Last session I asked and got a written question asking for buildings in three of the northern communities, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells and Inuvik. I only received the one for Inuvik and that is a start for this government to move forward to look at these three buildings that can be used as a treatment centre, as the Minister of Health is willing to look at these buildings in Inuvik and look at creating some type of programs. The people in our region – the Beaufort-Delta region, the Sahtu region – that need the treatment have some place to go, that they are comfortable in the environment and that they will have the support of family and friends. Is the Minister committed to looking at those buildings as a possible treatment centre for the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, we are prepared to look at those buildings. When we travelled into the communities, that was something that the community suggested, that perhaps without an in-depth analysis of any sort, the community suggested that maybe this building would be good for a youth treatment facility.
We are prepared to look at that, but first we want to do wellness plans. That is working with the communities, going to the communities, getting some information from the communities so that the communities will tell us what they think will work in the area of treatment of youth and adults, of course. Yes, I think we are prepared to look at the buildings that are suggested, such as the one that was suggested in Inuvik. Thank you.
With that said, we’ve got the buildings in Inuvik, we’ve got the O and M costs. In one of our previous sessions we passed a motion to look at the Old Crow model for programs, which is similar to any community across the Northwest Territories. We’ve got the programs, we’ve got the building, can we somehow put it together and start moving on this so our people who are suffering from addictions and that need the treatment and the help that they need can have someplace to go? Can I ask the Minister where is his department with that motion that we passed here in the House in the previous session?
The department is responding to the Members in the House and responding to the people of the Territories. We are going to be tabling a Mental Health and Addictions Plan this session, and within that plan it talks about the various ways that we’re going to attempt to treat individuals suffering from mental health and addictions.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the tabling of the document this session, when can we start seeing some action put on that document so that people in the Northwest Territories have an idea of when they can start seeing some services in the communities and in the Northwest Territories? So, can he commit to a time frame of putting that action into place?
It’s a three-year plan, so we’re going to have to do something very quickly. Within this coming budget that’s approved, we’ve got some money put in there. The Standing Committee on Social Programs has asked us to add more money into prevention and treatment, so we’re looking at that. So we don’t have a long, long period to contemplate this. We’re going to start actioning the plan as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I was discussing the new health care facility in Hay River. My questions today would be for the Minister of Health, pertaining to the new health care centre and our existing hospital. My first question would be: Can the Minister explain to me what the difference between a hospital and health care centre are and is Hay River being downgraded?
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Minister of Health, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What is being built in Hay River is a modern health centre, and the term “hospital” often refers to what is being provided. Tertiary care is being provided in there. In the health centre we will be providing other types of services. We’re going to have acute care beds in the health centre and emergency beds. Essentially all of the services that are being provided by H.H. Williams will be provided in the health centre. Some of the things that may move offsite could be social services, public health and administration, finance and so on. Aside from that, all of the services that are being provided in the hospital in Hay River now will be provided in the new health centre. Thank you.
In our briefing about the new health care centre, the department indicated that the 10 long-term care beds were not in the current facility design. Will the Minister commit to replacing those beds? We have more demand than we have beds currently in the long-term care facility. So will the Minister commit to that?
Long-term care is not really an appropriate place to be housed in a hospital. The hospital, I guess, is not really an appropriate place to house long-term care, is what I’m trying to say. So what we’re looking at is we do want to take the 10 long-term care beds in the current hospital and move them as part of the overall long-term care units that are being provided in Hay River now.
Right now we are going to be doing a midlife retrofit of the Woodland Manor long-term care facility and that’s going to happen between 2015 and 2020. This hospital is scheduled to start construction this fall and finish over the next couple of years. So we’re trying to time it so that these 10 beds are covered off within Hay River. At the end of the day, those beds will not be lost to the community. Thank you.
My only concerns are he indicated that the facility would be completed before their midterm review for the upgrade of the facility at Woodland Manor. So there’s a year or two where these beds are going to be out in the cold, or these people. Where would we be putting them? I know at Woodland Manor we currently have a wait list. So we’re talking about 10 beds that we’re currently supplying at the hospital and we have a wait list of five. So our demands are at least 15, and like I indicated in my Member’s speech, the aging population in the Northwest Territories and Canada is growing. So our demands for this facility will be higher than what is currently planned for the department. I guess my concern or my question is: How will the Minister close that gap of those dates when the new facility is completed and the upgrades are not completed at Woodland Manor?
