Please be seated. Thank you, Mr. Lafferty, for the opening prayer and reflections.
Mr. Speaker, picture this: Standing beneath the dancing aurora as the night sky comes alive; gliding across a pristine lake so still it mirrors the world above; or tracking the footsteps of generations before us along an ancient northern trail. This is the magic of the Northwest Territories; Mr. Speaker, a land that captivates the soul and invites adventure-seekers from around the world. Tourism is not just an industry here; it is a gateway to land, culture, and to the wonderful people who call this place home.
Last year, visitors spent over $129 million experiencing our spectacular, breathtaking landscapes, rich traditions, and the unmatched warmth of northern hospitality. As we turn the page on Tourism 2025, Roadmap to Recovery, it is time to chart our next journey. That's why our government is developing Tourism 2030, an ambitious, forward-looking five-year strategy to drive sustainable growth, expand opportunities, and build a more resilient tourism sector.
Mr. Speaker, Tourism 2030 will be shaped by those who know it best: Our guides, operators, Indigenous governments, and communities who bring the NWT experience to life. Through open conversations, online surveys, and in-person engagement, we will identify opportunities and challenges that reflect the unique strengths of the Northwest Territories and its communities.
Tourism in the NWT is more than an economic driver; it is a storyteller. It showcases landscapes, cultures, traditions, and ways of life that are real and deeply impactful. We will continue to champion community-based tourism and authentic Indigenous experience in ensuring that stories are told by the people who live them. By fostering collaboration and supporting local entrepreneurs, we can grow tourism in a way that benefits every region, while offering visitors what they seek: authenticity, immersion, and adventure.
Mr. Speaker, we know that tourism has the power to diversify our economy, especially in remote communities. Our resource sector remains vital, but tourism opens up new possibilities; ones that uniquely align economic opportunity with environmental stewardship and cultural revitalization. Last year, over 600,000 users visited the Spectacular NWT website. Now I want to see these online visitors go beyond the screen and book flights, purchase packages, and experience the magic of the NWT firsthand.
To make Tourism 2030 a success, we are committed to transparency and accountability. We will share findings from public engagement through What We Heard reports, and the final strategy will reflect Northern voices. This is an opportunity to build a tourism industry that strengthens our economy, empowers communities, and secures the NWT's reputation as a world-class destination for generations to come.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is more than a destination; it is an experience that you carry with you long after you leave. It is where nature, culture, and history intertwine like our winding rivers, shaping stories found nowhere else in the world. Let us seize this opportunity to build a future of tourism together with our spectacular NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ITI. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Mr. Speaker, guided by the Housing NWT capital plan, we are creating more homes for Northerners by working with the Government of Canada, NWT industry partners, and applying innovative approaches to construction. By the close of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, Housing NWT and contractors will have completed the delivery of more than 80 housing units across the territory. This achievement includes 10 units for the transitional housing additions recovery program in Yellowknife and Inuvik, the installation of a biomass heating system for 20 public housing units in Fort Simpson, and major repairs to more than 140 units located throughout the territory. All of these projects result in new public housing units and modernized and repaired units. They also contribute significantly to the NWT economy, with more than 90 percent of contracts awarded to local and territorial businesses. These investments generate new opportunities for Northerners:
Jobs in communities,
Prospects for businesses,
Workforce development; and, most importantly,
New homes for our residents.
The Housing NWT capital plan includes scalable opportunities ranging from renovation projects for small and emerging local contractors to large multi-million-dollar construction projects for NWT contractors, suppliers, and manufacturers.
Mr. Speaker, as spring approaches, Housing NWT intends to maximize the short northern construction season with construction planned to start on 17 new public housing replacement units located in smaller communities and regional centers.
Housing NWT's capital plan targets not only the quantity of builds and renovations but also promotes innovation in residential construction. For example, this spring in Yellowknife a 50-unit building will break ground followed by rapid assembly of a mass timber structural system, the first in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, in Deline, Housing NWT is working cooperatively with both a contractor, manufacturer from the NWT, and an Indigenous government to pilot a hybrid construction approach. This innovative approach combines the benefits of a manufactured modular service core with on-site construction methods to gain the best attributes of modular and stick-built construction. Housing NWT has received a development grant from the National Research Council of Canada. This grant will allow Housing NWT to research and collaborate with their team as part of the construction sector digitization and productivity challenge program.
