Mr. Speaker, I would like to report on the Government of the Northwest Territories' progress on its housing-related mandate commitments and on the strategic renewal process currently underway at the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
First, among the mandate commitments laid out by the Government of the Northwest Territories is a promise to address the cost of living, in part by continuing to implement northern solutions for northern housing and working to address homelessness.
Mr. Speaker, similar to the project that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation delivered in partnership with the Yellowknife Women's Society that created eight new, semi-independent, safe and secure living spaces for homeless women, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is committed to expanding that initiative in Yellowknife by exploring a further partnership of comparable design for men who may require this support. Outside of Yellowknife, I am happy to report that the shelter unit in Fort Simpson is operational while the one in Behchoko is nearly complete, and we are working towards securing a unit in Aklavik. A four-bedroom unit was also provided to the community of Fort Good Hope for usage as a homeless shelter through the corporation's Community Housing Support Initiative.
Homelessness often arises after people have exhausted local housing options, and it becomes much more complicated to support the shelter needs of residents when they lose their housing stability through eviction. Focusing on prevention will ultimately lead to better outcomes for many, and, to this end, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will be launching a new pilot program in Behchoko. This program will dedicate a housing support worker to assist families with challenges that are bringing them close to eviction.
Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that some of the challenges in our market communities will be addressed through revisions to the rent supplement program and the introduction of the non-governmental organization rent supplement program. These programs should alleviate the large wait lists for public housing in our market communities and bring households out of core need by addressing affordability.
Addressing the cost of living and keeping elders in their own communities for as long as possible is a priority for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. In an attempt to address these concerns, we have removed the co-payment requirement for repair applicant households with incomes below $60,000 and have removed peripheral contractor costs such as travel and contractor fees from our repair programs. We are also offering additional repair programs specifically geared towards seniors and completed a seniors' nine-plex in Whati. Seniors' complexes in Fort Good Hope and Fort McPherson are expected to be ready for occupancy before the end of 2018.
Mr. Speaker, another one of our mandate commitments is to dispose of our surplus units. So far this year, 31 units have been sold or have sales under way. Of the units that are deemed unsafe to sell, 20 have been demolished or are approved for demolition. All of these actions are expected to be completed by March 31, 2018.
Beginning in the new fiscal year, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will also pilot a community training program whereby the abatement of units will include working with the local housing organizations to hire youth to support the dismantling of buildings under the supervision of local housing organizational staff. The objectives of this initiative are to allow local residents to be able to salvage components of a house, thereby helping to address the cost of living, and to provide local employment that also promotes the construction trades to youth.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation cannot successfully address all of the Territories' housing needs alone. The new Community Housing Support Initiative uses joint investment from the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and Indigenous governments and community governments to support innovative housing projects. We have already seen this program at work with the Salt River First Nation, which has created two beautiful home ownership units, and we have had meetings with the K'atlodeeche First Nations to explore opportunities for home ownership programs and local maintenance opportunities. We have also committed to working with the City of Yellowknife as they work on their 10 year homelessness plan, and I attended an initial meeting where the city agreed to chair a homelessness committee. As well, we were pleased to provide support for the community housing plan developed by the Kasho Gotine Housing Society in Fort Good Hope and, as stated above, have provided them with a residence to be utilized as a homeless shelter. We have also received inquiries from other communities who have expressed interest in pursuing this program and were excited by the initiative and innovation shown by our communities.
In order to address our residents' housing needs, we also rely on effective partnership with the Government of Canada. I have met with federal officials to discuss the National Housing Strategy and the ongoing development of an Indigenous Housing Strategy. We are close to finalizing a multilateral agreement that will lay out the principles of the National Housing Strategy funding and how that funding will be used. I anticipate that program and allocation details will be available in the coming months, and I am hopeful that the unique context of the northern territories will be reflected in the national plan.
Mr. Speaker, discourse, sound analysis, and data need to inform our future direction. Therefore, the Housing Corporation will conduct a review of the public housing program, a seniors' planning study, an evaluation of the Government of the Northwest Territories' homelessness activities, and a review of the Housing Corporation rental rates for market units.