The modern health centre in Hay River is scheduled to be completed 100 percent by 2015. We’re going to put into the capital plan, prior to that, the work that is going to be going into Woodland to expand Woodland to accommodate that. So in between I can see where the Member would indicate that there would be some gap. We will be discussing this further with the Members and also with the authority, the local health and social services authority, to close that gap so that people are not out in the cold and those people are accommodated right through the process so that there will always be someplace for them to go, and then eventually lead into the expansion at Woodland or a facility built on the Woodland Manor site that’s closely affiliated with Woodland Manor. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my speech, this is important to Hay River, and to seniors that require these long-term beds it’s very important. Can I get the Minister’s commitment of when the department will attend a public meeting and explain to the public of Hay River what is going on with this facility?
The department and I will be going into Hay River before the end of June to have a public meeting and provide the information to the public. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Transportation, I’ve heard the exchange between Premier McLeod and the honourable Member for Hay River, Mrs. Groenewegen, on this decentralization. I want to ask the Minister of Transportation about one issue that’s been bugging me for awhile.
As you know, the issue of the Tulita district, Norman Wells and Tulita, that there seems to be some interest by some oil companies to look at some of the work that could possibly happen. So I wanted to ask the Minister in terms of the decentralization issue – the Premier is saying you can count on us – if the department can look at plans moving their transportation office that will serve the Sahtu, moving it out of Fort Simpson’s regional office and Inuvik’s regional office so that it makes sense. It just makes sense to move those regional offices to the Sahtu rather than have that outside-looking approach where the two different regions are taking care of what we could take care of ourselves. Is the Minister looking at that concept where maybe one day he can convince his Cabinet colleagues to make that move for us?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As things progress in the Sahtu – and we’re very excited about the prospects that are there – it certainly is something I think that would be in the mix as we look at the opportunities that are there. It’s something that the government certainly should take into consideration and we will do just that.
I’d like to ask the Minister when we can have some serious discussions where this government can say let’s make a move in the Sahtu, let’s look at moving some of the transportation responsibilities to the people in the Sahtu. When can we do that? When can the Minister provide this House and me with some discussion paper that this is the right move to make for this government?
In the Premier’s response to Mrs. Groenewegen, that work is going to start. We’re going to take a look at some of the decentralization and positions that may in fact find their way into the regional centres. Certainly in the case of the Sahtu, that would figure into that mix.
Again, it’s a process that has only just begun. As far as the timeline goes, I wouldn’t want to take a guess at that, but sooner rather than later.
Last year in the Sahtu the oil companies spent $80 million in the Sahtu just for looking at oil and gas exploration. They are expected to do double that this year. Further on they’re supposed to do a little more. We know there is business happening in the Sahtu. We’re asking this government, we’re willing to help the North, will you help us and start by putting some of these regional offices such as transportation? I know sooner sounds a lot better to me than later. Can the Minister, within the three years of this government, at least start seeing some shift of the regional transportation being moved into the Sahtu? Now we’re asking you to help us. I’m hoping that with the Premier’s work you can count on us that we can take that to the bank. Will the Minister look at something that we can do within the next business plan?
Yes, and I think again as things progress in the Sahtu, government has to realize that we’re going to have to look at capacity there. Not just in transportation but in business development and tourism and other things that are just going to be natural for us to be looking at should the population expand there, should the infrastructure expand there, and opportunities are there. We will have to certainly pay attention to that, and again, on the transportation and having an office in the Sahtu, that is something that we will consider.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister assure me or the House that he’s bringing these types of discussions to the Cabinet level where they’ll have some discussions? It just makes sense and makes it right that we do, looking at decentralization of a Transportation department and make it into the Sahtu. Will the Minister then provide me with some concrete information saying that we’re going to have this discussion with the Cabinet? Can the Minister do that for us?
