Good afternoon colleagues. Wasn’t that a great way to start our sitting? Please join me in thanking the Kole Crook Fiddlers for starting things off here today and, especially their great leader, Linda Duford.
Applause
I also want to thank Sarah Cleary for our opening prayer today. Thank you.
Applause
Colleagues, we last convened in this Chamber on November 3, 2022, and it is great to be back. I know you have been busy with your duties as members, Ministers, and with committees, but I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and are feeling refreshed and prepared for this sitting. I know that I am looking forward to it.
Before we begin, I want to take a moment to congratulate our Team NWT athletes who competed in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games in Alberta. Team NWT put on a great performance and brought home many ulus to prove it.
I also want to congratulate and say a special thank you to the Fort McPherson Tetlit Gwich'in Dancers, who won the hearts of many with their wonderful performances. Congratulations to all of our athletes and performers.
Colleagues, I want to thank the pages that will be with us during this sitting. We are fortunate to be welcoming pages from Wrigley, Inuvik, Hay River, Ulukhaktok, Whati, Tulita, Fort Smith, and Yellowknife. I have said many times that the youth are our future. I am proud of our page program, which allows us to bring in youth from across our territory. I am honoured and inspired to have our future leaders with us in this chamber.
I would also to thank our interpreters for the incredible work they do for us each and every day. During this sitting we will have interpretation into Dëne Suliné Yatié, Dene Zhatié, Inuvialuktun, Sahtúot’ine Yati, Tlicho, and French. It is because of their hard work and dedication that we are able to honour our official languages.
Finally, I would like to take a moment to remind each of you, as Members of this Legislative Assembly, to conduct yourselves in keeping with our rules and traditions. When we show respect for each other, for this institution and for our rules, we show respect for those who have elected us to represent them here in this chamber. That doesn’t mean we will always agree. We won’t. Disagreement, even passionate disagreement, is a part of our job. However, when we disagree, we must do so with the dignity and respect that our people expect from us.
Now, colleagues, it is my duty to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. It reads: Dear Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, the passage of:
Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 20232024;
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Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 20222023;
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Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 20222023; and
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Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024 during the second session of the 19th Legislative Assembly.
Yours truly, Margaret M. Thom, Commissioner.
Thank you, colleagues.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on Housing Northwest Territories' Renewal, including some longawaited changes we have made to programs and policies that are already improving housing supports for those most in need.
In June 2021, at the first meeting of the NWT Council of Leaders, I stood with my colleague, the Honourable Premier Cochrane, and committed to conducting a review of the former NWT Housing Corporation's policies and programs with a working group identified by the council.
In the short time since that commitment, I was mandated and I am pleased to report on some of the results of the important work, which has been guided by Housing NWT's renewal strategy.
First, we made fundamental changes to our mandate. These changes include:
A commitment to deliver clientfocused services and assist those most in need;
The recognition that housing plays an important role in the wellbeing of individuals and communities, and
Recognizing that strong partnerships are key to improving housing outcomes.
With a new mandate in place, Housing NWT has its marching orders to work with the Council of Leaders Housing Working Group and to look at policy and programming changes through the lens of the new mandate.
Some of the resulting changes include:
Eliminating the need for a copay for emergency repairs to ensure that emergencies are addressed in a timely manner;
Working collaboratively with stakeholders and Indigenous governments on the design and location of these units we build;
Addressing the higher costs of home repair by increasing the maximum funding amounts for projects funded under these three programs: The Emergency Repair Program, Fuel Tank Replacement Program, and the Seniors Aging in Place Program.
Changing our approach to Community Housing Plannings to recognize the key leadership role NWT Indigenous governments are playing in providing housing supports to their members;
Enhancing our support to local housing organizations associations is our primary partner in the delivery of public housing in communities, with better training and communication;
Improving tools for tenant education and communications regarding their tenancy agreements; and,
Lastly, working to plan, build and manage our assets in an energy efficient manner with the Energy Management Strategy and Blueprint, the details of which will be announced soon.
Housing NWT will also be moving forward with a new pilot program that is expected to offset some of the costs of shipping materials to remote communities and this is another program that will improve the availability of minor home repair materials where they are difficult to access.
