Tom Beaulieu

Yes, I agree that some more visits by dental staff will be a good part of the oral health strategy. However, I think filling all of the dental therapist positions is also another strategy that we need to employ, and we’ll certainly look at the possibility of increasing visits as we did in other communities that requested that there be more visits. We will again talk to the dental people, within the bounds of our contract with them, to see what is possible.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly that was one of the earlier objectives when this facility, Nats’ejee K’eh, closed, that we attempt to streamline the process for any individuals who are wishing to go for treatment.

As I indicated earlier, we believe that once an individual presents themselves as needing treatment, we are trying to get into the very next facility of their choice on the very next intake. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, it is certainly possible that that facility could remain with the department and be used for some form of residential treatment or support treatment overall across the territory. We are going to be having those discussions with the K’atlodeeche First Nations. It is on the reserve there, and that facility, at one point, was something that they had lobbied for, brought onto the reserve and initially was mostly a cultural treatment facility before it became a medical treatment facility. So there’s a possibility that we may run mobile treatments out of there. It’s also possible to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The money will remain in the treatment of individuals within the Northwest Territories and some of it will be used to develop a youth program which is starting this week. This week we are meeting with the first opportunity to do a youth pilot program in the Deh Cho, so some of our staff are going to go over there. Some of that money is being used to treat individuals that are going out for southern treatment. We are looking at developing on-the-land programs. Again, some of that money is going to developing some on-the-land programs – in fact, we are piloting three of...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Justin John Catholique of Lutselk’e.

Justin passed away in his home on July 25th of this year. A funeral service was held in his memory on August 3rd.

Justin was born October 11, 1981. He was only 32 years old. Justin attended Lutselk’e Dene School, also participating in training programs offered in the community for small periods of time, where he learned valuable skills such as small engines and mechanics.

Justin lived in his own log house across from his father. He was a loving...

Again, right now the Member is correct that we are currently providing coverage out of Fort Simpson, and that sometimes that is scheduled to be three days a month, from what used to be full-time nurses and the supports necessary to provide nursing services to the community. For sure we are prepared to look at what the Member is suggesting at this time. Thank you.

That certainly is still the issue; it is still one of the issues that we are trying to get around. Currently the communities that don’t have RCMP also don’t have nursing, so that becomes an issue. I can’t recall the exact area or association that we deal with the Nurses’ Association that indicates that one nurse cannot be out in a community by themselves, but I do know that a model says that a population of over 250 can be accommodated by two nurses and also by two RCMP members. That type of model is something that would fit that. With a population lower than that, we are trying to find a way...

I don’t have the specific dates on that with me, but I would be more than willing to provide that to the Members across the floor, on where the programs will be piloted and with whom the programs will be piloted by and when they will be piloted. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, on-the-land treatment is something that was called for by the communities. I do believe that the philosophy of the on-the-land treatment is to get people to go back out on the land for healing. A lot of the Aboriginal people who called for this felt very connected to the land, so we’re trying to develop a philosophy around that type of treatment.

Also, in order to gather more information and develop a program, we have hired an individual who will be specifically working on this project, on-the-land treatment, and we’re also piloting three on-the-land treatment programs that would...

Mr. Speaker, certainly that is possible. We would be pleased to consult with the Members that are affected; in fact, all Members, since it is a territorial facility. Thank you.