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AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, APRIL 8TH, 2024, TO ORDER.
[1. Opening Statement]
COUNCILLOR. PAYNE JUST READ THE OPENING STATEMENT IN OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.SO NEXT IS APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[2. Approval of the agenda.]
ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.
[3. Disclosure of conflict of interest and the general nature thereof.]
DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.I AM THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER FOR PARSONS, THE MCM ON THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT.
AND THEREFORE, IT IS A CLEAR CONFLICT OF I CANNOT BE IN THE ROOM FOR THIS.
ANYBODY ELSE? SEEING NONE, WE'VE NOW MADE IT THERE SO YOU CAN SAY ADIEU.
AND NEXT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE GIANT MINE ANNUAL UPDATE.
[4. A presentation regarding Giant Mine Annual Update.]
I WILL ASK NATALIE PLATO TO PLEASE COME ON UP.JUST GIVE TWO SECONDS FOR GARRETT TO GO.
THERE WE GO. AND I'LL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.
GOOD EVENING OR GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
AND WE TRY TO COME HERE ONCE A YEAR TO PROVIDE YOU OUR ANNUAL UPDATE.
WE'RE A LITTLE DELAYED THIS YEAR DUE TO SOME SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, SO THANKS FOR BEARING WITH US.
AND WE HAVE SHORTENED THIS A LITTLE BIT TO KEEP TO OUR 20-MINUTE TIME SLOT.
SO CERTAINLY, OPEN TO QUESTIONS.
AND IF PEOPLE WANT MORE INFORMATION, WE'RE HAPPY TO GET THAT AFTER THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
JUST A QUICK INTRODUCTION OF OUR TEAM.
THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT IS LED BY CROWN-INDIGENOUS RELATIONS, NORTHERN AFFAIRS CANADA.
YOU'LL SEE OUR PEOPLE THERE ON THE LEFT.
I'VE ALSO GOT SOME OF THEM HERE WITH ME TODAY, GENEVA IRWIN, ERIC KNUTSON AND ANDRE TORIANSKI.
YOU'LL SEE GARRETT UP THERE AND AARON BROMBERGER AS WELL, THE GNWT ARCO PROPONENTS.
SO, WE ARE ALL CONSIDERED THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT TEAM.
IT STARTED IN 2021 AND WE'RE ANTICIPATED TO GO TILL 2038.
JUST GIVES A BIT OF USE OF THE SITE TO OBVIOUSLY IT WAS TRADITIONALLY USED.
SO THAT'S JUST A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE WILL BE.
AND THEN POST 2038 WE'LL GO INTO POST CLOSURE AND PERPETUAL CARE.
SO, I APOLOGIZE FOR REDUNDANCY.
SO, WE DO WANT TO THANK ALL OUR CONTRACTORS FOR THAT ASSISTANCE.
THE SITE WAS SECURED, WE LEFT, WE BASICALLY EVACUATED WITH EVERYONE ELSE AND KEPT THE WATER PUMPING.
IS THAT THE BIGGEST CONCERN AT SITE? AND WE HAD PERIODIC CHECK INS FROM LOCAL STAFF THAT WERE IN DOING OTHER WORK, AND THE SITE HAPPILY TO REPORT WAS FINE.
WE REENTERED WITH THE REST OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
A FEW OF OUR MEMBERS CAME BACK IN THE ADVANCE.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS, JUST TO GET BACK A FEW DAYS EARLIER, CHECKED, CHECKED ON LOANED EQUIPMENT.
WE WERE HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO LOAN THE CITY ALL OF OUR PUMPS, OUR BIG WATER CANNONS THAT WE USE FOR DUST SUPPRESSION AIDED THE CITY IN THEIR FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS, AS WELL AS QUITE A BIT OF PIPE.
WAS LOANED OUT, WHICH WE HAVE NOW GIVEN TO THE CITY FOR FUTURE USE.
WE DID MAKE UP MOST OF IT INTO THE WINTER, SO WE THINK IT'S MINIMAL.
THERE'RE SOME COST IMPACTS OBVIOUSLY, BUT THEY'RE FAIRLY MINIMAL.
SO AS MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW, THE TOWN SITE DECONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED LAST SUMMER.
ALL THE REMAINDER OF THE BUILDINGS WERE WERE REMOVED.
ANY MATERIALS THAT WERE ABLE TO BE RECYCLED WERE RECYCLED.
YOU'LL REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO, I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD BUILT A LANDFILL ON SITE, AND ANY OF THE ASBESTOS MATERIAL WAS DOUBLE BAGGED AND PUT IN OUR LANDFILL AS PER THE REGULATIONS. WE ALSO STARTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GIANT MINE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY PIECES TO THE PROJECT.
SO THAT CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN 2023.
IT ENTAILED VEGETATION CLEARING SOME SOILS WHERE THE FOUNDATION WOULD BE.
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WE HAD SOME BLASTING THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD THE BLASTING NOTICES FOR THAT BLASTING WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS YEAR, BUT WE HAVE THE THE PAD PREPPED AND THEY STARTED POURING THE FOUNDATION. AND THEY ALSO WERE DRILLING THE INTAKE WELLS FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT HAPPENED IN 2023.UPCOMING WORK FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT WILL BE ONGOING UNTIL 2026.
IT IS A LARGE BUILDING AND A LARGE SYSTEM, SO THIS IS ONE AREA THAT THE PUBLIC MIGHT NOTICE.
SOME WORK DOWN IN THE TOWN SITE.
WHAT YOU SEE THERE, I DON'T THINK I HAVE A POINTER.
THE BLACK HATCHED AREA IS WHERE THE OUTFALL OF THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT WILL BE.
SO, IT IS IN THE AREA WHERE THE TOWN SITE HOMES WERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE GRAY BUILDINGS UP THERE IS THE TOWN SITE.
IT WILL BE QUITE MINIMAL, BUT PUBLIC MAY SEE THAT WORK HAPPENING THIS SUMMER.
SO THAT IS PREPPING THE PAD AND DOING SOME BLASTING WORK FOR THE INTAKE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE UNDERGROUND STABILIZATION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
WE CONTINUED THAT WORK LAST YEAR WITH BARRICADES AND BACKFILL HAPPENING.
VERY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THAT'S WORK IS CONTINUING NOW, BUT IT WILL FINISH THIS YEAR.
THE UNDERGROUND BACKFILL WILL BE FINISHED THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER BIG MILESTONE IN THE PROJECT.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO ERICA.
IT'S JUST THAT ONE THERE. HI EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS ERICA NEWSON AND I'M THE SENIOR ADVISOR FOR THE INUIT WORKING ON GIANT.
NICE TO MEET THE NEW COUNCILLORS.
SO, THIS AREA IS OBVIOUSLY OF INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ACCESS TO THE WATERFRONT, AND THIS IS A KEY AREA, SO I'M JUST GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE FEW YEARS OF ACTIVITY IN THAT AREA AND WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO, GNWT IS AN ACTIVE MANAGER OF THAT AREA.
THIS YEAR, GMT IS IT'S A LITTLE DELAYED, BUT WE HAVE THE SIGNS READY.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT UP SOME SIGNS AROUND THE DOCK TO LET PEOPLE KNOW IF THERE'S ISSUES.
GNWT IS THE PARTY TO BE IN TOUCH WITH.
AND WE ALSO PLAN TO DO SOME WORK IN THE PARKING LOT TO TRY TO MANAGE THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND HAVE DESIGNATED SPOTS FOR TRAILERS AND BOATS AND NOT BOATS, TRAILERS AND VEHICLES. WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WORKING WITH THE LEASE, THE LEASE HOLDERS CURRENTLY, BUT WE'VE ALSO HEARD THAT THE LARGER BOATING COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HAVE SOME FORUMS FOR THEM TO HEAR THE INFORMATION.
AND SO, WE PLAN TO DO SOME OF THAT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AS NATALIE MENTIONED THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE WORK WITH THAT OUTFALL AREA.
SHE HAD NOTED THAT THERE'LL BE SOME TRAFFIC, BUT STATUS QUO.
THIS SUMMER. SO, BOATERS DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THE BOAT LAUNCH.
IT JUST MAY BE TEMPORARY DELAYS IN TRAFFIC.
AND BY TEMPORARY, IT MAY BE AN HOUR OR TWO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, THIS IS WHEN THE ACTION STARTS, AND THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE'S LIVES WILL CHANGE A LITTLE BIT.
IN 2028, THE GREAT SAFE SAILING CLUB USERS WILL NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR SITE.
THEY HAVE THEY HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST ABOUT PARKING AND TURNAROUND AREAS.
WE'VE HEARD THAT AND WE PLAN TO DO MUCH MORE ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM IN THE COMING TIME.
AND SO, THIS IS WHEN WE WILL BE REMEDIATING THE SOIL.
SO, EXCAVATING THE SOIL, FILLING IT UP WITH CLEAN FILL.
WE ALSO WILL BE BUILDING A NEW BOAT LAUNCH.
AND THIS WILL BE COMPARABLE TO THE CURRENT BOAT LAUNCH AT GIANT MINE.
WE HAVE DONE SOME ENGAGEMENT ON DEPTHS AND THE DESIGN ALREADY.
AGAIN, WE PLAN TO COME BACK TO THE INTERESTED FOLKS TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW TO RECEIVE MORE INPUT ON THE TURNAROUND AREAS, PARKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND JWT IS ACTIVELY LOOKING TO, TO SUPPORT EFFORTS THAT AREN'T DIRECTLY RELATED TO REMEDIATION.
SO, THINGS LIKE BOAT STORAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, ALL OF THE PUBLIC WILL BE NOW USING THIS NEW BOAT LAUNCH.
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HAVE AS MANY DISRUPTIONS TO, TO CHANGE HOW PEOPLE ACCESS THE LAND IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.JUST TO NOTE, JUST ON HERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE YELLOWKNIFE HISTORICAL MUSEUM IS IN GREEN.
SO, WE HAVE COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING ACCESS TO THAT.
AND, AND SO THEIR ACCESS WILL BE STRAIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY THERE.
AND NOW I'LL HAND IT OVER TO ANDRE.
HI EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS ANDRE TURIANSKY AND I'M THE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WITH THE PROJECT.
SO, I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT AND PROCUREMENT.
JUST AN UPDATE FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR.
SO, YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A HANDFUL OF CONTRACTS.
CONTRACTS THAT WERE AWARDED IN 2023.
YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF THINGS STAND OUT ON THOSE SLIDES.
THE STAR MEANS THAT THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO A NORTHERN INDIGENOUS BUSINESS.
AND THEN THE P STANDS FOR PROCUREMENT STRATEGY FOR INDIGENOUS BUSINESSES, WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT THE TENDER, THE BIDDING OF THAT CONTRACT WAS INITIALLY LIMITED ONLY TO INDIGENOUS BUSINESSES TO BID ON.
MOST OF THESE CONTRACTS WERE AWARDED TO ONE COMPANY OR A JV OF A COUPLE.
HOWEVER, THERE IS AN EXCEPTION.
IF THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, AS NATALIE MENTIONED EARLIER, IS A LARGE, COMPLICATED PROJECT.
SO THAT ONE WAS AWARDED TO A SOUTHERN COMPANY ECON-1, AN INFRASTRUCTURE.
HOWEVER, MOST OF THAT WORK OVER THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD IS BEING DONE BY LOCAL CONTRACTORS.
SO, THEY ARE SUBBING OUT TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS.
THIS CONTINUATION OF SOME OF THE CONTRACTS THERE.
HERE'S THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE FOR 22-23 FISCAL YEAR WHEN IT COMES TO CONTRACTING.
AND OUR TARGET FOR THAT IS TO 65 TO 75%.
EMPLOYMENT PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF THINGS.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PERCENTAGES THERE.
JUST BELOW THE BIG, BOLDED LETTER, THERE'S AN AVERAGE.
THAT'S OUR RUNNING AVERAGE FOR THAT INDICATOR SINCE WE STARTED TRACKING IT.
SO, SOME OF THEM WILL BE TRACKING SINCE 2013.
AND THEN JUST BELOW THAT THERE'S A TARGET THAT WE HAVE FOR EACH OF THOSE THREE CATEGORIES.
AND FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, WE HAD A SCHOLARSHIP WITH JUST ONE SCHOLARSHIP TO BE ISSUED.
HOWEVER, WE ISSUED SIX SCHOLARSHIPS.
THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS, TWO WERE ISSUED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BY CERNAK THREE WERE ISSUED BY PARSONS AND ONE WAS ISSUED BY ECON ONE OF OUR ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, AND THE TOTAL WAS FOR $30,000.
HERE'S A LIST OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
WE RECENTLY SIGNED 1 IN 2023 WITH THE NORTH SLAVE METIS ALLIANCE FOR JUST UNDER 400,000.
