Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The RCMP has been examining its policies in relation to providing housing, not only in the Northwest Territories, but across the whole of the country. Currently, housing is provided by Public Works, Government Services Canada, to RCMP members and, as I say, they are reviewing that policy. Public Works has made it clear that they will no longer be providing housing in Inuvik, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Hay River and Yellowknife. “G” Division is working with the NWT Housing Corporation for the provision of housing in most of those locations, but not in Yellowknife where housing will no longer be provided to members. It is thought that Yellowknife has a viable housing market where appropriate housing is available for sale and rent. This is, of course, an internal management function of the RCMP, so they do speak to us, but really, in the end it's their decision. They've made this decision and they don't think that it will affect recruitment. Thank you.
I'm very concerned about the ability of the RCMP to attract and retain staff to Yellowknife. Now we've heard that this is going to potentially impact a number of other communities. Can the Minister of Justice tell this House whether there will be any monitoring and evaluation of the impacts on recruitment and retention of RCMP in this transition to private housing? Will that monitoring be carried out by GNWT or the RCMP itself?
“G” Division continues, as I mentioned, to receive a large number of applications, and they don't expect that this change of housing policy will affect that. As I say, it is mainly an internal duty of the RCMP to look into this, and they are doing so. They will be consulting with us, but ultimately it's their decision.
I appreciate the answer from the Minister, but although it may be an internal management issue for the RCMP, I think this has potential impacts on our communities in terms of the ability of the RCMP to provide appropriate policing. So once again, can the Minister tell this House whether the GNWT then, if the RCMP won't do it, is going to monitor the impacts of this change in policy in terms of retention and recruitment?
Yes, we will of course be monitoring with the RCMP if there are any changes and if there are problems, and I assume that if there are issues of retention, they will speak with us and there may be further changes in policy. They are not expecting this change of policy to have any effect on the recruitment, as they already currently receive far more applications than there are positions, so they're not expecting a change in that. If there is a change in that area, I would expect they would consult with us.
Masi. Oral questions. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to seek a commitment, then, from the Minister that he would report back to the House perhaps within six months about retention and recruitment rates for the RCMP in the communities where this transition in housing policy is going to take place. Thank you.
I think I can make that commitment. I will be in touch with the RCMP, and certainly if there are any changes in the issues of recruitment, we will be discussing those with them, and perhaps there will be tweaking of this policy. But they are fairly certain that this will not affect retention or recruitment.
Masi. Colleagues, I would like to take this time to direct your attention to the visitors in the gallery. Mr. Eugene Hodgson, the son of the late Mr. Stuart Hodgson, the first resident Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, and Evan, Eugene's son who travelled from Vancouver, B.C. to be here with us this afternoon for the memorial for Stuart Hodgson. Welcome to the gallery. Masi.
---Applause
Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Residents of Nunakput are leaving the region to work in other parts of Canada around the world. Recruiting Northern residents is key to keeping our language and cultures in the workplace strong. I believe that we need to start implementing northern education for northern residents. Land claim agreements and on-the-land programs are important programs that need to be part of the curriculum in everyday life in schools in the North. The NWT is one of the most diverse regions in Canada and around the world. Take a look at the fur industry. This is a great example. The Junior Kindergarten Program is an effective way to give children in the North an opportunity to assert a good education and I encourage this program to continue. By the tone of my voice, you probably know who I'm going to ask this question. This is towards the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Are there any programs in place to ensure that our new graduates and skilled workers stay in the NWT? Quyanainni.
Masi. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the department has a lot of programs in place to ensure that our graduates that leave high school do get into the workforce. The main one that we do have is we do have a 10-year strategic framework called the Skills 4 Success. We are looking at developing a concrete action plan to address those that will help improve employment success for NWT residents, and also close that skills gap for our employers and our residents that are looking for work, and help adjust some of those individuals from ages 18 to 24 that are not in the workforce, they're just out of school, so try to get them back into the workforce. So yes, the Skills 4 Success Strategic Framework and the action plan is in place to address those needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
How did Education, Culture and Employment determine which areas of employment to focus their efforts on?
