Mr. Speaker, last June in this Legislature, I expressed our government’s formal commitment to a set of principles and key actions to strengthen and renew our relationships with our Aboriginal government partners. “Respect, Recognition, Responsibility” is a foundational piece upon which all of our actions and commitments are built.
A cornerstone of our approach is our commitment to work with Aboriginal governments who are interested in formalizing their government-to-government relationship with the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, May 23, we met with the chiefs of the Akaitcho Territory Dene First Nations in Yellowknife and signed a memorandum of understanding.
The MOU formalizes our relationship with the Akaitcho and allows us to work together on matters of mutual interest. The agreement also describes the way our governments will share information.
After the signing we held our first government-to-government meeting under the terms of this agreement. We talked about the potential to work together to address unauthorized occupancy of land in Akaitcho Territory, and school facility planning.
Mr. Speaker, over the course of the past year, our government has concluded separate but similar intergovernmental agreements with the Tlicho Government, the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation. We have held similar government-to-government meetings twice with the Tlicho Government and once with the
Gwich’in Tribal Council. I believe all governments are pleased with the way that these meetings have been unfolding. We have made progress together on our shared priority issues.
With or without a formalized government-to-government agreement in place, this government continues to meet with all Aboriginal governments in all regions of the Northwest Territories. We continue to work with Dehcho First Nations; senior GNWT officials have been engaged in weekly bilateral meetings with Dehcho officials on governance and land related issues, strengthening our relationship through a better understanding of each other’s aspirations.
Mr. Speaker, strong, effective and efficient governments are essential for helping Northerners achieve their social, environmental and economic goals. Aboriginal governments play a role in this and are important partners with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Formal agreements between us help our governments address issues that matter to our people and work together more effectively. I look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationships with all Aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, bullying is a broad societal problem and a very serious issue in our schools that Education, Culture and Employment is dedicated to addressing.
On February 16, 2012, the Legislative Assembly passed an anti-bullying motion, calling on the department to establish a territory-wide campaign to denounce bullying, and review anti-bullying legislation in other jurisdictions and bring forward a bill for consideration by the Assembly within 18 months.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that later today I will move first reading of a bill to amend the Education Act that will include bullying prevention measures. But legislation alone, as many of you have told us, will not be enough. In collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, we will finalize our Territorial Safe Schools Action Plan to address bullying and develop regulations, policies and procedures that will create safe learning environments. This is a long-term investment with many partners, including Aboriginal governments, the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association, school administrators, other government departments, families and communities.
The Safe Schools Team will assist in the development and direction of a Territorial Safe Schools Plan, for use by all schools in the NWT, and will be piloted next school year. This plan includes legislation, tools and resources, an educational training plan, along with new regulations, policies and procedures. It will help district education councils, authorities, and schools to monitor, measure and evaluate bullying-prevention initiatives. We will also continue to research best practices for safe schools, work collaboratively with educational partners, and collect, analyze and use data to support future decisions.
The department is committed to doing its part in addressing this complex issue and we believe that the legislation and action plan will support a safe learning environment for NWT students. This will help us take steps to address all forms of bullying, including cyberbullying. Bullying is a global issue, and we will continue to work with our partners across Canada to ensure we have a strong, collaborative approach to bullying prevention and to safe schools for all students.
A strong, prosperous territory begins with a strong society sustained by a healthy environment. We need to get it right from the start. This is an investment in a future where all of our children grow up to become healthy, educated members of society and can participate in creating sustainable, vibrant communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, this Legislative Assembly has a vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories. Achieving that vision requires a balanced approach that advances our economic, environmental and social priorities and this government is moving forward on all those fronts.
Supporting economic development for Inuvik, and the whole Northwest Territories, by facilitating the construction of a fibre optic line up the entire length of the Mackenzie Valley to Tuktoyaktuk is one of the priorities of this Assembly and this government. The Mackenzie Valley fibre optic line would allow communities, businesses and residents along its route to benefit from the internet age of the 21st century.
One of the ways that we can help finance this important project, diversify the economy of our territory and the town of Inuvik, and free ourselves from the ups and downs of the resource development sector we have depended on, is to support the growth of new industries, such as the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility.
Mr. Speaker, this facility has the potential to become one of the pre-eminent satellite ground stations for remote sensing not only in North America but the world.
