Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is almost a year since the government closed the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik to elders who cannot live independently. Now there is a lineup of elders waiting to go to the facility in Inuvik which serves the entire Beaufort-Delta region. I am not convinced that the Inuvik facility can handle all the elders who need care. I am not convinced that sending the elders to Inuvik from the communities is the best way to care for them.
In my riding alone of the Mackenzie Delta there are more than 300 elders over the age of 60. They wonder what will happen to them if they can no longer take care of themselves.
In Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic there’s only one home care worker in each community. Even if they can’t stay at home, the elders themselves would rather live in one of the delta communities instead of Inuvik. That is because family and friends visit regularly and bring traditional food.
The Joe Greenland Centre is part of the social and cultural fabric of the delta. The community of Aklavik is proud of its role in taking care of our elders.
Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly agreed a year ago, they passed a motion to continue providing long-term care for elders at the Joe Greenland Centre. I know that our Health Minister supported that during the last Assembly when he was a Regular Member. For all these reasons I am asking the Health Minister to reverse his department’s decision to end long-term care at the Joe Greenland Centre. I believe the current building can be renovated to meet the necessary standards, but if this is not possible, a new facility should be built.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