Mr. Speaker, the changes guided by Housing NWT's renewal are not limited to programs and policy. They touch on all areas of Housing NWT's work. We have charted a new path for collaborative work with Indigenous governments, including agreements with the Tlicho government, Sahtu Secretariat, and with others to follow.
We are improving our communication with stakeholders and the public. We are seeking partnership with nongovernmental organizations and others like never before. We have seen successes in our engagement with the federal government addressing housing priorities.
I would like to thank the Council of Leaders, and their participants on the housing working group, for helping us improve and modernizing Housing NWT's mandate, programs and policies.
Your contributions have led to positive changes that are already helping us better serve our residents. Our renewal has marked a turning point for the GNWT in how we address the territorial housing crisis.
Mr. Speaker, by providing fair access to quality housing supports for people most in need, I am confident that we will increase the wellbeing of individuals and communities across the Northwest Territories as stated in our mandate. I am proud of the work we have done thus far, and I look forward to the work ahead.
I would also like to thank the staff of Housing NWT for working strategically with our communities as well and also with the feedback that we've received. They've really made a lot of changes within this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, before we continue, I'd just like to welcome our former Member and Minister, Mr. Lou Sebert. Mr. Sebert was a Minister and a Member in the 18th Legislative Assembly. I'd also like to welcome Mr. David Jones, our Integrity Commissioner. Welcome.
Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the devastating impact that the drug poisoning crisis has had on the community of Hay River. The coroner has confirmed that there were six deaths related to drug poisoning in 2022. Many families are struggling to understand and cope with the emotional toll of these deaths.
Public health officials have noted that these deaths are drug poisonings rather than overdoses. The difference is that with a drug overdose, someone takes too much of something they know they are taking. But with a drug poisoning, the drug user is not aware their supply is contaminated with opioids. Because of this, we are now calling deaths shown to be related to fentanyl and carfentanyl "drug poisoning" to emphasize the added danger to all people who use illicit drugs. We need to help people understand that if they are taking drugs they must take precautions.
In Hay River all individuals who died from drug poisoning were alone. None of them had naloxone, a nasal spray which reverses the effects of opioids, and none of them were aware their drug supply was contaminated with fentanyl or carfentanyl. Anyone can be at risk of drug poisoning, including people who are using illicit drugs for the first time, people who use drugs recreationally, and people who are frequent or daily users.
Mr. Speaker, the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority has been collaborating with community partners on initiatives to prevent poisonings, to help drug users recover and their loved ones to cope with the stress of having a family member who is addicted.
To date, the authority has distributed educational posters about naloxone around the community. They have been offering the Matrix program to help people recover from addictions, and the Hope for Families workshops. They have created a team comprised of a clinician and a mental health professional to provide outreach services over the next three months, and they are ready to support the town's new social issues committee and the elders group.
In December 2022, a group of healthcare professionals assembled to help respond to this situation. Last month, the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, along with the chief public health officer, and the NWT chief coroner, held a news conference in Hay River to raise awareness about the drug poisoning deaths and the presence of fentanyl and carfentanyl in the community. The chief public health officer and her staff also met with community members and service providers to hear their concerns about resource gaps and to identify supports to address the concerns arising from drug use.
Mr. Speaker, the health and social services system wants to collaborate with the community to enhance supports and prevent further harms related to drug use. While this situation has reached a crisis point in Hay River, we understand there are many residents who are concerned with a rise in the use of illicit drugs in their communities. We intend to apply the lessons learned in Hay River to address these concerns with them.
Mr. Speaker, deaths due to drug poisoning are entirely preventable. My thoughts are with everyone who has lost someone close to them due to the contamination in the illicit drug supply in Hay River.
