Mr. Clerk, would you please ascertain if His Honour, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Honourable George Tuccaro, is ready to enter the Chamber for the Second Session of the 17th Legislative Assembly.
Good afternoon, everyone. It is with great joy and optimism that I welcome you back today to the Legislature. The tasks at hand sometimes may seem insurmountable and daunting. Through cooperation and commitment, there is success and achievement. This year holds great promise that more positive results will bring about measurable change. I wish you well in your deliberations.
I am deeply honoured, on behalf of all residents of the Northwest Territories, to congratulate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her diamond jubilee; 60 years of dedicated service and duty to the people of all Commonwealth nations.
As we mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne, we also honour her commitment to service by recognizing Canadians who, like her, have devoted themselves to the well-being of family, community and country.
A new commemorative medal has been created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country, and at the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
The first presentation ceremony of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal to recipients in Yellowknife marks the beginning of our celebrations in 2012. Please join us at four o’clock today as we recognize these deserving Canadians who have
worked to make our city, our territory and our country a better place.
During this session the Government of the Northwest Territories will be introducing the following bills for consideration by the House:
Interim Appropriation Act, 2012-2013;
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012; and
Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2011-2012.
The government considers these bills essential to the good conduct of government business, and as such, I recommend their passage.
As Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the Second Session of the 17th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, merci beaucoup, mahsi cho, quanani, koana.
Good afternoon, colleagues. On behalf of all the Members, I’d like to thank Commissioner Tuccaro for opening the Second Session of the 17th Legislative Assembly.
Also on behalf of all Members, I’d like to thank Mr. Matthew Smith for his beautiful version of O Canada, and Pastor Frank Siemens for leading us in prayer today.
I would like to welcome everyone in the gallery who has joined us here today. Welcome.
I’d like to welcome my colleagues to our first sitting of the New Year. I may be a little bit late, but I still want to wish you and all the residents of the Northwest Territories a safe and happy New Year.
Members and guests, along with the rest of Canada we are celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We began yesterday with the flag-raising ceremony with the Queen’s Canadian flag, which was flown here from sunrise to sunset to mark this special anniversary. We also have the Queen’s Jubilee flags here in our Chamber today and they will remain here for the duration of the Jubilee Year. At the close of our proceedings today, a public reception will be held in the Great Hall. I would invite everyone in the gallery to join us as we honour our recipients of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
We are very lucky to have our Pages helping us during this sitting from the Deh Gah School in Fort Providence, Moose Kerr School in Aklavik, Ecole Boreale School in Hay River, and Louie Norwegian School in Jean Marie River. The Page Program is a great way for our young people to meet students from across the territory and find out firsthand just how our government works. To all of our Pages, a warm welcome.
Colleagues, I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to the families back in my community in my riding of Nunakput. Roy Inuktalik passed away; Agnes Felix and family; Tommy Thrasher; Ms. Jenny Pingo; Mr. Benjamin Goose; Georgina Cockney; Roy Smith; and Diamond Klengenberg.
I’d like to extend the condolences of all the House to those who have lost loved ones since we last met. Our communities are small and close knit, and we share your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and friends who have passed on across the territory.
Members, I know that we have been working very hard to prepare for the challenges ahead and I am confident that you can work together for the good of all the Northwest Territories. I just want to remind you that we are here for our constituents. The reason we’re here and all the decisions that we make affect them directly. We must all remember that as we go about our work here today, that we’re working for the people of the Northwest Territories as a whole.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although we have a small population, the Northwest Territories is a large and diverse territory. We live in 33 communities spread over several regions. We share the territory with seven regional Aboriginal governments. We all have our own mandates, priorities and interests unique to each of our groups. Sometimes our individual priorities align with each other and sometimes it is more difficult to find consensus on specific issues.