AND THEN WE ARE CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE COALITION GOVERNMENT AS WELL TO HAVE A CBA.
AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
GREAT. THANKS, ANDRE. THANK YOU EVERYONE.
WE DID RACE THROUGH THAT. SO, WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE COPIES OF THE PRESENTATION.
WE'RE OPEN TO DO THAT. SUMMER IS ALWAYS BETTER.
JUST LET US KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A TOUR OF THE SITE.
AND WITH THAT WE CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU. YES, WE DID RECEIVE A COPY OF YOUR PRESENTATION AHEAD OF TIME, SO WE WERE GOOD.
AND IT'LL BE POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE SO THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS WELL.
SO, I HAVE COUNCILLOR FEQUET TO START.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
NATALIE AND TEAM FIRST TWO QUESTIONS.
JUST ABOUT THE DEBT DIFFUSER OUTFALL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.
HOW DEEP IS THE WATER THERE? AND WHAT'S THE DEPTH THAT KIND OF THE SHALLOW AND THE DEEPEST SPOT.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO CHECK ON THE ACTUAL WATER DEPTH BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THAT HANDY, BUT WE HAVE REFRAINED FROM USING THE TERM DIFFUSER BECAUSE IT WAS DEEMED DURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT THAT WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A DIFFUSER.
SO, IT'S JUST AN OUTFALL PIPE.
WE CERTAINLY ARE AWARE THAT THE DEPTH IS AN ISSUE.
SO, WE WILL BE MARKING THE AREA AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THE PUBLIC IS AWARE.
SO, WE DO ANTICIPATE IT WON'T BE OPEN WATER, BUT THERE COULD BE THINNING OF ICE.
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AND IF YOU STAND BY I'LL GET BACK TO YOU WITH THE ACTUAL DEPTH, IS I DON'T HAVE THAT HANDY.IF NOT, WE'LL EMAIL IT TO YOU AFTER.
SURE. THANKS. AND SO MAYBE EVEN WITHOUT THE DEPTH, I GUESS JUST.
YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MAY PREVENT OR MAY POSE A SAFETY CONCERN.
SO, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN LIKE IN THE OPEN WATER SEASON OR ONCE THE ONCE THE OUTFALL IS THERE AND IS IT THERE FOREVER OR IS IT IS IT COMING OUT AT SOME POINT IT WILL BE THERE AS LONG AS THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS TREATING WATER.
SO RIGHT NOW, THAT'S INDEFINITE.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG OUR TYPICAL LINE IS AS LONG AS IT'S NEEDED.
IN THE SUMMER, YOU SHOULDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING WE WILL HAVE TO ABIDE BY.
WE HAVE SOME AUTHORIZATIONS COMING IN FROM TRANSPORT CANADA ON WHAT? WHAT WE NEED TO DO, LIKE WHEN WE WORK IN THE AREA.
CERTAINLY, IN TERMS OF THE LONG, LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MARK IT AND HAVE SOME SIGNAGE THAT PERHAPS SAY THIN ICE, AS WELL AS WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOME EDUCATION PIECES AS WELL.
BUT JUST TO NOTE, THOUGH, WHEN WE DID CHOOSE THAT LOCATION, WE DID CHOOSE THAT BASED ON INPUT, MOSTLY FROM THE ILLINOIS DANNY WHO SAID, PLEASE USE THAT AREA BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW TO STAY AWAY FROM IT.
ALTHOUGH WE WILL NOTE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RACETRACK THERE A FEW YEARS IN A ROW.
SO YEAH, WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE DO SOME EDUCATION ON THAT.
IS THERE GOING TO BE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE INPUT OF THAT BOAT LAUNCH, IN TERMS OF LOCATION AND DESIGN? WE'RE WORKING ON THE DESIGN RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH THE SAILING CLUB HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND AS WELL, WE SAID WE WOULD COME BACK TO THEM WITH OUR I THINK IT WAS OUR 80% DESIGN. THEY'RE MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE SOILS AND THE BACKFILL AND GRADE WILL LOOK LIKE IN FINAL AS OPPOSED TO THE DOCK.
BUT WE WEREN'T PLANNING TO DO ANY MORE ENGAGEMENT ON WHAT THE ACTUAL DOCK WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I HAVE AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
PERFECT. THANKS. THANKS, ON BOTH FRONTS.
NOBODY'S BOAT SHOULD HIT THAT.
SO JUST. YEAH. LOOKING AT THOSE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE NORTHERN PROCUREMENT AND THE INDIGENOUS AND NORTHERN EMPLOYMENT ARE OBVIOUSLY BELOW TARGETS, BUT PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD. WHAT IS THE STRATEGY OR SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT THE TEAM IS THINKING ABOUT TO, TO GET TO THOSE TARGETS IN THE NEAR FUTURE? GREAT QUESTION. BECAUSE WE ARE BELOW TARGETS IN MOST CASES.
I WILL NOTE WHEN WE WHEN WE SET THOSE TARGETS, WE DID CONSIDER THEM TO BE ASPIRATIONAL.
WE KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO BE HARD TO MEET.
SO, WE CERTAINLY HAVE OUR SOCIAL ADVISORY BODY AND OUR WORKING GROUP THAT LOOK AT WAYS WE CAN MEET OUR TARGETS THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENTS WITH OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS AS WELL, TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND FUNDING TO THEM TO LOOK AT WHAT TRAINING WE CAN DO TO TARGET IT IS CERTAINLY A BIG PIECE TO GET TO THE TO THE INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT. WE HAVE OUR, HAVE A SOCIAL STRATEGY THAT OUTLINES MANY OF OUR, OUR STRATEGIES, TRAINING, CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT SUPPLY AND DEMAND IN OUR LABOR CAPACITY, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING THERE ARE GOING TO BE HARD TO MEET.
WE DO KNOW THAT. SO, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ADVICE AND HELP ON THAT FRONT AS WELL TOO.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DO HAVE OUR SOCIAL ADVISORY BODY, WHICH MS. BASSI-KELLETT SITS ON, AND OUR WORKING GROUP, WHICH OTHER MEMBERS SIT ON AS WELL TO LOOK AND TAKE HELP AND ADVICE TO, TO BRING OUR TARGETS UP.
ANYTHING TO ADD? NO. THANK YOU.
LABOR MARKET IS A CHALLENGE THESE DAYS.
SO, RECOGNIZING OBVIOUSLY THE SITE IS GOING TO REQUIRE PERPETUAL CARE.
WHAT IS THE END GOAL JUST FOR THE ANTICIPATED FUTURE USE IN AND AROUND THE SITE.
HAS THAT CHANGED AT ALL SINCE YOUR TEAM BEGAN? SO, WE DO KNOW THE SITE, A CERTAIN PART OF THE SITE.
WE'VE USED THE TERM CORE INDUSTRIAL AREA.
SO, THERE WILL BE AN AREA THAT WILL BE OFF LIMITS.
THE AREA THAT IT WILL BE OUTSIDE OF THAT CORE AREA IS CERTAINLY OPEN FOR LAND USE PLANNING, I GUESS, BUT FROM THE GIANTS MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT PERSPECTIVE, THAT WON'T BE OUR DECISION TO MAKE.
THAT WILL BE UP TO THE LANDOWNERS BEING THE CITY AND THE INUIT TO DETERMINE.
WE HAVE WORKED ON WHAT THE CONSTRAINTS WOULD BE TO CERTAIN AREAS.
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THANK YOU.YOUR RESPONSE ADDED A QUESTION INTO THE LIST.
AND THIS IS MY, HOPEFULLY, JUST MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS WHEN THE SITE IS REMEDIATED TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE AND IT'S HANDED BACK OVER, IS IT HANDED BACK OVER TO THE CITY OR THE GNWT? I BELIEVE THE LAND IS COMMISSIONER'S LAND RIGHT NOW, SO IT WOULD BE NOW AND THEN.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT WOULD BE UP FOR DISCUSSION BETWEEN THEM.
AND I SEE SHEILA MAYBE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, BUT I'M NOT SURE.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT IF YOU WANT TO.
I KNOW THERE'S ONE LEASE THAT THE CITY HAS.
SO, MOST OF THE LAND IS COMMISSIONER'S LAND IS.
MISS PLATO MENTIONED THE AREA BY THE BOAT LAUNCH WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.
BUT UNTIL THEN, MAYOR ALTY HAS IT.
THANK YOU. OKAY, I GUESS WE'LL PLAY ROCK, PAPER SCISSORS AT THAT TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW NOT ASKING FOR DETAILS OBVIOUSLY, THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE TO SHARE, BUT JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH ANY NEARBY INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS OR ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT ANY FUTURE COMPENSATION OR FUTURE AGREEMENTS.
THAT OBVIOUSLY THE CITY PLAYS A ROLE IN, IN THE FUTURE.
SO, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE IF ALL THAT WAS KIND OF SORTED IN YOUR OPINION KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DURING THE EA AND THE LICENSING PROCESS OR IF THERE IS STILL OPPORTUNITIES OR ONGOING CONVERSATIONS AND AGAIN, MAYBE, MAYBE YOU GUYS HAVE SOME SPECIFIC DETAILS THAT I'M NOT LOOKING FOR THOSE AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU. CAN I JUST ASK, ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD CALL APOLOGY AND COMPENSATION? IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO? SURE. OKAY.
IT DOES LIE OUTSIDE THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT.
IT LIVES WITH OUR DEPARTMENT THROUGH OUR REGIONAL DIRECTOR GENERAL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER? COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN. THANKS.
MAYOR ALTY. YOU KNOW, SITTING HERE AS A CITY COUNCILLOR AND ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS A CITY, IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU THINK THE CITY CAN DO TO BE THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THAT CONTINUED SUCCESSFUL REMEDIATION AND ALSO TO SEE, YOU KNOW, LATE IN THE PROJECT, BUT TO SEE THOSE INCREASING NORTHERN EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS.
AND IMMEDIATELY COMING TO MIND IS THE CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN OUR SOCIAL ADVISORY BODIES.
AND WORKING GROUP IS A REALLY GREAT FORUM TO ASSIST US AND TO BRAINSTORM AND TO WORK TOGETHER.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MIND.
AND WE ALSO MEET WITH ADMINISTRATION MONTHLY TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES AND WORK ON PROBLEM SOLVING.
SO, CONTINUING THAT CERTAINLY WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND I'LL JUST LOOK TO MY TEAM IF THERE'S SOMETHING I HADN'T THOUGHT OF.
CONTINUING WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING IS ALWAYS A GOOD, GOOD THING TO KNOW.
THANKS. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR PRESENTATION.
JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THE BOAT LAUNCH CONVERSATION.
THERE HAS BEEN USE IN THAT BOAT LAUNCH BEFORE BY COMMERCIAL OPERATORS.
I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR DEEP WATER ACCESS.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION IN YOUR BOAT LAUNCH WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW ONE OF MAYBE COMMERCIAL USES AT IT? I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE HEARD OF COMMERCIAL USES SPECIFICALLY, BUT WE HAVE HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT THE DEPTH, WHICH I THINK WOULD RELATE BACK TO THAT.
SO, OUR COMMITMENT HAS BEEN TO KEEP THE DEPTH THAT IS CURRENTLY THERE.
SO, OUR COMMITMENT HAS BEEN TO KEEP THE CURRENT DEPTH.
AND IF MY COLLEAGUE HERE HAD SOMETHING SHE WOULD LIKE TO ADD.
BEING MYSELF, I'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH IT ABOUT THEIR COMMERCIAL FISHERY FISHERIES AND THEY HAD ASKED SOME TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND JUST OUR SCHEDULING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IT WAS DETERMINED NOT TO BE SUITABLE FOR COMMERCIAL FISHERIES.
AND IT HAS SHIFTED THEIR FOCUS ELSEWHERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR MCGURK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND THE RISK OF ARSENIC IN THE WATER.
[00:25:03]
DOES THAT WATER TREATMENT PLANT BUILT BY THE PROJECT ALLEVIATE THE RISK TO THE CITY IN ANY WAY OF WATER GETTING INTO OUR WATER SUPPLY, OR ARSENIC GETTING INTO OUR WATER SUPPLY? SO, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT WILL BE TREATING ARSENIC TO THE DRINKING WATER STANDARD.
SO, THE WATER COMING OUT WILL BE VERY CLEAN.
IN RESPECT TO ARSENIC, I THINK THE BIGGEST RISK IN TERMS OF ARSENIC TO THE WATER SUPPLY FOR YELLOWKNIFE IS WHERE WE CURRENTLY STORE WATER CONTAMINATED WATER IN OUR NORTHWEST TAILINGS POND. IF THE RISK, IF THAT EVER FAILED, THERE WOULD BE A RELEASE OF CONTAMINATED WATER.
SO, ONCE WE HAVE THE NEW WATER TREATMENT ONLINE IN 2026, WE WILL BE STOPPING THAT STORAGE OF WATER.
