Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services is committed to enabling seniors to age in place with dignity as close to home as possible. With an aging population and an increase in the complexity of health care needs, the demand for personal support workers is growing.
Mr. Speaker, personal support workers are essential to the Northwest Territories health and social services system, especially in more remote communities. They are professional care providers equipped with the training and expertise needed to work in critical programs like home and community care, long-term care, extended care, and supportive living. Today, I am happy to announce that Health Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories have amended their Aging with Dignity Bilateral Agreement to include a focus on recruitment and retention measures for personal support workers in the Northwest Territories.
This amendment will provide an additional $5.3 million over five years, from 2024 to 2029, to strengthen and support the growth of the personal support workers workforce here in the territory. This funding will allow us to support these workers in two critical ways:
By hiring an educator within each health and social services Authority to provide ongoing training and support; and,
By enhancing education programs offered by Aurora College so that we can increase the number of qualified workers and meet labour market demands across the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, as the only provider of a standardized and structured personal support worker certificate program in the territory, the Aurora College plays a key role in training personal support workers who can use their expertise to help residents age in place and remain in their home communities while delivering quality care based on best practices.
By enabling more training and support, we are working collaboratively to improve the recruitment and retention of personal support workers and provide the high-quality and culturally-sensitive care that residents of the Northwest Territories need and deserve. These efforts not only strengthen our health care workforce; they safeguard the quality of care for vulnerable people, promoting a more resilient and equitable health care system for Northerners, including Indigenous and underserved populations across the territory.
Mr. Speaker, as a proud graduate of Aurora College's nursing program myself, I see the immense value in teaching and training Northerners to care for their fellow community members.
I would like to thank the health and social services authority and the Aurora College for their ongoing efforts to support personal support workers in the Northwest Territories. This agreement represents a significant investment in the health and wellness of Northerners now and for years to come.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm always -- it's always a pleasure to go first, and I'm always ready when you call upon me to give my Member's statement because I've got lots to say.
Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, or I should say a few weeks ago, a former colleague of mine, Michael Miltenberger, wrote in the Northern News Services, and he talked about a very interesting thing. We did chat about, before his special article went out, guest article that is, and we chatted about is it time to have a good conversation about naming the Northwest Territories or renaming it a name that should mean something.
Mr. Speaker, a name can mean a lot of things and, of course, it is, as we all know for facts, it's a bunch of letters. Wherever you write your letters, wherever they're from. But a name is also about the meaning of what it represents, and that's really true, the genius of what a name is.
Now, the Northwest Territories has come upon its name based on colonial reasons and, in many cases, some would define it as a placeholder position. But no longer do we represent the Northwest Territories in its truest sense as it was defined. In other words, that land over there, somewhere in the North, on the west side. Now that was true to a time, again from the colonial overseers that governed this land that is, but many places have had the courage to reflect, say to themselves, should we have a name more reflective of who we represent and the people we represent in the sense of what it means to them.
Mr. Speaker, it was many years ago, as was pointed out by my good colleague, our mutual friend, the wonderful and most elegant Jeannie Marie Jewell who broke ranks with the times and said I want my riding named with a name that means something. And, therefore that riding had been renamed from the colonial name to Thebacha as we know it today. I think that was a bold step by certainly a bold leader.
Mr. Speaker, we've had the challenge before, in the '90s, where they said maybe we should talk about the Northwest Territories and give it a more meaningful name. Now, of course, I'll say it was my personal favorite because it almost is my name, which is the starring name that shot through the roof, was Bob. Now, I would never suggest we name the Northwest Territories Bob, and, of course, we got exactly what the person was probably intending, trying to be funny and hence it derailed a very important subject.
There have been many names suggested, such as Denendeh, Nahendeh, Utialuvik -- if I said it right -- but maybe more importantly, Mr. Speaker, as I finish as the time ticks away, is this is a conversation we should open and embrace and welcome some food for thought -- or thought for food from Northerners. Please write in and give us your thoughts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT has been sustained since time immemorial on the traditional economies of First Peoples who harvested the fur, fish, timber, and other natural resources that our land is rich in. But as our economy has grown, so has the needs of our labour market, and immigration has become an important part of our story. This is how the Northwest Territories has built a diverse community that it boasts today, because of this welcoming nature of our people that has encouraged migration from every corner of the world. From France to the Philippines, Lebanon to India, these people come to partake in fur trading, mining, commerce, contracting, health care, and more. Indeed, the North has always had a need for hardworking skilled labour, unique from the rest of Canada, which is why it was so shocking that the NWT Nomination Program collapsed in recent months.