Currently there are two satellite antennas in Inuvik, one owned by the Swedish Space Corporation and the other by the German Space Agency. The Government of Canada, through Natural Resources Canada, will begin construction of their own antenna this summer. At this point, Mr. Speaker, this is likely the maximum number of antennas that we will see in Inuvik without a fibre optic link to southern Canada and the rest of the world.
Mr. Speaker, the limitations of our current communications infrastructure are preventing our government from providing better programs and services to our residents, particularly in the areas of health and education. This lack of infrastructure is also preventing our businesses and residents from accessing non-government services and connecting, in real time, to the rest of the world.
In order to obtain a better understanding of how growing the Inuvik Satellite Facility can help the construction of a fibre optic line up the Mackenzie Valley, I led a delegation to Kiruna, Sweden, where the Swedish Space Corporation operates one of the largest satellite ground stations in the world, and to Munich, Germany, where the German Space Agency is located.
Our delegation was comprised of representatives from Aboriginal governments that are considering partnering with our government to build the fibre optic line and a representative from the Town of Inuvik. Travelling with me were:
Mr. Daryl Dolynny, MLA, Range Lake, representing the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning;
Mr. Denny Rodgers, general manager of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation;
Ms. Amy Thompson, board member, Gwich’in Tribal Council;
Mr. Danny Yakeleya, Sahtu Secretariat Inc.;
Mr. Jim MacDonald, deputy mayor of Inuvik;
Mr. Mike Aumond, deputy minister, Finance;
Mr. James Tolley, my executive assistant; and
Mr. Stuart Salter, our invaluable expert consultant.
Every member of our delegation learned a great deal from our meetings and has a better appreciation how important the fibre optic line up the Mackenzie Valley is.
Specifically, Mr. Speaker, we saw first-hand the significant positive benefits the satellite ground station and remote sensing industry have not only on the economy of Kiruna, but also the important role they play in facilitating advanced learning at the Institute of Space Physics. The potential impact of an expanded satellite ground station in Inuvik on the Aurora Research Centre is significant and could make this facility one of the “the places to be” to conduct space-based Arctic research.
In Munich, the German Space Agency clearly articulated the geographical advantages that make Inuvik an ideal location for remote satellite sensing. They told us that if they decided to further invest in the Inuvik Satellite Facility, they would seriously look at undertaking significant data processing in Inuvik, creating jobs and providing training for local residents.
It is evident that both the Swedish Space Corporation, the German Space Agency, the Government of Canada and others will seriously consider investing to expand the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility and make it a world-class leader in remote sensing if, and only if, they have access to a fibre optic link to provide a real time connection to the rest of the world.
Mr. Speaker, it is time that as many of our communities as possible enjoy the benefits of 21st century communication infrastructure that Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Edmonton, Ottawa and most of the world take for granted. We can make this happen with the construction of the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic line. I want to thank the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning for its strong support of our government’s commitment to see this project advanced and completed.
Mr. Speaker, we continue to take productive steps towards implementing the Mackenzie Valley fibre link. We are in the process of finalizing the project description report by the end of June; we undertook a request for expression of interest process in April that demonstrated a strong level of interest in the project; we are currently preparing the request for qualifications for release in June 2013 and planning on starting the request for proposal process later this fall. Based on this schedule, we anticipate construction will start in winter 2014 to have the fibre operational by the summer of 2016.
This timeline will support the current growth of the Inuvik Satellite Facility, which includes the new antenna I had mentioned earlier and provide the confidence needed to support future anticipated growth to a total of five antennas by 2016 and 10 antennas by 2020.
Mr. Speaker, I will table a detailed report on our visit to Sweden and Germany in upcoming October session. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning had an opportunity to have a retreat in Inuvik – and I hadn’t been up to Inuvik for a while, not since the new school was built – and it was our opportunity while we were in Inuvik to tour some new facilities that were built there. Sitting here in the Legislature, I had heard a lot about the new super-school in Inuvik. I expected to be amazed. Now I can tell you the only thing that amazes me about that school is the price tag.
I hate to rain on anybody’s parade, but right from the outside of that school, it has an exterior very similar to this Legislative Assembly. It has some kind of metal cladding. It is a very cold looking building. It could be mistaken for, I want to say a penitentiary, but something like that.
