Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the status of the flood recovery work being undertaken by the Government of the Northwest Territories. As soon as the floodwater retreated last spring, community government leadership, residents, and our government got together to work, helping communities recover from the worst flood many of us have seen in our lifetime.
There are many people involved in this effort. I want to recognize the tireless efforts of the community government leadership in the immediately flood aftermath and over the past several months. Some of the leadership has changed since the flood occurred but as the waters rose, Chief Stanley Sanguez, Mayor Sean Whelly, Mayor Andrew Charlie, and Chief Daniel Masuzumi showed tremendous leadership, evacuating residents safely and taking steps to reduce the potential flood damage where possible, Mayor Kandis Jameson and Chief April Martel, among many others, executed their emergency plans flawlessly and were ready for the worst, even if it never came. Residents and leaders in Fort Smith, Fort Providence, and Inuvik are to be commended for taking such excellent care of evacuees from flooded communities.
Mr. Speaker, our government knew we needed extraordinary measures to meet the challenges of these extraordinary floods.
We are doing home repairs on primary residences for those who have asked us to do this work. We've arranged for replacement homes for those destroyed by the flood so individuals and families do not need to start from scratch. We are providing disaster assistance to small businesses and community governments given the disruption and impact to their operations. We are providing disaster assistance payment to those residents who lost some or all of the contents of their homes.
Mr. Speaker, in Fort Simpson, Fort Good Hope, and Jean Marie River, we are on track to get repairs done by the end of the year, and replacement homes are scheduled to arrive between January and March in the new year.
I want to acknowledge the support and assistance provided by the contractors who have worked with the GNWT and with residents throughout the recovery process, especially ARCAN Construction, who provided critical support in completing this recovery work. I would also like to recognize Ne'rahten Development Ltd. for their work on the reconstruction efforts in Fort Good Hope.
We all hoped that the recovery could be done sooner, however, given the extraordinary flooding that occurred, recovering from this disaster was never going to be easy. Also, any construction project brings challenges with that and it needs to be managed and often this means shifting timelines.
To residents who have still not returned to their homes or who may still be facing challenges that have come as a result of the flood damage, I want to thank you for your patience as we continue our work to recover fully from last spring's flood.
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is conducting a thorough review of our response to this emergency and we will be using these lessons learned to ensure that we are prepared for the spring of 2022.
Mr. Speaker, I want to end on a personal note. I saw the impact of the flood on communities firsthand. Living in one of the flooded impacted communities, I was able to meet with residents, hear their stories, and try to help them in their time of need. I would like to thank the Minister Archie and Minister Chinna for their visit visiting some of the impacted communities during the flood. I would also like to thank the Premier for her constant support in this difficult time.
The work being done to recover from the flood is about the people and making sure they recover from the disaster. Our government has based our approach on that principle. We will continue to work on their behalf as we complete the recovery work in affected communities. Together, with the dedication of community government leadership, we will recover and rebuild together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to update Members on the temporary shutdown of labor and delivery services at Stanton Territorial Hospital. This closure requires the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority to send pregnant people to Edmonton to give birth. I know that this has placed a significant burden on NWT families at what should be a time of joy and celebration. I also recognize that this decision is even more difficult, coming as it does, so close to the holiday season.
This difficult decision was made to ensure the safety of individuals and their newborn babies while we experience an acute staffing shortage. By transferring care to Alberta, we can ensure our territorial hospital maintains capacity to deal with any urgent situations during pregnancy and ensure patient safety.
The priority of NTHSSA, Mr. Speaker, is the patients whose plans for giving birth here in Yellowknife have been disrupted by the temporary closure of those labor and delivery services at Stanton. As soon as hospital leadership confirmed that they were not going to be able to maintain this service, staff began to contact affected patients directly to discuss next steps.
Contact is being made by a team of people who were specifically tasked with discussing the individual circumstances of each patient and their families so together they can come up with a plan that meets the family's needs as much as possible.
Staff will continue to follow up with patients and families to ensure individuals have the information and understand the supports they may require.
