Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling the 20232024 Capital Estimates, which uses a revised approach in budgeting that better aligns the GNWT’s planned spending with actual project delivery. Overall, the proposed capital estimates include $328 million in total spending, comprised of $292.5 million in departmentally managed capital, and $35.5 million for Housing NWT.
Over the last nine years, the GNWT has proposed capital plans averaging $405 million per year but the actual average spend was only $226 million per year. Put simply, the GNWT does not have the capacity to develop all of the projects we have been putting into the capital budget for the past few years, nor can the Northwest Territories' economy supply the labour and materials necessary to build assets on the schedule and scale proposed in previous GNWT capital plans. This creates unrealistic expectations among residents and communities, does not encourage good planning, and necessitates an unnecessarily large borrowing plan. This revised approach puts a $260 million funding cap on departmental capital spending beginning in 20232024, and brings the capital budget closer in line with the actual expectations. Infrastructure contributions for community governments and funding for Housing NWT are not included in this cap.
As part of this process, we asked departments to go through their planned investments and reassess what can actually be accomplished within this new funding cap and recognize that previously approved cost estimates and timelines of projects that have not advanced are now dated and will need to be revisited. This approach was reviewed by an interdepartmental working group and the new assistant deputy ministers working committee tasked with overseeing the capital planning process. Going forward, any new project estimates being proposed by departments will be reviewed by a peer review committee, which will provide technical oversight on project planning.
In some instances, we adjusted our investment timeline to move some projects back to the planning stage on the recommendations of the assistant deputy ministers review committee. Once unresolved issues that may have been delaying these projects are addressed, these projects will come back through the annual capital planning process for inclusion in the capital plan. We are moving, not cancelling, previously approved projects from longterm planning and have included $8.7 million in the 20232024 Capital Estimates to assist with further project scoping and design such as the Great Bear River Bridge currently proposed as part of the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Colville Lake school, and a number of longterm care facilities. In short, projects that have lingered on the books, but are not advancing, will now see a better focus placed on problemsolving and planning so that they can in fact be ready to advance.
We are transforming our capital budgeting to encourage sound planning and refocus on projects that will be delivered. Our stronger emphasis on sound planning will also benefit local industries and businesses by allowing them to realistically plan to help deliver GNWT projects. To be clear, funding for smaller capital projects typically delivered by local businesses was not impacted by the $260 million cap in the 20232024 Capital Estimates. This includes small capital projects, retrofits and biomass funding, funding for highway bridges, culverts and chip sealing, and information management and technology equipment, as well as deferred maintenance. What has changed is that the more rigorous planning process for large capital projects will help businesses be assured that large capital projects proposed in the 20232024 Capital Estimates are truly ready to be built.
Our capital planning process is guided by a process handbook that prioritizes projects based on the protection of people, assets, the environment, and financial investments. Our needs list includes all the projects we envision for our future and reflects our priorities, combined with a longterm vision that extends well beyond any single Legislative Assembly. The additional funding included in the capital budget for planning and design will help decisionmakers evaluate when projects should be included in the capital estimates for review and approval by this House.
This more realistic approach to capital planning provides a more accurate borrowing plan and more transparency with the Fiscal Responsibility Policy. The policy requires that at least half of GNWT capital investments are financed by an operating surplus. When capital budgets are larger than what can be delivered, we end up approving a borrowing plan that is too high for our needs which, in turn, sends a negative signal to financial stakeholders, and the users of the information that is published in our budgets.
Mr. Speaker, the 20232024 Capital Estimates align realistic spending and achievable timelines and continue to advance mandate priorities agreed to by the 19th Legislative Assembly. The new approach that resulted in these proposed estimates will encourage fulsome planning, support more realistic fiscal management and, importantly, focus attention and accountability where it should be on the delivery of those projects that are in fact shovel ready. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report to this House, and residents of the NWT, on the progress we are making to transform the child and family services system to better serve children, youth, families, and communities. We want to create a system that provides services that are culturally safe and antiracist.
Initiatives under the 20192021 Quality Improvement Plan are helping us reach that goal. I want to share a few details from the annual report of the director of child and family services, which I will table later today. Prevention services now account for 50 percent of all the services delivered. The Family Preservation Program has continued to expand throughout the NWT and now supports 86 families. A total of 75 percent of children who receive services remain in their home while a further 17 percent remain in their home community. Foster placements are being replaced with family placements, primarily extended family.
