MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_01CE4FD7.577E9700" This document is a Web archive file. If you are seeing this message, this means your browser or editor doesn't support Web archive files. For more information on the Web archive format, go to http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/office/webarchive.htm ------=_NextPart_01CE4FD7.577E9700 Content-Location: file:///C:/B1334757/097.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
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 National Elizabeth Fry We=
ek
Ms. Moorcroft: I’m very = pleased to rise on behalf of all Members of the Legislative Assembly to pay tribute= to National Elizabeth Fry Week, which began on May 6. The Canadian Association= of Elizabeth Fry Societies exists to ensure substantive equality in the delive= ry and development of services and programs for women and girls in the justice system, particularly those who are or may be criminalized, through public education, research, legislative and administrative reform, regionally, nationally and internationally. Elizabeth Fry Societies believe women who a= re criminalized should not be imprisoned. All efforts must be made to prevent women from being incarcerated and to facilitate the earliest community inte= gration of those who are sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
Elizabeth Fry was a noted reformer,=
who was
born in
Her contributions toward improving =
the
conditions for mothers and children earned her the nickname “Angel of=
the
Prisons”. National Elizabeth Fry Week in
During Elizabeth Fry Week, we shoul= d pause to reconsider the image of the mother in prison as the “bad mother”. This stereotype hinders women from maintaining ties with the= ir children and regaining custody when they are released. Furthermore, it disr= egards the circumstances that may have led these women to committing the crimes th= ey did. The bad mother belief strips them of their humanity.
As one incarcerated woman said, = 220;For me, the biggest problem of being a mother in prison is that I can’t c= are for my children. You can write to them and maybe talk to them on the phone,= but you can’t make decisions for them. You’re stripped of it. You a= re not a mother in prison.”
Elizabeth Fry Societies strive to i=
ncrease
the availability of community-based, publicly funded social service, health=
and
educational resources available for marginalized, victimized, criminalized =
and
imprisoned women.
In the past year,
At the Elizabeth Fry Society of Yuk=
on
annual general meeting yesterday evening, I learned that the local chapter =
is excited
about this year’s project to develop publications on legal rights for
inmates and information on bail review hearings. The society is grateful for
funding from the
So to the many volunteers, thank yo= u for your hard work and dedication. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In recognition of National Hospi= ce Palliative Care Week
Hon. Mr. Graham: It’s my pleasure today to ris= e in honour of National Hospice Palliative Care Week, which runs from May 5 to 11 this year.
This is a prime opportunity for me =
to
highlight the excellent work being done by the Health and Social Services p=
alliative
care program. The program has been providing high quality services to Yukon=
ers
for the past six years. They work collaboratively with family caregivers,
Hospice
I’m very proud to say that in September 2012, our palliative care services were recognized through an Accreditation Canada evaluation. In fact, the evaluators even commended the program in several areas.
Many people and organizations help =
provide
palliative care: physicians and nurses, Hospice
The palliative care program focuses=
on
educational opportunities for professionals, care providers and the public.
Education topics include oncology, rehabilitation, essentials in palliative
care, learning essential approaches to palliative care, opioid
management and managing grief over the holidays. In the past year alone, the
program has provided educational opportunities for 163 professionals in
The palliative care program works w=
ith its
community partners to deliver innovative supports to the public. For exampl=
e,
the program’s social worker has teamed up with the cancer navigator f=
rom
The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care
Association emphasizes the importance of advance care planning. In <=
st1:State>
I’ve always found it to be a = bit strange but wonderful fact that those who are engaged in supporting people = at the end of their lives have one of the most life-affirming jobs in the terr= itory.
Ms.
White:=
8195; I rise on behal=
f of the
Official Opposition and the Independent member to pay tribute to Hospice Pa=
lliative
Care Week. This year, the theme for the week is “Canadians are aging.=
We’ve
done the math. Have you?” This year, the Canadian Palliative Care Ass=
ociation’s
message and hope is to encourage professionals, caregivers and the general
public to advocate for better hospice palliative care, especially with the
population aging at the rate that it is. Palliative programs need to contin=
ue
to grow. In the
The Hospice Yukon Society is a sepa=
rate
organization from the palliative care program that works collaboratively
alongside them. Hospice
Many of us are aware of the Lights = of Life program and have participated in it during the Christmas season. It’s= amazing to see how this program has grown, offering services at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre or even including a tree for pets to be remembered.
Hospice
Some people associate hospice and palliative care only with sadness, but most hospice experiences include tim= es of peace, joy and even laughter. It is a time of closeness and often gives people a deeper understanding and appreciation of life. In a very real sens= e, hospice and palliative care are about living and dying well. It is an honou= r to pay tribute to these staff and volunteers who provide this support to us al= l. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I rise today on= behalf of the Liberal caucus in recognition of National Hospice Palliative Care We= ek. Hospice palliative care is a whole-person health care that aims to relieve suffering and improve quality of life and dying. It is about seeing someone with a life-limiting illness as a living person, not as a dying patient. It= is about adding life to the days and supporting the caregivers, family and friends. Hospice palliative care helps prepare the patients and their famil= ies for life closure and the dying process and how to cope with the loss and gr= ief during illness and bereavement. The theme for 2013 is “Canadians are aging. We’ve done the math. Have you?”
More than 259,000 Canadians die eac=
h year.
Due to impressive medical advances, most die in their old age. Of those, on=
ly a small portion currently receive high quality hospice=
palliative
end-of-life care. With the aging population, by 2026, the number of Canadia=
ns
dying each year will increase by 40 percent to 330,000. By 2036,
The need is urgent and our capacity= to respond is limited. Canadians often assume that if we need specialized care= at the end of our lives, it will be there for us. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It is important that our health care system have the progr= ams and services in place to provide quality end-of-life care that Canadians ne= ed, especially with the population aging at the rate it is.
This week is an opportune time to e= ncourage professionals, caregivers and the general public to advocate to all levels = of government for improved access to hospice palliative care. We would like to thank and pay tribute to the many hospice palliative care workers, health c= are professionals, family caregivers and volunteers who help to improve the qua= lity of life for people living with terminal illness. We celebrate your contribu= tions and reflect on the importance of end-of-life issues across the country and across the continuum of care in hospitals, in people’s homes and in t= heir communities. It takes a very special person to work in the field of hospice palliative care. End-of-life compassionate care is vital to our life journe= y. Even when hope fades, the dedication of the hospice and medical staff remai= ns strong and focused. Your compassion, care and support directed to those jou= rneying through grieving, battling life-threatening illnesses or facing end-of-life challenges is a most precious gift.
Thank you for being there. <= /p>
In recognition of World Migrator= y Bird Day
Mr. Elias:= 8195; I am honoured to rise today on behalf of all members in honou= r of World Migratory Bird Day, which takes place this coming weekend.
Bird migration is a natural process= . Around the world different birds fly distances of hundreds of thousands of kilomet= res in order to find the best ecological conditions and habitat to molt, feed, breed and raise their young. There are over 1,850 species of migratory bird= s in the world.
The beautiful yellow-billed loon mo=
stly
migrates to
Then there is the Hudsonian
godwit, which can fly almost 10,000 kilometres non-stop. That’s a
seven-day journey that can take this large shorebird from southern <=
st1:country-region>Arctic
The Yukon
It is a sign that spring has arrive=
d when
the magnificent trumpeter and Arctic swans stop en route to their breeding
grounds further north. Just this past weekend, Faro hosted its annual sheep=
and
crane viewing festival. It’s absolutely spectacular to watch the
migrating sandhill cranes swoop, soar, and ride=
the
thermals on their way to their nesting grounds in the western
In my own riding, dozens of migrato=
ry bird
species enjoy the full 6,170 square kilometre expanse of the Old Crow Flats
each year. This area was identified as part of the international biological
program inventory and was designated as a wetland of international importan=
ce
over 30 years ago at the Ramsar Convention on <=
/span>
In one respect this highlights the importance of the networks of sites and support for migratory birds along t= heir annual routes. Many sites that birds depend on are under threat from human activities, thereby posing a grave risk to migratory bird species. In anoth= er aspect, this year’s theme also highlights the importance of networking among governments, conservation organizations and dedicated people to conse= rve migratory birds by establishing global connections.
Birds do not recognize political boundaries, so we need to make sure we don’t inhibit their natural migratory patterns. On their behalf, World Migratory Bird Day aims to encou= rage the international community, governments, conservation organizations and dedicated people alike to work together to conserve migratory birds around = the world. Thank you.
Speaker: Introduction of visitors.
Are there any returns or documents = for tabling?
TABLING RETURNS AND DOCUMENTS
Hon. Mr. Graham:= 8195; I have two docu= ments today; the first is the Yukon 2012 Health Status Report: Focus on Childr= en and Youth, and the second is the memorandum of understanding between the Yukon Medical Association and the Government of Yukon as represented by the Health and Social Services department regarding remuneration for medical pr= ofessionals.
Mr.
Elias:=
8195; I have for tabling an April 30, 2013
Speaker: Are there any reports of committees?
Are there any petitions for present= ation?
Are there any bills to be introduce= d?
Are there any notices of motion?
NOTICES OF MOTION
Ms. McLeod: = I rise to give notice of the follow= ing motion:
THAT this House urge the Government= of Yukon to develop a tourism, trade and investment mission to Europe and the United Kingdom led by the Premier to profile Yukon’s tourism industry= and investment opportunities for the purpose of:
(1) increasing<=
/span>
awareness of
(2) strengtheni= ng alliances with key business and government partners;
(3) facilitatin= g business-to-business partnerships; and
(4) profiling=
span>
investment opportunities within
I also give notice of the following= motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon to continue to recognize the importance of the free entry system to t= he mineral exploration industry, and reject calls from the Opposition to elimi= nate it.
Ms. White:= 8195; I give notice o= f the following motion:
THAT this House= urges the Government of Yukon to support the ban on the use of n= eonicotinoid pesticides, which contribute to the decline of bee populations around the world.
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I give notice o= f the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen=
t of
Yukon to release all the data collected as part of the Yukon
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; I rise to give = notice of the following motion:
THAT this House recognizes that:
(1) the =
Government
of
(2) the exclusion of rural Yukon communities from statistical analysis because numbers gained through measur= es that replaced the long-form census are too small, creates difficulties for making sound policy and program decisions; and
THAT this House= urges the Government of Canada to reinstate the long-form census.
Mr. Hassard: I rise to give notice of the follow= ing motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon to explore existing design options for the F.H. Collins replacement project that have been built successfully and economically in other jurisdictions.
I give notice of the following moti= on:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon to continue to recognize the importance of the placer industry to Yukon’s economy by rejecting calls from the Opposition to increase the royalties on placer gold.
Speaker: Are there any other notices of motion?
Is there a statement by a minister?=
This brings us to Question Period.<= /span>
QUESTION PERIOD
Question re:
Whole
child project
Ms. Hanson:= Mr. Speaker, th= e whole child program evolved organically. It was not a theoretical model designed = and implemented step-by-step by planners. Long before government funding allowed for a formal program, whole child began to take form when a critical mass of vision, commitment, skill and volunteer service was achieved from local res= ource persons and community members. That commitment and volunteer service has be= en the defining strength of the whole child program. This is what the minister should be building upon to create the base for successful expansion of whole child into other schools. It cannot be dictated by edict from the Departmen= t of Education.
Will the minister respect those inv= olved in the whole child program, take a step back, undertake a collaborative, formal review, and then implement any agreed-upon changes for 2014-15?
Hon.
Mr.
