Sahtu

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 45)

Certainly the Sahtu is looking for partnerships and is interested in the how’s and the action plan. So I’m asking the Minister, what is the department doing to enhance the findings of life skills? It was a top priority in the needs assessment and job readiness in the Sahtu.

What is the Minister doing to look at some of these priorities as indicated by the needs assessment in telling us this is what’s needed? What is he doing?

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 45)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the recipients of the cultural awards and especially the recipient from Deline, Ms. Tutcho, along with Miss Tina Tutcho. They are living cultures of the Sahtu, so I want to say congratulations to the staff who put this together.

I’d also like to recognize the mayor from Aklavik, and also a friend of my mine who I haven’t seen for a while, Mr. Stanley Beck. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 45)

Mr. Chair, the fire season certainly was terrible down here on the south end of the Territories. Knowing the conditions, knowing that we might have had a bad fire season, knowing the conditions and the dryness, is there any other area that has similar conditions down here? People are saying that it’s so dry down in the south part of the Northwest Territories, it’s prime condition for a fire. If the fire does go, it is so dry it will take off really fast and it’s something that we were expecting. Given this and in follow-up to Mr. Bromley’s questions on the review and looking at all of the good...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 44)

There is also a song, “Put another Log on the Fire.”

---Laughter

And that’s free and good for the communities.

I think we need to look at some of those solutions especially for young people. We, in our generation, grew up cutting wood, hauling wood by dog team and then by skidoo. We need to look at those types of solutions.

This is the important issue in the North. Do we accept the cold hard facts that when you live further out than the larger centres it’s going to be a challenge because your options are limited? You don’t have as many options as down in the Yellowknife area. That’s a fact. So...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 44)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In listening to Members talk about their concerns and possible solutions to deal with the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories, are there any discussions the Premier has come across in doing a high cost of living charrette in the Northwest Territories to have people come together and look at ways that they could reduce the cost of living in their communities? Has there been any type of discussion like that that’s so important to people in the small communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 44)

Can the Minister of Education tell us what emergency measures are available for those who might be in between jobs or students without work? What can they do to ensure they have a roof over their heads this winter and dealing with the high cost of living?

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 44)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s not all doom and gloom in the Sahtu, but some people are struggling. Whether a young family in Deline, an elder in Colville Lake or a single mother in Fort Good Hope, people are having to pay more to put food on the table and more to warm their houses this winter.

Will the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell us about the increase of people relying on income assistance since the drop of oil prices has slowed the economy in the Sahtu?

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 44)

Mr. Chair, I wanted to say that the fleet that we own, the CL-215s, were, I’d say, a gift from the federal government when we purchased them. They certainly have done their work fighting fires in the Northwest Territories. Certainly, we could continue to use them. We’ve seen a number of dollars that were spent on this past summer’s fire season and I think that there’s still some useful time left in the life of these CL-215s. I’m hoping that the government would continue to look for ways that we can retain them and continue to operate them in the North.

There has to be a lot of pros on the CL...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 44)

The Premier is right; there is no silver bullet. Energy seems to be one of the major factors, the high cost of food in our Northern Stores and the lack of employment. We have the resources. Infrastructure seems to be another factor in our smaller, remote communities. If we have one litre of milk here in Yellowknife, one litre of milk in Fort Good Hope or Colville Lake, why is there a difference between that and up in Ulukhaktok? What’s the difference? Where does the price add onto that litre of milk? That is what the people are asking. Or do we just accept the fact that living in the Northwest...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 44)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment commit to this House that when he meets with his federal/provincial counterparts that the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories will be a priority item that he can discuss with the other provincial leaders as something that needs to have the full attention of Canada, to raise this issue to know that this issue here is important to people and Members of this House?