Last year, the program began to strain under the weight of so many applicants, first closing temporarily last July and now this year shutting down at the 11th hour thanks to a massive cut in available permits from the federal government despite a huge backlog of applicants who were expecting to submit their paperwork that very night. Now I am hearing from business owners in my riding, who are telling me their plans to expand, have had to be put on hold while concern continues to pour in from frontline workers that departments can't find employees who can support our services. Community leaders and constituents are reaching out almost daily in growing fears as the date of work permit expirations creep closer and closer without any certainty that their paperwork will be processed in time. Collectively, they describe these circumstances as nothing short of chaos.
Mr. Speaker, our government did not build this program up for it to come crashing down overnight. The federal government must recognize that this is not the right way to treat families who want to live here in the NWT. Their human rights and rights as workers must be upheld. I am calling on our Minister to take action, and I know she is passionate about the subject as well, but to take action and ensure that this program will not only be back up and running but will be expanded to meet our growing needs. Let's stand up for northern businesses and show the Prime Minister this program has been a success and prove to local businesses that our priority is their growth and give hope to new Canadians that they are respected members of our community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to echo some of the comments of my colleague from Frame Lake from our last sitting in the fall of 2024 and some from his predecessor from the last Assembly. Extreme jumps in home insurance costs are a serious issue for many constituents, and I'm left wondering what the GNWT can do to help mitigate these rates from rising out of sight.
The Minister of MACA noted last fall that the GNWT is part of a federal working group that's looking at ways to address problems with obtaining insurance coverage due to flooding, at the very least, and that NWT Association of Communities is also part of this group. This might be a good first step, but now folks who already have insurance are receiving renewals that are skyrocketing their costs and impacting family budgets.
Mr. Speaker, when such renewal came to my mailbox a few weeks ago, my family's home insurance went up by 82 percent compared to last year. After careful review, it's entirely due to the fact that my home is located in the Northwest Territories. I did not take out a claim against my insurance when we evacuated in 2023, Mr. Speaker. I'm highly fortunate that my spouse's family lives in Alberta, and we could stay with them for the duration. There's no other reason for this cost except our location.
I'm lucky, Mr. Speaker. My family's costs are relatively low, and we can still afford this jump; however, I'm concerned for homeowners who might not be so lucky and folks in my riding who are tenants, and there are many, whose landlords might be increasing rental rates to partially recoup costs. In recent weeks, a local friend of mine had a conversation that leads me to believe that 50 percent home insurance jumps are the norm right now.
Mr. Speaker, I tried to read the Insurance Act the other night, and that was a mistake. It's very dense. But from what I can glean, we really don't have many regulatory powers surrounding the insurance industry. What I hope we do have is a Cabinet who will advocate on behalf of Northerners in the face of yet another cost of living pressure. Sometimes it feels like we can never catch a break. Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions for the Minister of Finance. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from the Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [No translation provided]. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Aurora College recently announced that in June that they will be closing 19 community learning centres across the territory, including centres in the Deh Cho riding. Mr. Speaker, these centres offer many programs from basic literacy classes to courses at a grade 12 level. They provide adult learners with the space to complete high school credits, a place where instructors give in-person support, help people develop career plans, and help them make decisions about pursuing post-secondary education.
Community learning centres also put jobs in smaller communities, Mr. Speaker. They support residents who live far away from Aurora College's main campuses. Their location in small communities is in keeping with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action highlighting the need to:
Provide sufficient funding to close identified educational achievement gaps within one generation;
Improve education attainment levels and success rates; and,
Respect and honour treaty relationships.
Mr. Speaker, these closures unfairly target Indigenous communities and will make education less accessible for Indigenous learners. Online learning does not work for everyone. Our people need more learning opportunities at home and in our own communities. According to the college, enrolments are dropping and there is an insufficient demand, but the 2022-2023 annual report shows that there were 489 students registered in their either part-time or full-time studies in small communities.
