Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much. I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the honourable Wendy Bisaro of the electoral district of Frame Lake do take the chair of this House as Acting Speaker for today. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. When it comes to tourism, I think, especially in my riding, I always couple it with Highway No. 7, surprisingly. First of all I would like to thank the Minister for our recent trip to Fort Liard and actually driving Highway No. 7 and into Fort Simpson and meeting the leadership. I really appreciate that and I have a Member’s statement for later on in the week. Constituents are very, very happy that he took the time and effort to come and see and feel Highway No. 7, as well as listen to the different tourism related concerns that are tied directly to Highway...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the agenda, please. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

We’ve said it on this side of the House many, many times, the time for reviewing is over. You’ve already done those reviews. You know the needs of my communities. When is the Minister going to work towards returning nursing services to Wrigley?

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions about nursing services in the community of Wrigley. I know my colleague from the Mackenzie Delta raised it last week in the House about nursing in our small communities. I know that last term we almost had a deal where nursing services would be provided in the Mackenzie Delta and Wrigley. I just want to know what initiatives has the Health Minister been working on lately in returning these health services to these small communities.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am very pleased to rise today to talk about an issue that is important to each of us in this Assembly. That issue is drowning prevention.

We all know people in our communities whose lives are lost needlessly due to drowning. It is a needless waste of human life and potential. It is a devastating loss for our communities, people and families.

Between 1998 and 2008, an average of seven people annually drowned in the Northwest Territories. Eighty-four percent of the drownings were male and alcohol played a factor one-third of the time. Failure to wear a lifejacket was...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. While I can admit there is a real need for increase in support for renewable energy in our great, vast Northwest Territories, just the way the motion is written there I cannot be in support of full reinstatement of $15 million annually, given we’re deliberating the budget and we know the reality of this coming fiscal year and the future. Especially when I have real capital needs for my people in my small and remote communities.

I spoke often right from the get-go of my two favourite words: Highway No. 7 – zero capital dollars there; I need schools in Trout Lake...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to resume consideration of Tabled Document 3-17(3), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2012-2013, to continue on with Transportation, Environment and Natural Resources and, time permitting, Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure in speaking about the three Nahendeh residents from Fort Simpson who received Sport North awards for their contribution to sport, recreation and performance, not only to Fort Simpson but throughout the NWT. This was detailed in the Deh Cho Drum today about… The two of them are actually a mother and daughter team, and they are recognized in different fields.

The first is Mr. Shane Thompson, who received the Sport North award for the Ruth Inch Memorial Contributor to Sport. The other is Ms. Val Gendron, who received the Delma Kisoun...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move we report progress.

---Carried