Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have often spoken about the importance of making careful change within the Health and Social Services system. Our 2009-2012 Action Plan: A Foundation for Change provides the foundation for this careful change.
Mr. Speaker, I launched A Foundation for Change a year ago and I’m very pleased with the update I’m able to provide you with today. The Health and Social Services system has remained very committed to this plan and with very few exceptions we are either on track or ahead of schedule.
The plan is divided into three main goals: wellness - that communities, families and individuals make healthy choices and are protected from disease; accessibility - that people get the care they need and know where and how to find it; and sustainability - that resources are used effectively and innovatively to ensure the health care system will be sustained for future generations.
We have provided quarterly reports on our work to date on the Health and Social Services website and at www.foundationforchange.ca. I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight a few of our successes.
Under the goal of wellness, we have been successful in making a number of small but important changes in improving services for children in care. Adoption workers have received updated standards and training so they can better help NWT families through this life-changing process. The Foster Family Coalition of the NWT has worked with us to deliver new training to
families in Fort Liard, the Beaufort-Delta and Yellowknife.
Also under wellness, we continue to provide funding and education around a number of important healthy choices. Within A Foundation for Change, this has included health promotion funding approved for over 30 community-based programs in the last year that promote positive personal choices like healthy eating, physical activity and being tobacco free. In Tulita, A Fun in the Sun program supported early childhood and family development last summer. In Inuvik, youth gathered to talk about the importance of staying tobacco free at a locally organized conference. In Fort Smith, residents joined together to talk about losing weight and getting active. New projects to be funded for the next few months include a young leaders’ program in Nahanni Butte, a floor hockey program in Inuvik and a breastfeeding project that will share stories from across the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, the wellness goal of A Foundation for Change has also included education and vaccination programs against the spread of H1N1, a challenge that NWT health care professionals met as a unified and well-coordinated force.
One of the areas I’m most proud of is the work we’ve done around accessibility. Through funding from the non-profit organization Canada Health Infoway, we have been able to stay on target with our electronic health implementation activities and have rolled out new telehealth systems, digital imaging, picture archiving and communications and Health Net. While we have a long way to go in this area, we are already hearing success stories from across the Northwest Territories. Many of these stories revolve around the theme of reduced travel and wait times and increased accuracy of diagnosis and quality of care.
In terms of sustainability, our greatest success has been in the work that has been done with our board chairs and CEOs working together as a system to meet our challenges. Health and Social Services authorities and senior managers at the department are exploring options to address the challenges as a system and, in doing so, are improving the quality of decision-making and information available in the NWT Health and Social Services.
A Foundation for Change is a three-year plan. We have a lot of hard work still ahead and challenging decisions to make but we are on track. I would like to thank our staff, authorities, the Joint Leadership Committee, the Members of this Assembly, and our many partners in the support of this action plan to date and for their ongoing commitment to this work.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, as a major participant in the Northwest Territories economy, the Government of the Northwest Territories has had a longstanding policy commitment to encourage and support the development of a healthy private sector. That commitment is reflected in the Business Incentive Policy, which is the Government of the Northwest Territories preferential procurement policy.
I am pleased to report that the Government of the Northwest Territories has revised the Business Incentive Policy after two years of consultations with Members of the Legislative Assembly, the Northwest Territories business community, aboriginal governments and other interested parties. The revised Business Incentive Policy will come into effect on November 1, 2010, across all Government of the Northwest Territories departments and applicable public agencies.
This is another significant achievement for this government. It is significant because it strengthens the Business Incentive Policy, which will benefit our communities and our Northwest Territories resident businesses.
During consultations to revise the Business Incentive Policy, stakeholders were clear about the concerns that they had with the Business Incentive Policy. We heard communities were concerned that the Business Incentive Policy undermined their authority over government funding they received for operations. We heard there was a need to increase competition on major capital projects. We heard more support was needed for Northwest Territories resident-owned small to medium-sized businesses.