But in spite of the individual differences that we may have, I believe that Northerners share the same bigger vision for our territory. No matter where we live or what group we represent, we all want to see a prosperous, self-sufficient territory that provides opportunities for all Northwest Territories residents in their communities and regions. We want a territory where people are healthy and educated and free from poverty and addictions. We want a territory where Northerners make the decisions about the things that affect us. We want a territory where our environment is protected and a strong economy provides the resources we need to pay for our dreams, look after our land and care for our residents. We want a territory where strong northern governments work together in the best interests of all the people of the Northwest Territories while exercising their own authorities and respecting each other’s jurisdictions.
Creating this future is not a project for the Government of the Northwest Territories alone. We will need the participation and cooperation of business and social groups, environmental groups, community governments, Aboriginal governments and the Members of this Assembly. We are stronger when we stand together and focus on what unites us, and we will need that strength to create the kind of future we want for all the people of the Northwest Territories. Finding common ground means finding the will to see beyond any temporary disagreements that might divide us. We need to keep our eye on the big picture if we want to make our vision of a prosperous and sustainable future a reality.
This government started with a commitment to doing business differently. We know the value of partnerships and good relationships. We have made it a priority to reach out to people across the territory and look for common ground, especially with our Aboriginal governments. We began last October, even before this House formally sat, when Caucus met with leaders from all Aboriginal governments in Detah. That meeting represented our interest in a new relationship with Aboriginal governments, one built on the principles of respect, recognition and responsibility. We need to be able to talk openly and respectfully about the issues we share in common and ways that we can work together to address them. As I have said in this House before, I am making plans for another meeting between Aboriginal members and leaders and Members of the Legislative Assembly early this year.
As part of our commitment to forging strong working relationships with Aboriginal governments, I and my Cabinet colleagues have been holding bilateral meetings across the Northwest Territories. We have had 16 meetings with leaders representing every Aboriginal government in every region of the Northwest Territories. Since the beginning of the year, Cabinet has participated in meetings with the Beaufort-Delta Regional Council and Gwich’in Tribal Council. We have also had our first ever meeting between all Cabinet members and all members of the Tlicho Government Executive Council since the Tlicho Government was established six years ago. Minister Beaulieu, Minister Miltenberger and I also recently participated in a meeting with the Northwest Territories Metis Nation.
I am encouraged by what I have been hearing at these meetings. In our discussions we have learned that there is already a lot of common ground for us to build on. Leaders share many of the same concerns we do. They want to see economic opportunities and jobs in their communities and region. They want their people to be healthy and educated. They want to address the need for housing in their communities. These are many of the same issues that Members of this House identified when we announced our priorities last November. These are the same issues that all our residents care about. Finding ways that we can all work together to address these issues could be one of the most significant accomplishments of this Assembly and I believe that it can be done. We have the opportunity to create a better future for all residents of the Northwest Territories by working together, and I am reaching out to Members, Aboriginal governments and all citizens of the Northwest Territories to invite them to join us.
We also need a new, stronger working relationship with the federal government. I met with the Prime Minister last week and had the opportunity to discuss the close alignment between the priorities of this Assembly and the federal Northern Strategy. I was also able to meet with Minister Duncan and Minister Aglukkaq while I was in Ottawa. The meetings were productive and it is clear we share many of the same goals for the North as Canada does. I am confident that we can work well together on issues that are important to Canadians and Northerners.
What do we need to do to get to the kind of future we envision? Besides strengthening our relationship with Aboriginal and other northern governments, we need to invest in the people of the Northwest Territories. We need to invest in our future economy. We need to be responsible stewards of our land and our environment. We need to complete the transfer of authorities from Canada to the Northwest Territories that began 45 years ago.
This government already makes substantial investments in the people of the Northwest Territories. We offer education and training programs in communities throughout the North that give Northwest Territories residents the opportunity to build capacity and acquire job skills. We support personal wellness through ongoing health promotion and prevention programs and offer mental health and addiction programs. We deliver health care services in communities across the Northwest Territories and continue to make strategic investments in our health care facilities and infrastructure.
