Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Tabling of documents. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document: Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 186-20(1): Addressing Erosion in Aklavik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee report 1-20(1): Report on the 2024-2025 Main Estimates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Tabling of documents. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a Translated Copy of the Greenland Economic Council Report 1. Half Year 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Tabling of documents.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS the Mackenzie River Basin has been experiencing drought and low water levels since 2022, which has disrupted the re-supply of communities by barge;
AND WHEREAS the disruption of barging routes has created extraordinary logistical challenges and costs to deliver goods and supplies to impacted communities;
AND WHEREAS communities in the Sahtu region estimate over a collective $14 million in lost or delayed business opportunity, including logistical and shipping expenses as a result of the 2024 cancelled barge;
AND WHEREAS the Mackenzie Valley Highway has been a project under development for decades; it is a 321 kilometre highway of which 14 kilometers have been built to date;
AND WHEREAS the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway will not only unlock the economic potential of the Sahtu, it will also lower the cost of living for residents, connecting the Mackenzie Valley region, and improving transportation to the Arctic Ocean, increasing the Northwest Territories' and Canada's Arctic sovereignty and security;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories is mandated underneath the 20th Legislative Assembly to strengthen government-to-government relationships with Indigenous governments and work in partnership to jointly engage the federal government to advance issues of shared interest;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories update the business case to complete the Mackenzie Valley Highway immediately;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories use the updated business case to formalize Indigenous partnerships in the project and to lobby the federal government in partnership to secure the funding required in the upcoming federal budget to build this critical infrastructure for the territories and Canada;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion. Member from Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I put this motion forward with the encouragement of the whole Assembly's support for the reasons being that you can only visualize the impacts of last year's barging season and this year's total barging season and the many negative impacts not only to project delays but postponements, additional costs and, most importantly, the layoffs for the people that are affected by the delaying of the project or the cancellation of the whole project totally. That has a stressful impact on the family income, the mortgage commitments, additional costs of living, and the whole logistic of bringing goods from southern points to the community. So I emphasize and I encourage our government to stand behind and finish this into a view that we have a vested interest in capital commitments already to this project. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I second this motion because I support this motion. It's one that is really needed. And I always keep thinking about the late Cece McCauley who always said build a highway. And, you know, I think it's time now that we take a look at that. You know, as my colleague who brought forward this motion talks about the need of putting a highway there that helps with the high cost of living in that region, no different than I'm trying to push the same thing for my riding as well. But, Mr. Speaker, roads like this is good for communities. It's good for the North. Good for the jobs in the small communities. We all benefit from this. So, Mr. Speaker, you know, I'd like to see this road go ahead. And I always remember Cece McCauley at the Dene Nation meetings I used to attend, and she was a big advocate behind this whole thing so I think that maybe when we build this highway, we may have to call it the Cece McCauley Highway. Anyways, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the motion. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to support this motion. And, in the words of the late and legendary Cece McCauley, build the damn road.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion. Member from Yellowknife South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one can support a motion without voting in favour of it and that is the situation I'm likely to find myself in, and my colleagues here in Cabinet will be abstaining on this. But I did want to speak to the motion.
The Member from the Sahtu has been voracious in terms of promoting the need for this highway. Mr. Speaker, myself, my office, we hear from him regularly. And, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that. It helps keep us on our toes, and it helps push something, and it helps push something when there's so many other things going on. There is absolutely no doubt of the importance of this project to the Sahtu region, to Nahendeh, to the communities along the way, and I am pleased to say there's a lot of work happening in this space right now. I am very hopeful that a renewed MOU with the SSI will be signed quite imminently. That was referenced by the Member. That does help on structure, the organization between the SSI and GNWT in terms of advancing this project. We have renewed work now happening with the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation and supporting their interest in how they want to see themselves reflected in the future of this project.
Mr. Speaker, the Member from Range Lake took this away from me. I was going to note that I also happen to know that Cece McCauley said something slightly different about how to build that highway. And, Mr. Speaker, I have a little picture of her with that quote sitting on my desk. So, Mr. Speaker, and I have one more thing on this; I'm, in fact, meeting with the Department of Infrastructure tomorrow to talk about what we might do to advance the construction schedule on this highway and see what we could do to move this forward. It's, again, as we do, Cabinet will abstain but, again, that doesn't mean that there's any lack of support or any less drive. Happy to have the motion to help keep that momentum going. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife South. To the motion.
Question.
Member from Sahtu can conclude the debate.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks for the opportunity to close the debate on this motion here. I additionally wanted to mention here if we look on the spirit of this Assembly's mandate to economic reconciliation with the Indigenous governments, here is one example how to do that and unlocking the Sahtu would mean that this region is 283,000 square kilometers, twice the size of the Maritime provinces, so you can see the potential within this area. And I would request a recorded vote there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion.