I understand the government doesn't make decisions for Aurora College, but the GNWT currently provides nearly 80 percent of the college's revenue. Small communities are not where you make cuts to education, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.
Mr. Speaker, [No translation provided].
Mr. Speaker, I would like to address the upcoming closure of all community learning centres across the territory in June. We have heard that Aurora College is ending in-person adult education programs that learning centres provide to Tlicho communities like Whati.
Mr. Speaker, Aurora College received almost $46 million in grants and contributions from the Government of the Northwest Territories in 2024. We should be doing more for small communities, not less. There was no consultation about these closures. Our people would not have agreed. The community learning centres work closely with schools in the communities and gives adults a place to earn high school credits. At the very least, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment should have consulted with residents to evaluate each learning centre on an individual basis. We have not been told what alternatives will be put in place for the services that were provided.
Mr. Speaker, if Aurora College is unable or unwilling to provide services to non-post secondary adult learners, perhaps the funding should go to the school boards. There's 33 communities, and each one have school boards. They are the experts in elementary and secondary education. They have facilities, and they employ teachers. More partnership should be explored between the education authorities and the learning centres so that there are more opportunities for learners in the Tlicho region and other regions as well. I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we certainly didn't plan it out, but it looks like we're having a bit of a theme day today. I, too, am rising to speak about the closure of the community learning centres, and some concerns I have about the relationship between the Minister and the board and the president of Aurora College.
Now, Mr. Speaker, as my fellow colleagues have already articulated, and I don't need to repeat today, we heard the news about what's happening. What really concerns me is that this news dropped and there was no plan associated with it. The college didn't articulate that, you know, this is a change that's being made, but here's how things are going to be done going forward or the department coming forward and saying, you know, we've spoken with the college, we've worked with the college, this is going to be a change but we do have a plan going forward for how we're going to fill this a gap, for how we're going to ensure the people in the communities are supported in getting the upgrading that they need in order to participate in post-secondary education. So it's really concerning.
I saw in the news the GNWT said they will be examining alternatives, but this is really something, if you're going to drop news like this, you want to see that the government and the board are aligned, that they're talking. As the Member from Monfwi pointed out, the board receives a significant amount of funding from the GNWT. There has to be alignment between the funder and the implementer of programming on what is being done with that money.
Mr. Speaker, we've also seen recently in the news the board speaking about their doubts about the polytechnic transition, about the work that's being done there. And so, you know, there was concern in Inuvik being raised by their town council what's going on with the campus there. There seems to be a lot of increasing disparity between what the Minister is saying the goals of Aurora College are and what Aurora College is doing and what the board is saying, and it concerns me that there is such a lack of alignment between the funder and the organization which implements the programming.
So what is going on here, Mr. Speaker? Aurora College has got to be a significant piece of our workforce development. We've set workforce development as one of our goals in the mandate. We've got to get control of this.
Last but not least, Mr. Speaker, we still do not have a mandate for the college. It's been seven months since the mandate expires. I know that the mandate does say that it continues until the next one is done. So I'll have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The smaller communities are struggling with the lack of resources that are available to them in order to better their lifestyles. We have individuals who have expressed interest in abstaining from the use of alcohol and/or drugs, but they have to leave their communities to get counselling services to start the process. Most of the residents do not want to confide in someone that they do not know.
Mr. Speaker, the wealth of resources is within the community where the individual lives mainly because everyone knows each other, and they know where to seek help at a moment's notice. We have the greatest resource people from our communities. They see our struggles and are willing to assist where needed. There are parents, elders, who seem helpless because their children or grandchildren are stuck in a cycle of substance abuse.
Mr. Speaker, I've stated this before, back in the early 1990s, it took a couple from Fort McPherson to look at their present lifestyle and took measures to improve it because it was having a negative impact on the people that they loved. From there, other parents followed their example and took the steps to better their lives. Today I'm proud of their intentions for their immediate families, and now they are concerned citizens who want the best for the community as a whole.
