Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess if we have an all-encompassing act and regulations -- I'm thinking about the smaller communities where they kind of get left out. If somebody's doing a project and you're waiting two or three weeks for an inspection, that's a problem. I am assuming that as you're doing this review, that's in the back of your mind, as well. Is that correct? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That is correct. I do run into a lot of comments and a lot of conversation that surround that exact conversation that, when constructing infrastructure, that we should just be operating under one act instead of several -- not several, but we just have so many different compartments. It kind of gets complicated for smaller communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just one quick question with respect to page 334, ground ambulance and highway rescue. It's always an issue in Hay River. I understand the community has never really been fully funded for providing that service. If there's an accident, we pretty well go out there. I just want to confirm that that's the case, and I suspect that the department's in consultation with Hay River on that issue? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We were actually just recently in Hay River. We met as a Cabinet there, and the exact concern was brought up. We are working with the City of Hay River. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regards to fire safety in the community of Tuktoyaktuk. We have a pumper that's 30 years old. It's hit that timeline for 30 years in regards to being effective and not being able to use it now. We had to use it in a fire two weeks ago, had no choice because the other new fire truck, it broke down. Is there any way, does the Minister have any extraordinary funding for something of that kind of an emergency? The community is of 1,000 people, and the newest truck that we do have is an F-550 with an air-port attack foam truck. Is there any way to see if we could get extraordinary funding for the community of Tuktoyaktuk to get a fire truck as soon as possible for the community's safety? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Unfortunately, to the Member, we don't have extra money to buy a vehicle, like a fire truck; I don't know what the proper term is, but to buy a fire truck. It could be identified in their capital plan, in their asset management going forward, and we can help and assist them to budget for this as they go forward in looking at the need to replace the fire truck and what did you say? The fire safety pump? Is that what it was? Can he clarify? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you. We need a fire truck, Madam Chair. The community is at risk without a fire truck. The fire truck is 30 years old. It still could run, still pumps water, but there is no insurance. You can't use it. You're not supposed to use it; but we did use it. For the safety of the firefighters that are there, they're all volunteer, and there has to be a way, in regard to working with the community, to get something sooner rather than later, because the community is stretched to the limit already. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will take that, as well, and if the Member could identify the community, I will work with the community to look at the need for their fire truck. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Madam Minister. Now, I am looking at ground ambulance service for the Tuktoyaktuk Inuvik Highway. We don't have ambulance service. We have the RCMP in Tuktoyaktuk, and we put people in the back of a pick-up truck in a stretcher and bring them to the health centre. Thank God we haven't had any real accidents on that road yet. The safety concern, we did a study with CRA that did the study for the road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk that has an ambulance that is going back and forth being able to help out in the community, if needed, as well. We had buy-in from the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk in regard to providing a place for that ambulance, but why isn't there ambulance service put into the community of Tuktoyaktuk? There is ambulance service right across the territory at the government cost, not the local, in regard to providing that kind of service, too. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I hear the Member's comments, and I just would like to elaborate that the Tuktoyaktuk highway is fairly new. In looking at upgrades and looking at services that we need to provide, I would like to work with the community. I know that he had expressed, too, that there was already a study done with CRA, but I would like to look at that and visit that approach again. Looking at the services that are going to be provided, they will be accessing and using that highway quite a bit, so it is going to change the dynamic of the services in that community. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I really think that, for this coming year, in regard to planning and working with the community of Tuktoyaktuk and in regard to ambulance service is needed for safety and for the community and then the tourists, because people are getting hurt being trucked in. Like I said, RCMP is hauling them in the back of their trucks out of the kindness of their hearts, where there is no insurance for them. For anybody driving that truck, if something does happen to them, God forbid deceased, they could be liable. We have to start really thinking outside of the box in trying to service our people. I look forward to working with the Minister. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will be working with the Member going forward in regard to the fire truck and the road ambulance. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to add, too, because in the Mackenzie Delta, I have cousins all over, and I want to make sure that Inuvik, Aklavik, the ice road, Tsiigehtchic to Fort McPherson to Inuvik, there should be a vehicle that is just cruising down on the highway like how they do it from here to Behchoko, Yellowknife to Behchoko. You see that ambulance service. There should be something, at least two vehicles, either one based in Tuktoyaktuk and one based in Inuvik, driving the Aklavik ice road in the winter, and then, for the summer, driving from Inuvik to Tsiigehtchic to the border. The biggest thing is making sure that we are getting proper coverage and safety for the people in the Delta. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see the concern brought up in the Nunakput and Mackenzie Delta region. I will be following up with the Member. As for the ambulance service delivered in Behchoko, we have worked with the community. Just looking and elaborating on that a little bit more, I will follow up with the Member just to make sure that I am clear on the messaging. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. I will move on to Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. I have some questions about the 911 program. I know that it's a new program, on page 333. It's been long needed, and I am really happy to see this line item. I am looking forward to seeing how this program grows. Like any new program, I think we expect that there's going to be some fine tuning; we're going to take some bruises, I think, as a department. I am hoping that it's going along well. I know that, when we were first briefed on this in November, we were told that we should expect to see some little issues, glitches, here and there. I just want to hear from the Minister how things are going there, and I did have a few questions about this program. Marsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As of March 9th, 911 has received an estimated total of 9,000 calls. Of those, 29 percent of them were police-related; 1 percent of the calls were fire-related; 4 percent were medical-related. The remaining 66 percent of the calls are classified as non-emergency, which can include prank calls, test calls, and other inquiries of a non-emergency nature. Since going live, as of March 9, 2020, 911 has had five French callers and two Cantonese callers, and there have been no official language calls as of to date. The French callers were supported by the 911 dispatchers who are bilingual. With the Cantonese calls, the dispatcher used translation services through CanTalk. All calls that required translations were within Yellowknife. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi, Madam Chair, and thank you for those stats. I think I would ask the Minister, too, to give this in writing to standing committee, please.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I will do that. I will provide the information to the Member. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. I'm just listening to the languages and stuff, how the breakdown went there. I would like to know, too, a breakdown of where the calls are coming from, the communities. I think that would be important, as well. Marsi cho.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I will provide the community context. All calls throughout the Northwest Territories will be within that written report to the committee. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Thank you for the response. I would like to know, too, after hours, where are those calls routed to? That's to the Minister. Marsi cho.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The service is available 24 hours a day, so I am not too sure if that clarifies your question. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you for the response. I'm aware that it's 24 hours, but where are the calls being taken?
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry, I didn't hear you. The calls are from Yellowknife. The 911 office is located here in the city. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. You mentioned something quickly about official languages. I'm always wanting to be proactive and stuff. I remember we had a very serious incident way up in Sahtu where an elder witnessed something, and there was a big disconnect with the dispatcher for the RCMP. Unfortunately, somebody ended up deceased from that. If we have somebody with one of the official languages call in to 911, how is that call dealt with and how does that process work? When the person calls in, where is the call routed to and how is it dealt with? Marsi cho.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
