Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. On December 29, 2013, at approximately 3:40 p.m., a complete blackout occurred in Yellowknife, Behchoko and Detah.

Please provide a complete chronology of events in the aftermath of this outage, including all equipment system failures, internal and external communications, steps taken in the aftermath, feedback and any improvements of conditions as a direct result of this outage.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. It’s good to hear that we’re still on target for costs. It appears that there are still some chipseal requirements to be done. I took a drive the other day and there seems to be some temporary electrical work there. So, obviously, we’re waiting for some electrical work, and it does appear that some of the guardrails may be still missing here.

Can the Minister indicate to the House who is assuming legal responsibility for this road if there’s still work to be done? Thank you.

Again, I’m going to have to go back to Hansard and decipher that response. Again, I’m trying to get rid of the fuzziness around the changes that are pending, especially with this ERI Initiative.

Again, communication is paramount when we launch an initiative of this magnitude. Can the Minister elaborate on what kind of communication process and rollout expectation timeline will we see for this ERI Initiative and will math curriculum be affected in the near future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke about Canada’s recent decline on the global stage of our math performance. Coupled with what we already know about our extremely poor performance on our AAT Grade 9 math scores, the debate brewing between Discovery Learning and going back to basics is clearly circling the wagon at the recent launch of the Education Renewal and Innovation Initiative. My questions today will be for the Minister responsible, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Our math curriculum for years has been based on the Alberta model. Can the Minister indicate...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Testing is very important for parents or even students. That is the cornerstone of how we are doing well.

With almost zero testing indicators from what we can see during this ERI Initiative transition, and with little framework of a national grading strategy, can the Minister indicate by what process will the department be able to evaluate our math performance or our success of our NWT students? Thank you.

I appreciate the Minister’s response. I think I really want to get rid some of the fuzziness around some of the changes that might be pending.

Would the Minister say we are maintaining our math standards towards more of the Discovery Learning or does he see us as maintaining more of a traditional charted course in math basics? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Canada’s recent decline on the global stage on math performance has sent a shiver of anxiety to every parent. The first step is to try to understand the issues both nationally and here at home.

The Program for International Student Assessment, known as PISA, recently released a damaging alarm call where it showed our Canadian 15-year-olds have slipped in global rankings in math competency; in fact, Canada’s downward spiral from sixth to 13th among participating countries since 2000. This, ironically, coincides with the adoption of Discovery Learning.

Now, the NWT, Yukon...

Thank you. I’m unaware that we get our directions from the Chamber of Commerce when it comes to our business. But that letter was good, indeed enlightening to read here.

Can the Minister indicate if the concept of an income-tested or a contingency fund disaster relief directly associated with such things as an extended power outage at extreme cold temperatures has ever been discussed with this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I raised the issue of unresolved property damages in Yellowknife, Behchoko and Detah in the wake of an extended power outage on December 29, 2013. As indicated conservatively, 231 residents did come forward with approximately $350,000 in damages directly related to this outage. Now, I realize that regulated public utilities in Canada are not permitted to reimburse customers for property damage caused by weather-related incidents or acts of God. However, I believe in Inuvik some years ago a power surge caused significant damage to which NTPC took ownership...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s great to be back in the House.

I want to bring everyone back to Sunday, December 29, 2013, when the lights went out in Yellowknife, Behchoko and Detah at approximately 3:40 p.m. Like many, I scrambled to light my fireplace, my gas stove, my kerosene emergency heaters, and light my candles while my thermometer outside showed minus 40 Celsius.

While social media was abuzz with emergency tips and suggestions and updates from stakeholders – but not from NTPC, I must add – many, including myself, could only wait patiently hoping for the power to be restored. For over...