As recently as April 24, in a meeti= ng with the Deputy Minister of Education, as well as another senior official, a req= uest was made to the board to consider expanding the program to a fourth school, with an increase in funding as well. We were prepared to increase the fundi= ng from $141,000 to a maximum of $200,000, should they decide to take on the e= xtra school. They did request an e-mail of the officials about how Yukon Educati= on saw the program running. There was a response given to them that included a number of things, but what the Department of Education would like to see in 2013-14 is fully functioning programs at four Whitehorse schools that provi= de weekly activities, outreach to parents and community, as well as connecting= to other programs, services and service providers in Whitehorse — that i= s, that’s the full implementation of the whole child program, not just at the originating school, Whitehorse Elementary, but also at the two other schools that have satellite programs currently — Selkirk and Elijah S= mith — and the inclusion of a fourth school in the Whitehorse area. Again,= we are awaiting the response from the volunteers at the Whole Child Society.= span>
Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; I think it̵=
7;s
important to be clear about this: the issue is really about how the minister
directs his department to work with a well-respected community board. The w=
hole
child program is one community-based NGO that has worked in partnership with
many agencies, including the Department of Education, for over 10 years. Th=
is
is not, and has never been, a government program, yet the government is now
telling this volunteer NGO board how it will operate and what services it w=
ill
provide. It’s not about the money; it’s about control and telli=
ng
volunteers that government knows best and will direct how NGOs deliver on t=
heir
mandates.
Why is the minister so insistent on= taking a hard line with these volunteers? Is there not some common ground that can= be achieved here?
Hon. Mr. Kent: Just to repeat part of the first an= swer I gave the Leader of the Official Opposition, at that meeting held on April 2= 4, the board was asked to consider expanding to a fourth school with an increa= se in funding. Funding increased from $141,000 to $200,000 for the program. At that same meeting, the board asked Yukon Education officials in attendance = for an e-mail of how we saw the program running. Officials advised they would provide this; however, the board would need to ultimately decide how the program would be coordinated. That certainly isn’t us giving any edic= t to the board. We’re looking for their input on how the program runs. They have certainly been very much involved.
I know that one of the big issues t= hat they raised in the meeting with me was the end of the secon= dment for the teacher who has been coordinating the program. As I mentioned a cou= ple of days ago, in consultation with the three principals of the schools where= the program exists, it was felt that a teacher skill set wasn’t needed to deliver that program, so we are going to be returning that teacher to the classroom this fall and looking for the society to work with a coordinator = or coordinators, whichever they decide.
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; You know, Mr. S= peaker, it appears that the Yukon Party government is going in a new direction when= it comes to volunteers and NGOs. Another Yukon Party minister had this to say recently: “We’re going to get out of the business of providing funding for NGOs just to provide an advocacy base. We’ll be providing funding for services, and then we’ll be following up on those services and making sure that they dovetail with what the department is doing.”= ;
The Yukon Party government’s treatment of the Whole Child Board is a glimpse into a new vision of contro= l, which dovetails rather nicely with their moves to increase government secre= cy, control the message and muzzle those who dare question them.
Why is the Yukon Party government i= nsisting on dictating how non-governmental organizations carry out their work?
Hon.
Mr.
Again, Mr. Speaker, we did send the= m what we thought, but we wanted to ensure that the board needed to ultimately dec= ide how the program would be coordinated. Again, while we provide funding to th= em, we recognize that they are in the best position to decide how the program w= ould be coordinated.
Following up on my comments from th= e other day, the major concern from the board was with respect to the seconded teac= her. We will be returning that teacher to the school. Interestingly enough, in N= ovember of last year, the Education critic for the New Democrats asked me to return those centrally assigned teachers to the classroom where they could do the = most good. Now we see the Leader of the Official Opposition offside with her Edu= cation critic.
Question re: Catholic sch= ool sexual orientation policy
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; Mr. Speaker, we=
began
the spring sitting with the issue of a school policy and behaviour at Secondary School
The minister did stand up and assert government policy that homophobic behaviour or bullying and school policies that condone such behaviour would not be tolerated in any publicly funded school.
At the March 27 public meeting atte=
nded by
over 100 parents, students, teachers and citizens, the Yukon Education offi=
cials
reiterated
Hon.
Mr.
I think members in this House can understand that there is not only the 1962 agreement at play, but there are some legislative issues at play with this. It’s a complex issue, and = we continue to work on it. I’m hopeful that we can deliver on a time fra= me of May. We’re not ready for the broader public workshop yet, but when= we are ready with the document, we can have that workshop. I look forward to following through on that commitment and working with the school community = to share that and seek their input on that policy when it is complete.<= /p>
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; It’s unfo=
rtunate
— I’m sure many parents and teachers and the public were expect=
ing
something before now. At the March 27 meeting, the Yukon Education officials
made a public commitment to also review VanierSecondary SchoolVanierSecondary School?
Hon.
Mr.
Obviously, as the minister responsi= ble, individuals in the House know that I am not responsible for the hiring at t= he schools, but with respect to the policy, I can report that a facilitator has been contracted by the Department of Education to work with the staff at the school. Work continues on the hiring policy.
Another piece that emerged from tha= t public meeting is that a document be developed that speaks to the roles and respon= sibilities, not only of the Department of Education, but also the Episcopal Corporation= , as represented by the bishop. So that work continues. I don’t have anyth= ing concrete to report at this time, but when I do, I will certainly make it pu= blic and ensure that the entire school community is made aware of all of those documents and any changes that have come from them.
Question re: First Nations/government relations
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; Mr. Speaker, la=
st fall
the Premier cancelled a scheduled meeting of the Yukon Forum on very short
notice. Chiefs from around the territory had already travelled into =
This week, the government announced=
plans
to meet more often with Yukon First Nation leaders. The Premier deemed this
revelation worthy enough to issue a press release confirming that more meet=
ings
would be planned. The Grand Chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations does
not, however, share the Premier’s excitement. She told local media, a=
nd I
quote: “…it’s the
government’s feeling that we shouldn’t have to sit down and reh=
ash
issues, but we should be able to celebrate at the Yukon Forum. If we’=
re
going to celebrate anything, the legwork has to be done…”
Why is this government dictating when it will meet and wha=
t will
be on the forum agenda?
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: The real question here is whether o=
r not
the Member for
I think =
it’s
just a matter of having an opportunity to read the press release carefully =
and
articulate the fact that these are two different meetings.
Mr. Silver: =
Last fall, the Yukon Forum was canc=
elled
outright. Since this Premier was elected, I believe there has been only one
meeting of the Yukon Forum.
It’s supposed to meet four ti= mes a year. That did not happen under the previous Yukon Party government, and nothing has changed since the last election. I am very pleased that another forum has been finally scheduled for the spring. That will be two forums in= 20 months. Council of Yukon First Nations has a long list of topics to discuss= with the Premier, including land use planning, health, and resource revenue-shar= ing. Yukon First Nation chiefs are obviously frustrated with this governmentR= 17;s command-and-control approach to the Yukon Forum. It is clear that the Grand Chief is interested in using these meetings to discuss issues. The governme= nt does not want to talk about contentious problems and prefers to use these meetings to celebrate.
Will the Premier drop the command-and-control approach and allow Yukon First Nation leaders to jointl= y set the agenda?
Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: I think we can do a tally here as t=
o how
many such meetings occurred under the Liberal government — it was zero
— and how many of these meetings occurred under the NDP government
— it was zero. In fact, it was a Yukon Party government that created =
the Yukon
Forum, along with the Yukon First Nations. I have to say, I just met with t=
he
leadership very recently — in the last couple of weeks — also on
the heels of recent discussions that the Minister of Health and Social Serv=
ices
had with leadership, and the Minister of Education met with the leadership =
to
look at opportunities in terms of success stories for education in the rura=
l communities.
This work goes on, on a daily basis, between this government and all First Nations. We collaborate extensively i= n myriad areas and will continue to use the Yukon Forum, when it’s agreed upon= , to ensure that we can highlight some of those accomplishments that are going o= n. We’ll use this new venue to be able to ensure that there is a way to = move forward, to have an understanding of opportunities where we can work togeth= er. A lot of times those discussions will lead to opportunities to advance thin= gs that are important to all Yukoners through an intergovernmental forum with = the Government of Canada.
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I love the comm= ents about the Liberal Party in the past. Are we moving forward together, or are= we stuck in the past?
The government’s relationship= with First Nations today is probably the most important relationship it has, yet= it has been badly neglected. The forum could be a valuable tool to discuss com= mon interests, agree on priorities and resolve disputes. Instead, this governme= nt seems to prefer meeting First Nations in court or in front of a judge. The Chief of Liard First Nation says relations with the territorial government = are still strained at best. He said, and I quote: “I’d say unfortunately because of the government’s ongoing conduct of divide a= nd conquer it’s not a positive relationship at all.”
This government has been in office = for more than a year and a half. It is long enough for the public to see that its co= nfrontational approach to First Nation governments is not working. When is the Premier go= ing to adopt a more cooperative approach to working with First Nation leaders?<= o:p>
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: As I have already articulated, we h= ave agreed on a way forward in an entirely new set of meetings, where we have t= hat opportunity to sit down as leaders to work on things. Certainly, the forum itself has resulted in many success stories, such as the implementation framework for the northern strategy. There was an incredible amount of work= and success through the northern strategy: investments that were done; supporti= ng financial transfer agreements through a nine-year implementation review that was supported through the Yukon Forum. There are many different things that have gone on that have been a success. We’re currently working on land-based treatment. We’re looking forward to moving forward with results of that work. We’ll continue to work with First Nations ̵= 2; both settled First Nations and unsettled First Nations — as we do on a daily basis.
I want to congratulate and thank the
officials of all the departments because not only does this work exist at t=
he
political level among leadership, but it’s the day-to-day work that
occurs at the department level, where our officials are working with offici=
als
of Yukon First Nations to ensure the success of all
Question re: Cancer strategy
Mr.
Elias:=
8195; Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the fund you helped to la=
unch a
week ago — the Yukoners’ cancer care fund — will be an
invaluable resource for citizens in our territory who are battling this
terrible disease.
Please accept my congratulations on=
your
efforts to establish and raise money for this fund. With all due respect,
though, I’d like to recommend to the House that we strive to make your
work redundant. It is time to redouble our efforts in preventing this terri=
ble
disease in the
What is the government doing right =
now to
understand specifically the causes of cancer in the
Hon.
Mr. Graham: Thanks to the Hospital Foundation, =
we
were able to raise $2 million for an MRI machine, which will assist in
diagnosing cancer, but another thing we’ve done is look at the wellne=
ss
of all Yukon citizens and have attempted to promote wellness in children and
families in an attempt to head off the kind of risky behavior, shall we say,
that produces not only cancer, but other diseases in the Yukon population. =
We choose to
concentrate on preventing these diseases before they ever get started.
Mr.
Elias:=
8195; In
The future of cancer needs to chang=
e and
the time to change the future is now. Those are the words of
Hon.
Mr. Graham: Maybe the member opposite didn̵=
7;t
listen to the first part of the answer I gave previously. We are looking at
better diagnostics; we are working with our wellness strategy, public aware=
ness
and an active living strategy that the Minister of Community Services has
recently renewed. So we are attacking cancer and other diseases — not
only cancer, but other diseases at the root cause, which is healthy living =
and
less risky behaviour.
The previous government brought in anti-smoking legislation, but also things like our rates of alcohol consump= tion and other risky behaviours — I guess we can call them — are cau= sing these high rates of cancer, so those are the things we are working on.
Mr.
Elias:=
8195; I’m calling for the minister to commission a
This Sunday, just have a look at th=
e faces
of the hundreds of people who will participate in the Run for Mom. This dis=
ease
is over-represented in the
Will the minister commit to answeri=
ng that
question? Will the minister commit to turning that around? Is the minister =
willing
to put together a
Hon.
Mr. Graham: Before the member opposite gets up =
and
gives these impassioned speeches he should be well aware of his facts. We a=
re
not over-represented in the Canadian population. If the member opposite wou=
ld
learn the facts, he would know that as of the last Statistics Canada report,
the instance of cancer in the
We’re doing everything we can= to prevent not only cancer, but also other diseases in this territory. Fifty percent of the new cancers in this territory are preventable, and those are= the ones that we’re trying to work very hard on and we will continue to do so.
Question re: YESAB
recommendations
Mr. Tredger:= When YESAB make= s a recommendation on a project, the government can accept, vary or reject YESAB’s recommendation. Since 2005 the Yukon Pa= rty government has rejected or varied over 80 percent of YESAB’= s recommendations on quartz mining projects. That means that more than four o= ut of five times the YESAB recommendations are rejected or modified. When comp= ared to agricultural proposals or other permitted land uses, this Yukon Party go= vernment is three times more likely to vary YESAB’s recommendations in favour of mining development. This is a disturbing trend= .