The NTHSSA is also working to put together patient resources that will prepare individuals for their trip and the transition of care. Clinical resources in Edmonton are closely collaborating with care teams in the NWT to ensure ample resources and supports for patients are ready, including pre and postnatal care and additional birthing supports.
To date, the NTHSSA medical travel program has worked with 71 clients to determine benefits and eligibility. Of these, 13 families are above the high-income threshold without employer or other benefits, who would be required to pay the co-pay. That said, there is a process to waive this fee if families can demonstrate it is a financial hardship.
Thirtyone families will be covered by employer programs and 26 qualify for non-insured health benefits and will receive additional support through that program. And then finally, seven are considered low-income and they will not be required to pay the co-pay and can have their expenses advanced to reduce any potential financial outlay.
The key piece here, Mr. Speaker, is that most individuals will have access to programs and resources outside the medical travel program. As a result of this initial assessment, NTHSSA is now able to focus on adding support and assisting individuals based on their specific needs.
While staff are making every effort to support patients who are now being asked to give birth in Edmonton, Mr. Speaker, I do want to acknowledge that this is a significant inconvenience for all patients who were expecting to give birth in Yellowknife. Even with support and best efforts from NTHSSA, I know that these are not the circumstances that families wanted, and I am sorry that we are not able to live up to their expectations.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Members that NTHSSA has taken reasonable steps to prevent this temporary shutdown and if there had been any easy solutions, they would have been gladly implemented. NTHSSA has been making every effort to recruit staff in the face of a national nursing shortage that the pandemic has only made worse.
Advertising and active promotion in a variety of locations, including national nursing recruitment sites, has netted only seven applications and one hire since June. An external staffing agency, brought on in October to provide additional assistance, has only managed to identify three additional nurses with varying start dates and contracts still being confirmed. NTHSSA also issued a request for assistance from other provinces and territories but so far have been unable to generate additional staffing from this source, as these staff are in high demand in their home provinces.
NTHSSA is also making efforts to staff from within through redeployment, but different roles require different training and the pool of staff available is not large. I thank the staff in the obstetrics unit who stepped up in response to a call to pick up shifts yet NTHSSA was not able to cover more than onequarter of all shifts in December, which simply was not enough to support the normal labor and delivery service.
While NTHSSA leadership will continue their efforts to fill immediate vacancies, Mr. Speaker, we obviously need a longerterm plan for addressing staffing needs.
Staff at the authority and the department are currently working on a Health and Social Services human resource plan that will include several key pieces to improve their ability to recruit staff. They are also surveying nursing staff directly to make sure plans are informed by an accurate understanding of challenges and concerns.
Finally, because one way to increase the labor supply is to grow the pool of trained people, there are specialized nursing certification training programs to help develop staff where the labor market is not meeting the need. This program will be piloted in the obstetrics unit at Stanton.
I know that challenges in hiring and adding capacity to the workforce are inextricably tied to the challenges of retention. Keeping the great staff we have is more important than being able to attract new talent.
Mr. Speaker, NTHSSA is taking steps to address the more persistent issues that have contributed to this immediate challenge. I recognize that morale issues have been building at Stanton, and they need to be addressed. A near strike, a facility move followed by a challenging startup, and a global pandemic have all contributed to significant change and pressure on staff and leadership at the hospital.
As Minister, I know we need to improve and we need to do so quickly. I have met with staff from the obstetrics unit at Stanton and representatives from the Union of Northern Workers as well as leadership at Stanton, at the health authority, and in the department. We are all on the same page; we need to address this.
Stanton leadership has created a team, including clinical leads and management, to look at the current operational issues in detail and find the quickest path to service resumption with a focus on longerterm sustainability of services.
Stanton leadership is also looking closely at concerns over leave, workload, and compensation that have recently been highlighted as factors contributing to staff morale. The department and the authority are initiating a working group to look at staffing levels, service types, and volumes in the obstetrics unit to determine what appropriate staffing looks like and will look at what interim additional measures may be put in place until this review is complete. The department will also be working directly with the Department of Finance to discuss what options are available to ensure we remain competitive when it comes to attracting staff nationally and retaining the excellent staff we have.