I believe the revised Business Incentive Policy addresses those concerns. Revisions have been made to the scope, tender adjustment, and non-resident eligibility criteria. The format for the policy has also been changed to make it consistent with other current Government of the Northwest Territories policies. These revisions are designed to result in a better Business Incentive Policy, one that ensures benefits for Northwest Territories residents are maximized and one that provides all communities with opportunities and choices while also ensuring the best value on government procurement.
Government of the Northwest Territories procurement dollars have a positive impact on a competitive Northwest Territories economy. In 2009-2010, 85 percent of government contracts by value, $217 million, have been awarded to Northwest Territories-based companies. With the revised Business Incentive Policy in place, this positive impact will continue and will be enhanced.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. On October 17th to 19th in Yellowknife, Aurora College is hosting the Association of Community Colleges symposium on Serving Aboriginal Learners in Rural and Remote Communities. This event is an opportunity for aboriginal leaders, college educators, government officials and industry representatives to discuss strategy and best practice in aboriginal education at the college level.
Hosting a national conference with a focus on aboriginal learners is an honour for Aurora College. This unique conference attracts participants from smaller institutions with an aboriginal student population whose challenges and goals are similar to ours. Aurora College serves a population of over 650 full-time students at three regional campuses, with numerous other students taking courses through one of the 25 community learning centres. Most Aurora College students are aboriginal -- Dene, Metis, and Inuvialuit -- and many are from small and remote communities. Our jurisdiction has much to share with our colleagues from across the country.
Mr. Speaker, Aurora College is ideally suited to host this event. The college delivers a wide range of programs and courses as close to communities as possible. Staff at regional campuses, community learning centres and the Aurora Research Institute focus on student success, aboriginal perspectives, traditional knowledge and programming, and excellence in teaching and research. Aurora College now has more than 40 years’ experience in serving the aboriginal learners in rural and remote communities.
Many Northerners are speaking, presenting papers, facilitating panel discussions and attending this conference, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the participants at the beginning of the conference. A respected Fort Providence elder, Margaret Thom, is also present. Margaret Thom is an elder and a member of the Aurora College Board of Governors and she is a moderator for discussion on community-based programming and support services.
Mr. Speaker, other discussion topics at the conference include:
attracting, preparing and retaining aboriginal low-literacy learners;
funding for community-based programming;
aboriginal support services;
best practices in community-based programming;
embedding traditional knowledge in college;
taking actions for First Nations post-secondary education;
college-industry partnerships; and
best practices in partnerships to support aboriginal community development.
The conference also includes cultural ceremonies and events, including a feast and drum dance in Dettah, hosted by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
Mr. Speaker, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges symposium is an exciting event that provides participants with a chance to share their best programs and practices while learning from the knowledge and experience of others. It is also a wonderful opportunity for participants to see what the Northwest Territories and Aurora College have to offer. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the K’asho Gotine Dene of Fort Good Hope and the K’asho Gotine Dene of Colville Lake, which are the Dene and Metis of the Sahtu land claim, hold fee-simple title to approximately 13,000 square kilometres of land within the Sahtu Settlement Area with the Northwest Territories. The K’asho Gotine Dene negotiated the Minister’s access and benefits agreements with the proposed development with the K’asho Gotine district of the Sahtu Settlement Area.
Mr. Speaker, the draft proposed AIP suggests that the Government of the Northwest Territories would be assigned law-making authorities regarding the land and resources on Crown lands within the K’asho Gotine Dene district, but not extending to fee-simple lands. Additionally, the proposed draft AIP has designed a method of how resource royalties will be shared between the federal government, the territorial government and the K’asho Gotine Dene as any other landowners in the Northwest Territories. As the K’asho Gotine Dene of Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake are moving towards a self-government agreement and in the self-government process, our government must assure a share of resource royalties in jurisdictions and preservation of the constitutional rights as defined in Treaty 11, in 1921, and in Section 35.(1) of the Constitutional Act of 1982, are held in the manner and the spirit and intent of these historical agreements that were agreed to in the past.
No more broken promises, Mr. Speaker. It is in the opinion of the K’asho Gotine Dene that the bilateral agreement negotiated between the GNWT and Canada without the participation of the K’asho Gotine Dene will seriously impact progress of the current self-government process. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Small communities all over this country are benefiting from a wide range of economic development opportunities due to advances in technology. For example, entering data for the Department of Health and Social Services, graphic design with ECE, and GIS work with ENR can be all done in the small, remote communities by Northerners.
