Good afternoon, colleagues. Before we begin, I would like to take a moment to remember and honour family and friends who have recently passed on. When our small communities lose a family member, we all feel the loss.
On behalf of this House, I want to express sincere condolences to Marcus Ruben and family on the recent passing of Ida Sarah Ruben. Ida was born in Aklavik on March 20, 1945, to Johnny and Ruth Kayotuk, and grew up with her siblings, Moses, Leland, Eva and Lena. Ida attended school in Aklavik and later Stringer Hall in Inuvik, where she met a lot of people and made a lot of friends.
On May 5, 1960, Ida married Marcus Ruben and they raised 10 children together. Ida dedicated her life to her family and enjoyed spending time out on the land with her husband, where they hunted and prepared food for the year.
Ida was a caring and loving wife, mother, daughter, auntie, sister, friend and nanuk. She touched the lives of many and was known to everyone as Nan. Ida will be missed, but never forgotten.
Roger “Malinik” Kuptana passed away peacefully December 1, 2014. Roger was born to William and Sarah Kuptana in the Mackenzie Delta north of Aklavik in May 1951. As a young boy, Roger learned the culture and traditions of his ancestors, living on the land, hunting and trapping.
At the age of 12 or 13, Roger attended school for the first time and quickly recognized the opportunities he saw before him. He continued his high school education in Fort Smith and then pursued military training in Ontario, where he began a three-year apprenticeship to become an aircraft engineer. Roger returned to the North and continued his apprenticeship with Reindeer Air Services Limited in Inuvik. Later he moved to Yellowknife to work with Wardair where, in 1976, he became the first Inuvialuit in the territory to become a licenced aircraft engineer.
In 1977 Roger moved to Sachs Harbour, where he married his wife, Jackie, and adopted two children,
Jeff and Catherine. In Sachs Harbour, Roger returned to a more traditional way of life and spent a great deal of time teaching others about his culture. Roger also became involved in sport hunting and in 1991 opened a bed and breakfast, which is now known as the PolarGrizz Lodge.
Roger knew the best of both worlds. He was successful in business and strong in his culture. Roger was generous and known for his sense of humour. Above all else, Roger valued his family. He will always be loved and remembered by all who knew him. On behalf of this House, I send condolences to Jackie Kuptana and all of the Kuptana family on their loss.
On behalf of the House, I also want to extend condolences to Bessie Ann Tedjuk and Ronald “Inung Senior” Felix and family on the passing of Ronald Norman “Inung Junior” Felix Tedjuk.
Ronald Junior was born in Inuvik on September 2, 1992. Growing up, Ronald loved hunting and fishing with his father and spending time with his brothers, family and friends. Ronald always had a smile for everyone and would always help out if somebody was in need. He loved spending time with friends, drinking coffee, playing poker and just being together. Ronald will be remembered fondly by all who knew him.
Finally, I want to extend the condolences of the House and my Nunakput constituents to Eunice Nasogaluak and family on the passing of William Nasogaluak on January 12, 2015.
William Nasogaluak was born on May 31, 1938, at Bailey Island, to Big Joe and Susie Nasogaluak. The third of 11 children, William knew the importance of family and took great pride and honour in his parents, siblings and children. Family was what mattered most in his life.
In everything he did, William worked hard to do his best, from operating heavy equipment in Alberta as a young man to working on the DEW Line sites and later, as a businessman, tending to his reindeer herd.
Despite his hard work, William found time to be an entertainer, playing guitar and bass for countless dances. He was even known to play the fiddle. William was also an Inuvialuit drummer. He took great pride in the old songs and helped revive the drum dance group in Tuk.
William dedicated a great deal of his time to his community, from driving the school bus when he was a young man, to serving on the advisory council prior to the community becoming a hamlet, and later to serving as mayor and deputy mayor for many years. William wanted to see his community prosper and worked hard to see this through. His positive impacts on the community are just one of his legacies.
May God bless each of you who have lost a loved one. Thank you, colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Fostering Open Expression among Youth team, better known as FOXY, for receiving the $1 million Arctic Inspiration Prize.
The Arctic Inspiration Prize recognizes and promotes the extraordinary contribution made by teams in gathering Arctic knowledge and using this knowledge for real world applications. The prize is awarded by a selection committee, engaged partners and ambassadors. FOXY was nominated for this award by Premier Bob McLeod, with support from Minister Lafferty, Minister McLeod and myself. This year was the first time the entire prize had been awarded to one group, rather than split among several recipients.
