Mr. Speaker, back in 2018, a very high level and general project estimate was developed and put the overall project in the range of about $700 million, Mr. Speaker. Not only was this estimate high, it is now outdated as the Member mentioned in his Member's statement.
We know that many factors have changed since this time, including some of the inflationary pressures, labour market conditions, and chain supply issues, to name a few.
As the environmental assessment progresses, we will be finalizing the engineering design for construction. These plans will inform detailed internal construction cost estimates which will be required to inform engagement with Canada for future funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister tell this Assembly what are the barriers to completing the Mackenzie Valley Highway to Norman Wells within a reasonable timeline? Is it rights agreements? Is it money? Is it environmental requirements? Is it GNWT's capacity? Communities have been waiting too long for yearround access to the south. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the submission of the Mackenzie Valley Highway Developers Assessment Report to this Mackenzie Valley Review Board is the next major milestone for this project and will trigger the board's environmental assessment process.
We are anticipating the board requiring the full allotment of time available to them to complete the EA which will see a final report of the environmental assessment to be submitted to responsible Ministers for a decision in late 2024.
Provided this project is given the go ahead, an additional year would likely be required to gain all the necessary regulatory authorization and permits so we can start construction.
As previously mentioned, between now and then, a revised construction cost estimate needs to be developed and construction funding secured. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we know that this project's going to, you know, be south of $700 million.
So Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm what discussions are taking place with the federal government to access the required funding and supports for the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway between Wrigley and Norman Wells? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal government has provided significant financial support to be able to help us advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway project through the environmental assessment. There's been meetings at all levels to garner support for this project. Support of our Indigenous partners is the key to be able to move forward as well as to secure federal funding.
As the EA progresses, we will continue to finalize engineering design plans for construction. These plans will inform an updated cost construction cost estimate which is critical to be able to inform the engagement with Canada for future funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Finance. Given some of the answers and thinking of some of the programs that their department offers for managers in the training of exactly what I was talking about, hiring processes and things like that, are all managers given the management series program? And if not, who decides that they could take this course if they haven't and are in a management role? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, indeed, all managers do go through the management series program. That is mandatory. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I hope that they add a course with the new training or the new guidelines for equivalencies.
How many employees are currently taking the Indigenous Management Development Training Program right now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 20212022, there were 13 employees who accessed funding to take Indigenous Management Training Development. And to date in 20222023, we have two applications pending to access this program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. Only 13 and only two, and we think about how our Indigenous in senior management and management is pretty low numbers. How much funding is allocated to this program, and is it being fully utilized? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Indigenous Management Training Program can support up to 40 grants at $10,000 per grant. So it is undersubscribed. And I would note, Mr. Speaker, it is actually under review right now for exactly that reason or that's one of the reasons, to help increase utilization.
I would note, Mr. Speaker, when we started this Assembly the Indigenous Career Gateway Program was also underutilized and is now oversubscribed. So I do believe we can get there with this one too. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake. Oh sorry, correction. This is your final. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you. Okay. Knowing that this program, you know, looking at it, it's for people who are working in the department, not necessarily in management roles, and so my question to the Minister is has your department will her department Minister have her department ensure now you just got me all flustered department to ensure that this program is raised with Indigenous staff and to all managers and senior managers to offer it to those interested into their departments or take an inventory on how many Indigenous staff are interested if there's lack of funding? And, you know, I was one of the first ones to start raising the Indigenous Career Gateway, and I'm going to do this with this program because we're going to oversubscribe it, okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me give a qualified yes. Because the program is under review, we can certainly promote the program in its current iteration but it might be best to promote the program once it has had its review so that staff are, indeed, getting the very best that is available.
But at the same time, all departments are now expected to start increasing their Indigenous representation at all levels. Those levels are being looked at and monitored for the targets that exist in our business planning process, that were put in place as part of the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework. It is in the interest of every department to be maximizing every training opportunity they have if they're going to hit their targets. So I'm confident we can get some messaging out to that effect. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Access to addictions treatment for youth is provided through child and family services. I'm wondering why has Health and Social Services chosen to fragment adult and child treatment access? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we consider in providing addiction services for our youth and children is the vulnerability of the population and our ability to support them. So I feel very confident that having that response come through child and family services is very important.
One of the services they offer, for example, is when a child goes to treatment outside of the community, outside of the territory, they arrange for courtesy supervision, which means that there's a social worker where the child is who will check on them, connect them to any additional services and make sure the youth is safe. So I don't think this system is fragmented. It's set up to assist a vulnerable population of youth which is different than what adults need. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how does Health and Social Services address the barriers created by housing this service in child and family services given the history of our country and the fear of child and family services? Thank you.
