Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up with the Minister of Health and Social Services on my Member’s statement that I raised about the closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport, or the imminent closure. There was a recent city election in Edmonton and, unfortunately, the city supports the closure of the airport, but with that, Mr. Speaker, I know that when they get re-elected that there are a bunch of procedures that have to happen.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, does she have a plan to engage the new mayor and councillors and indicate how much of a stakeholder we are and how important the Edmonton City Centre Airport is for the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I mentioned that this was the responsibility of the airport, what I meant was the decision to close the airport was within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Edmonton.
Mr. Speaker, it should be made clear, and I’ve said on many occasions, that this is a very important issue for us and we have a responsibility to make sure that our public and our patients that need to use the Alberta facilities and Edmonton facilities are taken care of.
In that regard, I have been communicating with the Minister of Health in Alberta who, along with his Premier, have set up a quality council who are going to review the medical travel component. Mayor Mandel has committed that the runway will not close until there is a clear and workable plan. Our officials, under my direction, are in direct contact with the head of the quality council, who is coming up with a plan.
I should also mention that our Premier has met with the mayor in person weeks before the Member for Yellowknife Centre also did, and that I am working with the Alberta government and Alberta health services to make sure that our interests are protected. We have a commitment from the quality council that they will be consulting with us directly throughout the process and we are working with them. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the Minister has reiterated some of the plans and some of the engagements that she had with respect to the closing of this airport.
Has the Minister engaged the new mayor of Edmonton and the new council, and what is the strategy in order to let them know that we are just as an important part of the planning of the imminent or planned closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, yes, indeed. We have invited the mayor to come up this summer. The mayor had committed to come up, but given that they were going through the election this September wasn’t going to be a good time. I was hoping that that could happen when the committee members were here.
Regardless, Edmonton as a municipality has made a decision to close that airport. It has been going on for many years. It started in a phased approach. The plebiscite was held 15 years ago. The recent election confirmed again the public position on that. My job as the Minister of Health and Social Services and this government is to make sure that our interests are protected and heard. That is what I am doing. We are directly involved with the Minister of Health office in the Alberta Health office who is responsible for medical travel. We are part of that discussion. We are very much involved.
Mr. Speaker, I think one of the things that constituents hear, and also Northerners hear, is that as the days go on, the point of where the medevacs end up are getting further and further away. Now in the news they are talking about Calgary. I would just like to know how is our government getting involved to ensure that... I was going to say their wise and infinite...
How are they getting information from us on a daily basis? That is not something at least my constituents want to see going further and further away. In fact, I think for my constituents, the better alternative is to stay at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital. How is the Minister continually engaging with the city and with the Alberta government in that regard, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, what our people need to know and I need them to know and the Members here should know is that when there is a medical emergency in any part of our Territory, they are connected with our medical providers at the regional level and a territorial level. There are doctors and nurses and care providers who are looking at the patient’s situation and deciding on the medical course of action. They will be sent to the Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife if necessary or if it is something that needs to go to southern jurisdictions right away, that will be done. Then our medical professionals get on their network of contacts to see where the closest facility is for that patient to receive care. In most situations, those are in Edmonton. It could be Grande Prairie if they have services that the patient requires. Sometimes it is further away. They will be sent to the closest facility where the necessary medical services will be provided. That would not change. We will continue to work with Alberta Health to make sure that plan is in place before the airport closes. That is the work plan right now. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is exactly what I am looking for. I am looking for a strategy by our Minister of Health and Social Services as well as our government. What is the strategy to take care of the medical needs and the emergency medical needs of our Northerners, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe there was a question. I agree with the Member that this is very important to us and we are fully engaged. We are engaged at all appropriate and necessary levels, at the Minister’s level and at the official level. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