Mr. Speaker, that doesn’t mean our job is done. Indigenous children continue to be overrepresented for both prevention and protection. Much of the need in this area is driven by poverty and housing insecurity. Access to safe housing, mental wellness supports, recreational opportunities, and pre and postnatal care are the building blocks to support families and communities.
Another area of concern flagged in the director’s report is youth in permanent care of the director who age out of the Extended Support Services Agreement. In the last fiscal year, only 23 percent of youth chose to continue services that would help them to transition to adulthood following their 19th birthday.
Mr. Speaker, these changes are possible because of our robust Quality Improvement Plan. A few of the plan’s highlights include:
56 new positions focused on frontline capacity, family preservation, placement services, supervisory support, as well as training and cultural safety;
Creating and filling two positions to support the integration of principles of cultural safety and antiracism as part of the child and family services reform;
Developing and implementing the Family Preservation Program I just referred to. This program provides families with wraparound support and promotes family unity and wellbeing. It also includes new funding to hire family preservation workers in every region of the NWT; and finally,.
Expanding prevention support offered to expectant parents throughout the pre and postnatal periods.
Mr. Speaker, the need for system reform has long been in play to begin addressing the impacts of colonization within the child and family services policies and practices. The department, and the health and social services authorities, recognize that Indigenous voices must guide the process of reconciliation within child and family services. Our goal is to acknowledge their experiences and answer their calls for a more culturally safe and antiracist approach to the delivery of child and family services. We will also continue to work with Indigenous governments and communities by sharing information, keeping an open dialogue about service delivery, and supporting Indigenous governments in planning for children and youth.
The Standing Committee on Social Development’s Report on the Child and Family Services Act called on all of us to work together to provide a broader continuum of care to meet the needs of children, youth, and families in the Northwest Territories. That is a goal I wholeheartedly share. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Disaster Assistance Policy was established for a reason; that being, to provide financial support to those impacted by natural disasters that may not be covered through standard insurance policies. The flooding in Hay River is one of those occurrences where that financial support was required, and that support has been well received and appreciated by residents and business owners.
Mr. Speaker, it has now been several months since flooding occurred in Hay River. As we know, many residents have been displaced from their homes, with many continuing to live in temporary accommodations. – this is extremely difficult for many and more so for seniors.
Mr. Speaker, some residents are in commercial accommodations while others chose to be with family or friends. Due to a shortage of contractors, untimely processes, and communication issues around DAP claims, some residents are concerned that they may be unable to return to their homes before next summer, or the summer after.
Mr. Speaker, residents say they continue to wait on clear answers from this government on home replacement, home repairs, and mitigation solutions. They are finding the requirement to jump through everchanging government policy, rules, and forms, is causing additional stress and worry. Mr. Speaker, it is not just the residents, but also the contractors and local suppliers that are facing additional issues such as labour and material shortage which is not unique to the NWT. Impacted residents are waiting extended periods for quotes from contractors. Contractors are just too busy to quote and do not want to give false hope to residents that work can get started.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that prior to the damage caused by flooding, many of the local contractors had a full slate of work on their plate. The addition of taking on flood damage remediation forced each to refocus and rearrange existing work which will result in some government and private projects falling behind.
Mr. Speaker, what is required from this government is additional support for the pathfinders, professional services, technical support, and access to contractors. We must streamline the process to move remediation of homes along. As winter approaches, it is time for the Minister of MACA and his staff to visit Hay River to hear ongoing concerns from those impacted by the flood. He needs to provide reassurance to the residents and businesses that his department is listening and willing to take the necessary steps support remediation efforts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to the issue of barging services in Nunakput riding. Since the GNWT, Mr. Speaker, has taken over barging six years ago, our communities continue to be at risk of barge schedule and weather, and they always run out of supplies in the communities which is costing our community members more to fly in materials off the airplane and whatever is needed.
Mr. Speaker, the barge schedule is set every year. So why are the community resupplies not the first priority to be complete? Why do our communities consistently wait to the end of shipping season and hope their supplies will arrive? The GNWT, Mr. Speaker, is a public servant. We are all public servants that serve the people of the Northwest Territories, and the people of the Northwest Territories should be put first.
This year in Nunakput, communities of Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok that we got barges got in but the month prior to the month and a half prior to that they were flying in flat Pampers because the store shelves were obsolete. They were deleted. And so is the government willing to see if we could do some sort of if the people were to bring back a receipt from airline or something like that to help the residents of those two communities that had great bare expense to try to survive, are they willing to come and work with us to get funding back to the people that had to pay so much?