The Housing Corporation will also continue to support communities in the development of community housing plans, which will be a resource for stakeholders and decision-makers in shaping the future of housing in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Strategic Renewal process is not yet complete. I will regularly update this House on our research, policy and program changes, new initiatives, and achievements as we work toward providing the programming and supports so that residents can obtain, maintain, and retain housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. The Honourable Premier.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Glen Abernethy will be late arriving in the House today due to a personal matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak about dialysis treatment in the Northwest Territories. For those who don't know, dialysis is a treatment that removes waste and fluids from blood for people whose kidneys have stopped working. People with kidney failure depend on regular dialysis treatment at least three times per week, and the process usually takes about four or five hours each time. While the process is a necessity for kidney disease patients, it is unfortunately not a treatment that is offered in remote communities. For the majority of dialysis patients in the Northwest Territories, people must travel to either Yellowknife, Hay River, or Alberta to receive regular treatments.
Mr. Speaker, there is a recent report done by the Canadian Institute for Health Information that provided some disconcerting statistics about Indigenous patients who rely on dialysis in Canada. The report determined that one in five Indigenous patients must travel more than 250 kilometres to receive treatment. The report also determined that Indigenous patients experience higher hospitalization rates because they must travel longer distances to receive dialysis. Indigenous patients also have lower survival rates than non-Indigenous patients. These facts are particularly alarming because, here in the Northwest Territories, half of our population is Indigenous and half of our population lives in remote communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is not the only jurisdiction facing this issue. In fact, it's a nation-wide issue, which means that there are some ideas that we could utilize and implement here in the Northwest Territories. For example, in Alberta, people now have access to dialysis treatment on wheels, as their provincial government had the idea to retrofit buses and into a mobile dialysis units, where each unit costs about $2.1 million to convert and they travel to all remote communities and deliver treatment. Another idea is to provide people with the tools and capacity to deliver dialysis treatment within their own homes, although this might be difficult in remote communities, as it requires a constant supply of clean, running water and a reliable energy source.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ultimately no one, especially a sick and aging person, should face the options of either having to leave their home community for a life-dependent treatment or staying at home and dying. Our people should be given the opportunity to receive dialysis within their home communities, or at the very least closer than the centres of Yellowknife, Hay River, and Alberta. I strongly urge our government to examine mobile dialysis treatment centres in order to create better access for people who need it. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize a member of the community of Fort Simpson, Steven Squirrel. Mr. Squirrel has operated the water treatment plant in Fort Simpson for over 40 years. That's right, 40 years. He's committed to doing this job.
As of July 7, 2017, Steven has hit his 40-year mark and continues to work in the water treatment plant. He's currently training somebody to take over after he's ready to retire.
Steven's role as the water treatment plant operator is a 24/7 commitment. Beyond regular operating hours, Steve responds to call-outs at all hours of the night and day regarding frozen or broken water lines. Sometimes, individuals cannot contact Steve via telephone and have to go to his home at all hours of the night, but he is very quick to respond.
Considering Steven's 40-year history at the water plant from 1977 to 2017, he has had the chance to watch it grow and change with the times. From manual hauling and dissolving of chemicals in powder form, to now a fully automated system, Steven has done it all. He continues to update his certification and is always willing to learn new water treatment practices that have come available.
Mr. Speaker, Steve has won numerous awards for the quality of the water he's treated and monitored. I would have to say it's the best-tasting water from what I have tasted in my lifetime.
Steve is very career- and family- oriented. He has been happily married to his wife for 38 years, Loretta Squirrel. Steven and Loretta have five children and eight grandchildren. He spends most of his time off with them, whether it's visiting in communities around or the territories. Mr. Speaker, it is the commitment of residents like Steven Squirrel that has kept our communities running strong. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Today I would like to set out my position on collective bargaining, the Union of Northern Workers negotiations, and MLA compensation. Collective bargaining began to be used in 1891 to describe negotiations and agreements that were used in Great Britain following the rise of organized labour. Collective bargaining is recognized as a fundamental human right in Article 23 of the 1948 UN Declaration on Human Rights.