SO YES, ULTIMATELY IT REDUCES THE RISK, BUT FROM A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S ACTUALLY FROM THE STORED WATER THAT WE CURRENTLY LIKE.
WE CURRENTLY STORE OUR WATER TO TREAT IT IN OUR OLD EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT.
SO, IT'S AN ONSITE SURFACE STORAGE.
SO, THERE WILL BE NO SURFACE STORAGE OF CONTAMINATED WATER.
I SEE YOU NODDING FOR THAT INFO.
AND WOULD YOU TREAT THAT WATER THAT IS BEING STORED CURRENTLY? THAT IS WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO ON A YEARLY BASIS, STARTING USUALLY AROUND JULY 1ST, WE PUMP THAT WATER OVER TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT IS WHAT WE CALL IT. IT WAS THE ONE BUILT BACK IN THE 80S.
WE TREAT THAT WATER, AND WE DISCHARGE IT INTO BAKER CREEK RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT ON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION AND THE PRESENTATION.
SO, A QUESTION ABOUT THE STRATEGIES.
IT'S GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE BOAT LAUNCH.
AND WE SOMETIMES GET QUESTIONS.
SO, IT'LL BE GREAT TO HAVE THE SIGNAGE UP THERE.
JUST A QUESTION. THE MILLION FOR THE CLICO INVESTMENT CORPORATION IS THAT LIKE A BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT FUND OR WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THAT FUNDING? FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IT WAS A GOODWILL GESTURE WHILE WE WERE DOING THE NEGOTIATIONS BECAUSE THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE TAKING QUITE SOME TIME.
SO, WE WANTED TO GET SOME OF THEIR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
THEY HAD A PROPOSAL FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SO THEY CAN BETTER PARTICIPATE IN GIANT.
THEY HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS BIDDING ON PROJECTS AT GIANT.
SO THAT'S THAT WAS TO ASSIST THEM IN THAT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN PICKING UP ON A FEW QUESTIONS.
SO, THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS FORECASTED TO BE UP AND RUNNING IN 2026.
SO, NO STORAGE OF WATER ON SITE, WHICH THEN REDUCES THE RISK OF THE TAILINGS BREACH.
AND THEN IN REGARD TO LAND PLANNING AND THE MAP OF CONSTRAINTS, DOES THE MAP OF CONSTRAINTS ALSO SAY THIS AREA IS GOING TO BE CLEANED UP TO RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS? THIS IS CLEANED UP TO INDUSTRIAL STANDARDS.
I'M GOING TO LET ERICA SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE SHE WAS INTEGRAL TO IT.
YES, THAT'S EXACTLY EASY ANSWER.
THE CITY STAFF ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE INFORMATION.
AND SO, MOVING FORWARD AS YOU CONTINUE TO DEVELOP YOUR COMMUNITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS, THE PROJECT CAN SUPPORT, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT CATEGORIES WILL BE ACCESS DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO, IT'S KIND OF DEFINED LIKE THAT TO SAY, HEY, THIS AREA HAS BEEN REMEDIATED TO 3:40 P.M., WHICH IS WITH THE OLD GUIDELINES, INDUSTRIAL.
SO, IT'S SUITABLE FOR THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN IT WOULD ALSO CONSIDER ANY KIND OF DESIGN SPECIFIC CONSTRAINTS.
AND I KNOW FOR THE CON PARCEL, THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT HASN'T BEEN WILLING TO KIND OF, LIKE, RELEASE LAND THAT'S CLEAN AND READY TO BE USED. IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE'LL RELEASE ALL THE LAND AT ONCE.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT KIND OF ONCE THIS PART OF GIANT'S DONE COULD RELEASE THIS? JUST RECOGNIZING, LIKE THE TOWN SITES, ONE AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE SUITABLE FOR RESIDENTIAL IF IT'S DONE BY 2030, BUT THE REST OF THE PROJECTS 2040, IT'D BE GREAT TO NOT HAVE TO SIT ON THAT LAND FOR TEN YEARS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
[00:30:01]
SO YEAH.THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
THAT'S GOING TO BE WAY AT THE END OF THE PROJECT.
I'M NOT SURE HOW VIABLE IT WILL BE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT IT.
AND AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT IT WILL STILL BE AN ACTIVE REMEDIATION PROJECT.
BUT IF ONE AREA IS READY BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I YOU REMINDED ME OF A QUESTION RELATED TO RISK.
AND SO, IF THE TREATMENT PLAN IS PLANNED TO BE COMMISSIONED AND ONLINE AT THAT POINT, HOW LONG UNTIL THAT KIND OF DIRTY WATER THAT'S BEING STORED ON SITE WILL BE DRAWN DOWN? RECOGNIZING THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST RISKS TO YELLOWKNIFE'S DRINKING WATER.
SO THE ON SITE STORAGE WILL GET DRAWN DOWN THAT YEAR.
YEAH. IT'S WE DO WE DRAW IT DOWN EVERY YEAR.
IT WOULD BE DRAW DOWN AND THEN WE WOULD NOT FILL IT BACK UP.
SO THERE COULD BE SOME SURFACE ACCUMULATION UNTIL WE GET THE FINAL COVER AND THE FINAL REMEDIATION ON THAT PUB OR POND, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE USED FOR THE SURFACE, THE STORAGE OF WATER THAT SAME YEAR.
THANKS. GREAT. THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN IN 2025.
[5. A presentation from Graeme Clinton regarding the Eyes Wide Open report.]
SO, GRAHAM, IF YOU WANT TO COME ON UP TO THE MIC.OH, AND WE'LL GET COUNCILLOR OR DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE BACK.
OH, SORRY, GRAHAM, IF YOU JUST WANT TO PUSH UP ON THE MIC, IT'S GOT, LIKE, A LITTLE TALKING HEAD.
I DO NOT HAVE A POWERPOINT, SO I I'M JUST GOING TO BE SPEAKING TODAY.
AND IF I COULD, I'M GOING TO TAKE THE FIRST FEW MINUTES OF OF MY TIME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
IN THIS CASE, I THINK IT'S RELEVANT.
I'M AN ECONOMIST, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE FIELD OF ECONOMICS FOR 30 YEARS.
YOU'RE PROBABLY SAYING, HEY, WAS THAT GUY AN ECONOMIST AT THE AGE OF FIVE? SO THE MAJORITY OF, OF THAT 30 YEARS HAS BEEN SPENT WORKING IN THE NORTH.
I'VE MOVED TO THE YELLOWKNIFE IN 2002, BUT EVEN PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS WORKING ON IN BOTH IN NUNAVUT AND IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, ON ON ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT DIFFERENT TYPES.
I GUESS I CUT MY TEETH IN NUNAVUT.
I WROTE THE ORIGINAL NUNAVUT ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AND, AND SORT OF WENT FROM THERE.
I DON'T SPECIALIZE IN ONE SORT OF ASPECT OF ECONOMIC PRACTICE.
I WORK FOR INDIGENOUS GROUPS AND GOVERNMENTS.
I WOULD SAY THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESOURCE PROJECTS IN BOTH THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND INUIT I RIDE OUTLOOKS, BUT I ALSO STUDY POVERTY FOOD SECURITY HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS.
BUT TO ME, IT'S ALL ECONOMICS.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HERE TALKING TO THE CITY ABOUT ONE.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY AN IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY ALL IN ITSELF.
SO. SO WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS ONE THAT HAS ME HERE TALKING TO YOU? AS A PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIST, STUDYING STUDYING THE NORTH FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE.
[00:35:08]
I AM AT A POINT WHERE I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR FUTURE.IN TRUTH, I'VE BEEN CONCERNED PROBABLY FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT IT.
AND MORE RECENTLY, IN 2019, I WROTE A PAPER IF PEOPLE RECALL IN LATE 2018, THERE WAS A.
I FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH A REPORT OF MY OWN IN 2019, AND TO BE HONEST, IT DIDN'T GET MUCH ATTENTION.
IN MY OPINION, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
WE'RE ONLY JUST WE'RE FIVE YEARS CLOSER TO THAT ECONOMIC CLIFF THAT I SEE COMING.
SO THE OTHER CONCERN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE HERE IF I FELT THAT THIS IS A SUBJECT THAT PEOPLE ARE DISCUSSING.
IF IT WAS A POINT OF CONCERN FOR ENOUGH PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR.
LEADERSHIP. THE RECENT NEWTIE ELECTION.
CAUSED ME SOME GREAT ANXIETY BECAUSE THE THE ECONOMY RECEIVED VIRTUALLY NO ATTENTION.
AND I COULDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY.
SO I'M HERE TODAY IN AN EFFORT TO START A CONVERSATION.
SO TO START THAT CONVERSATION, I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORK THAT I DID.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE INTO THE METHODS TOO MUCH.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO I'M GOING TO TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM THE TECHNICAL JARGON.
I HOPE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THE REPORT.
AND. WE ALSO INCLUDED IN OUR PACKAGE.
SO COUNCILS GOT IT AS WELL AS IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
OH WELL THAT'S PERFECT. AND AND SO YEAH.
I DID MY BEST TO WRITE IT SUCH THAT ANYBODY COULD READ IT, AND IT MIGHT EVEN ENTERTAIN A FEW PEOPLE.
SO SO WE'RE GOING TO I'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
SOME OF THE RESULTS OF THAT WORK.
AND WE'LL SEE WHERE WE'RE AT AT THAT POINT.
I DON'T I DON'T HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH TIME.
SO THE FOCUS OF THIS WORK IS, IS THE.
THE NEXT 5 TO 8 YEARS OF THE THE TERRITORY'S ECONOMY, AND A TIME IN WHICH WE'RE QUITE LIKELY OR POTENTIALLY WILL SEE THE CLOSURE OF DIAVIK ACADEMY AND GASHAKA MINES, AND WE WILL SEE THE END OF OIL PRODUCTION IN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.
ALL TOLD IF YOU USE 2019 AS THE BASE YEAR.
AND JUST A QUICK PREFACE I USE 2019 BECAUSE IN 2022, WHEN OR 2023 WHEN I, WHEN I DID THIS WORK, THE 2022 DATA WAS NOT AVAILABLE, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO USE INFORMATION FROM THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE IT WOULD BE INACCURATELY REFLECT THE NATURE OF OUR ECONOMY. NEVERTHELESS, 2019 IS IS NOT THAT DIFFERENT THAN 2022, EXCEPT THAT THE VALUE OF RESOURCE PRODUCTION HAS INCREASED, SO THE EFFECT OF IT GOING AWAY IS ACTUALLY GREATER.
BUT IN 2019 THOSE THREE MINES AND OIL PRODUCTION, ALONG WITH THE MINING SERVICES, REPRESENTED $2 BILLION OF GROSS OUTPUT TO THE TERRITORY.
A SCALE IS AN IMPORTANT THING HERE.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRANSFERRED TO THE NWT OR WILL TRANSFER TO THE NWT IN 2023, $2 BILLION.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT, LIKE I SAID, 5 TO 8 YEARS.
IT IS THERE IS A REASONABLY GOOD CHANCE THAT THOSE THAT PRODUCTION.
[00:40:09]
INTO THE ECONOMY THROUGH THE EXPLOITATION OF OUR RESOURCES WILL NO LONGER BE FLOWING INTO THE TERRITORY.THANKS A LOT. SO MY WORK AS AN ECONOMIST IS TO UNDERSTAND.
I MEAN, WE WE FEW ECONOMISTS OUT THERE HAVE A BIG JOB.
WE LOOK AT ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THE FLOW OF MONEY.
AND WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT AFFECTS PEOPLE.
AND THAT MONEY FLOWS INTO OUR ECONOMY.
AND OF THAT $2 BILLION $1 BILLION WORTH OF IT IS USED TO PURCHASE INPUTS.
AND THERE'S SOME GOES TO INDIRECT TAXES, BUT I'M TRYING TO KEEP THIS SIMPLE.
NOT ALL OF THAT IS SPENT IN THE TERRITORY.
SO OF THAT BILLION DOLLARS, $300 MILLION THEN GOES INTO N.W.T.
BUSINESSES OR INTO OUR ECONOMY, LET'S SAY I'M NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT WHERE IT'S N.W.T.
BUSINESS OR NOT, BUT IT GOES INTO OUR ECONOMY.
AND THEN SORT OF BREAKING IT APART.
SO IN THAT CASE I DON'T WANT TO INUNDATE US WITH TOO MANY NUMBERS.
YOU HAVE THE REPORT SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THAT THAT SORT OF WHAT WE CALL INDIRECT EFFECT FROM THE PRODUCTION OF, OF DIAMONDS AND THE PRODUCTION OF OIL CREATES ANOTHER $100 MILLION OF LABOR INCOME.
SO ALREADY WE'RE AT $500 MILLION OF LABOR INCOME.
