Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on August 2ND, 2022, the Minister of Health sent me an email providing advance notification that the Trailcross Treatment Centre in Fort Smith would be closing at the end of October. The Trailcross Treatment Centre is a group home for youth which takes in young people from across the NWT between ages 12 and 18. Since the 1970s this facility has provided treatment for youth experiencing addiction, trauma, and behavioural issues.
Mr. Speaker, it's unfortunate to see the closure of this facility because it has been a mainstay in Fort Smith for many years now. I have heard from several constituents, including educators, who are concerned about the closure of Trailcross, as it has been used quite frequently used by local youth in Fort Smith. Parents and teachers use Trailcross a lot to help children who are at risk of suicide and for those experiencing mental health issues. It is regrettable that health and social staff across the NWT did not work to ensure that the Trailcross was being properly utilized by youth more regularly to avoid closure.
Mr. Speaker, I understand the occupancy rate for Trailcross has been declining over the last three years, except that the 2.5 years were during a pandemic, so the occupancy numbers would surely have gone down partly because of that.
In my email I asked the Minister to reconsider this decision and find another contractor to continue
operations at Trailcross. However, the department has decided to take this opportunity to review and assess the current mental health and addictions services for youth and communities in the NWT.
Well, Mr. Speaker, given this situation and considering the state of peoples' general mental health since the pandemic, I remain very concerned about the mental health and addiction services, both for the people of Fort Smith and for the people across the NWT. I do not want to see a disruption or reduction of services for my community and the broader NWT.
So I gave Minister Green a few suggestions for what the old Trailcross building could be used for. Among those suggestions was to convert the building into a territorial aftercare facility for people experiencing addiction. Because of the way the facility was built, it makes it an ideal location to house both male and female clients in a separate way but under the same roof. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I would really like to see the old Trailcross building to continue to be used to help people. Specifically, I would prefer to see it continue to be used to provide mental health and wellness for Fort Smith and the people of the NWT. I believe the Minister is receptive to some of my ideas on this subject, so I will have questions for the Minister of Health on this at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
