Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to highlight the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, commonly known as YACL. They are a non-profit, non-government organization that supports NWT residents, families, children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities. The goal of the association is to ensure inclusion for their members in community life and also to provide them with an opportunity to contribute to the community. In the 30-plus years since YACL was started, they’ve met that goal time and time again.
The association provides seven different services and programs for persons with disabilities. The Family Project provides support to families who have family members with a disability. YACL serves people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder through two projects, Living and Learning with FASD and the FASD Peer Support Project.
They also have an Outreach Research Centre in conjunction with Aurora College, which offers literacy instruction aimed at individuals with low literacy levels. Members here are well acquainted with the association’s Respite Program, a highly valued program which assists families living with a child with a disability, by providing relief to the parents. YACL also runs a Supported Living Services Program. It provides support to clients so that they can live independently in their own homes.
Then there’s the Skills Training and Community Inclusion Program which provides employment for YACL clients through the summer cafe -- if you haven’t had lunch there, you’re missing out on a
good thing -- and through the provision of business services to local companies.
Last but not least, the association runs an Employability Program. This program works to find training and job opportunities in the community for YACL clients and to promote disability awareness in our local workforce. Once a YACL client is placed for a job, the program also supports the employer through that transition.
Through the efforts of this valued and respected organization, persons with disabilities are accepted into our Yellowknife community and they also contribute to the community in many ways. I have to say that our lives are all the richer for it.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I watched the news over this past weekend about the political unrest in Libya, the political unrest which has hit Egypt, the oil refinery fire in Iraq, and the ever-speculating on the cost of crude oil and how these prices are going up and how that’s going to affect us yet again as a Territory, what are we going to do about that? Are we once again going to be the victims of unaffordable fuel here in the Northwest Territories, or are we going to do something proactive in terms of the cost of living for our constituents here in the North?
Only four communities out of the 33 in the Northwest Territories are technically above the treeline. In other words, we are sitting in a giant forest here. There are many, many trees that can be harvested for fuel for woodstoves. We have spent millions of dollars as a government on studies, navel gazing, pontificating about what we’re going to do about the cost of living for people in the North. I would suggest you take $5 million. I’ll ask this Cabinet: be heroes, take $5 million, buy a trainload of woodstoves if you have to. Let’s get them into our people’s homes.
It’s fine to say we’ll give you a rebate, but if you haven’t got money to buy the stove, a rebate is not going to do you any good. Harvesting wood, cutting wood, chopping it, putting it in your woodstove is a healthy, wholesome activity. Our communities are sitting in the midst of a virtual forest, most of them. So I would suggest to this government, I will challenge you to find out how we can get woodstoves into our constituents’ houses.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to take the opportunity to speak about the Yellowknife Company of the Royal Edmonton Regiment. This is a reserve unit whose creation was announced in June 2008 and whose first member began full-time work in June 2009. They had their headquarters grand opening at the Diamond Plaza on January 10, 2011.
The Yellowknife Company is the first Army Reserve Company to be based in the Northwest Territories and the only active reserve unit north of 60. It’s part of the federal government’s initiatives to increase the defence presence in the North and it’s meant to complement the work of the Canadian Rangers and regular Forces stationed here in the North.
Distinct from Canadian Rangers, these reservists, both part time and full time, will receive combat training and can volunteer for deployment overseas with regular Canadian Forces units. This company has already participated in training programs over the past summer, called Operation Sovereign Grizzly, that involved some 160 soldiers gaining training in subarctic conditions. Part of the activities conducted during these exercises included the refurbishment of a boardwalk along the trail system at Frame Lake.
Currently this company has 26 individuals who are members and they anticipate enrolling as many as 15 more people by this summer. The goal is to recruit a full strength of 100 members by 2019.
Although Rangers have been in the Northwest Territories for years now, reserves are new. In every other jurisdiction in Canada reservists are present, including Yukon and Nunavut. Their local Employment Standards Act has provisions that support and protect reservists and their employers. Until recently, these clauses were not necessary in the Northwest Territories. Now they are. Without these important amendments to the Employment Standards Act, some individuals may not pursue an interest in becoming reservists and some employers may be reluctant to support reservists here in the Northwest Territories.
Later this afternoon I’ll be seeking the Minister’s commitment to amend our Employment Standards Act so that it provides the protection included for reservists and their employers in other jurisdictions such as the Yukon. I’ll also be tabling a copy of the Yukon’s amendments for the department’s consideration. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Soccer players in my riding have a challenging task in regard to making the NWT Team and making it to the Western Canadians this summer. Mr. Speaker, soccer players in Fort McPherson who have been trying out for the Western Canada Games have more than training to worry about. Five players needed to raise $27,000 to keep up with the costs associated with representing Team NWT in Kamloops, B.C., this summer.