Mr. Speaker, if we can provide funding to the communities who want a healthy community, then we should be targeting those communities. There are resource people who would be happy to serve as counsellors or mentors in trying to help our community members who are striving for a better, healthier lifestyle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Due to previous engagements I will be leaving afterwards but I, too, will be joining the theme day on the learning centre closures. I wouldn't be doing my job, Mr. Speaker, if I didn't voice the concerns that I heard recently from constituents in the Sahtu. We are going to see, and layoff slips have been awarded, to nine positions, and the loss of training opportunities by this government and also the closure of these facilities is going to be a loss to the education foundation of each community.
There's projects in the horizon. How do we readiness our workforce in providing opportunity specific to take, for example, the $15 million capital commitment by the community of Fort Good Hope on building a manufacturing building that would produce homes. And as we know, we have a home crisis, a housing crisis, so here's a solution but we need to train our shortfall in trades.
So all in all, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to engaging with the Cabinet colleagues and Minister of education specifically on a solution to address this and aside from the direction given by the board of directors and the staff of the Aurora College. So I look forward to that deliberation. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I will have no questions due to my appointment.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about the ongoing drug issue in our territory. And I know my colleagues have mentioned it several times since this House has been elected, as well as the Premier alluded to it in his address.
Mr. Speaker, I want to speak specifically to Inuvik and to one issue. We have one apartment building up there. It's quite a large apartment building -- it's three floors, I think it has somewhere around 60 units -- and every week I get at least, at minimal two, sometimes every day, e-mails, texts, phone calls, often videos, not only of the drug activity going on in that building, Mr. Speaker, but also the deplorable conditions in that building and how residents are having to live in there. And I bring this building up, Mr. Speaker, because it's a three-storey building, and two of those floors are leased out to the housing corporation and we provide units in there. And a lot of the constituents that send me those e-mails are being sent from residents living in there; they're living in the housing units.
I know the Minister is alive to this. I'm sure she gets just as many e-mails and texts as I get, but I guess today what I'll be looking for is what can we do, what can the NWT Housing Corp do, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that those residents in there are safe? There are families in there. There are elders in that building. I know -- I've been through the building; I know some of the conditions they're facing. The RCMP, to their credit, have been doing an amazing job, you know, the best they can up there. I know they're busy. They've made several busts in that building, which is good. Unfortunately, you know, a week later we see the same activity back in the same units in there again. And, again, I get those updates. And the tenants are sharing those updates with the RCMP as well, which is very helpful. So I'll have questions today, Mr. Speaker, for the Minister of housing on what the housing corp specifically is doing to combat some of this and to certainly combat the conditions in that building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to close out the week by pointing to a spark of inspiration that we can hopefully all get energized about, if folks will excuse the bad pun.
This week Det’on Cho, which is the economic development corporation of the Yellowknives Dene, presented their plan to pursue a major renewable energy project that could supply much needed clean power to N'dilo, Dettah, Yellowknife, and emerging critical minerals operations in the region. We are well aware of how unreliable our Snare hydro system has become. While Yellowknife has typically met about 95 percent of our electricity needs with hydro power, over the past five years we've experienced drought conditions, likely related to climate change, and as a result the Jackfish diesel backup generators have been much more than backup. They've been burning diesel more than half the time. And that reliance on diesel not only makes climate change worse and it impacts air quality, it's caused costs to skyrocket both in higher power rates for residents and tens of millions of dollars that this government has had to fork out each year in diesel subsidies. Meanwhile, we have the economy to worry about. Diamond mine closures on the horizon and critical minerals companies with opportunities but not enough clean power to assure investors that this is a promising place to pursue. And instead of sitting back and looking to the GNWT to fix the situation, instead of looking to the government for answers, as is so often our default, this Indigenous development corporation has taken the initiative to find a practical solution. Instead of being paralyzed with fear and anxiety about all that we lack, Det’on Cho saw the infrastructure gap as an opportunity, and they're moving to fill it. It's an opportunity for economic development in a diverse range of sectors, from the building and operation of the power installation itself, to the opening of critical minerals opportunities, the potential for storage or data centres, further electrification of transportation, and more. These are the kinds of opportunities that we've been told for more than 20 years that the Taltson expansion would open up, if only we could just wait for those billions of dollars to fall from the federal heavens.