Most recently, the department had developed a comprehensive labour and market information report and it got consultation from people across the Northwest Territories, so that's what we looked at where we needed to address those issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My second question is: When will the NWT labour market forecast be available to the public?
The department is happy to release this report so that all residents of the Northwest Territories can see where our actions are and what our priorities are. That report will be released next month. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
My follow-up question is: how are local people involved in the Skills 4 Success Initiative Action Plan. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
I mentioned for the Skills 4 Success 10-year Strategic Framework, we are going to be developing some concrete actions. We are going to be consulting with our stakeholders across the Northwest Territories, and that includes Aboriginal governments, industry, business, and education, as well as other training programs. We will get out there and we will be consulting with our stakeholders to develop an action plan that is for Northerners and for Northern businesses.
Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As my Member’s statement talked about this morning, it was about process. Can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs please explain the process used to get the Arctic Winter Games application process out to athletes across the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that they do have local and regional trials, and if they make it through the regional trials, if they get to the territorial trials, usually there's some criteria in place. I think if there's an international trip like there is at this particular Arctic Winter Games, there's an expectation that they would have passport applications and the ability to access passports as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I may have not heard the answer I'm looking for. I was trying to find out how in the process that information was getting out to the people.
There would obviously be information shared with the public as to the trials that are going on. I think the regional trials are normally run by the folks in the region. They have their way of getting the word out there. But again, there's an expectation that, and I believe on the Sport North website, there's also opportunities for knowing which trials are coming up. Being an Arctic Winter Games here, there's an expectation that all the athletes that plan to participate know of the trials coming up. I will review that, though, and see exactly how the call goes out for athletes wishing to participate or take part in the trials.
I'd like to ask the Minister, at this point in time, what role does the Municipal and Community Affairs staff have in getting this information out as well.
I can actually ask the Member that question in his former role, so I've got to be careful what I say here.
---Laughter
Our regional staff are all very involved in the Arctic Winter Games trials and the selection of athletes. It's actually a part of what they do and it’s part of what they believe in, supporting the athletes that are getting out there, so they would play a role in helping to organize trials and working to get athletes to the next level.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
I won't say anything bad about the Minister, if this was his response. I would ask the Minister: With this process of the Arctic Winter Games, will he commit to do a review of the selection process and how the team is made up and the government's role as part of it.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member that I will have a discussion with the sporting sector as to the involvement of all those, including the Government of Northwest Territories, because we want to ensure that our selection process is fair and gives all those athletes in small communities the opportunity to participate in the games. I can say that from experience that two Arctic Winter Games ago we had 27 of the 33 communities that were actually represented by athletes. I think that's indicative of all the good work that goes on out in the regions, in small communities. I think it's also a good indication of the level of support that this government has given to the folks in the small communities. As we heard this spring, we also have a partner now with Canadian Tire who is supplying a lot of equipment to the Northwest Territories that we can give to the small communities. All these partnerships help and I see 27 out of 33 communities as a good indication of the level of support from all forms of those folks that are involved in the sporting sector. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I went on a little too long. Sorry.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier of the Northwest Territories. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission report has recommendations in terms of how do we address the whole residential school experience in terms of its impact in First Nations communities. The Government of Northwest Territories has been playing a lead role, which I commend, and I’d like to see the GNWT play a continued role at the national level. My question is to the Premier. There is great work with other partners at the national level and I wanted to ask the Premier if he could update this House as to what residential school survivors can expect in terms of the federal government's response to the TRC report and recommendations in terms of healing and wellness initiatives for residential school survivors. Mahsi.
Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Member for the question. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report is probably one of the major reports with regards to Aboriginal people and how residential schools affected them, and as the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, I'm the current chair of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group. With the new federal government in place, they have placed working with Aboriginal people and Aboriginal governments as a top priority. We have always reached out to the federal government to participate in the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group, and I'm very pleased to say that when Minister Bennett, the Minister for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, was in Yellowknife we had the opportunity to meet. She specifically requested that the federal government be part of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group. I see it as a significant opportunity for all of the provinces and territories, all of the national Aboriginal governments and the federal government working together, not only on truth and reconciliation, but on other important Aboriginal issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Premier in terms of highlighting some of the major initiatives that are happening at the national level. The impacts of residential schools are prominently and significantly, of course, felt at the community level, and that's where families that have gone through this experience, from my parents to their parents, generations. The impacts are deep-rooted. What steps is this government undertaking to ensure that the federal initiatives of healing and wellness are brought to the community level?
We have interacted significantly with the commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I met with the Prime Minister; he reconfirmed his priority to deal with Aboriginal people, and we as a government have responded to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations and we will continue to work in that regard. With regards to the residential schools and the communities, we will continue to look to improve in that area, and as the Prime Minister has said, reconciliation should be a commitment by everybody in Canada.
My final question is just a follow-up in terms of some of the information that the Premier has shared. One of the things that is disappointing is that there wasn't an exercise in terms of working with elders for them to document their experiences. One example in my home community that served the Sacred Heart Mission School, there was a society that was established to help former students to deal with the traumas of the past, but at the same time to guide the process in terms of giving expertise to the federal government. Has this government undertaken steps to ensure that bodies of that nature, like the Sacred Heart's Residential School Society, are consulted? Or else groups at the community level are brought into at least the stream of trying to build frameworks in terms of how these federal initiatives will come to the local level? Has there been work in terms of preparation work, and also, at the same time, a level of consultation with these bodies?
Those would be areas that I would have to follow up on, with regards to some of the specifics that the Member raises, but I do know that the federal government provides $5 million a year through the Department of Health and Social Services for community wellness programs. Certainly, in my mind and in my view, the examples the Member raised certainly would fit into that area.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been many questions over the last while on the level of support the Government of Northwest Territories would provide to the City of Yellowknife should the City decide to bid on the 2023 Canada Winter Games. Can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs clarify for this Assembly and the residents of Yellowknife, the GNWT's commitment to financing the operations and infrastructure requirements to host the games? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I need to preface anything I say about the Canada Winter Games by stating that I can’t speak for the will of the House, its Members, committees, or the actions of future government. It is understood that a games bid by the City of Yellowknife would require the GNWT to support its share of the operational infrastructure requirements as per the standard Canada Winter Games tri-party agreement. If the City makes a bid, the GNWT will mobilize our departments to come up with potential financing models to meet the GNWT funding obligations. Our initial take was that this is an exercise that was doable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister for his reply. One of the other complaints I hear is that given the current state of the economy, it will be difficult for the GNWT and the City to come up with the required funding. Can the Minister comment, please, in this regard?
One of the things we need to remember is that it is seven years until the Canada Winter Games in 2023, and there are seven GNWT planning cycles prior to that. This gives us some time and flexibility to come up with the necessary funding to support our part of the Canada Winter Games.
Thank you again to the Minister for his reply. One of the other concerns I hear is the GNWT’s support for the building of an athletes' village. Can the Minister shed some light on the GNWT's role in the construction of an athletes' village?
Speaking as the Minister responsible for Infrastructure, I can tell you that if the City decides to proceed with the bid, and subject to direction from the Financial Management Board, the NWT Housing Corporation is prepared to enter and negotiate a 70/30 split on the construction of an athletes' village that will meet the needs of the Canada Winter Games and the NWT Housing Corporation for public housing. Given the expected increase in the number of seniors, this would also be a project that would benefit the seniors in the Northwest Territories as well. There is a possibility that we can use some federal social infrastructure money to pay for the government's share. We will obviously work with the City to see what they can come up with as far as their 30 per cent.
