Welcome back, everybody, today. I just want to recognize that we have all our interpreters here and just a reminder to everybody to make sure you remember when you're speaking to slow down and when you're communicating back and forth. Thank you. It helps a lot with the interpreters to be able to do their job.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the CanadaNWT Canadawide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement was signed 11 short months ago. Since that time, every licensed child care program in the NWT has signed on to the fee reduction subsidy. Licensed child care fees across the NWT have been cut in half, new licensed child care spaces have been created, and now we are rolling out new wage enhancements that will allow licensed child care centres to pay their employees more.
We could not have done this without the involvement of child care providers, early childhood educators, Indigenous governments and, of course, the federal government. I would like to thank all our partners for their continued input and collaboration, as we work collectively to provide children with the best possible start in life.
The creation of a coordinated early learning and child care system is a complex task with many moving parts and requires a multifaceted approach.
First, we introduced the child care fee reduction subsidy. As with any systemic change, there were bumps along the way. We rolled the subsidy out quickly so that families could benefit from a reduction in child care retroactively, and we have taken note of, and learned from, the issues and concerns that arose from that approach.
Madam Speaker, you cannot have a child care system without child care spaces. I understand that a lack of child care spaces has created incredible challenges for many parents throughout the territory so I am pleased to say that during the last fiscal year, 67 new child care spaces were created and more are on the way. I am confident that we will meet our target of 300 new spaces by 20252026 through the expansion of existing programs and establishment of new programs if necessary.
Madam Speaker, we can create all the new child care spaces we want but they are of no use without early childhood educators. We need to retain the early childhood educators that are currently in the system and we need to attract more people to the field. In order to create a strong early learning and child care system, our childhood educators need to be supported and valued. That is why I am happy to announce that the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada are creating a retention incentive by investing $4.6 million over the next two years to enhance wages for early childhood educators and licensed-centrebased programs. This enhancement is retroactive to April 1, 2022, and will provide operators with flexibility to make decisions on program and educator needs.
Madam Speaker, as I have mentioned earlier, we have learned from the roll out of the fee reduction subsidy. That is why we made sure to engage child care providers early and often in the development of the retention incentive. The GNWT will provide funding directly to operators which will then flow the money to their employees.
In the first year, licensed child care centres will receive $12,750 for every fulltime position that is required under legislation keeping in mind that some centres have more than the minimum number of required employees. In the second year, the amount increases to $16,250. Child care centres will be able to decide how they distribute the funds to their employees so actual pay increases will vary based on the particular centre. This twoyear program will bridge a gap until we implement a wage grid in the 20242025 fiscal year.
To help develop a skilled workforce, we have also revised the eligibility criteria for the early learning and child care scholarship. Previously this scholarship was only available to fulltime students but now parttime students can apply as well. By expanding the eligibility criteria, we are supporting flexible education paths and helping Northerners who are working in licensed early learning and child care
programs.
Madam Speaker, the creation of an early learning and child care system also requires legislative change. Earlier this year, the GNWT invited the public to have their say on proposed amendments to the Child Daycare Act. The results of that engagement are found in the recently published What We Heard report. The amendments would allow the government to establish a certification process and wage grid, increase inclusion and reporting measures, establish cost control measures, and protect the rights of families. These amendments would align the NWT with other Canadian jurisdictions as we move collectively toward a Canadawide early learning and child care system.
Madam Speaker, we have come a long way in the past year. The GNWT and the federal government have invested millions of dollars in new child care infrastructure, reducing child care fees, and increasing the wages of child care workers. These actions have tangible results that are directly benefiting residents across the NWT. Although there is still a significant amount of work to be done, I feel confident saying that we are well on our way to creating a universal child care system that will give every family across the NWT access to high quality, affordable, accessible, and inclusive early learning and child care. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ministers' statements. Minister for Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I would like to provide an update on the 2022 wildfire season.
Wildfires are a natural and important part of the boreal forest. They help keep ecosystems healthy, and they burn off excess fuels like dead and dried out foliage that builds up within the forest, which can lead to more extreme fires. That is why our fire crews do not fight all wildfires, particularly if the fire poses no threat to values at risk. When communities, cabins, infrastructure, and other values at risk are threatened, however, our wildfire management team is ready to take action.