I want to commend Det’on Cho for not waiting, for taking this initiative, and showing ways that we could be practical, nimble, and cost effective in charting our renewable energy future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. A fundamental aspect of a funeral respecting and honouring the deceased, the sanctity and reverence for a loved one's soul comes from when families in my communities gather to say good-bye. Recently, my community have come to me to place their concerns with the fact that caskets have been reused multiple times, disrespecting the deceased and causing anguish to the family during a time that they should be focusing on grieving together.
Just two years ago, my communities had a choice: To purchase caskets from Inuvik, Hay River, and Fort Smith. Today, there is no market but the monopoly the GNWT is enforcing, and the consequences of this monopoly is a lack of cultural sensitivity.
The lack of open market not only just disregards Indigenous culture and traditions but has led to very high costs for communities. Indigenous communities like my own in Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh experience funerals and celebration at a large gathering so that they may grieve collectively and follow their traditions together as a community. It takes a lot of resources and planning to organize these funerals appropriately. And so without an open market, the cost of the casket, transportation, and all the services that go along with these ceremonies can be extremely high. My community members can get support from their bands and from the *ministry directives. I know it goes a long way to get help with financial support from the GNWT, but the high cost and lack of choices due to this enforcement often limits how far they can get help. And there's still big gaps in the health and social services policy. Mr. Speaker, I would have questions for the Minister of health at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements.
Good morning, colleagues. On October 3rd, 2024, God called home one of his angels Marie Lou Pineda Leguerrier. She passed away at her home in Fort Smith surrounded by her husband, family, and friends. Marie was born on April 17th, 1957, in the Philippines.
I first met her at the Northern Lights Special Care Home in Fort Smith when I went to visit some of the residents and some of her colleagues. I observed this lady walking fast but once she got to where she needed to be, especially with the elders, she became so patient and worked only at their speed and ability. She treated them with the utmost respect, compassion, and empathy. When I spoke to the residents about her, they talked about how caring she was and how she made it a point to get know their family, not just them. They would tell me she was their advocate and stood up for them.
About seven years ago, I got to meet her again. This time through Grace. Grace spoke very highly of her and considered her one of her best friends.
As I got to know her, she had an amazing career. She was a chemical engineer by trade and worked at an asphalt company in the Philippines. In 1987, she went to work in Hong Kong as a domestic worker for a couple of years. Then she moved to Edmonton but a short period later, she moved to Inuvik, NWT, to become one of the supervisors at Grollier Hall.
This is where Marie met her future husband Yves. She tells a cool story of how they met. She overheard Yves talking to a new co-worker about the need for some good winter boots, but the person didn't have any. So Yves gave him the boots. This was the start of their relationship. After the Grollier Hall shut down, she moved to Fort Smith, NWT, and married Yves in 1997.
Marie learned to bake, cook, make jam and jelly and can vegetables by cooking with her mother-in-law, as well as borrowing books from the library and later using the internet. She would give most of her baking to others, especially the residents and colleagues at Northern Lights Special Care. She loved to travel the world, and the last trip she took off her bucket list was the East Coast of Canada in July 2024 with a few of her close friends. Even though she was very weak, she endured and loved her last vacation.
They had a Celebration of Life at Northern Lights. A good friend of her, Gladys Rehm, did an amazing job celebrating her life. I have added it to my Celebration of Life and would like it deemed as read and printed in Hansard. Marie is going to be missed by us all, especially her husband Yves. They would like to thank everybody for their support during this difficult time.
Marie Lourdes Pineda Leguerrier
Born April 17,1957 in Iloilo city, Phillipines to Isidro Pineda and Brigida Corsiga. She has two brothers and two sisters. Her primary education was at a Catholic school and secondary at San Jose College.
She attended the University of San Agustin and got a degree in Chemical Engineering. She worked in asphalt and cement and then as a soil analyst in Hong Kong and a nanny as well.
She immigrated to Canada in 1989 and her first home was in Inuvik NT working as a Supervisor at Grolier Hall.
It was in Inuvik in 1991 she met Yves. They met in a bar. Yup a bar. She was there with her friends, and she overheard a guy (Yves) at the next table. He was talking to a guy who had come from the south and was not equipped with proper footwear for our northern winters. Yves said to him "l have a pair of winter boot you can have". Marie observed the kindness of this guy to just to give someone boots so they wouldn't be cold. She thought to herself, he must be a nice guy. That was the beginning of their story together.