Will the minister tell this House w= hy the government is three times more likely to overrule YESAB mining project reco= mmendations?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: As has unfortunately become the pat= tern in the House, the NDP member is bringing forward assertions that simply do = not line up factually. Government, in most cases, either accepts or makes minor variations to YESAB recommendations. The determination is made by the very = capable and competent staff of the branch responsible for formulating the decision document, which, contrary to what the member claimed was a fact last week, = is not signed off at the ministerial level; it’s typically signed off at= the director level by the branch responsible for issuing the decision document.=
I just reiterate that we have confi=
dence in
the staff of all the branches, not only of Energy, Mines and Resources, but
across the Yukon government that are responsible for issuing decision docum=
ents
for YESAB reviews.
Mr. Tredger:= Mr. Speaker, the responsibility rests with the minister. It is his delegated authority, and = it is his government’s direction.
YESAB makes recommendations on the = basis of impartial scientific evidence and analysis, yet we see that over 80 percent= of YESAB’s recommendations regarding mining projec= ts are overturned or modified while the government seems content with the rest of = YESAB’s work. This seems to be a double standar= d, and the minister’s responses leave little comfort for Yukoners who work in this area and care about how assessments are done.
Will the minister explain to this H= ouse how he can justify this apparent double standard where mining projects are three times more likely to be varied or overturned than other project types that YESAB assesses?
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: Mr. Speaker, I would encourage anyo=
ne
listening, as they should know by now, not to take anything that comes out =
of
the NDP member’s mouth as being a reflection of the facts.
The member has a pattern of making = up his statistics.
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Point of order
Speaker: Official Opposition House Leader, on a point of order.
Ms. Stick:= 8195; I would go to S= tanding Order 19(g), which relates to imputing false or unavowed motives. I would e= ven cite Standing Order 19(h), charging another member with uttering a falsehood. = span>
Speaker: Government House Leader, on the point of order.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: On the point of order, Mr. Speaker,= I was simply giving my opinion of what the member puts forward on the floor. I th= ink it’s just a dispute between members.
Speaker: Official Opposition House Leader, on the point of order.
Ms. Stick:= 8195; What the member= across suggested was that the member on this side was making up facts. I would aga= in go to 19(h), which is suggesting or uttering a falsehood.
Speaker’s ruling = p>
Speaker: It is not for the Chair to determine the facts. Every member =
is
left to interpret the facts in their own way and to present their own
interpretation. To suggest that one member is, in fact, purposely
misrepresenting the facts could be considered a point of order. But I
don’t believe that that was the intent here. It was the interpretatio=
n of
the facts. There is no point of order at this time.
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: In conclusion, what I would say sim=
ply is
that contrary to what the member asserted, government decision bodies across
all branches of the
Speaker: If the member wishes to ask a supplementary question, it will= be permitted, but we are beyond the time for new questions.
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Speaker: The time for Question Period has now elapsed. We will proceed= with Orders of the Day.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
Speaker: We are now prepared to receive the Commissioner of Yukon, in = his capacity as Lieutenant Governor, to grant assent to bills that have passed = this House.
Commissioner Phillips enters the Chamber, announced by the Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms
ASSENT TO BILLS
Commissioner: Please be seated.
Speaker: Mr. Commissioner, the Assembly has, at its present session, p=
assed
certain bills to which, in the name and on behalf of the Assembly, I
respectfully request your assent.
Clerk: Act to Amend the Housing Corporation Act; Act to Am=
end
the Employment Standards Act; International Interests in =
Commissioner: I hereby assent to the bills as enumerated by the Clerk.
Commissioner leaves the Chamber<= o:p>
Speaker: I will call the House to order. Please be seated.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Mr. Speaker, I move that the Speake= r do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole.=
Speaker: It has been moved by the Government House Leader that the Spe= aker do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of the Who= le.
Motion agreed to
Speaker leaves the Chair
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE=
Chair (Ms. McLeod)=
: Committee of the Whole will now come to order. The matter bef=
ore
Committee is Vote 7, Department of Economic Development, in Bill No. 10, First
Appropriation Act, 2013-14.
Would members like to take a brief =
recess?
All
Hon. Members: Yes.
Chair: Committee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.
Recess
Chair: Committee of the Whole will now come to order.
Bill No. 10: First Appropriation Act, 2013-14 — continued
Chair: The matter before the Committee is Vote 7, Department of Econ= omic Development, in Bill No. 10, First = Appropriation Act, 2013-14. Mr. Dixon has the floor with 17 minutes, 11 seconds remaining.
Department
of Economic Development — con=
tinued
Hon. Mr. Dixon: When we left off we were talking ab= out a number of issues with respect to the Department of Economic DevelopmentR= 17;s current budget that’s before the Legislature today. I wanted to take = the opportunity to discuss a few of the issues we are dealing with in the department and highlight some of the key projects we have going forward.
Earlier this year, in April 2013, I=
had the
pleasure of joining federal Minister Leona Aglukkaq,
Minister of CanNor, to highlight a number of projects that receive the supp=
ort,
both from CanNor and from the Yukon Technology Innovation Centre, through t=
he
Yukon Research Centre.
CanNor provided approximately $165,= 000 toward those projects. Funding for the projects also comes from Yukon Econo= mic Development, as I mentioned. It comes through the cold climate technology innovation support, and in-kind contributions from developers bring the dev= elopment budget total to just under half a million dollars.
As I noted earlier in the year, we =
are
pleased to support projects like this, which demonstrate what is possible w=
hen
innovation and commercialization are encouraged and supported. Such projects
represent a tremendous step forward in the development of the knowledge-bas=
ed
economy in If I may, I will quote from Mr. May=
, who is
the president of Mid Arctic Technology, from his discussion of this announc=
ement.
He said, and I quote: “Without the support from CanNor and the I really think that this is a treme=
ndous
step forward, where a private sector company comes to the Yukon Research Ce=
ntre
and the Technology Innovation Centre with an idea, but without the financial
capacity or business capacity to bring a project forward. They liaise with =
our
Technology Innovation Centre and then, with some support from government,
whether it be CanNor or the What we often refer to when we talk=
about
those kinds of projects is for those companies to bridge the valley of deat=
h.
It’s the gap between a project idea and actually testing the project,
commercializing the project and bringing it to market. This is just one exa=
mple
of a tremendous example of a project of the Technology Innovation Centre. <=
/span> In that press release and announcem=
ent that
I made earlier and referenced earlier, there were a number of other projects
— six other projects, in fact — and they were as follow: weathe=
r sensors
at Northwestel remote sites to gather data toward the feasibility of solar =
and
wind energy powered sites; enhancing existing wood gasification technology =
to
provide biomass energy in Carcross with Pacific Tlingit Energy; to use new,=
locally
created technology to enhance the capacity of the Dawson City Community TV =
and
Radio Society; the creation of a new software with the company Joint Famili=
es,
to help manage communication and mitigation friction in dual custody situat=
ions
involving divided families; phase 2 in the research and development of the
plastics-to-oil machine being studied at P&M Recycling here in Whitehor=
se;
and the final one was a final stage of development with Boreal Compost Ente=
rprises
toward the commercialization of a machine that removes plastic from compost=
. Cold climate innovation and technol=
ogy
innovation are two of seven key programs at the Yukon Research Centre at =
span> Core funding for the Yukon Research=
Centre
is provided by Yukon Department of Education and the Yukon Department of
Economic Development. As we have heard before, the Department of Education =
and
the Department of Economic Development work together to fund the Yukon Rese=
arch
Centre, which in turn provides a suite of programs under the umbrella and a=
egis
of Yukon College. Since we’re talking about thi=
s, I
should note a number of other very successful initiatives that have received
some attention. Earlier this year, the Association =
of
Canadian Community Colleges produced a report entitled Colleges, Institu=
tes
and Polytechnics: Stimulating Innovation for Small Busin=
esses
and Communities. In that report, a number of project=
s here
in the They gained valuable experience and
insights into the applications of mine site reclamation research. The proje=
ct
will run over three years and will demonstrate whether timber harvested on-=
site
can be turned into biochar and aid in the recla=
mation
process at the end of the mine life cycle. So here is an excellent example of =
the
private sector working with our research centre to develop a real-world
solution to a problem or challenge faced by the mining sector here in the
territory. The next project that was highlight=
ed in
that publication was the northern biochar for
northern restoration, which is a bit of a different spin on the use of biochar. With the expansion of industrial activities =
in MuseumYukon
Nunatta=
Environmental and FCL are interested in the production and/or
development of biochar for their hydrocarbon re=
storation
needs, while Zakus Farms is an expanding biochar producer in
Biochar=
, as I discussed earlier, is a term for a product that results=
from
heating various biological ingredients, such as wood, fish, or animal bone
under oxygen-limited conditions. In southern climates, biochar
has proven to have many benefits for the environment, including increased s=
oil
pH, water-holding capacity and plant growth, as well as promoting hydrocarb=
on
degradation at contaminated sites. Identification of the optimum biochar formulation for hydrocarbon degradation in the
north will not only improve the likelihood for effective treatments, but wi=
ll
also provide economic benefit. Reduced logistics and shipping costs for com=
panies
operating in the north and income-generation opportunities for northern
The Northern Climate ExChange
research team, part of the Yukon Research Centre at Yukon College, is
partnering with the Department of Highways and Public Works to conduct a
project entitled “Mapping the Bumps in the Road: the Vulnerability of=
the
North Alaska Highway to Climate Change”. Specifically, the project ex=
amines
the thaw sensitivity of permafrost under the highway alignment to changes in
climate. The
This project characterizes permafro= st conditions underneath the northern 200 kilometres by pairing geophysical da= ta, geotechnical reports, highway maintenance records and air photos with field investigations, including permafrost drilling.
The final one I wanted to highlight=
is the
dual-frequency, ice-penetrating radar. The ice-penetrating radar is one of =
the
most powerful geophysical tools used in glaciology, with applications rangi=
ng
from ice-depth detection to mapping the internal strat=
igraphy
of ice sheets or inferring in glacial and subglacial=
span>
conditions.
Such information is valuable for re=
search,
water resource management and for the natural resources exploration industr=
y.
The cold climate innovation research team, part of the Yukon Research Centr=
e at
The project focused on the implemen= tation and field testing of a ground-based, dual-frequency ice-penetrating radar system. Working with different frequencies can reveal different ice propert= ies and typically requires surveying the same area twice when two working frequencies are chosen. Being capable of operating with a dual-frequency sy= stem offers an operational advantage by decreasing survey time in half. Since mo= st of these surveys take place in remote regions where access is impeded by weather conditions, it becomes critical to decrease the survey time to maxi= mize the chance of a successful field campaign. It also allows the development o= f specific technology that can be transferred to related applications, such as adaptive radar transmitter power, useful for better signal detection where ice conditions show increased attenuation.
The reason I highlight those is tha=
t, first
of all, it’s excellent to see the Yukon Research Centre at
As I discussed earlier, some of the
examples I noted involve local businesses that have stepped forward and rea=
ched
out to the various arms of the Research Centre, including the ones funded by
Economic Development — and some of those have been very successful, a=
nd
we’re very pleased to highlight them for Yukoners. Of the ones I list=
ed
earlier that I recognized with the CanNor, I did want to highlight one
particular one, which is the research and development of the plastics-to-oil
machine being studied by P&M Recycling. Of course, P&M Recycling is=
a
local recycling business that has developed, in conjunction with the Resear=
ch Centre,
a new machine that is capable of melting down plastics and converting those
plastics to oil. The oil can then be used as heating oil.
In the case of P&M Recycling, t= hey take in plastics that would otherwise have to be shipped out of the territory or= not used at all, in some cases, and convert them into oil and use that to heat = the building, which is the recycling facility — an excellent example of a northern idea leading to a northern business opportunity right here in the Yukon.
My time is elapsing here, but I did= want to take the opportunity to recognize a number of those projects that are treme= ndous examples of how we can develop a knowledge economy here in the territory by supporting research, innovation and commercialization, both through the Yuk= on Research Centre, the Cold Climate Innovation Centre and the Yukon Technology Innovation Centre.
Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; I thank the min=
ister
for his interesting description of a variety of projects that have been fun=
ded.
I have to say that my colleague from Riverdale South had me chuckling for a
moment, because she was wondering aloud whether Inspector Clouseau
was going to be involved in inspecting the bumps in the highway and wanting=
to
know how one would define “a bump”.
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; I never saw the= movie. We are talking about a demographic issue here.
When we left off the other day, the= re were one or two things I wanted to follow up. The minister had indicated that the department had done an analysis of the economic impact of the film industry= and that he would provide a copy of it. I am just reminding him that we will eagerly await that.
Also, when we left off, the ministe=
r had
made some comments regarding a question I had raised with respect to the
question of foreign companies and companies owned by foreign governments ha=
ving
the right to take some national governments like Canada or subnational
governments within Canada in front of a third party arbitrator. I was refer=
ring
there to the Foreign Investment Protection and the Promotion Agreement=
i>
with
In fact, the issue with respect to =
the
difference around the FIPPA with
I’m not going to dwell on this subject because there are many issues I want to speak to, but in reading and researching some of this, I found a quote by one of the arbitrators —= and they are a small group. It’s effectively a very elite group that gets= to be named to these panels of arbitration.
One of these arbitrators — hi=
s name
is Juan Fernández-Armesto — is fro=
m
I simply think that we need to be c=
ognizant
of the implications of the agreements and what they have for this government
and governments going forward, given the 31-year tenure of this particular
agreement.
I would like to turn my attention, =
and that
of the minister, I hope, to an area that he spoke on somewhat — one
aspect of it, in terms of technology, and that’s the Yukon ICT
sector’s strategic plan for the Yukon Information Technology Industry=
Society.
That report highlighted that this sector embraces about 80 Yukon businesses=
and
has about 576 employees, and as I know from my briefing this week from
Northwestel, that includes about 356, so Northwestel certainly carries a
significant number of those 576 employees involved in this industry and con=
tributes
almost $50 million — or did. I don’t know what the current figu=
re
is, but in 2011 it was about $50 million to the Yukon GDP. We’ve heard
and we’ve discussed in this Legislature that we’ve all experien=
ced
the limitations on wireless coverage, which are seen as a source of
dissatisfaction, not just for us as individuals, but for the many hundreds =
of
thousands of visitors each year.
We know from our own experience, ev= ery one of us in this Legislature, that cellphone coverage outside of Whitehorse is= reported to be weak; that it’s a given that Yukon consumers pay more for servi= ces with less capability and that both Yukon and Yukon businesses have identifi= ed low affordability of Internet services as a key obstacle to creativity and innovation. This is an area we talk about and want to grow. The success and growth of the ICT sector is tightly linked not only to government capital a= nd operating budgets, but also the effectiveness of the government’s ICT budget planning and procurement process. This comes from the ICT sector pla= n.
There is an opportunity for =
As we know, as the report says, as =
the
sector’s largest customer, the
The minister said that he endorses = that report — after all, the government paid for it — and that they = were working with industry to implement the recommendations.
My question for the minister: What = action has been taken, what are the time frames, and how? So it’s when in te= rms of time frames and how? Because the issue is how does import substitution w= ork with the Agreement on Internal Trad= e and non-discrimination.
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: There are a number of
questions there that I will try to recall and run through as best I can in =
the
order they were asked. The first was about the
The sum of both direct and indirect= effects constituted $2.79 million, or 0.18 percent of the territory’s GDP in 2005. Employment generated by the industry totals 192 person-years when mus= ic industry employment is combined with the direct and indirect effects of this expenditure.
Since then, we’ve conducted a= number of other studies and various types of analysis. I haven’t seen the fu= ll package of that yet, but we’re going to review those and look to fulf= ill the commitment I made the other day to provide information about those stud= ies to the Opposition.
The second point was related to the=
FIPPA
and the NDP’s assertions about that particular agreement. I think this
should simplify this a bit: The point I would like to make is that it is the
federal government that holds the constitutional ability to enter into
international trade agreements with other nations. That is something they h=
ave
done in the case of the FIPPA, as well as a number of other trade agreements
and trade-related agreements — throughout history, really.
Of course, we, as a territory, try =
our best
to provide our input into those processes, but ultimately, at the end of the
day, it’s the federal government’s constitutional right to enter
into those types of agreements. So, with any of those particular agreements
— in this case, we’ve highlighted the FIPPA with China, which h=
as
yet to be ratified — that is within the federal government’s
constitutional sphere. They are operating within their own sphere. We, of
course, do our best to undertake studies and review those types of agreemen=
ts
to ensure that we aren’t negatively affected and, if we are, we provi=
de
that information to
What I can say, though, and what I =
can
bring forward to this House is our opinion of how it will affect
I think we can now turn to the issu=
e that
was raised by the member opposite, which is the ICT industry. I think
Obviously, the mining and explorati=
on
sectors as well as the tourism sector will continue to be
To that end, we have worked very cl=
osely
with industry through industry organizations like YITIS as well as directly
with individual companies like Northwestel or Total North, Mid Arctic, STC
— any of these ICT-related companies that are based in the Yukon.
We’ve come up with a number of — I guess the best way to descri=
be
them is “strategies” — strategies for moving forward. Two=
of
the reports that we commissioned recently have received some attention and =
the
member opposite mentioned one of them — that was the ICT sector strat=
egy
which was a report commissioned by YITIS with financial support from the
Department of Economic Development. That of course was complemented by anot=
her
report that we commissioned ourselves, which was completed by some consulta=
nts
— Lemay-Yates Associates Inc. — tit=
led, Yukon
Telecommunications Development Final Report.
This was prepared in December of la= st year for the Business and Industry Development branch of our department. Those t= wo reports very much have guided us forward to date — in the last several months at least — while we have been considering these issues.
I should take a moment to mention s=
ome of
the previous work that was done jointly with
With all of that study and review t= hat has been conducted over the past 12 to 18 months, we have a pretty strong visio= n of the existing industry, as well as a number of recommendations for how to mo= ve forward. Both of those reports that I mentioned — both the telecommunications development report and the ICT sector strategy — combine to do just that.
The ICT sector strategy report foun=
d that
the information communications technologies sector in the
The report tries to identify the key
opportunities and constraints the government and industry may be able to in=
fluence
in order to maximize the potential for this industry sector in
So within those opportunities and
constraints, the report found a considerable base of about 500 skilled
professionals, and a good alignment between professionals and the technolog=
ies
currently in use within the
The relatively small market provides opportunities for access and communication between government and industry;= a maturing base of businesses that are beginning to export their services, wh= ich of course brings money into the territory; a local, business-friendly government policy that promotes the use of local companies; and a close-knit industry that allows for flexible collaboration in responding to customer needs.
At the same time, the report found = a number of constraining factors. Examples of these constraints: a limited telecommu= nications infrastructure, including both high-speed broadband services and current ge= neration mobile services; the cost of existing voice and data services, which makes = it more difficult for local companies to compete with organizations based in t= he south; reliance on the government as a customer, which is one of the largest consumers of ICT products and services; the lack of availability of local education and training resources, which makes it more difficult to maintain up-to-date skills and capacity; and a lack of scale which makes it difficult for local businesses to plan and execute effective long-term strategies and investments.
We took those findings in collabora=
tion
with the
One of the key things that was noted in both reports was that there was a need fo=
r a
focal point within government to coordinate the strategy for the sector and=
to
provide oversight for its implementation. We have made the decision within =
the
Department of Economic Development to create a new branch, a directorate,
within the department. At this point we are calling it the Technology and
Telecommunications Development Directorate, and it is in the process of bei=
ng
developed currently. My understanding is that we — as of yesterday I
think — have hired a director for that position, so it will be less t=
han
24 hours before that individual is officially hired. Then, following that
hiring process, we’ll go on to create the terms of reference, work wi=
th
the individual to set out the vision for that branch, and to provide the br=
anch
with its marching orders on how to move forward.
Beyond the creation of the director= ate itself, we made a number of commitments specific to the industry. One of the key ones I should note is that it relates to the CRTC. As members are proba= bly familiar, in the past two years, I would say, the CRTC has taken a much more focused approach to dealing with the issues of communications technology in= the north. The CRTC has most certainly become aware, I would say, of some of the issues in the north and has really taken it upon itself to involve itself t= o a greater extent in the north.
One of the commitments I made was t=
hat we
would task the new Technology and Telecommunications Development Directorat=
e to fully engage in the current holistic review that the CRTC is
undertaking of Northwestel. That would be important because, as much as we =
like
to think that the
Also, I should note that the CRTC’s deliberations tend to be fairly exhausti= ve and quite technical and, up until this point, we’ve done a fairly good jo= b of providing government’s input into their various processes. But itR= 17;s certainly something that we identified within the department that we don’t — first of all, what capacity we had was already focused = on other areas and that — to use the phrase — a lot of the CRTC is= sues were being run off the corner of various people’s desks. So we wanted= to ensure that we are taking a very coordinated, very deliberate approach to dealing with the CRTC and to providing government’s input and point of view on a number of programs and services that are being considered by that regulator. That’s another key role that the Technology and Telecommun= ications Development Directorate will be undertaking.
Another important announcement I ma=
de at
that event, which related to our commitments pursuant to the reports issued,
was the provision of annual core funding to the Yukon Information Technology
and Industry Society, or YITIS.
A common theme in the reports was t= hat industry needed to organize itself to a greater degree. Intra-industry coll= aboration was lacking, the reports found. While we had a tight-knit community, it didn’t always collaborate in the ways it should. So we felt that YITIS was an excellent body to provide for some of that collaboration. However, up until this point, YITIS was entirely run by — well, of course, volunteers. And we certainly don’t want to detract from the excellent work done previously, but it was definitely a recommendation of the reports that YITIS be provided with additional capacity and resources to deal with = some of these important issues. If we are going to take this issue seriously, we needed to provide some additional support, according to the reports. So we = announced $50,000 that will be provided to YITIS on an annual basis, and you will see that that money in the budget that is before us today.
Another key aspect identified in the reports and in the strategy was the issue of telecommunications infrastruct= ure and, in particular, fibre.
As we all know, fibre is an importa=
nt
backbone infrastructure of the telecommunications industry and, in the
So when from time to time in variou=
s places
down in
One particular project that was pre=
viously
looked at by private sector proponents in the ICT industry was the possibil=
ity
of a fibre optic cable down to the Alaskan undersea grid in the
As I have said, some work has been = done previously by private sector companies, so we are going to start by reviewi= ng that work that they have done, meeting with them, discussing the possibilit= ies as they see them, and identifying what issues they have found, what challen= ges they have found, and what opportunities they have found with regard to that particular project.
That’s not to say we won̵=
7;t look
at other options as well. I know that the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin earlier
this week asked me about the possibility of linking into a fibre optic cable
that is being proposed underwater in the
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; In sum, I asked= the minister opposite in response to the Yukon ICT sector strategic plan for YI= TIS, what the action was, when in terms of time frames, and how it was going to = be implemented. As he had said previously, they were working with industry to implement the recommendations, so my understanding is, as of 24 hours ago, we have the core of a tech directorate that’= ;s going to be doing that.
My question for the minister, going=
back to
the YITIS plan: Is it the government’s intention to direct this direc=
torate
— the employee/employees of said directorate — to respond to the
areas of concern identified there? Will
As the report said, as the sector=
8217;s
largest customer, the
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Jumping right into the response =
212;
essentially, yes is the answer. In 2002, when the
There are a few instances where the government still opts to own some intellectual property at times. Quarterly meetings are held between Highways and Public Works’ ICT branch and t= he Yukon Information Technology and Industry Society. These meetings are an opportunity for the Yukon ICT sector to obtain a preview of upcoming Govern= ment of Yukon ICT projects. Highways and Public Works’ ICT branch actively= advises larger national and international suppliers of Yukon ICT companies capable = of handling the maintenance and support aspects of large procurement contracts= .