When you go in the door, you go in and there are long, grey, cold hallways. Maybe there is more work to be done, I don’t know. But it clearly told me that Public Works and Services needed to come up with standardized things that are required in schools.
We saw the children’s indoor shoes in clothes baskets inside the door of the classrooms because there were no shelves built into the program to store their shoes. Now, everybody knows we are living in the North; it’s cold weather. Kids are going to wear their boots to school and they are going to have indoor shoes. No cabinetry, no millwork, nothing for children’s shoes inside the classroom.
No bulletin boards in the classrooms, Mr. Speaker. Twenty-five pages, eight and a half by eleven like this, pinned up on a drywalled wall with pushpins. You walk in there and it kind of leaves you feeling… Like, we all like to have nice homes that are well decorated and well-appointed and you go in there and you see that. It doesn’t make for a nice environment.
So many things. Janitorial equipment in the hallways. We asked about it – no janitor’s room. One whole end of the school and no janitor’s room. Great big floor cleaning pieces of equipment sitting in the hallway.
We went into the library. It’s a beautiful library, but I don’t know how this could meet any kind of energy code or energy efficiency code. The windows in the library are so massive – and I am not making this up – the librarian has to wear sunglasses and they are about to spend $60,000 on new blinds to cover up the windows, because they wanted to put so many windows in this new facility. It’s a challenge for them operating in there. The teachers told us that they can’t see their computer screens for all the glass that they wanted to build into this school. I’m sure they will work out all these kinks, but for $126 million, I have to say I am rather disappointed with the thought that went into this. We need standards for things like shoes, bulletin boards, the janitor’s room.
I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Like I said, I’m not trying to rain on anybody’s parade on this, but we did spend a lot of money on this. We heard about all the consultation that went into the school. I just don’t know how such basic things that a school needs could have possibly been overlooked in this school.
On the same tour we saw the Children’s First facility, which I must say was amazing and lots of thought went into that. That was a Cadillac of early childhood development centres, but I have to say I’m disappointed with the school. They’ve got lots of things to work out, so I hope Public Works will get on that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regardless of the conditions of the school and environment this weekend, I would like to focus my Member’s statement on celebrations and successes of the graduation celebrations that will be going on in Inuvik this year.
Regardless of how cold the halls may be and how dismal the school may look, I’m very pleased to say that the East Three School is going to have 34 graduates this year, which is historical and also one of the highest graduating classes that came out of Inuvik. You can’t put a price on education. You can’t put a price on the future of our students and our communities. I’m very glad to see the great accomplishments that the students that are graduating from East Three High School have made.
As we all know, graduating from high school is a big moment in any of our lives. Probably one of the biggest moments that we ever experience is graduating from high school. I’d like to offer my congratulations to the 34 students, and thank all the teachers and staff for all their hard work and efforts, and making that transition from the old school to the new school, and being able to be successful in graduating these 34 students.
At the same time, the Aurora College will be having a completion ceremony. This completion ceremony will be graduating young adults as well as adults who have decided to make a change in their lives and also take that step in developing and educating themselves to high standards, become educated and become better members of society. I would like to congratulate each and every one of the students that will be graduating from this completion ceremony in the learning centre in Inuvik with the Aurora College centre and the great program that they do. It is a big moment in their lives and shows that this government is putting in the efforts, the resources, and making sure that our people that are out of the school system have that opportunity to thrive and succeed in life and we have those opportunities. In Inuvik we’re lucky that we do have the facility to do so.
I know that there have been a lot of challenges over the last year within the high school and in Inuvik with the economy, and to be able to overcome those challenges and to get to this day of completion and graduation, that’s a big accomplishment, and I’d like to congratulate all the graduates this weekend in Inuvik.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Economic Opportunities Panel report is affirmation of our citizens’ grassroots priorities for economic development. My thanks to all those who took time to contribute and share their views.
In reading the report, it often seemed I was reading my files of correspondence from people across the NWT or, indeed, in entreaties from this side of the House.