FOXY is a northern-based, youth-led sexual health education program that has been operating in the Northwest Territories for three years. It focuses on the complex determinants of sexual health in the Canadian North, not just visible indicators of sexual health problems, and provides honest, realistic and comprehensive education that empowers young women to make their own informed decisions. This program is designed by and for young women. It recognizes and addresses the link between sexual health and mental health and supports youth in developing healthy relationships based on equality, respect and consent. By encouraging youth, and especially young women, to connect with their cultures and fostering the growth of young leaders and strong social support networks, FOXY also contributes to community wellness.
FOXY was created as a new way of talking with young people about sexual health, sexuality and relationships. FOXY has provided sexual health education in the Northwest Territories since 2012. This education helps combat the high rate of sexually transmitted infection in the Northwest Territories and provides young women with knowledge and skills to make healthy decisions regarding sexuality.
I’m sure all Members are interested in what the FOXY team will do with their well-deserved award. The additional support will help them expand the program into Yukon and Nunavut. FOXY will also provide its sexual health and leadership programs to all genders. This initiative will certainly be a great use of these extra resources.
Mr. Speaker, healthy, educated people is a goal of this Assembly and of the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Department of Health and Social Services is working toward that goal by continuing to deliver sexual health prevention and promotion activities and work with other GNWT departments on initiatives that address underlying factors contributing to the spread of STIs.
Working with innovative community partners also helps us progress toward our goal, and we will continue to work with FOXY to identify opportunities for enhanced community and youth engagement on sexual health issues. I am proud of FOXY’s achievement and excited about our ongoing collaboration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Mr. Speaker, the resource sector is the single largest contributor to the NWT economy. Mining has created more than 28,000 jobs and produced $46 billion in minerals since the early 1930s. Those numbers help to tell the story of our success in this industry, which has provided residents and businesses across the territory with opportunities.
To ensure our residents and communities receive long-term benefits from responsible mineral exploration and development, the NWT Mineral Development Strategy and Implementation Plan were developed. Of the 28 recommendations in the plan, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is the lead on 12. Today I would like to update Members on the progress we are making on a few of these initiatives.
One of these initiatives is the Mining Incentive Program, launched last June. The program was oversubscribed by almost 200 percent in its inaugural year, with seven exploration companies and two prospectors receiving funding. We hope to continue this successful program for 2015.
We also recently announced the establishment of a Mining Industry Advisory Board. Once established, this board will provide technical advice to government and ensure mining regulations are in place to foster economic growth while maintaining high regulatory, environmental and social standards.
This board will consist of between five and seven volunteers with a wide range of technical knowledge and sustainable development expertise. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment will recommend names of possible board members after consultation with the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines to reflect the best cross-section of mining expertise as possible.
To promote the Northwest Territories as an attractive place to invest in mineral development, we have a marketing and investment campaign underway with the theme of “Unlocking our Potential.” In addition to advertisements, this campaign will build on our presence at the events and tradeshows we participate in. At the Mineral Exploration Roundup in Vancouver in January, we had a tradeshow booth that showcased the Northwest Territories and its tremendous potential to the prospectors, geoscientists and investors in attendance. I look forward to providing you with an update on this campaign at a later date.
Good geoscience information is critical to the long-term development of the NWT mining sector. To ensure government and industry have the information they need, we are working to position the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office as the principal source of public geoscience knowledge, another recommendation in the implementation plan. A study of the glacial history and permafrost conditions of the central Slave Geological Province will provide insight to guide our efforts to stimulate the next round of diamond and metals exploration in the Slave Province. This is thanks, in part, to an increase in geoscience research funding from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
We also have plans to build a geological materials storage facility in Yellowknife that will house the territory’s substantial geological collections. Exploration companies and prospectors can re-use the existing drill core which, for some companies, has resulted in millions of dollars of exploration savings.
Mr. Speaker, the Mineral Development Strategy and Implementation Plan give this government an important tool for supporting this sector and will continue to be evaluated and updated as we move forward to ensure that actions remain relevant and effective.
This Assembly has a vision of a strong, sustainable and prosperous North, Mr. Speaker. For more than 80 years, the mining industry has been a pillar of the Northwest Territories’ economy. The Mineral Development Strategy and Implementation Plan will help us to ensure the mining industry continues to be a key contributor to achieving our vision and the NWT’s economic growth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Decades ago there were RCMP officers based in Tsiigehtchic, but now we only have patchy coverage from officers based in Fort McPherson. We are puzzled by this. The population has doubled, even tripled, but the community has lost its police service.
Last Thursday I had an exchange with the Justice Minister about the issue of staff housing. He said that housing shouldn’t be a hurdle to having RCMP officers overnight in Tsiigehtchic. I am glad he agreed to follow up and I look forward to hearing the results.
