Mr. Speaker, over 100 students from Kalemi Dene School in N’dilo and Kaw Tay Whee School in Dettah have been taking part this week in a traditional life skills program at the Yellowknife River.
Under the instruction and guidance of our Dene elders these young people are learning and applying traditional and cultural practices for tanning moosehides, preparing traditional foods, creating tools and playing Dene games. The students are also getting the opportunity to take part in the traditional construction of a birchbark canoe.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, together with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, are providing the financial and in-kind resources to support this extremely worthwhile project.
It is just one of many traditional life skills projects provided annually for school-aged youth by Industry, Tourism and Investment under the Take a Kid Trapping Program. We are fortunate that this particular project happens to be taking place while we are sitting here in Yellowknife, and I would like to extend an invitation to all Members of this Assembly to participate in a feast being held as part of this program. The feast will take place this afternoon from 4 to 6 at the Yellowknife River, known to the Yellowknife Dene as Weledeh.
Mr. Speaker, the aboriginal people of our territory have a long, proud history of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. The transfer of traditional life skills ensures that these values are sustained and that important social and cultural links are maintained to the land and its resources. Since 2002 over 4,000 youth have participated in different components of the department’s Take a Kid Trapping Program. The program’s success is due in large part to the strong partnership that exists between the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment; Municipal and Community Affairs; Environment and Natural Resources; Education, Culture and Employment; and the talents and skills of the many local residents and elders who support the program in various communities.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to share with colleagues some of the positive results that have been realized to date in the first year after the formal implementation of the New Deal for NWT Community Governments.
Implemented April 1, 2007, the New Deal is designed to provide communities with increased authority in decision making on capital projects. Designed in partnership between the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and community governments, the initiative reflects a huge shift in our government’s approach to planning, designing and implementing community public infrastructure, in response to a long-standing desire of many of our communities. With increased authority comes increased responsibility, and everyone involved recognizes that community governments must be supported if they are to be able to successfully manage these new responsibilities.
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has worked to provide a range of supports for community governments. Numerous community, regional and territorial workshops have been held to support the development of a five-year capital investment plan. Training has been provided in capital-planning methods and best practices. The School of Community Government has developed courses in asset management, infrastructure financing and other related issues.
In addition, through ongoing partnerships with the NWT Association of Communities and the Local Government Administrators of the NWT, MACA is supporting opportunities to share templates and best practices amongst communities so that learning from each other’s experience can be maximized. Pilot projects have demonstrated that communities have the skills and abilities to successfully take on new responsibilities, and I would like to highlight a few examples.
The Hamlet of Fort Liard completed their long-awaited maintenance garage as well as office and fire hall upgrades in one construction season, on time and on budget, by bundling the projects.
The Hamlet of Fort McPherson is planning the grand opening of their new community complex this spring. The building will include the hamlet offices, a youth centre, an elders centre and a community radio station. By levering funds from other sources, the community has acquired a multi-purpose building that will serve a range of needs.
The K’asho Got’ine council in Fort Good Hope will be starting construction on their new community office complex this summer and, through this process, have developed local capacity in project design and management.
The Yellowknives Dene First Nation are proceeding with a new community complex in Dettah and, in the process, are working in partnership with MACA to find a way for all designated authority band governments to deal with restrictions in the Indian Act.
In all cases communities have taken MACA funding and enhanced local projects by accessing other funding sources.
The New Deal is a new way of doing business, one which reflects a more balanced and respectful partnership between the Government of the Northwest Territories and community governments. In a time of strained resources I’m pleased to note that there has been a significant increase in the amount of funding available to the community governments to implement community public infrastructure.
The Government of the Northwest Territories capital formula funding, along with an increase in federal infrastructure funding, will result in an increase of over 250 per cent in funding for community public infrastructure, from an average of $17 million per year in 2004–2005 to $49.5 million per year in 2009–2010. While this increase does not address the infrastructure deficit that our communities face as a result of the impacts of deferred maintenance on the lifespan of existing infrastructure, it allows them to make great strides in addressing that issue.
