Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What is Environment and Natural Resources doing to help the people, the Deh Cho, and the Northwest Territories FireSmart their homes and cabins for the coming season? Masi.
As I previously said, we will be updating our plan in April 2016 of this year and we will be talking to all communities and people in the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Transportation and ask: Why is Highway No. 1 from the border to Enterprise not on any of the existing and proposed Building Canada bundles?
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Transportation undertakes long-term functional planning to determine how to gain the best value of limited resources. Highway reconstruction requirements are also prioritized to ensure that highways are safe for the travelling public. When drafting the proposals for bundle one, the priority scope and work plan for Highway No. 1 was from Kilometres 187 to 690 and was based on functional planning outcomes. Priority will be given to the sections of the deteriorating highway between Kilometres 207 and 230, and between Kilometres 375 and 395, to address critical needs and ensure public safety. At present, no major improvement work is scheduled between Enterprise and the Alberta border. Reconstruction and widening work between the Kilometre 15 and Kilometre 18 was completed in 2013 under the previous Building Canada Plan. The department continues to deliver regular maintenance as required on that section of highway, and Highway No. 1 between Enterprise and Alberta is paved. The department will provide additional investment in the highway as rehabilitation requirements arise.
It's good to hear we got work on those three kilometres.
---Laughter
Is there anything else that might be included in bundles one or two that would include any work or benefit to Highway No. 1 at all?
The first bundle of projects will invest $14 million in improvements to Highway No. 1. Over the next four years, the department will be working to widen and reconstruct some sections of the highway from Kilometres 375 to 395, and Kilometres 207 to 212. That work includes geometric, structural, and drainage improvements; grade widening; culvert replacement; and applying chipseal. Under the second bundle of Building Canada Plan projects, the department is seeking to rehabilitate or replace bridges, including the Hay River and Pine Point Bridges, and the Buffalo River Bridge in the South Slave region.
That doesn't quite address the border to Enterprise. Are there any shovel-ready projects in the South Slave?
I am pleased to note that the department is currently working on two other highway infrastructure projects in the South Slave. In 2015-2016, the department completed improvements to Highway No. 2 between Hay River and Enterprise, for approximately $3 million. Over the next several years, the department will reconstruct and chip seal up to 34 kilometre of Highway No. 6 to Fort Resolution, with an estimated value of $17 million. In the meantime, the department continues to apply regular maintenance measures across all highways.
Masi. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad to see that the South Slave is getting some attention. What South Slave projects could potentially be considered as shovel-ready?
The department has identified several projects that could be pursued if the federal government came to us with a request for shovel-ready projects. This includes further improvements to Highway No. 1 south of Enterprise to the border, including widening, strengthening the embankment, and improving drainage. Other shovel-ready projects that could be considered under new stimulus funding from Canada include reconstruction and chipsealing of the remaining 64 kilometres of Highway No. 5 and the Wood Buffalo National Park. That's in addition to the airport runway overlays in Fort Smith and Hay River, and replacing the airport terminal building in Fort Resolution. The total cost of these five projects would be in the neighbourhood of $46.5 million. We are waiting for more information from the federal government regarding the details of the new stimulus funding on infrastructure, including eligibility criteria. Once we have that information, we will be able to determine which of these projects might be eligible for federal funding.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I talked about corrections. I have questions for the Minister of Justice. I'd like to ask the Minister if there are any programs in corrections with a goal of preventing inmates from returning to corrections. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, the Member raised certain issues in his speech, and certainly, the department is aware of the overrepresentation of Aboriginal persons in the corrections system. We are trying to address this by a series of programs. The department continues to improve the link between programs delivered to inmates in custody and community-based programs involving probation services, community justice and other departments and agencies such as Health and Social Services. We are also attempting to look at the underlying root causes and hopefully reduce the numbers referred to by the Member opposite. Thank you.
I'd like to ask the Minister if there's staff in the corrections facility, themselves working for the Department of Justice, that work with the inmates on their mental health, addictions, and educational issues.
