<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
Speaker: I will now call the House t=
o order.
We will proceed at this time with prayers.
<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
Prayers
DAILY ROUTINE
Speaker: We will now proceed with th=
e Order
Paper.
Tributes.
TRIBUTES
In recognition of Pharmacist Awareness Week=
Hon. Mr. Hart:
Les pharmaciens et
les pharmaciennes jouent un
rôle essentiel à notre bien-être et à notre santé. Ils
et elles comprennent bien les divers effets de=
s médicaments qui nous sont prescrits et savent nous donner
de précieux renseig=
nements.
Leurs connaissances=
complètent celles =
de nos médecins et infirmières praticiennes.
Pharmacists are critically important to our health and=
welfare.
They understand the effects of prescribed medication and provide us with
important information. Their knowledge complements that of the physician and
nurse practitioner.
In
They provide advice and support to patients with chron=
ic
conditions, such as diabetes, and their professionalism and caring are a gr=
eat
comfort to us in times of stress and illness.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the ter= ritory’s pharmacists for their hard work on our behalf.
Speaker: Are there further tributes?=
Introduction of visitors.
Returns or documents for tabling.
A=
re there
reports of committees?
A=
re there
any petitions?
A=
re there
any bills to be introduced?
Notices of motion.
NOTICES OF MOTION
Mr. Nordick: I rise today to give notice of the foll=
owing
motion:
THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to continue to ensure t=
hat
Yukoners have access to a standard of health care that is comparable to the
standards in other jurisdictions in
(=
1) encouraging existing medical clinics and practices to =
expand
their services and attract more health care professionals to reside in the
territory in order to improve Yukoners’ access to family doctors;
(=
2) sponsoring the education of
(=
3)
encouraging visiting health care and medical specialists to offer their
services in the territory by providing them with the access to appropriate
medical facilities, including office space and residences, such as the new
staff residence/health service facility being constructed on Hospital Road;=
<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> (4) establishin=
g
regional health care facilities throughout the territory, such as regional
hospitals being constructed in
(=
5) utilizing and expanding telehealt=
h
care services throughout the territory; and
(=
6) ensuring Yukoners have priority access to health care =
and
medical services in other jurisdictions, primarily
<= o:p>
I=
give
notice of the following motion:
T=
HAT this
House urges the Government of Yukon to give a status report on the 33 ̶=
0;actions
to be undertaken” contained in the
<= o:p>
Mr. Mitchell:
I give notice of the following
motion:
T=
HAT this
House urges the Government of Yukon to explain conflicting messages coming =
from
the Premier and the Minister of Health and Social Services on the subject of
cuts or the introduction of user fees to the medical travel program.
<= o:p>
I=
give
notice of the following motion:
T=
HAT this
House urges the Premier of the Government of Yukon to add his name to the
“I am (Not Steven Harper’s) Canadian” petition and instru=
ct
the Prime Minister of Canada that:
<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> (1) the
Government of
(=
2) this is not Stephen Harper’s government; it is t=
he government
of the Canadian people;
(=
3) our country is not Stephen Harper’s
(=
4) we are not Stephen Harper’s Canadians; we are Ca=
nadian;
and
(=
5) we demand that all official reference to the Canadian
government continue to use “Government of Canada”.
<= o:p>
Ms. Hanson: I give notice of the following moti=
on:
T=
HAT this
House urges the Yukon government to consult stakeholders on developing and
expanding innovative scholarships, grants and loan programs to address
financial obstacles to post-secondary education for low- and middle-income =
students
in order to:
(=
1) decrease the debt load of students;
(=
2) allow
part-time students access to grants and loans;
(=
3) increase the number or rural and single parent
post-secondary students;
(=
4) encourage the federal government to innovate their
post-secondary programs by shifting spending from universal expenditures on=
tax
credits and savings schemes to need-based grants;
(=
5) eliminate the financial barriers to education for capa=
ble
students; and
(=
6) invest in future
<= o:p>
I=
also give
notice of the following motion:
T=
HAT this
House urges the Government of Canada to support Bill C-393, An Act to Am=
end
the Patent Act (Drugs for international humanitarian purposes), standin=
g in
the name of New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Paul Dewar, Ottawa
Centre.
<= o:p>
Speaker: Are there any further notic=
es of
motion?
I=
s there a
statement by a minister?
Speaker’s ruling
P=
rior to
Question Period, the Chair will rule on a point of order raised by the Memb=
er
for Whitehorse Centre on
T=
he member
raised a point of order in response to remarks that the Minister of Justice=
had
made in the course of the debate. The Member for Whitehorse Centre asserted
that the remarks were out of order, as they personalized the debate.
T=
he Chair
has reviewed the exchange and believes that in this instance there was a po=
int
of order. While I appreciate that members may feel passionately about subje=
cts
they are debating, I would remind all members to temper their language when
referring to other honourable members.
T=
hank you.
We will now proceed to Question Period.
QUESTION PERIOD
Question re: Committee
on Abuse in Residential Schools Society
Mr. Mitchell:
On Friday, many Yukoners atte=
nded
an open house and fundraiser at the offices of the Committee on Abuse in
Residential Schools Society, or CAIRS. Yukoners pitched in and helped raise
$9,000. CAIRS is struggling to keep its doors open because of cuts in fundi=
ng
by the Government of Canada — or, as it’s now officially called=
, “the
Harper government”.
W=
e on this
side of the House recognize the important contribution CAIRS makes to our <=
/span>
Hon. Mr. Hart: Mr. Speaker, I =
have
been in consultation on several occasions with the CAIRS Society with regar=
d to
their funding. In fact, this government has forwarded letters on to the fed=
eral
government requesting additional funding to suffice the CAIRS Society with
their funding toward enabling them to continue on with their valuable servi=
ce.
Mr.
Mitchell: In the spring of 2010, the Minister=
of
Justice put a motion on the Order Paper of this Legislature urging the Harp=
er
government to continue funding to CAIRS. The Minister of Justice has never
bothered to call that motion for debate.
Funding this program is a Government of Canada — or Harper
government — responsibility. We agree that the Government of Yukon ca=
nnot
afford to take over every time the federal Conservatives cut a program. It =
has
been nearly a year since the Minister of Justice put a motion on the floor =
and
then didn’t call it for debate. Now CAIRS is on the verge of having to
close its doors in
T=
he Health
minister said they’ve sent letters. What other efforts has this
government made to ensure that the Harper government funds this program?
Hon. Mr. Fentie: =
There are some factual issu=
es here
with regard to what the Leader of the Official Opposition has brought forwa=
rd.
In the first instance, this is not a cut by any government. This is a progr=
am
instituted by a former Liberal government that had a sunset date of 2012 in=
it.
These were resources provided to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, and the
Aboriginal Healing Foundation made the decisions on who=
,
on an annual basis, received funding from the aboriginal healing fund. In t=
he
Mr. Mitchell:
The Premier can call it what =
he
will, but the fact is that the Government of Canada funding is running out.
Ongoing support for people who went through the residential school experien=
ce
is making a huge difference in the lives of many Yukoners. Funding this ser=
vice
is no longer a priority of the Harper government — they have said no,
they will not extend the funding.
T=
his Yukon
Party government should be making the case to
W=
hat has
this government actually done to convince the Harper government to reinstate
funding for CAIRS?
Hon. Mr. Fentie: =
The litany of programs and =
services
this government is providing here in today’s
F=
urthermore,
the Aboriginal Healing Foundation was sunsetted=
. It
wasn’t created by this government. It wasn’t created by CAIRS. =
The
sunset date was created by our national government many years ago. Furtherm=
ore,
what this government is doing is working actively with the federal governme=
nt,
including Health
A=
t the end
of the day, all that we’re doing in the
Question re: Fiscal
management
Mr. Inverarity: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I have a question for the M=
inister
of Justice. As a minister, it is her duty to uphold the laws of the =
A=
s a
result, the department is not in compliance with the Financial
Administration Act. The minister has been made aware of this for several
weeks now and has done nothing about it. I’d like to know why not.
Hon. Mr. Fentie: =
The reference being made by=
the
Member for Porter Creek South should be related back to exactly what the
Auditor General has reported on. On the matters as mentioned, especially for
the health care department, it’s right in the public accounts.
T=
he Auditor
General had no issues with all material matters as presented and our books =
have
been duly audited and presented. That’s the way it is. It certainly
isn’t the way the Member for Porter Creek South is trying to present =
it.
Mr. Inverarity: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> Well, we know what the
Premier’s opinion is of the law. This is going to be a major issue co=
ming
up in the campaign; the major issue is going to be trust. It’s the
minister’s job to uphold the laws of the
T=
here’s
another example that the Auditor General of
Hon. Mr. Fentie: =
It is all about trust and o=
ne must
be very factual to gain the trust of any public anywhere. I’ll leave =
the
A=
s far as
this investment that the Member for Porter Creek South has just mentioned,
I’m sure the member will recall when the Auditor General reported this
government acted immediately to ensure that no further investments of this =
type
take place. That’s what we did. I’m not sure what former Libera=
l or
NDP governments did, because those kinds of investments were taking place f=
or
years.
Mr. Inverarity: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> It’s very disappointi=
ng to
see that the Minister of Justice has refused to defend her action. There has
been a lot of that lately. The Auditor General of
Hon. Mr. Fentie: =
For the Member for Porter C=
reek
South to even infer — to even in a cursory manner suggest that someon=
e in
the House is breaking the law — is an absolute travesty of democracy.=
If
the member has any evidence that someone on this side of the House has brok=
en
the law, lay the charges, proceed with the correct and due process. Then th=
ose
accused can defend themselves in the arena where=
it is
appropriate. It is about trust. The Liberals are all in it together. They h=
ave
broken faith with the Question re: <=
st1:place> Ms. Hanson: Last week, T=
he
minister signs off on college policies and certainly has control over what =
the
territory transfers to the college. He must have an opinion on this exorbit=
ant
raise in cost for post-secondary students. Can the minister explain how
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
The Government of Yukon has made
significant investments in education in recent years and will continue to
increase the number of post-secondary education opportunities available for
Yukoners.
W=
hen I took
a look at some of the funding amounts, I was quite staggered to see the
increases that have been in place since this government took office. When we
first took office, the base funding for
A=
t the same
time, back in 2002, we recognized that student financial assistance needed =
to
be looked at. That’s why we increased it and indexed it at that time,=
so
Yukon students, whether they’ve been going to Yukon College here or
another post-secondary institution Outside, have seen their grant — n=
ot
their loan, but their grant — from the Yukon government increase every
year.