I can assure the Member that I have had those discussions with both my deputy ministers both in Transportation and at ITI. For me we’re going to have to see how that fits into the government-wide initiative when it comes to decentralization and where our resources are based. We will get to that work.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today will be for the Minister of Transportation. There’s no doubt that there’s been a lot of flurry of activity in the media lately regarding the Highway No. 4 bypass here in Yellowknife, and for good reason. There’s obviously a lot of concern out there. Contrary to what was reported by the media spokespeople by the Department of Transportation on this highway project and the Negotiated Contracts Policy, there has been more than just one company that’s come forward. There have been many companies that have come forward to seek an interest and, more importantly, an opportunity to bid on this contract.
Can the Minister of Transportation indicate to this House and to the Members here what was said and what was done with these hardworking Yellowknife taxpaying companies who did not get an opportunity to do an RFP?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were two other companies that had expressed interest and the Department of Transportation had written to both of those companies. I believe the Member was copied on both of those letters.
Yes, we did receive those letters and, again, obviously there will be probably some more future questions on that.
Moving on to my next question to the Minister, I need to know, and I think a lot of people need to know here, what is the government’s position on future road construction projects in the greater Yellowknife area with respect to this Negotiated Contracts Policy. What is this government’s message moving forward and to the business community here in Yellowknife?
The message moving forward is future highway contracts in the Yellowknife area are intended to be tendered.
That’s good news to hear. I guess my next question has to do with, as I think was mentioned in my Member’s statement, this government’s position when this Yellowknife region reaches full market capacity, which we see today, especially in highway construction, how will this government deal with overcapacity. In essence, how are they going to deal with the cannibalization of businesses competing desperately to stay alive and what is this government going to do when businesses start to close down when there’s lack of work?
I see it much differently than the Member, obviously. I don’t see cannibalism. I see capacity building for an Aboriginal development corporation that is going to supply opportunities for jobs, training and development of the workforce there.
I believe that going forward, as I mentioned in response to the previous question, we will be tendering future roadwork in the Yellowknife area. Because this money is coming from the Giant Mine Remediation Funds, this is at the very doorstep of Chief Drygeese territory and nobody asked the Yellowknives Dene for 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide to be stored at the very foot of the Chief Drygeese territory.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member and the Minister here. Obviously this is money for remediation, but this is also public money from public tax dollars. So again, there’s no real earmarking here.
My last question has to deal with if this policy is being done in the way that has been indicated to the House and Members here, and if the proponent was meeting the needs of this policy, and obviously construction of this road is in dire need, and there’s a timeline sensitivity to this road. My question is, and also of the proponent, I’m sure, who’s waiting in the wings: Why hasn’t this government signed this contract already? I think a lot of us really want to know that ultimate question.
The details are still being worked out. We hope to have the negotiation concluded by the end of this month and construction would start shortly thereafter.
Again, and I will reiterate this, we are looking at Det’on Cho and the number of companies that they will be bringing in partnership on the construction of this realignment project. Those companies are northern and they will be northern. We have yet to see a finalized negotiated agreement. We will be getting that shortly and make an announcement after that.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Once again the lone voice will be crying out about Highway No. 7 here. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions. I raised it in the House upon my re-election about making Highway No. 7 a priority within our government. He’s had time to meet with the federal Transportation Ministers and God knows how many Cabinet meetings. I’d like to know when it is going to become a priority of this government and when can I get those two words in a throne speech.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I’ve heard the Member on numerous occasions going back to the last session on the need to look at Highway No. 7. As I mentioned back then, and I’ll mention it again today, this government is going to require upwards of $200 million for a complete retrofit of that highway and that’s money that today we just don’t have. Going forward we are going to try to identify capital funds that will get us at least the money that we need on an annual basis to maintain that highway. I think the Member can look forward to that as we go into the next set of business plans later this year.
I certainly look forward to that business planning session and to see if indeed this government will provide resources for Highway No. 7. My point is that this government hasn’t identified it as a priority in the government and it is in none of their documentations. The Ministers just got a mandate letter from the Premier and Highway No. 7 doesn’t even appear in there. I’d like to ask the Minister how and when Highway No. 7 will become a priority for him and our government.
Without the capital dollars to attach to it today, it’s hard for us to put it in a speech like we heard earlier today. Going forward, this government is going to try to identify capital dollars for Highway No. 7 and we can look forward to getting there through the business planning process that will take place later this coming year.
