Inuvik Twin Lakes

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 19)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a good constituent of Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Willard Hagen.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 19)

I would be glad to visit the Member’s constituency and talk to some of the NGOs there, as I would extend that invitation to all Members here, because it helps us as a corporation to do our job better with some planning, so we can hear from folks out in the communities who have to deal with some of the situations they find themselves in. I will commit to the Member, if we can line up a meeting, I’d be happy to attend. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 19)

Because of our limited infrastructure budget, we were fortunate. In the last two years we’ve had a huge investment from the federal government. But we’re back to our original number of $17 million. A lot of it’s for public housing replacement units. I can assure the Member that Yellowknife’s very high on the priority. I believe there are about 61 units that may have been built or started in 2012-13, and my understanding is Yellowknife was probably getting about 23 of these units. In some cases we buy units that we can convert into public housing instead of building. That way we get more value...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 19)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 19)

We’ve heard the argument on a number of occasions about Yellowknife being a magnet community. We do have a lot of folks from outside come into Yellowknife. Yellowknife is very fortunate. They have some very good groups here in town that work on these situations. As far as their transitional housing goes, I think they’re in better shape than all of the 32 communities across the Northwest Territories. We just made a sizable contribution to Betty House and we do help with Rockhill with an in-kind donation, plus some money to help with utilities and that. As far as the rest of the Northwest...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 19)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct; there was a report done. One of the recommendations that came out of the report, Yellowknife, I think the biggest issue was affordability, and that’s one of the reasons that the Rent Supplement Program came into play.

There is a need for public housing all across the Northwest Territories; Yellowknife and some of the larger centres because they’re market communities, it’s a little harder to get more public housing in there. We do have 311 public housing units in Yellowknife. I think there are 169 of our own, plus we have some lease units, as we do...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 18)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize a good friend of mine, Minister Lorne Kusugak from Nunavut, who I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the last number of years and I’ve always been very impressed with his commitment to the people of Nunavut. Welcome to the Assembly, Quasa.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 18)

Thank you, Madam Chair. We will work closely with the communities. We have our regional folks out there that will work closely with the communities. We do know that there could be a potential impact on the community of Norman Wells. They’re funded based on what they have right now. In the future when the community expands – and I still think it will – then we would have to review the whole funding as far as Norman Wells goes. If their population goes up, then adjustments will have to be made as to some of their funding. As far as the impact on some of their infrastructure, I mean, that’s a...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 18)

As I said before, part of the discussion we have is with LGANT. I mean, they represent – or NWT Association of Communities – all 33 communities. All 33 communities will normally meet in a room and they’re just one big organization. Their big concern was the O and M funding, not so much that we have to be fair and go to a base-plus.

One of the arguments I continue to have with Canada when we meet with them is as the Northwest Territories, if you fund us on a per capita basis, being such a small jurisdiction we’re immediately behind the eight ball. We try to treat all our communities the same by...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 18)

As I said before, our goal is to have the Joe Greenland Centre open as soon as possible. If we can get the contract awarded, ideally we’d like to have them in there by the spring. As far as a full-time home care worker, that is out of my jurisdiction and that’s a discussion that the Member will have to take up with the Minister of Health and Social Services.