Yes, we already do some of this wor= k and will obviously try our best to continue that. But when it comes to the reco= mmendations of the report and the priority and order with which we pursue them, we̵= 7;ll be meeting with YITIS to determine those issues. So we’ll meet with Y= ITIS to determine the priority and some of the vision and understanding of how t= hese recommendations will be implemented.
I think that answers the memberR=
17;s
specific question about this, but in a general sense, as I said before R=
12;
I know she indicated that we’ve made the directorate and it has been =
in
place for 24 hours.
The directorate itself has space no= w, has a director and will be moving forward with implementation of this, but the pr= iorities I’ve outlined here are government’s priorities and they demonst= rate what government will be directing this new directorate to undertake.=
To reiterate, as I said, undertakin=
g a
bankable feasibility study of a redundant fibre optic line through <=
st1:City>
We haven’t undertaken a signi= ficant amount of work. We haven’t begun a study, so to speak, but, as I said= , we have worked with the private sector, spoken with the private sector, which = has completed some of this work, and we are going to talk to them about what we might be able to build on, what they have done to date, and how we can best incorporate their work into our own so as not to be — no pun intended, but “redundant”, I suppose.
Another opportunity in that project= will be the ownership model. It really hasn’t been determined by us or anyone what exactly that might look like. There are a number of options, and a num= ber of options that bear consideration. One option, of course, includes a significant role for First Nations. I know a number of First Nations development corporations have already approached us with interest in our activities and the development of the new directorate and are eager to see = us engage with First Nations governments and development corporations to determine how best First Nations can be involved in any potential project that might go forward. It is my hope that we can find a very positive synergy between government, First Nations governments, First Nations development corporatio= ns, as well as the private sector to move forward.
Of course, I would be remiss if I
didn’t suggest that I would expect the federal government to play a r=
ole
in that as well. The federal government, either through CanNor or Industry =
Another key action that will be und= ertaken by the directorate will be working with Northwestel regarding the service l= evel provision for Internet and cell service as set out in the reports. Now there are a number of ways we can do that. We can do that by liaising directly wi= th Northwestel, but we can also do that by providing comments to the CRTC in a= number of their processes.
As folks may or may not be aware, a=
few
hours from now is the deadline for Yukoners to s=
ubmit
their comments to the CRTC with regard to their current holistic review of =
Northwestel’s
services. When the CRTC announced their public consultation on the
telecommunications services that Northwestel provides to northern Canadians,
the chairman of the CRTC said, and I quote: “Canadians expect to have=
a
choice of high-quality telecommunications services, regardless of where they
live … Last year, we expressed concern about the services available to
northern Canadians and required Northwestel to develop a plan to modernize =
its
aging network. The consultation launched today will allow us to conduct a
comprehensive review of Northwestel’s services and its planned improv=
ements.”
Northwestel provides telecommunicat=
ions
services in the
So we will continue to work with
Northwestel and work with the CRTC to identify areas where we can improve s=
ervices.
We’ll also continue to work with our territorial partners through the
Northern Communications and Information Systems Working Group in the review=
and
recommendation of pan-northern telecommunications requirements. Madam Chair,
while we do share a number of issues with our northern neighbours, there ar=
e a
number of cases where our specific issues need to be highlighted because wh=
at
works in
When I was speaking earlier about
infrastructure projects, I mentioned that we were aware of a number of other
projects going on in the north, and some of that has come through some of t=
he
work I just mentioned. One of them that the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin
mentioned earlier in this sitting was an Arctic fibre proposal. Again, as I
mentioned to him previously, of course we will consider that, but I’m
sceptical about the possibility of joining into it. It would require a
significant terrestrial fibre line in a part of the country that has very
little other infrastructure, and then a significant amount of underwater
— under ice, in fact — telecommunications infrastructure, which
would be very challenging, I think, to implement and build. When we conside=
r a
project like the Whitehorse-Skagway-Juneau line, we are in the neighbourhoo=
d of
tens of millions of dollars. I can only imagine what a project starting in =
Old
Crow, heading most likely south to the Dempster, and then north up the Demp=
ster
to
What is a little bit more likely is=
the
project being proposed and championed currently by the Northwest Territories
That doesn’t preclude the pos=
sibility
of this project with
So those are projects that we’= ;re working on now. I think that covers off the suite of action items we’= ve identified for the immediate future. But, as I said, we’re going to c= ontinue to work with industry organizations like YITIS and specific companies in determining how to implement the recommendations of these strategies and how best for government to move forward to better the industry and provide for growth in this important industry and ultimately lead to the potential of a= new sector or a newly grown sector of our economy.
As I said before, I really do belie=
ve
it’s possible that this sector could one day be as important as a num=
ber
of other sectors we currently have in the
Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; My question with
respect to the business nominee program — the minister does not need =
to
tell me the criteria for this program — I’ve read them. In this
case, more is actually less. Can the minister provide some statistics as to=
how
many business nominees have been accepted in the
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: The Yukon
The Yukon
The Yukon
From
Successful applicants must fill the following criteria: they must actively participate in a management-level position in a Yukon business; they must invest a minimum of $150,000 and purchase a minimum of one-third of the business; they must provide a viable business plan; they must have a verified net worth of at least $250,000; th= ey must demonstrate an established standard of English or French-speaking skil= ls; and they must agree to reside in Yukon for at least two years.
In 2001, Citizenship and Immigratio=
n Canada
and the Government of Yukon signed the Agreement
for Canada-Yukon Cooperation on Immigration.
A new agreement was signed by the
Department of Education on
By way of statistics, I have some
information regarding the business component applications for the
With regard to the number of plans =
actually
implemented in
In the earlier column, when I was l=
isting
the number of applicants, I forgot to mention there were 11 from the
The total investment of all those p=
rograms
combined is over $10 million. The bulk of those were split between <=
st1:country-region>
I hope those are the statistics the= member was after.
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; An interesting = and eclectic array of nationalities and investors, so that’s good informa= tion to have.
I have one sort of general question=
before
I turn it over to the Member for
I think that’s great. Now I=
8217;m
interested in finding out what exactly the Minister of Economic Development=
is
doing to maintain the economic integrity of the
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Madam Chair, what that particular
commitment refers to goes back to the days when I believe the NDP were in p=
ower
and they brought a number of government offices up to the highway, which of
course really pulled the guts out of the downtown community. By bringing so
many government workers up to the highway and non-centralized locations, th=
ey
really degraded the ability of the community of
So, over the years, we continue to =
advocate
on behalf of
As well, we have done a number of g=
ood
works with the businesses that operate in downtown
Supported by funding from the strat= egic industries fund in the 2011-12 budget, the Main = Street Yukon Society engaged Vector Research and Halliday & Company to undertake a study to identify tangible opportunities to encourage more tourism and visitor revenue for its members. Main Street Yuk= on Society’s study, Tourism and Visitor Development in Downtown White= horse, was completed and has been shared with interested parties. The Department of Economic Development is currently in discussion with the society regarding potential next steps.
Going back to the findings of that = study, as I recall — I believe I’ve read it — it noted that, whi= le a number of these businesses are somewhat co-located downtown, and in that se= nse they are competitors, they found that they could work together to bring vis= itors into the area as a whole. They’re happy to compete with them once they’re here, but getting them here is a challenge. It was certainly a challenge when the visitor information centre was located up on the highway, which I believe was a decision of the NDP government in the 1990s.= p>
Having the visitor information cent=
re
downtown and providing information to tourists and visitors about some of t=
he
businesses that are available and services that are available in downtown <=
/span>
As I mentioned, Madam Chair, the co=
mpanies
and businesses in downtown Whitehorse are certainly competitive and compete
with each other, but they have noted that, in some cases, it’s better=
for
them to work together to get people into the area; then once they’re =
down
there, they can compete for them. We’ll continue to work with
organizations like the Main Street Yukon Society, work with individual
businesses that require assistance or are eligible for assistance from the =
department,
and we’ll continue to work with other departments like the Department=
of
Tourism and Culture to promote downtown Whitehorse as a vibrant city and hu=
b of
not only the economy, but the society in Whitehorse and ensure that Whiteho=
rse
remains a key stopping point for visitors travelling through the Yukon up t=
he
Alaska Highway or down the Alaska Highway.
As well, we’ll also continue =
to work
with companies like Air North, which brings a significant number of people =
into
the territory. When they fly in, getting them downtown is a priority so that
they can access the businesses and services that are available there. I thi=
nk
that covers off that particular commitment and note. Of course, as I have
noted, Yukon
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I’d like = to thank the officials from the department for being here today. I have a few very b= rief questions. We’ll see how brief these questions are going to be. Maybe= I should ask them all at one time.
Just to begin with a little houseke= eping, in the briefing we did ask for a list of projects supported by various fund= s in this department — regional economic development fund, strategic industries fund, enterprise trade fund — and we still, to date, have = not received these. I was just wondering if the minister can advise the House a= s to when we shall receive this list.
My first question is going to be ab=
out the
How much uptake has there been on t= his in the last two years? We’ll try that, Madam Chair, and see what happens= .
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: I will endeavour to answer as succi=
nctly
as possible for the Member for
The small business investment tax c=
redit
encourages Yukoners to invest in small
The program’s objectives are =
the
following: to (1) to make small Yukon businesses’ share offerings more
competitive; (2) to help small Yukon businesses to expand and grow; (3) to =
help
diversify the Yukon economy; (4) to assist Yukoners to invest in small busi=
ness
in Yukon. Eligible companies can make share offerings of up to $800,000 a y=
ear,
and Yukoners who purchase those shares will receive an income tax credit of=
25
percent of the purchase cost. The total value of shares offered by all comp=
anies
under the program in any one year cannot exceed $4 million, thus capping =
span>
As of
This year, there has only been one
application so far and it’s under consideration currently.
Additionally, I would note that the= limits that I mentioned — the caps on the program — in the case of the definition of “small business” as being $25 million — tha= t is set out in legislation and it’s something that, up until this point, = we haven’t really had a concern with, but at some point in the course of= our deliberations we may find reason to revisit that to determine whether or not $25 million is an adequate number to define small businesses. I don’t recall what year that number was put into legislation and when that legisla= tion came into force, but I do know it was some time ago. At some point, it may = be worth revisiting that limit and discussing it, but up to this point we haven’t had a problem and it has worked just fine. I think that answe= rs the member’s questions.
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; I appreciate the
minister’s answer. On the issue of a feasibility — and I know t=
his
has been discussed earlier today in Question Period by the minister and me =
and
I think it was touched on here today as well — if he could touch brie=
fly
on when the tender will be released. More specifically, we know that the
project will cost at least $15 million. How are we moving forward with this=
? Is
the government prepared to cost share with Northwestel or other private sec=
tor
providers? If so, can the minister maybe elaborate a bit on the discussions=
so
far with Northwestel or with other private sector interests?
Hon. Mr. Dixon: As I mentioned earlier today, the f= irst big commitment related to the ICT sector for this government was the creati= on of the Technology and Telecommunications Development Directorate. One of the things that directorate will be tasked with, as the member correctly noted,= was conducting a bankable feasibility study of a second fibre optic link to the south, vis-à-vis Skagway and Juneau. The work that has been done to = date is fairly little because we’re still in the process of developing the directorate. As I mentioned earlier to the Member for Whitehorse Centre, as recently as yesterday we hired a director for that new directorate and we’re in the process of developing the directorate’s terms of reference or goals, the management framework and all those kinds of things. We’re in the process of doing that right now.
Once we have a functioning director=
ate in
place, one of the key priorities I’ve identified for them is conducti=
ng a
bankable feasibility study of a fibre project to the south. Without an alte=
rnate
route connecting
Northwestel and other potential ser=
vice
providers have indicated that the expected revenue generated from an altern=
ate
fibre route will not cover the investment and operating costs. Therefore,
alternate measures of financing would be required for the project to procee=
d.
So the work that we’ve done to date is at a very high level — t=
he
political level.