Our workers thus have the right to organize and bargain collectively. I respect that right and truly wish for a freely negotiated agreement for the UNW. However, I also need to be clear that, as a Regular MLA, I have not been asked for my views and have not had any input into the mandate being put forward by Cabinet as part of the Union of Northern Workers negotiations. I have requested updates and generally been provided with information, but Cabinet has not sought my views, although I have expressed concerns. While I am pleased that a number of issues have been resolved, I must be clear that I do not support Cabinet's current wage offer, and the last adjustment of an increase in the offer of 0.1 per cent in the fourth year is a provocative move. Any offer that is significantly less than the Consumer Price Index increases is unfair and unlikely to get us any closer to an agreement.
Whenever the issue of the wage offer is discussed, the conversation inevitably turns to compensation for MLAs. Whenever politicians discuss their own compensation, it is a "no win" situation, which is one of the reasons why we appoint an independent commission to study the issue and receive a public report before decisions are made that then only apply to the next Assembly. While MLAs agreed very early in our mandate to a two-year temporary freeze on compensation, I cannot and do not support a continued freeze that would require an amendment to the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. For me, the issue is not one of self-interest, but a continued freeze would be an endorsement of Cabinet's fiscal strategy of cutting programs and services to fund infrastructure. If there had been a serious effort to consider the revenue side of the fiscal equation, I might feel differently. Cabinet has undertaken no serious efforts to review revenues, especially from our newly acquired authority under devolution. At least two independent experts have recommended a review of revenues from mining, but Cabinet has chosen to ignore these calls to action.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the House for permission to continue.
Constituents of Frame Lake have asked my position on these issues and I am now on the public record. I recognize this statement may not be popular with some of my colleagues in this House, but I owe it to my constituents and all of our employees to make my position clear. Mahsi Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last night I attended a forum on the Giant Mine Remediation Project. I learned a lot about Giant, and it made me think about mining, our economy, and how we need to adapt mining practices to the 21st Century.
Members know that I am pro-mining. I have said recently that I believe that we can develop mines safely while being respectful to the environment. I believe we can enjoy the economic benefits without paying the same heavy price as in the past, but for that to happen, we need to learn the lessons of Giant Mine and learn what it is teaching us.
Giant and Con Mines were instrumental in establishing the Northwest Territories as we know it. From the 1930s until the end of the century, Giant produced over 7 million ounces of gold. At today's prices, that is over $9 billion in value. That wealth attracted many outsiders to the North, including my father. Many people settled here and built homes and families in what is now the capital city.
Moving into the future is done best if we learn from the mistakes of the past. Plenty of mistakes were made at Giant, and our community and the land still bear the scars. Our Indigenous neighbours weren't consulted about the mines or invited to share in the wealth. Today, we recognize the error and unfairness of that practice, and Aboriginal governments will be owners and full partners in the future.
The environment was an afterthought in those days. We believed the earth had an unlimited capacity absorb our garbage and heal herself. Now we know that that's not true. We are still living with the environmental damage caused by 50-plus years of overturning the earth. There was social damage, too, from corporate profiteering and labour unrest. Long-time Yellowknifers remember the deep social divisions caused by the Giant Mine strike in 1992 and the deaths that resulted. A lot of mistakes were made, Mr. Speaker, but now we are cleaning up the mess. More importantly, we are learning the lessons of our experience.
New technologies will allow us to dig without leaving a mess behind. Projects must have full partnership with Aboriginal governments. Instead of being dragged into environmental sustainability, industry is leading the way. New practices use less water, reduce power consumption, and make projects green.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that we can move forward with sustainable mining, and our economy needs us to, but it is the 21st Century and we must do it differently. We have the knowledge, and we have the technology. We just need to use the lessons of the past to build a more prosperous and sustainable future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, I am bringing concerns from my constituents around procurement directly to the floor of the House, because it appears the Minister isn't listening when business owners are bringing these concerns directly to his department, or to him in this case. I met with a constituent just last week who had met with the Minister, the Minister heard the concerns, and yet nothing has been done.
Mr. Speaker, these concerns are quite simple: that northern businesses don't feel that the playing field is being levelled by government procurement policies. They still have to compete with southern companies that have been grandfathered into existing procurement policies that can make use of southern supply chains, which means cheaper materials, cheaper labour, and more access to capital to finance projects and move forward on these procurement policies.