Question.
The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Deh Cho.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Kam Lake. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput.
Colleagues, all in favour, 9. Opposed, zero. Abstentions, 7. The motion has carried.
---Carried
Motions. Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS the hamlet of Enterprise has suffered catastrophic damage in the loss of 80 percent of all structures, including 35 residential homes;
AND WHEREAS the federal minister of Emergency Preparedness has identified the federal program Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements of which the Government of the Northwest Territories can access 90 percent of the cost of the installation of temporary housing within Enterprise;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has the key to unlock funding offered by the Government of Canada;
AND WHEREAS the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs has the power to authorize the spending of 10 percent of the cost of providing temporary housing within Enterprise;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, second by the Member for Range Lake, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide the 10 percent funding needed for the installation of temporary housing in Enterprise;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories align the territorial Disaster Financial Assistance Program to leverage the 90 percent contribution provided under Canada's Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories immediately communicate with the hamlet of Enterprise its intention to fully participate in the installation of temporary housing in Enterprise;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. To the motion. Member from the Deh Cho.
Mr. Speaker, I move this motion today because the Government of the Northwest Territories has an opportunity to support the community of Enterprise. The federal government has identified to the GNWT the support available through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement, through the DFAA, and the GNWT can access 90 percent of the cost to construct temporary housing units, modular housing units. Mr. Speaker, I see the community, I talk to the leaders, I listen to the residents. I can tell you Enterprise is in a time of need.
The way forward to rebuilding Enterprise is not clear. The community does not have the resources or the solution.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT can help this community in their time of need, yet for some reason the GNWT is not doing this. This funding opportunity from the federal government may not be the most ideal solution because it only provides temporary housing, Mr. Speaker. It's better than nothing. There has to be a creative way that temporary housing can transform into long-term housing options. Why would the GNWT pass up an opportunity to build temporary housing when we are in a housing crisis that has been made worse from the devastation of wildfires?
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has an opportunity on the table to secure federal money at the cost of 10 percent to the GNWT. The federal Minister has offered to support the GNWT and has committed to coordinate federal departments to identify any other funding sources. Why is the GNWT standing in the way of Enterprise? The community of Enterprise wants to ensure that all displaced residents have a home to return to this fall, and the GNWT should support them to make this happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for the Deh Cho.
Sorry, I ask for a recorded vote.
Thank you, Member for the Deh Cho. To the motion. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to support this motion. It's important that we look at all communities when we're making decisions as a government. And I think this is -- well, I know this is something the Member's very passionate about, it's her riding, and it's the community that was hardest hit by the wildfire disasters of previous years. And I can't imagine what that must be like to lose your home, to lose your community, and to still be in this place where you're not sure where the help is going to help from and what it's going to look like. The people of Enterprise shouldn't be in a place where they don't know what their future holds. They should be very clear about how things will move forward.
I know our friend, the Minister, has been looking into this as well. I know he's got a big heart, and he does want to help. But often we hear this, that the federal government's the one standing in the way, they don't understand the application. The Member's done the leg work. The motion's very clear. The money, the support's there. So I don't know understand why we can't move forward with this, provide those matching dollars, and get this project moving forward. So I look forward to hearing more perhaps from the Minister proper but, even more so, I hope to see Members support this motion so we can get Enterprise the help that they need. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, forest fire 2023 was a disaster for a lot of us, and it was a nightmare for many who lived through the ordeal. People from Behchoko and Edzo, even Hay River North and South, they experienced that as well. So, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you it could happen worse for Behchoko. By the grace of God, Behchoko was safe. You know, so we lost four housing and we lost 15 cabins on Highway 3. But Enterprise did not have the same experience. Forest fire almost wiped out the whole community. As a result, until this day, the residents are still suffering. They're affected by the whole process, and many of them are still homeless. They want to rebuild but they can't because they don't have the means. And many of them don't have the -- they don't have no houses, and they don't have a home. So many of these people made Enterprise their home community so we have to respect that. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I do support this motion. The community is still struggling, and people are displaced, and GNWT has the authority to rebuild the town of Enterprise. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. To the motion. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too rise in support of the motion here. I can only imagine the devastation and the stressful environment. As we've always said, our home is our kingdom. And to lose that, I'm just totally lost for words on how the individuals having lost all that life's earnings gone up in smoke, and I really feel for the victims of last year's season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion. Member from Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't say much about this; I've spoken extensively about the wildfires, and the Member for Hay River South has spoken about the accommodations being provided as well as other supports. So what the government will do is take this motion, use the 120 days to consider it, and provide a response. And we will be abstaining. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Hay River North. To the motion. Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleagues for supporting me with this motion. I do this in the spirit of helping the people in my riding at Enterprise. With that, I would like to, again, thanks everybody that's supporting it and also ask for a recorded vote. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. To the motion.