Mr. Speaker, does the Department of Infrastructure not establish a schedule in collaboration with the communities' leadership when coming up in the next weeks to come. It arrives in the community and meets the needs of the residents.
In October 2018, while shelves in the communities were depleting, MTS cancelled the barge resupply in Paulatuk. This year we're good to catch it. Ice was impassable. The mayor of Paulatuk at the time, the community was never given clear delivery dates besides the original forecast, and the barge arrived early September. And while the barge did not arrive that season, Mr. Speaker, it was late. The residents bore the whole cost of buying supplies for the community. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the vicious cycle a person must go through to remain in public housing, or their rental home, is often enough to make anyone’s head spin. Often I hear about housing clients in arrears that receive no help. Their income support is insufficient, and they are subjected to overly rigorous and often invasive data collection. Income assistance clients living in our governmentfunded housing still cannot afford to live, or ever get ahead, as any income, help, or giftinkind, lowers the amount of money they will receive down the line, and then they cannot afford to pay for food or other items. Mr. Speaker, you can’t even win a small Bingo jackpot on income assistance without that being deducted from your next cheque; Something that hardly seems worth the administrative burden it creates.
I have to wonder, has the cost benefit analysis been done to see if the amount of money saved is more than the administrative cost it takes to go after an elder in Deline for attending a bingo. As the Premier said yesterday, people are in situations where choices must be made between food and paying their bills.
Basing current rent on the previous year's income makes no sense, and rent based on affordability and current living situation is what a person needs. If clients have arrears, they have difficulty getting caught up. The couch surfing homeless are generally those on the GNWT housing waitlist. If they stay with family who resides in a public housing unit, that family member is then penalized for the additional income of the couch surfer and the rent is increased. Why? They are covering a gap in service as this government does not have enough housing for all residents that need it. This causes overcrowding and unhealthy living arrangements, a burden to the family member that is only trying to help and yet we find it acceptable to charge them more for this.
Cabinet’s response is always people can appeal decisions made by the departments. However, many are unaware of their rights to ask for a reassessment or an appeal. Plus, this all takes time, mental energy, and resources these already marginalized clients cannot easily access or afford. They are afraid of engaging with government offices as they ask for help and are made to feel like a burden and not worthy of government time or money. Often people describe their interactions with the GNWT as being made to feel like, quote, "a criminal or a beggar", and I have to ask how does that fit into our 19th Assembly priority of truth and reconciliation? The answer, Mr. Speaker, is that it doesn’t. And nothing that is being said by this Assembly is more than lip service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 1948, the right to adequate housing was made part of the United Nation Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right to adequate housing is relevant to all nations, and all members of the international community have ratified at least one treaty, declaration, plans of action, or a conference committing themselves to the right of adequate housing.
The United Nation's committee on economic, social and cultural rights has underlined the right to adequate housing should not be interpreted narrowly. Instead, it should be seen as a right to live somewhere in security, peace, and dignity. Mr. Speaker, in case you're wondering why I'm citing international treaties in our territorial legislature, I'm doing my best to impress the importance of the rights to housing in this government. I spent the opening days of our legislative sitting bringing real and personal stories of my constituents' struggles with inadequate housing and in barriers put up by inflexible policies, decisions, that undermines their ability to live in secure, peace, and dignity.
Mr. Speaker, the mandate of this government has modest goals for housing that are entirely achievable. The mandate promised to increase the stock of quality, energy efficient, affordable housing, especially for vulnerable people, by 100 units over a fouryear period. In a transition, 100 individual families to income to homeownership has been three years since these commitments were made and, by the GNWT's own math, 75 percent of these targets should have been met.
It will be foolish not to acknowledge that unprecedented global pandemic and subsequent economic downturn has affected this work. But for the Minister, who I will remind stated not too long ago "housing is my passion", housing should be the first and foremost priority of existing resources, not to mention the federal government has been generous in affording billions of dollars towards national housing infrastructure programs. $30 million has been received by the GNWT to build homes and support local housing strategies for the first year and the next fiscal year. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's no shortage of resources that could make a difference in the lives of my communities. Instead, I see serious lack of political will to push harder than ever before to ensure our people have access to homes that allow them to live in secure, peace, and dignity. Mr. Speaker, this challenge would not be so great if there were more collaboration at the regional and community level. Of course, I'm speaking about partnership with Indigenous governments, both settled and unsettled, that are far better to equipped to determine their own housing needs and implement resources to build and repair homes. The current approach seems to be keeping this money and putting it through the policy rigor at Housing NWT where we know, for the last 50 years, there are red tape barriers to assisting homeowners even today. Instead, why does the Minister not consider reallocating these critical funds that are $30 million from Canada for the next two years with no strings attached through a contribution agreement with Indigenous governments and housing programs and strategies immediately? This way we have insurance that the resources are getting to the ground and being used effectively to promote and provide for adequate and affordable housing in Indigenous communities.