Stanton's chief operating officer has already engaged with staff as part of a review of leave policies and processes that is expected to be complete by January. NTHSSA will also broaden opportunities for staff to meet directly with leadership to put their concerns on the table and help identify solutions. Culture change, Mr. Speaker, takes time but all parties are committed to doing it and doing it right.
Mr. Speaker, these are difficult times for the patients who are now being asked to deliver their babies in Edmonton and for the staff in the obstetrics unit. I want to assure Members that I, the authority, and the department are all committed to moving quickly to address the underlying issues that have led to this situation and we will continue to update you on our progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my topic is chronic diseases in the small communities. Mr. Speaker, Wikipedia describes "chronic diseases" as a human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise longlasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term "chronic" is often used when a disease lasts for more than three months. Common chronic diseases include arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is lung disease, and hypertension, which is high blood pressure, and diabetes to name a few. Diabetes was once described as terminal but is now described as chronic due to the availability of insulin and medication to manage the condition.
"Terminal" is described as a lifelong illness that results in death.
Mr. Speaker, Health and Social Services provided information on diabetes in the Northwest Territories and reports in 20172018, 5.9 percent of people 12 and older had diabetes, slightly lower than the Canadian average of 7.2 percent. This information is about four years old and does not appear that the Department of Health and Social Services tracks diabetes statistics more frequently therefore the current rate of diabetes in the NWT is not known.
Mr. Speaker, the report also states the NWT has a high rate of ambulatory care, sensitive conditions. That is hospitalizations for some chronic conditions that could have likely been prevented through better chronic disease management and better access to primary health care. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Health Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for De Cho. Member statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about the use of locum tenens in our health care system. Mr. Speaker, is important that the delivery of health care in the NWT is timely. We must ensure that all communities are provided service, whether they are staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, or other health care professionals. Locums are, and are becoming more, important in the way we deliver health care in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, it was been a number of years since we had a fulltime position in Hay River, or at least one we could call a "family physician.” We have had permanent physicians come and stay for a short period, only to leave, thus entrusting locums to fill that gap. I am not saying this is a bad thing because many of the attending locums are specialists that provide an added benefit to community health care services.
Mr. Speaker, if our health care system expects to retain permanent health care professionals, we must provide them with the support from locums in order to allow them time off to enjoy life as well. From statistics I have reviewed, the burnout rate among physicians is placed at upwards of 40 percent; and, with the added burden of the ongoing pandemic, I expect that number has increased. We have to remember that the pandemic lockdowns, coupled with additional workload of acute care units and deferral of surgeries, have healthcare workers re-evaluating what is important, and that is family.
Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has shown the fragility of our health care system, the importance of health care professionals, and the fact that we need to do more to support those on the frontline.
Mr. Speaker, we see large health care employee vacancy numbers, not only in the NWT by throughout Canada. If we expect to retain professional care and health care workers then our current retention approach must be revisited, it must be different, and must come with resolve.
Mr. Speaker, any change must be done in collaboration with our health care professionals. We need immediate solutions to address how to efficiently provide focused patient care for all residents in the NWT. This may include better communication, reducing health care burnout, use of virtual care, functioning facilities and equipment, increased compensation for health care staff, and the effective use of locums who are now engrained in all facets of our health care delivery system. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today Mr. Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge and thank all the frontline health care workers in Tuktoyaktuk and my leadership and all Nunakput riding.
Mr. Speaker, 10 percent of my community in Tuktoyaktuk had an outbreak and that was a really scary situation. It's still 18 positives that we're still working towards getting through that 10-day isolation and making sure they're testing negative but we're very thankful to our staff for all the hard work that they do, August Stuckey and the health centre crew, thank you so much. And for all the tireless work you've been doing for the last three weeks to a month. Also to the SAO and the hamlet staff for working so hard and diligently to make sure everything's been going right. And my mayor Erwin Elias, thank you for doing what you do and the good job that you're doing.
Mr. Speaker, November 26th, 2021 our health organization designated a new variant COVID19. It's a concern. The variant is called Omicron. It appeared in Canada. I was watching the news the other day, at six in the morning, and then it was in Ottawa. 4 o'clock in the afternoon, it was in Edmonton. So that's how fast it's travelling, Mr. Speaker, and we're worried. There's a lot of unknowns at this point surrounding the variant, and we don't know how quickly it will spread and the vaccines help. I am concerned with my communities.
