Mr. Speaker, my questions, too, are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. The information that he provided earlier today indicated that about half of the residents of the TTC right now are from Yellowknife and perhaps the North Slave region, and half are from elsewhere in the NWT. That would seem to indicate that with Yellowknife as approximately half the population of the NWT, there is a local and a resident need it will be here and may continue to grow. Could the Minister, Mr. Speaker, give some indication of whether or not there is justification for establishing not only a home in the facility in Hay River, but maintaining and continuing to provide a service for Yellowknife where half of the NWT’s population is located? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Return To Question 11-15(4): Location Of Treatment Centre Services
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intention that I have indicated is to move TTC. At present, the numbers indicate that half of the residents are from Yellowknife. Those numbers change based on demand and need from wherever the need may arise. It’s the same circumstance just in Stanton, for example, where at least half the population has to travel into Yellowknife to get service, or if you want to go to the Territorial young offenders’ facility in Inuvik, you have to go there. So I appreciate the concern that there may be residents in Yellowknife who have to travel to access the service, but the reality is that’s what we all have to do at one time or another if we want services. We’ll be making every effort to make sure that residential care is the last step that we take before all of our other options are explored and exhausted, and the intent is to keep children in their community if at all possible. In certain circumstances, that isn’t the case and we have to make use of those facilities and, at present, the plan is to move that program to Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.
Supplementary To Question 11-15(4): Location Of Treatment Centre Services
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to continue to work on aspects of this that can help keep families and their children connected at least if not across the lake, here in our own community. If a family has a youngster in TTC right now in residential care, is this the best option for them? When TTC closes, are there any other options available in Yellowknife for continuing that kind of service for families who are based here? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 11-15(4): Location Of Treatment Centre Services
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At present, they have one program in Yellowknife and that is the Territorial Treatment Centre. We are in the process of relocating that program and the service it provides. If children need that service, then they will have to go to Hay River to access it when that transition is made. There are other services available in Yellowknife, but at that level, should that residential program be required, it will be in Hay River. There is no plan at this point to move TTC and institute another institutional program in its place right now. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.
Supplementary To Question 11-15(4): Location Of Treatment Centre Services
Mr. Speaker, I can appreciate the Minister is looking at the resources available and having a split service might not right now look feasible, but I would like to challenge the Minister on this one. Initially, we took a look at the requirements to renovate an old building and the option to put it into another one seemed the best way to go. I would really like to revisit the potential of establishing two centres, one where half the population can be served here in Yellowknife in the North Slave region and another at the potential new operation in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 11-15(4): Location Of Treatment Centre Services
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an interesting challenge that the Member presents. If we are going to take that as a basis for allocation of programs in all other areas or if this is going to be a precedent, it’s one that we would have to look at very carefully because of the potential implications. At present, it’s a territorial facility. Territorial facilities, by definition, serve the whole territory and are located in one community. In this case, it would be located in Hay River. It’s a service that will be easily accessible. It’s a 35-minute flight across the lake for those children in Yellowknife who need to access that program. So it’s as convenient as can be outside of Yellowknife. We will make every effort to be sensitive to all other impacts, but that is the reality at this point. Should there be added growth pressures in different areas, for example, as we look at repatriation of adults or some of our southern placements of children, then we will be looking at how we can provide those services in the North and where they would be provided. Thank you.
