Jackie Jacobson

I thank the Minister for that. In regard to our communities I represent, I have one on the highway and I have three with airline services. It has been a tough 40 days in regard on the go-forward. Working with our first 10 days of working with my mayors, that was non-stop and long days. The essential travel part, now, for our communities, to keep peace of mind for our elders in our communities, where does that fit in regard to essential travel? Are we making sure that the communities of Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Paulatuk for essential travel, has that been the criteria yet with COVID-19...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, my statement was on leadership in regard to the mayors in the communities of my riding. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to know from the Minister of MACA: what are we doing in regard to our weekly meetings with our mayors and chiefs across the territory? Is that still happening? The information is flowing on COVID-19 and the pandemic moving forward on the potential round two of COVID? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to talk about my leadership in my riding of Nunakput over the past COVID-19, the 40 days that we went through as a leadership in our communities. It has created unprecedented challenges to our government and the people across Nunakput. Our remote communities fear the community spread of the virus is limited to our medical support made the challenge for COVID-19 even more daunting in our riding. Today, I would like to acknowledge the leadership of my work to keep my community safe for my leadership.

I want to acknowledge the hard work of the following mayors...

Thank you, Madam Chair. There must be an excavator in the communities. Why are we having to wait this long? What could we do in the interim for the safety of the community of Sachs Harbour to try to get that runway opened up, or is the department going to be helping the airline for the $58,000 a month to bring that aircraft into the community? It's not the airline's fault; it's our government in regard to not providing adequate runway service to the community. Where does that fall under? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No. Thank you, Minister. That was what I wanted to hear in regard to action plan. Now, that being said, for those three communities that are fly-in, for my home community of Tuktoyaktuk in regard to the check stops that we had in our communities, is this government going to support my community of Tuktoyaktuk in regards to helping them pay, or is the federal government COVID-19 going to pay the funds that was expended in regard to a check stop, when it put people's minds at ease and it calmed everybody down? I am hoping this government will support that in paying that...

No, that is good to hear. Things move forward without even us being there, so that is a good thing. It shows true leadership in our territory. What is our Minister looking at our emergency plans now, on the go-forward with this pandemic? I know that this is all new to us. We had everything but pandemic in our emergency plans. I want to know and make sure that the Minister is making sure that we go forward with all of our communities, all 33 communities, with an emergency plan with a pandemic stage on an upcoming pandemic in regard to, I said, COVID-19 second go-around, so making sure of the...

Again, I want to thank the family members who took watchcare over our elders during this pandemic. I am here for the people of Nunakput, and I encourage you to keep reaching out to me so I can bring your issues and concerns to our government and so we all work together and get through this pandemic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just on work on behalf of others. Bringing up what my colleague from Monfwi brought up in regard to the healing centres, I know Fort McPherson had Tl'oondih. Inuvik and the Gwich'in, there are two places that we could send people to get help, get healing, and I guess working with that. I've seen so many people, same as him, fall through the cracks in regard to sending them out for treatment. When they come back home, there is nowhere to go. It's a vicious cycle, but it's a cycle of peer pressure and that they make by choice. I think those should be really looked at in...

I thank you, again, Madam Minister, for that. I just want to make sure that if and when the work is scheduled to take place this summer or as soon as possible for the drainage of both sides of the runway, to make sure that we get that done this summer for a priority, in putting Sachs Harbour as a priority on the Minister's table, to get it done this summer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today was for the Minister of Infrastructure regarding safety of my constituents in Sachs Harbour and the runway and making sure that they are getting service for their food and mail. Mr. Speaker, the maintenance plan work for Sachs Harbour was in 2018, and then this February, it was announced again. Is this additional work? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.