Herbert Nakimayak

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As our days get warmer and the ice melts from the lakes and the rivers, residents of our remote coastal communities look forward to being resupplied by marine transportation services. The Nunakput communities rely on the barges each summer for essential goods, fuels, and services which can only be delivered in the summer months in a short operating window.

As this House knows, unfortunate weather last August caused the last barges of the season to be cancelled. This resulted in the already high cost of living to rise. I have spoken before about my constituents not being...

I appreciate that. It's good to hear. It gives MTS a little bit of a reaction time to some of the issues and some of the conditions up in the Arctic along the Beaufort Sea.

Mr. Speaker, my third question is: have there been any planning studies done using Tuktoyaktuk as a staging point for future shipping, not just to Nunakput communities, but to other communities, say, in Alaska and in Nunavut?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about Marine Transportation Services, and my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: what is MTS doing to plan for this and future seasons to ensure that they don't run into the same issues as we did last year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Ms. Jillian Brown, as well. In her past career, I have seen Jillian teach across the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It's good to see educators making long-term goals in our territory, educating our children, so welcome, Jill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I checked my papers, and I do not have any duplicates, so you only get all 29 pages in this report.

The ATIPP Act places a number of obligations on public bodies. Bill 29 proposes to amend certain of these obligations.

As set out in Bill 29, clause 31 proposes to require a public body to provide the IPC with a status report on its implementation of the IPC's privacy-related recommendations.

The committee originally supported this proposal because it is something that has been long sought by the IPC. However, committee could see no sound policy reason for this obligation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response information from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, during his statement yesterday, the Minister stated that Health and Social Services would focus on culturally appropriate food for patients at Stanton Territorial Hospital. Can the Minister give us a timeline of when this healthy initiative will be carried out in the Beaufort Region, as well as regional centres around the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Throughout this Assembly, we have started to see the significant impacts of maintaining good mental health. The de-stigmatization of mental health and the promotion of best practices, and the emphasis on culturally based healing, is becoming more apparent as we enter the era of reconciliation. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Health and Social Services tell me if the progressive features of this hospital, the Stanton Territorial Hospital, can be made towards the hospitals in the Beaufort Delta so that it's within reach of constituents in Nunakput? Thank you, Mr. Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, there were two adults who passed away from suicide in my region. The rates in the Northwest Territories continue to be high, despite the various programs provided by Health and Social Services. Although the programs we have, such as the group phone session, Facebook chat, and funds for on-the-land healing, the underlying causes of suicide, such as unemployment, lack of housing, poverty, colonization, mental illness, and addictions remain.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to share a quote from my friend, Gabe Nurlugatuk, who lost his son to suicide. He says: "Depression...

It's good to see that the Department of Health and Social Services is working with Indigenous governments and our federal government. Mr. Speaker, it takes funding from federal programs, and also, it takes implementation from the Government of the Northwest Territories, as that's where the majority of the capacity is when it comes to mental health and wellness. I appreciate the response from the Minister. My second question is: can the Minister tell me what health efforts have been provided to Stanton Territorial Hospital to address the underlying causes for mental health and suicide?

I appreciate the response. Can the Minister report if the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway has reduced the prices of food in the community? Also, since the cost of petroleum products and the cost of transportation has risen in the Northwest Territories, I am wondering if the department is monitoring the cost of food in remote communities.