The 2022 was a long and busy fire season that started in May and continued well into October. We surpassed the 10year average for the number of wildfires before the end of July. We recorded a total of 256 fires by early October, with nearly 600,000 hectares burned. This was more than any year since the outlier fire season of 2014. Fire crews fought 99 of the 256 fires that occurred in the territory this season, which lasted much longer than usual.
This year, we saw fires continue to flare up as late in the season as the first week of October, which is well beyond the end of the typical wildfire season. As Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, I am very proud of the excellent work of the wildfire management team this year. They worked incredibly hard to respond to every threat and keep NWT communities safe.
Every wildfire season requires careful planning to make sure staff are well trained and adequately prepared for the challenging work of fighting fires. The wildfire management team must ensure that the right resources are dispatched to the right locations to manage fires throughout the season. In total this summer, we had firefighters working on 34 crews in communities across the NWT, including 22 crews contracted from Indigenous companies. We also hired 131 additional firefighters to support firefighting efforts throughout the summer.
In addition to crews on the ground, we also work with pilots, air attack officers, and tanker base teams, to provide critical air tanker support to suppress fires from the air. Firefighting efforts also require staff with expertise in fire management, weather, remote communication, logistics, finance, administration, and public information, to help support decisionmaking, operations, and public awareness.
Over the course of the summer, we are grateful to receive support from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Parks Canada. This support is incredibly valuable, particularly in a busy season like 2022.
Madam Speaker, just 10 percent of wildfires this season were caused by humans. I am happy to report that this percentage has decreased steadily in recent years. It has come down from 27.1 percent in 2020 and 12.2 percent in 2021. This is a testament to the enhanced awareness and outreach campaign by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and it reflects the efforts made by residents and visitors to practice fire safety. I am also very proud to say that despite dozens of fires that approached several communities throughout the summer, none of these communities required evacuation.
Unfortunately unusually strong winds, coupled with very dry conditions late in the season, resulted in the loss of two cabins. We recognize this is very difficult for those impacted but thankful no people were hurt in those fires.
Madam Speaker, managing wildfire is not limited to the summer months. There is important work that must be done in the offseason as well. This work includes FireSmart projects and community protection initiatives, which will receive an unprecedented additional investment of $20 million from the federal government in the coming years.
In collaboration with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, we will work with remote communities to create firebreaks and implement fire fuel reduction strategies for over 12 hundred hectares of land across the territory, reducing the risk of wildfires and offering even greater protection to thousands of residents.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will continue to focus on staff training and development, building a skilled, engaged, and representative workforce to support those efforts for years to come. This year we offered extra firefighting training specifically for women and nonbinary individuals to increase diversity on our wildfire team.
We also make evaluation and planning a priority. Every season offers many opportunities to learn from our experiences, and we take full advantage of these opportunities. We regularly evaluate and analyze the research and data gathered and use this information to improve and plan for next year.
Madam Speaker, as most communities in the territory are situated in the middle of the boreal forest, wildfires will always be something we need to monitor closely. Our government will continue to work with our partners across the territory to ensure that residents, communities, and infrastructure are kept safe from wildfires. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Mr. Speaker, the value and potential of achieving greater economic diversification across the Northwest Territories has been talked about over the course of many years and multiple governments. The need to have that conversation meaningfully has never been greater. Even as we work to support new mineral resource exploration and development, the reality is that our existing economic drivers in the form of the diamond mines are approaching planned closure. We must face that prospect on all fronts, including economic diversification.
The fact that this conversation has been had, and that success in diversifying remains elusive, suggests it's time to try something different.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is currently leading work on developing regional economic development plans. These will provide insight into economic opportunities and challenges that exist in six of the territory's regions. Regional economic development plans are a requirement of the Government of the Northwest Territories' mandated commitment to increase economic diversification by supporting growth in nonextractive sectors and setting regional diversification targets.
The idea of developing a regional plan is not in itself new, but I believe the way in which we are approaching this work is. Before beginning, we went out to the regions to ask how the process of development should be structured. With regional feedback, we established terms of reference for an overall facilitator to ensure there is a strong northern voice that emerges from these plans. We are also utilizing local facilitators to support the regional work.