A few highlights:
widespread interest in more agriculture, recognizing the importance of small subsidies and empowerment of local capacity;
strong support for development of commercial fisheries, recognizing unused capacity and marketing this special world-class resource;
increased development of our forestry potential and an end to importing biofuel;
expansion of tourism with training and marketing help for small operators and consideration of a Yellowknife runway extension to accept international traffic;
even greater emphasis on the grassroots arts and craft industry with action to improve the supply of materials so we don’t lose traditional skills;
take advantage of unused capacity for hydro energy to cut the burden of energy costs on our businesses and families and grow a greener economy;
greater emphasis on training and employment development and cutting back the fly-in, fly-out workers commuting from afar;
emphasis first and last on made-in-the-NWT to stop exporting our dollars and nail them down in our local economies;
there’s a critical need to integrate labour development with economic development and get government back onto effective socio-economic benefits agreements;
from government services people want strong action on import substitution and an effective Business Incentive Policy with tightening up of support programs to eliminate confusion.
I would also push for a long overdue renewable resource forum in parallel to the Geoscience Forum.
People did not emphasize megaprojects and big developments. Those players are well resourced to further their projects, but the need for considerable focus to actually benefit widely from such development was clear. The largely local common sense folks contributing their views knew what they wanted for ensuring healthy families and healthy communities, a strong emphasis on small local businesses and use of local resources to meet basic needs and build local economies.
Our citizens are optimistic and confident in our ability to control our economic destiny and grow a sustainable economy. I look forward to the government’s next steps in giving life to this direction. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have the pleasure and honour today to speak about our Pages who provide excellent, courteous services throughout session. In particular, I’d like to acknowledge the many Pages from Range Lake constituency who are with us during this sitting.
Aleah Bergeron’s favourite school subject is math. Her interests are swimming, volunteering, and animals. She wants to be a Page because it’s a new experience and she can use the experience for applying for future jobs.
Ashley Peddle likes English in school and enjoys reading and writing. She also likes playing soccer and volleyball, she’s an incredible pianist and in her rainy time she likes to draw and paint. Helping people interests her. So being a Page, as she said, is a natural step for her.
Dylan Roesch loves gym time at school. His interests are hockey, soccer and baseball. He is looking forward to spending time at the Legislative Assembly during his time as a Page.
Matthew Curtis enjoys volunteering and helping others and is looking forward to doing a good job as a Page. Math is his favourite subject and he also enjoys musical theatre and acting, racquet sports and computers, and he boasts that he can solve the Rubik’s Cube in less than one minute.
Michelle Lee likes language arts and reading and writing. She also enjoys swimming, piano and cadets and is looking forward to learning more about what MLAs do. She thinks a job in politics would be cool.
Simon Von Allmen likes math best in school because of the idea of an infinite amount of numbers. Reading and hanging out with friends remain his interests. He wants to be a Page to help earn money for summer holidays.
Mr. Speaker, as you pointed out earlier this year, the Legislative Assembly’s Youth Outreach Program is aimed at educating northern youth about consensus government and with an emphasis on the Assembly’s functions, operations and its history and the important role that this institution holds in the NWT.
I see the Page Program, combined with our Youth Parliament, as an excellent way to promote developmental opportunities for youth and potentially open doors to employment in the political field, or perhaps someday to an elected position with us.
Furthermore, we just recently completed the successful Youth Parliament, where 19 school students from across the NWT debated issues important to them. Mr. Speaker, you add all this up and youth from across the NWT are gaining valuable life experiences with the Assembly and with Members here, and of course through your stewardship and leadership, and making connections that will indeed last a lifetime. I’d like to thank them again. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a better way to live and the people of Fort Good Hope want to help their young people find it. We have elders centres, we have recreation centres, we have health centres, and the youth today in Fort Good Hope want to have a place to call their own.
Today we need to focus on establishing strong youth centres in Fort Good Hope. A youth centre would give young people a place to go in town and outside of town after school where they can be held accountable to running their own centres, whether it be in the bush or in the community of Fort Good Hope. They will learn about responsibility and accountability. It will provide a place for them to do things and also to learn.
Fort Good Hope’s Community Wellness Plan identified the need for a recreation and youth and elders program. It is hoped that the departments of Health and Social Services and MACA will support this plan.
Fort Good Hope’s acting CEO also says a good education will help many youth overcome their problems. If not, they may not be able to get a good job or go to university if they don’t get the education they need in the community. Then they start a road of hopelessness and have no purpose in their lives. The community is forming a support group to give youth a place where they can set some goals, stay accountable make some lifestyle changes. It will also give young people a safe place to talk about what they’re going through, a place of hope, a place of encouragement, a place of learning and a place they can call their own.