Mr. Speaker, I was elected to find solutions to problems, and what I have learned is that sometimes less government is better option when faced with poor track record of the learning results for the last 50 years of the Housing NWT. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for, at the appropriate time, mahsi, for the Minister.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know the saying squeaky wheel gets its grease? Well, Mr. Speaker, I don't know if there's enough grease available for your wheels, my wheels, the Minister of Infrastructure wheels, Member for Nunakput's wheels, and many of our constituents who travel the Dempster Highway from the Beaufort Delta.
Mr. Speaker, the Dempster Highway is the lifeline, as I said in this House many times, for Inuvik and the Beaufort Delta. The highway is so well used by our people that it's one of the main things that brings all our necessities to the North, from food, energy, building materials, to tourism, just to name a few.
Mr. Speaker, the cost of living in the North is already high. High costs are unfortunately a part of living because of our remoteness. But we as a government have a duty to do everything we can do to drive down costs for our residents.
Mr. Speaker, the Yukon portion of the Dempster Highway is the worst conditions we have seen. I've heard from many constituents and many of other constituents from the region that, from the corner to the border, it's horrible. It's horrible, it's horrible, it's horrible. And when it rains, don't even bother trying if you don't have 4by4.
There's also been multiple long closures that are not only on the winter road due to weather but landslides and damages to bridges, just to name a few, that left the closure for days this summer.
Mr. Speaker, companies are now starting to charge extra to drive up that road, and those costs are being passed on to my constituents and your constituents and the many other constituents of the Beaufort Delta. This means higher costs for food, groceries, energy everything that comes up that road.
Mr. Speaker, today I will be asking the appropriate Minister, which would probably be the Minister of Infrastructure, what our government is doing to push the Yukon government to do its part in terms of maintaining the Dempster Highway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I cannot predict when and where the next pandemic will occur, but I believe we should have learned some lessons from the past pandemic to protect the vulnerable people. First, let me begin with the financial support.
We all heard stories, all of us heard stories, about people having to pay back emergency and recovery payments received from the federal government during the pandemic. We also heard stories about people who received federal COVID support dollars and became ineligible to receive territorial or provincial income assistance. Mr. Speaker, it does not seem right that we create hardship after we have come through a pandemic.
The federal COVID support was not meant to replace the territorial income assistance, yet it seems that both the federal and the territorial government want to claw money back and save ongoing assistance payments. Mr. Speaker, we can do better and create support programs focusing on those in need. We can avoid this boom and bust effect and allow for respectful pay schedules and accurate information. We cannot punish people with low incomes for having received assistance.
Mr. Speaker, I heard of confusion between a loan and income. I hear that if the federal COVID support, like CERB, has to be paid back, then it should be considered a loan. And if it is being paid back, it cannot be considered income and count towards territorial income support assessment. Mr. Speaker, doing both punishes our most vulnerable. The federal government requests the repayment of COVID support while the territorial government considers the received amount as income when determining income assistance eligibility. Mr. Speaker, I can have a unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, we need to focus on how our income support program works and improve them to avoid people getting poorer and becoming homeless. Mr. Speaker, we need to help the clients. Mr. Speaker, good intention do not always lead to good results. We see people unable to pay their rent, falling behind in utility payments, and sliding into food insecurity because on the one hand the federal government requires repayment; on the other hand, the territorial government seems to consider past federal COVID support in assessing eligibility for income support. I will have question for the Minister of education at appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The purpose of reviewing things is to eventually do something. And we have conducted a What We Heard report on the Liquor Act. We now have a report with a number of recommendations. And so my question to the Minister of Finance is when are we actually going to make some changes?
Now, Mr. Speaker, I'm well aware that there is probably no issue more divisive in this House than alcohol. We have communities with literal prohibition in this territory, Mr. Speaker. So it's fair to say that some of us aren't going to agree with how to approach this. But, Mr. Speaker, I believe the Minister of Finance has at least tried, and I commend her on her efforts. The department did the report, they collected a wide variety of opinions, and they came to some sort of compromise.