My leadership called; I talked to my leadership Josh Oliktoak. I had a text message from him saying, Anybody travelling from Yellowknife airport should be getting a clean bill of COVID test before they jump on the plane heading into Ulu. So that has to be looked at, Mr. Speaker. I don't think it's being done here, or passengers have to go and get cleared to travel because getting it into Ulukhaktok, some of my Elders are not vaccinated and it's a really scary situation that they went through already. And, you know, there's so many challenges in our communities. Like, for Tuk we had to establish a managing and isolation centre, finding enough homes and places to isolate families. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Ensuring residents have food and they don't have to leave their homes. Administrating the COVID testing and tracing is fast enough to limit the spread, and I'd like to thank them for doing that job so diligently, but we have to work on it.
Mr. Speaker, I'm really concerned on whether the next variant of COVID is going to hit our communities and the secretariat was created to respond to COVID, to create a process that will keep our communities safe. I'm concerned that the response to keep communities safe may be not improving and quick enough to address the challenges for our community and giving the SAOs and the hamlet help. Mr. Speaker, I'll have a few questions for the Premier as the head of COVID Secretariat later this afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Member’s Statement on
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the implementation of the Living Well Together training for all the government of the Northwest Territories staff, it was disturbing for me to hear on the different occasions that some members of the public service are not completing this training. The Living Well Together recognizes that the NWT was first Indigenous land filled with Indigenous people. It recognizes the impact of colonization had on Indigenous people. It explains through firsthand stories how this trauma continues today in the lives of Indigenous residents.
Living Well Together was intended to provide all public servants with Indigenous cultural awareness and sensitivity training to assist them in their jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I think people throughout Canada, even within the NWT, do not recognize the impact of our collective history built on racism, white privilege, removing Indigenous people from their land, and forcing children out of their culture. Many people don't recognize don't truly recognize how Canada's colonial history affects us all today.
Mr. Speaker, many of our Indigenous people struggle with addictions, mental health, high rates of family violence; our children make up most all of the children in care; and the majority of the inmates of the population in our correction facilities. The homeless and underhoused people in the NWT are made up of many residential school survivors or their children.
Mr. Speaker, this is a result of the systemic racism built in governments that has continued since first contact.
Mr. Speaker, this training is extremely important for all public servants in the GNWT to complete, especially those people who deal directly with the public.
Mr. Speaker, we know that nonIndigenous people make up nearly 60 percent of the entire GNWT public service. It is very concerning to me that nonIndigenous public servants, especially those on the frontlines, dealing with directly, with our Elders, our new mothers, our people struggling with addictions, are not properly trained in cultural awareness, or refuse to do so.
I will have questions for the Minister of Finance later today. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently Health Canada limited access for counseling services for residential school survivors in the NWT and Nunavut. Funding for travelling clinics has been cut and Health Canada counselors that normally travel to the communities, must now take a four to six-week break before they are permitted to see clients in person again. This means that many inperson appointments could take place as much as eight weeks apart.
One of the key aspects of trauma counseling is creating a space in which survivors feel safe enough to share. The creation of that space relies heavily on the trust established with their counselor; trust that may take years to create. Any mental health worker knows that facetoface sessions are vastly preferred over virtual, as they are trained to look for physical signs of mental health distress, abuse, neglect, or cognitive difficulties. This is especially crucial for children who may not have the language to express their thoughts and feelings. Despite this, Health Canada has instructed counselors to use virtual technology over travel in order to save money.
Mr. Speaker we all know what telephone and internet services are like in the North. It is inadequate and costly and not all residents have access. Add in the disconnect that not being in the same room causes, and one doesn't have to be a mental health expert to see this doesn't work.
The NWT has some of the highest rates of genderbased violence in Canada; only made worse by the pandemic. When I asked the Health Minister about this federal spending cut, she said she'd add it to her agenda when she has "the opportunity to meet with the new federal Minister."