T=
his
government is very proud of the investments it has made in education,
especially in the area of post-secondary education. We’re pleased to =
see
the number of opportunities increasing for post-secondary education here in=
the
territory, and we’re very supportive of the work that the Yukon Colle=
ge
Board of Governors is doing to ensure that
Ms. Hanson: That’s true. The grant has go=
ne up,
and so have tuition fees. The minister will suggest next that the federal
government loans are available to students. The rise in tuition fees has be=
en
accompanied by unprecedented levels of student debt across this country. I
would remind the minister that the per capita personal debt of every Canadi=
an
has been severely criticized by the same government that forces students in=
to
intolerable debt. The
D=
oes the
minister plan to increase support for students so they don’t have to =
go
into unmanageable debt to get an education?
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
One of the biggest challenges we=
217;re
seeing now is where statistics pertinent to another jurisdiction are being =
put
on the record as being appropriate and applicable here in the territory.
W=
e’re
certainly not seeing those statistics that the Leader of the NDP has raised
being pertinent or accurate to reflect what’s actually going on here =
in
W=
e’ve
seen increases in programming at
Ms. Hanson: I didn’t quite get an answer =
to
that question. You know, a New Democratic government would invest in the
education of young Yukoners. Public policy should grow the knowledge sector=
of
our territory, not make it more difficult to achieve. With the higher cost =
of
living and the number of single parents attending college, we have to be cr=
eative
and supportive in our post-secondary policies. Higher education should be
equally accessible for all on the basis of capacity, not on the level of fa=
mily
income.
W=
e must not
be putting financial obstacles in the way of post-secondary lower- and
middle-income students. There are many good ideas on developing expanding
programs to address the financial obstacles facing students.
W=
ill this
minister agree to consult with students, professionals and other stakeholde=
rs
on how to develop new programs and expand present ones to give reasonable
support to
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
It is encouraging to hear the member
opposite speak of support for creative solutions. It wasn’t that long=
ago
when we were faced with a situation in the territory where the people invol=
ved
in organizing the Canada Winter Games were planning to spend $3 million and
expense that for some kind of rental accommodations. Instead the Government=
of
Yukon went to work with that group and invested significantly more. We buil=
t a
residence at
W=
e are
continuing to make these kinds of investments and continuing to work with t=
he
community. I would encourage the member, if she hasn’t had the
opportunity already, to take a look at the labour market framework that was
presented to the Yukon public and the Yukon Legislative Assembly earlier th=
is
session, where we went to work and looked at what long-term skills and trai=
ning
we need here in the territory and went to work with those stakeholders she =
is
referring to — working with students, labour organizations, employers=
and
training organizations to ensure we’re responsive in meeting the need=
s of
Yukon and helping to prepare Yukoners for Yukon opportunities.
Question re: Mineral stak=
ing
within municipal boundaries
Ms. Hanson: Arcturus
Ventures Inc. has significant quartz mineral claims staked along the
I=
s the
minister aware of this and has he sat down with Spruce Hill residents who a=
re
concerned about impacts adjacent to or on their private property?
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
We’ve had this debate in the =
Assembly
many times about the prohibitions in our
Ms. Hanson: In fact, we have raised this issue =
many
times before and we’re going to continue to raise it because this
minister and the Minister of Community Services will not address it with the
citizens of
W=
hy is this
government so committed to a free-entry system where staking could take pla=
ce
virtually anywhere when there are other models that exist that could minimiz=
e
land use conflicts?
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
I would encourage the member opposi=
te to
revisit the
W=
e also
recognize, Mr. Speaker, that there are important tools that we have, whether
it’s legislation or whether it’s regulation, to address these, =
to
ensure that we have appropriate, reasonable, responsible development.
That’s the whole point behind our permitting processes and our assess=
ment
process — the YESAA process — which does look at the socio-econ=
omic
impacts of projects as well.
M=
r.
Speaker, I’m confident that
Ms. Hanson: Mr. Speaker, we are not talking abo=
ut
legacy issues here; we are talking about here, today, now. Yukon New Democr=
ats
are committed to providing new opportunities for the growth of a progressive
and environmentally responsible
W=
e now have
three significant areas where free entry has led to conflict over land. How
many more land use conflicts is the minister prepared to tolerate before we
look at changing the free-entry approach to something a little more suited =
for
modern times?
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
First the member opposite chastised=
me
for bringing up legacy projects and saying we’re not looking at a leg=
acy,
we’re looking at right now, and then clouded the whole issue by bring=
ing
into question the area on the Dome Road and the area on the ski trials. Som=
e of
those claims date back to 1902. It’s always a challenge to debate whe=
n we
have shifting terms of references going on here.
G=
overnment
of
W=
e’ll
continue to work toward ensuring that there is protection for
Question re: Education=
Act
review
Mr. Fairclough=
: The Education Act, b=
y law,
must be reviewed every 10 years to ensure that it is meeting the needs of o=
ur
education system. Reviewing the act was a promise that this Yukon Party
government made in the 2006 campaign platform, but like many promises, they
have been broken. We have constantly reminded this government of its obliga=
tion
to review the act. The review of the Education Act has not been a pr=
iority,
although it should have been one of the Education minister’s main
responsibilities to complete.
W=
hy has the
Education minister refused to review the act?
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
There have been significant changes=
and
growth in the Department of Education in response to reviews of the Educ=
ation
Act. When I speak of the reviews of the Education Act, I am not =
just
speaking about the Education Act review that the previous Liberal
government had undertaken — we all know how that ended up. Also, when=
we
took a look at the education reform project, there were areas in the Edu=
cation
Act that were reviewed there, and many areas involved changes that can =
be
made without making changes to the act.
I=
would
encourage members opposite to remember April 11 to 13. That’s when our
next education summit will be held here in
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> All we heard today from this
minister is excuses. The MLA for
A=
s we can
see, the same minister also has the same problems setting and meeting timel=
ines
for the Education portfolio. When we reminded the minister in 2006 of his
obligations to review the Education Act, we told him that consultati=
on
was important. We also repeated this message in 2008 when we raised this is=
sue
again. The minister had five years to consult with stakeholders on this iss=
ue
and he still hasn’t reviewed the Education Act. Why wasn’=
;t
this done?
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
We’ve seen a growing trend fr=
om the
Liberal government — excuse me, what a nightmare that would be —
the Liberal opposition, and I expect that as this session winds down, they =
will
continue their approach.
W=
e’ve
seen the Liberal opposition be unable to comment about the performance of t=
his
government. We’ve heard them be unable to comment about policy. So wh=
at
are they left with? Well, they’re left with personal attacks. LetR=
17;s
rise above that one. Let’s take a look at the initiatives going on in=
the
Department of Education. Let’s look at the work that New Horizons has
done to increase curriculum areas to make school a more engaging place.
Let’s take a look at some of the progress that we’ve made in
working with Yukoners to ensure that our education system is meeting the ne=
eds
of all Yukoners throughout the territory.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> This minister has talked at=
great
length about all of the consultation he has done and the ideas that he has
heard. But in five years, he hasn’t updated the Education Act to incorporate anything that has come out of his
meetings. I’m sure that all of the hardworking stakeholders who have =
attended
these meetings would like to know that something will come out of this, but=
so
far the minister has dropped the ball.
I=
n 2006,
the minister said, and I quote: “The issue here isn’t legislati=
on
specifically, it’s the education system.” Well, I have news for=
the
minister. It’s not for him to decide whether this legislation is revi=
ewed
or not. It’s something that the law says he must do. So why did the a=
ct
not get reviewed, as required by law?
Hon. Mr. Rouble: =
Mr. Speaker, we have learned a lot =
from
the reviews done in the Education department — whether it was the =
Education
Act review that the Liberal government undertook, whether it was the
reviews of legislation undertaken by the education reform project, or wheth=
er
it was the review by the Auditor General. We’ve learned a lot and
benefited from that and made changes within the Department of Education. The
member opposite has talked a lot about wanting to see more community input.
Well, Mr. Speaker, that’s certainly reflected in the school growth pl=
ans,
just as one example. This is a way where the local community can work with =
the
school to ensure their community-specific initiatives, ideas and concerns a=
re
being addressed specifically in their school.
M=
r.
Speaker, if the opposition wants to see governance in action, I would encou=
rage
them to come to one of these meetings and take a look the contributions the
community is making with the school growth plans and see the positive impact
that’s being made in Yukon schools today. There are a lot of people d=
oing
a lot of very good work in this area, and I would encourage members of the
Liberal Party to recognize this, to take their heads out of the sand and to
realize what is going on in
<= o:p>
Speaker: The time for Question Perio=
d has
now elapsed. We will proceed to Orders of the Day.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO=
RS
Mr. Mitchell:
I would just like to ask all
members to join me in extending a warm welcome to a constituent and also an
author, a columnist in the areas of conservation of forests, fish and wildl=
ife
and a sometimes political correspondent, Mr. Murray Martin.
Applause
ORDERS OF THE DAY
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
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 Go=
vernment
House Leader that the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the House res=
olve
into Committee of the Whole.
Motion
agreed to
Speaker
leaves the Chair
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE=
Chair (Mr. No= rdick): Order please. Committee of the Whole will now come to order. The matter bef= ore the Committee is Bill No. 24, First Appropriation Act, 2011-12. Comm= ittee of the Whole will now consider Vote 54, Department of Tourism and Culture.<= /p>
Do members wish a brief recess?
All Hon. Memb=
ers:
Agreed.
Chair: Committee of the Whole will=
recess
for 15 minutes.
<= o:p>
Recess
Chair: Order please. Committee of =
the
Whole will now come to order.
Bill No. 24: First Appropriat=
ion Act,
2011-12 — continued
Chair: The matter before the Commi=
ttee is
Bill No. 24, First Appropriation Act, 2011-12. We will now proceed w=
ith
general debate in Vote 54, Department of Tourism and Culture.
<= o:p>
<= o:p>
Department
of Tourism and Culture
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
Mr. Chair, it is indeed my honour a=
nd
privilege to rise in today’s Assembly to address and to present the
2011-12 operation and maintenance and capital budgets for the Department of
Tourism and Culture.
I=
would
first like to take a few moments just to recognize and thank the many
individuals who work in the Department of Tourism and Culture for their
expertise, for their knowledge and their professionalism.
I=
have very
much enjoyed the opportunity to serve as the minister responsible for the p=
ast
eight and some years. I have very much learned and continue to learn, thank=
s to
the professionalism and the multitude of knowledge — the corporate me=
mory
— housed within the Department of Tourism and Culture.
