Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. Before we begin the business of the day, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge a special day for one of our Members. It happens to be the birthday of the Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Robert Hawkins.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take the opportunity today to say thank you, on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories and all the people of the Northwest Territories, to Mr. Tony Whitford who has successfully completed...
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...his term as Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.
The way the Territory is governed has evolved considerably during Mr. Whitford’s lifetime and he has been present to witness much of it. When Mr. Whitford was born in Fort Smith, the NWT was still being governed out of Ottawa by federal bureaucrats. That began to change with the relocation of the Commissioner to Yellowknife in 1967. Mr. Whitford served as executive assistant to John Parker, the second Commissioner to call the NWT home and the one who was to preside over the establishment of fully responsible government in the NWT. As Speaker of the 14th Legislative Assembly, Mr. Whitford guided the first post-division Assembly of the Northwest Territories helping to adapt old rules, traditions and conventions to a new Assembly and new situation.
In between, Mr. Whitford served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, participating in the debates and decisions that shaped how the NWT was governed during the 11th and 12th Assemblies. As a Member of the Executive Council, Mr. Whitford also served as Minister of Health and Social Services, Safety and Public Services and Transportation. While not a Member of the 13th Assembly, Mr. Whitford continued his long association with this House as Sergeant-at-Arms.
Mr. Whitford was appointed as Deputy Commissioner in 2004 and became Commissioner of the NWT in April 2005. During his time as Commissioner, he has worked hard to be the people’s Commissioner. He made it a priority to travel to every NWT community to meet and hear from the people he represented. As a tireless promoter of education, spring would usually find him speaking at graduation ceremonies across the NWT. Throughout his time as Commissioner, Mr. Whitford never hesitated to represent the government and the people of the Northwest Territories at countless official ceremonies and public functions.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Whitford’s time as Commissioner was a culmination of a lifetime of public service and as an example to where hard work and dedication can take a person. Northern born and raised, Mr. Whitford has risen to the highest office in the Northwest Territories through his commitment to his fellow Northerners and his community. Whether it was performing weddings, serving as a Justice of the Peace, sitting as an MLA, presiding over the Rotary Bike Auction or presiding over this House, the one constant has been Mr. Whitford’s dedication to public service. As we say thank you to him for his service to us as Commissioner, I am sure that this time will not be the last we will hear of Mr. Whitford. While the office he holds may change from time to time, the one thing not likely to change is his desire to contribute to his community and to the Territory. I’m sure he’s already thinking of what’s next -- as he likes to say, “Have gavel will travel.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide Members and the public with an update on the Deh Cho Bridge Project. I want to say that I am very much looking forward to the day that the bridge opens to traffic in a year and a half.
Mr. Speaker, in just 18 months we will be able to drive across the Mackenzie River 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No longer will the residents of the North Slave be cut off during spring breakup. No longer will commercial vehicles sit and idle, waiting for passage on the ferry. No longer will low water and ice in the river disrupt service. No longer will businesses have to warehouse large volumes of goods. No longer will the Merv Hardie burn half a million litres of diesel and release tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. No longer will we have to concern ourselves with future impacts of climate change on the ice bridge. All the anxieties and frustrations that we associate with the current operation will finally be a thing of the past.
Mr. Speaker, we are about to enter a critical stage in the construction of the bridge. We have set an ambitious but achievable schedule that will require the cooperation of everyone involved in the project. To meet the schedule, we have assembled a team of skilled professionals under the direction of the Department of Transportation. This team is committed to completing the bridge by November 2011.
Work has commenced this spring and by next March the bridge will have taken shape. Steel fabrication is underway. The contractor, Ruskin Construction, will spend the summer completing the earthworks approaches and installing the two concrete abutments. This will be followed by the launching of the steel trusses or girders in September. Steel members will be bolted together on both banks and pushed out inch by inch over the river to span the piers. Once the trusses are in place, Ruskin will erect the two towers and string the massive cables that will support the centre span. The centre span will be hoisted into place from the work bridges below using huge winches. Then it will be a matter of completing the bridge deck, the approaches and other minor works.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken over the project but the community of Fort Providence still remains committed and involved with the project. We are entering into a new relationship with our community partners: the Deh Gah Got’ie First Nation, the Fort Providence Metis Council, and the Hamlet of Fort Providence. I am looking forward to attending the community feast in Fort Providence to celebrate the signing of the new agreements that will replace the concession agreement.