Earlier this year students went to Vancouver to see what college and university life is like. The trip inspired the students to get an education instead of getting drunk. Youth need to be grounded in a good life and life skills, and learn how to handle situations when they are being pressured to drink before they become adults. We need to remind our youth of the consequences of their decisions and to be held accountable for their actions. If you want a good life, you need to live a good life. It’s simple. Residents, led by the elders, want a traditional camp to bring people back to the land. The land is where we come from; it reminds us of who we are and why we were created.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The band council began constructing the camp this spring. The community hopes it can be a wellness and healing camp where people and youth can be comfortable, learn about the traditional Dene ways of life, reconnect to their roots and give them strength for the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It truly is that time of year again to speak about graduations, when hard-working students put on their ties and tassels and walk up to get their diplomas.
The Thomas Simpson School graduation ceremony is taking place in the school grounds in Fort Simpson this Saturday. This year’s ceremony is going to be very special. There are 26 prospective Grade 12 graduates, the biggest graduating class in the history of the school. I send congratulations to all the teachers and parents who made this happen.
The students come from Fort Simpson and also other communities in the Nahendeh, and I can’t fault them for ambition. The theme this year’s grads have chosen is, “To Infinity and Beyond.” Perhaps someday one of them will become another Chris Hadfield, orbiting high above our planet; or maybe some of them will settle in Yellowknife Bay. Yellowknife Bay, Mars, that is, Mr. Speaker.
I do hope that infinity includes the Northwest Territories and especially the Nahendeh riding. But Infinity and Beyond is the right theme because these students have so much potential. They will become community workers, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, parents and professionals the people need to build this Northwest Territories.
Congratulations to all the graduates, the proud families, their teachers and the staff at the Thomas Simpson School. As well, congratulations to Karilene Isaiah, the only grad from Fort Liard this year.
It also gives me great pleasure to recognize my niece, Shermayne Menicoche-Moses, who is graduating today with a B.A. in management.
---Applause
I wish all Thomas Simpson High School graduating students infinite success wherever their future plans may be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can’t say enough about the importance of community radio stations to the fabric of small town lives. I wish I could show Dennis Allen’s great film about CBQM radio in this House. I would recommend it to all the Members and everyone listening. In fact, I would recommend it to everyone in Canada. It’s that good and it shows the real life, humour and spirit of our communities. Someone else wants to talk.
Of course, anyone living within earshot of Fort Providence should tune in to CHFP radio, operated by Zhatie K’oe Friendship Centre. Someone else wants to talk.
Community radio stations keep everyone notified about local events, often host programs in Aboriginal languages, and foster communication. Many good stories are shared over our airways.
These stations are all run on a shoestring. If you can believe it, many survive on a $6,000 a year grant from Education, Culture and Employment. That has to cover the cost of a part-time coordinator, any music or supplies they have to buy, you name it. Oh, and that is supposed to fund local access television as well.
If memory serves me, the grant has not increased in the past 20 years. I know that the current budget of $52,000 per year is the same as it was in 2001. Community broadcasting has clearly not been a priority of this government.
The backbone of the community radio system was built by the Native Communications Society. I’m happy to say that its signal, CKLB radio, reaches 33 communities. Someone else wants to talk.
NCS installed most of the equipment for the stations and has tried, against all odds and without much money, to maintain them.
A crisis is brewing for our community stations due to the age of existing equipment, the state of facilities and the speed that technology is changing. NCS is struggling to keep up. In some communities it’s already a challenge to stay on the air. I’m told that critical improvements can be made for $7,000 to $27,000 per community, depending on the existing setup. This is an investment in the future that is very much worth making. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is about the Department of Education, Culture and Employment proposal for minimum wage adjustment, specifically to the committee that has been established by the Minister to review the NWT minimum wage.
Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Speaker. I’m very glad the Minister sees the need for a regular review for the minimum wage, but I can’t agree with the Minister’s suggestion to strike a committee to review and set regulations.
I feel it’s overly bureaucratic and, quite simply, unnecessary. I have concerns with both the makeup of the committee and the length of the proposed terms for committee members. As was originally proposed, the Minimum Wage Adjustment Committee would be comprised of five members: one business owner, one employee and three GNWT employees.