The Premier, the Minister of Energy=
, Mines
and Resources and I have discussed the concept of a project with the Govern=
or
of Alaska and his staff. They seemed genuinely supportive and eager to take=
the
next steps. Those next steps include, as I mentioned, the development of the
directorate and getting that directorate functioning. Then once we’ve
determined how we would proceed in conjunction with
With regard to the financing, it= 217;s an interesting question. The member is right; as I mentioned earlier, others h= ave indicated that, as a stand-alone project, the private sector simply doesn’t have the return on investment to do this, so I think we’= ;d be willing to explore a number of options. As I mentioned to the Member for Whitehorse Centre, there’s a tremendous opportunity for First Nation governments to get involved in this. I think there’s tremendous opportunity for First Nation development corporations to be involved, and there’s also the possibility that the Government of Yukon could be involved. The possibility also exists that the federal government could bec= ome involved through a number of mechanisms that they have.
Industry
Once you have a project, though, the
question becomes: How is it operated, and what does the ownership model loo=
k like?
Again, we are not quite there yet in determining the answer. As I have said,
any of the players and governments I’ve suggested could be involved, =
but
I would think that one of the things we would want to consider is what other
jurisdictions have done. What has
I don’t have a date or anythi=
ng like
that for the Member for
I will say that we have identified =
this as
a key priority, especially for the Department of Economic Development.
It’s something I look forward to moving forward with. Hopefully, it w=
ill
involve our partners in
I think I’ve answered the member’s questions — as best we know currently what an ownership model might look like. I am unfortunately not in a position to give him firm timelines around the specific project.
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I do appreciate= the minister’s response. Just a quick question. The department normally produces an economic outlook. Could the minister tell us when this will be released?
Hon. Mr. Dixon: Typically we release the economic o= utlook at the end of the calendar year and then revisit it in late May or early Ju= ne with the most up-to-date data we have. I know the Business and Economic Research branch is working on that currently. Since it&= #8217;s early May, I would expect them to be in full swing with regard to the work = they do.
So what they’ll do is collabo= rate with a number of other organizations throughout the country in assessing the global picture for the economic outlook of the entire world and consider th= at in conjunction with the outlook for the country — for Canada — = and then take into consideration the input we’ve had from companies in the mining sector and the tourism sector, in the oil and gas sector and in the small- and medium-size enterprise sector, as well as, I assume, talk to chambers, et cetera, in determining our outlook.
When we release the outlook in May,= we always try to use the most accurate and up-to-date data but, as everyone kn= ows, things can change fairly rapidly and sometimes we have to return and revisit those outlooks.
One of the other interesting things=
that is
worth noting is that the Conference Board of Canada has established its Cen=
tre
for the North, which is certainly welcomed by the Department of Economic
Development and the Yukon government as a third party, outside independent
provider of information and speculation about the Yukon’s economy. The
Centre for the North is still in its early stages. I think it was establish=
ed
five years ago — in 2008, I believe. Although, as I said, we welcome =
the
Centre for the North very strongly, we sometimes have different figures and
different outlooks on the territory’s economy, and that isn’t a
disagreement or a case where we have a difference of opinion. It’s si=
mply
that we look at different numbers and different statistics. In some cases
— in my opinion, at least — the Yukon
For instance, the Conference Board =
of
Canada is speculating quite considerable growth for the territory in this y=
ear.
The
So, to answer the member’s qu= estion, we put out an economic outlook toward the end of the calendar year and revi= sit it with the best and most recent information in late May or early June.
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; It has no doubt=
been a
rough six months in the
Could the minister elaborate on his= views of the immediate future in the mining industry in terms of new projects? Do= es he foresee Victoria Gold opening next year? Has his department met with the proponents of either the Eagle project or the proponent of the Brewery Creek project in the past and, if so, do they list concerns other than the global investment climate?
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Mr. Deputy Chair, the member is qui=
te
right of course. We have seen a recent slowdown in the prospects in the min=
ing
industry and that’s primarily due to the international investment mar=
ket.
Of course it is becoming more and more challenging every day for small- and
medium-sized mining companies to attract investment and raise money to brin=
g projects
forward.
That isn’t something thatR=
17;s
unique to the
I won’t comment on whether I = think a specific project will go forward or not — I don’t think that’s beneficial — but what I will say is that, when we’= re faced with markets like this, it really highlights the need for the Yukon government to continue to promote the Yukon as a good place to invest. We really need to get out even more than usual to try to attract capital to the territory. There is capital out there; it has just become increasingly competitive and increasingly difficult to access.
When we go out there and promote th=
e
As I’ve noted before in this =
House,
we believe that we need to focus on attracting investment from outside our =
borders.
I have highlighted the fact that
But we don’t just do this alo=
ne. We
do it in conjunction with industry as much as we can. Industry organizations
like the Yukon Gold Mining Alliance provide an excellent venue for us to
collaborate with industry to get out and tell the story of the
We have seen some turnover recently= in the Yukon Gold Mining Alliance in terms of some of the companies involved, but = the two the member opposite mentioned — Golden Predator and Victoria Gold — were both members. Victoria Gold is still a member, I believe. We w= ork with that industry organization to identify new areas we should focus on and other areas we may already have focused on but need to provide additional resources toward or to enhance our focus on.
We’ll continue to do this;
we’ll continue to work with industry to raise the profile of <=
st1:State>
While a few projects have been dela=
yed, I
note that a number proceeded quite well. For instance, Alexco’s
Bellekeno mine — you can look at it as a mine expansion or as two new
mines, but the Onek project and the Lucky Queen
projects in the Keno district were recently provided with quartz mining
licences and are moving ahead.
A number of projects are in the adv= anced exploration stage that have still been able to a= ccess financing. Kaminak, for instance, with their Co= ffee Creek project, continues to be a very exciting project and one that has bee= n enjoying a significant amount of investment over the past couple of years.
Of course Western Copper maintains
confidence in their Casino project, which is a very large copper/gold proje=
ct
north of Carmacks. There are a number of projects throughout the
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; When I’m = looking at the business and industry development area of the Department of Economic Development and I look at the website in that area — the Business and Economic Research branch — as a matter of keeping abreast of what iss= ues the branch and the department are doing research and analysis on, and provi= ding reports, which it says is to “…support a broad understanding of= the economy and the assessment of its impacts on Yukon’s fiscal position, bud= getary projections and financial decision making.”
In light of the last phrase, I was
intrigued to see under “What’s New” on the Business and
Economic Research branch a report that has been added. I’m surprised,
quite frankly, to see the “Alaska Canada Rail Link Phase I ReportR=
21;
being added in 2013, a report that was completed at least six years ago =
212;
maybe seven. It was launched in 2005. It seems to me that that feasibility
study — when you read again through it, there was a lot of response t=
o it
and not very much of it was positive by either this Yukon government or the
Alaska government.
I can understand that there is some interest in terms of establishing a new north Pacific Rim trade corridor in= the context of making that link to ports to develop an opportunity for bulk min= eral traffic, but one of the major areas described in that report, as people may recall when they think about this all those years ago, is that there was a significant emphasis on exporting of coal, which I had thought we werenR= 17;t particularly interested in doing. But maybe the minister could elaborate and give us a status as to what is new about this report and why Economic Development is featuring it as a must-read on their website.
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: The Alaska-Yukon rail link study wa=
s one
that was completed a number of years ago in conjunction with the State of <=
/span>
With regard to what a railway might= ship one day, that is something we haven’t even looked at. There are a number of natural resources in the territory that mi= ght benefit from rail. Those include any of the base metal projects that are in= the territory, whether it’s the Selwyn’s zinc project or a tungsten project or Casino’s copper project — any number of the projects that exist in the territory would be interested in an Alaska-Canada rail li= nk.
I’m not aware of any coal pro=
jects in
the
As well, =
there has
been a bit of renewed interest in the possibility of rail, and not just for
shipping ore from the
That being said, I most certainly
don’t want to pass judgment. I’m not an economist or an engineer
and I’m not involved in either of the industries that would benefit f=
rom
it, so my opinion is just my own. We will continue to work with anybody
who’s interested with regard to advancing study on projects that might
benefit
As I mentioned, G7G is one of those
companies that has expressed an interest. That’s a B.C.-Alberta-based
company that’s developing and promoting the concept of a purpose-built
railway. The concept is predicated on their belief that supertanker traffic
will not be permitted off the coast of
Part of this is driven by the Gover=
nment of
Alberta, which is, as we know, looking for options for exporting their bitu=
men
from the oil sands. Of course, the Pacific pipeline is being considered
currently.
The Keystone pipeline is also being considered presently by the American federal government as high up as the P= resident’s office, I understand.
The Government of Alberta is also considering the possibility of reversing some existing pipeline infrastruct= ure and shipping east and then of course, as a hedge against a number of those projects, they’re looking at other options, including the possibility= of a rail or a pipeline north.
Certainly the Premier of Northwest
Territories has been very vocal in his support of hosting a pipeline or a r=
ail
north to their ports. We have been a little less optimistic than Premier Mc=
Leod,
but we remain open to talking about these issues, investigating and discuss=
ing
them. If there is a project that is viable — and in this case, appare=
ntly
with the support of Yukon First Nations as indicated by some media — =
we
would consider it. But of course no project has been presented to us in a r=
eal
strong sense so we wouldn’t be in a position to comment specifically =
on
it, but we’re willing to work with whoever wants to work with us to d=
etermine
whether or not projects are feasible.
Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; Well, it is int=
eresting
to know — and I do know that quite a number of websites have recently
closed down, so I can now tell them that they can contact the Minister of
Economic Development and he’ll be pleased to host them, so we’ll
see any number of new reports going up there. I mean, if it’s not
relevant to the
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; You paid for it= . It was a waste of money from many people’s perspective, and now we’re saying that you want it, you don’t want it, you can’t explain exactly why it’s on the website — a lot of conjecture. It’= ;s very interesting, Madam Chair.
I have no more questions for the mi= nister.
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: It’s very interesting to hear=
the
perspective of the Member for Whitehorse Centre and the NDP that conducting
studies in collaboration with the State of
We do know that any effort that the=
y can
undertake to stymie the economic growth in the territory will be taken by t=
hem,
so I’m not surprised at all to hear such negative comments about the
possibility of economic growth in this territory.
In response, though, I have to say =
it to
her question: why would we host this on our website? Well, we paid a portio=
n of
the cost to do this study.
It sounds like we’re ready to= get into line-by-line discussion, so I look forward to that.
Chair: Is there any further general debate on Vote 7?
Prior to going into line-by-line di= scussion, would the members like to take a break?
All
Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Committee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.
Recess
Chair: Committee of the Whole will now come to order. We are proceed=
ing
with line-by-line in Vote 7.
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; Pursuant to Sta= nding Order 14.3, I request the unanimous consent of Committee of the Whole to de= em all lines in Vote 7, Department of Economic Development, cleared or carried= , as required.
Unanimous consent re deeming all= lines in Vote 7, Department of Economic Development, cleared or carried
Chair: Ms. Hanson has requested, pursuant to Standing Order 14.3, the unanimous consent of Committee of the Whole to deem all lines in Vote 7, Department of Economic Development, cleared or carried, as required. Are you agreed?
All
Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Unanimous consent has been granted.
On Operation and Maintenance Expenditures
Total Operation and Maintenance Expenditures in =
the
amount of $14,609,000 agreed to
On Capital Expenditures
Total Capital Expenditures in the amount of $1,0=
91,000
agreed to
Total Expenditures in the amount of $15,700,000 =
agreed
to
Department of Economic Development agreed to
Chair: Committee of the Whole will recess for two or three minutes w= hile we wait for officials.
Recess
Chair: Committee of the Whole will now come to order.
Department of Energy, Mines and
Resources — continued
Chair: We’re going to resume general debate in Vote 53, Depart= ment of Energy, Mines and Resources.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe s= ince you have indicated that I have roughly 13 seconds remaining, I will simply = sit down and await questions from members opposite.
Mr. Tredger:= I’d like = to welcome the officials from Energy, Mines and Resources and thank them for taking the time on a sunny day to come out. On behalf of the NDP, I would a= lso like to thank them for their briefing notes. We found them very helpful and much appreciated.
