Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to bringing it up, I'd like to thank my colleague from Yellowknife, here, who brought up Mangilaluk School. The target date, working with COVID-19, our communities are suffering with no employment, nothing going on. I really think this is a shovel-ready project, and I think this should be brought to FMB to get the extraordinary funds that are needed to work with the proponent to get this contract started this year. From what I've been told, the gap for funds, they're a little bit stretched, but with everything that's been going on with shovel-ready...

To the Premier, in regard to that, it was at her interview today. It's contradicting. I'm getting calls and stuff from back home in regard to the border. Are they allowed to come into the territory in regard to a 14-day self-isolation plan for all Canadians to come in? I just need a yes or a no.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I'm rising in the House to recognize Nunakput's class of 2020 graduates in our communities. There is nothing better than hearing parents and teachers celebrating the accomplishments of our students who have completed their school studies and onto new endeavours. Graduating in high school is a big deal. It takes study and a commitment. Graduation in the North is a bigger deal than what it is because of what we have to do is travel outside of our home communities in our riding. Sometimes, travelling and living outside the communities for our studies, graduation...

I have your cellphone number.

---Laughter

I am really happy to hear that. I need to know. It was all front-end loaded in regard to when this happened and everybody, and the money was flowing in regard to the communities and for the Inuvialuit, the Gwich'in. Everybody got their funds to go and get out on the land, but now I guess we are mid-COVID-19. Is there any more funding that is going to be announced to our local communities or to our local hunters and trappers and harvesters?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Emerging Wisely across the territory: the Chief Public Health Officer recommended residents of the Northwest Territories spend time out on the land to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as part of the Emerging Wisely plan and the current COVID-related health restrictions, to strengthen family bonds, to improve mental health, and participate in traditional lifestyle out on the land. The schools are closed. Hunting season is going on right now with goose hunting back home and fishing. The season started.

Dr. Kandola's orders are to spend time in the great outdoors...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just am really thankful for that, the Premier committing to help and assist and making sure that the Cabinet and herself commit to getting additional funding that might be available for this coming summer as soon as possible because we are still in the midst of COVID-19. We are still in a pandemic. People are still really scared in regard to COVID-19, and just making sure that they are taken care of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think they ran out of money. Even a modest bump in funding, Mr. Speaker, would help our community and the lowest income people who need to get out on the land. The GNWT has done an analysis to determine how much funding would be needed to assist residents to comply with public health orders to getting them back out on the land and supporting them.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Emerging Wisely across the Northwest Territories: has the GNWT considered providing additional funding through the Community Harvester Assistance Program or other means to assist families to go and get out on the land? I will ask Madam Premier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to the Northern Food Development Program that they're talking about. We haven't really had that up in my riding, in the Beaufort-Delta. This year, you know, due to COVID-19, no tourism, nothing going on. Traditional foods, we used to have a lot of sharing between communities with the Inuvialuit and the up-river communities. For instance, Ulukhaktok has Arctic char and muskox; Sachs Harbour has muskox; Tuktoyaktuk has whitefish and beluga whales; Paulatuk has char and caribou. We have to look at things with a different approach. I'm just wondering if our...