Mr. Speaker, that's not good enough. Why would the Minister not immediately advocate on behalf of our residents? Why would she not inform them that this is not acceptable, particularly during the pandemic? When asked, the Minister points us to GNWT supports saying same day appointments are available. Yes, for one day, then you will be put on a list for a permanent counselor, often waiting for months, as what happened when my father passed away. Otherwise we're pointed to apps and online tools, placing the onus on residents to "heal themselves", something that is clearly not working. Not everyone can "go on the land", Mr. Speaker, nor does everyone have a smartphone or a computer.
This Cabinet loves to deflect responsibility to Canada whenever it suits them; however, I think they fail to realize at times that they are our voices in Ottawa and it is up to them to ensure that we are being heard. This involves being proactive, being vocal, being loud. Not waiting until it's convenient for the bureaucrats in Ottawa to find time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to speak again today about the need for more access to aftercare services for people in recovery and for those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Mr. Speaker, assessing mental health and addiction issues in the NWT can be tedious and an intimidating experience for our residents. That was true before the pandemic hit, and it's even harder now for the people to access these vital supports during these uncertain times amidst this pandemic.
As I said in my Member's statement last week, it has been reported and researched by many entities, mental health and addiction services during this pandemic have become harder to access and its service availability has been increasingly limited.
Mr. Speaker, with this in mind, it is very welcoming news to hear from our Health Minister that a new wellness recovery centre will be built in Yellowknife by 2024. This is very good news for the people of the NWT and certainly a step in the right direction for the territory, and I support it.
Mr. Speaker, to add to this conversation and to be build upon this good work, I'd like to suggest that our government considers expanding its reach for aftercare and recovery centres in the NWT since we now know that our recovery centre will be built in the central hub of the capital. I think we need to consider building in the future another recovery centre in a different community and region of the NWT.
That said, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to suggest that Fort Smith and the South Slave region be considered as a site for a future recovery centre aftercare facility for the NWT. I think having an aftercare facility in a non-industrialized location and away from the enabling spaces of people's addictions is a good thing. It can be a good thing to remove someone, at least temporarily, from their spaces of active addiction in order to help them break the cycle of their addiction. However, equally vital to breaking the cycles of addiction is a need to provide aftercare and proper follow up for those in recovery.
I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the key indicators for evaluating how a health system works is wait times. And right now, you can go to every other jurisdiction or every province in Canada and look up their wait times. And I'd encourage people to do this. If you go to the BC one, it's actually quite an amazing database. You can see every single surgeon and how many procedures they currently have waiting, at which hospitals, at which region. You can see the number of weeks for every single procedure that could be scheduled in the health care system in live reported data, Mr. Speaker. And multiple organizations, including Health Canada take this data from across the country, and they use it to help inform how we need to fund health care. Yet when you go to the Northwest Territories, none of this data is readily available, Mr. Speaker. It is few and far between. And often when it is published, it's published in the amount of people waiting for a procedure, which is not a helpful statistic. If 50 people need a knee replacement, I don't know how long that takes, I have to find a knee surgeon to tell me how long it takes to actually get through 50 people.
Mr. Speaker, I would like us to have this data, and I would like to be giving a statement here on the facts and where we need to improve and put resources. But I don't have that data. So I'm going to share some anecdotal evidence I have on this.
One of my constituents just recently got a knee replacement. It was five years from the time she was told she needs a knee replacement. She's now on the schedule for the next knee replacement and has already, years in advance, booked the after-physiotherapy for that knee replacement knowing the waitlist is so long, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I previously asked in this House about the wait times to get FASD. I know many people who have been waiting for an FASD diagnosis for years, Mr. Speaker a diagnosis that is essential to accessing services that is relevant to getting a person to cope with that disorder, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the department is doing some work but I think we really need to prioritize this. I know we're getting a new electronic medical records system, and I would like to thank the department for the work they did during booking COVID vaccines. I've never seen a department get ahold of software so quickly. But it was great. It allowed you to schedule your appointments. It sent you reminders. It allowed you to cancel them easily. I would ask that the department look at doing something similar for all procedures and make sure we are tracking this key essential data. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I am going to be talking about housing, again. I know Ms. Chinna is a good person and it's the portfolio I'm speaking to, so.