AND IF WE GET TO A, IF THIS IF THIS SCENARIO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE THERE'S A CLOSURE OF THESE THREE MINES IN THE END OF OIL PRODUCTION, THAT DISAPPEARS, IT'S GONE.
SO INTERESTINGLY, OF COURSE, THE MONEY DOESN'T STOP FLOWING.
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO, THEY SPEND IT HERE.
OF THE $500 MILLION THAT IS PAID OUT IN LABOR INCOME THROUGH THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF, OF RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE ACTIVITY SOME SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $100 MILLION IS SPENT IN THE YELLOWKNIFE ECONOMY EVERY YEAR, NOT ONCE, BUT EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
WHEN THESE JOBS IN THIS LABOR INCOME DISAPPEARS.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 25 YEARS, THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HOW THIS PARTICULAR SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY IS IT BENEFITS NONRESIDENTS, AND THAT'S A BAD THING.
ECONOMISTS DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY.
BUT NEVERTHELESS THE TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT JOBS CREATED AT THE THROUGH THE RESOURCE SECTOR EXCEEDS 3000 AT THE MOMENT.
SO THAT'S 3000 FULL TIME WELL-PAYING JOBS.
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES RESIDENTS.
MOST OF WHOM LIVE IN YELLOWKNIFE.
THEIR JOB NUMBERS ARE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DIRECT JOBS 1000.
AND THE JOBS CREATED BY THE SPENDING OF OF LABOR INCOME IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
350. SO IF YOU'RE QUICK WITH MATH, THAT'S 1850 JOBS IN THE NORTHWEST
[00:45:05]
TERRITORIES. OKAY.IN YELLOWKNIFE OF THAT NUMBER.
AND I'M JUST I'M JUST ROUNDING TO THE NEAREST TEN OR WHATEVER.
IT SORT OF MAKES FOR EASY CONVERSATION.
IN YELLOWKNIFE, 700 RESIDENTS WORKED DIRECTLY FOR THE RESOURCE SECTOR OR IN THE RESOURCE SECTOR, 350 RESIDENTS WORK INDIRECTLY IN THE RESOURCE SECTOR.
AND THE THE SPENDING ON OF OF RESOURCE SECTOR INCOME CREATES ANOTHER 250 JOBS IN YELLOWKNIFE.
IF YOU WERE TO ADD THE LABOR INCOME OF THESE RESIDENTS, IT IS $173 MILLION LABOR INCOME.
THIS REPRESENTS 13% OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE'S TOTAL INCOME.
SO YOU MIGHT SO ONE THING THAT WE DID WITH THIS WORK IS WE WENT EVEN FURTHER THAN THAN JUST DOING THAT. IN MY LINE OF WORK, THAT'S RELATIVELY EASY MATH.
THE NEXT THE NEXT POINT IS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT $100 MILLION GOES.
SO THROUGH THROUGH VARIOUS DIFFERENT MODELING TECHNIQUES WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT OF THAT $100 MILLION, $10 MILLION GOES TO PURCHASE GROCERIES, $4.4 MILLION GOES TO THE PURCHASE OF AUTOMOBILES, $4 MILLION GOES TO THE PURCHASE OF OR IS SPENT IN RESTAURANTS AND BARS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND THE FULL THE FULL LIST OF OF WHERE THAT MONEY GOES IS IN THE REPORT.
SO. MY INTEREST IN DOING THIS.
THIS WORK IS AS THE ECONOMY SHRINKS HOW DO PEOPLE RESPOND? CRITICAL TO THAT IS WILL THEY RESPOND BY LEAVING? AND IF SO ARE THERE ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING? OF COURSE, IT DEPENDS LARGELY ON THE THE SIZE AND THE ROBUSTNESS OF THE THE ECONOMY IN WHICH IT EXISTS AT THE TIME OF THESE CLOSURES.
WE ALREADY HEARD FROM THE GIANT MINE TEAM ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES THERE.
IT'S IT'S ONE SOURCE OF POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT OF WHICH THEY COULD USE SOME MORE LOCAL PEOPLE.
SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE SCALE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THERE ISN'T A PROJECT IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES THAT WILL WILL PRODUCE 3000 JOBS.
THERE ARE OTHER THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCE PROJECTS TAKING, SORT OF ADVANCING.
NONE OF THEM ARE TO THE SCALE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AT BEST, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT MINING OPERATIONS THAT MIGHT EMPLOY ONE, TWO OR EVEN 300 PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE TO THE SIZE OF THE, THE, THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE LOSING.
SO IF PEOPLE LEAVE AND THIS SORT OF SEGWAYS INTO HOW THIS CHANGE IN OUR ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE WILL ACTUALLY AFFECT THE GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT REVENUES OF WHICH THE CITY WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS.
WE'VE DONE SOME WORK TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN 20 IF IF IT WERE 2019 AND THIS CHANGE WERE TO OCCUR THERE, THE EFFECT ON THE NT WOULD BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $100 MILLION OF REVENUES.
AND THIS INCLUDES AN ACCOUNTING OF PERSONAL INCOME TAX, PAYROLL TAX, THE ROYALTIES THEY'RE RECEIVING, CARBON TAX, PROPERTY TAX, BRIDGE TOLLS.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE ESTIMATIONS AND WE INCLUDED THE DEPARTURE OF 1100 PEOPLE FROM THE TERRITORY.
[00:50:03]
IF IF THIS IF WE MOVE FORWARD TO 2023 2024.AND THE, THE TRANSFER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS GONE TO 37,000.
THE TRANSFER IS, IS HAS GONE UP TO 37,000.
SO IF THIS EVENT WERE TO OCCUR TODAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOSS OF $150 MILLION TO THE REVENUES.
IN OTHER WORDS IF IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE LOST SALES TAX TO THE GST, IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR IF MORE PEOPLE LEAVE, HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT IN PARTICULAR, SOME OF THE SORT OF MORE GRANULAR TAXES AND SOME OF THE CITY'S REVENUES AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO, SO THE I WAS VERY CAREFUL THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE STUDY TO NOT OVERESTIMATE THE EFFECTS.
AND SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY.
YOU KNOW THAT. OF COURSE, THE RISK IS THAT I'VE GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EFFECTS.
SO WE'RE ALMOST AT THE CONCLUSION, AND I MUST APOLOGIZE.
ECONOMIST. ECONOMICS IS CONSIDERED THE DISMAL SCIENCE.
AND AND SO I CARRY THAT BURDEN WITH ME.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE SKY IS FALLING.
BUT IF I COULD SAY QUITE BLUNTLY IF IN THE NEXT 6 TO 8 YEARS, IF WE COULD WE, WE POTENTIALLY LOSE THE PRODUCTION, WE LOSE THE JOBS, WE LOSE THE BUSINESS ACTIVITY, WE LOSE THE RETAIL SALES AND WE LOSE THE RESIDENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE SAD TRUTH IS, I DIDN'T COME HERE TODAY WITH A SOLUTION.
THE TERRITORY FINDS ITSELF IN THIS SITUATION ONLY AFTER MANY, MANY YEARS OF NEGLECT, IN MY OPINION.
WE CAN'T GO BACK 15 OR 20 YEARS AND AND HAVE A DO OVER.
I WROTE A PAPER IN 2007 PREDICTING TODAY.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE WAS NOBODY SORT OF PAYING ATTENTION.
NO. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THERE'S BEEN A NEGLECT OF WELL, LET ME START OVER.
WHAT I CALL THE BUY LOCAL POLICY.
SO WHEN THE DIAMOND MINES FIRST ENTERED OUR ECONOMY, OUR TERRITORY WAS LEGIT.
BUT WE ALSO DIDN'T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD.
AND SO WE INVOKED WHAT I CALL THESE BUY LOCAL POLICIES.
WE SAID, YOU CAN COME HERE AND YOU CAN OPERATE IF YOU HIRE OUR LABOR.
AND IF YOU USE OUR CAPITAL OR SORRY, USE OUR OUR PURCHASE FROM OUR VENDORS.
YOU PURCHASE THE GOODS AND SERVICES, LARGELY SERVICES.
WHERE WE FAILED IS THAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WAS A STOP GAP SORT OF POLICY.
WHAT WE NEED, WHAT WE NEEDED TO BE DOING FROM DAY ONE IS INVESTING IN THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF OUR LABOR AND INVESTING IN OUR, WHAT I CALL ECONOMIC CAPITAL.
THAT WOULD BE LARGELY INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT'S ALSO ORGANIZATIONAL CAPITAL.
AND THAT'S WHY WE FIND OURSELVES HERE TODAY.
[00:55:06]
WHILE I DON'T THINK, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T GO BACK, WE CAN'T DO THINGS OVER.I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK BACK AT THE LAST 15 TO 20 YEARS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS OUR DECISION MAKING CRITERIA THAT LED US TO THIS SITUATION? I'D ASK, WHAT IS OUR VISION FOR THE TERRITORY? IN 20 YEARS, I HAVE FAILED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS.
IF I GO TO ALBERTA, I'LL USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND I MEAN, IT'S TYPICALLY A CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT, BUT FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME, IT WAS NDP.
AT NO TIME DID I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE VISION OF ALBERTA WAS.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.
I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS ON WHAT CRITERIA.
BECAUSE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THERE IS THERE IS NO.
THERE IS NO ONE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ECONOMICS OF ANYTHING.
IT'S ALL VERY EASY TO MAKE DECISIONS ON.
BUT IT IS, AGAIN, A STOP GAP THING.
IT IS NOT INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE.
THERE IS A AT THE DURING THE DURING THE ELECTION, WE HEARD A LOT FROM PROSPECTIVE MLAS ABOUT COST OF LIVING.
THE RISING COST OF LIVING IS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON.
THAT PHENOMENA PALES IN COMPARISON TO OUR FAMILY INCOME CHALLENGES.
OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS NOT THAT THINGS COST A LOT HERE, IT'S THAT OUR FAMILIES DON'T MAKE ENOUGH INCOME AND THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH INCOME BECAUSE THEY DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMY. OKAY? THEY DON'T PARTICIPATE IN OUR ECONOMY BECAUSE WE FAILED TO INVEST IN IN THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF LABOR SUPPLY.
AND WE HAVEN'T INVESTED IN ECONOMIC CAPITAL TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO MOVE INTO ONCE THEY MOVE.
SUCCESSFUL GOING THROUGH THAT THAT INVESTMENT.
SO. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT WHAT? AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS.
I THINK ABOUT WHAT IS OUR VISION FOR A SELF SELF OR FOR SELF RELIANCE? WHAT IS OUR VISION FOR RESILIENCY? WHAT IS OUR VISION FOR BEING MORE PROACTIVE? WHAT IS OUR VISION FOR UNDERSTANDING OR SORRY? WHAT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE MONEY COMES FROM AND HOW IT HOW IT ENTERS IN OUR ECONOMY AND HOW WE USE IT? AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ONLY SOURCE OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE IS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? WHAT CONTROLS DO WE HAVE IN THAT SCENARIO? WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT AND A CHANGE OF OPINION? CAN WE CONTINUE TO GO BACK TO THE CANADIAN TAXPAYER AND SAY, PLEASE GIVE US MORE? WE SOME, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DESERVE IT MORE THAN SOMEONE ELSE.
I OFTEN MAKE THE JOKE THAT FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON IN TORONTO, THEY'D PROBABLY PREFER TO INVEST IN ANOTHER IN A NINTH OR 10TH LANE ON THE 401 THAN TO INVEST IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.
SO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CONSTANTLY GOING BACK TO OTTAWA TO SAY, YOU KNOW, GIVE US MORE THAT WELL, WE THE SITUATION WE'RE IN NOW, WE'RE GOING TO NEED WE'RE GOING TO NEED THAT MONEY MORE THAN EVER.
SO. I'M NOT HERE TODAY TO SORT OF DEPRESS EVERYBODY.
THIS IS THIS IS THIS IS MY REASON TO BE DEPRESSED.
[01:00:01]
IT'S. BUT I'M HERE TO START A CONVERSATION AND HOPE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM DOES AS WELL.I DON'T HAVE THE SOLUTION BECAUSE IT'S IT'S NOT LIKE A ONE THING.
IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S NOT. WE'RE SO FAR IN THE HOLE NOW.
THERE ISN'T ONE THING THAT'S GOING TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF THINGS.
AND IT HAS. AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT TRADE OFFS, WHAT WE'RE SUPPORTING AND WHAT WE'RE NOT, HOW WE'RE SPENDING MONEY AND HOW WE'RE NOT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE OURSELVES IN 2030 OR 2035 WHEN, WHEN, QUITE FRANKLY, OUR ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE WILL LOOK DIFFERENTLY.
I WILL IF PEOPLE ARE PATIENT ENOUGH.
I'VE TAKEN WAY MORE THAN THE TIME THAT I HAD AVAILABLE.