T=
he 2011-12
budget for the Department of Tourism and Culture
reflects expenditures of $20.194 million, and $1.841 million, respectively,=
all
in support of various programs and services delivered by the department in
recognition of both T=
he
objectives of the Department of Tourism and Culture are as follows: to gene=
rate
long-term economic growth and revenues for the benefit of Yukon people thro=
ugh
the development and marketing of Yukon’s tourism industry; to generate
long-term economic growth; and to maximize socio-cultural benefits for Yukon
residents and visitors through the preservation, development and interpreta=
tion
of historic resources, visual, literary and performing arts and cultural
industries in the Yukon. O=
ur
government is very proud of the investments we have made over the last numb=
er
of years to grow tourism in the territory. Strategic investments such as the
tourism cooperative marketing fund, T=
his
government recognizes the value of tourism to our territory and has worked =
to
also increase its level of investment in marketing the territory with milli=
ons
of dollars to our key target markets within Canada, the United States and
overseas. It is, indeed, working. Last year alone, in 2010, we were able to=
see
a 10-percent increase in visitation over the year previous to that. O=
ne of the
mechanisms that we have been able to utilize over the last number of years =
is
investments in what we have coined as the Destination: T=
hrough
television spots that ran February 12 during the Scoti=
abank
Hockey Day in Canada on CBC, to print ads and Internet advertising, this
campaign builds on the equity invested previously and on the awareness
generated through Canada’s north consortium national marketing campai=
gn
and 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
marketing initiatives in Vancouver. It also significantly builds upon the i=
nvestments
made in 2007, when we were able to work with our two northern territories
— the Northwest Territories and Nunavut — on the first-ever
pan-north marketing campaign, entitled “Look Up North”. T=
he 2011
Destination: A=
gain, this
builds upon the momentum that was garnered in 2007 and again in 2010 and the
many investments the T=
rade and
consumer shows are also essential for increasing awareness of T=
CMF is
designed as a 50:50 cost-share program supporting marketing initiatives and
partnerships and attendance at trade and consumer shows. Speaking of consum=
er
shows, we were also very pleased to just recently announce that the GoMedia Canada Marketplace 2012,<=
/span>
will be coming to W=
e are
thrilled to be able to partner with the tourism industry and our respective
municipalities to ensure that it is indeed a great success, as other events
have shown to be. Another initiative that is in this year’s budget is=
the
scenic drives initiative worth $350,000 in annual funding. It’s also
committed toward the implementation of the scenic drives marketing program
— again, an increase designed to target rubber-tire travellers to com=
e to
the Yukon to visit and to lengthen their duration of stay in the Yukon by
highlighting Yukon as a travel destination and, of course, highlighting our
transportation and our cultural corridor assets to potential visitors. A=
lso contained
in this year’s budget is the www.travelyuko=
n.com website. We have
approximately $125,000 for the maintenance and ongoing development of this
website. It’s the key foundation of this tourism marketing program and
has been around for the past 16 years. Over the past number of recent years=
, we
have invested heavily in the make-over of this particular tool. It has very
much become the basis for tourism marketing worldwide and is integral to the
effective, as well as efficient, promotion of I=
n addition
to Destination: Yukon, marketing operations in North America also include
expenditures toward our participation in a tourism north partnership with t=
he
Alaska Travel Industry Association, Tourism British Columbia and Travel Alb=
erta
to increase rubber-tire visitation from the United States. We are also very
pleased to contribute over $1 million to organizations such as the Yukon Qu=
est,
Yukon Convention Bureau, Wilderness Tourism Association of Yukon and Tourism
Industry Association of the Yukon, to name but a few, to deliver key domest=
ic
tourism products and initiatives. I=
t was
building upon the investments in domestic marketing and North American
marketing. We are very pleased to continue with our efforts to market T=
hese funds
are in addition to the marketing operations overseas budget housed within o=
ur
Department of Tourism and Culture of $1.3 million for activities and consum=
er
marketing, trade sales and media relations. Together, almost $1.8 million
annually will be used to market I=
should
say that last year alone, in the year 2010, visitation in our overseas mark=
ets
was actually up by 16 percent, which is very good news for the Yukon. Again=
, it
is to be attributed to the strong partnership that we have garnered with the
tourism sector and being very strategic in how we invest our dollars and
collaborating on very unique and strategic partnerships. The Fulda Extreme Arctic Challenge, for example, is one of
those very initiatives. T=
his
funding coming from the Government of Canada enables the department to leve=
rage
exposure and opportunities based on our previous investments. Of course, we
know that our visitor services program is also essential to seeing that vis=
itors
get the most of their travel experience in the A=
s I
mentioned, over the last 12 months in 2010, we saw a significant increase in
visitation resulting in 10 percent over that of 2009, reflecting increases =
for
both border crossings and in private vehicle traffic, as well as motorcoach traffic. As I just referenced, we also saw=
an
increase of 16 percent in foreign visitors and
W=
e continue
to work with our partners in industry, in particular with our Senior Market=
ing
Committee and the Tourism Industry Association of Yukon to ensure that all =
of
our dollars targeting markets are spent in an efficient and effective manner
and that they are reported as such on an annual =
basis.
Of course, it’s this ongoing willingness and ability to work with the
business and tourism sectors and to be able to ensure that all our marketing
programs are industry-led that contribute to Yukon’s successful progr=
amming
on an annual basis.
I=
nvesting
in culture is also integral to our success as a travel destination. This
investment also contributes to the well-being of our communities through pu=
blic
engagement and capacity building. Our commitment to culture is supported wi=
th
over $9 million toward the arts, heritage resources, historic sites, museum=
s,
First Nation cultural interpretive centres and
I=
see that
my time to end is growing very close, but I did want to certainly hone in o=
n a
couple of facts. It is unfortunate I don’t have the time to give the
department its full credit that is fully deserved.
I=
do want
to spell out that the department delivers a great number of programs and
services when it comes to advancing the stories of the Yukon — whether
it’s working with Yukon First Nation, on co-owned or co-managed histo=
ric
sites: Fort Selkirk, Rampart House, Fortymile, =
to
name but a few. They are all ongoing, significant investments that have bee=
n enhanced
in this year’s budget.
W=
e have
approximately $1.5 million in direct support for the maintenance and operat=
ion
of our museums and First Nation cultural centres, as well as for some of the
capital projects undertaken by museums.
An
additional $350,000 is identified for special projects, safety and security
upgrades, and another $141,000 is going toward the implementation of the
heritage and culture certificate program in partnership with Yukon College =
and
the Vuntut Gwitchin government.
M=
r. Chair,
moving over to the arts — we recognize the very importance of this se=
ctor
and have worked to enrich a number of programs over the years, as well as
develop new initiatives over the eight years plus. The touring artist fund =
and
Culture Quest are two examples of initiatives that this government has crea=
ted,
and they have proven to be extremely successful.
T=
here is
support of the Old Fire Hall and Arts Underground as cultural venues, and o=
ther
initiatives that have helped further the growth of cultural industries. For
community groups and organizations, the arts fund will contribute some $500=
,000
toward art projects that engage people, animate communities and build capac=
ity.
O=
f course,
the Yukon Arts Centre and the Dawson City Arts Society combined will receive
over $1 million in core funding for their operations, to enable them to
continue to grow and deliver innovative and diverse programming to the perf=
orming
and visual arts.
T=
he arts
operating fund will provide some $668,000, which was previously $425,000 in
years past, to not-for-profit societies engaged in literary, visual or
performing arts activities with annual and ongoing programs, including both
developing and long-standing groups.
W=
e have
also enhanced the Artist in the School program from $25,000 to $100,000, and
this budget sees that expenditure reflected at the same $100,000 — ag=
ain,
enabling more communities in the territory to subscribe to arts programming=
in
the Yukon and enriching the lives of a multitude of students.
By
supporting the promotion and professional development of artists through the
visual arts and crafts strategy, programs including Art Adventures on Yu=
kon
Time studio guide and created-in-Yukon products continue to benefit
I=
could go
on for a long, long time but I will just wrap up my comments and again thank
the Department of Tourism and Culture and all officials throughout the
Government of Yukon for their continued support of the tourism industry,
whether it’s waterfront improvements in Carcross, Whitehorse, or expa=
nsion
of the Whitehorse International Airport or improvements to our road infrast=
ructure
or ongoing investments made by the Department of Environment to enhance the
state of our wildlife and our environment.
I=
’ll
just conclude my remarks. I look forward to the upcoming debate with members
opposite on the Department of Tourism and Culture.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I thank the minister for her
remarks and the information she has provided in her opening remarks.
I=
would
also like to thank the officials for their work in preparing the budget and=
for
passing information on to the opposition parties in the briefings. I do have
some questions in regard to this department. I do not want to spend a whole=
lot
of time on it. The minister made mention of some of the issues that I would
like to raise. Perhaps she can give more detail =
to
some of these dollar amounts and what the department is doing. I’m su=
re
she has that information; she says she has a lot more.
I=
n regard
to Destination: Yukon 2011, the minister said that they are spending $600,0=
00
on summer marketing and this is targeted to
I=
am hoping
that when former Yukoners who live in the cities recognize and look at these
ads, they will see something totally different from what we have had in the
past. If the minister would like, I could show her one of these ads. It
didn’t promote
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I think we have had this discussion=
a
time or two in the Legislature on the concerns that were raised by the memb=
er
opposite. I think it was probably about two or three years ago that the mem=
ber
opposite raised the campaign in question. Since then there has been
significant, I would say, improvements to the way we deliver our marketing
campaigns.
T=
he one
thing that I want to say is that, as of last fiscal year, 2010-11, we were =
able
to actually bring security and stability to our Destination:
L=
ast fiscal
year, 2010-11, was really the first year that we were actually able to buil=
d to
our A-base secure ongoing annual funding of about a $5,000 increase to this
initiative. This is really key because it gives
partners to the
T=
he
advertisements that we just recently launched — the summer campaign
— so, in other words, people are thinking about finalizing their vaca=
tion
plans for the summer. This campaign was launched on February 12 — my
son’s birthday, which happened to be Hockey Day in
I=
also
articulated earlier in my remarks that everything that we do in terms of our
marketing plans in all of our key markets, whether it’s North America,
United States, Canada, whether it is overseas — what we’re doing=
in
product development or in the research unit.
E=
verything
is articulated, outlining recommendations made by our Senior Marketing Comm=
ittee,
the department’s performance targets and what we are trying to look a=
t in
terms of qualified responses and return on investment.
T=
here are
specific targets that are included in our annual Tourism Yukon
Implementation Plan. In fact, we are just working off the 2010-11
Tourism
S=
o this
recent initiative, which was just launched on Hockey Day in
T=
he summer
marketing program is to the tune — I think it was just over $618,000.=
It
is marked by a series of television ads, such as what we just saw on CBC, w=
hich
was a really great response — very much so when one takes a look at t=
he
inquiries made on the Travel Yukon website. It was incredible to say the le=
ast.
When Hockey Day in Canada aired in the Yukon on February 12, I believe I had
heard reported that it was actually the most popular Hockey Day in Canada t=
o be
reported on and to be received by Canadians at large. That was really great=
to
hear, because those individuals would also be watching our ads being aired.=
Of
course, in tandem with that, we will also have dollars going into on-line a=
nd
print advertising, whether that is newspapers or magazines, and so forth.
I=
would say
they’re first-rate, first class. I’ve seen a draft of them and I
will be happy to showcase or share with the member opposite some of the dra=
ft
ads. I thought they were very well done.
