Members, it’s Valentine’s Day today. I wish each of you and all the people of the Northwest Territories a Happy Valentine’s Day. The House normally sits on Valentine’s Day and I know that’s hard for some of the Members who come from the communities into Yellowknife and we can’t be with our loved ones today. I want to take this opportunity to wish my wife, Jenny, the love of my life, a Happy Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day, hon. I can’t wait to see you this weekend. It’s going to be good.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members of this House and the people of the Northwest Territories have made it clear that we need to complete a new Wildlife Act.
We need legislation that incorporates the most current tools for wildlife management. This is vital to conserving our wildlife populations for current and future generations.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has developed a process to address outstanding issues and to revise the proposed new legislation accordingly.
We are proposing to use Bill 9, introduced in the 16th Legislative Assembly, as a starting point for consultation and engagement. It includes changes that resulted from input received during consultation and public engagement meetings held between November 2010 and February 2011.
representatives from industry, tourism, outfitters, resident hunters and the public at large.
Strengthening our relationship with Aboriginal governments is one of the priorities of this Assembly. I intend to meet with Aboriginal government leaders to discuss possible mechanisms to address wildlife management issues of common interest. These include the management of migratory species that cross regional boundaries within the NWT, wildlife management plans, management strategies and action plans to guide the conservation and management of shared wildlife and habitat.
Public information materials, including a plain language version of the draft Wildlife Act, will be developed and widely distributed.
Our regional and local offices will be involved in providing information on the draft act in our communities. We also intend to hold public meetings in each of the five regional centres.
By working together with Aboriginal governments, harvesters, industry and other user groups and stakeholders, we can introduce a new Wildlife Act during the 2012 fall session; a bill that is built on mutual respect, is a practical, workable and efficient system for wildlife management in the Northwest Territories and respects the rights and freedoms of all northern residents.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Recently MLA Blake and I visited Fairbanks, Alaska, to learn about the Alaska Native Language Program. The trip had both an education and a language focus and I think we can learn a lot from their retention and revitalization strategies, and language acquisition and teaching methods. I believe these significantly complement our approaches in the Northwest Territories.
We met with faculty staff at the Alaska Native Language Centre and the College of Rural and Community Development at the University of Fairbanks, Alaska. The university incorporates indigenous knowledge and promotes Aboriginal language instruction and immersion programming from a kindergarten to postsecondary level.
For example, the Alaska Native Elder Apprenticeship Program provides opportunities for independent and motivated students to be paired with an elder and work intensively together to study an Alaskan native language. Mr. Speaker, this program is very impressive and today I would like to announce that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will be researching options, like having elders in our schools and forming partnerships to explore the possibility of such a program, to assist with our work in revitalizing our own Aboriginal languages. These ideas will be more fully explored through the business planning process.
This work will involve discussion with the Official Languages Board, the Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Board, the Aboriginal language communities, community leaders and Members of this House. Our goal is to increase the number of Aboriginal language speakers, provide employment opportunities for elders and improve educational opportunities for all Aboriginal students. This is in accordance with the Aboriginal Student Achievement Education Plan and the vision of this Assembly to build on the strengths of Northerners. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to highlight work this government is doing to support the mining industry. We want to ensure we have a territory where exploration and development are undertaken in a responsible manner that benefits all Northwest Territories residents.
I recently attended the Mineral Exploration Roundup in Vancouver. This is the world’s premier technical mineral exploration conference, with attendees from over 30 countries. At the roundup, I had the opportunity to speak with people from across Canada and the world about the vast mineral potential of the Northwest Territories. I also met with a number of companies operating in the NWT to listen to their perspectives and concerns.
Mr. Speaker, mining and mineral exploration have brought significant economic opportunities to our territory such as jobs in the mines and with exploration companies, contracts for planes and helicopters to those mines and exploration sites, and many other spinoff benefits in the purchase of goods and services from northern businesses.
Mining and mineral exploration has also provided us with important infrastructure such as the railline to Hay River, the hydroelectric transmission line between Bluefish and Yellowknife, and the Taltson hydroelectric dam.
