Good morning, colleagues. Today is International Women’s Day and I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the women who are accomplishing so much and all the work that’s done in our home communities that makes a difference in our great territory of the Northwest Territories.
---Applause
Mr. Speaker, International Women's Day honours women's advancement towards equality and reminds us of the vigilance required to ensure that equality is maintained in every aspect of society.
Every year the Status of Women Council celebrates this day by announcing recipients for the Wise Women Awards. These women, chosen from five Northwest Territories regions, stand up of what is right for women, children and families. They work tirelessly behind the scenes or on centre stage to make a difference in our communities. They never give up their effort to encourage women to become leaders in their homes and communities. These wise women were nominated by their communities because they give their time and dedication to their families, and to those who seek help, and to their communities. They speak to the need for fairness and advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves.
This year the Status of Women Council honours the following wise women:
At 98 years of age, Taipana Rene Oliktoak from Ulukhaktok is revered as a true role model for the traditional ways of her people;
Vivian Edgi Manuel of Fort Good Hope has an unfailing willingness to help people and work to improve her community;
Margaret Ann Landry of Fort Providence is a tireless worker for people in need;
Edna Schaefer from Fort Smith is never short on patience and kindness for the people of her community; and
Karen Wright-Fraser from Yellowknife for her skills in constructing traditional clothing and teaching traditional skills that help to keep culture alive and relevant.
Since 1992 the Status of Women Council of the Northwest Territories has hosted the Wise Women Awards honouring the recipients at the Bread and Roses Luncheon.
Mr. Speaker, I extend this Assembly’s congratulations to the recipients and our appreciation for their lifetime work for the betterment of northern communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you and the Premier have mentioned, today is the 102nd International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is annually held on March 8th to celebrate women’s achievement throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.
On this day, we all need to spread the message of women’s empowerment to our friends, family and the men in our lives. It’s a day that connects women around the world and celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. It is a day to celebrate the women in our lives and our communities, to honour the advances women have made, but at the same time remember the need for continued action to ensure that the equality fought for and gained by women who have passed before us is maintained in all aspects of our society.
To quote an old advertising slogan: “We’ve come a long way, baby.” But I must echo a quote I heard this morning on the radio: “Much has been accomplished, but much is still to be done.”
Of the world’s 1.3 billion poor people, nearly 70 percent are women. Between 75 and 80 percent of the world’s 27 million refugees are women and children, and of the world’s nearly 130 million children who are not in school, two-thirds are girls. On average, women earn between 30 to 40 percent less pay than men for the same work. Women also continue to be victims of violence. Rape and domestic violence are significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide.
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum. This theme reflects the belief that increasing women’s participation and access to leadership roles and opportunities will help women and girls thrive, reach their full potential and fulfill their dreams, and in doing so they will change our world for the better.
As mentioned by the Premier, we honour five NWT wise women today, who each, in their own way, have contributed to changing our world for the better. Congratulations to that formidable group of women, and let’s use this day to get fired up about women’s rights and empowerment, use this day to promote change in the lives of women all over the world.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to rise again in this House to talk about the issue of the doctor shortage in Hay River. When I came to Hay River almost 40 years ago, the hospital and the medical clinic were operated by the Pentecostal Sub-Arctic Mission. As part of their recruitment of staff for the hospital, they also recruited doctors, and many of those doctors made a long-term commitment to Hay River.
Over the years the practice of medicine has changed. It seems gone are the days of a family practitioner hanging up a shingle in a small town and staying there and being on call for every emergency that comes up in the community, delivering everyone’s baby. I mean, those picture-perfect, kind of, old-fashioned days will soon be gone. Young doctors now graduating from medical school want to have a life where they can devote time to their family, and travel, and all kinds of other things. Also, the training for general practitioners has changed now where everybody either is a general practitioner or they specialize in something, and so this has made quite an impact on the delivery of medical services in Hay River.
Culminating at the same time as the departure of the Sub-Arctic Mission was a national doctor shortage. That came about, I believe, partly as a result of a decision that was made in the halls of power somewhere that they would reduce the number of training seats for medical doctors in our educational institutions across the country, so we had the unfortunate situation of a Canadian doctor shortage at the same time as a long-standing institution that had attracted doctors to Hay River was departing that role and giving up that contract.
