Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 31/01) - New economic development funding from Ottawa appeared no closer at the end of the year than a cure for the flu bug that dogged Jim Antoine during a visit to Parliament Hill.

Deputy premier Jim Antoine: Federal funding for non-renewable resource development in the North will likely be coming in "bite-sized pieces."

"We've got a lot of work to do," said the Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development minister following the three-day visit.

At the top of Antoine's agenda was determining whether the territorial government's non-renewable resource development strategy is still on Ottawa's radar screen.

"I said, if it's 'No' tell us 'No' instead of leaving us out there thinking there is a possibility," said the deputy premier. "We'd prefer to do something else than spend our time and resources on something that isn't going to happen. They didn't say no."

Territorial politicians have good reason to wonder whether copies of the strategy are now decomposing in some Ottawa landfill.

Submitted in October 2000 at the suggestion of federal Finance Minister Paul Martin, the strategy calls for Ottawa to contribute $234 million over four years toward Northern highways, training and economic development. The territorial government would contribute $105 million.

So far, the federal government has provided $3.9 million for bridges to extend the seasonal life of the Mackenzie Valley winter road.

"We keep talking about this, but there's nothing in there, we're not hearing much at all," said Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Floyd Roland, chair of the standing committee on governance and economic development.

"When we first put this out there were high hopes. They were a little optimistic about trying to get that kind of money from the federal government, and it didn't pan out."

Nibbling at needs

Antoine said the $8 billion in new national security spending announced by Martin in his recent budget further reduces the likelihood Ottawa will be writing a cheque for its share of the strategy soon.

"The suggestions I was picking up ... was that we need to try to figure out a way to do it in bite sizes," said the Fort Simpson MLA, who was appointed RWED minister in a Nov. 7 cabinet shuffle.

During his trip to Ottawa, Antoine met with Northern Development Minister Robert Nault, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Herb Dahliwal and members of the Western and Northern Liberal caucus.

"(Dahliwal) suggested money may be available from various federal pools for things such as training, development, infrastructure, and he felt that breaking up the request into smaller amounts would have a better chance than one large sum," Antoine said.

That raises another issue -- where the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development's considerable responsibility to the North ends and the responsibilities of other federal departments begin.

Though it was for a transportation project, funding for ice road bridges came from a DIAND aboriginal economic development program, not the Department of Transportation.

Antoine said it is an issue Ottawa is yet to get a grasp on.

"When you start talking about training and go see (Minister of Human Resources Development) Jane Stewart, then Jane says hey, Nault has the whole file, including training. There's a situation there we need to work through."