I=
also
wanted to make clear that this does not include the recent dollars we just
received through the Government of Canada’s CanN=
or
program for pan-territorial tourism funding. This is really great news for =
the
A=
s I
mentioned earlier, it’s building upon that momentum garnered over the
last number of years, such as the Look Up North
campaign in 2007 and the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paral=
ympic
Games in
I=
t’ll
focus on advertisements and promotions with the aim of driving “more =
bums
in seats”, as the tourism sector likes to make reference to. In fact,=
our
first territorial ad will begin airing on March 18 for a period of three we=
eks,
so stay tuned and look out for that. The campaign, very much like our Desti=
nation:
W=
e’re
working with
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> That’s a lot of infor=
mation
for the minister to provide. I asked the minister about the $600,000 for su=
mmer
marketing to Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto using Internet,
television and print ads and how the initiative’s impact will be meas=
ured
and what cost-benefit analysis was done. The minister said that the last fi=
scal
year — what we’ve seen in the territory was a lot more security=
and
stability in the marketing.
T=
he
minister went on to explain part of that. Are we then going to be seeing a
stable number of dollars going toward summer marketing in the budget? Is th=
is
part of the stability in keeping the interest here in the territory? I know=
the
minister explained part of it, but it wasn’t completely clear what she
meant by having both security and stability in marketing as of the last fis=
cal
year. I’ll give her that opportunity.
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
The expenditure I was referring to
earlier was $618,000 for the summer Destination:
I=
n fact,
just in our report card for 2009-10 — I believe all of this is posted=
on-line,
if the members opposite are interested — there were significant
performance measures and, of course, reported for the 2009-10 fiscal year
because we are not quite complete this current fiscal year. In all, it was a
good overview. I could certainly go over it word for word, but I think memb=
ers
opposite can take a look and see what the performance measures are and how =
we
performed, relatively speaking.
Y=
ou know,
when it came to 2010, it was significant and at the end of the day — =
and
I have to go back a few years because I have said this time and time again.
Over the last decade, the tourism industry has been hit by a number of hard=
ships
— some global, some local. If there is anything that I have learned i=
n my
tenure as minister responsible for Tourism, it’s that this industry is
anything but stagnant. It has learned to be resilient and it is 100 percent=
due
to the efforts of industry and the government working in partnership,
specifically the Department of Tourism and Culture, to be strategic in wher=
e we
invest our dollars and to evaluate those dollars and say, “You know
W=
e haven’t
had that. It hasn’t been that way in the past decade. The Senior
Marketing Committee was first introduced through the Tourism Industry
Association of the
L=
ikewise,
at the upcoming annual meeting of the Tourism Industry Association is when I
would assume the Department of Tourism and Culture, in collaboration with
industry, will launch the tourism implementation plan for 2011-12. That is
really key to making it known.
T=
he long
and short of it is, because we have been strategic over the years, and beca=
use
we have been able to recognize the impact of global events such as the econ=
omic
recession, volatile — whether it’s financial, fuel, stock marke=
ts,
wars overseas. We have been able to look at the impacts of those on our
performance and our revenues. It is these events that have provided the
incentive to be collectively more strategic and more efficient and integrat=
ed
into how we develop, implement and evaluate the marketing, product developm=
ent
and the research programs.
I=
would
just like to thank the Senior Marketing Committee who has been and continue=
s to
be fully engaged in establishing our goals and objectives for the annual pl=
an.
I would just re-emphasize the key role they play in tourism marketing by pr=
oviding
that meaningful contact with the tourism industry and communicating the
industry priorities for tourism marketing in the
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I’d like to move on t=
o the
initiatives that tourism has taken in
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
That was some time ago, but forgive=
me. I
will try to provide an overview. At the time, it was really an opportunity =
for
us, in collaboration with the members of the Yukon Tourism Industry Associa=
tion
and the Wilderness Tourism Association to go over and to meet with key Germ=
an
overseas travel trade representatives, as well as the airline carriers, suc=
h as
Condor Airlines. It was a great opportunity to meet one-on-one with the sec=
tor
and be able to garner a reflection or a better sense of their reaction to
Condor Airline’s decision to — how do I put it? — readjust
their schedule for the upcoming season. I just wanted to ensure that we hear
directly from them in terms of what we need to do as a tourism sector and
Government of Yukon to ensure that visitation continues to be strong to the=
A=
t our
meeting, we had representatives of Condor Airlines, for example, together w=
ith
the top seven or eight German travel trade representatives and representati=
ves
of the Department of Tourism and Culture, as well as representatives of
C=
urrently,
the Department of Tourism and Culture spends just over $1 million per year.=
It
will now bump that funding up to about $1.4 million to carry out a four-yea=
r marketing
and awareness initiative to overseas markets, which include German-speaking=
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> It was a bit difficult to h=
ear over
some of the conversation that was taking place, but the minister did answer=
a
portion of the question.
O=
n the
agenda was the changing of the flights from
W=
ill the
change be taking place, as I understand it will? Will there be an impact on=
the
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
The changes — I don’t h=
ave at
my fingertips the actual schedule for Condor Airlines. I believe it’s=
the
end of May. I’m sorry, I don’t have that at my fingertips, but =
it
will go until mid-September, if I am not mistaken.
T=
he changes to the 2011 flight schedule is basically from =
two
flights per week, to one flight per week. It’s really important to br=
ing
clarity to this issue because I know a lot of individuals have said it̵=
7;s
a significant reduction. While it is a reduction in the number of flights,
there is still the capacity that we have continued to receive year in and y=
ear
out, meaning that the flights that will be coming over from
T=
here are a
couple of advantages to that. One is that we think that direct flights will
likely result in a better overall experience for individuals coming to the
Yukon for visitation purposes, as the passengers will no longer have to inc=
ur
the transit time, for example, associated with the extra stop in Alaska and
also the need to clear U.S. security and immigration.
S=
o, based
on that information, Condor Airlines made the decisions to reduce their fli=
ghts
to be able to accommodate one flight directly. When all is said and done, t=
here
will be the same number of seats available to individuals coming over from =
I=
hope that
is clear enough. It’s a bit complex, but we feel pretty optimistic ab=
out
the upcoming season and carrying on our good relationship with the German
travel trade, which works very closely with the tourism sector and also put=
the
most bums in the seats, when it comes to flying on that particular airline.=
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I asked the minister whethe=
r there
will be an impact on the
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
In terms of impacts felt by industr=
y by
this change in schedule, as I referenced earlier, the
T=
hey are a
great contributor to the fly/drive business, which is contributing to RV
rentals or pickup truck/camper rentals and individual car rentals. In turn,
they spend a significant amount of time in each of our communities; they=
217;re
ones to go into rural
W=
e are
working with the tourism sector and we’ll continue to work with them =
and
pay close attention to how things evolve.
W=
hen it
comes to Condor Airlines I was just given the exact dates — their fli=
ght
schedule begins May 18 and ends September 14. At the same time, we know tha=
t,
from working with the German travel trade, they too want to ensure that thi=
s remains
a successful story for the
W=
e also
recognize that significant opportunities continue to be made available in t=
he
shoulder seasons, as well as through our own regional local carrier, Air No=
rth,
for example, in taking advantage of working on the first couple of weeks in=
May
or the second couple of weeks in September and so forth, but also throughou=
t.
There are significant opportunities, and we are keen to work with carriers =
such
as that as well.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> The government has invested=
a large
amount of money to increase international capabilities at the
I=
might
have gotten that pronunciation wrong. When will this start and how likely a=
re
these charters to materialize?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I would first just like to clarify:
it’s Edelweiss from
When we talk about the expansion of the
N=
ow
everyone has to get off. They have to have a holding or a transit lounge, a
secure holding area. That was specifically one of the requirements made by =
the
security agencies that clear these individuals. That is why the government =
constructed
a holding area to ensure that clients such as Edelweiss would be able to
continue to use the
A=
gain, it
is a good-news story for the
Mr. Fairclough: <= span lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> The minister said that as f= ar as government knows, as far as the minister knows, this will be happening. I asked the minister when this would start, and she says May 30, and it ends September = 12. How likely are these charters to materialize? Has the minister been given t= he word that, yes, this is actually going to happen? Or we don’t quite k= now yet, but things are scheduled and these are the schedules that we may see?<= o:p>
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I know that when we are working wit=
h our
own Department of Tourism and Culture in communication with the Government =
of
Canada, it is our understanding that Edelweiss Air has been working with the
proper authorities to obtain the necessary paperwork to approve their fligh=
ts
coming in.
A=
t this
time, I’m saying that, according to inform=
ation
provided through the Department of Tourism and Culture, as far as we know o=
r at
least the information provided to us is saying the flights are coming, but I
haven’t seen the exact sign-off, nor would I on the respective paperw=
ork
from
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> Does this mean that at this=
point
the tourism businesses here in the territory are to operate without having =
that
knowledge, or are they actually planning to have Edelweiss come over and a
bigger number of people in the territory, and accommodate them through their
businesses? I haven’t heard that from the minister. I know she says t=
hat
we’re basically waiting for the signing off of whether this is even g=
oing
to materialize or not. I’m just wondering how the tourism operators a=
re
going to gear up to be able to handle this increase in number of tourists in
the territory?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
According to the Department of Tour=
ism
and Culture, I’m not aware. I don=
217;t
have the information at my fingertips on exactly who has been working in co=
llaboration
with Edelweiss. We have been working with our key overseas target trade =
212;
I suppose the proper term is the overseas travel trade. We know there is a
Swiss wholesaler, for example, that we have been working with for years. Th=
ey
are working with Edelweiss, to the best of my knowledge. That is the best
update I can provide at this time.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I’m sure the tourism =
industry
would welcome the increase in the number of people coming over to the
territory. I’d like to ask the minister about another thing: Great Ri=
ver
Journey. The government invested a large amount of Yukoners’ money in=
to
this venture. It was about $118,000 from Tourism and Culture and about $577=
,000
from Economic Development.
N=
ow, I know
the minister made an announcement in the past and had high hopes for this
project. She did say that she was confident that this would be a success st=
ory,
and it was a flagship enterprise. Since then, Great River Journey has gone
bankrupt. I think Yukoners are interested to know where things are going to=
go.
Have there been impacts on how the minister reviews projects and the alloca=
tion
of funding? As a result of this bankruptcy, what are the impacts on the tou=
rism
industry?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
We have gone through this at great =
length
in previous debates. Again, as I tried to articulate to the members opposite
last sitting, I believe it was, the funding that was received by Great River
Journey was applicant-driven. It was made available through programs such as
the tourism cooperative marketing fund.
I=
t was also
available through familiarization tour assistance that we provide to indust=
ry.