Mr. Speaker, each player on the team is responsible for the costs associated with travelling, meals and accommodation during their time in regard to the tryouts. Mr. Speaker, again, that’s the part that’s not equitable in regard to the players that come from Yellowknife who definitely have an advantage by way of having the tryouts here in Yellowknife, being able to take the opportunity to partake in the facilities in Yellowknife in regard to the training facility, but more importantly, not have to worry about travel costs to attend these training camps which other players have to.
Mr. Speaker, I think it’s imperative that this government finds a system that’s fair, transparent, and offers equity in regard to all athletes regardless of which community you come from, but to find ways to accommodate regional trials versus territorial, and identify those players at the regional trials prior to formulating a team to represent Team NWT.
Mr. Speaker, again, we have to ensure that we find a system to not only allow our athletes to partake, but more importantly, to have to put burdens on them such as having to pay the cost for travel and accommodation, and more importantly, to make the team.
Again, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs exactly what this government is doing to facilitate and accommodate our communities to take part in these territorial events. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement is with the Department of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, traditional camps are a good way to help heal people; people who will be returning back to their communities after serving time for their offences. I’m speaking about on-the-land programs to help restore Aboriginal offenders to their roots, refreshing both their skills and their spirits.
Camps like this have been run near Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake in the past, but there is currently only one six-week camp per year in the Sahtu region, Mr. Speaker. I would like this to be a year-round, permanent bush camp.
This government spends about $35 million on corrections and community justice programs alone. But as I said in the House before, the justice system is failing our people. Restorative justice is needed. Healing is needed. Bush camp programs fit this bill, Mr. Speaker, but this government is not very interested in them and it seems there are barriers to prevent more inmates from participating in them.
My opinion is these camps are underused in our correction system. Camps like this should be a high priority option for our youth and people convicted of less serious crimes. Our communities should be involved in the rehabilitation process and if they put more emphasis on corrections camps, elders can fulfill the traditional roles as teachers and who can help offenders to strengthen in their culture. Corrections camps can benefit our communities in many other ways too. They can create good jobs, especially for people with traditional skills. Even if they’re short term, it’s meaningful work and people can heal. In our small communities every job is important, Mr. Speaker.
I say to the Minister: put these corrections camps on the land, let the land take care of the people and let the natural healing happen. I say to the Minister: take that big facility, tear it down and let those guys out on the land so they probably can heal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. On the first day of session my Member’s statement was on the passing of Mrs. Lafferty from Fort Resolution. Today, once again, due condolence for another constituent of mine, this time from Lutselk’e.
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to a young lady who everyone referred to as a very nice person, who always took time to acknowledge her family, her friends, who always had a genuine smile on her face for everyone who crossed her path. I speak of Julianne Michel. Julianne fluently spoke and understood the Chipewyan language and enjoyed communicating in her own language. Julianne was born on August 14, 1963, and passed away of a heart attack on February 15, 2011. Julianne was 47 years old. The passing of Julianne was a great shock to the community of Lutselk’e and all who knew her in the NWT.
Julianne was not ill. She had a heart problem that she was not aware of. Julianne had four children, one of who predeceased her, as did her parents, Alice and Joe Michel, and four of her siblings.
Julianne lived all of her life around Lutselk’e, having grown up outside on the land around Lutselk’e. Julianne also lived in Yellowknife for a few years to further her education. Julianne had four grandchildren, two sons-in-law, seven brothers, five sisters and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Mr. Speaker, Julianne will be sadly missed by her children, grand-children, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and many other relatives and friends that knew her. They all knew that they could count on her to go to if they needed comfort and words of encouragement. She accepted each and every one of them with a big smile and a hug each time she saw them.
Mr. Speaker, I take the opportunity to pass my condolences on to friends and family of Julianne Michel of Lutselk’e, especially her three children, Michelle, Susanne and Jordan. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I am very concerned about the discussion of our proposed carbon tax in the NWT, especially the impact it could have on small and remote communities. As the MLA with the smallest communities, I am not convinced that a carbon tax is in the best interest of my constituents. A carbon tax is implemented by taxing the burden of fossil fuels, coal, petroleum products such as gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel, including heating diesel. This is the very thing that we in the small communities use every day to make a living and have a living. We will certainly pay more and I cannot support that. We live where we live because we love it and we should not be penalized for it.