Experience over the past year has demonstrated that communities are competent and capable of managing complex infrastructure projects. With ongoing support, advice and mentorship from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, we will continue to see the development and growth in community capacity and achievement.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As this is Environment Week, I thought I would comment on an affront to Mother Nature, our environment and our pocketbooks perpetrated by our government every day. I had a perfect example of this yesterday. In my mailbox appeared a lovely 16page, full-colour, glossy report. The accompanying three-line letter told me the report was attached and that it was available on-line and provided the Internet URL.
The letter was a waste of paper, except that I will reuse the back side. The info in the letter could have been sent in an e-mail. The report was lovely to look at but won’t be used. I will read it, maybe file it, quite likely recycle it. I can get the same info, also in colour, by reading the report on-line.
What was the cost to print this document? How many trees did we kill to make it and the letterhead page for how many hundreds of people, and how many of these reports do you think will still be around next week?
All Members recently received an e-mail from a Yellowknife resident with a novel cost-saving suggestion. He said, and I quote from the e-mail:
“…the GNWT give serious consideration to changing the format for annual reports from hard copy to a disk. If the reports were prepared and submitted on a disk and distributed as such, the savings to the government and agencies would be substantial. The time spent by employees who are tasked to complete the reports would be reduced significantly, thereby saving time and money for the government. Following tabling in the Legislative Assembly, the reports could be uploaded to the department’s web page or to a central web page containing all the GNWT and agencies’ reports.
“On another note, this would greatly reduce waste (all the reports that eventually end up at the dump) to our landfills and cut greenhouse gases during the production stage.”
It’s small changes like this one that will help our environment. It is small changes like this one that will save us money and force us to think outside the box. I don’t know what policies the government might have in regard to the publication of reports — why, what, when, how — but I suggest that we need to change them and change them now.
To the government, save our trees and send notification of new reports and copies of the document by e-mail; save our expenses and print it to disk or post online. To quote again from the email, “It would be a win-win situation for everyone.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the next few weeks across the Northwest Territories young people are getting ready to celebrate the completion of school by having their grade 12 graduation ceremonies. This is the time for them to acknowledge the achievements that they’ve made. I’m especially honoured to be invited to the Inuvik Samuel Hearne high school grade 12 graduation ceremony tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to that.
I’d like to send a message out there to young people. This is a time to celebrate your achievements. Part of the celebration, I know, for a lot of them is going out and having graduation parties. Although I would discourage it, I know it’s going to happen, so I’m asking all of you out there just to be very careful while you’re out. Especially use this time to reflect on and celebrate your achievements, and thank the people who guided you through those years that you went to school — your parents, your teachers, some of your peers.
There’s a bright future ahead for a lot of kids finishing school. Our post-secondary funding is second to none in the country, and I would encourage you to take advantage of it. You’ve got a whole future out there. Some of you may even end up in this Assembly, and if you do, I’m going to teach you how to say yes once in a while. It’s a new chapter in the lives of the young people out there. Use it for a time of celebration, reflect on everything that you’ve done and just be very careful, again, while you’re out there.
As an Assembly we salute your achievements, and we just want all the grads across the Northwest Territories to know that we are very especially proud of them, and we look forward to the contribution that I think they’re going to make to the Northwest Territories in the future. I think we have a bright future; I think we have a bright group of kids coming up. We acknowledge that and try to promote it with the education system we have here. People do have issues with the quality of the education, but I think we have a post-secondary education that gives a lot of kids up here an opportunity they wouldn’t normally get, and I would encourage them to go grab a hold of that opportunity, because it’s there. Best of luck to all the grads and whatever you decide to do in your future.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is a special day for the residents of Fort McPherson and Chief Julius School. Today some 15 graduates will be graduating from Chief Julius School. Of the 15 graduates there are five sets of brothers — Alyn Charlie, Aryn Charlie; Grant Snowshoe, Waylon Snowshoe; Robert Koe, Desmond Koe; Corey Alexie, Glenn Alexie; Jeffrey Robert, Perry Robert — along with Steven Kimiksana, Jennifer Greenland, Megan McCormick, Bobbie Rose Koe, and Ashlynn Allen.
