Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the NWT has allocated $23 million from the federal government for the COVID-19 pandemic, I'd like to know in detail about how the allocated funds and expenditures were spent. Can the Minister provide some specific details in how this money was spent? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister of Finance identified on her May 27th statement, we're all fortunate that Canada has provided $23 million to support the GNWT's response to offset some of the costs related to the COVID-19. A grant agreement was finalized with the Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada on May 11, 2020. The $23.4 million from CIRNAC is to assist the GNWT with the COVID-related costs on the health system. In discussions with Canada, it was indicated that they will be flexible on how funding can be utilized as long as it is substantial, and the costs were incremental due to COVID-19. Department of Finance is working with department and public agencies to track all the incremental costs that are due to this pandemic. The most recent projections for the GNWT is almost $39 million in COVID-related costs, of which $13.9 is specifically related to some of the health system response. The projection for the health system is also based on the current level of response that is associated to the end of September. The Department of Health and Social Service's authorities are continuing to actively monitor some of their costs. The current projected costs specifically for the health system include new or expanded programs, service and supplies directly to support COVID response such as services to vulnerable population, Protect NWT 811 call centres, the COVID compliance and enforcement task team, screeners at the hospitals, public health units, virtual care, rapid testing tools, drive-through testing, and more.
I expect a detailed accounting of the $23 million at some point during the time of our government. How is the Department of Health and Social Services preparing the regional centres and small communities for the second wave of COVID-19?
There have been daily meetings with the regional teams to prepare for the COVID-19 response in small communities. Education and training include COVID testing procedures, infection prevention and control measures, point of care, risk assessment, and more. Additionally, there are regular service and staffing updates provided to the territorial operation, a scan easily to assess situation in any community if there is a requirement for support.
Does the Department of Health and Social Services have a plan to ensure that regional centres and small community nursing stations are considered in the master plan to ensure our residents are safe for both mental and physical health?
Ensuring small communities can respond to the COVID-19 has been a top priority for the authorities and in their planning after this pandemic. We also recognize that they are our most vulnerable part of our health system should an outbreak occur. The first priority is, of course, to prevent the introduction of COVID-19 in our small communities, which the CPHO has constantly expressed and has taken action to ensure. Nonetheless, we need to be prepared to respond should this happen. The first priority will be on preventing the spread of COVID-19. This means we have to be focusing on training for testing, including in the communities where there is no resident nurse; readiness to contact trace anyone who tests positive and make sure all possible contacts are tested; sending in staff to also support, virtual technology to ensure that staff are ready to support self-isolation and monitoring of any residents who test positive have been contacted. In the event that the resident becomes ill with COVID-19, we may need to transfer to them to a hospital for care. The authorities have also mapped out a detailed process to move patients to hospital centres like Stanton to receive this care in the most seamless way possible.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How is the Department of Health and Social Services working to ensure that small communities and regional centres are equipped with proper PPE and medical procedures to ensure that all residents are properly looked after in future pandemics or even in other emergencies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority monitors the inventory of swabs for COVID testing and the PPE stock to ensure that community has adequate stock. There is also an inventory maintained for emergency drugs used in COVID-19 for each of the communities to ensure that they have sufficient stock. Oxygen supplies are also monitored to make sure that we have adequate supply on hand. The department is looking at ways to ensure that we are prepared. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I'll just continue along with some of these questions with my colleague. Like I said, I have many constituents that are for the restrictions and some that are against. In my region there is a link between the Beaufort-Delta and Whitehorse, and they really want to know why and when, because we have no cases since April in both territories, that they can't travel back and forth once the road opens without having to isolate. Can the Minister explain why this can't happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can also advice that I am getting requests for considering to loosen up some of the borders, especially between Yukon and Alberta. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on the issue for the record. There are a couple of things that people need to keep in mind because there are no active cases of COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon. Until very recently, we were prepared in phase 2 to open the borders between Yukon and Nunavut. However, once Yukon decided to open its borders to unrestricted travel from BC, with all of their active cases, we were no longer able to consider that. The same holds for Alberta where they have still many active cases. It's just not safe, and it could have a serious impact on our elders, our people with compromised immune systems, smaller communities. We can't take the chance, Mr. Speaker. There is nothing restricting any Northwest Territories resident from going to either the Yukon or Alberta to visit themselves. The restriction upon return is that they must self-isolate for the 14-day period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I've also been getting questions about the role of Premier, Cabinet, and yourself agreeing with the advice and action from the Chief Public Health Officer in restricting the day-to-day activities of the residents and businesses of the Northwest Territories. Can you please outline the process that takes place in extending this public health order or instituting new orders?