Mr. Speaker, I am certain that in the future the news surrounding the bridge will be more favourable, particularly as we approach the completion of construction. The Department of Transportation is developing a communication plan under the banner of “Bridging Our Future” that will include new signage, a newsletter, a stand-alone website and a real-time video feed. Our intent is to highlight all the positive accomplishments associated with the bridge.
Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge, by virtue of its innovative design, its remote location and its sheer size, will be a unique structure that we can all be proud of. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, for many years, going back to the last century, Northerners have increasingly voiced their concerns about water and all the things affecting water. The message to us has been clear: we must take the steps necessary to protect our water.
The 15th Assembly heard the people and shared their concern. In 2007, the 15th Legislative Assembly declared in part that all people have a fundamental right to water.
The 16th Legislative Assembly built on that motion and directed that a made-in-the-NWT water strategy was a priority and needed to be developed. For the past 28 months, we along with our many partners have worked long and hard to carry out that direction. Today I stand before you to report that our made-in-the-North strategy, Northern Voices, Northern Waters, is ready and I will be tabling it later today.
Our concern about water is greater than ever as we deal with climate change, transboundary issues and the many pressures within our borders. This strategy is a critical policy document that allows us to move forward immediately. There will be no resting on our laurels. There is no time as events affecting our water are moving too fast.
Northern Voices, Northern Waters provides our policy base and roadmap as we move forward with transboundary discussions under the Mackenzie River Basin Board Transboundary Master Agreement. We also have much work to do within our own boundaries.
This strategy is a collaborative approach to responsible water stewardship. It was developed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, designated representatives of aboriginal governments and active input from NWT residents.
The GNWT greatly appreciates the contributions of the Aboriginal Steering Committee for their guidance in the development of the strategy. The steering committee will continue to offer its advice as the strategy is implemented. NWT residents will continue to have opportunities to engage on this living strategy.
The strategy promotes an ecosystem-based approach within watersheds to improve water management to reflect the deep and fundamental relationship between residents and the waters of the Northwest Territories.
As one of our most valuable resources, we recognize the importance of clean waters and healthy aquatic ecosystems. The strategy sets a common path forward for water partners to ensure the continued sustainable use of this resource. It will improve decision-making processes, information sharing and communications among all water partners actively involved in water stewardship in the Northwest Territories.
The goals of the strategy are:
to ensure that the waters that flow into, within or through the NWT are not substantially altered in quality, quantity and rates of flow;
that residents have access to safe, clean and plentiful drinking water at all times;
that aquatic ecosystems are healthy and diverse;
that residents can rely on their water to sustain their communities and economies;
that residents are involved in and knowledgeable about water stewardship; and finally,
that all those making water stewardship decisions work together to communicate and share information.
Mr. Speaker, the time to act on water stewardship is now. As aboriginal governments raise awareness through the annual water gatherings, pressures on waters throughout the NWT and in neighbouring jurisdictions continue to increase.
NWT residents have expressed concern about water levels, water quality and the health of our aquatic ecosystems. Many have witnessed differences in river flow and levels, and worry about the future of our wetlands, deltas, rivers and lakes.
Upstream development in the Mackenzie River Basin, including hydro, nuclear and oil sands development have or may have an impact on our aquatic ecosystems. In north-eastern British Columbia, the Bennett Dam has already altered river flows. B.C. Hydro has recently proposed a 900 megawatt project to develop Site C, the third dam on the Peace River, which may continue to modify flows. Downstream aboriginal governments have indicated concern over even slight additional alterations.
In Alberta, TransAlta continues to gather information to develop a hydroelectric project for a 100 megawatt facility and a four-reactor 4,000 megawatt nuclear plant on the Peace River. In the Great Slave sub-basin of the Mackenzie River Basin, a proposal for a Slave River hydro development near the NWT border is being investigated. Oil sands development continues in the Athabasca sub-basin of the Mackenzie River Basin.
The strategy will help us prepare for negotiations with other governments within the Mackenzie River Basin to ensure its aquatic and plant life continue to thrive.
As partners, we must show strong leadership in water stewardship to ensure the sustainable use of this valuable resource throughout the NWT. We must set high standards and hold ourselves and others responsible and accountable. We cannot sit back and watch as our water resources deplete or become contaminated. We must properly manage our waters so future generations can enjoy what we currently enjoy.