Addressing poverty will be another way to invest in Northerners. During this session I will be tabling What We Heard, the results of an extensive consultation on poverty undertaken by the last government. In this document, Northwest Territories residents identify some of the causes of poverty, the challenges and barriers they face, trying to break free of it and some of the things we could do to eliminate it. What We Heard will inform the development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy that the Government of the Northwest Territories will undertake in collaboration with non-government organizations, business leaders and Aboriginal community governments. We will return to the Assembly with our proposed strategy before the end of this calendar year.
We will also continue to move forward with the Shelter Policy review as part of our ongoing work to address the need for housing in our communities. As a result of the review, we plan to come forward with a strategic framework for housing that will strengthen public housing, including implementing new rent scales. We will improve home ownership supports and address other aspects of the housing continuum like housing supply and adequacy in non-market communities, strengthen the approach to homelessness and improve housing services. We will continue with programs to support home ownership and our strategy to replace older single detached public housing units with multi-family units wherever possible. We will begin to implement elements of the review by this June.
While we are investing in the people of the Northwest Territories, we will also need to be investing in our future economy. The Government of the Northwest Territories already provides a broad range of programs and support of economic development and diversification. There are programs to support small businesses and promote community economic development. We offer support for tourism development in the traditional economy. And we have programs to encourage and support the development of our mineral resources.
People want an opportunity to succeed, and our role as government is to make sure the conditions are right for their success. We are telling Northerners to stay in school but we need to keep up our end of the bargain so there are jobs and economic opportunities for them when they graduate. Economic development and job creation is one way that this government can help meet the needs of the Northwest Territories and the people who live here. This is a belief that was echoed by leaders in my meetings around the Northwest Territories over the past few months. That is why this government has made it a priority to come forward with an environmentally sustainable economic development and mining strategy.
The Northwest Territories has a wealth of resources, though we are not making the best use of that potential. If we want to become a prosperous, self-sufficient territory providing opportunities for our residents, we are going to need a number of things to fall into place. We need a devolution agreement, regulatory improvement and a clear post-devolution relationship with Canada. We need certainty around our development processes and we will need the federal government to partner with us in major nation building infrastructure projects like the Mackenzie Gas Project, the Mackenzie Valley Highway and a Mackenzie Valley fibre optic link. We are not looking for a handout. The Government of the Northwest Territories is prepared to do its part and we intend to show our good faith by investing our own resources and preparatory work for the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway, an eventual part of the Mackenzie Valley Highway.
Development needs to be sustainable and balanced by a respect for our land and environment. The land is not just the source of our wealth; it is the source of our well-being. We need to make careful decisions about how we manage our renewable and non-renewable resources. Our decisions need to be guided by a long-term vision that ensures our residents enjoy the benefits of the land and its resources for generations to come.
We continue to work to put the tools in place that will help us be responsible stewards of our land. On top of resource revenues and jobs, devolution will give the people of the Northwest Territories control over decisions about how we can protect our land and develop our resources in the way we want. It will also provide new opportunities for the Government of the Northwest Territories and Aboriginal governments to work together on land use, resource management and regulatory improvement. A new Wildlife Act will give us modern tools for managing our wildlife in partnership with Aboriginal governments. Work towards a transboundary water management agreement that will help ensure the protection of territorial waters in the face of development in the Upper Mackenzie Basin continues to move forward. A territorial land use framework will help the Government of the Northwest Territories with land use matters in a consistent way based on clear interests.
Continuing to pay for our priorities and fund the programs and services we deliver will require careful management in the coming months. As Members know, our current fiscal situation is tight and we need to stick to a disciplined fiscal strategy to manage our way through the next two years. Our first priority is protecting the existing programs and services our residents rely on, while maintaining some capacity to absorb unexpected expenses or revenue shortfalls. There is no money to invest in new initiatives or programs at this time. As our situation improves, our next priority will be to make strategic, targeted infrastructure investments that will help support economic development and growth.
