Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We have some advocates for midwifery in the Northwest Territories in the gallery with us today, some constituents, Sue Posynick with her son Uri and her daughter Eleanor I believe are up there. Lindsay Arseneau is also in the gallery. She recently travelled to Hay River to have her baby Aveline and she’s also here with her son Felix. She had to go to Hay River because there’s no midwifery services available in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. But welcome to the gallery and they’re here to watch our debate and discussion when we come in Committee of the Whole about our Health and Social Services budget. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to introduce my constituent Lorraine Sampson, who is a dear friend of mine and who recently retired from the GNWT as a family therapist. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Ms. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my constituency assistant Trisha Landry who is up in the gallery. Mahsi. Welcome. Also at the same time another constituent, Rolanda Landry who originally is from Kakisa but lives in Fort Providence. Welcome.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleague before me, I want to take this opportunity to recognize Yellowknife North resident Lindsay Arseneau and thank her for being here today. Thank you.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Nunakput has already recognized some of them, but I would like to recognize the United States Riding States Leaders Tour is in Yellowknife. They’re learning about our territory and they’re briefly observing our proceeding today. I would like to use this opportunity to recognize the Honourable Jeramey Anderson, representative from Mississippi; the Honourable Andrew Bumgardner is the representative from Connecticut. The Honourable Travis Bennett, representative from New Hampshire. The Honourable Drew Christensen, representative from Minnesota. The Honourable Tom Demmer, representative from Illinois. The Honourable Katie Hobbs, State Senator from Arizona. The Honourable Sarah Roberts, representative from Michigan. The Honourable Melissa Sargent, representative from Wisconsin, We have Dan Abele head of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Embassy of Canada in Washington. We also have Weston Bachman, the Intergovernmental Relations Officer, Embassy of Canada in Washington. I want to welcome you to the Northwest Territories and to our Assembly, and in the event that one of you gets to be President of the United States remember your hospitality here in the Northwest Territories.
---Laughter
I’d also like to use this opportunity to recognize Jozef Carnogursky and Lesa Semmler, constituents of the newly created Twin Lakes, Mr. Moses, so welcome to the Assembly. Thank you.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s always good to recognize good friends and success stories in the Northwest Territories. With that said, I would like to recognize Jozef and Lesa Carnogursky, have been good friends and have been very successful in their lives and what they do for residents of Inuvik and the region and throughout the North as well. I’d also like to recognize James and Maureen. I went to school with their kids, and they’re all doing really well as well. Of course as mentioned here, the delegates for the United States Riding States Leaders. This is the first time they’ve been to Yellowknife. Welcome. I hope you’re enjoying your experience. Hopefully Yellowknife gets on the tour lists more often. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Lesa Semmler who is a strong advocate for women’s issues, Indigenous women’s issues, and to her partner Jozef Carnogursky who is the president of Nihtat Gwich’in Council. These two people are young and moving up and are going to be strong leaders within our territory, and so I’m glad when the time comes to step aside and let these people take over for us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d to welcome first my two Pages from Aklavik, Taylor McLeod, and Gord Papik. Also their chaperone and my CA, Liz Wright. I’d also like to recognize Jozef and Lesa Carnogursky. Joseph is running for the GTC President right now and I wish him well. Also James Pokiak and his wife. I’ve attended a number of meetings with James in the past and it’s good to see him here. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you heard in my Member’s statement, I have some questions for the Minister of Transportation regarding the construction resurfacing on Highway No. 7. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please tell this House who the successful contractor was for this project? Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I probably have to confirm to see if that’s public knowledge if I can mention that in the House today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve been told by contractors in my riding that it is a southern company, but can I get confirmation if this contract has a northern component to it?
From the information that I’ve received on this the contractor has a northern component of local hires and a local contractor that will be assisting on this contract.
I guess his information’s a little bit different than mine, and I’m trying to understand where this information come from because when I was in the community this past weekend on Friday, there was no confirmation that this is happening, so can the Minister please provide rationale or reasons how this information came available?
I will commit to the Member that I will go back to the department and get that exact information for him, who the northern local contact is, contractors that will be assisting on this contract. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. Can he also explain to this House how they’re going to guarantee that this Northern contact is actually going to be implemented throughout this contract because in the past there’s some concerns that it wasn’t followed through. Could the Minister please provide how they’re going to be able to present that information in the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to go back to the department and find out exactly how we are going to track this stuff. I will share that information with the Member as soon as I can get that information to him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about the opening of the Inuvik to Tuk Highway and the questions are for the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: can the Minister tell us about the current status of the Inuvik to Tuk Highway project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have stated last week in the House on my update, the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway construction project remains on schedule within the approved budget of $299 million. The project has employed over 500 people at the peak of this winter’s construction season. Approximately 74 per cent of the workforce came from the Beaufort Delta region. As the winter construction season has come to a close, the company will be preparing to move on with next season’s surfacing of the top layer of gravel on the highway and finishing off the remaining three-and-a-half kilometres of embankment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the response from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, my second question is how is the Government of the Northwest Territories working with Canada as well as Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk to prepare for the grand opening?
