Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Floyd Roland will be absent from the House today to attend events related to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is on economic development programs in Nunakput. In Nunakput communities every year we go through a huge time where youth have to leave the communities and go to places like Yellowknife or Inuvik. The primary reason this occurs is a lack of real jobs and opportunities for them in our home communities. This is a huge problem, Mr. Speaker. Our future, our communities are going to be a place where most of our people have holidays in the summer and where communities are empty of our youth.
The government needs to be active to assist communities with some serious programs and create jobs so our residents don’t have to leave our home communities. One concern always raised by constituents is that government doesn’t really care about our small communities, the residents believe it’s only because of the federal transfers.
All communities have to be treated equally because of our unique conditions. Our unique economic limitations are considered when allocating resources to various programs all across the North.
The unemployment situation in communities is very serious and this government has failed on this. There is a lack of hope for our youth in communities that I represent in Nunakput and this government has failed in this. Many communities have a revolving door system due to the lack of jobs whereby several people share a full-time job and then go on unemployment insurance. That, Mr. Speaker, is a shame.
The government needs to place more attention and resources on small, remote communities regarding the community-based economic development programs. These resources should assist the area such as providing community-based training and financial assistance. All over the country, companies are proving the geographic limitations are no longer, thanks to the increasing use of technology. People work from home or even in another province. For example, with the current technology in the Northwest Territories, like, Sachs Harbour could take part of a call centre, Mr. Speaker. This government should take advantage of technologies to assist and develop community-based businesses.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
This government should take full advantage of technologies to assist our community-based businesses and not send them to the South. We should look north.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the achievement of my constituents who were selected to represent the NWT at the Vancouver Olympics. They are: performers Gerry Antoine, a gifted Dene drummer from Fort Simpson, and Wesley Hardisty, a dynamic fiddler also from Fort Simpson. These men will be giving visitors from around the world a chance to enjoy our fine music from the North.
As well, our traditional arts and fine crafts will be showcased by Karen Cumberland from Fort Liard, who will be displaying the artistry of her birch bark basketry, and John Sabourin from Fort Simpson, who will be displaying his fascinating carvings and paintings.
Given the dedication of these musicians and artists to hone their talents and keep our culture alive, it is great to see them get such an opportunity to showcase this to the world.
As well, six youth ambassadors will also be representing us: Ms. Cheryl Bertrand, Mr. Calvin Loman and Tyson McLeod from Fort Liard, Mallory Nirlungiak from Fort Simpson, Vanessa Sangris from Jean Marie River, and Bhreagh Ingarfield from Nahanni Butte.
All the best to our participants at the Olympics and I know that you will do our North proud.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We had a great opportunity to improve the quality of services in the 33 communities of the Northwest Territories. I’m talking about the stimulus funds, infrastructure funds, and Building Canada Funds. Out of the information that’s been provided, only 14 projects have been approved. A lot of the communities were not able to take full advantage of this program, either because they do not have the capacity to take it on or they don’t have the resources to match the 50 percent that’s needed to match those funds.
I think it’s critical that a government that’s responsible to 33 communities, not just the larger centres who are the people that have the capacity to put the proposals in, the people can match the funds because of the amount of gas tax they receive, but work with those communities that are challenged on how they can take advantage of federal program dollars. I, for one, feel that this government had a perfect opportunity to ensure that the communities throughout the Northwest Territories, 33 communities, could have taken advantage of a major capital investment of funds from the federal government and ensure that it was shared across the Territory. When I look at the information I’m totally appalled that this government did not ensure that every community in the Northwest Territories was able to take advantage of this program. Some communities were totally left out of approval of these important dollars.
With regard to the government’s way of handling communities, especially the small and rural or remote communities who were left off this list, we have to find ways around using the excuse that we gave the money to the communities and it’s their responsibility to spend it as they wish. The money you give to communities is not even enough to haul a couple loads of gravel. As far as the gas tax is concerned, in some communities it’s as low as $28,000 a year. I think it’s important for this government to seriously look at what this government can do to improve the services in the small and remote communities so they can take advantage of these federal infrastructure dollars.
At the appropriate time I will be asking questions directed to the Deputy Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some years ago the government introduced an Inclusive Schooling Policy. Over the years it’s become accepted practice for our schools to include every child in the classroom, no matter their mental or physical capability. Students in our schools who are special needs students range from those with minimal needs to those with very severe needs. Of these, according to a Canadian average, about 5 percent of these have severe needs for many different reasons. These children cannot manage in a classroom on their own and require a full-time aide to assist them every moment that they are in school.
The cost to the school board is about $70,000 per year to provide that aide. If a child is in school from kindergarten to grade 12 with perhaps an extra year or two required along the way, the cost to the board becomes enormous.
Yellowknife Education District No. 1 is the largest school system in the NWT and has excellent programs with excellent staff to handle their high needs special needs students. But in the last seven years, the district has seen a number of high needs special needs students, those who need a one-on-one aide, increase dramatically from seven or eight in 2004 to 25 in this school year, with another two expected next year. The percentage of special needs students who will need a full-time aide is increased from 4 percent in 2004 to almost 9 percent this year, twice the national average. Needless to say, if those student numbers increase, so do the costs. YK 1 is looking at less inclusive schooling dollars next year but more high needs students.