Of course, funding was also made available through the Department of Econom=
ic
Development through their funding mechanisms. But again, this funding was
applied for and it was received. I should also add that it was also endorse=
d by
the Tourism Industry Association. In fact, at the fall TIA Roundup, I belie=
ve
it was, the chair of the association did state that he believed and that the
TIA board believed that the government support was appropriate and for a nu=
mber
of reasons. First and foremost, the monies were disbursed from funds that a=
re
available to any operator. In fact, when it comes to criteria there is crit=
eria
when it comes to TCMF, the tourism cooperative marketing fund, one of the
funding mechanisms that was made available to Great River Journey. There is=
a review
committee made up of representation from the department, from TIA, from
Wilderness Tourism Association of the
T=
hey have
all had a hand in providing recommendations to the department in the
establishment of criteria for the tourism cooperative marketing fund. Likew=
ise,
the department’s fam<=
/span>
tours — there are protocols in place, which the Senior Marketing
Committee has also recommended and approved and oversees mechanisms such as
this.
A=
gain, I
have outlined the significant value of the tourism cooperative marketing fu=
nd.
Of course, for every dollar put forward, it is leveraged by a dollar put
forward by the tourism sector — by the private sector. I just wanted =
to
say that when it comes to the tourism cooperative marketing fund —
whether it is Air North, for example, that leverages dollars made available
through the tourism cooperative marketing fund or through assistance made
available through our fam
tours — it doesn’t just solely benefit the one industry or the =
one
business of Air North. By having
I=
just
wanted to put that forward. Again, the funds were made available to Great R=
iver
Journey, just as they’re available to many other individual organizat=
ions
and companies. In fact, there have been over 500 applications made and
supported since TCMF was approved back in 2004.
W=
e do have
protocols; we do have criteria in place that have been developed, approved =
and
wholly endorsed by the tourism sector.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>
T=
he tourism
product development and research unit carries out exit surveys of tourists =
in
the
T=
he last
results that we have are for the year 2004. In April of 2010, the Member for
Porter Creek South asked when the next one would be completed. The
minister’s reply was that she expects to do one in 2011. I would like=
to
ask what the plans are for this. The minister also said there would be no s=
urveys
in 2010 because, in her words: “We chose not to do one for this year =
for
the very reason that we wanted to consult in a meaningful way with industry,
tour operators and the tourism association across the Yukon to ensure that,
when we do go out and spend dollars — I know the last one we did was
about $500,000.” In her words, “It is a fairly large amount of
dollars. We want to ensure that the information that we provide is timely, =
that
it is accurate and that it is relevant and responsive to the needs of
industry.”
T=
hose were
the words of the minister. Has that consultation been completed? The minist=
er
also said that they’re looking at not doing a single survey every four
years but possibly smaller segment-oriented surveys each year.
I=
s this
still in mind and have there been steps taken to this end?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
Further to what I had stated previo=
usly
in regard to the visitor exit survey, it is a very important survey. It is =
one
that requires a lot of resources as well, to the tune of anywhere from $400=
,000
to $600,000 in its current state. What we have talked about over the last
couple of years is that in order — before we actually go out to do a
visitor exit survey, what is really required is to ensure that whatever we =
do
is relevant, is timely, is effective, efficient and that meets, more
importantly, the needs of the tourism sector. What the Department of Tourism
and Culture has been undertaking over the last several months is a number of
consultations with the tourism sector Yukon-wide.
I=
believe
if consultations haven’t just wound up, they are near winding up. That
also includes going out to an RFP. In fact, it’s being advertised, if
I’m not mistaken, in the papers right now and is for the creation and
implementation of a
A=
s I tried
to articulate earlier, it may be that every four years is not good enough;
maybe we need to do something biannually; maybe we need to do something on =
an
annual basis. We also need to look at our airport, for example, to see how =
we
can conduct surveys on those individuals planing and
deplaning at our airport, seeing the significant 25-percent increase over t=
he
last five years alone at the
T=
hat’s
where we’re at with this. I understand,
we’ve gone out to a request for proposal for the implementation and
design of this visitor program.
I
can’t tell you exactly what that looks like — what the end resu=
lt
is. That work has yet to conclude, never mind start.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> So there will be an exit su=
rvey
done at the end of this tourist season?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
What is being envisioned here is co=
ming
up with the building blocks for implementing a program. The timing has yet =
to
be determined because, as I understand, it will be looking at reviewing what
other jurisdictions do but looking at conducting an airport assessment or
study, visitation, highway-based study, enhanced re-con=
tact
study to facilitate visitor-spend, and profiling data. That’s really
critical because it’s not only about the number of visitors we receiv=
e,
but the revenue that is derived by
So
it’s coming up with a new, modernized way of tracking, measuring and
monitoring that really capitalizes on our visitor volumes through our visit=
or information
centres as well. Again, as I understand, it is out for RFP right now and we
should hear the outcome of that particular contract sometime this summer.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> The minister did say there =
is much
work to be done in designing this exit survey. She didn’t say yes =
212;
that it will be done at the end of this tourist season or not. Is there a
likelihood that this exit survey may not be done at the end of this tourism
season?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I really don’t want to pre-em=
pt the
outcome of who wins the contract and what comes out in terms of the develop=
ment
and implementation. Although, I think that it is the intent to go with a pi=
lot
project, for example, to evaluate that pilot, and hopefully this year. I th=
ink
they’re looking at this season and then going live with a full tracki=
ng
program including reporting on all those programs.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I thank the minister for pr=
oviding
information to this side of the House. I am going to turn it over to the Th=
ird
Party for questioning in this department. I thank the minister for her answ=
ers.
I may come back and ask a couple more questions in regard to the department=
.
Ms. Hanson: I also would like to thank the Depa=
rtment
of Tourism and Culture’s staff for the briefing they provided recentl=
y.
It helped orient me to some of the activities of what I consider to be one =
of
the most exciting and dynamic areas of the
W=
hen you
think about culture, just the depth of the arts community in this territory
— and you know, the fact is we celebrate it today because of the amaz=
ing
talent pool that we have presently in this territory. I’ve travelled many places in this world and whether it is=
in
eastern
I=
stayed at
a bed and breakfast three years ago in Capetown=
. The
fellow had never ever been to
I=
’m
interested, when I look at the budget of this
T=
hat’s
sort of the backdrop as to why I am interested in pursuing the questions wi=
th
respect to the assessed potential, the net contribution and the scenarios f=
or
growth and development in this territory.
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I am very proud to represent a gove=
rnment
that has been very supportive of this department, whether it is the tourism
sector or the cultural industries. You know, one of the first things that we
did upon taking office in 2006 — upon being re-elected, I should say
— was take a look at the cultural industries. One of the first things
that we did at the onset of our early mandate was to take a look at the pro=
grams
— those that were working and those that were really needing to be
enhanced or enriched. I think that it has already been said, but the arts p=
lay
an important role in our community, for example.
W=
e all know
this. We know an enhancement in resources made available for artists and ar=
tist
organizations ensures their success in a wide range of activities. The arts=
are
an important contributors to our economy. They
contribute to our well-being; they contribute to our communities throughout=
the
T=
he touring
artist fund has proven to be a great success. In fact, I was just able to s=
peak
to one of the recipients of the last round of funding through the touring
artist fund and it has enabled this one particular performing artist to be =
able
to leverage other funds through this fund. It has helped him open a number =
of
creative doors in enhancing his tour, for example, in
I=
’ve
had more comments on the touring artist fund than I have on just about any
other program. We have been able to enhance the arts fund by enhancing fund=
ing
made available to the
W=
e have
also been able to enhance funding through the Dawson City Arts Society. In
fact, when we took office in 2002, it was around $100,000. They now receive
about $400,000 and do incredible work on behalf of the
T=
hey’ve
done a great job as well. It’s the first accredited offering of a fir=
st
year of a fine arts degree through this institution north of 60. They have
established — through their work and through the
W=
e know
that, according to Statistics Canada,
N=
ot only
have we been able to increase the number of museums eligible for museums
programming, but we have established a new program and ongoing operations,
support and maintenance for First Nation cultural centres throughout the
territory. We are also in partnership with two self-governing First Nations
— Kwanlin Dun, and
I=
n terms of
T=
hat
doesn’t include expenditures we have made over the years in Culture
Quest, which was first initiated in 2003 to provide those lasting benefits =
to
both the tourism and culture sectors as a result of having the Canada Winter
Games and the 2010 Winter Olympics and so forth. We’ve seen great thi=
ngs
coming from this unique program, which was funded by the department and
delivered through the Yukon Arts Centre. It’s to initiate new program=
ming
and advance the development of the arts and heritage in the
T=
he
majority of individuals who performed during the
Winter Olympics, for example, up on the international stage, first were
recipients of the Culture Quest program. So that program has in fact met the
litmus test that it is effective, and it has also helped strengthen ties
between our contemporary and our traditional cultural heritage.
W=
hen it
comes to programming, in addition to the Dawson City Arts Society, we have =
also
been very pleased to be able to work with Yukon Arts Centre, which has been
doing a wonderful job over the last number of years in working with communi=
ties
Yukon-wide to nurture and to grow capacity and to grow the arts community.
Indeed, as the member opposite just articulated, the arts community is in f=
act
very much flourishing — continues to flourish — and the Yukon A=
rts
Centre is a major contributor to this successful growth over the last numbe=
r of
years. From when we took office, the funding arrangement with the Yukon Arts
Centre has grown from about $499,000 to — I believe it’s just
around $750,000 today.
In
addition, we also partnered with the Yukon Arts Centre on the growth of the
cultural sector through cultural venues, such as the Old Fire Hall. We̵=
7;ve
entered into a contribution agreement with the Yukon Arts Centre of $150,000
each year over three years. That’s in addition to their main core fun=
ding
program. As I mentioned before, they also help administer the Culture Quest=
on
our behalf and they’ve done an amazing job in that regard.
T=
hose are
just some of the examples. I could go on at great length about the other
investments the government has chosen to enhance over the years when it com=
es
to historic sites and enriching some of the funding mechanisms we have. They
are working. When it comes to tourism, I was just on my feet not long ago
talking about how each expenditure is recorded, evaluated and reported on,
housed within our annual implementation plan. We’re very pleased to s=
ee
the results thus far.
W=
e have
endured a number of challenges, both global and local, over the last number=
of
years but, by and large, we have been able to do very well. Last year we we=
re
able to outperform if not every, just about every other jurisdiction in the
country when it came to visitation. We are very pleased with those results,
especially when you compare them to the national results. We just received =
just
over a one-percent increase overall in visitation.
We
recognize that challenges will always be before us but, by working in
collaboration with industry, it is important to be able to continue that
long-standing partnership, to have that understanding of the return on
investment, to continue to evaluate where our programs are working and to
report progress to the
I=
also
wanted to say, when it comes to the arts, one body I haven’t taken the
opportunity to thank is the Yukon Arts Advisory Council, which provides a j=
ury
on the
Ms. Hanson: Mr. Chair, I was hoping that we cou=
ld
move this into an actual exchange about ideas and improve on something, I t=
hink
we all agree, is a really important area — tourism and culture. I will
say, at the risk of being repetitive, when you are talking to the Yukon New
Democratic Party, you are preaching to the converted. We do support tourism=
; we
do support investment in culture. My concern when I raised it,
and the question I asked had to do with the contribution to the
T=
he
minister has repeated again the contributions that this government has made=
to
a number of groups throughout the territory, but Mr. Chair, when I look at
things like the Dawson City Arts Society, the number is static. 2009-10 — $400,000; 2011-12 — $400,000. Th=
ere
has been no change across the board.