Increasing fuel prices are already occurring. Then, now we want to add an additional 8 cents a litre, like in B.C. who has a carbon tax. The majority of people in remote communities generally have low or no income. The proposal is contrary to the GNWT goal to reduce the cost of living. Carbon tax would increase the price of goods and services where people cannot even afford to pay 2 cents more. The proponents talk of it being revenue neutral. That means more in other areas like personal taxes.
Mr. Speaker, this tax rebate would not do much to ease the burden, especially when there is no taxation benefit with those of low income. Carbon tax is best targeted in large developed economies where alternatives to fossil fuels exist or to provide incentive to initially develop alternatives. In the most part, we are working towards reducing greenhouse gases in our own way. We are looking at hydro investment, proposed transmission lines and hopefully we can consider the smaller communities as well, studying other potential hydro areas. Before we implement a carbon tax, we need to look at the full picture and understand what it will achieve. The reality of the situation is that our larger communities are already on hydro, Mr. Speaker. They will not have to pay that tax portion. We in the small communities will be doing the paying. Our own government’s assessment in the 2008 revenue option paper stated a carbon tax would increase the cost of living to NWT residents and the cost of doing business in the NWT. I wholeheartedly agree. I believe we should concentrate on what matters: health, education and housing. That is first things first. Let’s take care of our people, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I speak today to honour the passing last week of a long-time Yellowknifer, Don Hunter. Since arriving in Yellowknife in 1966, Don Hunter’s kindness, wit and energetic contributions to community life made him fondly loved by many.
During his long career as a probation officer, Don Hunter touched the lives of many people in need of his guidance and wise advice. A vigorous participant in the local work of the John Howard Society, in 2000 Don was honoured with that organization’s highest public honour, the National Humanitarian Award. You might have met him at the Yellowknife Airport greeting visitors as one of the founding members of the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society Arctic Ambassadors Tourist Greeters Program. Don was a key participant in the many programs of the Yellowknife and NWT Seniors’ societies. Whether helping fellow seniors out with a ride or participating in the key programs of the societies, Don was an able and reliable volunteer. His work and support of the Canadian Hard of Hearing and on the Northern United Place board were further achievements in a life of community service.
As a person, Don was known for his love of books, skilled photography, his decency and courage. Don battled bravely through a series of cancer treatments and operations, always coming back to carry on with his many interests and causes. A memorial service was held for Don this morning, where his many friends and colleagues gathered with his loving wife, Delores, to give tribute to his memory.
I invite you to join with me in saluting the life and achievements of Don Hunter. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak again today about our justice system and in particular recidivism, which, plainly put, is reoffending after having prior contact with the justice system. You’ve heard me talk about violent offenders with outlandish amounts of previous convictions who are not only getting off with light sentences, but the level of rehabilitation and help they get behind bars has got to be thoroughly questioned.
Sadly, Mr. Speaker, in researching the subject of repeat offenders in our Territory, there are no statistics kept on recidivism, not only here in the Northwest Territories but in Canada. Some information is available on NWT offenders. Ninety percent of inmates have issues reflecting the abuse of alcohol and drugs -- which really comes as no surprise -- and underlying factors common to NWT offenders also include mental health problems, anger management issues, visible behavioural limitations, FASD and other cognitive disorders and low literacy and education levels.
The cost of recidivism, due to the cost of policing, court processes and incarceration, is very high, particularly for young offenders. The cost of incarceration alone, per inmate per day, is $243 at South Mackenzie Correctional Centre, for a total $4.65 million; $252 at North Slave Correctional Centre, for a total of $13.4 million; $499 a day at Fort Smith Correctional Centre, that’s men and women, for $5.4 million; and $895 a day at North Slave Young Offender Facility, for a total of $3.3 million.
Mr. Speaker, this totals almost $27 million. These numbers do not include the capital costs of these facilities nor the court costs associated with seeing an individual put behind bars. Without data on recidivism it gets very difficult to measure the success or failure of programs, services and other related efforts by the Department of Justice for those persons incarcerated in our corrections system.
In 2008 the corrections service completed a program review to examine the effectiveness of program delivery. The final report identified 18 recommendations focused on improving rehabilitation. The review made it clear that our approach to programs had to be modified. We need to enhance capacity in our facilities to address alcohol and drug addiction and, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I’ll have questions for the Minister of Justice on that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement is regarding telecommunications problems over this weekend in Nunakput and all of the Beaufort-Delta.
