Tom Beaulieu

I know that initially when this issue was being contemplated through the media and so on with elders, I’ve had initial discussion with the Minister of the Housing Corporation. After the motion was made by the elders, we’ve had another discussion. I am prepared to work with the Minister of Housing to look at that decision. Thank you.

Thank you. I wasn’t thinking that the Elders Parliament was specifically a seniors’ issue, I thought it was an Elders Parliament that was more of a parliamentary thing. So I looked at that from not as a Minister responsible for Seniors, but looked at the Member’s statement for Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Seniors and Persons with Disabilities and said I would ask the staff. I had asked the staff to look at the statements to see which one of those statements pertained to the three areas that I’m responsible for, to see if there wasn’t work already being done in those...

Yes, we can do that. We can work with the Sahtu Health and Social Services to ensure that they keep tabs on the project and that we communicate the progress to the people in the Sahtu. Thank you.

The building itself, both buildings and the outbuildings that the long-term care or what was referred to as the senior citizens home in Deline does belong to the NWT Housing Corporation. Right now it’s being leased out to Health and Social Services and we are using the main part of the building. The community wishes that part of the building would be opened up and the administration of health and social services, I think their home care programs and counselling and so on that were in there, would be moved to one of the out buildings. At this time there needs to be an evaluation done by...

Lawrence was highly respected in his position at ENR. The DM and many ENR employees from across the North attended his funeral. ENR presented Lawrence’s family with a pulaski – an axe with a blade and a hook on the back – a hardhat, and a plaque to honour and remember him. Another fire expert described him as the best fire behaviour specialist she knew. All of Lawrence’s pallbearers were from his fire crew and they were fully equipped with their firefighter’s uniforms.

Lawrence is also a part of the team that wrote the Chipewyan language dictionary, which was launched on March 26, 2012.

My...

Like I said, we’re going to be working with the communities to look at what is needed. I could stand up and say now that no, we’re not going to put two nurses back in Wrigley because there isn’t enough work for them in that community. However, we don’t want to give that kind of answer. What we want to do is we want to work to see what is needed and provide what is needed, not just put two nurses in a community because that’s what people say is needed in the community. What we’re saying is if there’s a need for less than one nurse, requirement for a job of less than one nurse in a community...

Madam Speaker, this Assembly has a vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing in the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories. Our vision includes persons with disabilities.

June 4th to 8th is Disability Awareness Week in the Northwest Territories. Each year Disability Awareness Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the contributions persons with disabilities make to our communities in spite of the many challenges they may face every day. This year’s theme is Broadening our Acceptance...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The way we are approaching all communities to provide what services are needed, we’re trying to use a primary care team, which refers to trying to provide a service in the communities where the services are needed. Right now we are reviewing right from the smallest communities in the North to Yellowknife exactly what services are needed. Right now the standard is that communities that have more than 250 people are eligible for at least two registered nurses. We don’t have a formula to cover communities that have under 250 people. What we’re trying to do is provide a...

I’m not familiar with the specific contract with the dentists in the Sahtu. I don’t have that information. What I am familiar with, or what the department is trying to do over a longer term to address this issue, we clearly recognize that good oral health leads to good health, period, and we see this as a preventive item. The department contracts an actual dentist to work with a dental therapist. Unfortunately, those two positions in the Sahtu are vacant at this time. Under normal circumstances where the therapists are filled, then that dentist works with the therapist to promote oral health...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Currently we’re having difficulties filling dental therapist positions right across the territory where they’re needed. In the Sahtu there are two dental therapist positions, both of which are vacant. It’s causing some problems, and also the fact that dental services are a federal responsibility for First Nations people. So, again, we recognize the issues, and what I’ve asked the department to do now is to work with the federal government to develop an oral health strategy, and we’re going to look at that to see if there are areas that we can work together with the...