Since the announcement of the committee makeup, two groups have written to the Minister expressing their concerns. Both Alternatives North and the Northern Territory Federation of Labour voiced their disapproval of the committee makeup. I’m pleased that the Minister has responded positively to those concerns. Both the NWT Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Territory Federation of Labour have been in invited to appoint a member to that committee. They are a business and labour organization respectively. Alternatives North has been invited to submit a nomination for committee member. Whether that means they will have representation on the committee or whether they are invited to nominate a candidate who will be considered along with all other candidates is not clear to me. The other three committee members are proposed to be GNWT employees.
But seriously, Mr. Speaker, what do our employees know about the impacts of minimum wage? I don’t think this will be in the realm of their experience. It’s best stated by Ben McDonald of Alternatives North who wrote, “We consider that the committee should have a more diverse representation including a labour representative and an individual who has lived in poverty.” That said, Mr. Speaker, if this committee is structured properly, they would set the minimum wage at a living wage rate, make themselves redundant and we wouldn’t need a committee anymore.
Both Alberta and the Yukon currently peg the annual increases to the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. Minimum wage concerns are addressed to the Employment Standards Board or the Department of Labour. It’s a great system that works well for them and it could work well for us. I fail to understand why the NWT has created an extra level of bureaucracy and paperwork.
We say we strive for efficiency in government. This is a step towards inefficiency, in my view. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken before about the difficulties families in Tsiigehtchic face in finding good homes for their children when they have to complete high school in Inuvik. The local district education authority has a potential solution for the problem. It plans to bus students in grades 10 and 12 to Fort McPherson each day. Busing would not be first on all students who cannot complete high school studies in Tsiigehtchic. It will be an option for those who find Fort McPherson a more appropriate choice. It is difficult for high school students to leave home, and busing would keep families together longer.
It was a very practical idea, Mr. Speaker. The two communities are only 57 kilometres apart. Family and cultural ties are very close. I am pleased to point out that there is a precedence for daily short haul busing of students. This has worked out very well for students from Enterprise who go to Hay River. That is a 42-kilometre commute, so it is fairly comparable to the situation in Tsiigehtchic.
Of course, there’s a modest cost to begin busing students to Fort McPherson. An appropriate vehicle, driver and insurance will be needed, but I believe it will eventually prove cheaper and better than sending students to Inuvik, at least some students. I will be asking the Education Minister to fund a pilot project through the Beaufort-Delta Education Council.
Mr. Speaker, I want to comment briefly about traditions. We support many traditions, but some are not very great. Delta communities have a tradition of sending their students to Inuvik. It’s now automatic, that’s what we do. But where did that come from? It began with residential schools. We all know it’s a very painful period in our history. Our people, our schools and our governments are moving beyond that now. I am very glad with all the progress we’ve made.
The DEA’s idea to bus students from Tsiigehtchic to Fort McPherson is one step in that progress, and we should support it.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today with concerns that I’ve expressed in the House before about NWT commercial vehicle issues.
I continue to hear complaints about how there are inconsistencies between the jurisdictions of NWT and Alberta, where we get the majority of our commodities from. In this House I’ve talked about tri-drives, and the fact that the GNWT and the NWT motor vehicles don’t recognize the tri-drive vehicle heavy truck. There’s an extra axle, but it’s supposed to be better for the roads. Some of the government departments actually request this type of truck when they’re transporting some of the heavy equipment that’s on the highways out there today.
Other inconsistencies between jurisdictions are we currently require them, in our jurisdiction, to have a commercial licence plate on the front. In Alberta they require that in the back of the truck where, in theory, the person, the trucker is supposed to get out of the vehicle and change licence plates when he gets to the Northwest Territories. When he goes back into Alberta, he’s supposed to turn around and put it back on to the back end of the vehicle. Also, wide load sign regulations are completely different in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
There are other areas in the regulations that are affecting people in our jurisdiction. I have heard some of this is due to the new bridge tolls, but commercial vehicles or commercial pickups that are over 4,500 kg require a class 3 driver’s licence. That means if you have a one-ton pickup pulling a trailer, you are now required to have a class 3 driver’s licence. There are a lot of companies out there that have people that have a class 5 driver’s licence doing whatever commercial work, driving a one-ton pickup, just the pickup, but it’s pulling a trailer, so now it’s over 4,500 kg. Now those people, they have to get a class 3 licence in order to do that. That’s very ineffective for people to work. In Alberta, a pickup is a pickup. It doesn’t matter what it’s pulling.
