Debates of August 16, 2007 (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 133-15(6): Operational Issues At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Minister that my source, as he says, is my constituents and my constituents advise me of things that are going on at that hospital. They’re staff at that hospital and I take what they say quite seriously and that’s why I’m here today voicing the concerns of my constituents, Mr. Speaker. So if the Minister is looking for a source, that’s it.

I also wanted to ask the Minister if the surgery ward is shut down, when exactly will it be opening again? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 133-15(6): Operational Issues At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the surgery ward, as the Member stated earlier, for a number of years now when they look at the utilization rates, the number of surgeries that were being done, the elective surgeries being done, there’s a number of times throughout the year when the volumes drop. So looking at how we utilize our staff best and our facility, that’s been decided quite some time ago, but we would, during a number of times throughout the year, close the surgery ward down to elective surgeries. Everybody remains on call if there is surgery required and that continues to happen. Recently, the past five weeks, the surgery ward has been consolidated with the paediatrics ward and what I’m told is the surgery ward is back to normal operation as of the 13th of this month. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 133-15(6): Operational Issues At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the Minister’s source is better than mine if the ward was reopened on the 13th. So I commend him on that.

---Laughter

I wanted to get back to a point that I raised in my Member’s statement and that was the fact that from a staff perspective, if the department and the hospital are turning patient lounges into offices and other patient rooms into offices in that hospital, it sends up alarm bells, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister if in fact the Department of Health and Social Services has taken a serious look at building a dedicated medical administration building at or near Stanton Territorial Hospital? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 133-15(6): Operational Issues At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we’ve already heard, the demand for more funding for a number of sources or activities in the Northwest Territories continues, whether its highways, arts funding or medical facilities or infrastructure or office space. What we’ve done is, again, looked at our utilization rate and right now at the Stanton facility there’s approximately a 60 percent occupancy for in-patient wards. We’re finding a heavy usage on the outpatient side of it and that’s why a utilization report is being done to look at how we use our facilities best and a temporary move has been to locate some of our staff into some of those empty rooms until we can sort out how we’re going to make room for the extra offices we need, whether it’s in this facility or another facility. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 133-15(6): Operational Issues At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if you’re looking at relocating employees to a hospital, that to me is very, very expensive office space, absolutely. I think the department has to come up with a game plan to try to house their employees. That should be in a dedicated medical administration building. It shouldn’t be in patient rooms at Stanton and they should look at amalgamating or bringing under, if the utilization of that building is 60 percent, they should look at bringing in some other services that are currently provided in other locations here in Yellowknife under one roof, not making that hospital into an office building, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to, again, ask the Minister what the game plan is going forward. Are they going to take a look at building a dedicated medical administration building in Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 133-15(6): Operational Issues At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the situation we find ourselves in, if we were to go after a dedicated facility as a Department of Health and Social Services, we’d have to work through our capital plan, get it established, get agreement that it was a priority that it would receive the funds. There is another route that we are working with and that is the workplace shortfall capital fund and we’re putting a plan together to try to see if we can access that to help us in our office shortfall right now. From time to time, whether it’s in this facility or other facilities throughout the territory, we’ve had people and staff in places where the space is tight, but that’s the best we can do in our existing climate and conditions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I was reading my Member’s statement and I was starting to wonder, is the MACA department standing in the way of accessible lots and, therefore, affordable housing here in the city of Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, I have to try to figure out why the Minister of MACA has refused to allow the application to come forward by the City of Yellowknife to go to the public process, the interim measures agreement. So, Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister can help explain to this House and to the City of Yellowknife where the transparent process has gone and why he refused to allow it to go to a public hearing like every other piece of land should go through? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 134-15(6): Land Transfer Process

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can’t understand why the Member would stand up and say that MACA is standing in the way of transferring land. I think historically this government has gone on record for transferring large parcels of land over the last while.

---Applause

This last land acquisition request that has come forward contains land that we don’t have jurisdiction over and, therefore, can’t disclose that. If we can’t disclose of it, it doesn’t make any sense to go to consultation, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 134-15(6): Land Transfer Process

Well, Mr. Speaker, the land request that came in a couple of years ago was cut in half by this department and once they came up with an agreement with the local folks, the aboriginal folks, they could have just, therefore, transferred the rest of it. But, no, they shelved it and sent it back and said apply some other day. Mr. Speaker, at the City of Yellowknife, the land cupboard is bare. They do not have lots available for affordable housing, Mr. Speaker. It is a very bare cupboard, but it’s just not that long ago we gave MACA six more positions to deal with land transfers specifically. So, Mr. Speaker, I’d like the MACA Minister to illustrate today to this House what these people are doing, because I’m kind of concerned because we do not have land being transferred over to the City of Yellowknife. Is he padding his department? You know, what are they doing over there? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 134-15(6): Land Transfer Process