Heaven forbid I was ever the Minister of Finance, Mr. Speaker, because I would throw that report in the garbage, and I would bring forth my own changes to the Liquor Act which would allow many things that the department wasn't willing to do. But I also know that another Minister of Finance might go in a completely opposite direction. So it's on this Minister while she has that portfolio to bring changes forward, Mr. Speaker, to actually get something done.
Mr. Speaker, there are a few things in the report that I recommendations that I was quite happy to see. They recommend removing the prohibition on the sale of alcohol on election day. You might have noticed there was the usual 100-person lineup at the liquor store yesterday in Yellowknife. Many people going through withdrawal, their symptoms already been there, because we had made it illegal to sell alcohol for almost 48 hours in Yellowknife. I think this is cruel and completely unnecessary and archaic law. Gladly the Minister's recommendation was to get rid of that. We'll have to talk to our authorities and rules about getting rid of it in the Elections and Plebiscites Act, but it's a step.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the report recommended allowing special event permits to be granted them yearlong. Folk on the Rocks has been selling beer for 40 years and every year there's this deadline where they're unsure whether they're going to get their licence. I think we can just give them a special event permit, Mr. Speaker.
There was a number of other changes, Mr. Speaker, allowing manufacturing facilities to set up a hospitality area. I know if you start a brewery, one of the key ways you actually make money is being able to sell beer at that brewery, which is currently prohibited, Mr. Speaker. That being said, we have a stack of changes, some require legislation, some can be done right now. My question for the Minister of Finance is what is she going to accomplish with the Liquor Act in this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to note yesterday's incident during oral questions to the Minister of Education of his claim that everyone goes through university and his claim that he's a lawyer; his dad's a lawyer; I don't know how many others he would have referred to, and the biggest thing is all of Cabinet applauded him. This was during my statement of the plight of education in the small communities.
Many times I've said I have those lived experiences; I'm from a small community. Education levels are dismal. I've been at this since 2019.
I don't know if the education minister would like to apologize to all the small community students who achieve to even try to get out of grade 12 with a grade 12 level so that they can attend university. And many do. We have leaders, many leaders who go to make speeches and tell them to follow their dreams, you know, their dreams is as high, their success is as high as you want it to be. They're naive. They don't know that. They can't make that dream a reality. And I've stated that many times.
There is a big problem in our communities with education. It's being ignored by this government. We need some actions happening to improve education in our small communities, and we need action now.
As I speak passionately about this education in the small communities, the Minister's not from a small community. He doesn't know. He's young yet. You know, he hasn't been around the block in Education for very long. We've been trying to educate him, to work with him. But I'm just getting brash answers and it's constantly, and a lot of showboating lately.
So I'll have a question maybe a question for the Minister of Education at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. In June 2021, the Tlicho government wrote to the federal Minister of Northern Affairs requesting a regional study for the area known as the Slave Geological Province pursuant to part 5.2 of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. It took some prodding in May, June, but the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources supported the idea of a proposed regional study including participant funding. The review board held a workshop on a regional study in June 2022, and there is further correspondence on its website on this matter, including an interesting letter from GNWT.
I support such a regional study and wrote to the federal Minister of Northern Affairs on July 15th. That was a table I or the letter I tabled yesterday in the Assembly, and I recommended that a better name for this initiative be developed to avoid the colonial underpinnings of the name associated with this area; at a minimum, the historical range of the Bathurst caribou range within the NWT and Nunavut needs to be used; a regional study should be conducted by an independent group with representation from both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut; engagement with all interested parties to develop goals, principles, alternatives, scenarios, evaluation criteria, consideration of opportunity costs and tradeoffs and modeling; cumulative effects assessment and intergenerational equity should be part of any regional study; results of any regional study need to be implemented through land use planning and subsequent project assessments; and, finally, there needs to be sufficient participant funding for Indigenous governments and civil society to bring added value to the process.
I will have questions for the Minister of Lands later today on what the GNWT position is on a regional study and how this government intends to engage residents and regular MLAs in putting forward any positions. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Therese Bertrand was born on March 1st, 1934, at Fisherman Lake. Her parents were Marie Angele and Laurent Deneron. She passed away on May 22nd, 2022, at the age of 88. Therese was raised at Fisherman Lake in the springtime, and during the fall, her parents and siblings spent time on the land in Yunaa, also called "across the river".