We support our mining industry to ensure continued economic growth and keep our mining sector strong. For example, our ongoing partnership with the federal government provides funding for geoscience research. For every dollar invested in government-funded geosciences in the NWT, five dollars are spent by mineral exploration companies.
Geoscience research supports future economic development by attracting investment to our territory and creating spinoff exploration projects; projects that provide employment and business opportunities for NWT residents. We will continue to do our best to realize sustainable Northwest Territories opportunities from this development.
Making progress on devolution will be one of the most important ways we can support the mining industry in the NWT. We need only look to Yukon to see how people can benefit when Northerners are in charge of the development decisions in their own territory. We look forward to a future when the people of the NWT can take charge of the decision-making and have a direct say in our economic future and what happens in our territory.
Mr. Speaker, our mines have also brought significant opportunities to NWT residents and businesses. Since the construction of the first diamond mine in 1996, we have seen more than 17,000 person years of northern resident employment. We continue to see Northerners trained for jobs in the mining industry. With the Mine Training Society of the NWT, we are working with Aboriginal and industry partners, as well as the governments of Nunavut and Yukon to ensure people have the skills they need to take advantage of new employment opportunities.
Also since this time, the three diamond mines – BHP Billiton’s Ekati, Rio Tinto’s Diavik, and DeBeers’ Snap Lake mines – have spent more than $8 billion on goods and services from northern businesses. Nearly $4 billion of those purchases were spent at Aboriginal-owned businesses.
Even through challenges such as the global downturn in the economy, the diamond mines have remained sincere in their commitments to the North and have been strong corporate citizens. Through sponsorships and donations, these mines have supported community projects and programs across the territory.
Mr. Speaker, we have experienced challenges attracting investment from mineral exploration companies. We have heard the concerns of industry about the uncertainty of investment in mineral exploration in the NWT. As a government, we are committed to work with the federal government, Aboriginal governments, industry and other stakeholders to address the effectiveness of our regulatory regime so we can provide potential investors with a stable investment climate.
We have a wealth of mineral potential in the NWT: gold, diamonds, tungsten, rare earths and more. Exploring this potential could lead to additional mines that will employ hundreds of NWT residents for years to come. There are seven more projects currently in the works that have the potential to attract more than $2 billion in new investment and add over 2,000 new jobs in the NWT. We remain committed to supporting the industry and plan to come forward with a sustainable economic development and mining strategy to ensure we realize our full mineral potential and our residents see the benefits.
A prosperous mining industry is a key element in achieving our Assembly’s goal of a diversified and healthy economy that provides all regions and communities with opportunities and choices. Mr. Speaker, we must continue to do all we can to promote and support a strong mining and mineral exploration sector in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal government’s proposal to collapse the regional land and water boards into one big board is disturbing, unnecessary and possibly unconstitutional.
The regional boards were created under claims processes to provide for regional and local control over the pace and scale of development. Federal negotiator Mr. Pollard says the proposed changes are needed to “meet Canada’s long-term interest of having a single land and water board structure.” Makes a nice sound bite, but a single board does nothing to meet the real problem: failure of implementation.
No less than five federal reports, two Auditor General reports, the 2008 McCrank Report and the 2005 and 2010 NWT environmental audits – the last completed less than one year ago – all contain concrete recommendations for improvements. These include the need to complete outstanding land and self-government processes, complete land use plans, provide adequate stable funding for boards, fund First Nation governments and community participation to meet constitutional consultation requirements, completion of a cumulative impact monitoring program and keeping board vacancies filled, at least so quorum can be met, are continually called for.
All these actions are under federal control. One big board is a proposal to fix something that isn’t broken but, rather, is hampered by the federal failure to meet its obligations.
Can change to boards even be done without opening claims agreements? First Nations signed claims agreements because regional boards gave the assurance of regional and local control. That was the deal. Regional First Nation governments may now wonder what the Crown’s promises are worth. The Akaitcho and Dehcho might ask how long covenants under their settlements would last.
The federal government has a legal duty to consult and accommodate First Nations’ concerns on any changes. I don’t see that happening in this case.