Since then, Hay River has continued to struggle. We’ve had good locums. We’ve had repeat locums. We’ve had people in the health authority in Hay River who have put forward a very valiant effort to try and recruit doctors. Unfortunately, again, when you are the first doctor in on a full-time basis and you’re in a small town, it doesn’t matter if you’re on call. You’re always on call. If there’s a motor vehicle accident, if there’s an emergency of any kind, necessarily, because of what you can offer, you will be called upon.
We have had a hard time in Hay River to recruit that first doctor. Once we get that first one, then it seems like it would be easier to recruit. The doctor shortage has alleviated. We have seen some progress, and I am very, very happy to have been informed, with my colleague Mr. Bouchard last night, by our Minister of Health and Social Services, that Hay River has signed a permanent doctor, the first one in many years on a three-year contract. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Colleagues, before we go on today, it’s always good to have family in the House, especially my mother who is here today with us. It’s good to have her here. She’s going to clean up my apartment.
---Applause
Thank you, colleagues. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like this Assembly to make a decision that will save lives. I know the good Ministers of Health and Municipal and Community Affairs are listening closely and I would really appreciate their support on this. Fort Liard needs an ambulance. To support that service, an agreement is also needed between the health systems in NWT and British Columbia to ensure emergency service is available in Fort Nelson for our residents. There are many good reasons to provide this service and to train staff to deliver it, but one key stands out above the rest.
A year and a half ago, a young infant died because the medevac flight could not get to Fort Liard quickly enough to save a life. For lack of a reliable weather report, a plane did not leave Yellowknife for almost five hours, according to the coroner’s report. But even then, it took another three and a half hours to fly to Liard and return to Yellowknife.
This little girl’s life just slipped away. If there was an ambulance in Fort Liard, she might have lived. In three hours she could have been driven to Fort Nelson. It was a very sad loss for her family and the whole community. I want to be sure we learn every lesson we can so that nothing like that happens again.
As you know, Fort Liard is some distance from Yellowknife by air. Weather being what it is, especially near the mountains, flight delays are fairly common. Quite often when cloud ceilings are low, the road is still easily travelled. It is Fort Liard’s main supply route and is travelled by many tourists. I won’t even get into the statistics and conditions on the use of Highway No. 7 today.
It is obvious that additional emergency service providing an ambulance would be a great benefit. Some of the costs would be recovered by reducing the number of expensive medevac flights. Sorry, Mr. Speaker, I think I am putting this too gently. I do want to concentrate on what is important here. An ambulance in Fort Liard will save lives. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in celebration of International Women’s Day, as you indicated. I am very thankful and happy we have a lot of wise women here with us today in the gallery. I am also very pleased that I sit between two very wise women in politics. We should be cheering, Mr. Speaker. These women here teach this old dog many new tricks.
---Laughter
I’m not here just to speak about our lovely ladies here today; I am also here to talk about a partnership. I am here to talk about the Yellowknife Community Foundation and Diavik Diamond Mines. The Yellowknife Community Foundation was established in 1991 and they administer over $3 million worth of assets. Those assets turn into donations back to the community in various formats. Over the years they have given back to the community anywhere between $75,000 a year to over $125,000 a year. I think that is quite an accomplishment for a community of this size.
What we have heard recently was a partnership of a recent announcement with the Yellowknife Community Foundation and Diavik Diamond Mines. Diavik Diamond Mines has announced the establishment of a Diavik Community Scholarship Fund. What makes this fund very unique is that it’s actually open not just to Yellowknife students. This is actually open to support tertiary education for students across Canada’s Northwest Territories and the West Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. This is a very broad approach. This is actually quite new for the Yellowknife Community Foundation. I applaud them for reaching beyond the boundaries of Yellowknife.
According to the chief operating officer of Diavik Diamond Mines, the purpose behind it is to promote northern skills development and, hopefully, for a sustainable future in resources.
The scholarship fund itself, as I said, is open to all NWT students and West Kitikmeot students, with a priority for Aboriginal students seeking a college diploma or a university degree or a related trade certification in the resource industry.