Recently I received a response from the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, the Honourable Bob McLeod, committing to reviewing all of these opportunities in small, remote communities. Mr. Speaker, I challenge the Minister and the government to develop real options and concrete plans so we can deliver all of these opportunities to the people, to our residents before the end of this Assembly.
With the establishment of these services all across the North, infrastructure capacity will follow, providing more opportunities to government who will get... We have to get serious as a government, Mr. Speaker, and invest in our small communities. Why should private industry...
As I expressed last spring, Nunakput communities go through every year people having to leave the community to places like Inuvik and Yellowknife to get... The primary reason it occurs is lack of real jobs, Mr. Speaker. The opportunities for the North for our home communities are going to be a serious problem in our future. The communities are going to be a place where people most go home for holidays in the summer. Will our communities be empty for our youth? This government needs to get active to assist the communities and get serious programs and real jobs created so our residents don’t have to leave our communities.
The unemployment situation in communities is a serious issue that this government almost failed on. The lack of opportunities, the lack of hope for our youth in Nunakput communities is an area the government has failed to work on. This government needs to place more attention and resources in small, remote communities. Community-based economic development programs, these resources should be an area such as assistance for community-based business development.
All over the country, companies are improving. The geographic limitations are no longer obstacles, thanks to increasing technologies. People work from home in other provinces. For example, with current technologies, small communities all over the Northwest Territories, such as Sachs Harbour, like I said last year, could be a call centre, Mr. Speaker. This government should...
Mr. Jacobson, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, for example, with current technologies, communities all over the Northwest Territories, such as Sachs Harbour, could be a call centre. This government should take advantage of these technologies to assist in development of our community-based businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided]
...NWT where all the communities have employment rates below 40 percent. Tu Nedhe is one of them. The average employment rate in both communities of Tu Nedhe is 37 percent. Mr. Speaker, this government must clearly understand that setting goals to increasing employment rates in smaller communities will ultimately make the whole Territory more prosperous. As we know, the large communities in the NWT are functioning well, with employment rates at 65 to 80 percent.
Mr. Speaker, the small communities employment rates were at 50 to 60 percent. It would decrease the cost to the government on items such as income support, health care, home repairs, child protection and overall wellness of the people.
Mr. Speaker, this government must develop an action plan that increases employment rates in our smaller communities. In some of our larger communities, an average of four of five people over the age of 15 get up in the morning and go to a full-time job. This is very positive for the economy in those communities.
Mr. Speaker, in the small communities, we are lucky if one person in a household had a full-time job. Most of the employment numbers are made up of part-time, short-time and seasonal jobs. Even students have no work. Mr. Speaker, while the kids in the larger communities are working all summer for the government or private industry, kids in the small communities are walking about looking for opportunities and wondering why there are none available. Mr. Speaker, we all know too well that low employment rates in smaller communities such as Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution have a negative, rippling effect throughout the community, particularly with the family’s ability to make a living.
Mr. Speaker, according to the 2000 United Nations urban development report, Canada has the fifth best standard of living in the world. However, if you take only aboriginal people in Canada, the standard of living is equivalent to 69th in the world, which is right behind Peru, and that must change.
Mr. Speaker, today I’ll have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on what has to be done or what should be done to address this serious issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about devolution and resource revenue sharing. For the past 30 years governments in our Territory have been pursuing an agreement on devolving responsibilities from the federal government and getting a fair share of resource revenue. Mr. Speaker, the AIP that has been negotiated between the federal government and the Government of the Northwest Territories is historic and now more than ever we will need our partners, the aboriginal governments in this Territory, to get on board with us in building a better Territory for all of our residents.
Mr. Speaker, for too long we have watched governments in Ottawa that took great pleasure in watching us fight amongst ourselves, who enjoyed making decisions for us in Ottawa, all the while siphoning off resource royalties into federal coffers.