BUT I BELIEVE KENNY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK A BIT.
I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE GOING TO IF GRAHAM WAS GOING TO EAT UP ALL THE TIME.
I'M SURE YOU'RE SITTING HERE SAYING AS THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO STIMULATE INVESTMENT IN THE RESOURCE SECTOR? AND I THINK ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS IN THE TERRITORY IS EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
AND REALISTICALLY, WE ALL NEED TO LOOK INTERNALLY.
WHAT CAN WE DO? HOW CAN WE AFFECT OUR OWN CHANGE? AND THEN HOW CAN WE? HOW CAN WE ADVOCATE FOR THE CHANGE? THAT'S BIGGER PICTURE CHANGE.
IN THE SHORT TERM, WE REALLY NEED TO STIMULATE EXPLORATION.
NOW. GIANT MINES SHUT DOWN IN 2004 WHEN GOLD PRICES WERE SUB 200.
THE PROPERTY AROUND GIANT, THE PROPERTY AROUND CON, WE KNOW IS STILL GOLD BEARING GOLD.
TERRA IS EXPLORATION EXPLORING THERE NOW.
BUT I'LL COME BACK TO THIS ACTUALLY THE SECOND PIECE IS REGULATION.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROBLEM.
AND THE THIRD PIECE IS INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, SO WHEN I SAY SHORT TERM, MEDIUM TERM, LONG TERM, SHORT TERM BEING YOUR STIMULATED EXPLORATION, MEDIUM TERM BEING REGULATION CHANGE OR IMPROVEMENTS, REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS IS WHAT WHAT OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS MOTIONED.
SO BACK TO THE EXPLORATION PIECE.
I MENTIONED THE, THE GOLD BEARING ROCK, I MEAN, SURROUNDING YELLOWKNIFE.
I THINK THE CITY INTERNALLY CAN LOOK AT YOUR OWN REGULATIONS AND SAY, HOW CAN WE STIMULATE EXPLORATION? AND EXPLORATION CAN BE LARGELY NONINVASIVE.
IT'S NOT NOT LEAVING IN A BIG ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT.
BUT THE CITY HAS REGULATIONS THAT CAN BE AMENDED AND CHANGED.
I'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH AN AREA DEVELOPMENT PLAN SO IT STOPS THERE.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND DO IT.
THE CITY OWNS THOSE REGULATIONS.
THE CITY CAN CHANGE AND SUPPORT.
SO WE ARE LOOKING LOCALLY, WE ARE LOOKING AT NWT, BUT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING WESTERN NUNAVUT.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON THERE THAT I THINK JUST PASSES THROUGH AND PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT.
SO SOME OF THESE SECONDARY TERTIARY SPENDING OF THAT SAME DOLLAR AND IF ANYBODY'S READ STICKY DOLLARS, I THINK IT WAS GRUNER AND BOLIO THAT WROTE THAT.
I'M SURE A COUPLE OTHERS CONTRIBUTED, BUT THAT SAME DOLLAR IS SPENT MULTIPLE TIMES.
SO NAHANNI IS COMMISSIONED BY DIAVIK TO GO BUILD SOMETHING.
WE GO RENT SOME EQUIPMENT FROM RON'S.
THEY THEN GO SPEND THAT MONEY ELSEWHERE IN TOWN.
[01:05:03]
THAT SAME DOLLAR IS SPENT OVER AND OVER AND OVER.AND I THINK THE MULTIPLE SEVEN DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT THE MULTIPLE IS, BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH RECOGNITION THAT THAT LITTLE BIT OF WORK STAYS IN YELLOWKNIFE AND BECOMES MORE WORK AND MORE WORK AND MORE WORK.
I THINK WE'RE AT A POINT RIGHT NOW TO TO GRAHAM'S EARLIER TALK.
WE ACTUALLY NEED TO START MAKING SOME CHANGE.
THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE HAS CHANGES THAT IT CAN MAKE.
THE N.W.T. HAS CHANGES IT CAN MAKE.
BUT DON'T LOSE, LOSE VISION OR LOSE THE THE BIG PICTURE THROUGH ALL OF IT.
THANKS, KENNY. KENNY, YOU WERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF MINES.
WE ARE THE ONES THAT COMMISSIONED THE REPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR. PAYNE.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT GRAHAM, YOUR YOUR REPORT WAS A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY.
ANYBODY ANYBODY SITTING BEHIND YOU HAS BEEN SCREAMING THIS OUT FOR YEARS.
RIGHT. AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUE OF, OF NO, NO EXPIRATION FOR YEARS.
RIGHT. LIKE, AND WE'VE DONE IT TO OURSELVES YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE, THE GREATER WAY OF, OF BEING GOOD TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND WE'VE, WE'VE LOST THE, THE CAPACITY TO ACTUALLY ACTUALLY GET SOME RESOURCES OUT OF THE GROUND.
AND I, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S IT'S GOOD.
AND THE SECOND BEST TIME IS LIKE, RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT? SO LIKE YOU SAID, KENNY AS WELL, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO START MAKING SOME CHANGE.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WATCHING YOU GUYS SPEAK, IT WAS LIKE WATCHING THAT MOVIE HERE RECENTLY.
DON'T LOOK UP, YOU KNOW? AND AND YOU'RE THE GRAHAM.
YOU'RE THE LEO OF THIS, THIS MOVIE.
IT'S UNLESS UNLESS IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY NEGATIVE.
BUT I DIDN'T I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY CAN.
HE PROBABLY GOT 17 WRITTEN DOWN ALREADY.
BUT THIS THIS IS I'M GLAD THAT YOU CAME OUT AND SPEAK ABOUT THIS.
THE LONG TABLE AT TIM HORTONS TOMORROW MORNING WILL BE VIBRATING, I'M SURE.
BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU JUST BROUGHT TO US.
AND SURPRISE, THIS WAS ALL GEARED FOR YOU ON YOUR FIRST DAY.
SO LET'S HOPEFULLY OURS IS HOPEFULLY NOT OUT OF HER, BUT SHE'S PROBABLY LAGGING A BIT.
SO LET'S LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE UP HERE.
BUT THAT WAS THAT WAS MY NON QUESTION.
I'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT EXPRESSION.
GRAHAM, IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK, JUST PUSH THAT BACK YOUR HEAD THERE.
I KNOW YOU DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I FELT ONE IN THERE.
SO I'M GOING TO RESPOND TO IT.
ONE OF THE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I'VE WATCHED IN THE TERROR THAT WE HAVE IN THIS TERRITORY IS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO THE ONLY THING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT IN TERMS OF INVESTING IN OUR, OUR ECONOMIC CAPITAL, AS I CALL IT.
SO LABOR, INFRASTRUCTURE OR URBANIZATION IS A MAJOR PROJECT.
OH, YOU KNOW, LET'S RALLY THE TROOPS AROUND A MAJOR PROJECT.
OH, WE'VE GOT A PIPELINE, WE'VE GOT A MINE, WE'VE GOT A, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
THAT'S THE THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE SHOULD EDUCATE AND TRAIN OUR PEOPLE IS THAT'S WHY WE SHOULD BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE TO ALLOW PRIVATE ENTERPRISE TO THRIVE. IN 2022.
[01:10:04]
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ECONOMY IMPORTED OVER $500 MILLION WORTH OF LABOR.THIS IS NOT ALL DIAMOND MINERS, BY THE WAY.
SO IN THAT SENSE, WE ARE A SUPPLY DRIVEN ECONOMY.
THE MORE WE CAN SUPPLY OUR ECONOMY, THE MORE WE CAN THRIVE BECAUSE IT'S THERE FOR THE TAKING.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO NOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BIG THING THAT THE INVESTMENT IN THE THINGS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMY THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND BY THE WAY, THE DIAMOND MINES AREN'T GOING AWAY TOMORROW.
YES, THEY'RE GOING AWAY VERY SOON.
BUT THERE'S STILL SOME LIFE IN THEM, AND THERE'S STILL REASON WHY THERE'S STILL REASON WHY WE COULD INVEST IN OUR LABOR AND IN OUR CAPITAL, SUCH THAT WE COULD BE PARTICIPATING IN THE ECONOMY IN YELLOWKNIFE AND IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES MORE THOROUGHLY TODAY.
I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LED WITH THAT.
THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING, FOLKS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL IS WAS WELL SAID THERE.
WE'VE BEEN IGNORING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I KNOW YOU SPOKE A BIT TO AROUND LABOR MARKET AND EDUCATION.
SO A LOT OF TALK AROUND UNIVERSITY AND WHERE IT GOES.
I REALLY DON'T CARE WHERE IT GOES.
WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD KIND OF WORK TOWARDS THIS KIND OF LABOR MARKET GROWTH? WELL, I'D SAY IT WON'T HURT.
I THINK THE BEST, THE BEST COMPARISON WOULD BE WHAT, WHAT THE YUKON UNIVERSITY DOES FOR THE CITY OF WHITEHORSE IN TERMS OF, OF PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO THE EDUCATION THAT COMES OUT OF IT.
GRAHAM SPOKE TO THE SINGLE PROJECT THAT WE ALL RALLY AROUND.
GRAHAM SHARES THE SAME PHILOSOPHY THAT THERE'S NO SUCH THING.
THIS IS JUST AN ECONOMY BEFORE REMEDIATION.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THOSE MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE GIANT AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
WE YOU JUST DON'T GET THAT IN NORMAL OPERATIONS.
THANKS. OTHER QUESTION, AND THIS IS MAYBE THE ALBERTA ME COMING OUT.
WE SEEM AS A TERRITORY TO COMPLETELY IGNORE OIL AND GAS.
WE SEEM TO TREAT IT AS THE OTHER THING.
I KNOW YOU'RE A CHAMBER OF MINES, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING WE SHOULD BE DOING TO ENCOURAGE THAT VERY LARGE CAPITAL POOL TO LOOK AT US AGAIN? BECAUSE IT APPEARS WE'RE COMPLETELY IGNORED UP HERE WITH THAT ONE.
GRANDMA KENNY. SO SO THIS IS STEPPING OUTSIDE OF THE WORK THAT I DID, BUT I'M, I'M GAME TO TO TAKING IT ON.
SORRY, STEVE, THIS IS ANOTHER SAD STORY.
IS THAT OPPORTUNITY IS LARGELY PASSED US BY.
AND BY WELL BURIED, I MEAN IT WILL TAKE HYDRAULIC FRACTURING TO, TO GET IT OUT.
THE, THE WHEN THE NWT TRIED TO INTRODUCE NEW I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
THEY WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT POLICY OR AN ACT OR SOMETHING.
AND IT BECAME PRETTY CLEAR THAT NO ONE WANTED IT.
SO I'M AFRAID THAT THE CURRENT.
[01:15:01]
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE WORK I DID ON TO DRILL AND FRACK ONE WELL IN IN THIS TATTOO WOULD RUN YOU IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $40 MILLION. THIS IS WHEN I.THIS IS WHEN I LOOKED AT AT ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO.
THE SAME THIS THE SAME OPPORTUNITY IN THE DAKOTAS COSTS ABOUT 1.5 MILLION.
SO THERE'S A SIMPLE ECONOMICS.
THERE ARE CHEAPER PLACES IN THE PLANET TO GET IT AND SAFER PLACES.
THANKS. IT'S MAYBE MORE OF YOUR KENNY, BUT YOU DID MENTION ONE EXAMPLE OF A CITY.
EXPLORATION. SO I WENT TO THE ZONING BYLAW AND IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN, I JUST DID A SEARCH OF MINING.
AND THAT'S HOW LIKE MY, MY REAL QUICK STUDY BEFORE I SHOWED UP HERE.
LARGELY NATURAL RESOURCE EXTRACTION IS NOTED AS QUARRYING, NOT MINING.
AND I ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE COMMUNITY SESSIONS FOR THE ZONING BYLAW.
THERE'S NO CONTEMPLATION HERE.
AND THE RESPONSE I GOT WAS, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MINES HERE ANYWAY, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
AGAIN, NOT VISIONARY, NOT LOOKING FORWARD.
I MEAN, FRANKLY, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO TURN THE DIAL, THINK PAST YOUR NEXT TERM.
START LOOKING LONG TERM ON HOW FAR.
HOW FAR OUT CAN YOU MAKE? HOW CAN YOU PROJECT? AND I GET THE ORIGINAL OR THE LAST.
ZONING WAS ALL ABOUT DENSIFICATION, BUT WE DID IT IN THE FACE OF DEVELOPMENT.
I COULD PROBABLY CONTRIBUTE TO IT, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT GENERATED YET.
AWESOME. THANK YOU AND THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO GRAHAM FOR THE REPORT.
AND THANK YOU TO THE CHAMBER OF MINES FOR COMMISSIONING SAID REPORT IN THE REPORT.
