Norman Yakeleya

WHEREAS the Bear River Bridge project has been put on hold pending the identification and approval of a federal funding source;

AND WHEREAS the Department of Transportation is continuously examining federal funding programs that could provide financial support for the construction of the Bear River Bridge;

AND WHEREAS the department has completed a breakdown of costs of construction of the Bear River Bridge as well as a cost-benefit and regional impact analysis of the Mackenzie Valley Highway extension that includes a bridge over the Bear River;

AND WHEREAS the federal government has demonstrated...

Mr. Speaker, in 11 days… I know the Minister communicated with me that the local housing authority along with the tenants are trying to work out some repayment of the situations. However, the fact of the matter is that they have eviction notices signed off that families have to get out of the house, basically, and these families are, again, looking forward to seeing where they go. I know the Minister has indicated being there for the people. How, in this small community of Deline, will we look after 12 families that are going to need shelter? Because that’s going to cause other problems in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you honourable colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to recognize three great leaders from the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada, Deline, Sahtu: Danny Gaudet, government negotiator, Chief Raymond Tutcho, and president of the land corporation, Mr. Peter Menacho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the community of Tulita has offered some solutions in terms of getting a social worker into the community. Will the Minister be open to those types of suggestions from the people of Tulita to get a social worker in there, in terms of the solutions of certainly that position, as soon as possible?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister and I did tour the Sahtu and one of our stops was in Tulita. We did have a talk with the grand chief and people of Tulita and we were advised of the number of excuses why we did not have today a social worker in the community of Tulita. One of the suggestions was how can we work out a solution that we can have a social worker. We have not had one in that community for over three years. We need a permanent social worker in the community. I want to ask the Minister if she’s willing to look at some options in terms of how do we get one within the next couple of weeks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister work with the LHOs and the corporation in terms of direct, maybe -- I’m not sure if that’s the proper word -- the LHOs to work out some final arrangements as to tenants working off the arrears rather than have the eviction notice follow through? People right now are living in shacks, warehouses and tents in Deline. We need to get them back into units, for safety reasons and many other reasons I do not want to elaborate on. Would the Minister do that as soon as possible?

Thank you. I want to ask the Minister about solutions. I know there’s probably going to be other eviction notices to residents in the Sahtu, in the Northwest Territories. Can the Housing Corporation work with the people in the communities to see if they could work out some arrangements so that these eviction notices are not hanging out in huge, large numbers?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Miki O’Kane and also congratulate her. I agree with Mr. Robert C. McLeod that we should keep her with Aurora College. I want to congratulate her on being an inductee, and also Mr. Fred Carmichael for his endless…(inaudible)…of working with the Gwich’in people. I also want to recognize an inductee, in memory of Mr. Cliff King, one of my best high school teachers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

How many people are currently registered with the NWT Health Care Plan?

How many of those people registered temporarily reside outside of the Northwest Territories?

Thank you. I’ve been reading the latest NWT survey, the housing component. The result and the adequacy are unacceptable in terms of housing in the Northwest Territories. I think if you were to do that in Deline right now in terms of the survey, the adequacy percentage would go right up. I guess in terms of working out an arrangement with the Housing Corporation around eviction, you know, in our small communities unemployment is very, very high. There’s not very much economic activity happening there. Can the Minister look within his department to look at arrangements where tenants can work off...