The budget review in the final year of the 17th Legislative Assembly is the right time to assess the goals we stated at the outset: to have sustainable, vibrant, safe communities. Once again this budget leaves some small communities with poor basic services.
The simple fact is that police presence in Tsiigehtchic is not adequate. The officer assigned to the community is based in Fort McPherson. Police response to calls from Tsiigehtchic is slow. With better police coverage, many innocent victims of crime could be spared their anguish and expense.
I know there aren’t the capital funds for a new RCMP detachment in Tsiigehtchic, but that can’t be an excuse for lack of safety. The government does not talk enough about the positive effects and even the cost savings that come with a safer community.
At the appropriate time, once again I will be asking the Justice Minister whether he is really doing his best for the people of Tsiigehtchic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As many are aware, the 2015 Canada Winter Games are in full swing in Prince George, British Columbia, and our NWT delegation is in sizzling hot pursuit of medals. But it’s just not medals that our athletes are competing for, but for the chance to do their best and celebrate in friendship through sports.
Many have been following the opening ceremonies and some of our early events that are being featured on Facebook, Twitter and through media coverage, and I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of our delegation. So proud that I want to do a shout out to my Range Lake constituents who are participating, and they are: I have Brad Anstey, male hockey coach; I have Joshua Beland, male hockey; I’ve got Nicolas Bennett, cross country skiing; I’ve got Susanne Chambers, female hockey; Jamie Chambers, female hockey coach; I’ve got Melissa Clark for shooting; Mr. Damon Crossman, who’s a key pillar of our mission staff. I have a whole family going. I have Austin Daniels, male hockey; Brady Daniels, male hockey; Karyne Daniels, male hockey manager; and Scott Daniels, who is part of our mission staff. I have Sarah Fleming, female hockey as an alternative; I’ve got Connor Fleming, male hockey; Evan Matatall, male hockey, Lauren Mercredi, another one of our mission staff; and, finally, Brad Mueller, male hockey coach.
We know these 2015 Canada Winter Games are the national athletic competition of a pinnacle calibre, yet I know our NWT delegation will be equally true ambassadors, showcasing our unique culture and language to the rest of Canada.
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Good luck, Team NWT, do us proud. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the third Monday in February, which is today, the province of Manitoba celebrates Louis Riel Day. I’d also like to take the opportunity today to mention the contribution of the Metis people in my region.
Mr. Speaker, a little history: Louis Riel was born in 1844, the eldest son of a prominent Metis family based in St. Boniface, Winnipeg’s French quarter. When Riel’s people, the Red River Metis’ way of life was threatened in Canada’s plans to annex Hudson Bay’s land, he acted with strength. He formed a resistance group. He stopped the surveyors from encroaching onto their lands and then began the Red River Resistance. He fought for his land and for his people. During the winter of 1869-70, Riel formed a provisional government and presented Canada with the Bill of Rights that would become the Manitoba Act of 1870. Today, Riel is widely celebrated as the father of Manitoba.
Like Riel, the Metis in the Sahtu were always strong and decisive people. They were known as builders in the literal sense, building cabins and traplines and communities. Also, in the figurative sense, building bridges between the two worlds.
The Sahtu Dene and Metis Land Claim Settlement Act of 1994 was the first land claim settlement to include Metis people. It’s a unique landmark in the northern Aboriginal governments and in Canada. Shortly after the settlement was reached, the Sahtu Nation was born. Among its founders were the three Metis Land Corp settlement corporations. The Sahtu Secretariat has subsequently become responsible for a wide range of activities in the Sahtu Settlement Area, clearly outlining its jurisdiction.
I stand in tribute today to Louis Riel and all the Metis people who have bravely protected their traditional lands and livelihoods. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday we returned home to a constituency meeting, and one of the overwhelming issues was Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Health and Social Services Administration Act, that was brought before this House.
This act will create one territorial board, and that’s probably a fine concept, Mr. Speaker. That’s if we were comparing apples to apples. But the Hay River Health Authority staff are not GNWT employees, so this bill stirred a lot of those staff up.
They have a great deal of concern about how they will be rolled into the GNWT system, how they will be able to keep their seniority. We have people who are two or three years away from retiring and now they’re questioning, when this authority is created and they’re merged into it, are they going to be able to roll their pensions forward, will they be able to roll forward their sick days. This is a great deal of experience and a lot of people who are committed to our community.