BEAR IN MIND THIS WAS DONE IN 2023.
HAVE YOU SEEN ANY OF THAT IN THE LAST YEAR? YEAH. NO I HAVEN'T.
BUT SO SO THE IDEA IS THAT AND AND PROBABLY IF I WERE TO DO THIS WORK AGAIN YOU KNOW THE, THE SCENARIO THAT WE TESTED IS YOU KNOW, OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT EIGHT YEARS OUT, NO CHANGES.
WHAT'S THE EFFECT? THAT IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM REALITY, WHICH IS THE SCARY THING.
THIS IS NOT FAR FROM THIS IS THIS IS NOT ACADEMIC.
BUT IF I WERE TO DO IT AGAIN, I THINK THAT THERE'S VALUE IN PARTICULAR IF YOU'RE IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE, SAY, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING, YOU'D PROBABLY WANT TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ABOUT WHAT, LIKE PAINT EXACTLY.
THE PICTURE THAT YOU THINK AND YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE THAT SOME OF THESE SMALL PROSPECTIVE MINES WHAT WOULD THEY YOU KNOW, WHAT IF WE INCLUDE THEM? WHAT? WHAT IF WE INCLUDE SOME EXPLORATION? WHAT ARE WHAT IS WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF THAT SCENARIO? IT'S PROBABLY THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO REALITY.
BUT AGAIN, COMING BACK TO THE THE QUESTION OF SCALE IT WOULDN'T MOVE THE DIAL MUCH SUCH THAT IF YOU COMPARED THOSE TWO TESTS, THOSE TWO CASES, THERE WOULD BE MUCH DIFFERENCE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THEIR EFFECT IN COMPARISON WOULD BE SMALL.
BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING, EVEN EVEN A DOLLAR MAKES A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? YEAH. I JUST ADD SOMETHING.
YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. I JUST WANT TO ADD THE, THE PROSPECTIVE CASES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE POTENTIAL FORWARD LOOKING THEY'RE NOT EQUAL IN SIZE. I THINK THERE'S THREE NEW MINES CONTEMPLATED.
THEY'RE NOT A REFURBISHMENT OF OLD MINES.
[01:20:05]
BUT IT'S IT'S NOT DOESN'T LOOK THE SAME.BEING THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE CHAMBER OF MINES FOR BOTH NWT AND NUNAVUT AND THE YUKON OR THE NWT OR NUNAVUT, PREMIER EXPECTS A GROWTH OF 13.4% IN 2024.
WHAT DOES NUNAVUT DOING DIFFERENTLY THAT WE CAN BASICALLY DUPLICATE ON OUR END? GRAHAM. IF YOU CAN JUST PUSH THE BUTTON.
YEAH, YEAH. SO I ASSUME THE PREMIER IS TALKING ABOUT GDP.
YEAH. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY HERE A LESSON ON.
ACTUALLY, I DO WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY HERE A LESSON ON GDP.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
SO IN THIS CASE YOU KNOW, NUNAVUT ECONOMY HAS, HAS GROWN FROM BOTH A GROSS OUTPUT AND GDP PERSPECTIVE THROUGH THE OPENING OF THE MARY RIVER IRON MINE AND THE EXPANSION OF AGNICO EAGLE FROM MEADOWBANK INTO MELIADINE.
AND THERE IS THERE IS A NEW MINE COMING ONLINE IN THE BACK RIVER.
SO THEY'RE MOVING INTO PRODUCTION.
YEAH. SO YOU CHANGE YOU CHANGE PRODUCTION, YOU CHANGE VALUES.
YOU YOU ADD THAT, THEN THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO GO UP.
NUNAVUT HAS A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO OURS.
I DON'T WANT TO, LIKE, BORE YOU WITH WITH NEWS OF NUNAVUT.
BUT IN THEIR CASE THEIR IMPORTED LABOR IS WORTH OVER $1 BILLION.
SO THEY HAVE OUR PROBLEMS, BUT JUST WORSE.
THAT G AND T SINCE THE ELECTION HAS BASICALLY FAILED TO DO SO.
THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOW SIX MONTHS OLD.
YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR FOR THOSE FOLKS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND I DON'T MEAN THAT SORT OF NEGATIVELY.
I JUST LITERALLY, LITERALLY DON'T KNOW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE I HAVE TRIED TO REACH OUT.
AND I'VE BEEN KEEN TO SPEAK WITH ANY OF THE NEW MLAS.
AND I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YET, NOR HAVE I.
HAS ANYBODY REACHED OUT TO TO INVITE ME? YOU KNOW I'M NOT MUCH ONE FOR SELF PROMOTION, BUT YOU KNOW THE FACT THAT I AM MY LEVEL OF CONCERN IS AT THE POINT WHERE I'M STANDING AT THIS PODIUM, I THINK IS SHOULD BE EVIDENCE ENOUGH THAT THAT THEY SHOULD BE REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, BUT NOT JUST ME. I THINK THEY SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT EVERYBODY BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SUGGESTED SOME, SOME POTENTIAL THINGS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
WHY? WHY WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? WHERE ARE WE GOING? UNDERSTAND THAT FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION.
YOU WANT TO MEET WITH SOME PEOPLE? LET'S CERTAINLY GET ADVOCATING ON OUR SIDE TO GET THAT DONE.
IF THERE ARE ANYBODY LISTENING FROM MACA OR I.T RIGHT NOW, COULD YOU BRING THIS TO THE MINISTERS AND SEE IF YOU CAN SET UP SOMETHING AS WELL? THANK YOU. GRAHAM, ONE QUICK QUESTION TO KENNY.
THE THIRD POINT YOU ELABORATED UPON WAS INFRASTRUCTURE.
COULD YOU GO MORE INTO THAT OF WHAT WE NEED TO INVEST IN HERE? THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE IS A DIFFICULT ONE BECAUSE I KNOW THE FISCAL CONSTRAINTS OF THE CITY.
I ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS.
EARLY, EARLY DAY MINERAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT'S A POPULAR MECHANICS MAGAZINE FROM 1956, IN WHICH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BRAGS ABOUT BUILDING SNOWY HYDRO AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SELL ALL THE POWER TO GIANT MINE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE RICH DOING IT.
AND I MEAN, THE LIGHTS ON HERE ARE STILL BECAUSE OF GIANT.
OR IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO LOOK AT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
THAT WOULD BE LEGACY INFRASTRUCTURE POST DEVELOPMENT.
[01:25:05]
BUT I MEAN, MORE NOW THAN EVER INVESTMENT OR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IS A LOT MORE CREATIVE WHERE GOVERNMENT ISN'T SUPPLYING ALL OF IT.WE'VE GOT A P3 THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS RENTING IN THE HOSPITAL.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF P3 PROJECTS HERE.
WELL, MAYBE THERE'S TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT THOSE TEN PEOPLE NOW HAVE A CAREER IN REMEDIATION OR DEVELOPMENT OR PICK PICK IT. THANK YOU KENNY.
A YEAH, I ALMOST PUSHED ANDRE OFF LAKE.
NO, THERE IS SOMETHING THE CITY CAN DO.
BUT WE HAVE NOWHERE FOR PEOPLE TO STAY IF THEY COME UP HERE.
AND TAKING MY CHAMBER OF MINES HAT ON, PUTTING MY NAHANNI HAT ON.
I'VE HAD AN EMPLOYEE WHO WANTED TO MOVE UP HERE.
HE HAS GOT A FAMILY OF SIX AND COULDN'T FIND A PLACE.
IT'S LARGELY EXPENSIVE TO MOVE HERE.
WE CAN'T REGULATE THE COST OF HOUSING.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS INTRODUCE MORE HOUSING, WHICH WILL BRING THE RENTAL COST DOWN.
BUT. AGAIN WE NEED TO LOOK AT REGULATION.
AND THAT'S THAT'S A CITY ISSUE.
LOOK AT REGULATION. LOOK AT LONG TERM PLANNING TO SAY, WHAT DO WE WANT AND HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE IT.
BECAUSE THERE ARE CREATIVE WAYS TO IMPLEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT HAVING A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
AS A CITY FINANCIAL INVESTMENT, IF YOU WILL.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.
BACK TO ORDER COUNCILLOR FEQUET.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANKS TO THE PRESENTATION TO TO GRAHAM AND TO KENNY FOR SHARING.
AND I'VE SIMILARLY WONDERED WHY THAT CONVERSATION HASN'T YET TAKEN PLACE.
ACCORDING TO THE LAST LINE OF YOUR YOUR TODAY'S PAPER.
OBVIOUSLY, I'M NOT AN ECONOMIST, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT A LOT OF THESE INITIATIVES LIKE BUY LOCAL AND THE IMMIGRATION OF, YOU KNOW, 200 NEW CANADIANS TO YELLOWKNIFE ARE REALLY JUST DROPS IN THE BUCKET.
AND WE REALLY NEED A TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE.
IN YOUR TIME AND YOUR DECADES AS AN ECONOMIST AND KIND OF WORKING ACROSS THE TERRITORIES, HAVE YOU SEEN ANY EXAMPLES WHERE MUNICIPALITIES OR LEVELS OF TERRITORIAL PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE SUCH A TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE FOLLOWING A RESOURCE BOOM LIKE THE ONE THE NWT IS COMING OUT OF? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, FROM FROM 1998 TO 2007 HERE IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, IN PARTICULAR IN YELLOWKNIFE THE, THE ENERGY AND THE NEW IDEAS AND THE NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT ECONOMIC CHANGE LED TO A. A SIZABLE INCREASE IN OUR LOCAL POPULATION.
WE, THE INDUSTRY AND THE AND THROUGH, I THINK, I THINK PROGRESSED AT THE TIME THE SOCIOECONOMIC AGREEMENTS WERE WERE NEW IDEAS WERE RELATIVELY NEW.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT THEY WERE INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL.
AND IT BROUGHT NEW PEOPLE INTO THE LABOR MARKET, PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY, IN THE ABSENCE OF THOSE POLICIES, PROBABLY WOULD NEVER WOULD HAVE ENTERED THE LABOR MARKET. IT BROUGHT NEW BUSINESSES INTO OR INTO OR ALLOWED THEM TO FORM AND TO, TO GROW.
[01:30:01]
THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY I WOULDN'T CALL THEM TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL AT THE OUTSET, BUT THEY GREW OVER TIME TO BECOME BETTER STANDALONE BUSINESSES.THAT WAS ENERGY THAT CAME THROUGH THE DISCOVERY OF DIAMONDS AND LASTED FOR ABOUT 10 OR 15 YEARS.
AND STARTING AROUND 2007 THEY'D ALMOST RUN THEIR COURSE, IN MY OPINION.
AND BECAUSE THINGS GOT MORE DIFFICULT.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE RUNNING UP AGAINST CHALLENGES, HOUSING.
HOW CAN WE HOW CAN WE MOVE MORE PEOPLE INTO THE TERRITORY? THERE IS A RESISTANCE.
AND ITS SUCCESS RATE WAS STARTING TO FALTER.
SO RATHER THAN TO, TO REALLY INVESTIGATE AS TO WHY THAT WAS THE CASE AND REALLY UNDERSTANDS, OKAY, HOW DO WE THEN INVEST FOR THE NEXT WAVE? WE LARGELY JUST KEPT GOING BACK TO THOSE SAME OLD POLICIES AND WONDERING WHY THEY WEREN'T WORKING.
AND SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT FOR 15 YEARS NOW, WE HAVEN'T BEEN INNOVATIVE.
WE HAVEN'T HAD HONEST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT'S HOLDING THE CITY AND THE TERRITORY BACK.
I WOULD I WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE'S THE SIZE OF THE THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT TAKES PLACE IN YELLOWKNIFE IS SUFFICIENT FOR A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER POPULATION. I WOULDN'T SPECULATE AS TO WHAT THAT POPULATION SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE ECONOMY, BUT IF I WERE, IT WOULD BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 25 TO 30,000 WHEN I WHEN I GO TO WHITEHORSE, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ECONOMY THAT'S QUITE, QUITE FRANKLY DOESN'T HAVE THE WEALTH THAT YELLOWKNIFE DOES.
IT'S A IT'S A IF YOU TAKE THE GREATER WHITEHORSE AREA, I THINK IT'S 33,000 PEOPLE.
AND INITIALLY IT WAS ON ITS WAY TO ACTUALLY BECOMING THAT AND IT FALTERED.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, WE DIDN'T CHANGE COURSE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOOK OR UNDERSTANDING AS TO, TO WHY THAT WAS HAPPENING.
YEAH. THANKS FOR THAT RESPONSE, GRAHAM.
I AM, I REMEMBER IN 2015 READING IT AND AND PAYING ATTENTION, BUT.