I’d like to take this time to congratulate each and every one of the graduates and, more importantly, their families and their teachers and the staff of Chief Julius School for everything they have done to make sure that these children were able to graduate.
Mr. Speaker, it’s an important time for our communities when we see some 15 graduates graduate from our high schools in our small communities. They are our future; they are the ones that will make the difference to the benefit of all the communities. I encourage the students to continue on with their educational endeavours and to continue on to better themselves and take advantage of those opportunities in the future.
I would also like to recognize three graduates from Tsiigehtchic who will be graduating in Inuvik tomorrow: Darby Blake, Maranda Blake and Shelly Andre. I would like to also recognize my niece Ashlyn Krutko, who will also be graduating in Inuvik tomorrow.
In closing, I would like to congratulate each and every one of them and, more importantly, their families. Again, it’s our communities that win when we see our students graduating.
With that, all the best, good luck and continue on with your educational endeavours. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. All week I have been highlighting the differences between small communities like Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution and life in the larger centres. I have talked about the limited resources to medical services, professional counselling, and education and training options, which people in Yellowknife and the towns take for granted. I have talked about the higher rates of suicide and youth crime; the limited resources available to our schools and RCMP detachments; the lack of municipal infrastructure like paved roads and sidewalks, recreation facilities, piped water and sewer services; and the high costs of travel, food and other essentials. It’s a long list, with which small community residents are all too familiar.
I have questioned the Minister of MACA, the Minister of Health and the Premier on what the government is doing to ensure that policies, procedures and funding formulas are small-community friendly. Mr. Speaker, I have asked what the government is doing to address the high cost of living in communities that people cannot afford to live in, that cannot provide programs and services to their residents; and the lack of infrastructure.
Our territory is vast, with 33 unique communities, some in settlement claim areas, some still under negotiation. We have to realize that a cookie-cutter approach made in Yellowknife cannot fit everyone. We are aware that residents, no matter in which community they live, expect quality programs, services and infrastructure, and hope for more from life than just barely making ends meet.
I was pleased to hear yesterday that the Premier is receptive to the idea of a joint committee that will focus on small-community concerns. I look forward to working with my colleagues in this House on this very important initiative.
The cost-of-living issues have been raised time and time again by my constituents. This is a concern for every resident in our smaller communities. Residents are getting frustrated but participate in comprehensive consultation processes, where they unanimously voice their concerns and collectively identify the cost of living as a main concern, yet here we are again, talking about the need to do something about it.
Mr. Speaker, an immediate needs assessment and an effective strategy should be developed and delivered for a real long-term sustainable solution. Later I’ll have questions for the Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about how the market disruption policy is interpreted in the business development funding guidelines. Under the current policy, market disruption is said to occur when an investment by the government in a community impacts an existing business. Exceptions to this policy will only be considered if it can be demonstrated that a substantial portion of the market cannot be served by existing businesses, and that those existing businesses will not be seriously impacted by the proposed projects.
Recently a constituent who operates a small business informed me that a business located in another South Slave community received a business development contribution. The business that received the funding, however, has a Hay River business licence, and operates each year on a seasonal basis in Hay River and is in direct competition with my constituent. When my constituent raised his concerns with ITI officials and the Minister, he was told that the policy was followed, because the applicant's — in this case — primary place of business was in another community.
Clearly, this constitutes market disruption, and the government, by approving the contribution, is in violation of its own policies. This response also illustrates that the market disruption policy is narrowly interpreted, and does not take into consideration situations where market disruption occurs in other NWT communities other than the applicant's community.
This is not an issue about competition. Businesses — small businesses, all kinds of businesses — expect and deal with competition. This is about the need to have a fair and equitable funding process for businesses that are operating in the same region.
I ask that the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment investigate this issue and take appropriate action to address this gap in policy.
I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, as I always like to begin each Friday, I would like to make special mention that it’s Red Friday and I support my troops.
Today I want to talk about the need for public support in discussion and education in an effort to gradually eliminate the use of plastic bags. Plastic bags are everywhere. For almost every purchase we make, we get a plastic bag. Here in the NWT that adds up to almost 40 tonnes of plastic bag waste each year.
