Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Finally, one of my largest concerns is how these disturbances can disrupt the productivity and livelihood of business owners in particular, many of whom rely on that service to sell their goods. Shutting it down can have economic consequences, as well. Can the Minister update the House as to what efforts the service provider has been pursuing to improve redundancy to Yellowknife, in particular?
Again, I would have to have that conversation with the service provider. I am not sure if they have any particular plan for the capital. I have not had those discussions, but I do know that there is some infrastructure that was available. I'm not sure if they have accessed that. I think it's a conversation that needs to be had because I think the incident, the last three incidents, how it can lead for some redundancy, and in the southern part of the Northwest Territories, in particular in the capital. I will commit to the Member that I will have those discussions, and then I can report back to Members, or report back to this House, assuming those discussions happen before September 2nd. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. As I mentioned, we have a problem with grizzly bears in Aklavik. I am sure the Minister is aware. I know they have the same issue in Inuvik at the moment, but I would like to ask the Minister: what steps can the department take to deal with their grizzly bear problem in Aklavik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct. We have had some incidents in Inuvik with grizzly bears, particularly around the garbage dump. I have seen some pictures, actually, of them right outside an apartment building, just down the road from where I am at. I have actually seen one out at the dump when I was throwing some garbage away three weeks ago. It has been a bit of an issue. I think the Inuvik side is not so much a big of an issue as it has been the last few years with the number spotted there, but this is not about Inuvik. This is about the Member's constituency.
I know there have been some bear occurrences in Aklavik. I think there were about 10 of them. They usually average about 100 sightings and incidents a year. I think, this year, we're down to only about 32. That doesn't take away from the problem that there a number of problem bears at the dump in Aklavik. I would have to check with the local ENR officer to see what steps that they are taking. As we get later and later into the fall and the bears are foraging for more food, I think there have been some sightings probably within the community. I know our ENR officer up there is well aware of that, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that the public safety of the residents of Aklavik is not compromised.
Clearly, our grizzly bear population is at its highest, as many people do not harvest them anymore. Will the department increase the number of tags of available and not have a zone which limits where hunters can harvest?
I think one of the reasons that they put the tag system in place was a number of years ago, when there was no tag system, there was a large amount of bears that were harvested, and I think there was a belief at that time, and this might have been 10 or 15 years ago, that, had they not put restriction on it, then that might have hurt the grizzly bear population quite a bit more. I think what we are seeing today is a result of some of those measures that were put in place to try to protect some of the grizzly bear population. We would have to work with our co-management partners, we would have to work with the Aboriginal organizations up there to see if there maybe is a way that we can increase the number of tags that are distributed every year. I do know that they do have tags up there, and the number has gone down in the last few years, and I think it's having an effect on the population. We will work with our co-management partners to see if there are measures we can put in place to increase the number of tags in the Beaudel.
My constituents want to see some clear action, so will the department collar and relocate the majority if not all of the grizzly bears from Aklavik?
That is what I appreciate about the Member for Mackenzie Delta. He just asked "will you." I cannot give you a clear answer. I would like to. I would like to. Again, I would have to work with my department, and we will have discussions with the local officer as well as the local hunters and trappers, and, if they feel that it's a problem that needs to be addressed and if relocation is one of the options, if disposal is one of the options, then, those, we would have to consider. Again, you know, I would be reluctant and I would not just send our folks in there to start disposing of the bears without working with the local leadership to see what are the best options that are available.
Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to ask the Minister: does had department know the cost to relocate, say, five to 10 bears? I am sure they know the price for one, but, you know, you just have to multiply that by how many bears there are, so does the department have a clear idea of how much it would cost if we had that option?