YEAH. THANKS. I JUST THE REASON I'M ASKING IS IT HAD OUTLINED A TARGET OF RECRUITING 2000 NEW NWT ERS TO JOIN THE POPULATION BETWEEN 2015 AND 2019, SO PRE-COVID. SO THAT CAN'T BE AN EXCUSE.
OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL.
BUT KIND OF ON THE SAME LINE OF QUESTIONING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOMETHING BIG.
ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS ARE GREAT, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO THAT'S NOT GOING TO SAVE US.
IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT LIKE, IS THAT RECRUITMENT STRATEGY IF IT WAS EFFECTIVE AND ACTUALLY ACHIEVE THAT TARGET, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF OF THE SCALE THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE? I THINK IT WOULD BE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED APART FROM JUST SORT OF SAYING, HEY, IT'D BE GREAT IF THERE'S 2000 MORE PEOPLE HERE.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS THIS IS A IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
I LOVE THAT YOU'VE GOT ME INTO THIS SUBJECT OF DEMOGRAPHICS.
IT'S SOMETHING. IT'S ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS.
AND IF YOU WOULD INDULGE ME FOR A FEW MINUTES YOU KNOW, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, AND I PERCEIVE THE CITY AS WELL AS A MAJOR PART OF THAT IS CHANGING SIGNIFICANTLY. FOR THREE REASONS.
WHEN I ARRIVED OR WHEN I FIRST STARTED STUDYING THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ECONOMY, I BELIEVE THE NATURAL RATE OF GROWTH WAS.
SO THAT IS THE NUMBER OF BIRTHS MINUS THE NUMBER OF DEATHS OVER OVER A YEAR.
SO THE NATURAL RATE OF GROWTH WAS IN AND AROUND 800 TO 850.
SINCE THAT TIME, THE NUMBER OF BIRTHS HAS DECLINED EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND THE NUMBER OF DEATHS HAS GROWN EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE NOW.
OUR NATURAL RATE OF GROWTH, I THINK, IS NOW BELOW 300.
I THINK IT'S 250 SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 250 AND 300.
OKAY. SO THAT'S SO AND THE MODELS THAT I'VE BUILT SHOW THAT WE WILL BE IN NEGATIVE IN CERTAINLY
[01:35:01]
LESS THAN 15 YEARS.SO NOW ADD TO THAT THE IMMIGRATION OR THE, THE, THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY OR FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN NEGATIVE FOR ALL BUT ONE YEAR IN WHICH I'VE LIVED HERE.
SO TYPICALLY WE EXPORT MORE PEOPLE THAN WE IMPORT EVERY SINGLE YEAR, BUT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN BALANCED OUT BY THE HIGH RATE OF NATURAL GROWTH. RIGHT? NATURAL.
SO, SO BUT AS AND THAT'S BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT, LIKE THERE'S SOME YEARS WHEN WE LOSE MORE PEOPLE THAN OTHER YEARS, BUT YEAR OVER YEAR WE LOSE MORE PEOPLE THAN, THAN WE BRING IN.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT'S SORT OF QUOTE UNQUOTE SAVING US AS, AS A SORT OF A POPULATION AND A CONSISTENT POPULATION IS OUR IMMIGRANTS OR PEOPLE COMING FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD DIRECTLY TO YELLOWKNIFE.
IT USED TO BE TEN YEARS AGO AND FURTHER BACK 50 OR FEWER IN A YEAR, TYPICALLY 25 OR FEWER.
AND OVER THE LAST CERTAINLY STARTING ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, THAT STARTED TO CLIMB UP TO 100.
AND IT'S NOW OVER 200 AND IS TO OVER 200 EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO SO THE THIS IS WHAT'S KEEPING OUR POPULATION LEVEL IN THE ABSENCE OF DIRECT IMMIGRATION.
THE TERRITORY IS GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER EVERY YEAR.
THANKS FOR THAT, GRAHAM. I THINK YOU ANSWERED EARLIER THAT YOU HAVEN'T YET HAD A CHANCE OR NO ONE'S REACHED OUT TO YOU, OR THE CHAMBER OF MINES IS THE CHAMBER OF MINES PLANNING TO REACH OUT TO THE MLAS OR THE NT TO PRESENT THIS PAPER AND OR THE INITIATE THIS BROADER DISCUSSION? YEAH, WE'VE SENT THIS TO THEM IN ADVANCE OF THE ROUND UP CONFERENCE AND BRIEFLY SPOKE AT ROUND UP WITH THE MINISTER, WITH THE PREMIER AND TWO MINISTERS AS WELL AS A REGULAR MLA.
YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN THE RESOURCE SECTOR, I WOULD IMPLORE THE GWDT TO CONSIDER THAT ALL FUTURE SOCIOECONOMIC AGREEMENTS AND HOPEFULLY IF NEW PROJECTS COME ONLINE, THERE WILL BE NEW AGREEMENTS.
THEY REQUIRE HEAD OFFICES TO BE LOCATED IN THE NWT.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHO ARE THE RIGHT PARTNERS THAT WE NEED TO GET IN THE ROOM TO, TO MAKE THINGS ROLL? YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S NOT AN EASY QUESTION.
YOUR FIRST AND PROBABLY FOREMOST IS OTHER LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT, INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS, PROBABLY MORE DOMINANT THAN, THAN TERRITORIAL OR FEDERAL. OBVIOUSLY WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF TERRITORIAL FEDERAL TO ACTUALLY ACTION ACTION ITEMS, TERRITORIES SITTING ON THE OR I SUPPOSE THEY'RE DEVELOPING CURRENTLY, THE MINERAL RESOURCE ACT.
SO THAT COULD COULD CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY, TRAJECTORY OF RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I'M ASSUMING THE CITY IS HAVING SOME SORT OF BRIEFINGS ON THOSE CONSISTENTLY.
I KNOW I THINK MADAM MAYOR AND AND MISS SIBLEY WERE, HAD MET WITH LITHIUM PLAYERS IN VANCOUVER.
BUT GENERALLY, ANYBODY WHO WOULD WANT TO COME MAKE ANY INVESTMENT INTO THE TERRITORY, I WOULD IMPLORE THE THE CITY TO MEET WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE CITY AT SOME POINT.
YEAH, I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO ADD TO THIS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY AWARE OF IS AND I'M NOT ALWAYS POPULAR WHEN I SAY THIS, BUT THE THIS THE STATE OR THE.
YEAH, THE STATE OF THE NWT ECONOMY IS BASED ON THE SUCCESS OF YELLOWKNIFE.
AND I THINK THE, THE EVACUATION TAUGHT US THAT IF WE DIDN'T KNOW IT BEFORE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING OUT AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT A PROSPEROUS NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, I ALREADY SPOKE ABOUT SORT OF WHAT I WOULD ENVISION, WHAT I SORT OF SEE AS SORT OF THE WHERE YELLOWKNIFE SHOULD BE IN TERMS OF ITS POPULATION OR WHERE IT SHOULD BE TODAY.
[01:40:06]
MORE OF THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND, AND, AND WEALTH IS GOING TO BE INCREASINGLY CONCENTRATED INTO THE MAJOR CITIES.IT'S HAPPENING ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
WHY WOULD WE THINK WE'RE DIFFERENT? WE'RE NOT. THE FACT IS, IS AND SO HOW SO? TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IF YOU IMAGINED A CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE OF 25 OR 30,000, THEN WHERE IS THE LAND FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO LIVE? IT CAN'T BE ALL INFILL.
SO THEN AS A STARTING POINT, WHO ARE THE PARTNERS THAT ARE IN ACCESSING THAT LAND IN ORDER TO EXPAND SUCH TO BE A SORT OF THAT THRIVING COMMUNITY FOR WHICH THE ENTIRE TERRITORY DEPENDS.
THANKS FOR THAT. LIZ, MY LAST QUESTION, AND IT'S FOR ADMINISTRATION.
WE JUST WE HEARD SOME, LIKE, AN EXAMPLE OF AREA DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND ZONING WAS MENTIONED.
IS ADMINISTRATION ABLE TO SHED SOME LIGHT JUST FOR COUNCIL AND ANYONE LISTENING, JUST ON THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS TO MINERAL EXPLORATION WITHIN MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE COMMENTS.
SO CERTAINLY THE ZONING BYLAW HAS CONSIDERED THIS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE REALM.
THE COMMUNITY PLAN DOES NOT NECESSARILY.
SO WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH GOLD TERRA.
WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH NEWMONT WITH OTHER PARTNERS.
BUT OTHERWISE, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TO BE ABLE TO CONTEMPLATE WHAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE WITHIN OUR CURRENT REALM OF WHAT WE HAVE ON THE GO. DEFINITELY.
DENSIFICATION IS A BIG ONE RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT ON THE REALM AS WELL.
SO A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT ARE IN SUPPORT OF THIS, AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE AND THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE. THANK YOU.
THAT'D BE GREAT. IF WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION IN SOME FORM.
FIRST OFF BIG THANKS, GRAHAM, FOR BEING ON THE GIANT MINE OVERSIGHT BOARD.
I THINK YOUR YOUR SKILLS WERE ARE VALUABLE, AND AND THEY WERE MISSING AT THAT, THAT LEVEL.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU STEPPED UP AND AND YOU'RE PART OF THAT BOARD NOW.
AND IF MY QUESTIONS ARE TOO TECHNICAL, WE CAN ALWAYS CHAT AFTERWARDS.
BUT ON PAGE 24 OF THE REPORT, BUT YOU DID SOME MODELING AND YOU TALKED ABOUT LIKE 1880 FTE JOB LOSS. AND SO THEN YOU ANTICIPATE 1100 RESIDENTS LEAVING THE N.W.T.
WOULD THAT INCLUDE THEIR FAMILIES, OR IS THAT JUST WORKERS AND A POTENTIAL MULTIPLIER? THAT'S SO THAT'S THAT'S TOTAL NET LOSS.
SO THAT WOULD BE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THERE ARE EXAMPLES ELSEWHERE THAT PROVIDE EVIDENCE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY GOOD EXAMPLES THAT YOU'D RECOMMEND? WE WE LOOK TO I SAID GOOD EXAMPLES AND BAD EXAMPLES.
OKAY. WELL I PUT ON EVERYBODY'S READING LIST JARED DIAMOND'S BOOK CALLED COLLAPSE.
AND THEN I KNOW IT WAS INVOLVED IN THE, THE REIMAGINING CLOSURE.
AND NOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOURSELF OR KENNY OR THE CHAMBER OF MIND.
HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN ANYTHING FURTHER WITH THAT PROJECT? SORRY, I THINK I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTOOD THE REIMAGINING CLOSURE.
IT'S LIFE AFTER DIAMOND MINING.
[01:45:07]
EVER IS DEVELOPED, HAVING THAT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THERE WOULD SUPPORT AND BE ALMOST NECESSARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT ROAD.I'M NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
BUT I THINK DE BEERS WAS DOMINANTLY OR THE DIAMOND MINES WERE KIND OF LEADING THAT.
WE, I SUPPOSE, CONTEMPLATED THE PLAN PRIOR TO SNAP LAKE CLOSURE AND REALIZED IT WAS TOO LATE.
THEY WERE AT A POINT OF REGULATORY OBLIGATION WHERE THEY NEEDED TO START CLOSING OR THEY JUST COULDN'T SIT ON THE ASSET ANY LONGER AND SPEND THE MONEY WAITING FOR IT TO COMMISSION A REPORT WHERE THEY MAY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE ASSETS FROM A RESIDENT POSITION.
I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE, ATROCIOUS THAT WE'RE JUST DEMOLISHING ALL OF THIS AND PUTTING IT INTO A LANDFILL AND EVEN DOWN TO A LANDING STRIP.
YEAH, AND I KNOW. LAST ASSEMBLY THEY STARTED THE NORSE OR LIKE THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS, AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THOSE UP AND RUNNING, AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT LIKE TACTICAL THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
SO. WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING FURTHER.
AND I KNOW THE GOVERNMENT'S IN ITS ITS INFANCY RIGHT NOW AT THE START OF THE ASSEMBLY.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE, THE FIGURES, YOU KNOW, THAT 150 MILLION WHEN I LOOKED AT THE NLTS 2.2 BILLION BUDGET, THAT'S A LOSS OF 7%. AND THEN ONCE YOU LOOK AT DEPARTMENTS, THAT'S LIKE THE FULL DEPARTMENT OF ECC OR THE FULL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OR HALF INFRASTRUCTURE, HALF OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND EMPLOYMENT.
AND I KNOW WHEN THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DIAMOND MINES CLOSING, IT CAN FEEL LIKE A YELLOWKNIFE PROBLEM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE JOBS ARE. OR IT CAN FEEL NORTH SLAVE BECAUSE IT'S YELLOWKNIFE AND BASECO.
AND I WAS TALKING TO A COLLEAGUE UP IN THE BEAUFORT DELTA THAT WAS LIKE, YEAH, SO THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM DOWN THERE? AND I'M LIKE, NO, IT'S YOUR PROBLEM.
BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOUR YOUR SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED.
THAT'S HOW HEALTH CARE IS FUNDED.
AND I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE WE'RE FACING IS THAT IT'S IT'S NOT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR REPORT TOO, AND THAT LIKE, YOU REALLY BREAK IT DOWN OF, OF HOW A DOLLAR TRICKLES DOWN AND SO YEAH, IT'S SOME, SOME GOOD FOOD.
NOW WE'VE REALLY GOT TO DIVE INTO WHERE WE GO FROM FROM HERE.
IF I COULD JUST MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
THE WAY WE VIEW THE THE TERRITORIAL FINANCING FORMULA AS RESIDENTS, WE'RE ALL WORTH $37,000 A HEAD.
IT'S NOT ACTUALLY HOW THE FORMULA WORKS.
THE FORMULA IS YOUR BASE EXPENDITURE.
SUBTRACT OUT 70% OF YOUR TAX REVENUE.
WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE TAX REVENUE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE THE EXTRA CASH.
SO A DECLINE IN OUR ECONOMY DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE STILL JUST WORTH $37,000 A HEAD.
WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT IT.
WE'VE GOT TO REALLY START TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT.
YEAH. I WORRY WITH THIS FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO BE LIKE ONLY LOOKING AT DECREASING EXPENSES AND NOT WHEN DO WE SPEND THIS DOLLAR TO MAKE $10 OR SO.
YEAH. REALLY ENCOURAGING THE THE NOT GOOD EXERCISE.
BUT DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE EXPENSES.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE GENERATE MORE REVENUE TOO.
SO WELL AND THE BIG THING I SAID IT HERE EVERYONE NEEDS TO LOOK BEYOND THEIR TERM.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO YOU'LL BE FORCED TO MAKE SOME UNPOPULAR DECISIONS.
AND AS LONG AS IN YOUR MINDS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF YELLOWKNIFE, YOU THE BETTERMENT OF THE TERRITORY AND THE NWT, THE BETTERMENT OF ALL NORTHERN RESIDENTS, THEN YOU SHOULD HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH IF YOU'RE ELECTED OR NOT AGAIN IN THE NEXT CYCLE.
YEAH, YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY THAT LONG TERM VISION.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN I'M GOING TO BE THAT GUY AT THE END, I APOLOGIZE.
[01:50:03]
THANKS. MAYOR ALTY. JUST AS THE TWO OF YOU WERE BOTH TALKING THERE AT THE END.AND AGAIN, THANKS, GRAHAM. THANKS FOR COMING.
I HOPE IT'S HEARD AS MUCH 400M DOWN BEHIND US AS IT IS HERE.
A LOT OF WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY IS SORT OF FROM WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT NEED TO, TO DO IN ORDER TO SPUR GROWTH? I MEAN, MY TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT YOU'VE SAID, THOUGH, IS NOT SO MUCH WHAT THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
IT'S WHAT THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO INVESTMENT.
SO AM I WRONG IN THAT TAKEAWAY? LIKE AS I WROTE, I'M LIKE REDUCING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT BY MAKING HOUSING POSSIBLE, REDUCING BARRIERS TO EXPLORATION, BY SETTLING LAND CLAIMS AND BUILDING OUT INFRASTRUCTURE, REDUCING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYABILITY BY VESTING, INVESTING IN EDUCATION.
SO AM I WRONG IN THAT SORT OF ANALYSIS, OR IS THAT SORT OF ON THE MONEY? IT'S YES, WE NEED GOVERNMENT ACTION, BUT WE DON'T NEED GOVERNMENT TO SOLVE THE INVESTMENT.
WE NEED GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THE ABILITY OF INVESTMENT.
I THINK I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HOPEFULLY IS THE MESSAGE WE'RE GETTING FROM TODAY.
AND AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SORT OF A PURE LAISSEZ FAIRE ECONOMIST.
BUT IN THIS TERRITORY, WE WE OPERATE AS WAS OR IT WOULD SEEM THAT WE OPERATE UNDER THE BELIEF THAT GOVERNMENT IS EVERYTHING, INCLUDING OUR ECONOMY.
AND I, I, I RECENTLY WROTE A LITTLE ARTICLE IN UP HERE BUSINESS WHERE, WHERE ONE OF MY CONCLUSIONS WAS, PLEASE, CAN CAN CAN THE RESIDENTS OF THE NWT DETERMINE WHERE TO SPEND MONEY AND NOT LEAVE IT UP TO THE GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE IT FOR US? AND I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY GOVERNMENT IS A BIG EMPLOYER.
BUT ABSOLUTELY THEY DON'T NEED TO GOVERNMENT AND A SMALL GOVERNMENT, ALL GOVERNMENTS DON'T NEED SHOULDN'T BE SEEING THEMSELVES AS BEING ANYTHING MORE THAN WHAT GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
THEY JUST DO IT BIGGER HERE BECAUSE THERE'S A SMALLER ECONOMY.
BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE NATURE OF WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WHILE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR DISCUSSION ENDS UP SORT OF SOUNDING LIKE A CRITICISM TO THE NWT, I AND I WILL SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY, I AM NOT A GOVERNMENT CRITIC.
FIRST OF ALL, THAT JOB WOULD BE TOO EASY AND EVERYBODY IS BUT AS A AS BOTH AN ECONOMIST AND AS A AS A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF THE TERRITORY, WE AS A SOCIETY HAVE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE WE'RE MORE KEEN ON ARGUING AMONGST OURSELVES OVER WHAT THE FUTURE IS.
AND WE HAVEN'T BUILT WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR THE WHOLE TERRITORY TO THRIVE.
AND AND TO TO MY MIND, WE HAVEN'T REALLY MADE AN EFFORT TO DO IT EITHER.
IT'S IT'S JUST EITHER, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS IS EITHER WHITE OR BLACK.
AND WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO ARGUE OVER EVERY OPPORTUNITY AND, AND IT PASSES BY.
AND SO YEAH, THEY'RE AND THEY, THEY HOLD A LOT OF THE CASH.
THANKS FOR THAT, GRAHAM. SEEING NOTHING FURTHER.
BIG THANKS GRAHAM FOR YOUR WORK AS WELL AS COMING TO PRESENT TODAY AND KENNY FOR COMING AND THE CHAMBER OF MINES FOR COMMISSIONING THIS REPORT AND GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED. AS THIS IS MS. BASSI-KELLETT LAST MEETING, BECAUSE WE WON'T BE HAVING OUR MEETING TONIGHT BECAUSE WE HAD OUR SPECIAL COUNSEL AT NOON TODAY.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL STAFF, RESIDENTS FOR YOUR YOUR PASSION AND YOUR SERVICE TO COMMUNITY GOVERNMENTS, STARTING IN TOLEDO, LEADING TO TO MACA TO THE 2007 NEW DEAL, WHICH ACTUALLY GAVE US MORE AUTHORITY TO CREATE OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT PLANS AND AND FINANCE OUR PROJECTS ALL THE WAY TO ALL YOUR WORK DURING DURING YOUR TIME AS CITY MANAGER, OF COURSE, WE REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT WAS 20, 23, BUT THERE WAS ALSO EVERYTHING BEFORE THAT STARTING OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT JOURNEY, DOING THE COMMUNITY PLAN AND ZONING BYLAW OVERHAUL THROUGH YOUR THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE LEVEL STANDARDS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BASICALLY CREATING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS, THE AQUATIC CENTER.
IT WILL BE A NICE RIBBON CUTTING IN THE THE NEW YEAR.
[01:55:01]
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE TO COME OR, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SIT AT HOME AND WATCH IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR, YOUR PJS, WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOU MAY.
BUT, DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE, I'LL PASS THE FLOOR OVER FOR SOME COMMENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TODAY TO PERSONALLY THANK SHEILA MS. BASSI-KELLETT FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS OF PASSION, LEADERSHIP AND SACRIFICE AS THE CITY MANAGER OF YELLOWKNIFE.
IT IS NOT AN EASY TASK TO STAND UP AND BE IN THE ARENA OF MUNICIPAL LEADERSHIP.
AND THOUGH YOU WERE DEALT A DIFFICULT HAND FROM DAY ONE, YOU'VE CONTINUED TO DISPLAY A WARMTH AND CHARITY TO BOTH YOUR SUPPORTERS AND DETRACTORS THAT DEMONSTRATES AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF YOUR CHARACTER THE ABILITY TO CONTINUOUSLY MOVE FORWARD.
THAT TRAIT HAS PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BE A VALUABLE ASSET AS YOU SUCCEEDED THROUGH MODERNIZING ZONING BYLAWS, BUILDING AN AQUATIC CENTER, OPENING A VISITOR CENTER, MANEUVERING THROUGH UNYIELDING NIMBYISM, DEALING WITH COVID 19, A STRIKE AND EVACUATION, TO NAME JUST A FEW ISSUES YOU TACKLED OVER YOUR TENURE.
NOT TO MENTION, THAT TRAIT ALLOWED YOU TO DEAL GENEROUSLY WITH OUR ROWDY GALLERY OF ROGUES AND SOPHISTS WHO HAVE OCCUPIED THESE SEATS ON COUNCIL FOR YOUR TIME AS OUR NUMBER ONE AND ONLY EMPLOYEE I WILL MISS.
YOUR GOOD HUMOR, YOUR STEADFASTNESS, AND YOUR IMPECCABLE SENSE OF FASHION THAT NO ONE WILL REPLACE.
YOUR ALL TIME AND EFFORT ARE THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE TO ANYONE OR ANY ENDEAVOR.
THE JOURNEY, THE PEOPLE AND THE MEMORIES THAT COMES FROM THAT IS THE REWARD.
THIS COMMUNITY OWES YOU A LOT.
THIS COUNCIL OWES YOU EVEN MORE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR YELLOWKNIFE, MISS SHEILA.
DON'T YOU KNOW I'M STILL STANDING BETTER THAN I EVER DID.
AND I'M STILL STANDING AFTER ALL THIS TIME.
PICKING UP THE PIECES OF MY LIFE.
WITHOUT YOU ON MY MIND I'M STILL STANDING.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MELODY.
I WAS GOING TO SAY A FEW MLAS WOULD HAVE YEAH.
I MEAN, I'LL BE MUCH SHORTER THAN THE DEPUTY MAYOR THERE.
AND, YES, I LOOK FORWARD TO CABIN RADIO INSERTING THE THE TUNE BEHIND THAT.
SO I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR TRAVELS.
I WAS TALKING TO YOUR HUSBAND ABOUT ALL OF THE EXCITING TRAVELS YOU HAVE COMING UP, SO THANK YOU.
COUNCILLOR PAYNE. WELL SHEILA, WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS SEEN EYE TO EYE.
IT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE YOU'RE EXTREMELY SHORT, BUT I'VE APPRECIATED YOU.
AS YOU KNOW, I'M A MAN OF VERY FEW WORDS, AND.
BUT YOU'RE A GOOD SHIT, AND I APPRECIATE YOU.
COUNCILLOR FORGET YOU WANTED TO CLOSE.
THANKS, SHEILA. IT'S BEEN AWESOME.
WITH YOUR STEADY HAND THROUGH EVERYTHING AND KEEPING A SMILE.
AND AS A COUNSELOR, IT'S BEEN A GREAT WORKING WITH YOU IN THE SHORT TIME WE HAVE.
I WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT SHORT OPPORTUNITY.
AS A RESIDENT PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA HOW AMAZING YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS I RAN FOR COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, TO A DEGREE, PEOPLE WILL WILL NEVER REALLY BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND.
WAIT A SECOND. SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE COUNCILLOR MCGURK.
SO HOLD YOUR THE FINAL THOUGHT FOR THAT, AND THEN.
COUNCILLOR MCGURK. I'LL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU. YEAH, I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE.
MAYBE THAT'S EVEN INSUFFICIENT TO SAY FOR THE SERVICE THAT OUR OUTGOING CITY MANAGERS PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY AND TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO SHEILA AS A BORN AND BRED YELLOWKNIFER, I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW YOU AND UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMITMENT TO MY HOME.
[02:00:01]
WE'VE BEEN IN GOOD HANDS SINCE YOU'VE BEEN IN YOUR POSITION, AND YOUR DILIGENCE AND DEDICATION HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED.THANK YOU FOR LEADING OUR ADMINISTRATION WITH.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU OUT IN THE VOLUNTEER WORLD.
SURE THAT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF SODA BREAD DELIVERED TO THE CASTLE.
THERE WE GO. COUNCILLOR. FEQUET.
YOUR WALK UP SONG. WE DID TALK ABOUT THIS.
YEAH. WITH THAT, I'LL GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOVE BY DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR WARBURTON.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. THEN YOU CAN JUST WALK OUT TO YOUR SONG.
SHEILA.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.