Marie moved with Yves to Fort Smith in 1996.
She became a Canadian citizen in July of that same year.
Marie and Yves were married April 19, 1997, with Wade Johnson as best man and Angela Marsh as maid of honor.
Marie took the Care Aide course at the Arctic College and started her career working at the Fort Smith hospital and then moving over to Northern Lights Special Care Home.
She cared for dozens if not a couple hundred Elders over her 25 years. Marie did not see skin color, she treated them all with the utmost respect, compassion, empathy, and the very best care. She got to know the families, who was related to whom. She laughed with them, cried with them, and mourned them when they passed on and even than thinking "what more could we have done for them". She was generous with kind and encouraging words sprinkled with humour. She shared her love of cooking and baking, often bringing in a special dish for an Elder she knew they liked. The staff also benefited from her delicious food.
At work there was and understanding amongst the Aides "SHE DA BOSS"
In a Good way. She had this walk/run and with her long legs we literally had to run to keep up to her. But with the Elders she was so patient and worked only to their speed and abilities. She advocated for the Elders and challenged a few of the "bosses" of the day to "do the right thing for the Elders". She also gave freely of her time outside of work hours. Volunteering at Northern Lights for special occasions or shopping for items the Elders needed.
She orientated dozens of Care Aides including myself. If they didn't get it, it wasn’t because she didn't teach them. She had a no-nonsense way of getting things done. Tasks and Elder care were done in unison and to the highest standard. Except beds, she detested making beds, saying "there are more important things to do". Some of us would make deals with her. We would make her beds and she would trade us a task.
She also didn't believe in ironing uniforms or anything else. We would tease her as she came on shift pulling at her top to "straighten it out a bit". Saying to her "Marie, 25 cents for every time you come to work with a wrinkled uniform" she would just laugh and say, "here's 10 bucks for the week".
Now her handwriting was something else. It was a true mystery to figure out. Many times, having to ask her "what does this say"? After a while we could decipher it though. We teased her saying "you write like a doctor". She wrote like she walked...... just fast.
When she wasn't at work Marie enjoyed cooking her special phillipino dishes or baking some of her regulars like breads, pop overs and cinnamon buns (she made the best ones). She enjoyed experimenting with new recipes and making jam from her fruit trees. Her favorite foods were her country foods and chocolate (with a huge supply on hand at home and at work).
She always made time for her friends. She gathered weekly with her phillipino friends for a meal. Then they would watch their favorite Korean dramas together. Marie had friends all over the world. She got calls texts and Facetime calls from so many over the past couple months which she really appreciated.
A small group of us coworkers came together as friends. We called ourselves The Northern Lights Nutcakes and later shortened to just Nutcakes. We had the best times together gathering at one of our homes. Laughing, storytelling, dancing eating and often strategizing work situations to help improve our Elders care. We always ended each one praying together. We took several smaller trips together including Hay River, Yellowknife (to visit one of our previous NL Elders) and Canmore. Our most recent trip was to Nova Scotia for 2 weeks this past July. We experienced so many places and things together and things just fell into place for us throughout the trip. Yves said he was glad we went ‘cause that was her "Bucket List" trip.
Marie was a good listener and thought a long time before answering. She loved a good joke, video, or story, adding her own little quip to it. She also enjoyed reading, gardening and online shopping for the latest kitchen gadgets or shoes.
Oh, my goodness how she loved her shoes. I found this out one day at work. Yves had called telling her their hot water heater was leaking and was flooding into the house. Marie ran out the door to check out the situation. She came back and I asked her how it was. She said, "Well it flooded the hardwood floors somewhat, but all my shoes are okay". She was worried about her shoes stored under the bed.... Not the floors. Yes, Marie had quite a collection. I later found out it was because as a kid they often did without shoes.
Marie travelled extensively over the years both with Yves and her sisters. She said she road a camel and an elephant adding the camel is way more stubborn. We laughed and noted we are sometimes like camels. Yes, she could be stubborn but lived by her morals and values and advocating for those less fortunate or could not speak for themselves.
Yves was the love of her life. They spent their time together doing things like snowshoeing, skidooing, fishing, quading, boating, berry picking, gardening, travelling, and spending time at their cabin. She and Yves would make Christmas cakes and deliver them to Elders at the home and around town. Apparently with lots of brandy in them.