She met her husband Phillip Bertrand in 1949 when she was 15 years old. They moved to Maxhamish where they raised their nine children.
Therese was brought up in the traditional Dene lifestyle by lakes with lots of fish, birds, animals with her parents and siblings. Phillip and Therese raised their own children the same way, making sure that their children were taught these same skills.
She was known for being ready and willing to help her children with the task of providing and help looking after her children when needed. As it could be seen, she loved each and every one of them.
Therese Dene's name was Amah. Everyone called her that. The family tells a story that one day she heard a knock on her door. When she opened it, there was an RCMP member there, and he asked her, Amah, where is so and so. She replied in Slavey saying he was over there. The RCMP stood and replied, Mashi, Amah. As the member left her house, she turned to the visitor and said, I have a lot of people call me Amah, but I did not know I had a son who was an RCMP member. They both laughed. But that was how people thought of her. She will always be remembered for her bannock, dry fish, dry meat, and tea she would share when people come to visit her. On top of the great food, she would tell stories and share her laughter with them. As well, she had an amazing sense of humour which people still hold on in their hearts.
Therese was predeceased by her parents, husband, five brother, four sisters, one son, and two daughters. She leaves behind one brother, one daughter, six sons, and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, and other nieces and nephews.
Mr. Speaker, she will be forever missed by her surviving family and friends. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community. Members' statements. Member for Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour former deputy minister and public servant Tom Williams who lost his battle with cancer just this past August. Born and raised in the Northwest Territories, Tom dedicated his life to the North and was a wellrespected member of every community he lived in. Tom started his career in the public service over 30 years ago as a personnel officer in Inuvik. As a proud Metis, Tom earned respect from Indigenous people and leadership across the North.
In 2001, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Gwich'in Tribal Council where he spent seven years advancing priorities of the Gwich'in people and supporting leadership.
In 2008, Tom accepted the position of associate deputy minister for the Department of Human Resources. In August 2009, Tom was promoted to deputy minister of Human Resources with the Government of the Northwest Territories, a long journey from the personnel officer position that first brought him to public service.
Tom was appointed as deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs in 2011 and in September 2016 became the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation where he would end his storied career serving residents of all 33 communities.
I remember working with Tom when I was the housing minister and the incredible work we got done during that time. I will miss him.
Mr. Speaker, Tom was not only a dedicated public servant but a family man who cared deeply about those closest to him, especially his grandchildren who he talked about often.
He also loved hockey and invested his free time over the years in the hockey rink coaching youth across the Northwest Territories the game of hockey. He was also a goaltender who played until his knees just wouldn't let him anymore, this after almost 48 years between the pipes.
Tom has left a lasting legacy on the Northwest Territories and is an example of just what one can do with hard work and dedication. Mr. Speaker, Tom Williams will be missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Range Lake. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Pam and the family, also his many friends that he had throughout the Northwest Territories. I remember when Tom was our CEO at the Gwich’in Tribal Council, and it's like we became a big family at the time, you know, over the years. He'll be greatly missed by many. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, I'm pleased to recognize the oral health professionals from the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority and the Department of Health and Social Services. They're in Yellowknife for an oral health conference to increase their knowledge in health promotion and preventative services. We have with us today, Adama Stevens from Inuvik, Julia Erasmus from Fort Simpson, Valerie Herring from Fort Smith, Travy Bowser, Lana de Bastiani, and Zoe IgnacioPacunayen, and Meagan Smith working out of Yellowknife. Thank you for all the work you do, and thank you for joining us.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to also recognize Julia Erasmus. Her parents live across, and I've had the pleasure of knowing Julia for a long time. She did a lot of dental work with my kids. Not saying they had dental problems, but.
As well, MaryJane Cazon, our translator who speaks Dene Zhatie here, as well Jamie Koe, deputy minister for Lands, as well Pam. Thank you very much for being here. Sorry about your loss. Tommy was an amazing individual and when we'd talk about being in his pipes, he'd always sit there and laugh at me and say, you're never ever gonna score a goal on me. And then he'd just sit there and laugh at me as the puck would go in his gloves. So thank you for being here.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Honourable Premier.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a Range Lake constituent and the wife of Tom Williams, Ms. Pamela Williams and his daughter Aurora. My heart is with you. And call me if you need me.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize my constituent and neighbour Lana de Bastiani, and I appreciate that the Minister said your name because I don't know that I would have been able to pronounce it properly. And I'd also like to recognize Natalie Preston with the CBC who has been here with us this week. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.