All residents can support a safer community by learning to recognize the signs of drug poisoning, carrying and knowing how to use naloxone, not mixing drugs, and if using, to start "low and slow," and not to use alone. It is important to know that you are protected from drug possession charges under the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act if you call 911 for help, and please do call. You may save a life. I ask everyone in the Northwest Territories to help prevent further drug poisoning deaths by treating one another with compassion and understanding as we address this complex issue together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will deliver the budget address on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Deputy Premier.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Caroline Cochrane will be absent from the House for today and tomorrow to attend the first ministers meeting in Ottawa, Ontario. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we begin the final calendar year of our term, I'd like to start this session by first welcoming back all my colleagues into this chamber. It's good to be back after a winter break and holiday season. I hope all Members and staff of the Assembly had a good and restful holiday with their loved ones.
Mr. Speaker, for my first statement, I want to share a positive story about a Thebacha constituent who was recently appointed into a very prestigious new career opportunity. On January 12th, 2023, the federal government appointed Mr. Ernie Daniels to the board of the Bank of Canada.
Ernie is a member of the Salt River First Nation and will serve a threeyear term on the 12member board of directors. Ernie has over 35 years of senior financial management experience, including serving as president and CEO of the First Nations Finance Authority for ten years, which is a First Nations-governed nonprofit financial institution. In addition, Mr. Speaker, according to a spokesperson from the Bank of Canada, Ernie, to the best of my knowledge, is the very first ever First Nations person to join the bank's board. And as someone who has known Ernie all his life and have worked with him many times over the years, I can attest that he is a very driven, bright, and dedicated individual. I know he will excel as a director with the Bank of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, this appointment is not only a milestone for Indigenous people, but it respects the significant occasion for all of Canada. On behalf of the constituents of Thebacha and the people of the NWT, I want to congratulate Mr. Ernie Daniels on his achievement of being appointed to the board of directors on the Bank of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Mr. Speaker, Hay River has, and continues to have, its fair share of substance abuse issues which has been driven home by the number of drugrelated deaths in the last year.
Mr. Speaker, for those who are no longer with us, we grieve; for those who find themselves fighting a losing battle, we hear their cry for help. But are we as government listening? That cry is becoming louder, and it is not more studies they are asking for, it is not more reports they are asking for, and it is not more discussions they are asking for. What is being asked for is a safe place to detox with proper assessment and support.
Mr. Speaker, I am certain that we all know someone who is struggling with substance abuse, whether it be a family member, a friend, or that random person we pass on the street. Substance abuse has no qualms about who it engages and who it hurts. I hear more people in the community talking about never feeling so unsafe. I hear of children who are scared to go to the school bus stop because of the ongoing traffic to known drug houses. I hear of elders being coerced out money by family members who are looking to buy drugs. I hear of persons lives being threatened because of drug debts. This is the reality we are living in within our communities.
Mr. Speaker, the issue and impact of substance abuse in our communities, whether it be illicit drugs or alcohol, will not go away but that does not mean we give up and do nothing. I have constituents come into my office who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. I had known drug dealers attend my office who are addicts themselves and scared for their lives. All are looking for a way out but find that the resources needed are not there, not complete, and not immediate.
Mr. Speaker, we have no infrastructure or workable mechanisms in place to help those that are seeking detox support. They are told they need to be clean for 24 hours. They are told there are no available beds when they go to the hospital. They are told there are no trained addiction staff workers on the floor. They are told access to treatment facilities is weeks, and most likely months, away.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for the Minister of Health to make detox beds and qualified detox staff a priority, as I would rather visit my friends, relatives, and constituents at a detox or treatment centre than attend their funeral. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Over recent months, my office has done a lot of work on behalf of tenants in public housing units in the Lanky Court apartment complex in my riding. It's been a long and very difficult process to get responses from the housing minister on behalf of the Yellowknife Housing Authority working with Northview Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust. More importantly, actual improvements to housing conditions do not seem to have materialized.
There have been cockroach and bed bug infestations and housing conditions no one should have to endure. Young children being repeatedly attacked by bed bugs, mold so bad that it's causing breathing problems for tenants, public housing tenants forced to pay moving costs and service connection charges when they are moved within the complex, and more. At least one constituent finally moved out as there were no solutions being offered.
One constituent first came to my office about a bed bug infestation and inaction from the landlord on dealing with the pests. To combat the pests, this tenant had to treat or throw out all furnishings, clean the apartment thoroughly, and pack up household effects while the chemical treatment was actually underway. For a low income person, action packers, cleaning products, and new furniture are unaffordable and were not provided.