Okay, Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is facing a housing crisis because there is a serious lack of affordable housing in this territory. Current Northwest Territories Housing Corporation strategy to provide housing for NWT residents is not meeting the unique needs of our people and communities. For example, many people in the North are employed in the diamond mines or work seasonally in other resource industry jobs. These jobs are really important for our community members because there are so few jobs and so few high-paying jobs in the communities.
In these jobs, our people can make good income for themselves and their families but then their rents are increased dramatically to very high excessive monthly amounts.
Mr. Speaker, we are penalizing our own people for working. In economic, people are discouraged to seek higher paying work. How is this fair to our people who want to do well for themselves and their families? This is not a new issue. We have been discussing for decades how the housing rate structure does not work and operates for our own people to work. On the other hand, many of our community members are considered low-income and do not qualify for the government assistance programs toward homeownership.
The applications that currently exist are overly complicated, have too many financial barriers, and simply take too long to approve. Our people are trapped without clear or easy pathway towards affordable housing. We simply do not have enough housing for private ownership, for low-income families, and for our Elders. We are preventing our own people from having homes. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, our seniors and Elders are the fastest growing population in the NWT. Over the next decade, our seniors population over 60 will increase by 56 percent, and the demand for home care by 80 percent. As the GNWT pens an Elders strategy, we speak often in this House about the need for housing to support seniors to age in place with dignity. But what we don't talk about, Mr. Speaker, is the predictable surge of chronic illness. 31 percent of NWT residents over the age of 65 have diabetes, a disease shown to lead to neurodegeneration that substantially increases a Northerner's risk of Alzheimer's, other dementias, and Parkinson's.
Seniors with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's and 80 percent more likely to develop Parkinson's. Currently, Alzheimer's, dementias, and Parkinson's cannot be cured but treatment options are available to help mitigate the symptoms and health impacts associated with these conditions. But like any disease, before it can be treated or supported, it needs to be diagnosed.
The onset of dementias and Parkinson's have a slow progression and often symptoms that make life difficult for the individual travelling through life changes and that are hard to diagnose. These neurodegenerative diseases require a series of tests, many of which are not accessible in most of our communities, a full physical exam by a doctor, neurological exam by a specialist, blood work, CT scan, MRI, and EEG, and a PET. Travel and its associated stresses exacerbate neurological conditions, rendering our Elders further exhausted, stressed, and needing more medication to attend and participate in appointments for the purposes of finding out if their treatment and medication doses are working. This is counterintuitive, Mr. Speaker. But without diagnosis, there are no supports, and without supports, conditions worsen and quality of life suffers.
The number of Canadians living with dementia is expected to double by 2030, and the number of Canadians living with Parkinson's are expected to double by 2031.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT does not have physicians who specialize in the care of neurodegenerative disease, and we are in the wake of a wave that is about to break. The people who birthed us, taught us, loved us, and cared for us are ageing. The times are shifting, and it is our turn to be the caregivers. But I am worried that we are not resourced, ready, or acknowledging what is required for our Elders to age in place with dignity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I'll talk today about problems with the federal Energy Efficiency Grant Program that are preventing NWT residents from receiving program benefits, saving energy, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
The Canada Greener Homes Grant Program was established in May 2021 by the federal government and provides cash grants up to $5,000 to private homeowners for energy efficiency retrofits. To receive the grant, applicants must have home energy audits done both before and after retrofits. The Arctic Energy Alliance is the only provider of such audits in the NWT that's certified by the federal or certified to federal standards.
The audit requirements apply to minor projects of even a few hundred dollars. The Alliance has long since set aside audit requirements for minor projects under its own programs, recognizing that many energy efficiency benefits are obvious without the need for individual assessment. The federal program fails to recognize the lack of certified auditors necessary to meet requirements in a timely fashion.
The alliance has two certified auditors and two more in training. Past efforts to provide energy audits through contractors in the NWT has not been successful, although that option is, again, being pursued.
The wait time for energy audits in Yellowknife is now up to a year. COVID restrictions on entry in to private homes can further aggravate the wait time on a situation. I'm calling on our Minister of Infrastructure to partner with other jurisdictions and convince the federal government to change the energy audit requirements for the Canada Greener Homes Grant Program to enable NWT residents to access the funding.