With regional facilitators, it is my expectation that we will see more strongly the strengths of individual regions. It might be that directing government supports towards a promising area in one region only produces a small change to the GDP but has a disproportionate change on the local economy and employment. While sectors such as tourism, arts, the traditional economy, and agriculture, offer opportunities in nearly all Northwest Territories communities perhaps other forms or at different levels for each; opportunities in other sectors like fishing, forestry, satellite communications, and manufacturing, may be more specific to particular regions and individual communities. By both breaking down our constituent parts, but also keeping the strength of the Northwest Territories as a whole, I believe these plans together will provide a new, better road map to support residents, businesses, and local governments.
Madam Speaker, public conversations on the development of regional economic development plans began last week in Hay River and Fort Smith to advance ideas for economic development in the South Slave. From now through January, engagements will be taking place both online and in public meetings in five additional regions. Regardless of subject, progress begins with dialogue and a mutual understanding of possibilities, and I am looking forward to seeing the results of these important conversations.
Madam Speaker, our efforts to advance regional economic growth and diversity are not limited to the design of these plans. This effort is supported by ongoing work to advance innovation in the Northwest Territories and to foster a knowledge economy that will cultivate entrepreneurship through an innovation action plan due out later this fall.
ITI is also working with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to deliver on the arts strategy and improve support for artists, musicians, and filmmakers. And, together with the Department of Finance, we continue the work to revamp our approach to government procurement and contracting in order to maximize benefits to residents and businesses. That work has also progressed significantly with some proposals for change due out this fall and some improvements to processes already implemented.
Madam Speaker, I cannot speak about economic diversification in the Northwest Territories without speaking to the tourism industry.
I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the Council of Canadian Trade Ministers last week and discovered that many areas of predicted industry growth, such as Indigenous cultural experiences and opportunities for sustainable and regenerative tourism, are already present in the Northwest Territories. And as I prepare to address the membership of Northwest Territories Tourism next week, it is worth highlighting the extraordinary steps taken by the GNWT to deliver over $13 million in supports and programs for the industry since the onset of the pandemic.
Upcoming sessions to design and develop regional economic development plans are a space to have these kinds of conversation, to empower residents and their businesses, to identify, develop and pursue the economic potential that we know is there that they identify. Guided by Northerners, supported by governments, and driven by regional business and investment, regional economic development plans will set the stage for increased economic opportunity and diversity across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
I don't think I've ever got to go first. I like this Speaker.
Madam Speaker, I was at the city council for Yellowknife election forums, and I kept having déjà vu, because it sounded like the exact same forum I was at in 2018. Everyone there was talking about the bulk land transfer to the GNWT to the City of Yellowknife. And I thought to myself, wait, didn't we solve this problem? Isn't there a clearer process in place for transferring land? Well, I guess not, Madam Speaker. I'll have questions for the Minister of Lands/MACA on why we can't give those poor councillors something else to talk about other than transferring vacant land. And, Madam Speaker, for the hundredth time, I want to clarify that no one is talking about the land currently withdrawn by the YKDFN in Akaitcho. I'll have questions for the Minister. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you treatment programs. Madam Speaker, according to the Canadian history, it is well documented that explorers and traders introduced alcohol in different ways to the Indigenous people, including the consumption of alcohol in official dealings and as a trade item. In other words, alcohol was used as a tool to influence Indigenous people and to benefit the explorer and fur traders. When alcohol was introduced to our people, alcohol abuse and destruction followed.
This alcohol abuse has continued over decades as Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories have continued to survive the impacts from colonization and systemic racism embedded in the government. As individuals, families, and communities emerge from the genocide inflicted upon Indigenous people, many turn to alcohol and other substances to cope. This perpetuates the intergenerational trauma that continues today.
Madam Speaker, the NWT desperately needs a territorialbased addiction treatment centre. Madam Speaker, how can we support the recovery and healing of our residents if we do not have an addiction treatment centre that is accessible for all residents?
Madam Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories must also recognize the importance of cultural and traditional Indigenous healing to support residents as they try to break free from the chains of addictions. This is a finding from the 2022 Auditor General of Canada Report to the Legislative Assembly on addictions, preventions, and recovery services. Quote, "that health and social services authorities did not do enough to provide residents with accessible, coordinated, and culturally safe addiction services", end quote.
Madam Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories had a relationship with Poundmaker's Lodge in Alberta for several years but now no longer has contract with this Indigenous healthcare organization. Madam Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you. Poundmaker's has always been a good treatment option for Indigenous NWT residents. Poundmaker's have an infacility detox function that allows their program to remove one of the major barriers for many Northerners wanting to attend residential treatment needing to be sober before they can access treatment. Currently the Government of the Northwest Territories policies require people to be sober for a given period of time and then attend several counselling sessions before they will be considered eligible for southern treatment. For many people having made a decision to reach out for help, this is a barrier that is more than they can manage at this fragile point in their life.