Northerners deserve to get a break on this. They are often small and want to grow their businesses. The ones who are benefitting from the policies can maintain status quo in some cases, but they can't actually expand their businesses, grow their workforce, and ultimately create jobs for Northerners, which is a stated goal of this Assembly and should be a stated goal for any Legislative Assembly, Mr. Speaker.
What is the point of these procurement policies if it's just paperwork? That is a concern I hear constantly, that we have yet to build clarity or simplicity into the process. What it means for most small business owners is that they are filling out mountains of paperwork to get the ability to play in the government's procurement sandbox, and they often don't have the resources to compete even after doing all those procurement exercises.
Mr. Speaker, I hear consistently that it should be harder for southern and non-resident businesses to compete in the Northwest Territories, that our policies should be protecting northern interests, not protecting the government's bottom line. It is important to be prudent with our resources, but we must also ensure those resources are flowing to Northerners and helping grow our economy and support the costs of living for business owners who operate in a very expensive environment.
I will have more questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment as the day goes on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories suffers as a whole with housing needs. Families are on a long waiting list because of a lack of units or, rather than applying for their own units, they choose to stay with their family members.
Mr. Speaker, in all of the communities of the Mackenzie Delta riding -- Aklavik, Fort McPherson, and Tsiigehtchic -- we know our community population is rising. We want to see our communities grow and benefit economically. We as a government need to keep on top of the housing needs for our people.
I understand, Mr. Speaker, that each of our departments is on a budget. However, Mr. Speaker, there is no need for families to be living in old housing units where there are traces of mould, and some units that have no proper heating. These are just unsafe living conditions.
Tsiigehtchic has great expectations for youth who are growing and learning, Mr. Speaker. We expect our children to attend school on a daily basis. They are eager and excited to learn. We need to ensure that they have healthy homes, free from mould and with proper heating, and most importantly, give our families a reason to live at home, to live in our smaller communities, and to work with and for us. We can't do this if families are discouraged with little or no housing units.
The Government of the Northwest Territories needs to look at alternative solutions, either major renovations or new up-and-coming units. On another note, Mr. Speaker, Tsiigehtchic residents have to apply for a housing unit through the Inuvik Housing Authority. We don't have a local housing authority in Tsiigehtchic, Mr. Speaker. This has to change. We need somewhere in our community that we can go to, stand in front of a board to raise our concerns about housing issues, voice our concerns about the need for units, and somewhere that a board can make decisions for Tsiigehtchic because they live in the community and are from the community and know what is required for our people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to salute the Yellowknife Day Care Association on the recent opening of their new and expanded facility on 52nd Street in the heart of Yellowknife Centre.
The association has been around since 1981, occupying the building on 51st Street that has at times been an RCMP detachment, a government office, and even a liquor store. The association got its eviction notice from ECE in 2016, along with an offer of support to find a new home. Work began on the development of an enlarged and purpose-built daycare with all the client care, programming, and safety features of a modern design, and the facility officially opened on January 19th.
The new two-storey centre has more than 900 square metres of space, including four nursery rooms, a multi-purpose activity room, classrooms, a kitchen, preschooler rooms, and full staff and administrative accommodations. With the expansion, the non-profit is licensed to serve 104 children, including 32 baby spaces, 56 preschooler spaces, and 16 after-school spaces.
My colleagues will be interested to hear the following information. Not only is the Yellowknife Day Care the largest childcare provider in Yellowknife, but with the expansion, there was an increase of eight new full-time staff for a total of 25 full- and part-time jobs in that centre, a boon to our economy, and an addition of skilled child practitioners in childcare. This is the home of a vibrant, friendly, active, and interactive team ready to help children learn in a warm, fun, and friendly environment where they are free to laugh, climb, run, talk, dig, explore, and interact.
Special credit for the successful expansion goes to the association's hardworking volunteer board, led by President Kristal Melanson, with the administrative support of Executive Director Marine Voskanyan. President Melanson makes special note of the contributions of Yellowknife's PSAV Architects, the Clark Builders construction team, and to ECE for supplying equipment and furnishing and expedited licensing. There will be a further fundraiser in the year to furnish the yard. I will keep Member's informed of when to reach for their chequebooks.