Meanwhile, we’re talking devolution. This government agreed to create mirror legislation replicating whatever regime exists at the time of transfer. You’d think that in good faith the federal government would seek our consent and include us as equal partners in any move to change the law we will inherit.
I will be asking the Minister of ENR on this government’s view on the need for one big board and how we’re making our views known to the federal government. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Being a pharmacist for the past 20 years in the Territories has allowed me the ability to see changes in prescriber behaviour and people’s view on prescription drugs, especially narcotics.
Admittedly, I would have to say our prescribers are doing an incredible job to make sure we aren’t over-prescribing for hard narcotics, pain management and therapies. That said, there are always those patients that slip through the cracks and find the means to double doctor, or what we refer to as polypharmacy, for acquiring their drug of choice. Obviously the new WOLF prescriber system has taken care of a lot of this potential abuse and the pharmacy community supports any continued enhancements to this system.
However, I don’t want to give the impression that everything is okay out there, as we do suffer like any other jurisdiction in Canada. Prescription drugs like OxyContin, Percocet, and Tylenol 3s are by far the most prevalent narcotic prescribed for pain management in the Territories. In fact, I want to point out that OxyContin is being phased out of Canada as we speak and a new tamper-resistant formulation of OxyContin called OxyNEO is available and being developed in an effort to prevent individuals seeking OxyContin’s euphoric effects for unintended use. This will have huge impacts affecting prescribed opiate abuse.
Regardless of which narcotics are used and sometimes abused are what most health care stakeholders come across when the topic of abuse or prescribed addiction come into play. We are not quite yet at an epidemic state for opiate or narcotic abuse, but this is more from an observational point of view. You see, we have no way to know this information as there are no stats on opiate addiction as such for any community in the NWT. The most recent NWT addictions report published in 2010 provides information for alcohol, illicit drug use, tobacco use and gambling, yet nothing on prescription narcotics.
In any event, it is important that as a government we must be armed with the right information affecting our people. We can all agree that abuse and addiction take on many forms under many different situations, and in order for us to understand the issue of addiction and treat it, we need to know where to start. Emerging drug addictions have to start with gathering of information, and without the proper statistics on prescription narcotic abuse we will never know its true destructive impact on the lives of the people of the Northwest Territories.
I will have questions later today for the Minister of Health on getting assurances that prescription narcotic drug abuse be included in all future NWT addiction reporting and information sharing.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a new Member here I’d like to discuss the budget process that this government is involved in. During the process, the government has introduced an act to increase the borrowing limit and we are asking the federal government to increase our debt limit. Not once during this discussion have we discussed the cost reductions in our O and M. I know this is a scary discussion, the fact that we may look at cutbacks or even to make the operations more efficient, but what is scarier is the fact that since 2000 the operations budget has doubled from $600 million to $1.2 billion. However, during this time the population has only increased by 7.5 percent and the public service only by 26 percent.
My questions today will be for the Minister of Finance about what this government has done over the past years to review the operational costs and to reduce this large, increasing rate in the operations.
I know there are a great deal of people out there that believe that we can be doing more with less. We are looking for more money from the federal government; however, if we reduced our costs by 5 percent, that would represent $60 million.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week the people of Jean Marie River received some very disturbing news. A public health advisory was issued about high mercury levels in the fish at nearby Ekali Lake. Last August we also received advisories for Deep Lake and McGill Lake near Jean Marie River, as well as at Fish Lake near Wrigley.
Fish are a very important part of our traditional diet. It’s a healthy food and people depend on it to make ends meet in small communities where the costs of store-bought groceries are very high.
I want to be clear that the chief public health officer is not telling people to stop eating fish from Ekali Lake completely. First of all, he is saying there’s no problem with eating whitefish from the lake. That is good news. Second, he is saying that it’s okay to eat some jackfish and pickerel, but no more than two servings a week for most people. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should have no more than two servings per month. Children aged one to four can have one serving a month and children between five and 11 can have up to one and three-quarter servings per month. It is also better to eat smaller fish because they do not have much mercury.