Poundmaker's has also developed a community outreach program where their treatment program can be offered in a sixweek program in northern communities. This is followed up with a year of aftercare activities that help people in recovery to prevent relapse and deal with the triggers, stress, and craving that they will face when they come out of treatment into their family and community again.
After our healthcare system struggling to fill positions across the Northwest Territories, Poundmaker's Lodge provides wonderful opportunities to provide highly trained staff with Indigenous sensibilities and methodologies for even our smallest communities. Madam Speaker, how is it possible that the Government of the Northwest Territories does not have Indigenous addiction services for residents and when they were able to contract for these services, the Government of the Northwest Territories was unable to maintain their contract with Poundmaker's due to contract disputes related to medical and other contract details? I will have question for the Minister of Health and Social Services at appropriate time. Thank you
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Just remind everybody, you have two and a half minutes for your statements. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I'm not sure what to do because I'm not used to going second, or third.
Madam Speaker, I want to end this week on a positive note therefore I am going to talk about the Kole Crook Fiddle Association and the positive impact it has on youth in the NWT.
Madam Speaker, if you are from anywhere in the Northwest Territories, I would expect that you know the legacy left behind by Kole Crook. Along with his big smile and zest for life, his legacy was his love for the fiddle and entertaining.
Madam Speaker, I personally had the privilege of knowing Kole, and I still remember the last time I saw him. It was years ago in Fort Simpson and, in typical Kole fashion, with his fiddle and duffle bag, he was standing on the side of the highway, with his big smile, thumbing a ride back to Hay River.
Madam Speaker, in Kole's memory, the Kole Crook Fiddle Association was born. It is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides music opportunities and youth leadership through use of the fiddle and music. Kole's legacy, through the Kole Crook Fiddle Association, has spurred a whole new generation of young and old fiddlers alike. Madam Speaker, the Kole Crook Fiddle Association is a medium through which to promote and preserve the northern style of fiddling that was taken away from many by the residential school system. To accomplish this revival, and as part of Truth and Reconciliation, qualified instructors travel throughout the NWT to expose youth to this traditional style and method of teaching. Madam Speaker, many youth, throughout the NWT, travel to attend and participate in events such as the upcoming fiddle and music jamboree in Fort Simpson this coming January which, without financial support from this government may not happen. For those that participate at such events, each has prepared by spending countless hours of instruction time, both in person and virtually. As each event nears, the excitement felt by those young people is electrifying when they hit the stage and perform. It is priceless when you see their faces light up.
Madam Speaker, the goals of the association are met through ongoing fundraising, community and government support. This fundraising activity and support has allowed the association to lend out musical instruments and have instructors, such as the famous Linda Duford from Hay River, and others, to travel to places such as Fort Smith, Hay River, Enterprise, Fort Simpson, Tulita, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope and Deline, where many students have now taken up the fiddle. In the coming years they are hoping to expand the number of communities and students they can reach. Thank Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Madam Speaker, if I look especially tired today, it's because I was up early this morning to present virtually at the 2022 Aviation Innovation Conference being held in Toronto. The University of Manitoba invited me to speak on the various transportation issues and challenges faced by the Northwest Territories, and the potential use of airships here.
In February, I spoke to this Assembly about the possibility of using airships in the North to help with community resupply and in the resource extraction sector. Airships, or dirigibles, have also been discussed in this House during the 16th, 17th, and 18th Assemblies.
On Monday, the Premier said, "The federal government has committed to aligning Canada's electricity system with its climate goals of netzero by 2035 and a recent report by the Canadian Climate Institute says significant changes are required to every aspect of the provincial and territorial power generation and distribution systems to meet the future demand."
The Premier also stated, "Investment in infrastructure projects will play a significant role in the NWT's economic recovery, while also supporting national climate change goals."
Madam Speaker, low emission cargo airships are one way to help reduce emissions, and further transition the Northwest Territories to renewable energy. Airships also complement the needs of the mining industry and our remote communities as well.