A significant portion of Housing NWT's capital plan is funded through contributions from Canada. We continue to work closely with them to emphasize the needs of the Northwest Territories and advocate for continued housing funding, both for the Northwest Territories' housing program and for others delivering housing across the North. The NWT Housing forum and the recent housing symposium are examples of this coordination and advocacy in practice.
Mr. Speaker, through this coming construction season, Housing NWT will continue to focus on delivering more homes for Northerners by working with Indigenous governments, providing opportunities to industry, implementing innovative approaches to construction, and continued engagement with the Government of Canada. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, today is Pink Shirt Day, an annual tradition where we stand against bullying in all of its forms. Back in 2007, two students bought 50 pink shirts after a younger student Chuck McNeill was bullied for wearing a pink polo during the first day of school. As a father of three amazing kids, I can tell you how important this day is for my family. My family has had to deal with bullying in and out of school, and it never gets any easier, but days like today give us all hope as we call out bullies and remind vulnerable kids that -- and even grownups that it gets better.
It's important to remember a couple of things. First, the reasons Chuck McNeill was targeted by bullies are deeply rooted in homophobia and misogyny. The actions of bullies have been influenced by the bigotry and are influenced by the bigotry of others, and they, in turn, seek to reinforce that bigotry on people whose only crime is being different.
Second, the bigoted attitudes which influence bullies at school are learned from adults. Worse yet, those attitudes are on the rise as evident by the success of far-right political movements in democracies across the world. What we are seeing played out through daily developments from the United States and its odious president is that bullying on a much grander scale is on the rise, and it only encourages bullies everywhere else to follow along.
Pink Shirt Day is not just about encouraging our children to be kind and polite to each other at school, it's about standing up to the root causes of bullying and the most powerful of bullies because our children are watching, and we want our strength to teach them how to stand up and look out for each other.
So let me be clear, Canada, Canadians, and Northerners will not be bullied or broken by anyone. The North will stay strong and free as it has since time immemorial. Mr. Trump, we aren't afraid of your tariffs, your dictator friends, or the hatred you spew from your bully pulpit. We value diversity, compassion, and equality, and we won't and never rest until the NWT and Canada is free of discrimination. Northerners take care of each other in times of good and bad, and we will stand together against bigotry, hatred, homophobia, racism, and any affronts to our dignity. We share this message and proudly take care to remember it for the days, months, and years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with NWT communities reeling from the news that Aurora College is giving up on community learning centres, I wanted to highlight a successful grassroots literacy and essential skills initiative for young adults that is set to expand. It is a youth employment skills partnership between the NWT Literacy Council and Ilitaqsiniq based in Nunavut and is supported by federal funding. It's designed to help youth aged 16 to 29 gain essential work skills and gain more confidence in their communication and language skills. A brandnew cohort is set to start within the next few months.
This program is designed to break harmful cycles. Some of the participants are referred through the justice system by the wellness court. Staff at the literacy council work closely with the wellness court team to provide wraparound supports for participants, such as mental health supports, even childcare funding is offered. There's a four-week-long classroom portion followed by a two-week work placement. But even the classroom portion is focused on the practical and experiential. It includes on-the-land activities to build culturally based skills and certificates in things like first aid, WHMIS, driver education, and food safe. Work placement examples include local government, catering companies, electrical contractors, hotels, airlines, or work with trail clearing crews or construction crews. The program provides job-specific clothing and safety gear as well as stipends for the youth attending. It's flexible and shaped around the interests and skills of each cohort.
The best part is that many of the previous youth participants have been able to keep the jobs from their original work placement and have been working there ever since or even moved into higher levels of employment with additional job specific training. Some participants have returned to or entered post-secondary education, such as early learning and childcare or academic upgrading. With the current funding, the plan is to run the program in Yellowknife in the next two years and then offer it in a few other communities in year 3.
Mr. Speaker, this is an example of a model that is working, so let's support nonprofits like the NWT Literacy Council to do more of this, expand it to more communities, and replace the harmful cycles with positive cycles rooted in self-confidence and the pride of being able to support yourself and your family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to help people who want to make NWT their home. And who can blame them? It's one of the best places on earth as far as I can tell.
Since 2009, our nominee program has supported over 1100 foreign nationals and over 660 of their dependants in accessing permanent residence from the federal government. Since its inception, over 200 different NWT employers have accessed the nominee program to assist them in filling their workforce needs in every region of our territory.