Compounding the pest problem was mold rot in the bath and kitchen area requiring extensive repairs. Through long and persistent lobbying, I got the constituent moved into another apartment while repairs took place on their unit. That seemed like a good solution, Mr. Speaker, until I learned recently that the new apartment was already infested with cockroaches.
I've also been informed that the tenant would not be moving back to the renovated and pestcontrolled unit. The constituent was also charged $400 for moving furnishings and personal effects and would be charged the fee for transferring their electrical account.
It's hard to believe, Mr. Speaker, that we treat people in this manner. Looking at the core housing need and other data from the bureau of statistics, we see that these horrible conditions are commonplace across the Northwest Territories. Ten percent of all houses are considered inadequate, which in some smaller communities goes as high as 50 percent. Pests, mold rot, and bad indoor air are so commonplace that the bureau of statistics actually compiles separate data tables on these problems by community.
The root of the problem is this government's inability or unwillingness to provide adequate housing for all our residents. Housing is not a priority with this government when we continue to spend more on roads than on housing, and travel to Ottawa for mega projects, over housing. I'll have questions for the housing Minister later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a few participants from my constituency who were chosen for the 2023 Arctic Winter Games. The games were recently held in Fort McMurray, Alberta, January 29th through February 4th.
It's not often that we see any participants at the Arctic Winter Games from the smaller centres. We should join in cheers when they do happen. Although we did not get any participants from K’atl’odeeche First Nations, Kakisa, nor Enterprise, we did have four participants from Fort Providence.
Kristina Bonnetrouge participated as one of the badminton coaches for Team Northwest Territories. She will also attend the Canada Games in the next few weeks. Kristina, who plays badminton, attended Arctic Winter Games in 2014 and 2016, North American Indigenous Games 2014, Western Summer Games 2015, and the Canada Winter Games in 2015. Kristina has won the Aboriginal Sport Circle Award in 2014 and the Scott McAdam Youth Leadership Award in 2018. She is very keen to continue coaching, and we wish nothing but success for our own Kristina.
Thorston Gold, who was stationed and lives in Fort Providence, is the table tennis coach for Team Northwest Territories. Thorston is also the sport's chair for the table tennis event for the Arctic Winter Games held in Fort McMurray. In this position, Thorston assisted with the purchase of equipment and training officials to run the event. Thorston was also able to run the media and communication outlets for Hockey NWT and Table Tennis North. This allowed for the promotion of athletes sharing stories and ensuring the amazing experiences of our athletes were shared. We thank Thorston for his contributions to readying the athletes for participation at the Arctic Winter Games.
Two of our younger table tennis athletes were a brother and sister team made up of Karissa and Carter Sadowich. Karissa, 9 years old, and Carter, 11 years old, are part of the group of the younger athletes at these games. Their parents, grandparents, and our community are so proud they made Team Northwest Territories. I am certain this will not be the last games for Karissa and Carter. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Happy New Year, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome yourself, my colleagues, the interpreters, and all of our staff back for a constructive and productive winter Session, and for the last year of our Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I hope you had a wonderful break, full of rest, relaxation, and time spent with family. I wish this was the case for all the residents of the territory, however, for many of my constituents and others, there was no break from the daily struggle of surviving. With soaring fuel and electricity rates, escalating rent and grocery prices, most residents are living pay cheque to pay cheque, and many are having to make the hard decision between paying a bill, or their rent, and having food on the table.
Further compounding their woes is the quality of housing that is available in our territory. When you spend excessive amounts of money on your rent and all you receive in return is a moldy, pestinfested apartment, with sketchy heating and people smoking crack in the hallways, it's extremely demoralizing. Mr. Speaker, several of these apartments are in my riding and several more exist throughout the city. Windows are broken and boarded up, fire extinguishers are set off on a regular basis; mold is present, and raw sewage is leaking, and many are often without heat.
Mr. Speaker, it often takes months for any response to my questions. And when I do get one, they are often vague and lacking details.