The way it’s set up right now is those people could take their driver’s licence under that configuration.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Under current regulations they could get a class 3 driver’s licence driving a one-ton pickup pulling a trailer, and then turn around and jump into a gravel truck fully loaded with gravel out on our commercial highways, and if they got the air brake endorsement, they could jump in that gravel truck, but only getting it with a pickup truck.
It just seems that we have too many inconsistencies and our regulations are not conducive to business in the Northwest Territories. We need to look at these regulations. It just seems like the Department of Transportation seems to be slowing down the working class in this territory.
I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation later today.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk today about a bunch of real estate concerns that I’ve seen go by without any particular attention that needs to be brought to it. Most people in the Northwest Territories will know that there is no current legislation or regulation that oversees real estate appraisals, which is kind of a weird situation because if there’s no regulation or legislation, who knows how these things are being performed? In other words, who’s keeping an eye on industry, and certainly, who’s keeping an eye out for hard-working families.
There can be many problems that can arise from that particular situation. For example, banks and lenders rely on accurate appraisals to ensure that these things are done properly. The ramification can be serious. The impacts, we have to look no further than south of the Canadian border to see what happens from a bad ripple effect of unappreciated, unaccredited over-financing linked to bad appraisals.
There are remedies, and the Appraisal Institute of Canada has brought forward initiatives and, of course, high-quality professionalism and training since 1938, but these regulations and legislation requirements aren’t here in the Northwest Territories. However, Alberta, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick all require this.
Real estate concerns don’t end there. In this House I’ve asked for disclosure agreements. As most people will know, I think the only thing that a person has to disclose is if somebody died in a particular house. But what happens if someone is covering up mould? What if someone is covering up a cracked foundation? Other jurisdictions require this, again, for the hard-working families that are put into jeopardy if these types of things emerge, because the person selling the home covers it up and pretends they were never there.
Again, I think mentioned by Member Dolynny not too long ago, real estate sales people can represent both sides. So the bottom line is: Who is representing the interests of which person, whether they’re representing the seller, whether they’re representing the buyer, and does the new buyer realize that and fully understand the fact that the real estate person represents the seller?
The final issue I want to talk about under real estate concerns are a new home warranty. Many jurisdictions feel it’s very important, such as Ontario, that they protect their citizens by ensuring that new homes built come with a new home warranty.
So there are a lot of things that need to be done. Again, I call upon this government to start watching out for the hard-working Northerners who work hard to raise as much money as they can to buy their family home, the biggest treasure in their life.
I will have questions later today for the MACA Minister. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Along with my colleague from Inuvik Boot Lake, I want to offer my congratulations to those that are graduating from high school in Inuvik, the first graduating class of the new East Three School, which may have some challenges but the students surely enjoy it.
Also, he talked about the learning centre completion ceremony, and it’s always one ceremony that I never have an opportunity to make because we’re normally in session. But it’s a very important ceremony because many of these students have left school, they’ve gone back and got their grades upgraded and then they can get into mainstream college programs. So I’ve always been quite proud of the students that have gone through that program. I know a number of them that have gone through Aurora College and gone on to bigger and better things and I totally commend them for that.
Also, the Aurora College in Inuvik had their graduation recently and, unfortunately, again I was unable to make that event, but my colleague and I will be at the Inuvik graduation ceremony tomorrow. I think as an Assembly we have so many opportunities coming down the line.
You’ve heard Mr. Miltenberger talking about the fibre optic line. We’ve got the Inuvik-Tuk highway; we’ve got, potentially, the Mackenzie Valley Highway and all the work going on in the Sahtu. There’s just a tremendous amount of opportunity out there for our students, and I think as leaders from across the Northwest Territories, I think we should do what we can to encourage our students to take advantage of those opportunities. With devolution coming, that’s going to open up many more new doors.
So I’m very proud of the students of the Northwest Territories. Many of them have overcome challenges to get into the position where they are and I think their efforts – and as long as you put some effort into it, you will get something out of it – should be commended and should be applauded. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I, too, would like to congratulate the students in Inuvik. My god-daughter is there. Nicole Jacobson is graduating there tomorrow and I’m sorry I couldn’t attend due to business here. All the best to her and all the best to the graduating class.