Mr. Speaker, our territory has a tremendous amount of hard-to-fill roles. From a purely economic standpoint, we can't significantly grow our businesses and economy any more than we have without more people, and our population has been static for a long time. If we want to diversify our economy and create more opportunity for all of us, there simply aren't enough of us to go around.
The great majority of applicants to our nominee program are temporary foreign workers already living in Canada on a work visa. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we're now in a situation where the federally-imposed limits on spaces available to newcomers and all programs for permanent residency, not just the NWT nominee program, means that many folks are losing access to their dreams. Many newcomers have expiring work visas and are waiting on renewals to those visas with IRCC while waiting for our nominee program or other federal streams.
Mr. Speaker, this gray area is called implied status and adds to the stress for people who are following all of the federal rules. Implied status is basically the definition of bureaucratic limbo. This is when Canada tells you you can stay while your file is being processed but, meanwhile, the NWT cancels your driver's licence and health care card. Adding to more frustration, massive position cuts have been announced federally at IRCC, and these kinds of delays to work visa renewal times are likely to increase. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of ECE.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, trades training: Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting and prosperous initiative in all sectors and more importantly capacity building readiness for our regions and communities.
Mr. Speaker, allow us to go where the puck is going to be. This prepares our game position for workforce capitalization and community qualified service providers. Mr. Speaker, we, the GNWT, have the authorities, together with supporting resources, programs, community labour market plans, options for our federal counterparts to support their programs. Mr. Speaker, the tools in our toolbox is fully equipped to design regional and community trades training targets to meet industry, government, and our example, the Fort Good Hope construction centre, to meet product demand and stay compliance with the insurance and national building codes.
Mr. Speaker, one of the economic aspects to the initiative to the current and emerging economies is creating a disposal economy and providing dignity within our youth society.
Mr. Speaker, the 20th Assembly is in the unique, position with three years left in our mandate, having recognized this demand for skilled workforce we have the ability to allocate resources to support the readiness trades training through partnerships, departmental resources, collaboration, strategies, planning for all essential -- these are all essential principles in the designing to meet that demand while supporting our youth community for career security. Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Masi.
Thank you, member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today my statement is on immigration and marriage fraud.
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a desirable location for many people seeking a new start and has welcomed many newcomers through different federal programs. Canada's immigration policies fill labour shortages and support family reunification. Recently, it was announced that provincial and territorial nominee program allotments would be decreased.
Mr. Speaker, with this reduction in spots available, I am worried that other means of entry to Canada will be sought. There are cases where people are using marriage fraud to get Canadian citizenship. These are scam marriage applicants used to secure the benefits of citizenship and once acquired, they abandon their spouse after tricking them into marriage. The consequences of these scam marriages are devastating on the sponsoring Canadian citizens being used for this purpose. They are left heartbroken and financially responsible for the applicants for a few years.
The processing of immigration applicants and detection of marriage fraud is a responsibility of the federal government. This is a growing issue that can impact unsuspecting Canadians. I would like people, especially in small communities, to be aware of this issue. With the nominee program being limited, there may be an increase in other avenues being used to gain entry into Canada. We need to protect our residents from online scam phishing and exploitation, and inform them of this issue. It's a crime to marry a Canadian citizen or permanent resident simply to gain entry into Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the agreement education, culture and employment entered into with the federal government to work towards $10 a day daycare was designed to invest in early childcare for the betterment of all in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories had committed to creating 300 new childcare daycare spaces by 2026, but as of June 2024, only 76 new spaces have been created. A $50 million investment from Ottawa in 2021 was intended to create the 300 new spaces and reduce childcare fees to $10 a day within a five-year period, Mr. Speaker.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, what we're hearing from early childcare providers is that rather than investing in early childcare, we may be just putting them out of business. It seems, Mr. Speaker, we were not quite fully prepared for this agreement and the conditions that come with it. There seems to be no inflationary factors built into the agreement. With the cost of food rising, Mr. Speaker, some centres may have to cut nutritional programs. The wage grid for full-time equivalencies have not been calculated correctly in some instances. For example, Mr. Speaker, rather than a full-time position for -- two full-time positions for a certain number of children, what I'm being told by the care providers and centres is that it should be more around 2.5. Early childcare centres are now provided funding for employees who often have to stay late when parents may need more time to pick up their children, but yet childcare centres are not permitted to charge a late pickup fee, which parents would be more than willing to pay, Mr. Speaker.