While we are not there yet, I can advise Members that we are making progress on our discussions with the federal government over our borrowing limit. Mr. Miltenberger has talked with Minister Flaherty and we have been assured that Canada understands our issues and is prepared to offer some relief for the Northwest Territories. We do not expect to have a final figure until the end of this fiscal year, but Canada’s assurances have given us the ability to consider funding initial work on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Premier McLeod.
Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I missed the last two pages.
Important pages.
The most important part.
We have the potential to be a great territory. Last November Minister Duncan wrote in the Hill Times that Canada’s North is a fundamental part of our national identity and our economic future. We share Minister Duncan’s views and the vision of Canada’s Northern Strategy of a North that can realize its true potential as a healthy, prosperous and secure region within a strong and sovereign Canada. We have the natural resources, human capital and political experience to be a self-sufficient territory, participating as a full, contributing member of Confederation. We can achieve this Assembly’s vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories.
It will take work to get there and it will take the willingness of Northerners to come together and focus on common goals and priorities that are in the best interests of the whole territory. The people of the Northwest Territories deserve and expect a brighter future. The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to working towards that future and invites the partnership of Members of the Legislative Assembly, Aboriginal leaders, community leaders and all those with a stake in creating a strong and prosperous Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable David Ramsay will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the 2012 Northern Development Ministers Forum in Goose Bay, Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On this the first day of sitting I, too, would like to pay my respects to the milestone of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. I have an affection and affinity for the monarchy, through my ancestry on my father’s side. My father, Robert Ostler, immigrated to Canada in 1947 after seven years in the British Army during the Second World War.
I grew up in a home with strong British ties and traditions. I remember as a child that no gifts were opened on Christmas Day until our family gathered in front of the black and white TV to hear the Christmas address from Queen Elizabeth. This was right up there with the reading of the Christmas Story from the Scriptures and then we could begin to partake in our Christmas Day activities.
Many, over the years, have questioned and even challenged the relevance of the monarchy. In a day and age of the rise and fall of governments and leaders around the world, indeed even the composition of the Commonwealth, the monarchy, particularly Queen Elizabeth, has remained a leader committed to many of the ideals and values held in high regard by those who founded this country and the people who have also come to call Canada home. She has remained steadfast to her commitment that she took on at the young age of 26 years. I don’t think, monarchist or not, anyone can deny the role model our Queen has been in her service to God, country and, indeed, the Commonwealth.
On this year of celebration of this amazing milestone of her Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the throne of England, can we collectively say in our Chamber today, God bless and save the Queen, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of Canada.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We are hearing a lot in the news lately about the possible changes to the Canadian Old Age Security Program. The current government is not saying much about it, but the responsible Minister, Diane Finley, says changes are crucial because costs are rising and there will be fewer and fewer workers paying into the system.
One of the suggestions for cutting the cost of oId age security is to change the age of eligibility for benefits from 65 to 67. Those same seniors, at least those with low incomes, would not be receiving their federally guaranteed income supplement either.
That could have a very serious outcome on our elders and this government. Two things could happen: elders will be poorer and there will be pressure on our government to provide benefits or income support for two more years until old age security finally kicks in. It appears to be yet another example of the federal government planning to devolve costs to the Government of the Northwest Territories.
In the rest of Canada workers might retire later, but here in the Northwest Territories unemployment is so high in many communities that our seniors will simply face two more years of poverty. I’m concerned that low-income seniors will be the most affected. For example, our elders for the NWT senior citizens supplementary benefits have to be getting old age security and the federal guaranteed income supplement. There are bound to be other ripple effects from the federal government’s change to old age security.