I’m very concerned about the health and safety of Nahendeh residents. Spring will soon be here and Ekali Lake is a popular place. I want to make sure that the message is getting out. It’s important for people to know that they have to be careful about how much jackfish and pickerel they eat from the lake. It’s also important for people to know that they do not have to stop eating fish completely. This needs to be explained clearly in the language of the people.
Later today I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services about what is being done to ensure people get clear information they understand about the fish in Ekali Lake and other lakes in Nahendeh. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard an interesting exchange on the radio last week regarding the strengthening of Canada’s health system. The analyst in the interview compared health systems in other countries to that of Canada and suggested we have much to learn from those other countries. Compared to Australia and Germany, for instance, Canada spends more money per capita on health care and achieves less in the quality of health outcomes. Australia, for instance, spends 40 percent less on health care than we do in Canada. Yet, Australia is much like Canada with similarities to northern Canada, a huge land mass, big spaces and remote, isolated communities.
So how does Australia do it? Well, they have developed a system which uses innovation and technology to reach more residents and spend less money doing it. Let me quote Dr. Snowdon from the radio interview. “One of the interesting innovations Australia has developed is something called general practice networks. So 90 percent of their primary care physicians are organized in networks and they’re all focused on particular geographic parts of the country. So that any time 24 hours a day, seven days a week, someone needs a health care support or service from a primary care physician, they’re available. And if they’re in a very remote and maybe difficult to access community, those physicians use telehealth. So they’ll come up on a screen and talk to and have that discussion with that consumer or that patient to figure out how they can help and how they can get the services they need to that person in their own home or in their own community.”
That is eerily similar to a system I’ve heard proposed by the Department of Health and Social Services over the last few years, and the Australian system is well suited to our northern situation. We here want to establish a medical command centre. We have telehealth in almost every community. But are we taking advantage of the experiences of other countries and adapting them to our own? Can we learn from Australia, copy what they’re doing and improve our own NWT situation? Sure we can, Mr. Speaker, but are we?
In the past years Ministers have made references to the reform of our health system, to a health strategic plan called the Foundation for Change. It is touted as our health reform guide. To implement the plan is a big job, a long-term job and a difficult job. I accept that. But it has been several years now and I have to ask: Are we really accomplishing anything? Are we really effecting change? It doesn’t seem like it.
We’re still badly in need of doctors in Inuvik and Hay River.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
We still badly need doctors in Inuvik and Hay River; there is still no permanent nurse in Tsiigehtchic; and each year we continue to spend millions of dollars moving people from their home community to a regional centre so they can get the medical services they need. We can provide medical services in our communities. We have the innovation referenced by Dr. Snowdon, we just need to get on with it.
The Health and Social Services budgets in the last two years have earmarked literally millions for the Foundation for Change to reform our health care system. What do we have to show for that money, Mr. Speaker?
I’ll have questions for the Minister of Health at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Bill C-19 is before the House of Commons, likely this week. It will be considered and more likely passed over to the Senate. In my Member’s statement I want to just illustrate just a great cultural divide, and I wanted to take a moment speaking in my language and I want to end off in just capturing the essence of the differences that we’re experiencing right now.
[English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, my point of using my language illustrates barriers to communication but also illustrates that a law that is before the House of Commons disrespects one’s culture. I would like to follow up on a question later on in the House. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seeing as it is Valentine’s Day and February is Heart Health Month, I would like to do my Member’s statement on cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the Northwest Territories along with cancer. One of the leading high-risk behaviours that contribute to cardiovascular disease is tobacco use. In fact, tobacco doesn’t only contribute to cardiovascular disease but it does contribute to a high health care system, increases our health care costs in the Northwest Territories. One thing that should be duly noted is that tobacco use is also the number one preventable cause of all of these diseases and deaths that we see, not only in the Northwest Territories but in Canada and throughout the world.
Mr. Speaker, every 11 minutes a Canadian dies from tobacco use. Every 10 minutes two Canadian teenagers will start smoking and one of them will die prematurely. Tobacco use, as I stated, is the single most preventable cause of premature death and it is something that needs to be addressed.