W=
hen I look
at the issue of the touring artist fund, it has gone from $121,000 in 2009-=
10
to $100,000. When I look at the Artist in the School pr=
ogram,
$132,000 to $100,000. When I look at just any number of them here, t=
hey
just keep going either static or down. I raised this question in the briefi=
ng
and I’ll raise it again. In terms of determining how the
O=
ne of the
areas — this is why I threw it out to the minister at the outset R=
12;
was to be able to demonstrate the significant contribution that these secto=
rs
make to the
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
At the risk of sounding repetitive,=
I had
tried to do my best to outline some of the very many examples that this
government has invested in the Department of Tourism and Culture. I will po=
int
out for the member opposite that when we look at the budget document, we lo=
ok
from mains to mains. When you look at mains to mains, then you will see that
expenditures haven’t gone down. Expenditures may remain the same. But
again, it was this government that actually invested, early on in our manda=
te,
in a $300,000 increase in the Dawson City Arts Society. I’m very prou=
d of
that.
I=
t was this
government that introduced the touring artist fund not long ago. We were al=
so
the first government to increase the Artist in the School program from $25,=
000
to $100,000. It was this government that took the Yukon Arts Centre
contribution agreement from $499,000 to some $760,000, I believe it is.
It’s this government that initiated the Old Fire Hall funding agreeme=
nt,
a three-year agreement — $150,000 over three years. I believe
that’s a $450,000-investment — a great partnership with the Yuk=
on
Arts Centre as well as the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.
I=
t’s
this government that enhanced the investment in our museums, inclusive of
community interpretive centres and First Nation cultural centres, for which, by the way, this government has also introduced=
a new
program in support. In fact, this government has invested significantly into
museums.
I=
believe
at the time we took office, there weren’t any funding programs for th=
e Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation c=
ultural
centre, for the Selkirk First Nation or for Little Salmon Carmacks First
Nation. There was no funding for the Teslin Tlingit Council; today they rec=
eive
$100,000 in Teslin and
W=
e also
introduced a capital fund for the museums community of $350,000. We also
introduced a heritage training fund. There are so many initiatives to talk
about, not to mention the millions of dollars, the $20 millions plus in the=
I=
t not only
was the opportunity for our government to refurbish, to rehabilitate that
historic building, it was this government that did that through the communi=
ty
development fund, which, by the way, we also reinstated. That has also prov=
ided
millions over the last number of years in support of the growth of the tour=
ism
and cultural industries. When it comes to cultural venues like the <=
st1:place>
A=
lso, when
it comes to meeting the demands of rubber-tire traffic, having good highway
infrastructure, and of course, when it comes to a multitude of other
infrastructure needs and services, this government is working across the bo=
ard
in support of these industries. I just want to make myself very clear to the
member opposite that it is reflected in the budget. The budget may not refl=
ect
a direct increase, but if one looks over the last several years, they will =
see
millions of dollars in increased investment in these sectors.
Ms. Hanson: The question I’m driving at h=
ere is
that, as time goes on and as the Yukon becomes the focal point of many
competing interests, it becomes more and more important for the minister
responsible for this important area of tourism and culture to be able to as=
sert
very clearly the net contribution to this territorial economy of these two
sectors.
T=
he
minister is clearly aware of a memorandum of understanding that was signed a
few years ago — I’m not sure of the exact date; I didn’t
write it down — between the Yukon Chamber of Mines, the Klondike Plac=
er
Miners Association and the Tourism Association of Yukon. One of the things =
that
struck me when I was looking at it was the principle that they raised.
They’re both resource industries that are dependent on access to land=
in
order to create wealth from the
I=
t is
increasingly important that the values that are ascribed to a healthy touri=
sm
industry are going to be well-respected. The minister is no doubt aware of a
report that was done by the Tourism Industry Association called the “=
Land
Asset Identification and Analysis Project”.
O=
ne of the
areas that was noted in that report was criteria=
theme
10, “Conflict with Industry”. It says, and I’ll quote:
“An often-repeated concern of
S=
o my
question to the minister: what link does she play, as the Minister of Touri=
sm
and Culture, and what role does the department play in proactive engagement=
in
land use planning?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
What we have done and what we conti=
nue to
do is to make resources available within the Department of Tourism and Cult=
ure,
and we do have representation at every level when it comes to contributing =
to
and participating in land assessments through YESAA. We contribute to land =
use
planning exercises, the North Yukon Regional Land Use Plan, which was
approved not long ago. We contributed to that process — as we did with
the Peel watershed — as did other departments, such as Economic
Development or the Department of Environment and so forth. We are making re=
sources
available so that Tourism’s interests are represented at every table.=
T=
here are a
number of different planning exercises. It is not just land use planning, b=
ut
it is forestry planning, it’s park plan
planning. The Department of Environment has been contributing to several
planning processes over the last number of years on a number of habitat
protection areas, special management areas, territorial=
parks coming about. So, again, these are all very important planning proces=
ses
that we contribute to, providing technical advice, providing the information
required, and providing that corporate memory to many different files.
Ms. Hanson: Over the last couple of years I hav=
e had
the opportunity in travelling about the territory to travel down the highway
— well, it is no longer really a highway — but the road to Keno
City. The first question I will ask the minister: over the course of the la=
st
eight years, what resources have been provided for tourism and tourism-rela=
ted
activities for the Silver Trail leading to and including
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
It’s a good thing we have tim=
e.
First of all, I want to say this is a really important area. The Silver Tra=
il
region is one of several key destinations within the
T=
he Silver
Trail region is also showcased in our annual vacation planner. In addition =
to
that, resources are also made available through our funding mechanisms, whe=
ther
through our product development partnership program through the Product Dev=
elopment
branch or the tourism cooperative marketing fund, which we were also able to
introduce and enhance in last year’s budget to approximately $700,000=
.
I=
n terms of
individual expenditures, I can say that expenditures have grown. Many of th=
ese
are applicant driven. Some are not. But in the Mayo region, for example =
212;
I was just looking back in the fiscal year of 2002-03, the year that we fir=
st
took office. I think expenditures were about $15,000. In this fiscal year,
2010-11, it’s almost $110,000. Just some of those expenditures in the
fiscal year for 2010-11, which we’re in but we’re not talking
about, include the contributions for the Binet =
House,
the interpretive centre.
T=
hat’s
one thing that this government did. When we talk about how we increased the=
eligibility
criteria for the family of museums, the Binet H=
ouse
actually was receiving nothing in terms of annual funding. We changed that
early on in our mandate. Likewise, we also included the Watson Lake Northern
Lights Space and Science Centre, as well as the cultural centres, which
I’ve already alluded to.
W=
e also
included Miles Canyon Historical Railway Society and others. I know that in
this current fiscal year, I believe that the Binet
House will have received $35,000. We also helped fund the kiosk that one wi=
ll
find at Stewart Crossing through our Stay Another Day
funding initiatives and that is almost $8,000. Through the historic propert=
ies
assistance — which, by the way, we also increased from $25,000 to
$100,000 in our mandate — they have also received funding of $13,000 =
and
an additional $17,000.
I=
believe
under the arts operating fund, there are various recipients of $5,000. My
mistake, actually: the Binet House will be rece=
iving
$65,000. It’s a combination of operating funds and support for artifa=
ct
inventory cataloguing, heritage attraction site support and so forth.
A=
s I said,
some are applicant-driven and some are not. In the past, we have issued fun=
ding
through other mechanisms as well. I don’t really want to go through a=
ll
these expenditures, but it has grown incrementally. When it comes to fundin=
g in
W=
e have
also helped with the production of information brochures for the museum and=
the
visitors who use that information. We have helped support the restoration of
heritage initiatives, such as The Loon and Wern=
ecke
House within that area. We have helped in past years with new outhouse stru=
ctures.
I could go on, but I think the member opposite gets a fair idea, anyhow.
We’re very pleased with the investments made; they are an important p=
art
of the tourism sector.
Ms. Hanson: Those are interesting and useful ba=
ckground
tidbits. Of course, we all know the Binet House=
is a
lovely little place to spend some time. They have a lot of history there
— particularly the medical doctor and his family. That and the Keno C=
ity
Mining Museum are really a credit to the people in those communities who wo=
rked
hard to see them come to fruition, which is why I think it’s really i=
mportant
that, as we talk about tourism as an important industry in the Yukon, we lo=
ok
at how we balance the competing pressures. That’s the gist of the
question I’m trying to get at with the minister, here.
W=
e know
that Keno is one of the oldest communities in the
T=
he
minister says that a financial commitment has been made over the years and
continues to the mining museum and to Keno itself, but I guess one of the
concerns that I have in travelling there last summer was the competing valu=
es.
How are tourism values being protected in the face of the mine and mill
development that is going on there? If you were driving up and you read the
historic information and the tourist information, you would be thinking you
were coming into an old mining area where you are going to be seeing some of
this turn-of-the-century stuff — and actually some of that is there
— but now you have deposited right in the middle an operating mine th=
at
is very loud.
T=
he road
into Keno is scary. What role does the Minister of Highways and Public Works
play with respect to ensuring the safety of these tourists who want to vent=
ure
up there to see Keno Hill, to see the butterflies that Keno is well renowned
for? It is an important issue because, if we are talking about tourism, we =
need
to talk about tourism as it balances with the other industries, the other
sectors of our economy. I have put forward the case this afternoon that I t=
hink
tourism is an incredibly important aspect of our economy.
W=
hat
I’m looking for from the minister, is does she share my concerns that,
unless these issues can be addressed — for example, fixing the road s=
o it
is safe — that you may in fact see a decline in tourists going to Keno
City over this year and the coming years? I’d be very interested in
knowing what role the Minister of Tourism and Culture plays with respect to=
ensuring
that the investments that she through her department, and this government
through her department, have made in this historic area of the territory ar=
e protected
and that we can see a future growth for tourism in one of the most beautiful
parts of the territory.
I=
think we
would all agree that the
Hon. Mr. Lang:
T=
he
corporation built a road to access it separately from the road that goes in=
to
W=
e are
working with
I=
remind
the member opposite that the area was a mining area.
C=
ertainly,
I’d like to compliment the people who work in
A=
s a
government, we are monitoring the road access to the town itself and also
investing some money to improve that access for everybody who works in that
general area. I’ll remind the member opposite that there is also a us=
e of
that road by the outfitting industry. A lot of their horses are taken into =
Chair: Order please. Committee of =
the
Whole will recess for 15 minutes.