In regular times, there is no role for the Premier, Minister, or Cabinet when the Chief Public Health Officer issues a public health order such as the whooping cough, TB, any sexually transmitted disease, and we find out about the same time as the general public. When we're in a public health emergency that I've declared on the recommendation of the Chief Public Health Officer, it is a different situation. The office of the Chief Public Health Officer now has regular briefs with the Premier, myself, and Cabinet on any new orders or amendments being developed, and then, we look at how to brief Cabinet, Regular Members, and then make the orders public. This is what's happens now and the lead up to the official announcement on easing up the restriction on phase two of Emerging Wisely. When we look at the extension of the public health emergency, the Chief Public Health Officer and I discuss, and if the same conditions that necessitated the declaration in the first place, if they still exist, as long as the conditions, meaning the public health risk, presented by COVID-19 to our smaller communities still exist, I am prepared to continue to keep signing off the extension of the public health emergency order.
In the Emerging Wisely document, there will only be a return to normalcy and lifting of all restrictions once there is a vaccine developed and sufficient people have been vaccinated. What will this government do if there is no vaccine developed in the next 12 to 18 months or the development of an effective vaccine or if they can't find one?
Right now, the office of the Chief Public Health Officer and the department and the government are focused on prepping for the second wave, which we're expecting to happen possibly this fall. With that and in the upcoming cold and flu season, it is probably premature for me to speculate as what we as a government may or may not do in the event of there being no vaccine until we get to the upcoming seven to eight months. Though there's nothing official going on, I would be not naive to say that there are not internal discussions going on within government departments and external organizations and governments on what should be done in the event the development of a vaccine is delayed or exclude research. We all hope that the development of an effective vaccine is successful within a reasonable timeframe. The federal Chief Public Health Officer has now stated that a vaccine may be two years from now. It's obvious if we can't develop an effective vaccine, that with the advice of the Chief Public Health Officer and noting how other jurisdictions are easing restrictions, we're going to have to come up with a plan for the Northwest Territories. I'm noting the fact that we remain at risk of community spread for as long as there are cases in the rest of Canada and also elsewhere.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. ITI's SEED policy describes market disruption as, "Circumstances when, in the opinion of the regional superintendent, the granting of a contribution will likely adversely and significantly impact the revenue earned by another business within the region." This definition plus the duties of a regional superintendent under Section 7.4(c), make it clear that the authority to determine market disruption falls to ITI's regional superintendents and that this authority is discretionary. Will the Minister instruct her senior management in ITI not to apply the market disruption clause for existing NWT businesses seeking SEED funding for the 2020-2021 fiscal year so NWT entrepreneurs can collectively evolve and expand their businesses in response to COVID-19? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Industry, Tourism & Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Member for her attention to this. I think we both share a common interest in seeing our businesses succeed. That being said, one of the foundations that is expected for our government is that our programs are fair and equal to everyone, especially in the situations where the resources are limited. We're very conscious of supporting one business in a market over one of its competitors. We are equally as conscious, though, of how we support businesses in Yellowknife compared to businesses in other communities. I recognize the point the Member is making. I would like to take this idea away and see if there's a solution that we can come to that is nimble enough to benefit both the businesses that she is representing but also measured enough that we address some of the implications mentioned here. I do commit to the Member with working with my regional superintendents to come up with a solution that satisfies the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I will take that, thank you. In March, the GNWT put together an economic relief package that offered NWT businesses fee and loan deferrals. At that point, the GNWT did not know the extent of the impact of COVID-19. We can now see the devastating impact the lockdown is having on the global economy. Can the Minister confirm if the GNWT intends to extend the measures offered in the economic relief packages beyond the original timelines?