I am sure the department has a clear idea of some of the numbers or some of the costs that it would take to relocate some of these bears. The department might have a clear idea. The Minister actually, unfortunately, does not have a clear idea as to exactly what it would cost, and the Minister will commit to working with his department to find the cost and then work with the Member and the community of Aklavik to see if those can be implemented. Thank you.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for NWT housing. As I said in my statement, there have been no new units for seniors built in Yellowknife during this Assembly, while, at the same time, the population of seniors has continued to grow rapidly. Can the Minister tell us what plans are in place with funding attached to meet those needs going forward? Thank you.
Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the Member's questions. As Members know, we have done a comprehensive seniors' planning study throughout the Northwest Territories. We did recognize that there are communities across the Northwest Territories that need action addressed to seniors' housing and to help seniors out moving forward. The two communities that we have recognized, as I have said in this House before, are Yellowknife and Hay River, and the other one is Norman Wells. We are looking at creating partnerships with our stakeholders, and, as I have also mentioned in this House, we did get a carve-out for the co-investment fund that we do not have to apply on, that we can work with our partnerships to address the issue.
Moving forward, we are working with AVENS towards a possible partnership for the development of more seniors' housing in Yellowknife at this time. It's probably something that might not take place until the next government, but we are out there. We are working with our stakeholders to address all housing issues. Specifically for seniors, it will be Yellowknife and Hay River at the start, and focusing on Norman Wells and other communities. One big part of that is going to be the community housing plans that we have been addressing and looking at the priorities that communities see are priorities that we need to address, and seniors are going to be part of that.
I appreciate the Minister's wide-ranging answer, but, if he could provide some specific information about whether there are any projects that are in the hopper with funding attached to meet seniors' needs at this time, that is what I am after.
We do have a lot of major seniors' housing initiatives. Some of them are the seniors' aging in place retrofits, ongoing seniors' marketing and promoting the campaigns through our district offices to our seniors in the regions. Also, the transfer of a family home program is another one that we have worked on, which facilitates the transfer of family home if a senior does need to relocate due to a medical or other urgent reason. We are also piloting LHO repair services to private residents and not people who are living in public housing units, especially for seniors who have difficulty securing contracts. The CARE program is one that we have been working on, programs for major repairs, preventative maintenance; we also have the fuel tank upgrade; like I mentioned earlier, Aging in Place; and emergency repairs.
In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, we did approve 540 applicants for repair, for assistance for seniors. We will continue to do that. As long as we get that information out there in our district offices and our staff and as Members representing our seniors can get that information out there, then we can work on assisting our seniors throughout the Northwest Territories.
No one could say that the Minister is not getting the information out there. Answering the questions, that is another story. Another means to ensure that seniors have appropriate housing in Yellowknife is to assist them with retrofitting their homes, and this is a very cost-effective solution, more cost-effective than providing a whole new place to live. The budget for the CARE program, as one example, for the whole of the NWT is only half a million dollars, so can the Minister tell us how many seniors' households were assisted with retrofits in the last fiscal year?
There is a lot of work that has been going on in this area, particularly since we have done the seniors' planning study. The Housing Corporation are maintaining a $2-million funding level in our fiscal framework for 2020-2021 and beyond for the CARE major program. We did supplement the CARE major program with other new homeownership programs introduced via our strategic renewal, which I have mentioned in the House, and previous Ministers for Housing have also talked about this strategic renewal. This new program for seniors commenced in 2017, assisting 37 senior households, and this assisted 103 senior households in 2018-2019.
Historically, spending over the past few years has been in the range of about $1 million. We expect to have more uptake in the future years as our senior population continues to grow, and we will be making adjustments to reduce the copayment requirements. With any input that we can get from Members, as well as our stakeholders in the communities, to address these needs, we will continue to work and build strong partnerships.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that. At the end of the day, how does the demand for funding for seniors, retrofits, and other kinds of housing initiatives compare with the demand for it? How does the demand line up with the money available? What is the gap between those two? Thank you.