Around this time last year, Mr. Speaker, I stood up in this Assembly expressing concerns regarding problems with our telecommunications with services in various communities of Nunakput and this week all of the Beaufort-Delta. When long distance calls, faxes, Internet all went down, the Interac machines went down and when the stores opened they couldn’t use Interac so if you didn’t have cash, you were out of luck to purchase your groceries. We had a break in the storm. Tuk was going for two days. They had a break for about five hours and then it hit for another three. So they had a five-day storm. Winds were gusting up to 90 and 100 kilometres. Our telecommunications services went down again.
This is unacceptable. We have to work with NorthwesTel to provide better service in the communities with our government. We have to get a fibre optic line right down the Beaufort-Delta and into the Sahtu so we can provide better service. The problem with NorthwesTel’s microwave tower up on the Dempster Highway, repair crews couldn’t get in there because of blowing snow and reduced visibility. This is a serious matter.
This government needs to review our services with the provider. One of the core responsibilities of this government is to provide an environment that encourages business development. If that environment is jeopardized, then this government needs to make things happen fast with regard to providing service. I believe this government has a role to play with all the groups that are working together to ensure the people of the Northwest Territories have adequate access to telecommunications.
We should work with NorthwesTel to try to get away from the microwave towers and back into fibre optics as soon as possible. We have to make an investment.
I’d also like to say thanks for a Power Corporation employee on duty this weekend in Tuk, Richard Cockney. He stayed for three days at the Power Corporation, not going home, with no food and just with water. He should be given an award or something. This guy stayed there. He was probably a kilometre away from his home.
I’d just like to thank Richard again and I will have questions at the appropriate time for the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about the need for a convention bureau in the Northwest Territories. There is a strong need for our market to be looking towards that direction, to get out their campaign and draw in the meetings and conventions to the North.
In the past this type of discussion has led to the need for a convention centre here in Yellowknife, but it’s become more and more obvious that if you build it, they won’t necessarily come. So the convention centre idea has to be put on hold, but the foundation of any good and successful convention centre needs to be laid down by a convention bureau.
A convention bureau would be a simple marketing organization that would promote the Northwest Territories as a destination for meetings. It would target groups of tourism rather than tourists one at a time. I clearly see a role for the convention bureau to promote not only Yellowknife but for all regions across our North as places to meet. It would be about the whole North as the northern experience.
The cost of a convention bureau is minimal compared to the building of any convention centre, and at present hotels do not support any new infrastructure but certainly would support the establishment of developing a convention bureau. I suggest that the NWT convention bureau could operate under the existing NWT Tourism and they could help support their marketing campaign through someday, maybe, a hotel tax.
The convention bureau should target national associations, especially those ones that have NWT membership. The convention bureau circuit is a very competitive industry and I remind this House that the Northwest Territories is on the bucket list of so many Canadians across our country, why are we missing out on this opportunity?
The Yellowknife Hotel Association estimates that based on a single three-day convention of 300 delegates, it would generate close to $300,000 for that small period in our local economy. That’s new money. What a big bang for such a small investment. These funds could be used to attract more conventions for our northern communities and businesses.
We already have the human resources and infrastructure in place to develop a successful NWT convention bureau through the existing NWT Tourism office, so I guess the real question comes down to what’s stopping this from happening.
We don’t have to look far to our west to see our relentless campaigners in the Yukon who fight for every tourism dollar. I think it’s now our turn to step up to the plate and learn from the examples in the Yukon. I think strongly that we can do this.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a constituent, Mr. Mark Bogan. I’d also like to thank all of the Pages, especially Ben Goit, who is a resident of the Great Slave riding, for all of their hard work and dedication to us over the last couple of weeks. We really appreciate all they do.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure who to direct my questions to, but when I think back to the last time that the price of crude oil went off the charts and I see what’s happening before us today, I would like to see our government get very proactive. There is no excuse why we as Northerners should be hovering in a corner someplace, scared with this change in crude oil and how it’s going to affect the cost of home heating oil and gasoline to drive our vehicles. There’s no excuse for the cost of living portion associated with heating our homes. There is absolutely no excuse for it.
As I said in my Member’s statement, we are sitting in the middle of millions of hectares of sustainable, renewable biomass and we’re not doing anything with it. Now this wave is coming over us again and here we are unprepared.
What proactive measures can this government take to ensure that people have an alternative to oil and propane heating devices in their homes?