The use of plastic bags has serious impacts on the environment. While some are recycled, most plastic bags go to the garbage and end up in our landfills. It is estimated that plastic bags take up to 1,000 years for them to break down. Plastic bags are also a major part of our litter problem. They clutter our streets, stick to our trees and certainly pollute our waters.
Another reason to consider eliminating plastic bags is that they are made from petroleum products, a major contributor to greenhouse gases. Some people like to say it's Environment Day or Environment Week, but as I see it, to some degree, it's Environment Day every day.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has identified plastic bags as something we should consider recycling. I believe we should take it a step further and consult with the residents and businesses on ways to eliminate the use of plastic bags in the NWT.
If I highlight Halifax, for instance, some stores don't even sell plastic bags anymore. They don't allow them. They sell only cloth bags. So if you show up there, you’re out of luck if you forgot your bags. You have to buy new ones.
There's a growing international movement to ban or discourage the use of these manufactured plastic bags. Countries like Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, and even China have either banned these bags or implemented taxes or fees to put pressure on consumers. These taxes and fees have resulted in a significant drop in the use of plastic bags and have provided millions of dollars to governments to support recycling programs.
Many Northerners recognize the problems associated with plastic bags, and they are saying no to plastic bags by using cloth bags.
I believe that we need to move on this movement and ideals that are best for our environment. I would encourage the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources to make sure he gets out there and engages Northerners, to make sure we take significant steps to reduce and move forward on this issue.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Today is a sad day for the voluntary sector and non-governmental organizations in the Northwest Territories. As of yesterday, due to lack of GNWT funding and support, Volunteer NWT had to close their doors.
Volunteer NWT has been a champion for the voluntary sector, which includes volunteer organizations as well as NGOs, by promoting and supporting this sector. They have worked towards increasing the number of Northerners helping out, providing communities and organizations with the tools to increase volunteerism, and setting up a formal network to support the long-term goals and work of volunteers and voluntary groups.
This Assembly's strategic plan indicates the desire to support the voluntary sector, yet when the rubber hits the road, it is clear that Cabinet does not actually support this sector. As such, Volunteer NWT is dead.
Volunteer NWT was able to find $79,800 in project funding from the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation to assist with further work on financing relationship issues between the GNWT and the sector. Unfortunately, the funding does not include Volunteer NWT operating funds. Volunteer NWT does not believe there are reasonable expectations for success with such a project at this time in the absence of GNWT support.
There is still a need for the services that Volunteer NWT has provided. Their united voice has a place. Their dedication to act as a point of contact between the sector and the GNWT will be missed. There is much left to be done on the part of the GNWT to engage this sector.
The GNWT must develop a dialogue and work with this sector. This sector plays an important role in creating healthy communities. The GNWT's unwillingness to support and work with the volunteer sector and Volunteer NWT is the North's loss. I encourage this government to reconsider their decision to not support Volunteer NWT.
At the appropriate time I'll be asking the Minister responsible for MACA questions on this issue. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
I want to speak again today about sex offender and family violence programming at North Slave Correctional Centre.
I've been greatly concerned over the Minister's comments to me, in previous rounds of questioning, that the two program delivery officers are going to be reassigned to caseworkers, and that other staff at the facility are going to be trained to deliver the programming. This is completely absurd. Does the Minister really and actually believe that other staff could attend a week or ten-day training course and just simply step into delivering a group therapy sex offender or family violence program? If this is the case, what does this say about our commitment as a government to keep our families and communities safe?
We have an obligation to our residents to rehabilitate offenders before we send them back into our communities. Sex offender programming is very specialized training, and it takes years of training, clinic practice and dedicated professionals to effectively deliver the programming. You can't just simply open a manual and teach lessons. It is actual group therapy, and I would really like to know who is going to train these new people.
The existing delivery officers trained for over two years with a psychologist who put the program together. I don't understand how individuals who are caseworkers, who deal with inmates and issues day in and day out, are going to have the non-judgmental attitude the trainers will need. The two positions should not be melded together.
