Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, prior to the fire in May 2024, Housing NWT made a commitment to provide two duplexes for the community of Fort Resolution. But after the fire, these units were used to replace the two units that burned. My question to the Minister of Housing NWT is when can the community expect the two new duplexes to arrive to the community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The information I have from Housing NWT is over the past two years, Housing NWT has completed eight incremental and two replacement public housing units in Fort Resolution, including a four-plex for singles, a duplex for singles, a duplex for seniors, and a public housing replacement duplex. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we had that fire in Fort Resolution, we lost two duplexes - one being a public housing unit and the other as being market rental unit, and one unit burned down both units in that community but we already replaced that unit with the two units that were ready to come in in the fall. So my question to the Minister is now that we are anticipating two duplexes coming into the community, I want to know where are they going to put them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the numbers that I provided, there are no plans at this time to replace the market housing duplex, and the public housing duplex has been replaced with the recently completed replacement duplex. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm a little confused because I'm just assuming that the NWT Housing Corporation has insurance in the event of a fire and the duplex that caught fire, I would just say that it's my understanding that that duplex should be replaced. But what happened now is what I'm hearing is that duplex has been replaced with a project from previous year onto that site. So what I'm hearing from the Minister is that it sounds like we're not getting no duplex. Thank you.
For the Minister.
My question, Mr. Speaker, is that I just want -- basically said that so what the Minister is saying is that we're not getting no duplex, and I'd like her to confirm that, yes or no. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure of Housing NWT's insurance obligations especially with a fire related to the duplex in Fort Resolution. I can check into the information for the Member and follow up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have further questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. First, is there anything in the government's business plan that specifically speaks to energy efficiency goals or strategies in terms of buildings, appliances, or vehicles? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is. We do, of course, have commitments to advance the energy strategy and to update that, and the energy strategy will -- is really the all-encompassing approach that we utilize to determine how a government as a whole is going to be approaching energy issues, energy efficiency included. The Department of Infrastructure is certainly the lead on that, but we're not alone. Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT also has commitments in their business plan, I understand, with respect to incorporating energy efficiency technologies. And Department of Infrastructure, again as I had just mentioned, we have within us the responsibility under EV technologies and also supports to Arctic Energy Alliance which delivers a lot of programs. So in short, the short answer is yes, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do understand that the business plan speaks to the energy strategy, and there are things contained within the energy strategy. One of those is a goal, at least in the previous iteration of the 2030 Energy Strategy, a goal to increase commercial, residential, and institutional building energy efficiency by 15 percent. But can the Minister explain what practical steps the government is taking to actually achieve that goal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a number of initiatives that are underway by the government. We have, if I'm not mistaken, in the last five years spent over $60 million in different energy efficiency programs, including renewable heat, renewable energy and, for example, biomass boiler installation, LED lighting replacements in a number of areas. There's a push towards some solar energy and being able to interconnect those systems in to our existing energy infrastructure, so again -- and supporting communities in their efforts to move towards having, again, their own opportunities for district heating, for example, again boiler installations, and also other energy alternatives that can then feed into our grid and support the grid. So quite a number of things happening in this space, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister point to evidence that the work underway will actually lead us to achieve the goal of 15 percent energy efficiency reductions? Is that a path that is laid out and quantified, or we're just hoping that the investment will get us to the 15 percent goal? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are annual reporting requirements from both myself with respect to the energy side but also from my colleague at ECC with respect to our climate change framework. Mr. Speaker, I don't have them at the tip of my fingers here today, but we do certainly see as an obligation to report on the progress we're making in those two areas, and that is tabled here in the House annually. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my community of Fort Resolution, we had a couple incidents just over the weekend in public housing units where it's all been drug-related, and we had a tenant that was -- is afraid to go home now because of the drug dealers coming to their home and using weapons etcetera. They got nowhere to go. And we had another incident as well where a cocktail was thrown into the house and caught fire.
My question to the Minister of Housing NWT is that has -- sorry, Housing NWT, what are they doing to address the drug dealers in public housing units? Can the Minister provide an update on the progress they're making to address this issue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can understand the concerns coming from the Member about illegal activities in public housing units because this is happening across the territory, and this is something we're all facing in our constituencies and is in our ridings. So what's happening in Fort Resolution is happening throughout, and I just want to emphasize the need that we need to work together, and we need to work with the RCMP, we need to work with the communities, we need to report illegal activities. And there's an actual app that's available online that people can download. It's called P3 Tips. If you don't want to report, you know, with Crime Stoppers, you can report with this app, and it would be anonymous. So that's important for people to know.