I would like to commend the Stanton Territorial Health Authority for the work that they are doing in making their place of work smoke free and all of the premises smoke free and going along the same as throughout Canada. I would also like to commend all of the work that the Department of Health and Social Services is doing in terms of tobacco control, My Voice, My Choice, the Don’t Be a Butthead program. I think it is something that this government needs to continue to do and denormalize the use of tobacco, drugs, alcohol, all types of addictions through policies and legislation that we can bring up in this House here and make it harder for people who are addicted to these substances, get them to quit or even get them de-normalized within our society.
I commend all the work that this government is doing, and I will commend all the work that they will continue to do to fight this addiction of tobacco that is contributing to the high health care costs that we see in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I start my Member’s statement I want to say Happy Valentine’s Day to all of the people out there. Have a heart on this side here.
Mr. Speaker, I want to say the issue that I want to bring up today. Mr. Menicoche, in a statement, talked a little bit about the fish in the Northwest Territories. We are starting to see some chemicals and metals in the fish and we are warning people about eating fish in our wonderful land. People around Great Slave Lake, Hay River, Fort Resolution, Providence, all the way up the Mackenzie River right to Tuktoyaktuk depend on the water. It is in our blood. People who live along the Mackenzie River, the water is in our blood and something is not right. We need to have health centres or monitoring stations to check and see what’s going on, what’s being pumped into our life here. The Mackenzie River, any other water in the North is our life for our people. They depend on it.
We need water, proper water monitoring lab stations in the North. We have only one in Yellowknife, but we need another one along the Mackenzie River. We need to know really the crucial impacts of the tar sands, of pulp mills all coming down out of Fort McMurray and BC.
Our people need to know what type of impacts it’s having on our lives. We depend on water, we depend on the food that it brings and we really don’t yet today have an accurate or true account of what kind of stuff is coming in the water and coming down the Mackenzie River or even the Great Slave Lake. Lives are dependent on it, Mr. Speaker.
I’m asking this government to push for a regional lab along the Mackenzie somewhere so we know, we have an accurate baseline to measure the true impacts of the tar sands, pulp mills and what’s being pumped into the Mackenzie River. Otherwise one of the prophecies of my elders would come true.
I’ll have questions for the Environment Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NWT population is declining. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has been good to me. I chose the Northwest Territories as a high school student sitting in a classroom in southwestern Ontario. I picked it off the map. I came here. I didn’t come here with my family, I didn’t transfer here with a job, I didn’t come here as somebody’s spouse. I chose the Northwest Territories. The Northwest Territories has been good to me. I should be the poster person for the Northwest Territories.
---Applause
But, Mr. Speaker, might I also say that I found a man here that wanted to marry me. That’s not a… I just wanted to work that in.
---Laughter
I wanted to work that in because it’s Valentine’s Day. Thank you.
---Laughter
In the third quarter of 2009 we were the only jurisdiction in Canada whose population dropped. Census data for the past five years shows a definite downward trend while Canada’s population increases and the population of our neighbouring territories, Yukon and Nunavut, are also increasing. To find reasons for our decline we should look no further than the NWT’s high cost of living, the lack of affordable housing and slow paced development. People are leaving many of our small communities where there’s typically higher unemployment. In communities where the population has increased, the number of occupied private dwellings have gone down, evidence of a housing shortage.
In contrast, the Yukon has experienced steady growth over the same period. The Yukon’s population increase is mainly attributed to the mining sector. Two mines came into production in 2010, bringing jobs not only to this industry but also to other sectors. The high price of metals and minerals continue to benefit producers and attract investment from new companies, while on this side of the Mackenzie Mountains companies are still slogging through the red tape. The Yukon also has higher numbers of non-permanent residents, suggesting that more people are being brought in to work in the service industry. These people may decide ultimately to make the Yukon a permanent residence as soon as they have the opportunity.
