Thank you, Madam Speaker. These questions are for the Minister of Health. Madam Speaker, during this pandemic we have seen a rise in youth suicide in our communities, numerous drug overdoses, those amongst our youth, rise in family violence, increased substance abuse, shaming on both sides of the vaccine debate, and we actually placed people on waiting lists to get mental health supports.
Madam Speaker, will the Minister confirm if her department has tracked mental health issues experienced by residents arising out of this pandemic? Are there metrics that we can use to direct us to relevant treatment and supports? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the question from the Member. There's no question that the pandemic has been a very stressful time. It's produced a lot of anxiety, a lot of depression, and people are reaching out for services. We have, since the beginning of the pandemic, been tracking social indicators and publishing them on our website. They are examined quarterly. And what we see is that the use of our programs has varied over time. It was lower at the start of the pandemic and greater now, and it depends on the particular service that we're talking about. But when it comes to the community counselling program, there is no waitlist. People can make sameday or even dropin appointments, and they are in person, unlike earlier in the pandemic when they were virtual, which I understand is not as preferable. So we continue to monitor the data from the people who present for services to understand what their needs are and how to meet them. And you'll be interested to know that we are doing our semiannual community counselling program questionnaire of clients this winter so that we can obtain uptodate information about what they need and what we can provide to them. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, will the Minister tell us if her department has an action plan going forward to address mental health issues attributed to this pandemic? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we do not at this point have a specific pandemic mental health action plan. But depending on the results of the community counselling questionnaire, that may be a good direction for us to go in. In the meantime, we do offer a wide range of services. And I certainly hope that the Member is promoting those services in whatever way he can, community counselling, online services, outofterritory services. We try to provide variety so that we can meet people where they're at. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And in just a response to the Minister, I do promote those supports that are out there and as well, I get people coming in to my office and provide that type of support as well, even though I'm not qualified. But people just need someone to talk to sometimes.
So Madam Speaker, will the Minister confirm if our communities will see additional staff to assist in providing mental health supports to those in need and how it will unfold? Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I commend the Member for providing a listening ear. He's right; often that is exactly what people need.
As I mentioned previously, there are services available. They've been available throughout the pandemic. We have counselling available on a sameday basis. We have the child and youth care counselling program to assist youth with their mental health issues. So at this point, I think our biggest challenge is staffing.
We do have a number of vacancies. Yesterday in response to a question from another Member, I mentioned that a shortage of housing was preventing filling positions in his community, so that is a limiting factor. But we continue to advertise for the staff and do fill the positions as quickly as possible knowing how important they are. Thank you.
Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I've heard from parents who are concerned, you know, with the mental health of their children at school. So will the Minister confirm how her department will address mental health supports in our schools, and is she working with the Minister of Education to address it? Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the question. The child and youth care counsellor initiative is a joint project between ECE and the Department of Health and Social Services. It is, if you like, school counselling 2.0. What we have is a fouryear implementation plan of which we are now in year four where we've provided 42 positions to schools and seven clinical supervisors in order to address the needs of children and youth, particularly with respect to mental health, but they could bring any needs forward. We are now at the point of beginning an evaluation of this program so that we can determine whether it is meeting the goals that we set for it. So the service is up and running. It's available in person. And the evaluation will be completed during the next fiscal year. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I had questions for the housing Minister but she's not in the House, but I'll redirect them to the Premier.
Madam Speaker, the people in my riding are wanting have been waiting way too long in regards to move to the public housing units. Can the Minister provide me with a waitlist per community in my riding in writing? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't have the list of the waitlist for the numbers for Nunakput. I don't have them in front of me. I will follow up with the Member with those numbers. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Supplementary, Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can the Minister confirm whether the three retrofits in Paulatuk, two retrofits in Ulukhaktok, and a plan for 2022, have they been completed? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I do not have the numbers for the Member. I do have a list of our coinvestment public housing delivery and also our CIRNAC delivery as well, too, for the Northwest Territories. I will provide those numbers to the Member and also with the repairs for his riding as well, too. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you. Supplementary, Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. Madam Speaker, we have local businesses in the Beaufort Delta that are willing to build units and work together with our government and sort of "build it they'll come", so to say where it's not going to be a burden on our government for upfront costs to be building.
Is the government willing to work with local businesses in the Beaufort Delta to build units in the communities to get units there quicker so we're not having to get two units per year when we have a waiting list of 25 or 30 people, in one of my communities. Are they willing to work with us to get units into the communities this year? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely, I am willing to work with the Member as well. We do have the coinvestment funding that is available for the Northwest Territories. We do have staff that provide further information on that program delivery. There has also been a number of Indigenous groups throughout the Northwest Territories that has accessed that funding, and the Housing Corporation works with them very closely in trying to support those applications going forward.