A lead person within the Department of Transportation will be developing an opening ceremony and will be working in conjunction with the communities, with the other GNWT departments, and with the Government of Canada to ensure adequate input is received from all stakeholders. We are anticipating having a concept and preliminary plan for the grand opening later this summer in 2016.
Mr. Speaker, my third question is: have we considered ways to let all Canadians be part of how we are going to mark this historical event?
The department and the federal government are partners, and we are certainly open to receiving any ideas and encouraging all Canadians to help in order to celebrate this historic event. We look forward to any ideas of how we want to do this grand opening.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question is: can the Minister speak on some of the ways the government has been preparing to mitigate the possible negative impacts of the highway, such as unforeseen major maintenance costs? Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
The department anticipates the road will lead to opportunities in the Beaufort Delta, including lowering the cost of living to the community of Tuktoyaktuk, lead to more affordable housing, and promote economic development and tourism in the region.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member’s statement, the responsibility of the Department of Education is to create a school environment in which all students feel safe and included so that they are able to reach their potential and realize their goals. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister: when the department was developing the external working group which was responsible for drafting policy for safe and caring schools, why didn’t the department include outside groups with direct access to LGBTQ youths, such as Arctic FOXY or It Gets Better Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the external working group, some members were selected. Going forward, seeing as all the safe school plans still have to be developed and submitted by October 1st, we will go look into those. We are also creating a safe and caring schools manual. In that manual, there is a section that explicitly focuses on the LGBTQ education, history, and concerns, addressing such topics as sexual identity, gender bullying, suicide, social and emotional learning and diversity. I can get to the departments and ensure that the two organizations that have been identified, we will reach out to them and see if there is any specific areas that they would like to see incorporated into the manual seeing as they are being developed. Obviously, we want to make sure that we have the best manuals, education, curriculum out there when we are providing safe and caring schools. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for his reply and his commitment. Much appreciated. Alberta, Manitoba, B.C., and Ontario have amended their education acts to make LGBTQ students safer. Can the Minister explain why the NWT didn’t take advantage of the most recent research to add similar provisions to the NWT regulations?
Yes. As the Member does know, the Safe and Caring Schools Act is new. It is something that was brought forth in the 17th Assembly, and I had the honour to sign off on it earlier in this term. We also have a territorial school code of conduct within this act. The territorial school code of conduct states that it is the responsibility and the right of the school communities to promote equity and fair treatment of one’s self and others. It also states that the school community is to refrain from discriminating against others on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, nationality, ethnic origin, place of origin, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, family affiliation, political belief, political association, or social condition. We wanted to put everything in there in these regulations so that we can protect as many people as we can and provide the best and the safest and most caring schools possible. That was all done through the consultations.
Thank you again to the Minister for his reply. Mr. Speaker, 85 per cent of teachers nationally support LGBTQ-inclusive education but say that they are held back by a lack of direction and resources to apply this subject. There is a wealth of resources available created by publishers, school divisions, and teachers’ organizations. Will the Minister commit to making some of this excellent material available to NWT teachers, and if yes, how will it be made available?
Currently, we have an NWT health curriculum already in place, as well as we are going to be doing work under the education, renewal, and innovation. Within the current NWT health curriculum, we are addressing outcomes of skills for healthy relationships as it is mandated, and one of the components of this program is a unit on challenging homophobia. It is actually linked to the website. Also, it is in the K to 9 curriculum, as well as we have other initiatives that are committed to ensuring that some of this work in the curriculum will address some of the concerns that the Member has brought up. We will also look at a scan of the resources, what other jurisdictions are doing that are a little bit further ahead. As I said, this is a new act, and we want to make it right, and we want to make it the best act possible. We will look at the resources that are out there and see how we can bring those into the NWT schools as well.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you again to the Minister for his reply. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, gay-straight alliances help create awareness of gender issues in the school and provide an important support network. There are examples at Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells and at St. Pat’s here in Yellowknife. Can the Minister comment on how the Department of Education can work to encourage and support the development of GSAs and other supports for inclusiveness in NWT schools? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