That is why I am urging this government to make sure that we have some input on this at the federal level. Our elders are counting on us. I will be asking the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment questions about this shortly.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to talk about the issue of devolution and the importance of this issue here in the Northwest Territories. In our communities we are not hearing enough on it. For example, once devolution, whenever it gets completed to a final deal, will it be a vote throughout the Northwest Territories to say yes, people in the North want this deal to go through, or will it be like in the last government where seven Cabinet Ministers said this is what we’re going to do, we’re going to sign it with the majority of the Aboriginal governments not participating or wanting our government to sign on to negotiate towards a final agreement?
Devolution is one way to bring the Northwest Territories to a legitimate government. Right now we’re an orphan of the federal government. We have to ask them to borrow money to get us most of the resources. Devolution is a way that we take some of these resources and use it to operate ourselves.
However, the key component to a devolution deal is to involve the real landowners: the Aboriginal governments. The legitimate government that was negotiated through the land claim agreements that was negotiated in the ‘20s through the treaties, had those treaties been kept up by the federal government would have been in a better shape by our relationship. The elders tell us when those treaties were negotiated, many promises were broken. As to the existing land claim agreements now, we can start to see the cracks being open in our agreements with the land and water boards.
I want to ask the government, Premier, how we are going to solidify, produce a solid partnership with Aboriginal governments through this devolution file. I will have questions for the Premier later on.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wanted to make a statement on devolution. I’m deeply concerned about the current state of talks on devolution of control over lands and resources to the Northwest Territories from the federal government. As you know, no Dene governments or land claim organizations are involved in the process, and now the Gwich’in Tribal Council has taken this government and the federal government to court over what they say is a lack of consultation.
I know that our Aboriginal governments also believe that our current Devolution Agreement-in-Principle will be not much revenue or royalties for First Nations. There are also legitimate questions about how revenue sharing and control over the land would work and what role First Nations would have.
The Premier has stated that negotiations will continue anyway. We have not discussed this course of action yet in this House. It may be possible to go ahead, but it is a recipe for conflict between this government and many of the people that it is supposed to represent. This is not the Dene way of doing things. We try to reach consensus and keep working at it until we can decide what needs to be done. I’m sure I don’t need to remind the Premier that this Assembly is supposed to be a consensus government.
The Gwich’in lawsuit is a sign that this government has a lot of work to do. It should put our government on notice that there could be more serious consequences for going ahead on its own. Even now fighting over devolution could hamper our government’s effectiveness in working with regional governments. It could trigger a larger debate about constitutional development.
Progress is much more likely to be made if we settle our differences in the North and present a united front to the federal government. This is the direction I would like this government to take. I would also like an opportunity to discuss this issue in the House. The people of the Northwest Territories should know what we are doing about it. I will ask some questions later in the House.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On January 9 to 11, 2012, leaders of the Beaufort-Delta met in Inuvik to discuss matters that are important to them and the people that they represent. I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank the Premier and all of his Cabinet for coming to Inuvik and listening to those concerns, and sitting down and discussing important matters with the leaders of the Beaufort-Delta region. It shows good promise that we’re going to be building on our future strengths, working with the governments and working with the departments to make sure that people of the Northwest Territories and the Beaufort-Delta region are able to succeed and live a healthy and safe lifestyle.
I also want to commend the Cabinet on all the work that they’ve been doing over the last few months in visiting with all the Aboriginal leadership and governments across the Northwest Territories. I also look forward to bringing up these concerns that were brought forth by the leaders in the Beaufort-Delta region in this session and future sessions, to make sure that these issues and concerns are met and do not fall on deaf ears, and that action is taking place to ensure that the people of the Beaufort-Delta region do succeed and that their concerns and needs are met.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wish to comment on MACA’s 2010 GNWT Report on Drinking Water which was released in September 2011. Fundamentally, water quality and its management primarily remains a territorial jurisdiction. Arguably, both federal and territorial governments are responsible to work together under the terms and guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality which has been maintained by Health Canada since 1968. Responsibility for the creation and updating of these guidelines falls to four territorial departments – Health and Social Services, ENR, MACA, Public Works and Services – and by three federal departments – Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
For a quick recap, and according to our set guidelines, source water – referred to as raw water – and regular drinking water are to be tested daily for turbidity. As well, raw water is to be tested for bacteria at least monthly. Drinking water is to be tested at least four times per month. On top of that, at least one sample per year is to be tested for 28 criteria, including colour, metals, chemicals and other compounds.
