Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week we are joined by students from the Chief Sunrise School, plus their chaperone Grace Sabourin. I would like to welcome them during this week. Sonya Sabourin and Sheena King-Sabourin as well will be working here this week. I also recognize and acknowledge Elder Pat Martel, K'atlodeeche First Nations Councillor and Chief as well. Mahsi.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Knute Hansen, the band manager for Aklavik. Welcome to the House. Mahsi.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge my constituent Mayor Mark Heyck and thank him for his leadership and his service.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, early in my statement, I had talked about the small community employment initiatives, so my questions are to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
In most of our small communities there's a description that caught my attention; it's called "non-market communities" and it's pretty true. Most of our small communities are remote and isolated and, of course, there is no economic market in those small communities, but for the most part our small communities have 50 per cent employment rates, are very strong in our traditional economy, and as I said, they are remote and isolated. With that in mind, can the Minister describe the changes made to the Small Community Employment Support program following the 2017-2018 budget deliberations earlier this year? Mahsi.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I'd just like to commend the Member's community of Fort Providence and the youth for all the work that they are doing in the community that he mentioned in his opening comments.
On April 1, 2017, with the enhancements that were implemented with the Small Community Employment Support program, we did look at expanding eligibility, increasing benefit levels, and adding flexibility for communities and employers as well as organizations.
We are also looking at communities that were previously ineligible to allow them to apply for funding, and the communities of Behchoko, Hay River, Inuvik, Simpson, Smith, and Norman Wells are now on those lists. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Minister clearly had indicated there's a big slant towards regional centres, and he just described that, and what this program was intended for was for small communities. What further changes will be forthcoming and when can we expect their implementation?
Because we put the program in April 1st, 2017, we've been trying to get that funding out to more communities so that it's being utilized at a better rate. We are also looking at some of our other initiatives. With Skills 4 Success, working with some of the small communities on projects where we've seen successes, and I think the Member had mentioned some in his Member's statement. We are going to continue to review those and see how we can look at other policy changes that need to be developed, but we're going to have a look at this.
As the Member knows, and as Members of the Assembly know, the previous funding that was allocated for Small Community Employment Support programs wasn't fully utilized. We made a significant increase and we're trying to make sure those dollars are being spent so that we are creating employment in our smallest communities.
The Minister had indicated again that more communities could be able to access this program and that there are other smaller communities besides the City of Yellowknife and the larger regional centres. The question I'm interested in is, through the rest of this fiscal year, how will the Department of Education, Culture and Employment work with regions and communities, especially the small communities, to create new jobs, for example under the Small Community Employment Support programs?
We have career development officers, employment transition officers in all the regions, and we are trying to get them to get that information out to our NGOs, our companies, our businesses, our band offices to make sure that they understand that this program is actually in place and how we need partnerships, we need better dialogue and communications on how we can work together to get more employment in small communities.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems that we have a lot of interest from our small communities in terms of trying to enhance and at least reinvigorate the economies in small communities, especially for people who are out of work.
The Minister has clearly indicated partnership arrangements, work in progress with various organizations, including the small communities. Before the conclusion of the sitting of this House, would the Minister be able to provide a status report in terms of some substantive figures that show that this program has impact and that we're lessening the unemployment rates in small communities? Mahsi.
Since the beginning of this fiscal year, we're about halfway in now, and there is a significant increase to the Small Community Employment Support program. I have asked the department what significant investments and changes have been made and seen in terms of getting those contributions out to the small communities. I will get that information, and I can share it with the Members for their respective regions and communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past winter a situation occurred when one of the communities that I represent, and we all heard it in the news, the Nahanni Butte Dene Band were doing some work on an old logging road. Unfortunately, the situation led to them being taken to court. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Lands explain what arrangements were made to have this injunction lifted? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can advise this House that currently there is no injunction in place because the Nahanni Butte Dene Band has stopped work voluntarily. The Government of the Northwest Territories did initially file an application for an injunction, but the matter was removed from the court docket by mutual consent and on the understanding that the band would not conduct any further work without a land use permit issued by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.
The matter may be brought back to court to get an injunction if the band begins work without the necessary permits in place. I won't be commenting further on the merits of the case, which might possibly be before the court again, but it appears that the two parties are working together through their lawyers. Thank you.
I thank the Minister for his answer. Can the Minister confirm if he spoke to the chief directly any time before or during or after this situation to discuss it and come up with a possible solution before it has to go to court?
This issue has been managed from the beginning by the regional office in Fort Simpson and the support from headquarters. The Member opposite will know that I was in the community in April and again in July and listened to concerns raised. I certainly heard the concerns of the chief and the SAO. I made no comment or made no negotiation with respect to this matter, which would been inappropriate, as the matter was before the court. Again, I think the matter has been dealt with by legal counsel on both sides.
I thank the Minister for his answer. I was actually quite disappointed that the Minister didn't actually talk to the chief before this got out of hand, but we're happy to hear that it's moving forward. With this situation taking place, has the department learned anything from this situation so we don't have to take a local government to court in the future?
The department is always learning from its experiences, and our strongest desire is to have voluntary compliance with our laws and regulations. We only go to court as a last result if all the measures have failed.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, in speaking with the communities, they were talking about the permitting process and challenges they were having. Can the Minister commit to having his department work with the community to get the necessary paperwork done so they have a permanent place so they can do work in the near future?