Mr. Speaker, our strategy relies on the principles of an ecosystem-based approach within watersheds. When water flows downstream, the land mass where that water flows becomes increasingly larger. Decisions on how the waters within these watersheds are used have the potential to affect many ecosystems.
These decisions cannot be made in isolation. Decisions and subsequent actions must be made after considering the entire watershed, its land and water, and all the values within it.
This ecosystem-based approach allows for the protection of the water environment while addressing critical issues such as the current and future impacts of development and climate change.
Together with our water partners, we have already accomplished a significant amount of work in the area of environmental monitoring, research and planning at all levels in the Northwest Territories.
As we actively plan for the future of water management in the NWT, we will build on the work to date. Water partners continue to examine available information and use it to make sound decisions that will provide a healthy water legacy for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity to lead by example. By using our collective voice on water issues, partnering with aboriginal governments and setting high standards, we hold ourselves and others accountable for the establishment of sound and effective water management policies. The next step in this process is to develop a detailed action plan for fall 2010.
This plan will be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure all concerns and important details are included.
Our water resources are precious and this strategy is our guide to engagement in the development of current and future water projects, including the Site C and the Slave River Hydro Dams and ensures we can keep our waters clean, abundant and productive for all time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide an update to Members and the general public on our decision to return responsibility for public housing rent assessments to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, my first priority after I was appointed Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation was to examine the issue of the public housing rental subsidy and explore ways to find resolution to the challenges that the program’s administration was causing for public housing tenants and front-line staff.
On January 28, 2010, following a review of the issues and examination of the possible solutions, Minister Miltenberger announced in the budget address that the responsibility for assessing public housing rent would be returning to the local housing organizations during the coming fiscal year. This decision was made with a view towards providing quality client service in a fair and equitable manner for all tenants, while also improving the financial stability of LHOs. Client service is a primary concern for myself and the Housing Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that we are well underway with the implementation of this change. As of June 1st, Mr. Speaker, local housing organizations will take over responsibility for assessing public housing rent. As of that date, residents will only have to visit their local housing organization in order to be assessed and to make their rent payments. Local housing organizations are being asked to ensure that all rent assessments are completed within the first week of every month. So it is important that tenants visit within that first week to be properly assessed and to avoid falling into arrears.
In preparation for June 1st, we have undertaken communications and implementation plans to support the smooth transition for tenants and staff alike. In April, both the NWT Housing Corp and ECE began implementing communication activities to inform residents of the coming changes. We have informed tenants, LHO board chairs, staff and standing committee directly. An advertising campaign to remind tenants of the changes coming in June is also underway and will be enhanced later this month. In order to prepare LHO and ECE staff to deal with tenants during the transition, we have provided training and information to front-line staff at both the LHOs and the Housing Corporation that will help them answer tenant questions, and ensure they provide a high level of customer service and have full awareness of how the subsidy process works.
NWT Housing Corp and ECE are also collaborating through an implementation plan covering the period from now until April 1st, 2011. This plan will guide activities related both to the change in responsibilities for assessment as well as other improvements being made in the Public Housing Program in 2010-11. These improvements will include a review of the LHO operating budgets, revisions to the Public Housing Policy and Procedures Manual, as well as Information Management System development. We will also complete the review of existing rent scales, which will involve public consultation.
Mr. Speaker, our Public Housing Program is a key component of our government’s effort to deal with the high cost of living in our communities. I feel strongly that the return of assessments to the LHOs, along with the other improvements we will make this fiscal year, will help to contribute to our overall goal to improve client service and provide a Public Housing Program that meets the needs of those that it serves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s talk of changes to the Mackenzie Valley Resources Management Act, and blowing up the boards, and making changes to the act and guidelines. By doing so, they’re stating it would not affect the land claims agreements. Mr. Speaker, I totally disagree. This is far from the truth, Mr. Speaker.