I'll have questions later today for the Minister of Infrastructure who has lead responsibility for the Arctic Energy Alliance. Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on September 30, 2021, Gunnar Paulson passed away at the age of 64. Gunnar is survived by his brother Chris and his three daughters: Josanne Kenny, Kristen Tanche, Hannah Paulson, and his two grandchildren William and Amaria Tanche.
Gunnar grew up in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and always planned on travelling when he got older. When the travel bug hit him, he was off. He spent time all over the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Iceland, and many other places. In the 80's, he settled in the Northwest Territories, mostly in the Deh Cho and Tlicho regions but also spent a lot of time in the Yellowknife area.
Gunnar worked in many different professions, from fishing, surveying, office administration to diamond mining. He was a hardworking person who enjoyed all different jobs he had.
I had the pleasure of meeting Gunnar when he worked for the Whati Band. He was well respected by his coworkers and bosses. He worked hard to get things done right. However, the job wasn't what he was most proud of, and that was being a father and grandfather. He was a loving father and was very proud of his daughters and grandchildren. He was full of stories about their successes and challenges.
Gunnar was well known for his humour. He enjoyed telling funny stories and he had a long list of one-liners he would use during your conversation with him. If it didn't happen, you were disappointed. However, there was one thing that stood out was Gunner's generosity. If he was able to part with something to make the other person's life better, he would do it. Like the old saying "he would give the shirt right off his back for you." This was Gunnar. He had a lot of friends all over the North and will be sorely missed.
The family would like to extend their gratitude and appreciation to all those who came to pay their respects to Gunnar in person or virtually. Mahsi for showing him support, love, and compassion. The family are grateful for everybody's kindness during this difficult time. His daughters would like to thank the Stanton medical staff, the doctors, nurses, and nurses aides for making their father comfortable during the last few months. As well, for making the family feel wanted and respected during this difficult time. Mr. Speaker, he will be sadly missed by us all. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community at this time. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The questions are for the Minister of Health. Can the Minister tell this Assembly how many locum health care providers the department employs throughout the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question. For the month of December, there will be 77 locum physicians providing services to the NWT. It sounds like a lot, but this is substantially lower than the average of 103 locums per month. In addition, as of October 31st the following casual locum staff working throughout the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority: 11 community health nurses, one midwife, one nurse practitioner, one respiratory therapist, and 26 registered nurses. And to give some context to these numbers, as of June the 30th there were 338 frontline nursing positions and a total of 1509 positions throughout the whole of the NTHSSA. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell this Assembly if these positions are concentrated in Yellowknife or throughout other communities as well; and, due to increased vacancy of health care professionals, is the department looking to locums to fill the gap going forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Health and Social Services system has always relied on locums, and that is still the case. The positions are located throughout the NWT, and we use them to cover shortterm gaps and ensure that we're providing quality services to our patients. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm if locum turnover is something the department considers real, something constituents say is happening and resulting in inadequate and untimely community health care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, locums are selfemployed basically. They come here on shortterm contracts, and they may come once, they may come on a schedule; there's no way to know. And on the employer end, they are used to fill gaps as necessary. So in some cases, we do see locums returning on a regular basis and, wherever possible, we encourage them to continue coming to the NWT to ensure that patient continuity that the Member was seeking of.
In addition, we maintain a locum talent pool list which is a list that we consult and call people from on an ongoing basis.
What we've seen from locums in recent months is that there's a lower uptake across all health care areas, and that's not just in the NWT; it's across the country as well. And so we're monitoring this and determining whether we need to increase our recruitment efforts not only of full-time staff but of locums as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, an issue that is discussed is of some health care staff is the inequity in the treatment between permanent staff and locums. It is assumed locums are treated better when it comes to compensation and time on the job. Can the Minister confirm if this is an issue and if so, how is it being addressed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you. The terms and conditions of the collective agreement set out the compensation and benefits provided to our indeterminate and casual employees, and this includes locum nursing contracts. Physician locum compensation is separate and in its own collective agreement with the NWT Medical Association. Thank you.