I asked for the plan to move residents into Nordic Arms, purchased by the department a year ago this month, and was told "sometime after the renovations are complete" which appears to be slated for April 2023. However, when I requested the sequencing plan to accommodate the renos and move in the residents, it's appears to me there isn't one.
Mr. Speaker, when is this Minister going to do anything for my constituents and others in the territory? Where are all these units she has continuously promised? Where are the contracts with NGOs to run the shelters in Yellowknife and Inuvik? Imagine my surprise, Mr. Speaker, to recently learn that the highly anticipated homelessness strategy, a priority to all 19 of us and promised for April 2023 last session, isn't even being led by the housing Minister anymore. Rather, this critical and desperately needed strategy, and subsequent action, is now being led by the Premier and EIA. What does this say about the state of the strategy, that in the 11th hour, the GNWT feels it's better for a whole new Minister and staff to execute it rather than the department where the expertise supposedly lies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, what I am going to talk about is regarding housing in the Tlicho region, Behchoko, Whati, Gameti, and Wekweeti. And I'm going to talk about the rental prices. There's a lot of people that has debts with their rentals. And the whole process of rating their monthly rent. And sometimes some of these people are evicted from their units. I will be talking about that today. But today I want to talk about people's arrear and what happens to them in the future if they were to ask for a new rental again. So these are some of the questions I will be bringing forward.
I have so many concerns from my constituents regarding this. And also it is also is rated with your last year's taxes, the amount of money that they make the previous year, it's based on what they pay this year. Sometimes this year the person is not working, and some of them are saying that they're paying over a thousand dollars a month with no income. So I will talk about that and ask questions [Translation Ends].
Priorities as the Member for Tlicho region is to ensure that each resident in Behchoko, Gameti, Wekweeti, and Whati has access to affordable housing. Mr. Speaker, one of the barriers to accessing affordable housing is arrears. Residents have experienced evictions from public housing units due to arrears and are ineligible to reapply for public housing until those arrears are paid off. Mr. Speaker, far too often, the conversations is focused on what arrears are owed and not why arrears have accumulated. Mr. Speaker, my constituents have shared with me many reasons they have accumulated arrears that reflect the economic realities of the Northwest Territories, not the desire for someone to pay their rent on time. Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous content to conclude my statement. Thank you.
Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, my constituents have shared with me many reasons they have accumulated arrears that reflect the economic realities of the Northwest Territories, not the desire for someone to pay their rent on time. Mr. Speaker, I assure you that residents want to be able to pay their rent. Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents rely on seasonal employment and therefore lack consistent or stable income. Currently the practice of the local housing authority is to use the Government of Canada notice of assessment to verify income and determine a tenant's rent. Tenants are not given options for income verifications that reflect the economic realities of the North and reliance on seasonal employment.
Mr. Speaker, many elders have expressed they have not had respectful or meaningful communication to verify their income, which results in arrears. Additional accommodation need to be made for elders. Housing staff at the LHO level need additional training in culturally respectful communication and encouragement to meet elders in their homes or places they are comfortable, not insist elders go to NWT or to LHO offices. Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT verification of income policy states, quote, "annual or periodic verification is required. Housing NWT need to develop an option for tenants to use verification of income methods given the high number of people who are seasonally employed, a verification of income would respond to employment and income status at a given time. With more accurate income verification, arrears could be reduced in the longterm because people would be able to pay their rent. According to the latest housing annual report, Housing NWT has accumulated millions of dollars over the years in arrears. This is a serious accumulation of arrears that indicates poor Housing NWT management and not the decision of individual rent. I will have questions for the Minister of housing. Thank you.
Colleagues, before we continue, I'd just like to remind Members when you seek unanimous consent, usually it's to finish your statement. But because it's the first day, I'll let this slide. But when we continue, once you seek unanimous consent usually you have 30 seconds to actually, I'll just explain.
When you're starting in your official language and you switch to English, you actually get 30 more seconds. And then if you seek unanimous consent, that's another 30 but that's to finish your statement, not the whole two and a half minutes. But like I said, today's the first day. Going on, we'll just be mindful of others. Thanks.
