Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You can see how passionate we are when it comes to mental health and addictions and programming dollars that we need. We have good and moderate programming dollars for communities who wish to initiate health, wellness and addiction workshops. These are well used in my constituency as I travel. However, there is a weakness and gap with the programs available.
The Health Promotion Fund of around $10,000 and the Community Wellness Fund, about $5,000 to each community, does not take into account the high cost of travel and accommodations. As a result, remote communities like Trout Lake and Wrigley will use up to 50 percent of eligible funding for travel, thereby reducing the quantity and quality of the program that can be offered to their residents.
In the Health and Social Services report called A Shared Path Towards Wellness, 2012-2015 Action Plan, there are other gaps identified that must be addressed as this will immensely help our small communities. The need for more community follow-up, more programs for children and youth and mental health and addictions. With the limited funding, my communities, and indeed all of our communities in the North, do experience problems getting good programs and workshops into their communities.
Later on today Mr. Yakeleya will introduce a motion on mental health and addictions, calling for more financial investment into taking care of people. I certainly support it as we can fund adequately our remote communities that they have proper and professional programs and workshops to help their communities. A lot of these programming dollars are one-time funding and it’s got to be more than that, it has got to be continuous. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