For individuals who have applied and received these loans, and for all existing BDIC client, a three-month loan payment deferment or reduction initiative was also offered. This three-month period was initially identified as a time in which we would be able to gauge the extent of the problems facing our business community. I can advise the Member that, in response to demand from our clients, the BDIC is extending its deferral and/or payment reduction period to the end of this fiscal year. In total, this extension as estimated will save between $4.5 and $5 million in cash flow during the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
That's great news. I'm sure many businesses will be happy to hear that today. We are now almost three months from when we went into the COVID lockdown. Our territory has been spared the health effects of COVID-19 because of the swift and aggressive decision-making of the Department of Health and Social Services. However, while our people are not ailing, our economy definitely is. The NWT has suffered the worst fall in GDP from 2019, and I'm sure that number will continue to show this year. Has the Cabinet begun to discuss how to balance our healthcare needs with the economic needs of our territory?
I can only speak for myself, not for the rest of Cabinet in those discussions, so I do just want to speak as my department. One of the challenges we have faced has been the speed of which life and times are changing with respect to the COVID pandemic. We're running into situations we never have before, and we're trying to find solutions on the fly. As we move into phase 2 and a period of economic recovery, we are only now able to consider the challenges and paths that are ahead. We have put a number of pieces in place to help us. They include the three advisory boards, including the business advisory body and the data that we have and our collecting from our surveys of Northwest Territories businesses, tourism businesses, specifically, and a survey of consumers that we are just today preparing to introduce tomorrow.
A letter went from my office to Members yesterday asking for their input into possible adaptations and improvements that we can make. This is part of the role we envision for the new business advisory council to provide advice on these changes. I am pushing on that initiative, also, so that the new committee can make as quickly as possible itself, and with MLAs, we will continue to address the economic realities of the pandemic we are in. At the same time, we are considering what they can do. We can continue to lobby our federal economic development agency to ask what they can do, as well.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The length of the pandemic today -- sorry. I'm going to start this over because I'm going to trip all over my words, and I'm just going to cut right to the point to allow for my colleagues to ask their questions. Mr. Speaker, what I would like to know is: how is the Minister working with the Chief Public Health Officer in order to balance the advice of the Chief Public Health Officer with the other needs and requirements of the people of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Those milestones are part of what we need to identify going forward. I know you didn't ask that part, but you do have your question. What we do know at this point is that we are all globally in this together. The collective, worldwide effort that will be put into economic recovery may, in itself, be unprecedented in a positive sense. The Northwest Territories economy was struggling in advance of the crisis. Unfortunately, we were largely struggling alone. Industry had alternatives for their investments. It was hard to get federal attention to the North's economic needs. These things have changed. Everybody is in the same boat now. Coming out of this, we can make the argument to Canada that the federal government needs the North. Major investments in the North will have reciprocal benefits across Canada. It's a good place to invest if you want to get a strong bang for your investment buck. Infrastructure projects are one of the most effective means for a government to kick-start an economy. On a national scale, we have, in the Northwest Territories, some very significant and large infrastructure projects that are all but ready to go. The economic reality of a post-crisis, recovery-focused economy might improve the bottom line of investing in the North. Certainly, on a global scale, we are good place to invest from a political, socio, and business perspective.