Okay, Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to pay my respects to the communities in my riding who lost loved ones since November 2022. My home community of Tuktoyaktuk, Mr. Speaker, we lost one of our respected elders, retired longtime employee in the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, mechanic, Mr. Churchill Woelki Senior. His wife Dorothy Woelki, sons Churchill, Charlton, Brent, and daughters Emma and Shelly, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren, and beloved brothers and sisters. Our thought and prayers are with you.
Mr. Speaker, Ulukhaktok, Angus Elias, young man, husband of Gail, he's grandson of Albert and Shirley Elias. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
George Alinguk, beloved elder, retired, longtime employee of the hamlet of Ulukhaktok, wife Connie Alinguk, and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and other family members. Our thoughts and prayers.
Community of Paulatuk. Mr. David Rueben, beloved elder, respected by many in Nunakput. One of the last to use dog teams as a livelihood and as a young man, Mr. Speaker.
Also, my nephew. Travis Coyne. Thoughts and prayers go to MaryAnne and Josh in Whitehorse, Yukon, and my sister who is there right now with them, thinking of them, and our thoughts and prayers are with them all, Mr. Speaker, and all who lost loved ones across our territory and across the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Our thoughts and prayers are with your community and the whole region. I know we suffered a lot of losses throughout the holidays, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and throughout the territory as well. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was elected on February 10th, 2022, on byelection for the Tu NedheWiilideh riding. In October 2019, the newly elected MLA Members went to a retreat to bring forward all their goals and mandates for the respected communities from this retreat. The GNWT tabled their fouryear mandate plan, and it has been one year, on February 10th, 2022, I was elected as MLA for Tu NedheWiilideh riding. Not one Minister, not one deputy minister, or the Premier approached me on the needs and wants for my riding. Despite I made every effort to work in Cabinet to be heard, but no meeting took place to my requested date.
As the MLA for my riding, I'm sitting on committees on various overall government operations and from what I can see, this government is status quo, and the departments are moving forward with their fouryear mandate with no consultation or accommodation with my riding on the community's needs or infrastructure projects. Again, this government knows best on what is needed in all communities in the NWT, including my riding.
I raised my constituent issues with the Premier, Cabinet, and Minister in the fall session where I said the train left the station and there was no way to throw on constituent issues and baggage on to the moving train with the door closed. So it doesn't matter what I say or do, this government wants me to support the 20232024 budget with no consultation or accommodation for the communities in any riding is deeply concerning. In the 20222023 budget, the GNWT allocated $3.4 million for public housing repairs. On April 14th, 2022, Northern Affairs Canada announced a $60 million federal housing dollars to address the urgent housing crisis in the NWT and allocation to be determined.
The housing crisis allocation was determined and decided by the NWT Housing Corporation at the time to use the $30 million that is Indigenous money to fix up public housing units and assets. They did not address the real housing crisis promised in their public announcement for all 33 communities in the Northwest Territories. In the 20232024 fiscal year budget, the GNWT will be spending another $30 million, CIRNAC dollars, again to fix up public housing units.
I'll be asking the Premier and Minister to work with Indigenous governments to allocate the $30 million through the contribution agreement so Indigenous governments can address their own housing crisis. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Member’s Statement 1301-19(2):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for over a decade Canadians have acknowledged the growing shortage of speechlanguage pathologists, especially in school settings. These services are critical for all children to access education equitably. The deficit is due, in part, to the limited number of openings in graduate programs and the increased need for speechlanguage pathologists as their scope of practice widens, rates of neurodivergent children grows, and classrooms play catchup in a postpandemic world. Also, we have an aging population.
This national shortage impacts education outcomes in the NWT and was recognized as an NWTspecific concern by the 2020 Office of the Auditor General's report on education.
The audit concluded that in the decade since its previous education audit that Education, Culture and Employment had "improved its support for delivering inclusive schooling but more work was required" and that the department did not provide "adequate guidance and training for support assistants", and adding, "the needs of all students were not being met."