Airships are a viable form of transportation for goods and supplies including fuel, food, and construction materials required for communities. They can also provide safety and emergency response, a critical need highlighted by the pandemic and recent flooding events. And it is only prudent, given the social issues roads bring, that they be investigated as a viable alternative.
In Canada it is illegal to use hydrogen for airships, rules based on outdated ideas of the safety of the craft. However in the US, new airship regulations have been developed that do not restrict the use of hydrogen gas. The role of the Canadian government in this conversation should be to provide connections and enable the use of airships through framework and regulation changes.
A first step to determine the viability of airships for use in the North would be to allow and facilitate experimental airships to conduct noncommercial test flights while simultaneously making changes to policy and regulations. Madam Speaker, I apologize, but could I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you so a first step to determine the viability of airships for use in the North would be to allow and facilitate experimental airships to conduct noncommercial test flights while simultaneously making changes to policy and regulations. With just a few small changes, it's possible we could become the leaders in an innovative industry that could provide another piece of the solution to the North's transportation issues.
Recently I was able to facilitate a meeting between proponents at the University of Manitoba and the Minister of ITI and her staff. I want to thank her for taking that time out of her busy schedule, and I will have questions for her later today. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madame la Presidente. Sunday September 11th may stand out in Yellowknifers' minds as the day of six separate and lengthy power outages. The power blips turned off freezers, ruined dinners, and shut down consumer purchases in stores across the city. It's difficult to assess the damage or impact on expensive electrical appliances, although we know power jolts don't help. The outages even caused the loss of the city's Yellowknife River water intake, due to multiple on/off cycling failures in pumping equipment electronics.
We later learned that power supply from the Snare system was likely cut by fallen trees, but the continuing bumps were caused by the failure of our diesel backup at Jackfish Lake. Six lengthy outages in one day is possibly a mostworst record.
While Yellowknifers are accustomed to power outages, there's no way we should accept them. Although it's true that we are more susceptible to outages because we lack a large multisource power grid, the concurrent failures at Jackfish on September 11th just aren't acceptable.
It's not like this is new news, Madam Speaker. The last comprehensive look at outages was in 20122013 when the Public Utilities Board directed NTPC and the Northland Utilities to file detailed reports on the number, duration, cause, and frequency of service interruptions. Reports contained a snowstorm of information on outages ranging from seconds to more than an hour.
The main takeaway was that during two oneyear periods, Yellowknife customers experienced 119 and 100 interruptions in each of those two years. Compare that to Ontario, where there is an average of 4.78 outages per year. Yukon reported 2.31 outages per customer in 2009. Current data isn't available to show whether performance has improved, but the events of September 11th don't look like much has improved.
Cabinet wants to pour our capital dollars into ever more roads and expanding Taltson hydro supply without a customer to use the power, but we're still nowhere on getting stable power for the largest community in the NWT. I'll have questions for the Minister responsible for the power corporation on cutting the very high rates of power outages Yellowknifers face. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, over the course of this term, I have spoken several times about a pair of constituents of mine who endured a natural disaster.
In June of 2019, a house in Fort Smith was destroyed and written off because a tornado had struck the community. Fortunately, the damage was not widespread; however, one elderly couple lost their home. This natural disaster has caused much stress and financial hardship for this family, and they have continued to have frustrating experiences in their dealings with Housing NWT.
Madam Speaker, I recently met with this family again to hear an update on their situation. What they told me was alarming. They said that they have been receiving mixed information from certain officials within Housing NWT. Officials at the South Slave district office say one thing and officials at the local housing authority in Fort Smith say another. It appears that in some instances, information was even being withheld from these constituents.
First, Madam Speaker, it seems that the policy of core need income threshold was not properly applied to this family when they were being assessed for public housing after their their house was destroyed. Housing NWT evaluated their tax returns and decided that these two retired seniors earn too much money from their monthly pensions. However, it seems that the Housing NWT misread their income level. The wife doesn't have an income and they do income splitting on their tax returns, so I believe this is part of the miscalculation here. Then, they were declined the option to reside in public housing partially because of their perceived income but also because Housing NWT said that because they still owned a property a property with a destroyed house on it they were ineligible for public housing because they were still considered homeowners even though their house was destroyed and unlivable. That was the barrier preventing them from public housing. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Overall, Madam Speaker, these constituents should have been put into market rental housing and having to pay several thousands were put into market rental housing and having to pay several thousands of dollars in monthly rental costs. Moreover, once their property was sold and the house was torn down, they would have been eligible to enter public housing immediately. However, the Housing NWT never informed them of that. So this family has been needlessly paying very high rental fees for three years now, which they cannot afford. They are having a very difficult time making ends meet especially during a time of high inflation and increasingly high cost of living.