Yves has been by her side including her battle with cancer, doing whatever he could to make her journey as easy as possible. Many trips to Edmonton and Yellowknife and then setting up their home to accommodate Marie's wish to be at home until the end. He welcomed her sisters and her friends into their home daily for the last 2 months. We are so thankful for this.
Marie was in her own home, listening to the familiar sounds and smells of the cooking she loved from her homeland. There was much laughter, storytelling, praying and dancing, yes even dancing. There were tears and heartfelt conversations as well. Often comfortable silence was all that was needed. We are truly thankful for this sacred time together.
Her sisters Ping and Cora were her best friends. Their nickname for Marie was "Ni Ning". Marie being the oldest and the matriarch of the family was highly respected. She spent time with them, going to the beach, fruit picking, travelling and bird hunting. I did not know she could handle a gun, good thing I stayed on the good side of her. Her sisters came to visit as often as they could. When they heard Marie was palliative they flew here as soon as they could. For the past 2 months they took care of cooking, cleaning, hosting friends of Marie's and of course her every need. They wanted to make her last weeks’ worry-free. Marie appreciated everything they did for her. Knowing that they would be with her till the end brought her great comfort.
Marie always considered her nieces and nephews like her own children. Children and grandkids of her friends and coworkers were always a source of joy for her. Keeping up with their lives, celebrating their achievements and welcoming new babies (she loved to pinch their cheeks). Always quick to connect with the little ones and watching them grow up in the community. Attending many graduations celebrating their success. Giving little ones advice like "you help your Mommy" or “be kind to your brothers and sisters". As they grew, telling them things like 'you are so smart" or "you are very kind" or "you can do anything if you work hard at it". Praying for them when they needed it or upon request. She was an Aunty to many children in this sense including my granddaughters.
Marie was strong in her faith and never waivered in her belief that the Lord would take care of her. She had the longest prayer list, and her rosary was never far from her. It was this faith that brought her 5 extra years of being here with us. For that we are truly thankful.
She walked in a good way on this earth.
Marie passed away in her home surrounded by her family and friends. We loved her and were blessed to have had her in our lives and she will be truly missed. Now she is flying with the Angels and has a place in the Masters Bouquet.
Rest easy my friend.
On behalf of her husband Yves, family and friends, we would like to thank everyone for coming today.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I spoke about the Northwest Territories Nominee Program. I know that this has been an area of concern for a lot of my constituents, a lot of people in the community, both business owners and people in it the program who are worried if they're going to get kicked out of the Northwest Territories. I know the Minister's been active on this file. Can she update this House as to what people can expect when the new intake occurs for the NTNP program? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for providing me with the opportunity to speak to this.
I want to start by acknowledging that this would definitely be a very concerning time for people who are waiting for the opportunity to put their name into a very limited number of nominations that the NWT currently has. Our numbers were cut from 300 to 150 by the federal government. So we did put a pause on the program so that we could get together with some of our stakeholders and partners to reevaluate what this program could look like upon reopening it. And so what I can commit to people is that they will have time to familiarize themselves with what the program will look like before we relaunch it, and we will relaunch it here in the coming weeks. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the workers who are already here and have expiring permits, I think those should be the priority. It makes sense that they're the priority. Will the Minister commit to prioritizing applications based on when work permits are expiring? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is something that we've definitely heard from CDETNO, Chamber of Mines of the Northwest Territories, as well as -- or, sorry, Chamber of Commerce of the NWT and Chamber of Commerce of Yellowknife as well. But I want to be able to deliver the entire program and package to people so they're not getting information piecemeal. They're able to sit down, look at what the entire program will look like on relaunch, and be able to digest that information all at one time. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I think -- I mean, I think that's a reasonable think people are looking for. If they're looking for clarity, they don't have it, they're going to be experiencing anxiety until they do. These are people who are worried about their future. We can kind of give them something. So can the Minister at least give me a very clear date when the full program will be available for the public to see so we can start easing those fears? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, right now, I can commit to the Member and to the public that this program will be reopened in the month of February and that in the, you know, coming week, we'll be able to inform the public as to what that will look like, but that is the extent of the commitments I can give on timing right now. Thank you.
