Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize some students from the Tree of Peace Adult Education program. This program has been operating since 1974 and it has assisted hundreds of Aboriginal people, both access and achieve their academic goals. The students with us today are William Buggins, Annie Harry, Justin Donovan, Ernest Okian, and Marie Louise Abel. I'd like to welcome them to the gallery.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and welcome Steven Jackson, the executive director of Avens, and Kimberly Doyle, the executive director of the YK Seniors' Society...

Mr. Speaker, the city has already made a significant amount of progress on putting together the RIDE program. One of the challenges we face is, unfortunately, finding a location for the sobering centre, itself. We've also made a commitment to relocating the day shelter, which is also proving difficult. We have our staff currently out looking for appropriate locations in the community.

If we're able to get a location, and we're hoping to find one soon, we need a bit of time to do some retrofitting to make it suitable and we need a bit of time to do some staffing in order to get appropriate staff...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Health and Social Services is developing a strategic framework for mental health and addictions recovery in the Northwest Territories, which is going to include, or rather will be built from that framework, an addictions recovery action plan. As part of that plan, we are focusing on a recovery-oriented system, which does include harm reduction.

So we are looking at what's being done in other jurisdictions by way of harm reduction, on how we might be able to implement some of those harm reduction initiatives here in the Northwest Territories. Recognizing...

We only have only one dementia facility in the Northwest Territories, and that is the facility in Yellowknife. Individuals with dementia have a higher need and a higher requirement for support than individuals in long-term care who may have early-onset Alzheimer's or some level of minor dementia but not extreme dementia. Individuals with dementia, we try to get into the long-term or the dementia facility here in Yellowknife, but as the Member knows, as all Members know, we have a shortage of beds in the Northwest Territories. We are trying to come up with a plan to increase the number of beds...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated previously, when an incident does occur within any of our long-term care facilities, the immediate measures are taken to ensure the residents and staff are safe, such as separating the residents and removing other residents and staff from the area where the incident might be taking place, and doing what we can with the residents themselves to make sure that the altercation is ended as quickly as possible.

Currently, all of our new longterm care facilities are designed with cameras in public spaces, not in individual rooms as that would be seen as a breach of individuals' privacy. There is no current plan to put cameras in existing facilities, but, if the facilities were to approach us and wish to do that, we're certainly supportive of finding a way to make that happen within some of our existing facilities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of Minister Sebert, I wish to table the following seven documents entitled "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 15-18(2): Yellowknife RCMP Staff Housing," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 160-18(2): Colville Lake Solar Power Pilot Project," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 221-18(2): GNWT Liabilities for Cantung Mine Site Remediation," Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 239-18(2): Environmental Remediation Sites Along Great Bear Lake," Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 279-18(2): Assessment of "A New Day" Men's Healing Program," "Follow-up Letter to Oral...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is aware, as I know the Assembly is, that I can't talk about specific individual cases, so I'll talk in more general terms about the types of things we do when there is an incident. When an incident does occur within a longterm care facility, regardless of where it happens to be in the Northwest Territories, immediate measures are taken to ensure that residents are safe and staff are safe. That's our first priority. The next process is to actually do an investigation.

We do an investigation of all situations in longterm care facilities where a...

The current long-term care facility in Nahendeh is attached to the health centre in Fort Simpson. We do recognize that, by 2026, we will have a shortage in Fort Simpson for the region of 29 beds. I will verify that number for the Member, but I'm pretty confident that it's 29. So we have to include in our planning the ability to create 29 more beds. If we move forward with the health centre, there has been some discussion about expanding the long-term care facility on the existing site.

It's quite frankly a really beautiful site. It's got a river view. It's already a strong part of the community...

Mr. Speaker, I was in Simpson I think about two weeks ago, and I don't recall seeing any activity on that site. However, I would not be the best person to ask. The best person to ask would be the Minister responsible for Public Works and Services who is ultimately responsible for the construction of the facility. Health and Social Services has put in a request, we need a building, Public Works and Services will be the contractor and the builder -- or the facilitator of the contracting and building.