The land claims agreements were negotiated in such a way that the lands resources management act that is in place flowed from the land claims agreement in which it was enacted by the land claims organizations, the federal government, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the people throughout the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, the people of the Northwest Territories, especially the people in the Mackenzie Valley, through the Dene Metis land claims process, made it clear that they were tired of developers coming into their regions, coming into their territories and not consulting and not including them in any process. Mr. Speaker, the fundamental element of the land, water, and regimes in the land claim agreements were clear that the aboriginal groups, the Dene Metis, made it specifically clear that they had to be not only included, but they had to have some guarantees by way of percentages that 50 percent of all the boards would include appointments for nominees from the aboriginal organizations so that they were included in the regulatory process not only through consulting, but being full, active members of the regulatory process established in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, no longer will the aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories be bystanders to developers who have no place or ability to say aboriginal people have rights here. We have rights, we have land claims, we have the legal protection under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, but, Mr. Speaker, again, the federal government is finding a way to undermine the land claims agreements, and more importantly, doing it in such a way that they are saying that by simply making minor changes to the regulations and guidelines that they will not be affecting the agreements. I disagree.
Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important to realize that the land claim organizations were involved in the drafting and the implementation of the Mackenzie Valley Resources Act, in which they had people at the table negotiating those agreements so that they can find and ensure...
Mr. Krutko, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, again, the aboriginal organizations want to ensure that they’re protecting the rights and their abilities that are recognized through the land claims agreements.
Mr. Speaker, Section 35 of the Canadian Constitutional specifically...(inaudible)...states that basically nothing by way of legislation changes can affect the land claim agreements. The rights are entrenched in those agreements and must be protected, upheld, and also the federal government has a fiduciary obligation to protect aboriginal rights and land claims agreements in regard to Section 35.
Mr. Speaker, I will be asking some questions to the Minister of Environment on this, realizing he did have a meeting with the federal appointee a number of days ago. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my seven years as the MLA for the Sahtu, I made some shocking discoveries about the electrical rates in the Northwest Territories, and now, finally, the lights are coming on. Mr. Speaker, communities are not being treated equally; plain and simple. However, with the new power rates offered by the lead Minister for the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee last week, there is hope, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. It took all of us to turn the heat up on this government to do something about the power rates.
I understand that the new structure will result in a decrease in many of the Sahtu communities and communities in the Northwest Territories. It will be very beneficial to my communities and elsewhere. I want to thank the Minister for that. I want to thank the government for that.
Mr. Speaker, in continuing with the utilities and the cost of the utilities, I want to address the issue of natural gas price increases in Norman Wells. For example, now, how this new structure rate will help the good residents of Norman Wells, because at the beginning of February the rate of gas in Norman Wells was 30 percent higher than in December. Imperial Oil plans to raise the price by 30 percent every year for the next two years. Imagine the impact on residents and small business owners in the town of Norman Wells.
But you know, Mr. Speaker, the federal government walks away every year with $125 million in their pockets from the resource royalties and the profits of being an owner in the Norman Wells oilfield. Let me repeat that, Mr. Speaker, the feds are getting $125 million each year from Norman Wells. I guess it’s good to be boss, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, now that we have shown leadership, we have taken control, we have given power back to the people, let’s get together and let’s sit down with the federal government and let them start paying their power bills to the Northwest Territories, the rightful owner. The power belongs to the people of the Northwest Territories and let’s keep it at that. Period.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to salute and support the creation of Yellowknife’s superb system of bicycle paths and recognize government’s role in assuring safety.
Riding a bike is an individual route to greenhouse gas reductions that add up big. The ability to bike is one of the things that make cities the places of people, not cars. Because we live amid the world’s greatest wilderness, bikeways are also an avenue to fabulous backcountry recreation for residents and tourists.
The City of Yellowknife continues to develop the bike path system that contributes to its ranking as the most sustainable small city in Canada for the third year in a row. Bike path work is underway right now in the greenway alongside the Deh Cho Boulevard extension, linking Kam Lake to Highway No. 3, and discussions are underway on the Old Airport Road and rounding the Jackfish Lake loop sections.
The realignment of the Ingraham Trail and Giant Mine Remediation Project give us the opportunity to embark on a major addition to our recreation, tourism and sustainable transportation system. Installation of a dedicated bikeway out from the Explorer Hotel will require territorial dollars, given it’s a territorial highway, and possibly could be cost-shared with the City. We can work with the City to ensure a bikeway, not just a wide shoulder, but a bicycle and pedestrian thoroughfare looping through the bush is included in the design. There is a prospect of federal dollars out there under the Giant Mine Remediation Project.
We shouldn’t be thinking just about the Giant Mine Remediation Project. The Dettah Road project is underway and the road to Prelude Lake lies beyond. Imagine the allure of a bicycle greenway paralleling the Ingraham Trail, not just a wide shoulder again, but a bicycle and pedestrian thoroughfare looping through the bush.