Although the treatment of drinking water in the 33 NWT communities has evolved considerably in the last five years with new treatment plants and increased training of its operators, it is clear, according to this report, that testing is not rigorously being done in all communities. In fact, according to MACA’s water quality website there has been no chemical testing in Hay River or Nahanni Butte since 2009. No chemical tests were done in Yellowknife, Jean Marie River or Trout Lake in 2011. Water in Wrigley was only tested for bacteria on one date in 2011. Bacterial testing in Lutselk’e and Trout Lake was incomplete in 2011. It is notable that many of the missing tests are in the communities in the Deh Cho administrative region.
Clearly, the GNWT knows that these water testing guidelines are meant to be a set standard aimed at assuring the protection of human health over a lifetime of consumption. That said, I’ll be asking the MACA Minister later today about these missing testing results and whether certain communities are at risk due to our lack of rigorous water testing.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m compelled to use my first statement of this session to speak to an ongoing issue affecting my riding. Only a few weeks ago this government refused a request from the City of Yellowknife for a no-interest loan, a loan that would have been used to assist the residents of Northlands Mobile Home Park – some 1,100 Frame Lake constituents – to assist them with the replacement of the water and sewer infrastructure in their neighbourhood.
I have spoken many times about this predicament that these Northerners are in, and I really thought that a no- or low-interest loan from the GNWT to the city was a viable solution to this problem. But the government’s response to this suggested solution was an unconditional no.
To say that I was disappointed would be a major understatement, but what was even more disappointing was that our executive simply said no without trying to find other potential solutions. Admittedly, the letter to the city did provide an answer to the direct question, but there was no indication of a willingness on the part of the GNWT to help out at all. There was no attempt to offer a different kind of help or to look for other ways to solve this difficult problem.
One of the reasons given for the refusal was that no policy currently exists to cover the request. That may be so, but if Cabinet had really wanted to help my constituents, they would have considered how to develop a policy that could help them.
We, as MLAs, whether in Cabinet or not, are elected to develop policy and to make laws. That we don’t have a policy for a particular situation has seldom been a problem before now. As long as the government wants to do something, it will happen. The necessary policy to cover the action will be put into place. Stated differently: If the political will is there, a policy can be developed to fix the problem.
My battle with the government to help my constituents is not yet over. I truly believe that there is something that this government can do to help the residents of Northlands. It may not be, nor does it have to be, a loan. It can be program assistance. It can be a policy or a regulation change. It can be a “yes we can” attitude instead of a “no we can’t” attitude.
I am committed to pursuing this issue on behalf of Northlands residents, who are a significant portion of my riding. I only hope that my colleagues across the floor, now that the city’s request has been answered, do not now wash their hands of this problem, that they actively look for something the GNWT can do to help, and that they remain open to considering different solutions when they are presented.
I will have questions for the Minister of Finance at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A highly unusual Municipal and Community Affairs land swap deal has left the City of Yellowknife and the developer a legacy of problems to sort out and contributed to an unnecessary rise in the cost of new housing in Yellowknife.
Recently, MACA took over the former church property on 49th Street and transferred the Lot 501 block of Commissioner’s land adjacent to the North Slave Correction Centre to Homes North via the city. This without MACA seeking a buyer leave from the City of Yellowknife. The developer took on the property in the expectation of creating a residential subdivision according to the improvement requirements of the day. At the time, the city was transitioning to full cost recovery through development conditions.