There's a narrative that centre-based childcare has to become on par with day homes. According to the NWT Early Childhood Association, this is not correct. Day home providers are struggling as well and are not included in the wage grid subsidy program.
In the previous year's budget, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment agreed to an additional $3.5 million to assist early childcare. This money was intended to help all programs in early childcare. Let's give them the money, Mr. Speaker, for wages and some autonomy for the association on how it's spent. Let's include family day homes in the wage grid program and ensure they can continue to operate. Let's remove as many roadblocks as possible, Mr. Speaker. Let's provide as much assistance as needed to give the tools to these providers to complete the essentials course for both day home and centre providers. Let's ensure that the people that work to ensure that others can work are not left with no choice but to close their doors and leave so many of our hardworking residents with no options for daycare. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member from the Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, making residents and communities safe is a priority of this Assembly. The NWT RCMP seized nearly 5 kilograms of cocaine and over $360,000 in cash this month. This was the largest drug and money seizure in the Northwest Territories' history. The RCMP estimates the street value of these drugs is almost a million dollars. The three individuals they arrested in Yellowknife are from outside the territory but have ties to the community.
The RCMP are doing important work, but drugs are still making their way into the communities. According to data from the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act investigations, the number of criminal charges laid annually in the territory has doubled since 2020. That's a crime, Mr. Speaker. Last year, the RCMP reported that they seized 1.9 kilograms of cocaine and a semiautomatic handgun in a single search.
Mr. Speaker, these suppliers are criminals who prey on vulnerable people. I have heard reports of drug charges and seizures in Fort Providence where four people from outside the territory were illegally occupying a cabin to allegedly sell crack to the community. Media has reported instances where Deh Cho residents have been coerced into these operations.
Mr. Speaker, we know in order for our communities to combat the drug issues in our community, we have to work together and find solutions from the communities. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice at the appropriate time. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiliideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Company which runs the stores across the North could be facing a class action lawsuit that was filed in Nunavut. It is alleged the company has been reducing the costs of groceries they sell despite taking tens of millions of dollars in subsidies from the federal Government of Canada through the Nutrition North program. This lawsuit will play out and even malpractice is not proven, but this is another sign that Nutrition North is not working as is intended. There are countless studies which show that the food insecurity has worsened since the program began. Some studies suggest as little as half of every dollar in subsidies paid out is passed on to northern families. We can read these studies, but we can also talk to our constituents because they show us proof that the rising affordable access to food firsthand.
While Nutrition North is a federal and territorial -- our territorial government is an important partner in administering the program. The GNWT's role in Nutrition North is to advocate for communities, identify where they need our -- the needs are, and improving the right feedback. In small communities are still struggling and the courts are become the route. Northerners are looking for change. They must be more either federal, territorial government could do more to improve the outcomes.
With Nutrition North approaching $2 billion spent since 2011, something needs to change if only half the money is making a difference. My constituents want to know what their government is doing to ensure federal subsidies 100 percent are passed on to them. They want this program to be more effective either through policy fixes or support for local businesses. I look forward to asking the Premier later how he intends to tackle this issue on food security through the GNWT-led initiative on closer corroboration with the Government of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiliideh. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year when MLAs were complaining that there were no targets attached to our mandate, we were told it's all going to be in the business plans. But a year later, in many cases I don't see this happening. When I look at our updated business plans, in many cases I'm not sure I see a clear plan articulated for much of what we're trying to do.
Because it came up during your review of the ECE budget last night in COW, I'm going to focus on targets related to growing the workforce today. But I want to be clear that there are a number of areas where we need to better articulate what we are trying to achieve and would suggest that, at a minimum, we need to set clear targets for each of our priority items.
Mr. Speaker, we are capable of setting targets. Keeping the focus on ECE, part of our ELCC agreement included setting targets for growth of childcare spaces as the member for Boot Lake was talking about today. The target lists out both what we are ultimately trying to achieve and interim goals to keep us on track along the way. 75 spaces per year for a total of 300 spaces by March 31st, 2026. That is a solid goal. It's very specific, so we know exactly what we are working towards.
The reason targets like this are useful is because they tell us and the public what we are trying to achieve and, in some cases, even what problem we are trying to solve. Imagine we set a more nebulous target like we've done for growing post-secondary students for childcare spaces? Imagine if our goal was simply increase childcare spaces. How would staff ever know what they achieved or even when they were done? With a goal like that, you will never know when the work is finished or if you're making meaningful progress towards the goal because there isn't one.
