Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my constituents travel for medical appointments either from Inuvik into Inuvik. If they can't be serviced in Inuvik, they get sent here to Yellowknife. And if they can't do the treatment here, they'll send them to Edmonton. Sometimes this means multiple trips, usually if they follow up with a followup appointment needed in Edmonton.

My constituents fly all the way home. They isolate, wait for their next appointment, especially for cancer treatment, MRI, surgeries that can't be done here at Stanton. This means our residents rely by smooth operation by the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the GNWT, through the resources on COVID Secretariat, identify staff persons and appoint existing staff, I guess in the community, that are going into Tuk and doing their jobs and appoint somebody from there to assist the SAO and just on the public health orders to access funding services to ensure all small communities can have the social gatherings and social activities that are so desperately required for health and well being of the people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that, Madam Minister. What support services we have been made available to support mental health to our elders in our communities, I have one she says I have one in Tuk, but I think he was he left Tuk, and he's in Behchoko now, serving there.

But the biggest thing is the small communities, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, and Ulu. We have the services that are required there need internet. If you're using the apps and stuff like that, it's slow service. What's being made available, I guess, for inperson? Like I asked earlier this year, if teams could go in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. I want to talk about COVID19 mental health impacts across my riding and across the BeaufortDelta. We're already living in isolated communities living in a harsh environment. You know, thank God right now we have geese hunting and fishing that's been helping us to get people out. It is part of our culture and critical way of life.

Since COVID19 requirements and social distancing especially impacted our way of mental health in our small communities. It's not known how the limitations on households and community gatherings, as well as on youth activities, will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. Again, I mean we're really thankful when we're getting help sent in, and that is so much required. But we do need a community navigator to work with our communities to help community's residents navigate public health orders to uncover funding, the funding programs that will ensure the small communities can have as much social activity and gatherings as possible during this pandemic.

So is there any availability to have, like, a community public navigator appointed like we have sitting in Inuvik with the COVID police or COVID Secretariat?...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've been talking about mental health and COVID fatigue in our up back home in the Delta and my riding in Nunakput. Mr. Speaker, what funding and available support do we have for our local community governments that are able to provide with gatherings organized for youth, and is there any funding available, and is there a list that the senior administrative officer or the hamlets could get sent to them for the communities to access funding under the COVID19 fatigue in that community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recently deceased residents in Nunakput, and I'd like to give our thoughts and prayers to them.

Marcus Ruben, Elder from Paulatuk, born March 19th, 1933, passed away May 2nd, 2021. With his beloved wife, they had nine children. He was 10th born of 13 to Ruben Angik and Sadi Sukayualuk. And he'll be sadly missed in the community. And Arlon, his family, thoughts and prayers are with them.

Hellie Pokiak of Tuktoyaktuk deceased April 28th, 2021, survived by her beloved husband, Frank Pokiak, and his children, Beatrice, Verna, Shaeli, his son...

Yes, average time, four hours, four-and-a-half hours. I had some constituents who had been waiting six to seven hours, so I guess that's one of the long waits that they're having to stand by for. Why isn't there a second aircraft in Inuvik? We have three down here that are used to bring patients to Edmonton. We need a second aircraft in Inuvik. Aklak Air usually had two aircraft when they had the contract. I don't know where med-response comes into play in regard to who owns the aircraft, or are they leasing them. There should be more clarity in regard to where is the second plane.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I just want to wish everybody back home and in the House: happy Easter. Have a good weekend with our families. My son's back home in the Delta, so we are looking forward to a spring hunt and fishing. Looking forward to that, getting excited to get home. To all our constituents in the Delta and Nunakput, please have a safe spring. Enjoy your time here with your families.

I took part myself. We went down and watched the dog races last weekend. I would like to congratulate Grant Beck and Richard Beck and Brent for first, second, and third. Brent is the 150-mile...

Would the Minister reconsider having a second aircraft sitting in Inuvik, either Aklak Air or whatever aircraft provider? They should be looking into having a second aircraft for the safety of our constituents in the Beau-Del as a whole. Would she consider talking to med-response and getting a second aircraft?