I did just want to add one item that I know the Member did not ask. We will be looking to alter the flexibility within the SEED guidelines to allow for the purchase of personal protective equipment for companies, structured changes to the business that might be required to protect employees, such as the plexiglass shields that we see in some of our businesses, and capital improvements, such as drive-thru windows or patios for restaurants. Those will all be incorporated into the SEED guidelines. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. Work conditions at the Edzo highway camp have virtually destroyed morale among the dedicated workers who staff that facility. I do have questions regarding this for the Minister of Infrastructure. What is the current staff complement at the Edzo highway camp, and how long has this staffing shortage been allowed to continue? Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's unsettling to me to hear that morale in the camp is not good. I commit to the Member that this will change. I understand that the Member would like to see more involvement from senior management in the camp, and I commit that we will improve upon that, Mr. Speaker, and do better. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for her acknowledgement on the Highway No. 3 Edzo camp. Obviously, there needs to be more work in that area. Mr. Speaker, just moving on to a second question that I do have, I did speak to the Minister a bit on this. What steps has the Minister's department taken to beef up the staffing levels with summer student hires? I understand the Yellowknife highway maintenance camp has already hired two. Why is there a wait on the Edzo camp, Mr. Speaker? It's already June.
This summer, the North Slave highway operations is hiring four casual labours, two for the Yellowknife camp and two for the Behchoko camp. The regional manager of highways has staffed the two Yellowknife casual positions through the casual pool in accordance with the Affirmative Action Policy. Presently, the two candidates identified for Behchoko are in the reference check phase and should be staffed soon.
That's great to hear. The workers have been asking me the last couple of weeks now, so I'm glad it's coming. The sooner, the better. Mr. Speaker, the third question I have is pertaining to the Edzo highway camp. How long has it been since the Edzo highway camp was provided with new equipment, such as loaders, packers, trailers, generators, sweepers, and distributor trucks? Mr. Speaker, they have been using old equipment all these years, so I have that question for the Minister today.
The past two light duty trucks purchased for highway staff saw one vehicle go to the Yellowknife camp and the other to the Behchoko camp. We are purchasing two loaders this summer, one for the Yellowknife camp, one for the Behchoko camp. Both the Yellowknife camp and the Edzo camp have aging equipment and vehicles and the department is working on a solution to update both equipment and vehicle requirements at both locations. I can tell the Member that the North Slave Behchoko will be receiving a new plough dump truck valued at $400,000, and they will also be receiving a wheel loader valued at $130,000.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, the Edzo highway camp, the crew will be happy with this announcement. They have been waiting for some time now, so it's good. Mr. Speaker, my last question to the Minister was alluded to earlier. Would the Minister please provide a complete schedule of the past visits to the Edzo highway camp by either herself, regional manager, superintendent, assistant deputy minister, deputy minister? Would she commit to having her department or her staff or herself travel the road to visit and meet with the staff of the Edzo highway crew? Masi, Mr. Speaker.
As part of the transition with the regional superintendents, it is my understanding that the new superintendent did visit the camp. However, I don't know when the date of that was. I am disappointed to hear that the employees at the camp are not feeling supported or enough interaction with senior management, so I commit to the Member that, not only will senior management go, I will also go to the camp. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Good, Minister. Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, monsieur le President. I don't think that I have had the pleasure of asking the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about benefits from the Giant Mine Remediation Project, but he sat next to me in the last Assembly, so this won't come as a surprise. The Giant Mine oversight board is again making recommendations about securing northern benefits. The remaining expenditures during active remediation are the equivalent of spending on another Stanton hospital. Has the Minister read the most recent report from the board, and does he support the recommendations? Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right here, and I have another copy right here. Yes, we did receive it. It was brought to the front desk here. We have looked at it. So the Member is aware, the department and the project team are currently in the process of viewing the Giant Mine oversight body 2019 annual report, and the GNWT and CIRNAC will be responding to the report publicly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I have props, too, but I can't use them. The problem seems to be that no one is taking the leadership and responsibility to ensure that Northerners, especially Indigenous peoples, do not continue to lose out from the tragedy that is Giant Mine. Can the Minister tell us what specific action over the last year his department and others in the GNWT have taken to secure northern benefits?