I have a number of questions, so I&=
#8217;ll
keep my introductory remarks relatively brief. I would like to speak about =
some
of the ideas that will inform my questions and, I think, inform where
we’re headed with this. My first concept is that the greatest natural
resource
Communities and neighbours live, work and grow together. It’s the people wh=
o make
the place tick. It is important that decisions are made by all involved and
that there is collaboration, consensus and consultation. It’s importa=
nt
that we have access to information and that there is an open and honest
dialogue.
The key initiative to creating and
maintaining healthy environments requires ongoing attention. We must contin=
ue
to invest in what truly makes people healthy. This requires the effort of t=
he
entire community, led and supported by a whole-of-government approach.
It’s not always easy, and it’s not always quick. It takes resol=
ve,
and it takes determination.
There is no place for ultimatums or= for litigation that divides and shows disrespect. Furthermore it’s part of our government mandate to advocate and provide meaningful information so th= at people, communities, organizations and government have the knowledge necess= ary to make appropriate decisions when faced with balancing the potential benef= its and harm of a given situation — and risks. We must consider all the people and, in this case, the entire population, present and future, and gi= ve thoughtful advice for actions that will promote fair opportunities for individuals, families and communities to enjoy.
All departments of the government, = all members of the Legislature and all communities must work together, not in isolation, not separate, but together so we can accomplish what is necessar= y to achieve a truly healthy community.
I also like to keep in mind our
relationships with First Nation governments. We are and operate on the
traditional territory of the various governments. Both governments, the Fir=
st
Nation governments and the
I believe, and the Yukon NDP believ=
es, that
the benefits of resource extraction and industry accrue to all
It will be important to ensure that= the overall gains are greater than the losses. The economic status of individua= ls in communities is an important determinate of their health. However, there = are many other factors resulting from industry development that can have strong negative impacts. Unless proper controls and oversight are put in place, th= ere is a risk of spoiling any benefits from economic gains through adverse heal= th outcomes.
All research shows that to gain max=
imum
benefit, local citizens need to be consulted, involved and empowered. This =
has
benefits financially as well as improving the health of the local community=
. I
am pleased to say that industry is becoming aware of this. Mining companies=
in
the
They’re working closely with =
the
local community, and enabling the community to feel like partners. A big fe=
ar
of local
We are also compelled to be steward=
s of the
land. We need to listen to the elders, to enrich opportunities for people t=
o be
on the land to be our eyes and our ears. We need to involve communities and
elders, renewable resources councils, hunters, trappers and NGOs, like the
Yukon Fish and Game and the Yukon Trappers Association, and citizens who sp=
end
time on our lands and waterways.
This is our opportunity to establis= h and formalize oversight, first-hand observations and early warning systems to recognize and mitigate changes to our environment. We need to gather information and baseline data in order to make informed decisions. We need = to be aware of climate change to mitigate the effects, but also to take steps = to prevent further climate change. Our biologists, our civil servants, need lo= cal people to be involved. The inspectors, the personnel who are charged with t= he task of providing oversight and direction of activities on our land need to work hand in hand with those who are on the land.
We also need to be aware that there=
are
systems in place, and it is important that we honour and respect those syst=
ems
in order that the people have belief and trust in them and in order that pe=
ople
know their concerns will be addressed fairly and openly and so that people =
know
that communication and consultation is transparent and open to all — =
and
part of doing business in the Yukon.
There is need for real local involv= ement now and in the future through the process. We need reassurances that there = are no shortcuts being granted that allow back-door entry to our land — t= hat everyone plays by the same rules. We need regular audits that evaluate the effectiveness of our systems and whether they are working. Have we determin= ed that the recommendations and mitigation efforts are working? Is there follow-up? The protection of our community, the safety of our labour force = and proper stewardship of the environment are important and critical roles for = the government to play.
Not only must we be accountable, bu=
t we
must be seen to be open, transparent and accountable.
We need to consider the cumulative = effects of many projects in one area and whether or not our infrastructure and our human resources have the capacity to deal with them. We need to ensure that there are resources to provide proper inspections and oversight of our projects.
I would also like to talk a little = bit and ask questions about our energy, our land use planning, agriculture, forestr= y, and maybe through it all, the importance of data and the fact that that data will be available to all Yukon people and consequently drive decisions that= are evidence-based and driven by science in order that we can leave a legacy, n= ot only for the people of today, but for our children and our children’s= children.
I’ll move from there into some questions. How much time do I have left, Madam Chair?
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Mr. Tredger:= Some time? Okay= , I won’t take long.
I’ve raised the issue before =
of
keeping good statistics and information on mining in the
In light of the uncertainty in the =
markets,
it’s all the more important that we have access to good, clear data. =
The reports from
As the minister is aware, mining and
exploration companies are facing an investment crunch. Part of convincing i=
nvestors
is to provide well-researched information.
Will the minister commit to the pro=
duction of
a manual modelled on the
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Before I continue answering some of= the questions that members had asked yesterday that I didn’t have a chanc= e to speak to, it’s very interesting what we hear from the NDP Member for Mayo-Tatchun. It’s really quite hard for me to understand how he and = his colleagues fail to see the connection between royalty rates and — on = the one hand they demand royalty rates be hiked to do what they characterize as giving Yukoners a fair value for resources, and then in a later paragraph t= he member talked about uncertainty in markets, about the importance of attract= ing investors and about the importance of staying competitive.
I really find it hard to understand=
how the
member can fail to see the connection between the fact<=
/span>
that, if government continues hiking taxes and royalty rates, investment
capital goes elsewhere. Whether we like it or not, the Canadian economy is
increasingly competitive for investment capital. Investors, including both
large- and small-scale investors, have choices about where they can invest =
their
money, and in jurisdictions that are very expensive to operate in, consiste=
ntly
change the rules and increase the taxes, or nationalize the rights that they
have issued to companies, such as Third World countries do — that has
been a significant cause of some major mining companies having difficulty
raising money in the marketplace.
Some of them have recently been bur= ned in their investments in Third World countries and have been forced to take sig= nificant write-downs in the value of those assets as a result of the countries they = were in choosing to either nationalize those assets or seize a greater share of = them than they had been led to believe when they started doing development work = in those areas.
We know the NDP’s position. W= hen members of the mining community are in the House, they extol the virtues of= mining and its place in the community and then when those people leave the gallery, they talk about hiking royalty rates and assert that Yukoners are not getti= ng a fair share for their resources.
What I would again emphasize, as I&=
#8217;ve
said in the past, is that royalty rates are not the only way government der=
ives
financial benefit from resource development. In fact, we receive a
significantly greater benefit from the income taxes generated as well as the
economic value of both direct and indirect employment.
The fact that the production figures
— $420 million in mineral production I believe is the number from last
year — going into the Yukon economy has a significant benefit, not ju=
st
to those who are employed, but also to their families, to the people they p=
urchase
from, to the restaurants they visit, to the place where they buy their home
heating fuel, to the stores where they purchase their snowmobiles, their bo=
ats,
their kitchen cupboards and their light fixtures. Everything that they buy =
is a
result — everything they purchase within the
As a result of that, I would again =
point
out that two of my colleagues tabled motions tod=
ay
urging the government to reject calls from the Official Opposition to end t=
he
free-entry system of mining and to increase royalty rates on placer miners.=
I
pointed yesterday to the fact that placer miners have a lot of costs and a =
lot
of challenges and, in fact, the production of placer gold within the Yukon =
has
gone down since the 1980s and that is in part due to the increased
environmental costs of dealing with more stringent discharge standards for
water and increased paperwork and environmental costs that they face today
versus what they faced in the 1980s.
To increase the rates for placer go= ld would, in our opinion and based on the best information we have, certainly negatively affect that sector of the economy and would probably keep certain operators from either being in operation or hiring additional people. They would look for areas to cut costs and that would mean that they are not spending money either on development of their project, on hiring people or = on upgrading equipment, et cetera.
For placer mining, the most positive
benefits to
I would point out that placer minin=
g has
played a significant role in the Yukon economy during every time period that
the Yukon economy has been doing well since the gold rush in 1898, so over a
century later, placer mining is still an important and valued sector of
Yukon’s economy. It has a long and valuable role not only in the econ=
omic
well-being of the
Having spent most of my life growin=
g up
with a family who was in the tourism sector, and then myself being in a tou=
rism
business, I can tell the member, as others who are currently in the tourism
business will tell him, that the Klondike Gold Rush is a major part of what=
attracts
a number of our visitors to the territory. They come for a variety of facto=
rs
and it depends on the individual tourist what their primary reasons are. The
history of the Klondike Gold Rush, the
We appreciate the fact that the fed= eral government responded to our identification of keeping the SS Klondike open for guided tours and keeping Dredge No. 4 open. Of course, we look for= ward to seeing how well the plan they’ve come up with works and evaluating that, based on the success of a season.
We do appreciate the fact that, whi= le we would have preferred that they had not made the cut in the first place, they did agree to our primary request, which was to ensure that these valuable tourism assets remain here for Yukoners to see because that history of the = gold rush is very important to Yukoners and the era of the dredges that followed= the gold rush is something that a lot of people find very fascinating. <= /p>
It is challenging to be successful =
in
placer mining. Fuel prices, increased operating costs related to more strin=
gent
federal regulations, labour and lower-grade ground than existed in past eras
all affect the profitability of the industry. What I should note is that wh=
ile
there are still areas of high grade, for some of the placer miners who are
operating within areas that have had placer mining in those areas and on th=
ose
creeks for years, in some cases they are still on profitable ground, but are
dealing with a lower grade of gold within the gravel deposits there than th=
ey
had in previous times.
Even given the recent ups and downs=
of the
placer mining industry, it’s still a key contributor to the
I think it has also been shown very=
clearly
when we saw in late 2002 — I believe on December 16, 2002 — when
the then federal Liberal government, with Minister Thi=
beault,
unilaterally announced without consultation with the Yukon government that =
they
were ending the placer authorization. We saw the grave concern that caused,=
not
only within the
We understand the NDP’s posit=
ion is
that the government should hike the placer royalty rate. I would hope that =
they
will be equally frank about their position when members of the mining commu=
nity
are in the gallery instead of extolling the virtues while demanding that
government hike royalties that would probably put some people out of busine=
ss.
This government’s position will continue to be that we will not raise=
the
royalty rates on placer miners. I believe our first major announcement from=
the
2011 election campaign was the commitment we made not to raise taxes and no=
t to
raise royalty rates. We will continue to honour our commitments.
Moving to a few questions that were=
asked
yesterday, as far as the challenge of getting eggs into stores — that=
was
asked by the Member for Takhini-Kopper King — sales of eggs at local
farmers markets are allowed. Face-to-face sales do not require egg grading =
and
we do have high-quality local eggs produced through our farmers that are fr=
esh
and high in quality. Egg grading is required to sell into stores and that is
under the
I know the term “egg grading&=
#8221;
is one that not everyone necessarily knows what it means. We do have a pamp=
hlet
available from Agriculture branch for those who are interested in more
information, which I will quote some excerpts from for the members to basic=
ally
answer that question and illustrate how the system works.
Currently all eggs produced in
Under the authority of the Publi= c Health and Safety Act, eating or drinking places regulations and Environmental Health Services require that all food and drink brought into these places c= ome from approved sources. Ungraded eggs do not com= e from an approved source as they are not processed in a regulated facility where = all of the required quality control procedures are in place.
As far as the question as to why eg= gs are graded and what that means, grade requirements are set for eggs to protect = the public from undue risk. In grading eggs, factors of interior quality, cleanliness, shell construction and weight are all considered. These factors are related to safety, wholesomeness and quality. Eggs are graded in a federally registered egg station to ensure they are handled and packed in a sanitary environment.
Regulations to protect consumers re=
quire
that eggs from federally registered egg-grading stations be clean and free =
of
leaks, cracks or other defects that could present food safety problems.
These eggs are graded as
What happens in an egg-grading stat= ion is that eggs are received, washed, candled to check for cracks, weighed and pa= cked into containers with the applicable federal grade name in an inspected sani= tary environment. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA, inspects all registered egg-grading stations to ensure that proper sanitation and operat= ing requirements are being met. CFIA takes environmental samples at egg-grading stations to detect the presence of salmonella. The CFIA also collects sampl= es from egg-grading stations as part of its testing program. It is possible for operators to get registered as a federally registered egg-grading station. Operators apply to the CFIA to have an egg-grading station federally registered. Operators must show the agency that they meet all the requireme= nts of the egg regulations. The requirements cover all aspects of operation, including construction, equipment, access to potable water, and the handling and packaging of eggs.