Madam Speaker, this family has been shortchanged every step of the way. I am disappointed with how this situation has been handled. It has been over three years since they lost their home. They should be in a situation where they should have a stable living and financial situation by now. To address this matter in a fair and impartial way, I believe the best solution is to conduct an independent oversight into this family's situation and all the events that have transpired since their house was destroyed. I will have questions for the Minister of Housing at the appropriate time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Since the 18th Assembly, the Government of the Northwest Territories have produced a mandate that lays out the objectives of this government in sort of a fouryear plan. The first mandate describes itself as an integrated longrange plan representing a commitment from the GNWT towards social progress that is environmentally sustainable and economic development built on a foundation of a strong consensus government and the priorities of all Members.
Madam Speaker, there is much to be said about improvement for our mandate as lawmakers in the 19th Assembly. The priorities are slimmed down and have much clearer metrics established to assess progress and judge results. For example, when it comes to housing commitments, the 18th Assembly's mandate promised to implement northern solutions to housing through a series of unmeasurable policy options. Contrast this to the current mandate that promised to increase the stock of quality energyefficient housing, especially for vulnerable persons by 100 units over four years. This is clear and measurable commitments that allow the public and MLAs to hold the government accountable to this progress and equally allow Cabinet to celebrate its success in a meaningful way. They are still several years that lack transparency around these commitments are being measured.
In the Premier's most recent update tabled earlier this year in February, only 23 percent of commitments have been fulfilled, 65 percent are still in progress, and the remaining 11 percent are delayed, abandoned, or otherwise unlikely to be completed in this term. At the midpoint of this government, I would have hoped to see a better result. With only a quarter of our promise kept, that means a tremendous amount of work for the last Assembly of our Assembly.
Madam Speaker, I am concerned that calling many of these commitments in progress is just a bit too generous. I have asked the Minister of Housing for updates on her mandate progress and I was not given a clear answer. At this point, we have 75 new homes built, and yet the progress to date, in an update report, only mentions applications to national coinvestment funds. Likewise, there should be 75 tenants in the coleasetoown agreements and only have eight successful become homeowners. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
Thank you Members, the Member for Tu NedheWiilideh is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays?
Nay.
There's a nay. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I'm here, Madam Speaker, in regards to our youth in our communities.
Our sporting events like we used to have back in the 90s, that fell short because of funding, I think what we really need to do is, because we have so much suicide that's been going on, we have to catch them at an earlier stage in life, for our youth and our young adults that are coming up. What I really want to see is working with the Minister of MACA, Madam Speaker, is to get that rejuvenated in all 33 communities again. So Inuvik would do basketball or hockey or soccer, and Aklavik will do soccer, Tuk will do floor hockey, and vice versa. Ulukhaktok will do pingpong. You know, something that's easy to travel with. But we had these up to about five or six years ago, then it all fell short. Money and that pot of funding dried up. We really need to be looking at this right now, Madam Speaker, in regards to working with our youth and giving them alternatives other than doing drugs or drinking and giving them that outlet of physical activity, ice hockey, making sure that, you know, we're bringing being able to bring in youth for our tournaments and stuff like that. Just bringing a broader look, a little bit money spent, and this is our future. Everybody likes to say oh, the youth are our future but they never back it up, Madam Speaker. They don't. We have to start making a stand for the youth that can't be in here that are asking for this. We need to really get all 33 communities, I guess, active again, getting off our phones. You know, that's the biggest thing. Everybody plays sitting around here and looking at their phone half the time. But, Madam Speaker, I am just really urging our government, and I'm urging the Minister of MACA, to find ways that we could work with all our 33 communities and our district, our regional districts in regards to, say, Inuvik district and Yellowknife and everybody, to bring the communities in to work with our youth and to get something going but positive. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Madam Speaker, as other provinces cap recruitment bonuses across the country to reel in new healthcare professionals, NWT healthcare staff waited for the same bait. As of September, the GNWT is now using the labour supplement policy to attract select healthcare professionals with bonuses of $5,000 to $7,000. This is one piece of the GNWT's push to recruit healthcare staff in the wake of a national shortage. But, Madam Speaker, I was surprised that the fall's announcement of recruitment plans for NTHSSA made no mention of one of the NWT's strongest healthcare success tools the Aurora College's Bachelor of Science in nursing. So I have three suggestions to improve the NWT's recruitment strategy.