To begin, there’s the prospect of federal dollars. Because a wilderness bikeway isn’t primarily a route between two points, we can build sections that complement and supplement the Ingraham Trail and add to this recreational legacy as we go along, ultimately targeting Prelude Lake and all points before as a premiere recreational and tourism experience available to anyone.
I’ve raised this in the Assembly before and I will continue to be pedalling this issue every chance I get. Let’s follow the Yellowknife example close to home and build a pathway of green transportation and enjoyment for our generations ahead. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ve been speaking about distracted driving for some time now and I’m not about to stop. Consider me the never-stopping Energizer bunny, if you will.
Mr. Speaker, the data continues to show that people using hand-held devices, texting, checking messages, talking, playing games, et cetera, while driving, are detrimental to the driver’s health and, more importantly, to bystanders and other drivers, people who have no control over the actions of the offending driver.
Two recent news items, for instance: a skateboarder in Lethbridge caused a collision between himself and a car because he was looking at his cell phone as he crossed the street outside a crosswalk, no less. And the United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon yesterday called for a culture in which driving while distracted is unacceptable, unacceptable in the eyes of the law and the public. The Secretary General also said I want every driver in the world to get the message: texting while driving kills. Ban then announced that the UN is prohibiting its employees from texting while driving in UN vehicles.
I’ve mentioned before that there are more and more companies and organizations which prohibit employees from driving while using a cell phone. Finning Canada is one, NTCL Company Ltd. is another, and who knew GNWT is a third. We have a policy number 6003.08.10, titled Mobile Hand-Held Devices, and it has a section 5.2 titled Compliance. The introduction reads: Users must comply with other GNWT legislation, policies, procedures, standards and guidelines related to mobile hand-held device use. It further states specific considerations include and in 5.2(d) it says, do not use a GNWT mobile hand-held device while driving unless a hands-free kit is used. That means while driving any vehicle, either a GNWT vehicle or one’s own vehicle, one shouldn’t be using a GNWT cell phone.
Mr. Speaker, I’ll go out on a sturdy tree limb and say that everyone in this room uses a government-owned cell phone or Smart phone, and I think my sturdy limb will support the conjecture that 99 percent of GNWT employees using cell phones are using GNWT-owned cell phones. How many of them and how many of us know of the policy? How many of them and how many of us are in compliance with that policy? I suspect not very many. The policy is laudable, but without wide publicity as well as enforcement, it’s not much good, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I really need support on this issue, obviously. Without wide publicity as well as enforcement, the policy isn’t much good.
Mr. Speaker, some months ago the Minister of Transportation advised the House that the department was reviewing and analyzing the issue of distracted driving and possible changes to the Motor Vehicle Act. I am hopeful that that report will recommend changes that bring us closer to roads which are safe from drivers using hand-held devices. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was pleased to see a press release that indicated that stem cell challenge clinics have been organized in the Northwest Territories by the Yellowknife Fire Department and Medic North in support of the first annual National EMS Stem Cell Challenge. I’d like to take this opportunity to applaud both the Yellowknife Fire Department and Medic North for facilitating this important challenge.
The press release went further to indicate that the nationwide challenge is aimed at registering healthy, committed Canadians, aged 17 to 50, on the National Stem Cell Challenge and Marrow Network maintained by the Canadian Blood Services. The network serves a vital role across Canada in matching potential donors with compatible recipients who need stem cell or marrow transplants. Apparently, there are less than 30 percent of patients who need these transplants that actually find compatible matches within their own families. As such, there is an incredible need to add the database to ensure that all patients are able to find compatible donors.
In Yellowknife, the challenge is being held in two locations on two days: today from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Centre Square Mall and tomorrow, the 21st, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Yellowknife Co-op. I have been talking about this issue with my wife a lot over the last couple of months. We have decided to take this challenge and add to the network.
---Applause
As a Member of the 16th Assembly which has a vision and a goal of healthy, educated people, I would like to challenge all of the Members of this House between the ages of 17 and 50 to join me in the challenge tomorrow at 5:30 at Yellowknife Co-op to donate and add to the network. I think this is an important initiative. It is an important cause, so all of you between 17 and 50, I will see you at the Yellowknife Co-op tomorrow at 5:30. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to pay tribute to a young lady in Tuktoyaktuk, Ms. Devalin Pokiak, who demonstrated not only bravery but the ability to use her skills that her father taught her to ensure his rescue, Mr. Speaker.