Mr. Speaker, low staffing levels have continued to force Health and Social Services to reorganize its service delivery of speechlanguage services. But we aren't the only jurisdiction experiencing high demand and low staffing for speechlanguage services. Our sister territory Nunavut experienced the same and has creatively addressed this through a partnership with Ongomiizwin Health Services through the University of Manitoba. Through this partnership, they provide occupational therapy, speechlanguage pathology, and physiotherapy to all students in Nunavut. Referrals are sent directly from the schools to the Department of education, which then works with the Ongomiizwin coordinator. Schools receive one to two inperson therapist visits throughout the school year. And between visits, therapists provide virtual support via video conferencing with the students or ongoing support through constant email contact between teachers and therapists.
In the NWT, last year's wait times to access speech services ranged from two months in Fort Smith to half a year or more in Yellowknife. Six months is more than half of a school year. This is far too long for students to wait for services critical to equitable access to education.
Our children cannot wait for a decadelong shortage to right itself. This government needs to look at creative solutions like communitybased paraprofessionals, funded teletherapies, and partnerships that work for teachers in the child's best interests. Without these innovative solutions, the needs of NWT students will continue to go unmet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all know we're in a health crisis and getting to see a doctor is harder and harder. And there are many steps we can take but one I would like to speak about today is giving our pharmacists, who go to school for many years and quite frankly often know the drugs they are prescribing better than the doctors themselves, the ability to prescribe basic medications. This is a recommended practice by Health Canada. All ten provinces will be able to provide this service in 2023, including the Yukon. But here in the Northwest Territories, we are falling far behind in what our pharmacists are capable of doing. There is a recommended list of minor ailments that Health Canada recommends pharmacists can prescribe as well as the limited ability to renew certain prescriptions. They estimate that this reduces emergency room visits by 35 percent, Mr. Speaker. Emergency room visits are vastly more expensive than a visit to the pharmacist.
At this point, Mr. Speaker, almost every other jurisdiction in Canada has done this. I will have questions for the Minister of health of when we can introduce changes to our Pharmacy Act and give a longneeded power to our pharmacists to help their clients. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending and refereeing the Paul Stipdonk Memorial Soccer Tournament. It was the first time since the pandemic cancelling the last couple of years. As I stated previously in this House, this tournament is a bit unique in that we don't keep score, teams are mixed up, and we do not have a winner or loser. The focus is on the youth having fun and playing the sport; something the namesake was all about. Besides playing the sport, the youth are given the opportunity to attend a skills competition event on Saturday.
This year we had athletes from Sambaa K'e and Fort Simpson. They were great sportsmen and ambassadors of their respective communities. It was amazing to see all their smiling faces and the fun they had over the weekend.
I am proud to say that Fort Simpson youth were great hosts and really enjoyed the games as they made new friends from the region. I was proud to say that parents and family of the athletes, whether they were from the community or from out of town, did an amazing job cheering and encouraging the youth. It was awesome to see the stands and the hall full of supporters.
Mr. Speaker, a special shoutout goes to the Mackenzie Recreation Association, Municipal and Community Affairs, the Village of Fort Simpson recreation staff, who kept the facility nice and clean, and most importantly Roslyn Firth and Jacqueline Whelly who dedicated many hours of organizing and making sure the event ran smoothly. To the speed skaters' mom, thank you for catering the whole weekend.
I would like to thank the Fort Simpson high performance athletes for being the coaches of the teams, helpers, and being great role models to the youth. It was great to see this capacity being built. I take great pride when I see young athletes paying back to the sport.
In closing I would like to use the words provided by one of the organizers: "A big special thank you to the Stipdonk family for letting us to honour their husband, dad, grandfather, and friend in a way that brings so many smiles to the youth."
Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage my colleagues to give them a big round of applause. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to welcome my new constituency assistant Maggie Mercredi to the Chamber. Maggie is a longtime constituent of Great Slave, both as a youngster and currently, and I'm very excited to have her working with me. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a constituent of mine, Louis Sebert. He's also a friend of mine, even though he ran against me in the last election.
I also want to recognize the Kole Crook Fiddlers and thank them for being here today, and especially Noah Coup who is one of my constituent's son. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.