So, once again, we need to applaud the good work and stewardship of our companies out there. Diavik Diamond Mines is once again reaching out to not just the community of Yellowknife, but to all Northwest Territories and West Kitikmeot, and for that we should thank them for their continued stewardship and support for our communities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Good morning, Mr. Speaker. There was a quote that I’d like to do my Member’s statement on. The quote is: “The land is in my blood.” One reason for the lack of understanding between the European people and the Aboriginal people can be traced back to the early world views of Aboriginal humanity. For example, taking care of our elders or taking care of our land. Both are different but yet they are the same.
It is in the European’s view of the natural world that our resources are primary value, quite simply of raw material. In the North we have a wealth of these resources. For example, the discovery of oil in the Sahtu by the Dene people only to have Imperial Oil come in and get rich and give the federal government a share of these riches. We even built a road to pipe this oil out in 1943, now famously called the Canol Oil Project, built by the U.S. and Canadian governments. Just look at the Tlicho traditional territory where a small, shiny rock is being dug up and sold for millions around the world, and I’m not even talking about the Beaufort Sea.
My people are at a crossroads in our thinking as to who we are and why we are and, most importantly, where are we going. These three simple questions to each, ask ourselves when you find these answers, you’re on your way.
The Sahtu is my homeland of my own. We follow the laws of Yamoria and this is told down the Mackenzie Valley. As a matter of fact, our Dene laws are posted in the schools.
The point I’m making is our elders have to fill the roles in our communities by teaching and connecting us to the land. Our elders have reminded us over and over again about our relationship to the land. Our elders are very concerned about our young people. They cry when they see young people hurting themselves and they pray for them. Our elders are our professors, teachers, leaders, counsellors and spiritual guides. They earned their degrees from their years being in school on the land.
As one of our elders said to me as we talked early on when I sobered up, when he knelt down and picked up some dust off the ground and the dust came out of his hand, he said this is the blood of my people, be careful how you walk on this land. We need to put together a policy that will honour our elders by our government in this Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, have serious concerns about the wisdom of building the Inuvik-Tuk highway. The project doesn’t make economic sense. The only thorough analysis we’ve had was prepared in 2010 for a project costing $230 million. Twenty-eight months and $12 million later, it’s $311 million. That 2010 analysis revealed little if any net economic benefit, notably with reductions in oil and gas economic activity of thousands of person years of employment and significant reductions to GDP due to efficiencies.
Today with ice-free shipping seasons and marine transport, pipelines are off the table, probably leading to even more reductions. A spurt of 1,000 short-term jobs during construction with only 42 long-term jobs over 45 years is not responsible investment in economic development.
We don’t even have the technical information needed to make a decision. A go/no go decision must be based upon a full design and cost estimate, a full understanding of partner responsibilities and a thorough assessment of risks. These are the worst road-building conditions in the world, and moving forward with incomplete designs and cost estimates would be nonsensical. We went ahead with a bridge at 85 percent design, eventually threw that design away and built a bridge at over three times the original price tag. Starting at the Minister’s discounted price of $299 million – just trust me, won’t you? – what would the final cost be?
Transportation has come to the government trough too many times already and we still lack basic information. How much patience do you think our taxpaying public has? The Beau-Del is in trouble and people need our help, but where is our innovative, thoughtful, long-term plan for regional stability and employment? Let’s move on from failed megaprojects.
A fraction of the highway cost spent on a renewable energy system would free Inuvik from crushing energy cost, create lots of long-term local jobs and provide a base for economic growth. The region and people are spectacular. Where is the real support for tourism development there?
Five years of road building doesn’t make an economy. Once we turn the first shovel on this road there’s no turning back.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent denied
Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House today to also recognize the International Women’s Day and congratulate all the recipients from the five regions in the Northwest Territories. Today I wanted to recognize all the other ladies in the Northwest Territories, the thousands of ladies who do a lot of great work for their communities, for their organizations and for bringing serious issues to the forefront.
It wasn’t much more than two weeks ago that we had a bunch of ladies outside the Legislative Assembly pushing for midwifery programs. We have a lot of strong advocates out there that represent a lot of good work that we, as legislators, have to move forward on and push forward on to make sure they become reality.