Yes, thanks. I think the Member is talking to the possibility that discussing addiction for youth would trigger protection concerns. That is not the case at present. If a family approaches child and family services, the first step would be a needs assessment followed by an offering of different options that the family could take advantage of and when they choose one, then a plan is tailored to that family and to the person who needs treatment.
We're working hard to combat this stigma that admitting any difficulty in parenting is going to trigger protection concerns. We are very dedicated to dividing these two issues, protection from prevention. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given the request for communitybased solutions, what types of funding is available for grassroots programming specifically geared toward youth addictions treatment? Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've done quite a lot of work in my time expanding the number of communitybased treatment programs that are available to Indigenous governments primarily and also to community governments. It's really driven by those entities about what range of ages they take into their programs.
So, for example, we have the On the Land Healing Fund, Community Suicide Prevention Fund, Peer Support Fund, and Addictions Recovery and Aftercare Fund.
So these funds are set up with a focus but the implementation is really, as I said just now, up to the Indigenous governments, and they can take in the age of the participant of anyone that they choose. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister speak to what harm reduction programs are available to youth in the NWT? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, harm reduction is certainly a focus for us and addiction services for youth really mirror the same that is offered to had adults.
And so just to briefly recap those offers, there's communitybased counselling through the community counselling program or through the child and youth care counsellors. It's the youth's choice which to access.
We have the 24/7 Help Line through the NWT Help Line, and then the kids help phone service which also includes a texting option.
We have apps that are specifically directed to children and families, such as the Strongest Families Institute and the Breathing Room app. We have specialized treatment options for youth and children, both in territory and out of territory. And then we have, as I just mentioned the communitybased wellness programs. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Delivering Equitable Education Services to Small Communities in the Northwest Territories.
In response to the Office of the Auditor General 2020 report on Early Childhood to Grade 12 Education in the Northwest Territories, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment committed to actions toward improving student outcomes in the NWT. It has been two years since ECE responded to the auditor general's recommendations and committed to take action to support schools in small communities and ensure students in the territory have an equitable learning experience. I submit the following questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment:
1. How does the Department of Education, Culture and Employment identify what is required to provide equitable access to quality education for all students in the Northwest Territories and provide the approach chosen and identify the applicable policy documents;
2. What action has the Department of Education, Culture and Employment taken since the 2020 auditor general report to support schools in small communities and ensure students in the territory have an equitable learning experience, indicating which actions are on hold and delayed, providing the reasons for the status, and indicating the partners involved and the amount spent or planned to be spent by activity;
3. How does the Department of Education, Culture and Employment know that it meets students' needs in small communities, including needs for specialist services; how are the needs identified, measured, monitored and reported; and what are barriers and problems in data collection;
4. How is the Department of Education, Culture and Employment considering the socioeconomic diversity and residential school legacy in small communities in its approaches to providing education services and collaborating with communities, explaining which actions, services, and funds are explicitly targeting small communities and the distinct socioeconomic situations and legacies; for example, are actions like providing food allowances or liaising with Housing NWT considered; and
5. Has the Department considered designing a targeted approach to improving student outcomes in small communities within a set timeline that may include partnerships and allocate funds to support students based on needs; and if yes, will that approach be actioned upon, and if not, why not?
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, 2019 Annual Report, Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal Annual Report; 2020 Annual Report, Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal Annual Report; and, 2021 Annual Report, Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal Annual Report. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following document, a report on map staking for minerals obtained pursuant to an access to information request entitled "Report on Jurisdictional Scan and Geomatics Analysis" by Archibald Robb Consulting and Aurora Geosciences Limited dated September 28, 2021. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June 3rd, 2022, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife North, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Government of the Northwest Territories to create a comprehensive strategy to match Canada's population growth; and further, that this strategy aim to sustain the population of each community and grow the territory's overall population by 25 percent by 2043; and furthermore, that this strategy is linked with a goal to add at least 3,700 new homes, or 25 percent, by 2043 and an update to each community's housing plan to make this a priority; and furthermore, that this strategy bring together existing policies, programs, and campaigns aimed at keeping residents in the North and attracting new residents; and furthermore, that this strategy include:
An analysis of what brings people to the North;
An analysis of what keeps residents in the North;
A plan to address the increasing cost of living to keep residents in the North;
An immigration strategy;
A communication strategy to attract people to the North; and
A review of business programs to help residents establish and grow their business in the North.
And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Notices of motion. Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June the 3rd, 2022, I will move the following motion: I move, second by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that when this House adjourns on Friday, June 3, 2022, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, October 13, 2022; and furthermore, that at any time prior October 13, 2022, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, or at a time later than the scheduled resumption of the House, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at that time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it has been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Notices of motion.
Colleagues, before we proceed, we'll call a short recess. Thank you.
SHORT RECESS