I want to acknowledge that a number of the targets ECE has set for growing the northern workforce are measurable and applaud the department's work to establish these targets. For example, they have set the goal of increasing the number of students accessing SFA by 10 percent over the length of the 20th Assembly. That is a measurable target that we can track the progress of. I would suggest that we bring the rest of our targets up to this standard and; furthermore, ensure that we aren't simply taking a shotgun approach to mandate implementation by throwing a bunch of ideas at it. Let's get clear about what problems we are trying to solve, make plans to address those problems, and set measurable and achievable goals to implement those plans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, the Alzheimer's Society is an organization here in the NWT that helps people facing dementia. Their team of navigators, volunteers, staff members, all share a common vision of a world without Alzheimer's or any kind of dementia. The Alzheimer's organization believes that each person living with dementia can thrive, and the society's focus is care today and a cure tomorrow.
Through dementia awareness programs and services, the Alberta-NWT society works relentlessly in their efforts to find a cure while supporting our loved ones. The Yellowknife office supports northern partnerships with our communities by creating a strong support network. However, the extent of this work is much broader through outreach efforts and their work with their trained dementia ambassadors.
The society helps not only people living with Alzheimer's disease, Mr. Speaker. They also work to support others who are facing any types of dementia diagnosis who are navigating through the health system and need to help learning about the connecting to the programs and the services available in their community and throughout the North. Connecting people through their referrals is a key to finding the right supports early in the dementia journey which can make the big difference in the quality a person is living with during the dementia challenges and certainly helps support the care partners.
The Alzheimer's Society offers a host of in-person, online programs, and services designed to support individuals and their needs and the preferences through programs and services that are developed for people living with dementia. This also helps their care partners, health professionals, and even employers and employees navigating through the workforce. The society offers its programs, believe it or not, free of charge thanks to the generous support of their donors and the community fundraising efforts. Many of the important initiatives improve the lives impacted by those impacted by dementia and throughout.
Mr. Speaker, we're all working towards a cure, and it is very important that we support these volunteers who provide this invaluable contribution for their work to our community members. I encourage each member of this Assembly to reach out in our own way to learn more about the Alzheimer's Society. Mr. Speaker, you can connect to the society by easily calling 867-669-9392 or email at sgillis@alzheimer.ab.ca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I look forward to your support on this cause as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements.
Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by the member for Yellowknife Centre on February 10, 2025, regarding the budgeting process for the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority.
The department provides a dollar value and service expectation to each of the three health authorities to develop a detailed budget. The authorities must submit this budget to the department by February 15th of each year concurrent with the main estimates process. The department works with each authority to review their budget aligning details with what was presented to committee. This ensures that the authorities' budgets are ready for final review by the department once the main estimates are approved.
Further, to comply with Financial Administration Act, this work must be completed by April 1st of each year. Once the main estimates in the authorities' budgets are approved, the department then enters into a contribution agreement with each health authority which outlines the dollar value for activities, spending parameters, and reporting requirements such as performance indicators and financial statements.
Lastly, the authorities are required to submit variance reports to the department which facilitates monitoring of expenditures. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two sets of visitors in the gallery today. I'll start with the shorter list but not anywhere less worthy. The NWT Literacy Council is represented by one of my constituents today, Ms. Katie Johnson. She's also an advocate for many other causes which I certainly endorse.
The other group I'd like to recognize is a bevy of ladies, very smart, charming, and hardworking volunteers, and they are as follows: Ms. Martha McLellan, Ms. Sandra Hockes, Ms. Mika Cameron; and, a special thanks goes to Ms. Linda Koe who helped me with my statement today. And I wish to thank each of them personally for coming today and enjoying our session as presented. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too want to welcome some of our guests today. Martha McLellan, she's a Range Lake resident; and, Kathryn Barry Paddock, and also a Range Lake resident. And I'd also like to recognize Mika Cameron. She was an important educator in my life coming up in the Northwest Territories. Thank you for being here today.
Thank you, member from Range Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize two pages from my riding of the Mackenzie Delta. Elijah Smith and Sandy Dylan are both from Aklavik and attend Moose Kerr School. I'd like to welcome them to the Assembly and congratulate them on a job well done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife North.