We have had this issue for a long time. Over a decade ago they looked at this health authority, they looked at the cost of taking in the pensions, they looked at that and the government at that time said no, we can’t afford it. But this issue is back on the table; it’s not a new issue. We need to give comfort to those staff of the Hay River Health Authority that their seniority and experience will be respected in this new process and how it will roll out, how things will be changed, how the new health authority will affect them.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday I stood up in the House to congratulate one of our elders back home a happy 95th birthday. On Friday, when I jumped on the plane and was at the airport, I ran into some of our community members who were actually here in Yellowknife for a training course put on by the NWT Seniors’ Society, possibly in partnership with our Department of Health and Social Services, in dealing with seniors. What we talked about was numerous different issues which have always come to the forefront of this House, some in reference to elder abuse.
I just want to mention that on Friday night when I was in Inuvik at the Ingamo Hall, they were celebrating Elizabeth Greenland’s 95th birthday. There were a lot of community elders who still live very independent lifestyles who were in attendance, who were participating in the feast and, in some cases, participating in the dance, but a bigger portion of it was the elders and the seniors from the long-term care facility. I would just like to recognize the staff, who usually go above and beyond what’s asked of them and bring a lot of these seniors to the community events so they can participate and meet with old family and old friends to continue to live that independent lifestyle.
As I sat around that night I was thinking, this is so great to see our elders continue on. A lot of people made reference to Elizabeth Greenland, how she continued on the traditions – traditional knowledge, language, culture – and how she contributed to the community. And it wasn’t just her. If you looked around the room, you saw all the elders who contributed to making the Beaufort-Delta what it was and still is today.
Today I want to ensure that we still respect our elders and ensure that we still provide the programs and services that they need, not only in the Beaufort-Delta region but right across the Northwest Territories, and that this government does, in fact, stay on top of those programs and services.
In small communities you do see where there can be elder abuse. That evening there may have been some elders that may have been recognized. So today I’ll ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, what are we doing in terms of elder abuse? What are we doing in terms of the care mobility program with housing as well as a duty to report? I’ll ask the Minister of Health and Social Services those questions later on today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There’s a global demand for morel mushrooms. They are only found in the wild and are highly prized. Delicious and versatile, they are suitable for a range of gourmet recipes. Morel mushrooms can be sautéed, grilled, smoked or baked, and served up with fish, meat, pasta and soup, or prepared as a simple appetizer. In fact, at the Canadian Culinary Championships held in Kelowna, BC, earlier this month, mushrooms from the NWT were featured in the winning dish. After last year’s fire season, they’re expecting a bumper crop, so we need to be ready.
Today I’d like to follow up on an exchange from last October with the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. The Minister stated that they would be holding orientations in communities, developing a how-to booklet to inform people about morel mushrooms, where to find them, what they look like, maps of burn areas, harvesting methods, harvester or buyer interaction, necessary tools and what to watch out for, including bears. He said that between November and February they would be visiting Kakisa, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Enterprise, Hay River Reserve, Hay River, Fort Smith and Fort Resolution. Later I will be asking the Minister for an update on these community visits.
The Minister also agreed that we need to ensure that buyers have a business licence. Finally, the Minister agreed that Aboriginal governments should be encouraged to step in and help their community members.
I’m encouraged by the steps this government has taken to date. Going forward, it needs to support and regulate the mushroom harvest in a way that really benefits our residents and the local economy.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a big emphasis on the need for economic development in our territory from this 17th Assembly government. I recognize the need for it, but our approach is somewhat flawed, especially around the issue of fracking.
This is a very controversial topic and a very confusing one. The average NWT resident hears either no info or too much info, and what they do hear is often contradictory. On the one hand, the message is fracking is all good, it’s safe, and we should allow the practice. On the other hand, the message is that it is a practice fraught with dangers and unknowns and we should ban it.
It’s generally accepted that development of any kind has an impact on the environment. The question is: How much of an impact? In the case of fracking we have yet to determine that impact and it’s imperative that we know. We need to enter into a process similar to that of the Yukon. Theirs was a special committee of the legislature which spent a year or more investigating the risks and benefits of fracking. We need what they just finished doing, a comprehensive, consultative action that looks at both sides of the fracking puzzle, the pro and the con.
There’s fear associated with fracking because of the unknowns and the potential risks. Our residents have expressed their fears through petitions, calls for a moratorium or an outright ban on the process, and calls for consultation and investigation. Others, including our own Minister of ITI, dismiss the fears and concerns and suggest they are ill-founded. But what are the risks? We don’t know at this point, and we should know in order to make informed decisions about whether to frack or not.
I don’t know if I should believe the critics or the proponents of the fracking process. Why don’t I know? Because I don’t know the risks and/or the benefits. I don’t have the knowledge to make an informed decision. I believe we’re lucky right now because there’s a bit of a break in fracking activity. It’s a perfect opportunity to do the necessary research, investigation and consultation, to explore the potential impacts of fracking for the NWT, to do the work, get the knowledge and arm ourselves with information in order to make a good decision.