The GNWT provides an excellent level of funding to education authorities. Over the years, ECE has recognized the high cost of inclusive schooling. They have provided steadily increasing dollars to fund the implementation of the policy, until now that is. The 2010-11 budget before us proposes a reduction in inclusive schooling funding. Yellowknife school boards are concerned. ECE’s funding formula assumes that high needs students are at 5 percent or less of a board’s total special needs student population. If that percent rises, the cost to provide the extra aide required is borne by the school board.
Yellowknife Education District No. 1 brought this concern to the attention of the Minister of Education almost a year ago, Mr. Speaker, but there doesn’t seem to be any recognition of the problem by the Minister and his department. Is this large increase in high needs students an anomaly for YK 1? It would seem so to them.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Or is this perhaps a trend all NWT education authorities are experiencing? The only way to know for sure, Mr. Speaker, is to undertake an independent count of the severe needs students in NWT schools. It is highly unlikely there will be an even distribution amongst all schools, but that’s what the current funding formula assumes.
Boards with a higher incidence of severely disabled students must be funded to a higher level, Mr. Speaker. ECE needs to reconsider how education authorities are funded under the Inclusive Schooling Policy. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the early days of this government, we called on the government to determine the cost of buying our way out of the Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement, and yet this government declined that opportunity. We are now saddled with this bridge project.
The most recent news of an additional $15 million cost has severe implications for us. What does it mean? With the most recent news, we can forget about a new hospital wing in the immediate future and there are many other options we were considering that have now heard the door slamming shut with a disappointing bang. The soaring bridge costs puts undue pressure on our ability to meet our core social needs like improving daycare and early childhood education, protecting the environment and dealing with the onslaught of social ills we must address in more effective ways.
Mr. Speaker, I keep drawing the analogy of our personal lives as a test of our public policy. If we were a family, we would be getting close to living in the streets. Our credit cards are maxed out. We poured our money into building a new garage when the house is falling down. We are not penny wise on our controllable costs like energy. We are at that point where we can easily spiral into crippling debt. So what’s to do?
Mr. Speaker, I think we need to stabilize the current situation. We need to consider an assessment, perhaps a complete audit, of where we are at and how we got here and especially, Mr. Speaker, where our vulnerabilities are so that we don’t experience unexpected events that push that spiral faster and deeper.
We need to consider those aspects that are currently difficult to predict and get our house in order so that we can afford those eventualities. They will happen. We will hear and we have heard that we are expecting this not to be the final word on the costs for this bridge. It would be wonderful if it was the final word and we could come in at the current price, but the final action that we really need, Mr. Speaker, will be to consider and put in place some sort of mechanism, be it legislative or otherwise, that will actually prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. We were saddled with this as a result of a ridiculous action by the previous Assembly and previous Cabinet and we must deal with that. Sorry, Mr. Speaker, we came into this with a situation…
Mr. Bromley, your time for Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was saying, we came in saddled with this situation, we need to be sure that we are not going to saddle future Assemblies with the same sorts of yoke we had to bear here. I think that’s something we can do and I’ll look forward to making sure that happens and I ask for support on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today in response to the press release regarding the latest news on the Deh Cho Bridge. It was just two weeks ago that the Minister and his staff came before committee and said everything was fine even though numerous questions remained. The main contractor, ATCON, had been let go, the design work was still not complete and yet the Minister and even the Finance Minister in his budget address said the project could be completed on budget, although there will be a year’s delay. The government was quick to say that the new design would be less expensive to construct and here we are just two short weeks later and they want $15 million more to complete the project, again, without a signed contract and without a firm design.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve been greatly concerned about the project on many different levels since my election to this House in 2003. The process that allowed the last government to enter into the deal in the first place is one that I maintain was greatly flawed. The project made some sense when it was a 50 to 60 million dollar project that would be self-financing. However, when the project went to $160 million it was no longer self-financing. It defied any logic why the government would continue to pursue the project when the updated cost benefit analysis would indicate the project would have a $53 million negative impact.
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. The alarm bells were going off on this project and so-called partnership many years ago. The sad thing is, Mr. Speaker, not everybody was listening. This project has had problems from the very beginning and we can sit here and blame the last government, but this government’s been on the watch here for the last two and a half years and has to answer to that as well.
The question for government today is how to go forward with any confidence that this latest $15 million to be thrown at this bridge will be it. Residents want to know what this bridge will ultimately cost. Now the government is telling Members and residents its $182 million. Personally, Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe that it will be the final number. My guess is this project will cost close to $200 million by the time all is said and done and this, Mr. Speaker, is a complete and utter disaster of a project.