All the requirements are designed t= o ensure that eggs coming from federally registered egg-grading stations are handled= and packaged in a clean, sanitary environment and properly labelled. For on-farm tips for handling eggs, including the fact that eggs are a perishable food and whether they are being used personally or for farm-gate sales, they must be handled properly so that they don’t pose any food safety risks. Improper handling also reduces the quality of the egg. Tips f= or safe handling include that eggs should be washed with clean water as soon as they are collected, and the temperature of the wash water should be around = 43 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the wash water is important — if = it is too cold, harmful bacteria may be drawn into the egg. Washing under a co= ntinuous flow of —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Point of order
Chair: Ms. White, on a point of order.
Ms. White:= 8195; Thank you, Mada= m Chair. Standing Order 19(d) refers to reading unnecessarily from Hansard or another document.
Chair: Mr. Cathers, on the point of order.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: The Member for Takhini-Kopper King = asked me a question yesterday about egg grading. I’m responding with excerp= ts of information about it that I thought were relevant to the question she as= ked.
Chair: Ms. White, on the point of order.
Ms. White:= 8195; I didn’t = actually ask about egg grading. Egg grading was not in my question.
Chair’s ruling
Chair: There is no point of order, but I would ask the member to mov=
e it
along.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO=
RS
Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: With your indulgence, I would like =
to
introduce the Premier of the
I would ask you to join me in welco= ming the Premier and his other guests with him as well.
Applause
Hon. Mr. Cathers: I’d like to also welcome Prem= ier McLeod to the gallery. It’s a pleasure to see him here today. =
Returning to the question that I was
answering, actually the Member for Takhini-Kopper King was mistaken. She may
have thought she didn’t ask about egg grading, but she did ask why eg=
gs
can’t get into supermarkets, and that was the reason I was explaining
what it was. Since the member didn’t seem to be interested in that
answer, I will allow her to pick up a copy of the pamphlet, The Sale and=
Use
of Ungraded Eggs in Yukon, that is produced=
by
the Agriculture branch and is available there and at Environmental Health
Services. But the simple answer is that we would be happy to allow <=
st1:State>
The Member for Takhini-Kopper King =
asked
about the B.C. mountain pine beetle and whether the mountain pine beetle wa=
s in
the
Forest Management branch’s fo=
rest
health program has been monitoring the mountain pine beetle in northern B.C.
through aerial and field surveys since 2009. Results were reported in the <=
i>2011
An interdepartmental Yukon
I believe you are signalling me tha= t my current time has elapsed, so I will sit down, Madam Chair.
Mr. Tredger:= I’d like = to move on to security, and security held for mining projects. The government asks = for security and it is held to ensure that proper cleanup and closure must be d= one when a mine site is abandoned or a project is abandoned or people move on.<= o:p>
That security must be high enough t= o ensure it’s in the company’s best interest to fulfill all of its obligations. What we want is a company, in a sense, to pay itself for clean= ing up, rather than abandoning it and leaving the government to pay for it at potentially a much higher cost.
Given the rising costs in todayR= 17;s world, there is uncertainty of financing and uncertainty of many of the companies that are her= e of the ability for global and international movement of money so that a mine t= hat is in production can be bought, sold and moved very, very quickly and much = more quickly. It’s a serious concern not only to the mining community, but= it must also be to the government itself.
We’ve got a number of mine si=
tes that
we are cleaning up in type 2 and type 3. Currently there are 11 projects in=
the
Given the fact that Mount Nansen, which is one-tenth the size of the Minto mine=
, is
now costing us close to $100,000 in accumulated dollars, and for the cleanup
there is no end in sight, and the Faro mine has cost hundreds of millions o=
f dollars
and promises to cost more and we’re talking centuries for the ultimate
cleanup, the Yukon has come a long way to address the concerns of environme=
ntal
liabilities caused by mines and to protect the taxpayers. I must commend the
mines and the
However, given the uncertainties in= the market, the rising costs and the apparent small amount held in security, I = have a number of questions around that. I will give them all to the minister at once.
The reports from an independent ass=
essor
are made on each mine site and, I assume, updated on a regular basis. Will
those reports, or can those reports, be made to =
the
public so that we can reassure the citizens of
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: I do think that when we get into th=
ese
discussions — unfortunately, it’s not the first time I have hea=
rd
this line from the member opposite — I don’t do the assessments.
Ministers don’t do the assessments. We have staff who
do it. We hire consultants when it is necessary to do so.
In the case of mines, using Capstone’s Minto mine as an example, government and the mine work with the First Nation. In fact, within the last year and a bit, they have had ta= ken additional efforts to have more involvement with the First Nation to have t= hem understand the technical aspects of the project and be involved in an earli= er stage. I’ve met with Chief McGinty regard= ing that and so far we think it’s working quite well and remain very interested and open to talking to the First Nation, as well as to Capstone, about whether there are areas where it can be further improved.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO=
RS
Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: <=
/span>I would like to introduce
Applause
Hon. Mr. Cathers: It’s good to see you, Senator= Lang.
Madam Chair, just returning to the = topic of security, the members noted the amounts of security — I would point o= ut that when a member makes a comparison to federal projects that were mismana= ged under previous federal governments in an era that the member could ask his leader about during some of that during her time as regional director gener= al — we have inherited their mess. If action had been taken when it shou= ld have been to reclaim these projects, we wouldn’t have seen the types = of problems we do today.
In the case of Faro, the significan= t costs are due to the fact that the mine was left; it was not properly reclaimed. = As I indicated yesterday to the Member for Takhini-Kopper King, the problem at F= aro is the result of acid-rock drainage, which is the result of rocks with a hi= gh sulfite content being exposed to both oxygen and water. You need those three things — the sulfite rock, the oxygen and the water — for that acid-rock drainage to occur. If the mine had been properly reclaimed prompt= ly, we would not only not see the significant costs = we see now, but there would not be a need for ongoing care and maintenance. It wou= ld have been a walk-away solution many years ago with the project being proper= ly reclaimed.
I’d like to move to a few oth=
er
areas. In talking about the context of the global market, one of the things
that we need to keep in mind is the global economy and the fact that, as
I’ve indicated before, it’s much better to have the challenges
associated with a strong economy than the very severe problems that are
associated with weak economies and collapsing economies.
I would like to point out again the=
fact
that the
I would like to quote from an artic=
le of
mid-April, with the International Monetary Fund. It was carried through the=
Canadian
Press. With the economy weak and at risk, IMF tells
The quote from the body includes,
‘“The main challenge for
ThatR=
17;s what
we’re focused on doing — ensuring that we’re responsibly
managing all sectors of the Yukon is not saddled with the types of
environmental liabilities that we were saddled with by former federal gover=
nments.
With Senator Lang in the gallery, I= would like to also thank him and acknowledge the work that the federal government= has done in understanding our need for multi-year funding arrangements and stability for Faro and would like to thank the former Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, John Duncan, for his work and assistance = on this file, as well as thanking the current minister, Minister Valcourt, for their understanding of the importance o= f this issue to the Yukon.
Madam Chair, a few things I would l=
ike to
additionally touch on in the context — the Yukon Minerals Advisory Bo=
ard
tabled its recent report and we appreciate the information they have provid=
ed
us. YMAB has provided its recommendations over the past decade,
which have been useful to help us understand how to improve our
regulatory structure, as well as
In 2003, the Yukon Minerals Advisor=
y Board
supported the development of a new placer authorization, replacing the one =
that
the federal Liberal government had cancelled without any consultation with =
Another example is regulatory and
post-implementation of YESAA. In 2004, the Yukon Minerals Advisory Board re=
commended
the development of a new reclamation policy framework related to long-term
project planning and setting the groundwork for flexibility in security
requirements while protecting the
We believe that this is a much bett= er way of doing business than leaving it all until the end of a mine’s lifes= pan and ensuring that they only have a cost for completing reclamation work in phases.
The government response to YMAB’s recommendation was the development of a mine site reclamation and closure policy for hardrock
mines after extensive consultation.
Other examples of what the Yukon Mi=
nerals
Advisory Board has recommended — that we have responded positively to
— include recommendations in 2007 for the Miners Lien Act reform to reflect modern standards and make
industry more competitive and more able to attract financing from banks and
other entities. As well, in the same report, they recommended the Quartz Mining Act reform, including
reform of the royalties to make them more competitive with other Canadian
jurisdictions. We just finished hearing the NDP again reiterating their
position that the
So, in response to what we heard from the Yukon Minerals Advisory Board, the act revision of the Miners Lien Act was completed in 2008, the act revis= ion of the Quartz Mining Act was also completed in 2008, and regulations were put in place to ensure that revenues from mining indus= try also have an advantage for investment in Yukon communities through the comm= unity development allowance they are allowed to deduct from royalties and can cre= ate examples such as the water treatment facility that the Premier and the Mini= ster of Economic Development and I attended, along with Chief McGinty and members of the Selkirk First Nation, last summer in Minto.
They had a ceremony to commemorate = the money that the Capstone mine had put into developing this facility for the = community of Pelly Crossing. So that is a good example of the net benefit of these modernized regulations, that as a result of this, it made it easier for the company and encouraged them to work with the First Nation and make that significant investment. That’s in addition to the fact, as I have poi= nted out before, that millions in royalties have been paid directly to the Selki= rk First Nation for the operations of the Capstone mine, which of course occurs entirely on category A settlement land. <= /p>
More information about that is that=
Yukon Zinc declared commercial prod=
uction
in March of 2012. They will be required to file a royalty in April of 2013 =
and
will be required then to pay a royalty on that basis.
Alexco<= /span> Resources, with their Keno project, has filed royalty for the= 2011 royalty year of $351,000, which was their first year of commercial producti= on.
Another important note is that in t=
he
summer of 2012 we had the change to the agreement with the federal governme=
nt
for resource royalty sharing under the devolution transfer agreement. We
appreciate the support of the federal government, and with Senator Lang in =
the
gallery I will take the opportunity to thank him and our Member of Parliame=
nt,
Ryan Leef, for their support of this, as well as
thank the Prime Minister and then Minister John Duncan for their agreement.
That new resource revenue arrangement gives Yukon
Seeing the time and in light of the
following reception, I move that the Chair report progress.
Chair: It has been moved by Mr. Cathers that the Chair report progre= ss.
Motion agreed to
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Madam Chair, I move that the Speake= r do now resume the Chair.
Chair: It has been moved by Mr. Cathers that the Speaker do now resu= me the Chair.
Motion agreed to
Speaker resumes the Chair
Speaker: I will now call the House to order.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO=
RS
Speaker: =
194; Before we proceed, I would like to introduce the Hon. Mike Chenault, the Speaker of the Alaska House of Represen=
tatives,
who came over for a short visit. We were just talking, and he is the first
Speaker to sit three consecutive times in their House. So, a nice
Applause
Speaker: May the House have a report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole?
Chair’s report
Ms. McLeod: Mr. Speaker, Committee of the Whole= has considered Bill No. 10, entitled First Appropriation Act, 2013-14, a= nd directed me to report progress.
Speaker: You have heard the report from the Chair of Committee of the = Whole. Are you agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: Agreed.
Speaker: I declare the report carried.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Mr. Speaker, I move that the House = do now adjourn.
Speaker: It has been moved by the Government House Leader that the Hou= se do now adjourn.
Motion agreed to
Speaker: This House stands adjourned until
The House adjourned at =
i>
The =
following
documents were filed May 9, 2013:
33-1-55=
Yukon 2=
012 Health
Status Report: Focus on Children and Youth (Graham)
33-1-56=
Memoran=
dum of
Understanding between the Government of Yukon, Department of Health and Soc=
ial
Services and the Yukon Medical Association (dated August 22, 2012) (Graham)=
2874 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; HANSARD &n=
bsp;  =
; &n=
bsp;