I've had the occasion to speak with some officials from Correctional Service of Canada who have some very deep concerns over our Department of Justice's now nonchalant approach to programming. They tell me that in the federal system all programming must be delivered by qualified staff — the delivery of sex offender and family violence programs with individuals that must have at least a master's degree. How can we get away with proposing a week or ten days’ worth of training to individuals with no clinical, university, or academic training?
Perhaps the Minister should look at Corrections Canada, at its guidelines for the provision of programming. He might be surprised by what he finds, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
As my colleague Mr. Hawkins has said, every day is Environment Day, and today is the last day of the recognized week called Environment Week.
I'd like to mention the tailings spill at Ekati Mine. Apparently, a large overflow of a contaminant wall — about 4.7 million litres of contaminants — spilled onto the tundra and the lakes where, of course, we have lake trout, grayling, whitefish, and so on, and the whole ecosystem, right from the invertebrates up to the migratory birds, and eventually to where we consume and where we get our energy from for our bodies.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause. It's still unknown, apparently. People are also looking at the effectiveness of the monitoring programs, which have come into question. There's a possibility that the spill may actually have been spotted, incidentally, by an employee flying into the mine. So I hope there are going to be some tuneups there.
Cleanup is apparently happening and is being pursued very aggressively and appropriately. But this whole thing brings into question the design of these development projects. Of course, during environmental reviews we're always assured that everything is well in hand and so on, but these things are based on so-called normals. They are based on the patterns of climate and so on. From having participated, I know that the tailings dams, which have ice cores, are designed for a certain amount of warming, and warming, of course, is much greater than predicted only ten or so years ago. There really are no normals anymore. We hear a lot about tailings, but not about the greenhouse gas emissions causing the climate change — one of the biggest issues we have today. Greenhouse gas emissions have doubled, largely because of the diamond mine development projects. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we still have no requirement for even 1 per cent renewable energy in any of our development projects. This, to me, is atrocious. We still need major tune-ups there. Even the youngest child on the street today will be able to tell you that.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May and June mark a special time in the North, a sure sign of change. The land returns with its colours, and the sounds of the wildlife once again come alive.
Mr. Speaker, another sign of change is also recognized in our schools. Graduations mark that change in many lives of our students and families. The graduates look forward to what the next stage of life may bring — continuing education, jobs, travel, families. As parents we still see our young son or daughter taking their first steps, riding their bike for the first time — I hope my son Justin is watching — running across a field with a Batman cape flapping in the wind.
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the students across the country and the Northwest Territories, and especially the students of Samuel Hearne Secondary School. I am sorry I could not make their graduation ceremonies this weekend as we are busy here in session. As well, I will be watching my son take the walk — I think I said I wouldn’t do this anymore, didn’t I? — take the next step in his life as growing up into a man.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While they are not strictly and literally in the gallery, I’d just like to recognize two of the pages, Danielle Soucy and Nicole Labine. I thank them for their services.
I recognize the two pages from the Sahtu, Miss Emily Collier and Mr. Luc Erb from Norman Wells.
Mr. Speaker, I can’t see whether or not my constituent is still there, but Barb Wyness, a representative with UNW and a constituent of Frame Lake, is in the gallery, I believe. I, too, would like to recognize one of the pages. Harper Sateana-Barr is working with us this week and doing a fine job.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to represent all of the members of the UNW.
Interjection.
I don’t represent them all, but I’ve certainly seen them around a lot lately, and I want to thank them for the fine job they are doing, representing their constituents. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize Gayla Wick, a UNW representative and a constituent from Yellowknife South. Also, Mr. Steve Bedingfield, a long-time colleague on the NEBS board.
I’d also like to recognize a constituent of mine, Roy Courtoreille, in the gallery. He’s the regional vice-president for UNW. If we missed anyone else in the gallery, welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Hope you enjoy the proceedings.
Mr. Speaker, all week I drew comparisons between smaller communities and the larger centres. I understand the smaller communities cannot have high schools with full curriculua like the larger centres, arenas and even indoor swimming pools. However, I’d like to ask the Premier if he has had any Cabinet discussions on closing the gap between larger centres and the smaller communities.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Hon. Premier, Mr. Roland.