Congratulations to Yellowknife Day Care Association and all the best for more decades of service. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased today to recognize some very important people up in the gallery. The little guy there is my grandson Colin Wainman, five years old. My granddaughter Ms. Morgan McLeod is seven years old. My grandson Rylan Wainman is 11 years old. My wife Judy I have been married for 38 years. I am very pleased to have them visiting us here in the gallery and watching our proceeding. Try not to ask too many questions with my grandchildren right here.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2016 the Government of the Northwest Territories purchased NTCL and all the lands that came with it. There are substantial tracts of lands in Hay River that came with that purchase. We have had questions in this House about what is going to happen with those lands. Last I heard, there were environmental assessments happening on some of the prioritized sites. I would like an update from the Minister of Infrastructure on what environmental assessments have been done and on which former NTCL lands, particularly in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is working in company with the Department of Infrastructure to carry out environmental assessments on property formerly owned by NTCL. ENR has completed environmental assessments of the Government of the Northwest Territories' shipyard and marine terminal lots in Hay River.
The lots were assessed, including operating sites under Schedule 7 party to the Northwest Territories Land and Resources Devolution Agreement. These sites were a high priority for assessment. The final Phase I and II ESA report is due March 16, 2018. ENR will share the findings with the Department of Infrastructure once available. Future remediation plans will depend on the outcome of these assessments.
ENR and Infrastructure are also conferring regarding former NTCL properties at Norman Wells, Inuvik, and Tuktoyaktuk. These sites will be determined and prioritized based on the assessment in 2018-2019. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Could the Minister be a little more specific and maybe outline which sites in Hay River? I know there are a lot of waterfront sites there. There are a lot in Old Town in my riding. I would like a little more specificity if he can.
The synchro-lift down at the site right along the lake has been done; Hay River barge storage area, which is also along the waterfront down in Old Town; and eight Hay River water lots, leased lots along inner harbour, as well.
I am glad that those are the sites they are looking at first. That is some prime real estate. It is beautiful down there in Old Town, especially right on the channel. Based on the initial findings, I know it is not complete and they don't have the final report. Does the department have an estimate, even a ballpark figure, for what it might cost to remediate these sites?
I think this is early days yet. We get the assessments back to put a price tag on these. Once that comes in somewhere, I can share that with the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that, the last time I asked these questions, the Minister stated there was a best land-use management plan that is coming out later this year. I guess that will inform when we can start disposing of these lots. I drive by the synchro-lift quite often just to see what is going on. I see there has been lots of work done. Can the Minister maybe talk about the sort of work that has been done at the synchro-lift site to address the environmental hazards that were inherited when the government purchased that site? Thank you.
Significant amount of clean-up work has been done at the Hay River shipyard site last year. We worked closely with the Department of Workers' Compensation to ensure that health and safety concerns to the public and employees would be mitigated appropriately and to develop a plan and a timeline that the site's assessments, including human health and ecological risk assessments, to include long-term progressive remediation goals would take place. We worked closely with them.
We did some early clean-up around there around some I guess we would want to call it low-hanging fruit that had to be done immediately. We spent a significant amount of money doing that. That will be staged out in the years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of confusion on how lots are assessed in the NWT. People assume it is Lands. We have now been told that this is the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs' responsibility. Can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs please explain why the department has been assigned this task? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member's question about why we have been assigned this task is a little bit confusing. I don't know the history on why Municipal and Community Affairs was assigned that. My guess would be that we are Municipal and Community Affairs and our job is to make sure that the communities have the supports that they need. Assessing them would be considered one of those supports. Again, though, I wasn't here back in the day when it was originally assigned to Municipal and Community Affairs
I thank the Minister for that answer. I have been hearing other information. It has been good. I will use the Minister's information and my colleagues' information to help understand the history of it. My next question is: I know in Fort Simpson I have heard assessments going up double from the previous years and nothing has been done to the lot. I have asked a number of people why this has come about and why values have increased. I have received different answers. Can the Minister please explain the process of how the department comes up with the value of the lot?