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the land request from the city, if the Member had checked, would indicate that there is privately held land in the acquisition request. I’ll have to check to see if the Member’s property is included in there.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, there’s bodies of water that we don’t have jurisdiction over. There’s federal lands that we don’t have jurisdiction over. We can’t pretend that we’re going to transfer these over; we can’t take it to consultation. We have been talking to the city for I think around three months now to see if we can work our way around it. We’ll either have to carve these properties out of there to take the rest to consultation or the city will have to change their request, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 134-15(6): Land Transfer Process

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure where the Minister is getting his briefing notes, but I did check the land and, by the way, I got the information from your department. So you can make all the funny jokes you want; this is from your office. So, Mr. Speaker, in February 2007, the city expressed interest in reviewing options for purchasing the Con and the Rycon trailer courts. In July 2007, the city passed a motion to acquire the common areas of the trailer court and recommended MACA should offer fee-simple title to the existing leaseholders to them directly. So where is this process going forward, Mr. Speaker? What are we doing again? Stall, stall, stall while affordable housing solutions don’t get done? Mr. Speaker, what is this Minister doing to solve this problem?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 134-15(6): Land Transfer Process

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish the Member would read his information more closely because, Mr. Speaker, we’ve indicated to the city if there is a real desire for us to transfer to the city, we can do it within four weeks or a month turnaround. If there’s a desire for us to turn the land over to the leaseholders, that’s going to be a new consultation process and that would probably not be finalized until December or January this coming winter, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 134-15(6): Land Transfer Process

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I think the Minister just accurately coined out the problem because the fact is, he’s come up with a new process for land that’s already been requested and already been approved because, Mr. Speaker, it wasn’t that long ago that the City of Yellowknife applied for that area of land and it was okay because it went through the IMA, no applications came in from a third party interest to stop it. So the fact is, it was already heading over to the side of the City of Yellowknife with no problem, but yet the MACA Minister slows it down. It’s still going to the same people, Mr. Speaker. The MACA Minister could do this today; the MACA Minister could solve this problem today. Maybe if he’d look and talk to his colleague sitting right next to him, that’s also the area of the city he represents. So maybe he would want to work together more closely in this Assembly to solve these problems. Will he do this today? He can do it today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 134-15(6): Land Transfer Process

