Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I made reference to a tragedy in the Yellowknife community this past summer. Again, it’s important to share our thoughts for the Hardy family as I continue with this conversation.
The community and the NWT have been debating about helmet legislation and who should spearhead such legislation. I agree, as I said in my Member’s statement, it might be a bit premature to consider this legislation in the House, but I do encourage municipalities to further this process.
I believe this government could have more impact and effectiveness in the education and prevention by supporting the proper programs. So the rest of my questions today will be for the Minister of Transportation on this subject.
One of those programs, as I refer to it, is the Use Your Head Program. Can the Minister of Transportation indicate to this House his department’s commitment on this program’s continuance for the remainder of this calendar year? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, getting back to the head injuries, DOT does not regulate the use of helmets for uses like with snowmobiles, bicycles, skateboards or ice skates, in-line skates or skis. That is left up to the municipalities to deal with and that’s how that’s completed.
On a going-forward basis, DOT has initiatives under the Healthy Choices Framework. I know the Member talked of the Use Your Head Campaign that was used last year with a commercial with an Aboriginal elder wearing a helmet, a public awareness campaign. We also help with giving out funding to communities outside of Yellowknife for bicycle helmets. There’s seasonal safety messaging, including helmet use while operating and riding of ATVs and snowmobiles, annual helmet funding to the SideDoor Skateboarding Program in Yellowknife, safety advertisements, including those showing an Aboriginal elder, like I spoke of, wearing his helmet. We also collaborate with Parachute Canada, formerly Think First Canada, to promote helmet safety in schools, and we also support community helmet safety initiatives and communications with youth centres respecting helmet safety programs around the Northwest Territories and we will continue to do that. Thank you.
Thank you. I do appreciate the Minister’s recant of all the initiatives I believe the government is working on here and I applaud their actions.
Can the Minister elaborate as to what other initiatives that we’re now doing currently as a result of this recent tragedy? Is there anything else that the department could consider doing in promotion and prevention of head and brain sports injuries on our NWT roadways? Thank you.
Thank you. I certainly do believe the Department of Transportation has a role to play in educating the public, and especially young people on the use of helmets and the safe use of helmets.
As far as future activities go and initiatives go, we’re looking at a release of an animated public service announcement on helmet use to be aired during Northbeat programming on CBC and also that would be available on demand on You Tube. We’re looking at the organization of a Take Your Helmet to Work Day, and perhaps that’s something that Members of the Legislative Assembly could in fact bring a helmet to work at some point in time. We’re looking to increase involvement with Parachute Canada, as well as with the TD Think First for Kids and the Scotiabank Think First Smart Hockey programs, also safety advertisements featuring some NWT politicians and leaders around the Northwest Territories promoting the use of helmets around the territory. Thank you.
Thank you. I’m strongly encouraged with what I’m hearing today, and I applaud the department and the Minister for sharing those great initiatives with everybody here. A lot of the initiatives may not have an educational overtone or an affect in our school system.
Can the Minister indicate if there has been collaboration with the ECE Minister to work on educational programs through the Department of Transportation, which we can touch the lives of more of our school children out there in the Northwest Territories?
Thank you. I’m sure our staff have talked to the staff at ECE and that dialogue will have to continue. I think getting the message into schools around the Northwest Territories is very important, and we will continue to work with ECE to make sure that any programs that we do have, any educational component reaches out to schools and young people across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again great news and thanks for sharing that information from the Minister.
We know that it’s pretty hard to argue that a bicycle or a skateboard helmet will not save lives. We know they do. Unfortunately, as I indicated earlier in my statement, we might be a bit premature to bring in the legislation to debate into the House. But in order to assist municipalities prepare for their future agenda on this topic, would the Minister of Transportation provide municipal and territorial data on head and brain injuries due to road sports in the past five years and would he table such information in this House? Thank you.
Thank you. We could certainly take a look at compiling those statistics for the Member and sharing with the Members of this House. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