The Conservative government, even though we do not have a Conservative Member of Parliament, have made significant investment in our communities, in our people and in our future. Finally we have a partner in Ottawa that wants only the best for the Northwest Territories. They listen and they care. Former INAC Minister Chuck Strahl, current INAC Minister John Duncan, John Baird, Jim Prentice, Leona Aglukkaq and Prime Minister Harper are paying attention to the North, to our aspirations and to our dreams as a Territory. This federal government fully believes in the true north strong and free. They have stated this many times for all Canadians to hear.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, actions speak louder than words. The federal government is ready to act, ready to let us make decisions for ourselves, set our own agenda, to share in the resource royalties derived from the extraction of our vast resource wealth and, Mr. Speaker, this agreement will be the cornerstone of our future as a government. There will always be a public government in the Northwest Territories to serve the needs and desires of all of our residents and no matter how this public government evolves in our Territory, this agreement will be a solid foundation for the future.
We need to support our Premier and our government’s efforts in moving this AIP along. Leadership will be tested, lines may be drawn, but we must continue with great resolve and vigour to pursue our partners across this great Territory to deliver on this opportunity.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Again, I would like to thank Premier Roland and his government for getting us to where we’re at today. Again, Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is very fortunate to have some strong friends in Ottawa who I know have helped pave the way towards this AIP: Senator Dennis Patterson from Nunavut, former Premier George Braden, former Minister Bruce McLaughlin, and Minister Leona Aglukkaq. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’ll be talking about the Yellowknife Association for Community Living’s respite program and the support it provides to residents of Yellowknife.
Last night I had the honour of attending a YACL family networking meeting. This meeting is a regular meeting of families who have children and adults with intellectual challenges. Parents met last night to discuss the respite funding cuts and the impact it would have on their families. It was a powerful meeting, Mr. Speaker.
Today I would like to tell you about the respite program. The program has been in effect since 2002. Approximately 30 families access this service on a weekly basis. The goal of the respite service is to provide safe, individualized and flexible support to families and primary caregivers who are responsible for the full-time care of children and adults with intellectual challenges. It also provides individuals with these challenges the opportunity for inclusion in their community. Without this service, many families would be unable to do small but important daily tasks that are required to manage a family, such as grocery shop, pay bills, clean their houses, attend meetings, et cetera.
On September 13, 2010, Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority informed the association that they would not receive funding beyond March 31, 2011. The authority informed the association that the Territorial Health Access Fund through the federal government would not be renewed and, therefore, the authority would not have the funds for the program.
On Thursday, October 14th, the federal Minister of Health released a statement that the fund would be provided to the GNWT until March 31, 2012. However, when the authority and the department were approached by YACL with this information, they were told that this funding for the respite services would not be renewed for the 2011-2012 year. This is a travesty and for the families that attended this meeting last night, many are unsure about how they will be able to cope without this service.
We are not talking about a lot of money here. YACL is asking for around $250,000. Surely this is a small enough amount that it can be found within the department’s budget.
Later today I will have some questions for the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services on this issue.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Prior to discussing the issue on devolution yesterday, there was a press release that was released yesterday afternoon from the Gwich’in Tribal Council that clearly identifies that they are not supportive of the draft Northwest Territories devolution agreement. Also in the media release was a response to a letter that was written to the Premier back on April 19th which outlined a bunch of items that they’d like the Premier to discuss with them on how the division of powers was going to be looked at, looking at how the sharing of resources and revenues was going to be properly there to address the aboriginal issues, and, more importantly, looking at an agreement that clearly identifies the ability for aboriginal groups to use those resources on items they feel fit.
The most important item is dealing with the future role of aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories, in particular when it comes to negotiating policies and procedures and also an agreement that clearly identifies how aboriginal lands and Crown lands are going to be managed in the future.
We talk about formulating partnerships with aboriginal governments, government-to-government discussions. Yet again the wool has been pulled over the eyes of the aboriginal leaders in the Northwest Territories by having the Government of the Northwest Territories negotiate directly with the federal government without having aboriginal involvement at the negotiating table actually negotiating these items with the federal government so that we do have an agreement that deals with these outstanding issues and has the best interest of the people of the Northwest Territories at hand. Having an agreement simply for the sake of having an agreement is not the way to go. We have to have the best agreement we can for all parties, whether it’s aboriginal or non-aboriginal, and for the people of the Northwest Territories.