And I just wanted to go back to the Member's question that just for the numbers on the public housing waitlist. I do have 15 people on the housing waitlist in Paulatuk, three households with numbers of people in Sachs Harbour, and 17 for Paulatuk. I do not have the numbers for Ulukhaktok. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. So I'm happy to hear the Minister's willing to commit to working with us in regards to Nunakput because we do have a housing strategy being done for a couple of elders facilities that these companies are willing to build and work together with getting a negotiated lease, I guess, that's what's going to be needed to happen. And if I could get commitment, again, for the record, that she's willing to work with us to get these units completed in my riding of Nunakput and the Beaufort Delta. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm very encouraged to be working with all Indigenous groups throughout the Northwest Territories. And if they're coming up with wanting to pursue partnership or finding additional and unique housing solutions, I am committed to be working with that Member and with those Indigenous groups as well too. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Mahsi.
Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Madam Speaker, can the Minister of Infrastructure provide us an update on the status of the Mackenzie Valley Highway Project? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.
Quyanainni. The Mackenzie Valley Highway Project is currently undergoing an environmental assessment by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Review Board. The next major milestone in the submission of our comprehensive developer's assessment report, we have been working hard to collect information that is needed for this report over the past several years and expect that report to be submitted to the Mackenzie Valley Review Board this fall. This project will then move forward with the environmental assessment review process for the report. Quyananni.
Supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Madam Speaker, I think the Minister has answered some of my questions but I'm going to ask it again.
Madam Speaker, can the Minister provide a timeline for when we can expect the environmental review for the Mackenzie Valley Highway to be complete? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Quyananni ekati. Once our developer's assessment report is submitted, the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board will initiate their assessment process. The timeline in which is governed by the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. However, we anticipate that the environmental assessment process will completed in 2024, which will be followed by a regulatory process to be able to obtain specific licences, permits going through the regional land and water boards. So we anticipate that to be completed in 2025. That's the timelines. Quyanainni.
Thank you, Minister. Supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Madam Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister can provide clarity on something. According to the Department of Infrastructure's website, 40 of 42 bridges and two access roads have already been built along the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway route, yet construction of the highway has not officially begun. Can the Minister confirm if construction of the highway has begun or not? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Quyanainni. Construction on the Mackenzie Valley Highway Project has not started. The Canyon Creek access road, the 14 kilometre portion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway alignment from Norman Wells to south of Canyon Creek was completed in 2018. However, this work was advanced as a standalone project with appropriate regulatory approvals and community support as initiative to build capacity in the region as well as advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway Project. We also hope to advance the construction of the Prohibition Creek and Mount Gadet access road as well as the Great Bear River Bridge while the environmental assessment and regulatory process is underway. The bridge projects the Member's referencing were completed as part of the Department of Infrastructure's bridge replacement program for the Mackenzie Valley winter road, but we will continue to support the project as we all know this is a priority of this Assembly. Quyanainni.
Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Madam Speaker, can the Minister provide us any specific dates or timelines for when construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway will be starting? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Quyanainni. Once again, the environmental assessment process is completed. When it's completed, the regulatory authorizations received, the GNWT will need to make a final construction decision on the project. Construction of the project will require significant federal financial support to proceed. And I've identified this to my federal counterparts as well. Pending an appropriate level of federal funding to support and advance this project, we expect we could be in a position for commenced construction on 2026. Quyanainni.
Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
In the 2017 Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Plan 20172022, HSS identifies numerous actions in several departments that were to have been implemented to improve the situation for young people. As it's now 2022, can the Minister please provide an update on the plan such as what has been completed, how have the outcomes been measured, and will there be a report and update coming? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm not familiar with this report so I'll have to come back with that information. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. That's concerning, but I'll move on. Besides telephone Help Lines, what specific supports are provided to families and guardians to help them recognize the signs or symptoms of a mental health emergency in their children long before it gets to the point of suicide? Where do parents go for help when they find themselves in this situation? Thank you.
Yes, thank you. I appreciate the Member shining a light on this area. It's obviously every parent's worst nightmare is to fear that their child has suicidal thoughts or has attempted or completed a suicide. I appreciate her shining a light on that. I think that it's very important to do that.
We have, of course, the community counselling program that's available to individuals or people could attend in families. We also have a specific app, and of course that depends on having the right tools and the connectivity. But it's called the Strongest Family Institute, and it is specifically geared to helping parents with challenges that they face.
The Child and youth care counselling program, which I spoke about in response to another question, is one that is also available to families where they can attend together to talk about the issues that they face. So there are services that are in place and available immediately to families in need who are facing challenges. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. That's good to know that the families can also access the youth counsellors; it's not just for children.
My next question is does the Department of Health record statistics for children on overdose, suicide attempts, mental health assistance, medivacs, etcetera? If Ontario can provide us with the statistics that one in five children are having mental health problems, where are those statistics for the NWT? How many children are in our mental health system and how is their progress tracked and recorded? Thank you.
Yes, thank you. I'll return with that information. Thank you.
Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, will the Minister finally admit that we are in a mental health crisis here in the Northwest Territories after two years of this pandemic? Thank you.