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a significant number of things that the government is doing. I agree with the Member that there is nothing stopping individual families from going out and installing a woodstove, especially in the larger communities where they have access to the supply and they can get the woodstoves insured. With our Biomass Strategy, we have converted a lot of our own buildings and other communities’ buildings to biomass. We’re, in fact, looking at work on the value-added piece with pellets. We’re looking at what’s the best technology to use in combined heat and power in some of the smaller communities as it pertains to being able to do that with biomass or some examples in addition to the many rebates and things that we have available to assist individual homeowners.
Rebates are fine, but when you look at the cost of installation and the cost of the appliances themselves, not every family, even in the larger communities like he’s saying, has the kind of money sitting around in their back pocket to go out and do this. We need more help from this government. I know it’s a lot of money, but if you look at all the things that we spend a lot of money on, we spend millions of dollars on studying the kinds of things that Mr. Miltenberger’s talking about. I’m asking for something quick, tangible and real.
The government should just phone a manufacturer of woodstoves and pellet stoves and buy a trainload, buy them wholesale, get them in here so people can access them. Get a program started so people can do this. It’s fine to say there’s a rebate out there, go apply for it.
What can the Minister do specifically in light of these prices of oil which we’re going to see increasing here over the next days and who knows where it’s going to stop? What can this government proactively do? Do something crazy. Buy a trainload.
Doing something crazy is not normally a guarantee for any type of longevity in the business that we’re in. I take the Member’s point; we’ve been doing things now for the life of this government in terms of investing in alternative energy in a whole range of areas, including biomass. We have, I would suggest, in most communities, stores that stock and sell stoves. There’s assistance there for people. The question is, and the debate would be, what the role of government is. Is it to go into everybody’s home and say we’re here to put in a woodstove or is it to help people make the right choices and set themselves up to burn wood?
In many communities, like the one I live in, we have woodlots now that are part of the Fire Abatement Program right around the town, where you only have to go five minutes to access firewood. I think we’re doing a number of things. We’re always prepared to look at ways to increase our support. We also want to encourage and work with individual families.
This is an issue where there’s going to be payback, price of oil. The Brent Crude was almost $110. West Texas Crude is very close to $100 a barrel. So we know that the payback in terms of the cost of installation is going to be shorter the higher the price of oil goes.
Okay, thank you. I agree that the government has been doing some things. I can see, yes, they have been making some steps in the right direction, but it never seems like it’s really enough. The Minister says should the government be responsible for putting these woodstoves or pellet stoves into people’s homes, they should figure it out and go out and get it themselves, we’ll create the woodlot, you go buy the woodstove. I hear what the Minister is saying. He says it’s not the role of government. But you know what is the role of government? All the public housing and homeownership housing and other housing programs that are out there. How many of those houses have access at the time of construction to things like woodstoves? What about the bills that we’re paying for heating oil?
I agree with the Member that the whole issue of biomass is not a singular event, but it’s a process that we’ve embarked on as a Territory and it’s going to take time to get it implemented fully. We’re setting up systems to work with communities and individuals, institutions, other governments, community energy plans. Making sure we deal with some of the value-added pieces when you look at pellets. We are doing, and we’ll continue to do, a significant amount. Sixty million dollars is what this government put towards alternative energy. A good portion of that has been tied into trying to improve the existence of biomass in the communities, all communities, and I think we’ve done that. We’re going to look once again across government to see where we can convert our own operations as well.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe I’m trying to oversimplify it, but people couldn’t afford to pay their heating bills this past winter and now that the prices are going up, all we’re saying is help, do something, we need to get ahead of that cost and we need help to do that. I know I speak for many people in the Northwest Territories when I say if you could just get that little bit of help needed to get that installation of something, people would be out there pursuing healthy activities, collecting, harvesting, cutting, splitting firewood, taking it into their houses. People would receive it. People are just saying help. Like I said, we couldn’t afford it at the prices it was at all winter. We’re going into a time that by next winter who knows what’s going to happen with the oil producing nations. I just want this government to have a very proactive eye on what’s coming down the pipe and we need help.
I didn’t hear a question there, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. A while ago I was cleaning out my office and came across a paper that was a response from the Minister in answer to my questions about daycare funding from quite some time ago. I’ve expressed concerns several times to the Minister on the manner in which we fund our daycares. On February 15th, in answer to questions from Mr. Hawkins, the Minister stated that the department has done a review of this issue.
My first question to the Minister is this: what was the substance of that review and what exactly was reviewed by the department?