These are issues that have been raised. There are other discussions going on with other First Nations. My colleague from the Sahtu clearly stated that the Sahtu also has questions on this matter. Without having full involvement of aboriginal groups at the table, we will not achieve an agreement that meets the needs of all the people in the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[Translation] It seems like it’s going to be a little hard for aboriginal people in the Nahendeh riding...[Translation ends]
…has managed to increase its available and public homeownership housing stock. This is very good news. Unfortunately, in regard to homeownership, there appears to be problems matching available homes with residents who can purchase them. Residents are frustrated at the narrow programming guidelines of the Housing Corporation.
It seems that the people who have a decent income and can afford to buy and maintain a home are the ones who cannot access programming. These are the people that we should be allowing and encouraging to access our homeownership programs. We have so many issues with arrears that we should do what we can for people that are willing to pay.
There are also people who cannot get support for homeownership because their income is just below what is required by the guidelines. There should be some flexibility or adjustment for these good, hardworking people. These people will do better if housing is better. Affordable and suitable housing will benefit our families and, in turn, improve strength and quality in our communities.
The government has made a firm commitment to addressing the housing needs of the NWT residents. I encourage the NWT Housing Corporation to broaden our homeownership programs so that more residents can be able to access them.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my very grave concerns with a recent action by the Department of Health and Social Services also referenced by Mr. Abernethy. It’s over the cancellation of the respite care program run by the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, a local NGO.
The respite program provides much needed relief to 29 families in Yellowknife. Some of these families have moved to Yellowknife from other NWT communities to access services available here; services like specialized health care and the respite program.
What began as a very small pilot project in 2003 has grown into an essential service and it has been administered very successfully for the last five years by the Yellowknife Association for Community Living.
Now, as you know, a few months ago the association was told that as of the end of March 2011 all funding for the respite program would be cut.
What are these 29 families expected to do then? There is no other option for respite. The association’s program is it, and parents are justifiably concerned. The support they derive from the respite program impacts their lives in a very positive way and they fear losing the serenity just a few hours a week of respite brings to them.
We’ve just finished reviewing GNWT business plans for budget year 2011-2012. The Department of Health and Social Services plan was reviewed in detail by the Social Programs committee, of which I am a member. At no time during our review of that business plan did we hear anything about changes to the respite program. In fact, the business plan suggests that the respite program will be expanded in 2011-2012.
Since I learned of the cancellation of this program I have tried to get confirmation of that business plan information from the Minister and the department. So far I have been advised that there is no change to funding for respite services. In fact, they’ve confirmed that a strategic initiative, an increase of $75,000 for the respite program for 2011-2012, is correct. But the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority who receives funding from the GNWT for this program has advised that funding ceases in 2011.
What’s really going on here? The Minister and the department tell me one thing and then the Health and Social Services Authority contradicts that information. I can’t get a clear answer about this funding cut and, once again, it’s a case of the right hand of the Health and Social Services department not knowing what the left hand is doing.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I speak today on a key concern with the land and resources devolution agreement-in-principle, its development to date, and the essential steps that must guide the completion of this work.
As proposed, devolution means taking the exact same federal resource management and regulatory regime and moving it across the street as is. Yet Northerners have been clear that the federal regime is inadequate and unrepresentative. It is not based on principles of sustainable development and lacks a full set of socio-economic and environmental tools for integrated resource management that we demand.
This agreement puts in place a system lacking our own NWT stamp of improvements and standards. As currently conceived in the AIP, we will not begin the process of improvement until after the final agreement. Upon devolution, this government will be swamped by huge new responsibilities and battling to keep ahead of the learning curve while taking care of business. Contemplating new law will be unrealistic. If we’re going to fix this system, the time to do it is beforehand. The resource management regime we put in place must be based upon broad, inclusive and comprehensive consultations with First Nations, stakeholders and the public at large.