First, the GNWT applies a large budget to healthcare worker recruitment efforts with no guaranteed rate of return on our investment while at the same time students in southern Canada are looking for financial support to pursue postsecondary education.
Madam Speaker, the GNWT has a beautiful opportunity to invest in education of new nurses in exchange for years of service equal to their years of education. This type of support, education and exchange for residency, is already in place under the Student Financial Assistance Program.
Madam Speaker, for four years, a student could potentially come to the NWT to study nursing, experience the North, settle in, and work with the incentive to stay and work in the territory for another four years after graduation. This is a minimum of eight years of residency of students, and potentially their families, in exchange for an education and service as a northern nurse. This is also a potential avenue to increase healthcare staff in small communities.
Second, Madam Speaker, the GNWT needs to commit to conditional employment contracts delivered in January to potential nursing graduates. Employment contracts offered in June mean our students have already been headhunted by southern jurisdictions.
And third, the GNWT currently employs public servants interested in a career change but are being denied education leave for nursing as it does not fulfill their home department's mandate. The GNWT needs an allofgovernment approach to education leave for public servants who want to pursue nursing.
Madam Speaker, the GNWT is falling short to aggressively attain educated NWT nurses and missing the opportunity to not only attract new ones but grow our own. This is an opportunity to let the success of Aurora College's nursing program play a vital role in addressing our nursing shortage. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, Grace Leona Berreault was born on the 5th of October 1980 to Mabel McLeod and Lawrence Berreault. She passed away on May 29th, 2022, in Fort Liard. Today Madam Speaker, I am getting to share part of her eulogy that was developed by her best friend Alana.
Grace was truly extraordinary. Her life could be all kinds of chaos, but she never wore it on her face. She was a true fighter and an energy force to be reckoned with. Grace could and would steer focus towards the lighter side of things, always finding the humour. This is a trait she had at a young age, and she would teach others to apply it in their life.
Alana spoke about the love of baking and cooking they both shared. This was thanks to Grace’s mom Mabel, her aunties Sharon and Kathy, and her uncle Ernie. Alana spoke about their close childhood friendship where they had the most memorable memories as they grew up together. They loved the country music, Johnny Depp’s Crybaby, and of course BBQs.
Madam Speaker, Grace was a hard worker from a young age and excelled in school. She was competitive in sports and a great big sister to her siblings. Even if it was carrying her sister kicking and screaming as they went to school. Grace, when she was really tired, she'd make sure she treated others as they were precious gems. She always had a voice, even if she didn't agree with her, she made sure people understood where she stood, sometimes fighting tooth and nail for others who did not have a voice.
Madam Speaker, she was strong, resilient, and yet beautiful in all her ways. She was a life that shined brightly just so the path of others could be illuminated. With matters that had to do with allthingslife, she was exceptional yet her multipaths were sometimes wild, the outcomes have brought us nothing but joy with the children she has brought into all our lives. I had the honour of knowing three of her older children, and I can say they are a great reflection of her.
Sometimes in life, you needed the itsy bitsy or the full nudge from a loved one who sees in you what you could not see for yourself. From someone who believed you can, even if the circumstances dictated others. Grace was the person that would always be there for you.
In closing, Madam Speaker, I will use Alana words, It brings us great solace knowing that so many of our late family were there to meet her on the other side. She will be missed. We will miss her tenacity, compassion, and selflessness as we go on to others. Madam Speaker, she will be sadly missed. She will be missed by us all.
Madam Speaker, I'd like to recognize two of the pages from Thebacha here today, whom I'd like to recognize. Their names are Bowan Kent and Noah LeroyGauthier. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you recognitions of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm a bit blind so I'm not sure if there's nobody up there. Okay, I am just going to recognize the person who was here yesterday that I missed, and that was Twila I'm not going to say her name right Etchinelle, of Tulita, and I just wanted to say that I missed her and I'm sorry I did. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to recognize the page from Range Lake, Ace JumboMurdoch, and we're really excited to have him in the House. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Minister of Housing.