The Northwest Territories needs to take a hard look at the reasons that our residents leave, why our migrant workers choose not to live here. We need to develop and implement practical strategies that get to the root of why people are leaving. We need targets, we need measurable income, we can no longer afford gimmicks to attract residents, we need real reasons to bring people here, keep people here: job opportunities, comparable cost of living, housing solutions and vibrant communities. This is no one else’s job to try to change this statistic than ours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to return to the issue I raised yesterday, which is the Betty House, and I want to again state to this House that the Betty House is a very important project in the Northwest Territories. It’s very exciting what it will do, and the fact is it will provide so much support for women here trying to get on their feet. Whether they’re by themselves or with their children, sometimes they just need that extra lending hand of support. I certainly support the objectives of this particular project.
Since yesterday’s statement and certain questions in the House, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback regarding the Premier’s responses to me and it’s interesting how certain reasons why people start calling or e-mailing and letting you know that they’re concerned. Many people were not happy and they were wondering if we hurt the feelings of the government. The thing is the government did seem defensive on those particular answers. If they have to take shots at me while I do my job asking where the consultation is, so be it. That’s the only way that they need to do this.
The issue is simply this: It’s not about the support of the project, it’s about the process of the particular issue. I won’t read into the record yet again the Premier’s insult to me, which I perceived and many others did. The fact is this is an important issue. He highlighted in 2010 there was committee consultation, but interestingly enough research and ourselves cannot find any of this particular stuff. He highlighted 2011 that committees were updated, but one word or a one-liner does not constitute consultation, in my view, suggesting that we’re still working out some of the details.
May I remind the House, and certainly not at length, we had some really good quotes from the Minister responsible for homelessness back in May 2011. When I asked him questions about supporting the house, it was interesting how he talked about not having money, not jumping the queue, a worthy project but the community can’t get ahead of itself, no O and M money. It goes on and on about how yes, it’s an important project, but the fact is there’s no money and it needs capital review and, oh my goodness, we shouldn’t get ahead of other types of reviews because if we jumped ahead of them we’d probably offend many people in this Assembly.
The only issue here is process and our Members kept informed. I would say the record stands very clear today that Members were not kept informed. I will continue on this particular project during question period.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is unfortunate that often I have made a Member’s statement that acknowledges the passing of Tu Nedhe people. I do this regrettably, but acknowledge that passing away is part of life and each should be acknowledged. Since December 2011 four Tu Nedhe citizens have passed away.
Georgina Victoria Fabien, born July 30, 1958, passed away on December 2, 2011, at the age of only 53. Georgina passed away while she was asleep. Georgina is survived by her husband, Darrow Andrews; her son, Jason Barrens; her sisters Rita, Angelina, Kaye, Helen and Lorraine; her brothers Lawrence, Henry, Don, Eddy and Robert; along with numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews.
Raymond Paul Simon, born January 19, 1950, passed away on December 14, 2011, at age 61. Raymond passed away from cancer. Raymond is survived by his loving wife, Dolly; his sons Kristopher and Dexter; his daughters Aleda, Destiny, Jen and Sonia; his four grandchildren Silas, Kelsey, Kaden and Roanna; his brothers Alexie, Wilfred, Richard and Patrick; his sister Irene; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.
Tyra Ellen Walton, born December 3, 1934, passed away on January 6, 2012. Tyra passed away from complications with diabetes. She also had four different battles with cancer, from what I understand. Tyra is survived by her husband, Bill Norn, of 42 years; sons Arthur and Andy; daughters Lynn, Dale and Lorrie; grandchildren that she raised, Gerald, Dion and Tanesha; and numerous other grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Billy Lockhart was born February 13, 1936, and passed away on February 2, 2012, at age 75. Billy passed away from cancer. Billy is survived by his sister, Doris; brothers Archie and Paul; nephews Arthur, Roger, Eric, Perry, Earl, Vern, John, Malcolm and Joey; nieces Verda, Della, Rebecca, Ann, Pearl and Rose; along with numerous great-nieces and nephews.
My sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends, and especially the spouses and children of Georgina, Raymond, Tyra and Billy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my wife, Carolyn Smith. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize Carolyn and wish her a Happy Valentine’s Day.
I’d also like to recognize my constituency assistant, the hardworking Mr. Craig Yeo, whose birthday is actually today. A proud member of Weledeh.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I’d like to welcome Carolyn and Mr. Yeo to the House. Welcome.