In terms of Fort Resolution and their concerns, LHOs, one thing they must do is they must be able to prove the illegal activity to the rental officer to obtain an eviction order. So proving the activity can be a challenge. LHOs often rely on a submission of evidence from others who may be too frightened to come forward. So that's why I was talking about this app that might be able to provide this evidence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to hear that the wish to work together is key, and I agree on that issue. I'm just want to know if the Minister could work with the local leadership and the RCMP and myself after session is done so we can start looking at a way to dealing with these issues because these issues are very series, and we got to make public housing safer for our tenants and also for the community. I just want to see if I could get a commitment from the Minister on this. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And safe for staff because staff are going into these housing units and having to upkeep and maintain these units, and sometimes they can't even get into the unit. So illegal activities, they're barricading the doors, and it's difficult for staff. But with the RCMP, the RCMP and the rental office have met with Housing NWT, and they meet with program advisers, they meet with the LHOs, they have training with the LHOs. The RCMP regularly meet with Housing NWT officials to ensure information is shared and how improvements can be made. So the RCMP also encourage local detachments to assist LHOs by sharing whatever information is available that they could legally provide and that won't disrupt an investigation. So these are some of the ideas that are talked with districts, with LHOs, with RCMP, and with community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I really appreciate those comments. I just want to know if I'm able to get a commitment from the Minister to work with local leadership and the RCMP and the rental officer, maybe perhaps we could have a public meeting in the community within -- sometime in March or April and start looking at ways as to how we can address this issue and work together on this issue. So I'd like to get a commitment from the Minister on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm always happy to have discussions with communities for safer communities and expelling, like, illegal activities and in communities, so happy to have further discussions about that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recently learned that it's the Minister of Health and Social Services's responsibility to regulate veterinarians in the Northwest Territories through the Veterinarian Medical Act. One of the issues that's come up recently with a closure of a clinic here in Yellowknife is vet records do not move with the vet if they open their own clinic. This is a concern for patients. They want to ensure that their pet care continues to follow their vet. Can the Minister let us know how she can help make that possible because currently our Act does not allow for that whereas other jurisdictions, they have Acts that permit the transfer and -- transfer of records without the need for a court order or voluntary disclosure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member, from Range Lake. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has stated, the Veterinary Profession Act does fall under one of the -- under my portfolio; however, it does not speak to records. It doesn't -- and so what happens usually individuals in southern jurisdictions for the owner of a veterinary clinic to be practicing, the veterinarian -- and they usually are the ones that have control over all the records. So in the circumstances that the Member -- you know, unfortunately, we've all seen in the news and everything with the Great Slave clinic shutting down, you know, there is some uncertainty of what's going on. But our legislation at this time doesn't speak to any veterinarian records, and those would be the property of the owner is my understanding. So at this time, we are not looking at the legislation for this as we have many pieces of legislation that we are working on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the somewhat -- not absurd but unfamiliar territory we're in because this is veterinary medicine. But our Act it's six pages long. It's 12 clauses long. It hasn't been looked at since, I think -- beyond minor changes -- 1988. Is this something the Minister can put on the legislative agenda for the future? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think a lot of our legislation is old and, you know, as we prioritize getting through some of the legislation that we have, I will make sure that this is added to the list and to triage it as we do all the other legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that. Is there any kind of a plan to expand veterinary medicine in the Northwest Territories? Currently we only have four vets, I believe, working and only two doing small animal medicine. Does the department have any programs or supports available that would ease in the recruitment and retention of veterinarians in the Northwest Territories?
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently the Northwest Territories has 35 registered veterinarians, Mr. Speaker -- registered veterinarians which include those who visit the Northwest Territories to provide locum service when needed. I know that of 33 communities, our smaller communities are overrun, I hear from my colleague to the next of me, in her communities the dogs are, you know -- and so these services that are coming into our region are not just for our sick dogs but our dogs that are here that need just basic vaccines, neutering and spaying. You know, we have a lot of partners in the capital that have been doing big, huge work for this region. And I know in Inuvik, we have some dedicated veterinarians that keep coming back and returning. And, yes, there probably could be some more work around this; however, right now, unfortunately, the work that we have under the work that I have under my portfolio this is not, unfortunately, at the top of my list. But I will make sure that there are -- you know, we will take a look at it. We have it on the list as to what can be updated. If there is something easy that we can take from our neighbours to look at our legislation to review, if that can meet the needs of the territory. I'll just leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In collaboration, I just want to ask my question to the Deputy Premier.
You heard my statement a little bit earlier today in regards to the issues in Fort Resolution. I wanted to invite the Premier, perhaps in April, to a community meeting in Fort Resolution with the housing Minister, RCMP, etcetera. So I just want to see if we could get a commitment to plan a meeting together probably in April sometime. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Okay, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Deputy Premier cannot make a commitment for the Premier so if you're asking for the Deputy Premier to come and have that meeting, then she can answer the question. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Either the Premier or Deputy Premier. But in this case, the Deputy Premier. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had a very lovely visit in Fort Resolution last year when I was there, so -- and I can't make commitments obviously for the Premier or his schedule. I know I've already got a visit myself planned in April but certainly happy to see -- Fort Resolution is not that hard for us to get to. If we can work together and find a date in April, I'm happy to try. And if I can't, it may well be that the Premier's able to. But, again -- so let's try and see if we can make some dates work. I know that the housing Minister's nodding as I'm speaking, so at the very least I expect she may be planning something. So happy to try, Mr. Speaker. I don't have my calendar in front of me, so I'm just hesitating to commit before I know whether it's even within the realm of possibility. But as I said, happy -- happy to go back. It was a lovely visit last time I was there.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd just like to maybe also invite the Minister for --
Deputy Premier you were talking to, so you -- thank you. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, you want to be put back on? Okay, I'll put you back on. Thank you. I'll put you back on.
Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
