,
“The Yukon Housing Corporation (YHC) administers the Government of
Yukon’s rural staff housing program. This program assists in recruiti=
ng
and retaining staff to deliver government programs and services.” Speaker: Order please. The hour being Debate on Motion No. 409 and the
amendment accordingly adjourned The House adjourned at =
i> The following Sessional Papers w=
ere
tabled 33-1-79 Yukon Development Corporation: Prot=
ocol
Between the Minister responsible for the Yukon Development Corporation (as
representative of Government) Government of Yukon and the Chair of the Yukon
Development Corporation (as representative of Yukon Development Corporation)
(Cathers) 33-1-80 Yukon Development Corporation: Shar=
eholder
letter of expectations 2013 from the Minister Responsible for the Yukon
Development Corporation (“the Minister”) to The Yukon Developme=
nt
Corporation (“Development”) (Cathers). As I mentioned earlier, our relationship with the and recognized that there were old established trails from the
silver mine that would be great for mountain biking. He focused on a now
world-renowned trail that is referred to now as “Mountain Hero”.
This is a trail that gives you a view like you’ve never seen.
You’re at the very top of a mountain after a kind of grueling two- to
three-hour pedal up to get to the top and then it comes all the way down the
mountain and it has views like you’ve never seen. This trail was desi=
gnated
as an “epic ride” by the International Mountain Bicycling
Association last year and that’s incredible. There are not many trail=
s in
YukonLowellTatshenshini-AlsekYukonLakeLakeYukonYukonWatsonYukonYukon
2494 &n=
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