On May 15th, CBC states: a hunter from Tuktoyaktuk is recovering from a long ordeal in the Beaufort Sea late last week when he became stranded on a drifting piece of ice for more than 14 hours. The hunter from Tuktoyaktuk is recovering well. Randall Boogey Pokiak and his daughter were driving the snowmobile north of Tuk on Friday when a piece of sea ice suddenly broke off and Mr. Pokiak started drifting out. He was up hunting and the ice just broke loose from the main shoreline. Tuktoyaktuk sergeant Calvin Roberts told CBC on Tuesday, his 15-year-old daughter had to take their second snowmobile and travel by herself in a snowstorm 50 kilometres south to a location nearest camp. Neither Pokiak nor his daughter drove to the camp which had a cell phone. Mr. Eddie Dillon and his daughter carried a satellite phone another 10 kilometres to get satellite service. The girl drove to the cabin and she grabbed a cell phone and then she called for help. The RCMP initially planned to send out a plane but Mr. Roberts said there was freezing rain in the area and police dispatched a helicopter from nearby Inuvik. Searches later found Mr. Pokiak on an ice pan, which Roberts said was about 15 by nine metres in size. Police say Mr. Pokiak was not injured in the 14-hour ordeal.
Mr. Speaker, I would really like to thank Devalin. That demonstrated courage to do this to save her father’s life. I also would like to thank...
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I also would like to thank Ms. Alana Mero from Inuvik Search and Rescue and Frank Pokiak that was in the helicopter and also Jack Kruger. Jack has been part of Search and Rescue in the Northwest Territories for years, out of Hay River, and Jack told me that if it wasn’t for Devalin keeping her wits traveling 50 kilometres by snow machine to Mr. Dillon’s camp during the snowstorm putting the search in motion, the outcome could have been tragic. Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank Devalin for her courage and give her a big round of applause. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would be remiss if I didn’t raise the subject of roads in this city in the Legislative Assembly. My colleague Mr. Krutko indicated that in his visit to Fort Liard, he heard that the solution was housing, housing, housing. But for the whole of my constituency as I travel, the issue is roads, roads, roads, Mr. Speaker.
The highways are an important link to the people in Nahendeh and throughout the North. Roads are the lifeline of our communities and so we are always concerned about them. I am pleased about the work that is going to take place in the summer: the chipseal work on Highway No. 1 and the engineering and reconstructing of the Liard Highway, improvements to the access roads in Jean Marie River and Nahanni Butte. The transportation link from Fort Simpson to Wrigley is also a concern. I hope that consistent and regular meetings occur in these sections as well as remediation of several narrow sections. I urge the Department of Transportation to ensure that these get completed this year so that we can look forward to developing more projects next year.
The benefits of these projects are many, beginning with local contracts, local employment in the region and extended to our tourists and tourism industry. Northerners travel back and forth on these roads for shopping, medical appointments, to attend sports and cultural events and to visit extended families. Our visiting tourists with their fifth wheelers and motor homes, sometimes even towing small cars behind, are the link to encouraging even more tourists. I wish for them all a beautiful and enjoyable summer as they travel our great country. Our road construction projects will show them we are serious about having them and keeping them in the North.
Having to begin the project description report for the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway is also very good news. I look forward to that work and I suggest that if there is a way to have a communication plan, that will only help sell our spectacular Territory. In the future we hope to have a Mackenzie Valley Highway.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, I trust the Department of Transportation will have all the Nahendeh projects scheduled by now and work will be completed without a hitch. We all look forward to an improved and well maintained highway system. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleague Mr. Abernethy, Member for Great Slave, I, too, wish to speak to the issue of stem cell challenge clinics here in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, over the lunch hour, I actually went down with a group of friends to meet this challenge head on. Several of us wanted to ensure that we participated, because many of us believe that this is an important program that does save lives. Mr. Speaker, sadly, as we know very well, more people die waiting for a donor than receive them and we certainly wish that wasn’t the case.