The department does not issue land use permits in the Mackenzie Valley; that is, of course, the responsibility of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. I understand the department has provided assistance in the past to the band to assist with the necessary paperwork, and we would certainly be hoping to do so again, to provide that assistance so that the permitting process can be properly followed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier, I spoke about suicide prevention and that the negotiations of the Department of the Executive is of critical significance to the practise of the Department of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, effective, lasting, positive change must be built on a foundation of bilateral collaboration between the GNWT and Indigenous governments. Mr. Speaker, how is the GNWT working with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to coordinate mental health action and intervention in the Nunakput region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, prior to the move to a single authority, the Beaufort Delta Regional Health and Social Services Authority had a really good relationship with the IRC and the Gwich'in. I am confident that that relationship is still strong and still working since we have moved to a single authority. I know that the regional operation of the territorial authority has worked closely with the IRC in the delivery of some training, things like applied suicide intervention training and others. At a departmental level, we have worked with different Aboriginal and Indigenous governments on the development of the Strategic Framework for Mental Health and Addictions, where we directly consulted with Indigenous governments and got their input on key directions.
Mr. Speaker, all levels of our government have a role to play in supporting mental wellness, and one of the key directions outlined in the strategic framework is to take a wholeofgovernment approach. This includes the Government of the Northwest Territories, community governments, and Indigenous governments. I think that is working well. We have a good relationship with the IRC. The IRC has been a leader in this area. They have worked with the Red Cross to establish a suicide prevention program in Ulukhaktok, which I think gives us an opportunity to learn and maybe apply in different regions. This program, Mr. Speaker, works alongside health and social services authority counselling and other supports and is a great example of the two groups working together.
I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, the Minister recently delivered a public briefing on the draft Child and Youth Mental Wellness Plan to the Standing Committee on Social Development. I know that the final plan will be coming out soon, but in the draft plan the Department of Health and Social Services set out a timeline to establish child and youth care counsellors across the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us more about how these specialized counsellors will be deployed, particularly in our rural and remote communities?
This is a very exciting initiative. Child and youth care counsellors will be an important part of the overall continuum of mental wellness services for children, youth, as well as families. They will work in the schools and the broader community and will work in an integrated fashion with other communitybased professionals to ensure person and familycentred services are delivered as close to home as possible.
This is an incredibly important resource that is required in all regions, and it needs to be implemented thoughtfully and with input from all involved stakeholders. We are working with the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and of Health and Social Services, and gathering the data and utilizing the information indicators that we have to put forward a plan to roll out these positions over the coming years. I look forward to discussing that research, that analysis, with committee during business planning, where we will be able to lay out the plan moving forward.
I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask about service options for Inuit who have limited access to counselling in their home communities. For instance, other jurisdictions are testing facetoface counselling via secure video link. How does the department plan to use initiatives like outreach programming or new technologies to enhance and expand culturally specific services in the rural and remote communities?
Through our discussion with stakeholders across the Northwest Territories, one of the things we constantly hear are that options are important and that one size does not fit all when it comes to programming. The use of technology to assist in delivering services to more remote communities is one that the department is exploring. In the meantime, we do have a number of mechanisms where individuals can receive services, including our 24/7 NWT Help Line. We have the opportunity through things like Facebook to do group sessions, group counselling sessions. There is the Kids Help Phone. As technology improves, we are hoping that there are more opportunities to do the types of things the Member is talking about, but we still need to do some analysis and work on that, as well.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, finally, building on my last question, can the Minister comment on how the department's new action plan recognizes that cultural and political health is intimately connected to individuals' physical and mental health? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Strategic Framework for Mental Health and Addictions Recovery recognizes the importance of culture. This is foundational to the work that we do and will be reflected in the action plans, including the one for child and youth mental wellness. The implications of colonization and the resultant loss of culture are a clear and strong focus of the work we will be doing to ensure culturally relevant and capable services and supports for residents of the Northwest Territories. The Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Plan emphasizes the importance of providing access to landbased programs, cultural activities, and language revitalization for Indigenous youth. These will also be the guiding principles as we work to develop a mental health and addictions recovery action plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my statement, the terms of reference and the group of people to be consulted for the Aurora College foundational review are very similar to the assessment of the college completed in 2013. Why is another assessment of the college necessary at this point? That is my question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we are aware of that review. A couple of things, just an update: some of those recommendations have been addressed in terms of working. Another one of those recommendations was to review the college's programs, and also service structure. The foundational review will, I believe, address that. At the same time, in the previous government, that report was also dismissed, but we also still looked at seeing if there was anything we could take out of that report. We also have new NWTspecific data that is going to help guide us into the way moving forward with Aurora College and developing programs and services, as well.
Thanks to the Minister for that response. He started to answer my second question, which is: what has changed within the college and the department in the last four years that makes a new groundup study necessary? It goes way beyond having a new labour market forecast. The original 2013 study looked at governance, strategic planning, relationships between the Minister and the department, and so on, so what else has changed to make a new study necessary?
The Member also kind of answered this. The NWTspecific data and the labour market information report that we have now will help guide us and Aurora College into the programs and services that meet the needs and educational needs of NWT residents and Northerners. It is going to help us make evidencebased decisions once we see the results. Just moving forward, that information is definitely going to help us. We are also going to be looking at administration, operations, governance, and legislation with this foundational review.
Will the Minister table the 2013 assessment of the college by Cleveland Consulting so that the public can assess the value for money of that assessment?
As I mentioned previously, that document itself was not for distribution or not made public. I will have to take this back to my Cabinet colleagues to get some direction on whether or not we will release that report.