Our residents want to be part of the decision, but they need knowledge to do that, and at the moment they do not have it. This government, this Assembly must establish something akin to the Yukon model to investigate the risks and benefits of fracking. The government regularly states that it respects the land and the environment and that it’s committed to doing the best for our territory. If the words are heartfelt and honest, our land deserves no less than an exhaustive look at what fracking may or may not do to our territory.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk today about one of my favourite subjects which is jobs. I know probably most of you expected either power bills or certainly the cost of living to be on the topic. But you know what? Frankly, what better relates to them than jobs?
According to the Minister’s numbers the other day, we have 466 jobs that they are presently working on in some form, stage or consideration, and again according to the Minister’s numbers, he said the total number of vacancies on the books is 1,038 jobs. To be clear, that’s about 20 percent of the NWT government’s workforce. That’s a lot of people without jobs or vacancies or in some other type of consideration. However, if we work with those numbers, the Minister’s numbers, that means we have 572 jobs not being looked at in some form or fashion. So they’re either doing nothing or very little about them.
To be clear, these 572 jobs, that we don’t know what they’re doing with, represent 10 percent of our unstaffed and unaccounted for workforce. We know not every one of these additional positions has the intent to be filled. As a matter of fact, we heard the Minister that through his numbers where he accounts for some of them in the grey area, if I may describe, but he doesn’t account for them all.
The issue really, to me, keeps coming back to the fact that we are funding many of these positions, not all of them, but most of them in some form or fashion. The question that keeps occurring to me, and certainly the public, is where does all this money go? I can better describe it as mystery money as to where it shows up and where it goes. I can’t say in this House that that money won’t be accounted for in some way or some fashion, but it is really fuzzy when you try to find it and follow the numbers.
The issue comes down to things like this: Why aren’t we properly filling them? Well, the Minister will tell you we have casuals filling some of these jobs. Staffing long-term vacancies through a casual process is not the right way. If these jobs are important, then fill them properly. We all know casual positions don’t require the same amount of money as a normal staffing position would. So then again that begs the question, where is that job money going?
If we can’t fill these jobs, then let’s turn them into training positions. People need experience to get jobs. If the government is asking too much for credentials for these jobs, then we should be asking ourselves are we filling them the right way with the right people who need opportunities. Most importantly on this particular question of where the jobs are going, have we evaluated any of these as great opportunities to provide decentralization to help stimulate economic opportunities in other regions?
I will have questions for the Minister of Human Resources later today about jobs. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few questions.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a couple of the FOXY peer leaders in the gallery today: Makenzie Zouboules, Coco Paulette and Brianna Shae. Thank you all for the amazing work you’ve done in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to welcome Chief Ernest Betsina to the House as well as Mayor Ray Ruben. I hope you enjoy the proceedings. Welcome to the House.
I’d also like to welcome the FOXY peer leaders. That is a great program and one that I fully support. That you for all the hard work that you’re doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Welcome everybody here in the public gallery. Thank you for taking in our proceedings today.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll try this again. My questions are for the Minister of Justice.
Can the Minister state how long it takes the RCMP to respond to complaints in Tsiigehtchic compared to Fort McPherson? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Justice, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The response time would be the amount of time it takes to get the call through the centre and get an officer dispatched to the community of Tsiigehtchic, which of course, as the Member knows, is a fair distance from the community of Fort McPherson. But, as soon as possible. As soon as they can respond to the concern in Tsiigehtchic, they’d be there. Thank you.
At times it takes anywhere from two hours to 24 hours for response calls, just so the Minister has that information.
I’d like to ask the Minister to describe the benefits of having a permanent police detachment in those communities lucky enough to have them.
When deciding if it’s appropriate to invest the significant amount of funding – and I mentioned in the House last week that it’s between seven and 11 million dollars for a stand-alone RCMP detachment – some of the things that we must take into consideration are population, crime rates, workload of members, remoteness, calls for service historically, financial and human resources, infrastructure, types of calls for service, access to the community via all-weather road, winter roads, weather variability and also funding and priorities. So, there’s a number of factors that go into whether or not a detachment would be constructed in a community. Thank you.
That wasn’t the question. The question was to describe the benefits of having a detachment in those communities, but I’ll let the Minister answer that again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The benefits of having a detachment would be obvious. Calls would come in and members would be located in the community that has a detachment, so response times would be that much quicker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Blake.
Will the Minister meet with the community leaders in Tsiigehtchic to discuss ways to build up a grassroots, community-based policing presence? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