Territorial inmates can participate in many programs, both inside the corrections facilities and outside. Territorial inmates can participate in the addictions programs at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre, which is facilitated by a traditional addictions counsellor with the support of elders and community resources. There are also other programs that they can participate in. Also, through the courts, there are manners of dealing with these types of problems, either through wellness courts or DVTO court.
I'd like to ask the Minister if there is any specific Aboriginal cultural programming at the North Slave Correction Centre.
Yes, I believe there are programs at the North Slave Correctional Centre that do have an Aboriginal component. The department currently offers a six-week national substance abuse program to federal and territorial inmates at the North Slave Correctional Centre, and I believe this has a wellness component involving programs for Aboriginal inmates, and hopefully, through programs such as this we can reduce the number of Aboriginal inmates, which is currently approximately 87 per cent of the population.
Masi. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if the department has seen a reduction in inmate population over the past five years. Thank you.
I’m not sure of the exact statistics. I do know, looking at the statistics, dealing with the number of Aboriginal inmates, that has remained constant. I understand that the overall number of inmates has remained constant over the last five or six years, being approximately 200. We would certainly like to see a reduction of this, and that's why programs such as the Wellness Court Program and DVTO will hopefully reduce the number of those actually incarcerated.
Masi. Member for Frame Lake.
[English translation not provided.] Mr. Speaker, I have a number of Yellowknifers who have contacted me regarding termination of care aids working at Stanton Hospital effective March 31. Can the Minister tell us how so many care aids are currently working at Stanton, when this service started, and what sort of duties they perform? Sorry, that question would be to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently there's 16 nursing or rather, care aids within Stanton Territorial Hospital, and at this point in time we're not planning on eliminating any of those positions, with the exception of two, and we're not actually eliminating those positions. Two nursing care aid positions were actually created through unfunded dollars as a pilot study, and the purpose of the pilot was to evaluate whether the level of trained staff could be used in patient watches instead of using security protocol or personnel. That pilot has come to an end and as a result, those positions will cease to exist. Those unfunded positions will cease to exist on March 31, 2016, but the remaining 14 nursing care positions continue to exist. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's my understanding that care aids at Stanton have bolstered the healthcare teams to ensure patients are clean, fed, cared for and free of bed sores while lowering the pressure and stress on nurses. They do things like patient laundry, shaves and baths are given, patients are escorted for tests or taken to another floor for showers and so on. I'm just wondering with these two positions that are apparently unfunded, who will perform the services that they perform now after March 31?
As I indicated, the purpose of the pilot was to evaluate whether nursing care aids, this level of trained staff, can be used for patient watches. Patient watches are used after patients who pose a risk to themselves or others and require more frequent observation -- for example, individuals who might be suicidal, confused patients who are unable to comply with treatment, patients who are at risk of actually leaving the facility, and other patients who may have some behavioural issues. The decision was made not to renew these two contracts for these two unfunded positions and rather put an end to the pilot, because the objectives of the original pilot were not achieved and security personnel continued to be used in that area to provide patient watches.
I apologize. I didn't give the Minister much advance notice of this. This seems to be a quickly evolving situation. I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell us then how these two pilot positions were actually evaluated, and would he be prepared to share that with at least this MLA?
Originally the pilot was only intended to last one year, with the intent, as I said, to see whether or not this level of position could do the patient watches. There was some turnover in the department as a result, or rather in the authority as a result. The pilot was extended so that they could review to see if it was actually providing or meeting the intent. At the end of the day, security was still required in those units to provide those patient watches, and since then, we have actually enhanced the security levels within Stanton so that these positions are actually no longer required. The pilot proved ineffective and we still needed security staff. As a result, these two unfunded positions will cease to exist on March 31, 2016.