To be honest, we know that there is a housing issue throughout the Northwest Territories. We have been working and making strides with the co-investment fund that we were able to carve out with our agreement that we signed with the federal government to address housing needs for all of our demographics, populations throughout the Northwest Territories. Of course, seniors is one. We did the Seniors Planning Study. We need to address all housing needs across the Northwest Territories. In this case, we will work with our stakeholders. We will work with our groups and our communities to develop their community plans to address the priorities that they need in housing, and we will continue on that path.
I can say with confidence that the NWT Housing Corporation has done a great job, and we are working on these agreements to address the housing needs right across the NWT for everyone. We will continue to work that, and we will continue to lobby our federal counterparts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Earlier today I raised concerns about a letter that the Premier signed with five provincial Premiers that threaten national unity. Can the Premier confirm that the document I tabled in the House yesterday is indeed the text of the letter that he signed on June 10, 2019, to the Prime Minister of Canada, and can he table that letter in this House? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I haven't seen the letter that the Member tabled as of yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Of course, the Premier is under no obligation to actually answer questions, but if he does have that letter, the signed version, it would be great to see it. Can the Premier tell us whether he consulted or informed his Cabinet colleagues about this letter before it was signed and sent?
We all spent about six months working together on developing a mandate for the Government of the Northwest Territories. As part of signing this letter, it was to promote five mandate items that were in the mandate. The work with some of the Premiers related to Bill C-69 also allowed me to advance Northwest Territories interests, including ensuring efficient and effective regulatory process for transboundary projects and in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region; also to promote oil and gas; and also mining and other significant projects. Why it was so critical, I felt, is because it would apply to projects critical to the Northwest Territories' economic future and where major projects could conceivably be subjected to two full assessments.
If the Government of the Northwest Territories wants a pipeline built to Alberta, BC, or north through the ISR, or a hydroelectric transmission line built to Alberta or Saskatchewan, or a Slave Province road connected to Nunavut, the Impact Assessment Act provided for under Bill C-69 will apply. We adhere to the principle of one project, one assessment, and we will continue to work towards that.
Once again, the Premier didn't answer my question about whether he actually consulted with his Cabinet colleagues about this letter before it was signed and sent.
I explained in my statement earlier today that these pieces of federal legislation that the Minister cited have very little, if any, application in the Northwest Territories. Of course, the Premier knows very well that the Mackenzie Gas Project was assessed under three different regimes, and of course, it was done through an agreed-upon arrangement under those three different regimes. I suspect any transboundary project would be done in the same way.
Can the Premier tell us in this House and, indeed, all residents of the Northwest Territories why he signed such a partisan and threatening letter?
With the five mandate items that directed that we make progress in a number of areas, including oil and gas and also investments in our natural resources, in our view, if the energy sector in southern Canada disappears, then there is very little hope for further investments in oil and gas in the Northwest Territories, and it would affect future developments.
I felt that it was important to make sure that our concerns were addressed. It is very difficult for a small territory to get their interests addressed at a national level, and so I have made it a practice to work with all three of the leading parties in Canada to make sure that our interests are represented and, also, working very closely with my Premier colleagues in Canada to help us advance our interests.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I am glad to hear that the Premier is in such a collaborative mood today. I hope that he can actually start to work with Members on this side of the House.
Earlier I cited how, in my view, this was a breach of the guiding principles of consensus government. I will just quote again: "Except under extraordinary circumstances, Members of the Legislative Assembly should be made aware of and have opportunity to discuss significant announcements, changes, consultations, or initiatives before they are released to the public." I would like to know from the Premier why he breached this guiding principle of consensus government in signing such a letter. It sounds like he may not have informed his Cabinet colleagues, and he certainly didn't inform Regular MLAs. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
There was no breach involved whatsoever. Five mandate items were all agreed to by this Assembly. It is in the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories. I will be tabling the mandate document before the end of this sitting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my statement earlier, my questions are directed to the Minister of Education. My first question, Mr. Speaker, is: my constituents are concerned about the low student achievements in the Sahtu. Indigenous government leaders in the region are interested in working more closely with ECE and other education bodies towards improving education achievement and outcomes. What is the department willing to commit to in regards to engaging with local leadership on the direction of education in the region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that most people know by now, after four years, that I try to consult with stakeholders as much as possible. I believe that the best service is done when we do work together, in all honesty. That's not just in this House; that means with everybody.