<= o:p>
Recess
Chair: Order please. Committee of =
the
Whole will now come to order. The matter before the Committee is Bill No. 2=
4, First
Appropriation Act, 2011-12. We will now continue with general debate in
Vote 54, Department of Tourism and Culture.
Ms. Hanson: I just have a few more questions. I
don’t want to take up too much time this afternoon.
F=
ollowing
up briefly where we left off with the Minister of Highways and Public Works=
or
the Minister of Community Services, whichever hat he was wearing at the tim=
e,
with his undertaking to ensure that the road to Keno City would be passable
this year, which is, I’m sure, wonderful news to those both in the
resource extraction industry side as well as those who live in Keno and tho=
se
who might like to venture up there as tourists.
I=
would be
happy to hear from the minister, if she could please: the number of visitor=
s to
Keno; the number of visitors to Southern Lakes/Carcross — because I
always view those together — the Southern Lakes region. Most people do
light at one point, when they are making that journey, in Carcross; and
thirdly, the number of visitors this past year to
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I just wanted to follow up on a que=
stion
that was raised earlier by the Leader of the Third Party and that was with
respect to tourism and tourism interests.
I=
just want
to point out that when it comes to growing tourism,
it’s not just something that falls on the shoulders of the Department=
of
Tourism and Culture. I think that, as already articulated by my colleague, =
the
Minister of Highways and Public Works, it is our responsibility to work
together, to work with industry and to work with other governments to grow =
the
tourism sector. I’ve been very proud of the actions taken by industry=
and
all governments working together for the interest of growing tourism in the
territory, as well as all industries.
I=
just
wanted to say that one of our key mandates in every department is to work
strategically through interdepartmental cooperation. I think it’s rea=
lly
critical to point out how we do work. We work with Environment, we work with
Economic Development, we work with Community Services, Energy, Mines and Re=
sources,
Highways and Public Works and others on many projects and many planning
processes.
We
contribute toward and we participate within YESAA, whether it is providing =
the
technical expertise of the department officials, whether it’s from the
tourism perspective or whether it’s from the heritage perspective. As=
I
mentioned already, we contribute to land use planning in the territory. We
contribute to the park planning processes — I listed off a number of =
them
— and we have made significant strides in that regard. I thank the
department officials, just like I thank the Department of Environment offic=
ials
for the work that they do.
O= f course, we have been working with Economic Development. You know, that’s one department that I haven’t made too much mention of today, but Departm= ent of Economic Development also continues to identify and support strategic op= portunities in the tourism sector. That is a department that was re-established after it was removed by the previous Liberal government, just like the Department of Tourism and Culture, because of the very significance of that department. <= o:p>
F=
irst off,
within Economic Development, I know that when we looked at previous years, a
whole host of funding was made available for strategic initiatives in suppo=
rt
of the growth of tourism through the strategic industries development fund,=
enterprise
trade fund, the regional economic development fund, the community developme=
nt
fund and others.
O=
f course,
I know that perhaps some of the members opposite would take issue with some=
of
those funding mechanisms, but if you were to talk to industry, they have gr=
eat
accolades for many of these things in support of funding that has been made
available in support of our museums — the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, for
example. When it comes to even making funding available for the Sourdough
Rendezvous Society, when it comes to waterfront revitalization — the =
list
goes on. There is a multitude of different examples.
A=
lso housed
within the Department of Economic Development is the Film and Sound Commiss=
ion.
That’s something that this government undertook to work on with indus=
try
and brought to fruition. It has been working very well. They are a very
effective team of professionals working to build capacity in the film and s=
ound
industry. They’re doing great things. I was just saying over the break
that for the first time ever,
W=
hat a
great, amazing accomplishment for
T=
hose are
just some examples of this government’s investment in cultural indust=
ries
such as film and sound as well.
W=
hen it
comes to working with the Department of Community Services — I think I
mentioned it before — waterfront development investments.
W=
e have
been able to invest substantively over the last number of years in major
investments in both communities of
A=
nother
exciting project is the SS Tutshi memorial in Carcross. What a wonde=
rful
idea. I credit the Department of Tourism and Culture for this great idea to
come up with a memorial — a framework — and they have brought t=
hat
to fruition beyond anyone’s expectations. It has the full support of =
the
community, and that in itself is a tremendous accomplishment by the Departm=
ent
of Tourism and Culture working in collaboration with the community — =
the
local advisory council, the Chamber of Commerce, the Carcross-Tagish First
Nation and others.
I=
n
W=
hen it
comes to the environment, we recognize and value the important relationship=
we
have with
T=
his
government has enhanced its investments significantly through the scenic dr=
ives
initiative, for example. About $200,000 of that is allotted each and every =
year
to interpretive signage for restoring older signs and also bringing together
signage plans that were developed by previous governments but were sitting =
on the
shelf collecting dust. That’s no longer the case. We are slowly putti=
ng
those plans to work and enhancing the traveller’=
s
experience along the highway, of which the Silver Trail is but one of those
areas.
W=
e were
able to establish the
W=
e are
making strides and I will again stress that there is always room for
improvement. But one thing that this government has been able to do is to be
able to grow the revenues, and one way of doing that has been to invest in =
our
strategic industries, and that is inclusive of tourism and culture.
I=
’m
very proud of the investments that have been made. There is always ongoing =
work
— with needs pressing — but this government has been working on
them incrementally and strategically, such as working on the expansion of t=
he
W=
e did see,
last year alone, a nine-percent increase, but about a 16-percent increase in
overseas visitation from our key target markets. Overall, as I mentioned, we
were up 10 percent. We out-performed pretty much every jurisdiction in the =
country.
Compared to the national average, which I think =
was
just over one percent, that speaks volumes. I’ll again go back to mak=
ing
those strategic investments in marketing initiatives, such as pan-north and
working with our two territorial counterparts. That was something that was =
very
new for the governments to do, but it worked and it worked very well. After=
the
Look Up North campaign that was launched in 2007=
, we
saw a very good increase in visitation coming from Canadians to the =
T=
his all
bodes well for the
Ms. Hanson: Mr. Chair, sometimes more is less. I
simply asked a question with respect to the number of visitors to three tou=
rism
destinations in the
I=
took the
time yesterday to look at all 13 of these two-minute episodes and it’s
yet another good example where you have the creativity of Yukoners unleashe=
d.
It features clearly two potential investors or those who are looking to see=
the
H=
opefully
she has taken some notes about the questions I’m asking. I’m ve=
ry
enthused about the ideas of innovative approaches to marketing the <=
st1:State>
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
Just going back to tourism performa=
nce,
I’ll just draw again the 2010-11 Tourism
I=
think
that perhaps it was, once upon a time, that the Minister of Tourism and Cul=
ture
would perhaps sit in their office and dream away all kinds of ideas for
marketing Yukon, but actually the marketing branch has come a long way. One=
thing
where I’m very proud of our government is in the ability to be able to
work with industry, and that is through the development and creation of the
Senior Marketing Committee, which is part of the Tourism Industry Associati=
on
of the
L=
ikewise,
we have continued investments in Tourism North and our joint Yukon-Alaska
program. We also work on enhancing meetings, conventions, incentive travel
through the Yukon Convention Bureau and work with entities beyond. The plan
goes through trade sales, goes through media relations. As I tried to
articulate for the Member for Mayo-Tatchun, familiarization tours — t=
he
nurturing of media relations has proven to be yet another effective and yet
very cost-efficient way of marketing the Yukon. The recent announcement tha=
t
T=
hat’s
one thing I attribute our success to. We’re working more closely with
industry than ever before in all our marketing programs, whether associatio=
ns
or the private sector — for example, Air North, White Pass & Yukon
Route, and so forth.
O=
ur tourism
strategy has and continues to be developed in partnership with industry.
It’s a sound one; it’s a reasonable one. We are continuing to
invest in markets with the best product/market match and the greatest
likelihood of return on investment.
W=
e’re
partnering more than ever with our neighbours, whether it’s the State=
of
Alaska or whether it’s our sister territories in Canada’s north,
which is reflected in the recent announcement of the pan-north marketing
initiative of just over $3.5 million over four years. That funding will help
enhance the increased investments we’ve made in Destination: <=
st1:State>
W=
e are
continuing to invest in infrastructure — we just made reference to th=
at
— whether it’s our airports, our highways, our parks, wildlife
viewing opportunities, interpretive signage, and the list goes on.
W=
hen it comes
to performance, I know we issued our tourism report card recently. I believ=
e it
was just at the end of last year.
W=
e know
that in 2010, when it came to visitation, it was a good year. We were up 10
percent and it was 12 straight months of growth in visitation to
W=
hen it
came to air arrivals and departures, we were up nine percent for travellers=
planing and deplaning at the airport. We also saw an
increase in overseas, as well as
W=
hen it
comes to the 2009-10 Tourism Yukon report card, which is the last one we ju=
st
published, it reports on all the department’s core marketing programs=
in
our key target markets and through our cooperative marketing initiatives wi=
th
partners like the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Alaska Travel Industry
Association, our travel trade partners and tour operators.
W=
e are able
to measure that, to track that, and to be able to highlight that. The numbe=
rs
are recorded in the report card. I could go over a lot of this, but here are
some examples. We were able to generate over 139 million impressions through
on-line marketing activities. The lion’s share was in
W=
e were
able to host nine trade familiarization tours, representing 71 travel trade=
and
meeting planners, 43 from
W=
e were
also able to generate almost 270,000 unique visitors to www.travelyukon.com and our associ=
ated
overseas landing pages. Something we were able to do was enhance the Travel
Yukon website by modernizing it and making it more user-friendly, making it
more applicable for industry, which was the very point of tourism marketing=
. We
were also able to enhance the level of content by providing it in French,
German and Japanese, if I’m not mistaken.
W=
hen it
came to the Olympics, in partnership with our two sister territories, our m=
arketing
activities during the Olympics alone generated more than 40 million impress=
ions
through paid advertising, more than 27 million impressions through earned m=
edia,
with a value of more than $147 million. We were also able to generate enhan=
ced
awareness of the north through the 215,000 visitors plus who went through <=
/span>
T=
hat is
pretty detailed information. It is outlined in our report card for the
Department of Tourism and Culture, which is published every year on-line. W=
hen
it comes to the Film and Sound Commission, I’d just like to remind the
member opposite, as I was making reference to the commission, it is housed =
in
the Department of Economic Development. It has been from the very beginning=
. Of
course, I don’t want to go over how we work with Economic Development,
but certainly, the webisodes that have been air=
ing in
New York City’s Times Square, and other initiatives that the departme=
nt
is doing — we work with them, we applaud their initiatives. Again,
everything that they’re doing, everything that we’re doing, is =
all
incremental success. We garner a great number of visitors from
W=
e are very
pleased to be able to continue to work with Economic Development. We applaud
their work and we applaud the work of the film industry and how much they h=
ave
built capacity over the years, and how we are now able to attract increasing
levels of investment by not only national filmmakers, but also internationa=
l.