Mr. Speaker, the process really takes about 10 minutes. It is a painless process. When I was down there with a bunch of my friends, you could see a lot of enthusiastic people knowing that their small contribution is going a long way to help other people. Mr. Speaker, an opportunity like this presents hope for many families who are out there hoping for a donor or a match. Mr. Speaker, it is equally comparable to the Live Donor Program which we need here in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, sadly, more people are waiting for a donor of some type but they don’t make it through that fight while they sit and wait.
Mr. Speaker, I can speak from personal experience of a recent sad case where someone that we call our Little Spike didn’t meet that challenge because a donor was not available. Mr. Speaker, as hard as we prayed, it just didn’t happen. Mr. Speaker, I would encourage everyone to dig deep down inside to see if they could make themselves available in this case to provide themselves for the Stem Cell Challenge or even consider filling out a donor card because their life could go on and save someone else’s.
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage everyone in this House, like Mr. Abernethy as well as anyone else out there who is listening, to take this opportunity to meet this challenge head on. It is an important value and I sincerely hope that many people do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had thought I would make it through this sitting in the House without having to speak about the Deh Cho Bridge Project, but, Mr. Speaker, after listening to the Minister of Transportation’s Minister’s statement I am left with little choice but to address that statement.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Minister that we have to extol the benefits that this bridge will bring our residents. However, I also believe that we have an obligation to our residents to give them the straight goods on how we are going to pay for it, what our relationship will be with the community of Fort Providence, and any issues coming out of the construction of it.
Mr. Speaker, this bridge project continues to cost this government money. I have been very critical of the decisions made to get this bridge constructed; I never did and never will agree with how the last government proceeded to approve this project. Yes, they put us on that path, but, Mr. Speaker, since then this government has been responsible for making decisions and calling the shots. Decisions like sole sourcing the rest of the work to Ruskin, and the decision to continually turn a blind eye to the mismanagement of the project, whether it was claims, poor concrete, scour rock that by all accounts was not up to spec, lawsuits, contractors not being paid, the general contractor being fired, design issues, and eventually the lockdown of the construction account. Let’s just say, Mr. Speaker, the alarm bells should have been ringing for the Minister and Cabinet a long time ago.
It was their call not to act; it was their call not to pull out the default clause in the concession agreement on the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation. That, Mr. Speaker, is on this government. The accountability and responsibility falls squarely at the feet of this government.
Mr. Speaker, it was very welcome news when Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, confirmed that her office will come to the Northwest Territories to conduct a much needed audit of this project. Mr. Speaker, I do look forward to her findings and her recommendations. How do governments continue to get away with shirking responsibility?
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I’m looking for accountability and I’m looking for governments and individuals being held responsible for the decisions that they make. If they’re not, then no lessons are learned and a vicious cycle will continue to the great detriment of the taxpayers of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, I have always spoken in the House about the government putting as much support as possible for our youth. They are our future. Also, Mr. Speaker, I advocate that this government, in delivering programs to seniors, must do it in a respectful and timely manner.
Mr. Speaker, I feel this government must pay more attention to our seniors when delivering their programs. One of the programs that I speak of is the delivery of housing repair programs. Right now across the NWT, our seniors are going through a lot of hardship, including trying to support their extended families while their families sit on income support due to a lack of employment.
I have in the past spoken of low employment rates in the small communities and how that adversely affects everything, Mr. Speaker. One of the key effects of that is the land and tax arrears issue. Mr. Speaker, seniors that desperately need their units repaired cannot get those repairs because of land and lease arrears issues on the land on which their houses sit.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation must find a way to get around that policy. The NWT must understand that land and tax issues may go on for years and the houses will be way beyond economic repair by the time that issue is concluded. The Housing Corporation must realize that the alternative of housing seniors in a home or building a new house once their unit is beyond economic repair will be extremely costly to government. The NWT Housing Corporation must find a way to set the tax and lease arrears issues aside and repair the seniors’ homes and extend the life of those homes.
Mr. Speaker, seniors do not pay a mortgage for NWT Housing Corporation programs, therefore, credit issues pertaining to lease and tax arrears should not be a deterrent for them receiving housing programs.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, while the issue of land tax arrears has been affected by many things in the past, including negotiations where small communities have been told this is Dene land, you don’t have to pay taxes and leases, as you can see, Mr. Speaker, this issue is very complex and the NWT Housing Corporation should not wait until it’s concluded before delivering programs to seniors that need programs so badly.
Mr. Speaker, during the appropriate time I’ll have questions for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation. Thank you.