Indigenous governments actually have a real role in education. As we move towards self-governments, they have even more and more of a role. They have the right to actually draw down education. I think we have an obligation within GNWT to actually work with them and to actually provide the supports. I know that within the Sahtu, there was a change in superintendent there. My understanding is that the Aboriginal governments want more feedback.
I know that the Sahtu District Education Council has put out an offer to meet with them more, to engage them more in planning. I am watching it carefully, and I support that. I actually asked that they would do that. I am urging all district education councils out there. It is time. It is time to start engaging with our Aboriginal governments. It is time to start working better. They have a right. They have a concern.
We can't solve this on our own. We need to have more. Everybody needs to be at the table. As far as I am concerned, we need to engage with Aboriginal governments more in regards to our education services.
Thanks to the Minister for the answer, assurances of collaboration and partnership and working together, which leads me to my next question: I am aware of the education initiatives which are in place to support student achievements. Yet, one measurable, graduation rates, continue to be lower than other parts of the jurisdiction of Canada. Is it possible to conduct a review of education in the Sahtu to better understand what is needed to support our students and families?
We have three weeks left in this Assembly. I am not going to make big commitments to actually doing more projects. I recognize that we have to leave room for the other ones. I can't commit to doing a full review of education in the Sahtu. What I can say, though, is that it is needed. It is not only needed in the Sahtu. It is needed right across the Northwest Territories. I don't know who will be in the House, but I am hopeful that one of the Regular MLAs or Cabinet will actually grab this the Assembly and bring it forward because I think it is time.
It is time that our whole Education Act and our whole system was looked at with the understanding that self-government have the right to draw down. Indigenous governments have the right to have a say in how their services are provided to the people. I do think that we have to look at the structure. We have to look at the act in the next Assembly would be my preference, to make sure that we are engaging as appropriate.
Thanks to the Minster for the response. My third question is: what actions are temporarily being done for the department to transition education or improvements, recognizing the gaps to the 19th Assembly?
As stated, again, we can't really say what the 19th Assembly will take on. That is not our role, but I am hopeful that education will be on the priority list for the next Assembly. We need to work better. We are failing at our children. Our graduation rates are low. Our early developmental index is coming in low. It is not okay. Our children are our future. We keep saying that. If we really believe that as a society, we have to put our energy, we have to put resources behind that and the next government has to focus more on that.
I just recently learned, actually, that not all district education authorities actually have long-term plans. Some of them just have annual plans. That is not okay. How can you actually do a strategic plan if you don't have long-term plans? We have a lot of work to do. I am the first to admit that. Every day I come across, I am finding more and more issues. I am hoping that education will take a strong focus in the next Assembly. If I am here or any Members are here, please put it forward on the priorities because we need to do better. We can do better. We need to do better. Children are our future. We owe it to them.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the response from the Minister. This leads me to my last question. We did a number of consultations these past summer months, in particular, a conference forum we had with the leadership of the Sahtu and Deline, at which time, we had learned a number of weaknesses and gaps in the current delivery system.
Recognizing those weaknesses or needs for improvement, will the Minister commit to issuing a letter or issuing a suggestion in a transitional report from the department to the 19th Assembly to have the 19th Assembly revisit the reform of the Education Act so it will be brought up to today's standards compared to its incorporation back in 1996? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I am hoping that, again, at least some of us will get elected again. I am hoping that the new Members will see it as a role. I am not 100 percent sure. If I could actually put it in the transition report, I would be more than willing to commit to doing that, but I am not 100 percent sure if I can at this time. What I will say is that I will stress it with our department and ask the department to bring it forward to the next Minister and share my concerns.