It’s great to see, because every time the Yukon is showcased, whether=
it
is in a film, in an advertisement, whether it’s in a marketing campai=
gn,
whether it’s through an article written by a travel journalist, it all
bodes well for the Yukon and there is no lack of stories available for tell=
ing
— the story about the Yukon and all that we have to offer as a travel=
destination.
Chair: Is there any further general
debate?
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I do have a few more questi=
ons for
the minister, just to follow up on the minister’s comment about the i=
ncrease
in travel here in the territory, which the minister says results in an incr=
ease
of tourism in the Yukon.
H=
ow does
the minister come up with this number and this percentage? Is she looking at
the increase in the
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
The statistics that I have been ref=
lecting
upon are housed within our year-end report for
T=
hey are a
reflection of the border crossing statistics at all our border crossings, in
collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency. If one looks, we̵=
7;re
able to track those who come in by private vehicle and motorcoach,
those who are United States citizens and Yukon citizens, those who are Cana=
dian
citizens — aside
from Yukon citizens — and also the others, who are from overseas. They
are tracked at all the different border crossings throughout the
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> Another question I have to =
follow
up with the minister is in regard to the marketing and the marketing campai=
gn
for the
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
All the ads are developed by our ag=
ency
of record in collaboration with the Senior Marketing Committee and the
Department of Tourism and Culture. So they are the ones who come up with wh=
at
is to be showcased and what’s not to be showcased. They’re the =
experts.
I’m not the marketing expert. I wish I could be, but I’m not, a=
nd
that’s not my role. So, in fact, the product — I should say, the
creative is compiled in collaboration with industry, the department and the
agency that is hired to undertake the implementation and evaluation of these
programs.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> So is the minister saying t=
hat she
does not see any of the ads before they go out? There is no approval by eit=
her
the minister or Cabinet? Is it just the marketing branch that does this, and the minister has nothing to do with it? Is t=
hat
what I’m hearing?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I’m not sure what the member =
opposite
is getting at here. I do have the opportunity to see advertisements that are
going out, and that’s great to be able to see that, so that when
individuals ask I can at least be somewhat knowledgeable about what is going
out the door. But, again, it’s created in collaboration with the agen=
cy
that has been hired to undertake the actual development and implementation,=
in
collaboration with the Senior Marketing Committee and the Department of Tou=
rism
and Culture.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I’d like to move on to
another question, which I don’t really want to ask, but it’s to=
do
with this department’s collaboration with the Department of Highways =
and
Public Works, and it is about painting a picture for Yukon. I think we̵=
7;ve
touched on this question before, and it has to do with the pullout stops ar=
ound
our highways. I know the Highways minister perhaps could answer this too. <=
/span>
I=
know the
minister in the past has been on top of this issue of the pullout stops and
signage and the outhouses, particularly the wheelchair access. The minister=
has
alluded to some of the outhouses — not all — in the campground
areas having wheelchair access, but this is not the case along our highways=
. We
do promote the
I=
t’s
not a pretty scene and I think there could be improvements there. What
influence does the minister have with highways and trying to make improveme=
nts,
as far as the pullouts and the outhouses that are located on these pullouts=
?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
When it comes to interpretive signa=
ge and
pullouts, I’m pleased to see the member opposite has acknowledged the
good work that’s performed by the Department of Tourism and Culture. =
I=
believe
that we’re making good strides in this regard. As one can appreciate,
this is an ongoing initiative. It’s a really important one, however. =
It
is something that we do undertake to work in collaboration with Environment,
and Highways and Public Works, and our own department. One of these things =
that
our department did, and I’ve alluded to in the past, is we initiated =
the
scenic drives initiative a few years a back; it was quite a few years ago. =
That
was approximately $350,000 to promote each of the several scenic highways
throughout the
T=
his year,
just for detailed expenditure for 2011-12 — or the year coming up, I
should say — there is a whole host of different initiatives coming up=
.
F=
or the
W=
e’re
installing a panel at Mendenhall Landing; we are installing picnic tables at
the
A=
t the
Haines Summit, we have a new panel going in along the
I=
t’s
inclusive of the Carcross desert; we’re building and installing
outhouses. At
W=
e are also
designing and producing a mad trapper panel on the
=
Mr. Fairclough: The
minister didn’t answer the second part of my question. That’s in
regard to the outhouses and whether or not there is handicap access and
wheelchair access to them and how much influence the minister has with the
Highways and Public Works department on these pullout areas. That has been
brought to my attention and maybe the Minister of Highways and Public Works=
can
jump up and answer that question. Another is that the design of the outhous=
e,
particularly the toilets, are lower down and some seniors have come and
approached me about whether or not the government can install grab handles =
so
they can get up properly.
I=
’ll
just leave that question for the minister to answer.
Hon. Mr. Lang:
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> The minister just heard fir=
st-hand
about some improvements. I asked about wheelchair access; I asked about grab
handles in the outhouses. Where is the minister going to take this? The
minister said he’s responsible for maintenance of the highway pullout=
s.
These are also areas tourists use, and walking trails are part of these
pullouts. Is the minister going to take these issues and try to make
improvements to the outhouses, including maintenance?
Hon. Mr. Lang:
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> I’m hoping we’r=
e able
to get answers then and not have the minister refer it back to the Minister=
of
Tourism and Culture, who is in charge of campgrounds and the facilities the=
re.
I=
want to
ask the minister another question. I heard her say several times this after=
noon
that she works closely with industry and with her colleagues and partners, that she works closely with the Department of
Environment and the Department of Economic Development.
T=
here’s
a big issue out there that’s very much on the minds of Yukoners right
now. That is the whole issue of the Peel. I want to ask the minister what
influence the minister has in promoting tourism in the Peel with her collea=
gues
and how are those influences being recognized in the government position?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I believe this has been addressed o=
n a
number of occasions. As I outlined before in previous debates, when it come=
s to
land use planning, the lead agency is housed within the Department of Energ=
y,
Mines and Resources, which oversees land use planning. That’s not to =
say
that Energy, Mines and Resources has the monopoly on where things go. In fa=
ct,
all relevant departments contribute to the land use planning process, inclu=
ding
our Department of Tourism and Culture — just like we contribute throu=
gh
YESAA and land use planning, whether it’s the Peel, whether it’s
north Yukon, or whether it is other planning processes, in terms of protect=
ed
areas and park planning. I believe I made reference to forestry.
W=
e do have
resources within the department. They do provide the technical expertise, t=
he
information available garnered in collaboration with industry. As the member
opposite knows, this is a process that has yet to conclude. In fact, I beli=
eve
it was the chair of the commission that said the other day that we’re
about halfway through. There is a great deal of work to be concluded, inclu=
ding
consultation with affected communities, but of course the response that has
been provided by the Government of Yukon and by the affected First Nations,=
as
well, is now within the hands of the commission. They are also provided with
some direction under the letter of understanding that was signed earlier th=
is
year between the affected First Nations and the
W=
e remain
very committed to meeting our obligations that are outlined in chapter 11 of
the collective First Nation final agreements. We look forward to the outcom=
e of
that process but, as I said, there’s still more work to be done,
including more consultation with stakeholders and receiving an updated plan
from the commission.
Mr. Fairclough: <=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> There’s a reason I=
217;ve
been asking this question. The general public is quite interested to hear w=
hat
the departments have to say and what the ministers responsible for those
departments have to say. We haven’t heard anything from the Minister =
of
Environment. What we heard today is really nothing from the Minister of Tou=
rism
— nothing at all on this.
R=
ather, she
did say that the minister responsible for Economic Development, the Energy,
Mines and Resources minister, doesn’t have a monopoly on this. How do=
es
the public know, when the Minister of Tourism has nothing to say when it co=
mes
to the position of the department or her position on what is to take place =
in
the Peel?
W=
hat I
heard the minister say is that lots of work is to be done yet on the draft
plan. Why would the minister not voice her opinion or position in the
department and tell the general public — because the department has no
problems. The industry has no problems in saying that they support something
like this. The minister says she works closely with the industry. Why is th=
e minister
silent on this and why is she so content to let another minister take this =
on
— the position of the department?
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I’ll just outline again for t=
he member
opposite that the Government of Yukon remains very much committed to meeting
our obligations. As outlined in chapter 11 of the Umbrella Final Agreement — final agreements of the affect=
ed
First Nation governments — as has already been articulated, we have a=
way
to go in that process. There was a joint letter of understanding that was
signed by the affected First Nations and the
W=
e are
working with the affected First Nations. We are following the letter of the
law. We recognize there is a way to go when it comes to the outcome of this
process. We respect everyone’s opinions and the integrity of the proc=
ess.
We do remain committed to following the process, and that’s where we =
are.
We’re in the middle of a land use planning process.
I=
would
just draw to the attention of the member opposite that, even the other day,=
the
Leader of the Liberal Party was on one of the radio outlets. Even that memb=
er
said he didn’t want to prejudge what the commission was going to come
back with, because all the parties have asked the commission to rework that
plan. That is exactly where it is. It is before the commission, and the par=
ties
have asked them to consider their input.
N=
ow in
terms of the Department of Tourism and Culture, that is why we have officia=
ls
who have information; that is what they work with on a day-in and day-out b=
asis
and it is their role to provide that input into land planning processes =
212;
YESAA — whether it is providing input into the land use planning proc=
ess,
or the forestry planning process, or into other individual land use plans. =
The North
Yukon Regional Land Use Plan was approved by the respective parties.
A=
gain,
there is a significant amount of work that has been undertaken already and =
we
applaud that work, but there is more. I appreciate the members opposite may
wish to have this work finalized today, but we are obligated by the law, by=
chapter
11 of the Umbrella Final Agreement, and we are committed to following
our obligations, as set out in the law. It’s also guided by the lette=
r of
understanding, which was signed by the affected Yukon First Nations, the Gw=
ich’in
Tribal Council and the
S=
eeing the
time, I move that we report progress.
Chair: It has been moved by Ms. Ta=
ylor
that Committee of the Whole report progress.
Motion agreed to
Hon. Ms. Taylor: =
I move that the Speaker do now resu=
me the
Chair.
Chair: It has been moved by Ms. Ta=
ylor
that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Motion agreed to
Speaker resumes the Chair
Speaker: I will now call the House t=
o order.
May the House have a report from the Chair of Committee of the Whole?
Chair’s report
Mr. Nordick: Mr. Speaker, Committee of the Whole=
has
considered Bill No. 24, First Appropriation Act, 2011-12, and direct=
ed
me to report progress.
Speaker: You have heard the report f=
rom the
Chair of Committee of the Whole. Are you agreed?
Some Hon. Members: Agreed.
Speaker: I declare the report carrie=
d.
T=
he time
being
<= o:p>
The
House adjourned at
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