Two years later the land swap is nearing completion and the city and the developer are still trying to find compromises that would allow an economic development that meets city requirements for sewer and water, roads, trail and park development and power supply. It has been a difficult negotiation, given the city’s need to see the cost of development paid for by purchase funds and the developer’s need for an economic project.
This should never have happened. MACA met its own needs for land without respecting the city’s need to derive revenue from the land to ensure development standards will be met and costs recovered before lands are provided. Then MACA left the two parties to sort out the most crucial and contentious issues. Had MACA dealt with the city in the first place, a land swap might still have been brokered and the costs of development being clearly stated from the outset.
But what’s the biggest tragedy here? The most unfortunate consequences accrue to our residents seeking reasonably priced housing. Our population is falling. People’s inability to find housing is a crippling, chronic drag on the territorial economy.
So what needs to happen now? MACA needs to recognize its responsibility for the situation they helped create and rejoin the discussions towards a compromise solution. We need to finally provide the city with control over unencumbered Commissioner’s lands within its boundaries.
I would support any move by the City of Yellowknife to gain control over the remaining Commissioner’s land within city boundaries to prevent such end runs happening ever again.
I will be asking the MACA Minister questions on this situation. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The need could not be greater than now for a territorial treatment centre here in the Northwest Territories. As we all know far too well, drugs and alcohol continue to have a profound impact on Northerners’ lives. It’s time for this government to get behind a detox centre, which will help the drug and alcohol problem that many people suffer from.
I’ve come to see the drug and alcohol problem kind of like an iceberg. You know, you can look far off and see the surface of the problem, but you never fully realize the size, the magnitude, what truly lies underneath the surface. I can only work with the information I have, and with that I’m trying to provide a picture that the Minister understands.
I know the Minister likes stats and numbers, so let’s give a few a try. Almost 89 percent of the people in our jails are struggling from addictions; and if he doesn’t believe me, he can nudge the guy on the left of him to ask for the facts on that one. On average, 600 people are hospitalized a year because of health problems related to mental illness, and 58 percent of those are directly related to substance abuse. Again, being a Minister who likes numbers, that’s about 350 people per year.
The rate of addictions in the Northwest Territories dwarfs the rest of Canada. Our smoking rates are twice Canada’s average. Thirty-two percent of our people who drink in the NWT are heavy drinkers, more than twice the national average. Even more shocking is the number of people who say their friendships, social lives, physical health and home life are harmed by their drinking. That applies to one in four of the people that consume alcohol, and they live in our Northwest Territories. In our small communities it’s even worse: 43 percent of the drinkers say that this habit has been consuming their lives.
Alcohol is not the only problem. Forty-one percent of our young people between the age of 15 and 24 are now smoking marijuana. One in four residents of the NWT has been experimenting with cocaine, crack, hallucinogens, ecstasy, speed and even heroin. These facts alone should be calling this government from its sleepy slumber and use it as an act or a message to finally take up arms on this issue.
During question period I will have questions directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services about what this government will finally do on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my great pleasure to recognize a colleague who I haven’t worked with for quite some time, but we still do pass by each other periodically. I’d like to say Mr. Ed Jeske recently had a birthday in January. He has recently turned 85 years young. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize our good friend Mr. Ed Jeske, and accompanying him today, the lovely Vivian Squires. Thank you for coming out. I have one of my constituents here who is no stranger to the Assembly, working here in the past as a constituency assistant, Mrs. Carla Hanvold-Walker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleagues, I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a Yellowknife senior in the constituency of Yellowknife Centre, and at his side, as always, the true and vigilant, lovely Vivian Squires, and talented, of course. Finally, I’d also like to recognize a good friend. His name is Bill and he’s here with his wife. So that’s Bill and Helen McIntosh. They both hail from Belleville, Ontario. I’d like to welcome them to the Legislature. I believe they’re here visiting family. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Barb Hood, executive director of the NWT Seniors and a resident of Weledeh. Also a tip of the hat to Ed and Vivian. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Moses.