I do congratulate the five ladies in the region who won the Wise Women Awards this year, and all the work and efforts that they do in the communities, but I also want to recognize those that were nominated but didn’t get the award, but all those other ladies who do tireless work efforts in the communities to make sure their communities are safe and healthy.
One other I wanted to make is I chair the Standing Committee on Social Programs here within the government, and I’ve said it before that ladies do make really good decisions, they’re hardworking and they keep the order of the committee and the meeting. So I want to recognize our two lady Members here in the House today, Ms. Bisaro and Mrs. Groenewegen, and the work that they bring into the Standing Committee on Social Programs. They bring a lot of insight, a lot of knowledge, a lot of wisdom, and they’re part of the reason that the Standing Committee on Social Programs does a lot of good work through this Legislature. So I want to thank those two ladies in the House.
Obviously, I want to thank my mother. She just celebrated her 70th birthday this past week. I want to thank her for all her support and all her effort, not only for me but for the family and ensuring that we had a great life growing up, and also for her tireless efforts in making sure that all of her grandkids have a good life as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to follow up on another statement that I’ve made during the session and it’s regarding the proposed Inuvik-Tuk highway, this time with some specific concerns on gravel costs.
It is my understanding that the gravel used to build and maintain the highway is subject to royalties under the Inuvialuit Land Claim Agreement. The land claim agreement sets out maximum amounts for those royalties, it does not set minimums, so there is room for negotiation. Especially when Inuvialuit beneficiaries stand to gain so much themselves from a major infrastructure project at their doorstep, in terms of jobs, business opportunities, services, lower transportation cost and, certainly, convenience, those gains need to be taken into account when negotiating the amount of the royalties. To be clear, I’m not saying the royalties should be zero, but they should be fair and reflect and respect those primary beneficiaries who will be receiving this highway; potentially the $299 million project in their region.
We need to make sure whether a negotiation deal is fair for taxpayers of the Northwest Territories, because the highway is going to be precedent setting. In future years we, as an Assembly, will be looking at building the Mackenzie Valley Highway. We will also be negotiating royalty rates for gravel with other land claim groups. If we accept a bad deal on the Inuvik-Tuk highway, we will be sentencing ourselves and future generations to be paying premium prices multiplied by hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars across thousands of kilometres. What is it in the end that may cost us dearly by not setting it out right up front?
To be very clear and to ensure the public is fully informed, I’m not talking about will we pay for the gravel. The gravel will be bought by fair market rate by the government. It’s about the additional royalties on top of the fair market project. A project of this magnitude obviously has a lot of pieces, and we need to make sure that the Minister of Transportation is paying due attention to such an important factor. Whether this government buys the gravel and then pays a 10, 15 or 20 million dollars additional royalty rate, that’s what I’m asking. This government should be asking the Inuvialuit to waive that royalty fee and put it into the project, because I’d rather see that money invested in the road and that would demonstrate that they truly have skin in this project that will change my support for this type of initiative.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to rise today, too, and recognize International Women’s Day. I’d like to congratulate the five recipients of the Wise Women Awards this year. Like my colleagues, I’d like to talk about the politics and ladies in politics. Obviously, we have two Members here, Jane Groenewegen and Wendy Bisaro. Good examples for the youth of today’s Northwest Territories.
I’d also like to recognize two members of my town council: Donna Lee Jungkind and Kandis Jameson, who also are striving to put women into politics and make sure that there’s a good balance there. Like my friend Mr. Moses indicated, they do provide a good balance. Obviously, often good voices of reason.
As we look towards getting equality, we need to look at some of the people out there. Like, we had Danica Patrick make the pole at the Indy 500 for the first time ever. We have to look at this, but this is the problem. They are the exceptions. They are the leaders, but they are the minorities. We need to make sure that equality gets into these areas. I would like to encourage all the youth, all the lady youth out there to make sure that they can strive to do whatever you want to do. You can do it out there.
One of the other things that I’d like to recognize today is this weekend there’s an event going on, The Sky’s No Limit – Girls Fly Too, an example of ladies in the aviation industry can fly too. I’d like to encourage people to get out to that.
I’d also like to thank my mother and three sisters who raised me and made me the man I am today. In thinking about all the women in our lives, we have a new doctor, Dr. Boudreau, who signed on this week, and I’d like to welcome her to Hay River. We’re looking forward to seeing her and many more doctors in Hay River.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. March is National Kidney Month. I want to highlight this because we seldom think about our kidneys, but they are very crucial to our health.