Mr. Speaker, the darkest days may yet be upon us as we continue to look at this project in this complete and utter boondoggle that the Deh Cho Bridge Project has become. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to use my Member’s statement this morning to say how much I appreciate the good work of the people down in Vancouver at the Olympics who are making the Northwest Territories known for its beauty, for its uniqueness and a place to come visit and live and invest in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I was very impressed with the ITI staff. The Minister himself -- this whole Legislative Assembly -- should be congratulated because the number of people I spoke to at the Northern House, they were truly impressed by the magnificent opportunities of wealth and the beauty of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon. However, with the Northwest Territories portion, people were in awe. They just couldn’t say enough.
Actually, Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories or Northern House received the gold medal in terms of the open house, in terms of showcasing their things. There are a lot of good people from the Northwest Territories, people who are in Vancouver who are making this happen, people who we have on our staff that are dedicated and that are there. I met the youth ambassadors. I met some of the culture people that are going to be performing down there. People just couldn’t get enough. It’s amazing when you walk around in that little area in Vancouver. They’ve done a good job to host us, to be host to the Olympics. The thing about the Olympics is the buzz is in the air in terms of what’s going to be happening the next couple of weeks there starting tomorrow.
I want to thank the Minister for allowing me to travel with him to see it firsthand. At first I wasn’t too sure and I didn’t know if we were spending money wisely on the Olympics, but now I see it firsthand that we are doing a good job and I think the return on investment is going to be tenfold in terms of what’s happening in the future in terms of people coming up to live in the Northwest Territories.
So I want to say to the people in the pavilion at the open house, good job, keep up the good work, we sure appreciate your good work and what you say about the people of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to rise today to talk about a potential idea of how we can help improve the health of our children and youth in the Northwest Territories. I firmly believe that the empowerment of parents to ensure that a child is fed and taken care of properly is certainly on their shoulders and within their abilities, but I also believe the territorial government has a supporting role to help provide, focus and promote health delivery ideas to help feed children and youth of our Territory.
Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to discuss something I think could help these children. The government could develop a program, a grant system, to provide NWT children and youth with a multivitamin on a daily basis. Multivitamins could be distributed through daycares, day homes, preschools and, certainly, regular schools. In this way we could improve the nutrition of many young children and our youth in our Northwest Territories.
We are well aware that children who are regularly provided with nutritional meals are better able to cope with the demands of schools, they progress faster in learning, and getting enough to eat sometimes does not necessarily guarantee that that will make sure that they get the most out of the foods that they need. Mr. Speaker, sometimes children are not eating all the nutritional foods that we would like them too, but a multivitamin could be that bridge to make sure this happens, because we all know the high cost of good foods here in this Territory.
We have been hearing discussions about greater need for vitamin D among northern populations because of the reduced hours of sunlight. As well, children tend not to play outside as much these days as we did in the past. A multivitamin could address the need for children and teenagers to get those important nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B2, zinc, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron. Mr. Speaker, a multivitamin can be the source of a great opportunity to make sure these kids are healthy and learning. Mr. Speaker, I think a universal program that is provided to the schools and day care facilities could go a long way to help improve the health of our students and our youth.
Mr. Speaker, when I was a young child growing up, our schools offered multivitamins and I think it was a good measure and a good show of support for a government that cared about their youth and the growing path that they take. Mr. Speaker, I think this is something that I’d like to see if the Department of Education, Culture and Employment examine and consider as we go forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to use this as an opportunity to recognize the hard work of our Pages. We have two Pages from Inuvik. We have Robyn Rinas and we also have Nicole Ellsworth. I hope they enjoyed their time here. They had an opportunity to see the Legislative Assembly at work and I hope it was a learning experience for them. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to recognize two Pages from Fort Resolution: Mr. Paul Boucher and Gerald Norn Dumas.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Our gold medalist there at the Olympics.
---Interjection
Will this government place more attention and resources on small, remote communities regarding community-based economic development programs to assist small businesses? These resources should assist in areas such as providing community-based training and financial assistance.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a matter of course, the direction we’ve given to the department is to try to make sure every community in the Northwest Territories has at least one development project. I think that in the Nunakput region we’re fairly close to getting there and we do have a tool kit of programs we can provide for training for businesses and also to explain all the different funding programs that we have. We will be very pleased to work with the small communities so they can take advantage of these programs.
Will this government explore all current technologies and the needs of the Government of the Northwest Territories to try to find ways for small and remote communities all across the Territories to assist and benefit, such as call centres instead of having to use the ones in the South?
Certainly we look at all the modern technologies. We are limited to a certain extent by the communications networks that we have in the Northwest Territories. But we do have satellite technologies. We do have equipment so we can have conference calls. We do have TV so we can see each other when we have meetings. As a department we’re working with the private sector so we can take advantage of any and all opportunities that come along.
Will the Minister commit to me today to work with me to see if we can put up a call centre or some sort of assistance with the territorial government and a pilot project in one of my communities that I represent?
I would be pleased to work with the Member for Nunakput to examine all these different opportunities.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This coming year we’re looking at taking down the Deh Cho Hall in Fort Simpson. The constituents are wondering about accessing the material that’s there. I’ve heard through the grapevine, I guess, that all the materials are contaminated and cannot be used. I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works about the ability of residents and the community of salvaging some of the material should the Deh Cho Hall be taken down in Fort Simpson.