What is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable development in the eyes of Northerners? We can’t sign off on dollars until we know what an NWT management regime and the consultation and legislation to develop it is going to cost, and what the feds must pay.
Northerners need an AIP that ensures this will take place before, not after we assume these responsibilities. Adopting mirror legislation is simply not good enough. At a minimum, the final agreement must provide for the fact that new legislation will be made-in-NWT law, with supporting programs and necessary dollars attached.
The recent interim government response to the JRP report demonstrates that sustainability principles and firm law are crucial. The IGR provides people with no confidence that this government has the maturity and commitment to sustainable development that must be the basis of our future resource management regime, although I note that there is time for that.
Why, while negotiations of this AIP are underway, did the Premier focus on vague and costly public consultations on our political future when we should have been discussing crucial questions?
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Why were we out discussing vague consultation on our political future when we should have been asking crucial questions like when devolution comes, what law should we put in place? Some of us were raising this question and it makes me wonder if we are now where Canada was in requesting a seat at the UN Security Council. Do we lack the maturity and track record to qualify? I sincerely hope that is not true, that we do qualify, and I will be participating in discussions and looking for the Premier’s action to remedy this major flaw towards responsible devolution.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take Members on a little virtual tour upon entering the Northwest Territories at the Alberta border. You get to the border at the 60th Parallel. We still have our nice polar bear sign, although I understand the new sign has no polar bear on it at all, just a compass. The old polar bear sign is still there. Then you come across our new tourist information booth, which we spent a lot of money on. And thank you for that, ITI and tourism, for that beautiful new facility there.
However, we have to have people manning that tourist information booth who are mature, knowledgeable, and very welcoming at the border, otherwise all the expense of buildings and infrastructure in the world is not going to make people feel welcome when they cross over the NWT border. Some teenager on a laptop computer on the Internet who looks like they’re annoyed to look up from what they’re doing when a tourist comes there is not acceptable, and that’s what we had for most of this summer. I had so many complaints from tourists who arrived in Hay River.
We want people who say, “Hello. How are you? Where are you coming from? Why are you coming here? What do you want to see? What do you want to do? And here’s all the information.” That’s the kind of thing we need. We have had them in the past. They are available. They are out there. That was not the case this summer. We have a beautiful new facility that needs some work. I understand the Minister was down there and had a look at that and it has a ways to go.
So forward on, now we come to the waterfall signs. And actually one roadside stop too. Mr. McLeod knows about this one roadside stop in this whole area. The waterfall signs, you’re on the waterfall route, which is very interesting. We have the attraction of the falls when you’re coming into the Northwest Territories. Beautiful, really worldclass kind of places to get to, and all summer long there are campgrounds associated with them. You can go in there, get firewood, rent a campground space, and it’s wonderful.
However, another problem. I don’t know... Most of you probably know Red McBryan. I think he’s 92 years old. I ran into him at a seniors’ gathering the other night. He is very upset. He drives back and forth to his farm at the border all the time and as of Labour Day weekend the gates are all closed. Now, I know the GNWT owns the campground and they own the infrastructure and they don’t want it vandalized, but may I suggest that the tourist season does not end on Labour Day weekend. It was a beautiful fall this year, beautiful weather, and many people continue down that road and when you first come upon them, you see a majorly large closed sign plastered on there.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize some of the students that are here for the Aurora College Community Wellness Program. I’ll just highlight their names: Sharon Hopf, Yellowknife; Jennifer Jonasson, Lutselk'e; Gloria Hardisty, Wrigley; Trudy Kochon, Colville Lake; Jessica Field, Fort Providence; Gladys Edwards, Aklavik; Clara Sabourin, Hay River Reserve; Charlene Blake, Tsiigehtchic; Karen McLeod, Fort Liard; Lisa Judas, Wekweeti; Donald Yukon, Deline; Maria McSwain, Fort McPherson; and also their instructor, Carol Gregor, are here with us. Welcome. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour to introduce His Worship Mr. Ray Ruben, the mayor of Paulatuk, and his daughters Bessie, Gloria and Rebecca. Thank you and welcome to the House.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