Our two kidneys filter about 200 quarts of blood each day, removing waste from the breakdown of body tissue and food. The waste is safely purged in our urine. The kidneys also produce hormones our body needs. The kidneys work so well that one healthy kidney can do the job by itself but, of course, kidney disease generally affects both of them.
There are various types of kidney disease, and I can’t list them all, but diabetes is one cause of kidney damage. Diabetes prevents the body from using glucose, a form of sugar. Too much glucose in the blood can act as a poison to the kidneys. High blood pressure can also cause problems with kidney function by damaging the small blood vessels. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney disease. Some people with kidney disease can tolerate small amounts of alcohol, but heavier chronic alcohol use can really harm kidney function, especially if liver disease is also involved.
There are some signs of kidney problems that people should pay attention to and see their doctor or nurse about it. These symptoms include the need to urinate more often or less often, drowsiness or tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, swollen hands or feet, itchiness or numbness, darkened skin or muscle cramps.
These are the things people can do to reduce or control their risk of kidney disease. First, they should cut back on salt and be sure to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Exercise and physical activity also help a lot. I’ve already mentioned the dangers of smoking and too much drinking.
Medical help is available to people to diagnose and manage kidney disease. That can be monitoring the patient in their home community, consultation with internal medicine and referral to a kidney specialist. There’s a nurse practitioner dedicated to the renal program. Taking care of our kidneys is one of the basics of good health. For many of us it can be as simple as eating well and exercising a bit.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON
INUVIK TO TUKTOYAKTUK
HIGHWAY PROJECT
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to do my statement today on the Inuvik-Tuk highway. I’d like to thank the leaders of the Mackenzie Delta for their lobby efforts to build the road from Inuvik to Tuk. I’d also like to thank the Conservative government for their commitment to build the Inuvik to Tuk highway. I would also like to thank the 17th Legislative Assembly and my colleagues here today for making the Inuvik to Tuk highway our number one priority for this government
Mr. Speaker, let’s get ‘er done.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today I’d like to talk about the Pages that are here to help us. We have two, Amber Beaverho. That is one of the Pages from Gameti; and another one, Krischan Smith. They are both from Whati community. And Alfred Beaverho, who is their supervisor. I would like to say thank you to those Pages and all the other Pages that have been here helping us through our session at this time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. I, too, would like to recognize my two Pages: Ms. Natalja Westwood and Mr. Tyson Klengenberg from Ulukhaktok. I’d like to thank them and all our Pages for doing a good job all this week, for working all the long hours, just like the Members, and making sure you’re taking care of the Members. Thank you all, Pages.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize some ladies here from the Status of Women Council of the Northwest Territories. Starting with Lorraine Phaneuf, executive director; Tina Gargan, president, representing the Deh Cho region; Georgina Jacobson-Masuzumi, Beaufort-Delta. We also went to school together way back when. Doris Camsell, representing South Slave; Su-Ellen Kolback, vice-president, from the North Slave; Samantha Dechief, community development coordinator; Annemieke Mulders, program and research manager.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize my constituent, Mrs. Doris Bonnetrouge-Camsell, also originally from Fort Providence. I have known Doris for many, many years and I always appreciate her advice and her support over the years.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to recognize the Native Women’s Association. Of course, your mother. I also want to recognize my wife. Every day in my house is women’s day and international day for me. It’s just that sometimes I don’t get her flowers, so I’m sorry.
I also want to recognize her sisters, Cecile Deneyoua and Doris Camsell. My colleague recognized her, so welcome to the House.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize a student and teacher from Fort Liard who is here in Yellowknife to build leadership skills in the community. I’ve got Mr. Ross Duntra, Mr. James Duntra, Mr. Derek Kotchea, Ms. Kali Norn and she was just here serving as a Page, Mr. Speaker, and I think she’s after my job.
---Applause
I encourage her to continue. There’s Ms. Precious Hope and the Fort Liard teacher, Mr. Olly Williams. I will be happy to speak with you on our break here. Thanks for coming.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Nadli.