Masi. Member for Frame Lake.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer from the Minister. One part of the previous question that he didn't answer was whether he might be prepared to share the results of this evaluation with at least this Member and perhaps others on this side of the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'll go through the department and get a bit of a summary of the pilot intent and what actually the results were and share that with the Members, but at the end of the day, we ended up having to put more security in that building to provide patient watches as well as other security. Those two positions were unfunded. The remaining 14 nursing care aids continue to exist, providing the exact services that the Member is referencing, important services within our healthcare facility. These two positions were created for the sole purpose of doing an assessment. The assessment didn't prove out, as a result those two positions ceased to exist.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier on in my statement the questions for Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. My first question is to the Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment. can you please outline the types of support that are available to trappers under the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fur program is one of our longest-standing programs and the government is very happy to be able to continue to contribute and support trappers, because we know that any funding that we provide and any return to the harvesters goes directly to the communities and protects their way of life. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment currently retains responsibility for marketing and promotional activities and managing the high procurement program to support traditional crafts. The Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program is jointly managed by the departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Industry, Tourism and Investment. Environment and Natural Resources is now responsible for the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program delivery and administration of the Fur Marketing Service Revolving Fund, with the exception of marketing and promoting of Hide and Fur Procurement Program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My other question is: the trapping industry is important in my riding of Nunakput. What are some of the trends and issues impacting the industry in the Beaufort-Delta region?
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment consults with the Inuvialuit Regional Council and Inuvialuit communities to ensure harvesters have access to markets by continuing to enhance existing programs. In 2013/2014, Industry, Tourism and Investment incorporated muskox hides into the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program as a means of guaranteeing substance harvesters added value for good quality hides. These hides are sold to Jacques Cartier Clothier Qiviuk for a profit with all revenue directed to the harvester. This includes the Prime Fur Bonus payment of $50 a hide, which is triggered when the sale is reconciled through the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program.
In addition to the hides, Industry, Tourism and Investment is developing a market outside of the local carving community for muskox horns. Interest from jewellery designers and knife manufacturers is being tested to establish demand and values for possible inclusion into Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program. Beaufort-Delta communities produce some of the best wild fox, wolves, and wolverine in the Northwest Territories. These are sought after by knowledgeable fur buyers who are willing to pay top prices. We're also working to incorporate seals into the program. We will be seeking exemption from the European Union for Aboriginal seal products, so Industry, Tourism and Investment continues to encourage harvesting in all these communities.
That last comment is leading to my next question. In my region harvesting seals is important both feed and a source of cash income. What is Industry, Tourism and Investment doing to maximize returns to harvesters?
As I indicated, the Government of the Northwest Territories has begun the process of obtaining the European Union Recognition status on behalf of Inuvialuit hunters to be exempt from the EU International Seal Ban, and we're also working with our neighbours in Nunavut, I understand. Once completed, this initiative will provide Northwest Territories' seals and seal products to all European Union markets. Under the Hide and Fur Procurement Program, negative impacts of the European Union’s seal ban had been limited by maintaining prices to harvesters at $55 per skin. This amount has recently been increased to $70 per sealskin in order to increase the supply of NWT seal pelts to the Hide and Fur Procurement Program, and I should add that all of the hides that we procure through this program are quickly taken up for local manufacturers. All the NWT seals are shipped to processing plants to be tanned and returned to supply local craft demand. The intent is to operate on a cost-mutual basis. Presently, with the program, seal, beaver, and moose hides continue to grow and become more popular with the crafters. Our ability to meet demand is tested. For 2016, we expect to see sales of $180,000 in raw material that will generate close to $800,000 in local products like mitts, mukluks, and hats.
Masi. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the state of the economy in the NWT, will the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment promote and make plans to boost the economy in small communities by assisting hunters and trappers in acquiring traps and hunting gear for the upcoming 2016-2017 hunting season? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Under the Industry, Tourism and Investment Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Program, better known as the SEED Program, current trappers can access funding to purchase trapping supplies based on previous harvest records. Eligible trappers can access up to $5,000 over five years. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources also administers programs to assist hunters and trappers. The Local Wildlife Committee funds, about $258,000, provides funding to defray a portion of the administration costs for local committees that represent the interests of community wildlife harvesters. Also, the Community Harvesters Assistance Program with approximately $1,074,000 provides funding, distributes by the Local Wildlife Committee to community harvesters in support of harvesting activities. In total, our government provides in the neighbourhood $2.5 million to support trapping industry in the Northwest Territories.