Mr. Speaker, we’ve been working close with everybody. My office has even kept the Member in the loop. We have indicated that we’ll transfer the land to the city. We’ve done the consultation; we have all the necessary requirements for us to start that process today. If the transfer is going to be to anyone else other than the city, then that changes the land tenure and that would require us to go through another consultation process, Mr. Speaker. That is the process and I apologize to the Member if he misunderstood that, but the process is right now that we go to a new consultation process if there is anyone else in the city other than the city that applies for it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask my questions today to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It’s following up on the issues of space use of the hospital and other health care facilities in the city. Mr. Speaker, we know about the master plan of the Stanton Hospital that’s been in the works for years but it hasn’t really moved that far, but they’re having other activities happening. There have been major renovations at the Frame Lake health care facility there, in Great Slave, and there’s also a major initiative to consolidate Yellowknife clinics, but what is happening I think is that there has not been adequate consultation or at least the people are not aware of this facility and why what’s going to happen to it and how it fits into the master plan or how it fits into the hospital. I’ve had health care professionals, as well as the users, asking or making suggestions about how to do this better. So I’d like to ask the Minister to give an update as to what the department has in the works in terms of consultation and public input process? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 135-15(6): Public Review And Consultation On Consolidated Health Clinics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct that there is work done on this and part of the problem is we’ve worked with a lot of organizations, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, Stanton and other groups, but a lot of the work has been done quite some time ago. The idea of the consolidated clinics has been on the books for some time within the department looking how we can proceed with this and if there’s an opportunity to move it forward. It goes back into an annual basis where when we do our budget planning, if we don’t have a contract let on a facility, all of our projects go back into the mix and get re-evaluated. At this point, we’re back into the business planning session and we have to make our arguments once again how to proceed and go on that basis. So right now there’s more discussion on that, looking at what options there are and we’ve made some investment in the number of clinics trying to do some of that work up front, but there is much yet to be done and we’re still a ways away from that as we continue to plan and proceed on that front. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 135-15(6): Public Review And Consultation On Consolidated Health Clinics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if the Minister is aware of this, but the last information I received, probably early in the summer, was that Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board, which I believe is the driver of consolidating Yellowknife clinics, was going to set up a steering committee that would look at this consolidation of Yellowknife clinics. Part of their responsibility was to find a space whether to build a new space or to use existing space, but the important point I got out of that was that there was going to be a steering committee. I would like to ask the Minister if he would talk to them to make sure that that steering committee will include a meaningful consultation process from the users so that everybody could have a say on what is to happen to these consolidated clinics. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 135-15(6): Public Review And Consultation On Consolidated Health Clinics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as stated earlier, we will work with the appropriate bodies in place to try and come up with a plan on how we can proceed with this project and how, in fact, we can do that. That is why the work is being done in the manner it is. We would consult with the appropriate groups to ensure that there is input gained as we go through this whole scenario. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 135-15(6): Public Review And Consultation On Consolidated Health Clinics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not clear what the Minister means when he says "we," because I am assuming that is the Government of the Northwest Territories, but my understanding is that the driver of this project is really Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board. I believe there is a distinction. I am going to ask the specific question again to the Minister. Would the Minister commit to asking the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board to provide us with the information on what the terms of reference or the work plan and consultation plan is with respect to this project as soon as possible? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 135-15(6): Public Review And Consultation On Consolidated Health Clinics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I say "we," ultimately, working with the Health and Social Services authorities and when we talk about infrastructure dollars and how we proceed in the delivery of service in any community, the department gets involved in that process. Of course, different authorities take the lead on a number of initiatives. In this case, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services is the lead on this initiative, but, as a department, we are definitely plugged in on that and we will work with them. We will pass on the information. As we proceed, we would, being the department, make presentation to committees as we proceed down this path. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 135-15(6): Public Review And Consultation On Consolidated Health Clinics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to be more specific, I believe that the government has already approved money for this, so this sort of plan should already be in place, really. Could I ask the Minister to get back to us as to exactly how the stakeholders such as doctors and other people who are going to be providing services and the users' specific information on how they are going to be consulted as to what is the best way to do this consolidated clinics in its relation to the hospital and other health care facilities that is going to be the key component of service delivery? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 135-15(6): Public Review And Consultation On Consolidated Health Clinics

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will get more detailed information so that I can provide it to the Member. As the Member stated, a lot of work has been done. This is not a new idea. Yes, as a department, we have allocated what we think would be the necessary amounts, but we haven’t, as I stated earlier, as we go through business plans, unless we have a contract initiated and dollars approved by this Assembly, we have to go back into the whole plan and the mix and then justify our plan as we proceed forward. But I will get the latest information and provide that to the Member. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Justice. The question I have is in regards to the wilderness camp that he initiated through his department in terms of initiating a pilot project in the Sahtu region in the community of Fort Good Hope. That was the community that had this program. I wanted to ask the Minister of Justice in terms of his initial insight in terms of an evaluation as to how this camp is doing in terms of what other camps may have been operating in the Northwest Territories. This is a very unique camp. I think the Minister of Justice needs to be commended on his initiative to pull this camp through and do something for the people in the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 136-15(6): Sahtu Wilderness Camp For Youth

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, let me thank the Member for his work in seeing this camp become a reality. In the 2006 winter season, the Member worked very hard with Charlie and Laura Tobac to encourage them to put forward an application to develop such a camp. In the 2006 season, we had a six-week program. In the 2007 winter season, we did the same. We are looking forward to similar programs as we go into this year into the winter program. We bought the equipment and we are lending that to the camp facility and then storing it in the off season. It is working very well. We are working with inmates. The inmates have reported that it has been very successful for them in helping them with some of their programming needs. So, by all accounts, this has been a success; a success that we hope that we can replicate in other regions of the territory. I know the next government is looking forward to working with other Members and committee to roll this out in other regions. I know we have plans currently underway in the Tlicho region. I thank the Member for his encouragement and want to acknowledge that much of his work was the impetus behind this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 136-15(6): Sahtu Wilderness Camp For Youth

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this initiative came from the elders in the Sahtu. They thought about it for a long time. I’m a voice for them in this Assembly here. Mr. Speaker, this initiative has also been voiced to people in the Tlicho, as Mr. Minister has indicated. The Member for the Beaufort-Mackenzie Delta in terms of Tl’oondih. I want to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, in this issue here, can this be replicated to young people that we have in the Northwest Territories and the Sahtu region where a lot of issues are being dealt with now by the young people through the youth of their use of alcohol and drugs? It has been an issue that has been on our people’s minds. Can we take something like this and gear it towards the young people now? Thank you.