Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the honourable Alfred Moses will be absent from the House today to attend the federal-provincial-territorial Ministers' conference in Red Deer, Alberta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let's talk about highway safety on the Dempster Highway. As you arrive in Fort McPherson heading south, there is a lake situated right beside the highway. The embankment is rather steep. It is the old water-intake lake. Last summer, we had a group of tourists, a camper, who veered off the road, went down the steep embankment, and almost into the lake. These people are very lucky that nothing terrible happened to them.
Mr. Speaker, we can't continue to say "lucky." We need the Department of Infrastructure to build a guardrail along that little bit of highway so that vehicles can be made aware that this is a dangerous area, in hopes that they will slow down when approaching.
In the summer of 2018 tourist season, we have seen a record numbers of travellers on the Dempster Highway. This is due to the completion of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway and high demand for local tourists and business in the region. The numbers are expected to be even greater this summer. With this in mind, we need the department to seriously look into this matter and make sure our highways are safe for all travellers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions later today. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, scores of youth athletes and their support teams are on their way to Red Deer, Alberta to compete in the Canada Winter Games. I hope the Members of this House will join me in wishing the team and coaching staff the very best as they head down to Red Deer to compete and represent the NWT.
Sport is an important means to bring people together, not only within a single community but as a chance for our youth to explore the world they will inherit. It gives them a chance to meet other like-minded young people who have dedicated their time, sweat, blood, and tears to getting to where they are now. Events like these are great for building team spirit and reinvigorating the mind, body, and soul. Sport has been used to bring together communities and can act as a healthy and constructive outlet to counter the ever-increasing sedentary lifestyle many lead in our time. I want to thank Cheyenne Lafferty, Jessica Smith, and Michael Johnston for all their hard work in helping the athletes make attending this competition a reality.
I also wish all the luck to the world to our Kam Lake athletes who will be competing for Team NWT: speed skaters Lance Dizon and Sylvain Rourke; squash player Stephen Messier; Jade Ko in gymnastics; Bailey Johnston in archery; figure skater Victoria Hamm; and, in hockey, Andrew Carr, Taylow Catcher, Alex Cordero, Deanne Whenham, Regan Bulger, Tysen Almond, and Devin Vogel.
Safe travels and best of luck in your competitions. Know that you have our support and that every Member of this House and all of the people of the Northwest Territories will be cheering for you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about the Aboriginal Sports Circle in the Northwest Territories awards program and how they recognize and give credit to exceptional community members in the NWT sports system. They recognize individuals who have continuously shown dedication, hard work, made significant contributions, and made a positive difference in their respective communities across the NWT. Mr. Speaker, the Nahendeh region had two winners. Yesterday, I spoke of Jonathan Tsetso. Today, I will speak about the other award winner from the Nahendeh region.
During the 2018 award ceremony, the organization recognized Jacqueline Whelly for the community-building award. This award is presented to an individual who has contributed a great amount of time and energy to the community to assist the coaches, athletes, and others in any sport and recreation events.
Jacqueline Whelly is known across the NWT for her hard work and dedication as both a teacher and a community champion. A winner of the Scott McAdam Youth award from the NWTRPA in 2013, Jacqueline continued to be a major presence in her home community of Fort Simpson as a teacher, coach, and mentor. Over the years, Jacqueline has chaperoned dozens of sports teams across the NWT and beyond to tournaments and training. She frequently volunteers her time to keep the gym open, run training and practices, and is always there for the youth who look up to her as a coach and role model.
Jacqueline has been a pivotal in the in the Sober Steve and Sober Sally program in Fort Simpson, which offers youth the chance to participate in positive and fun sober activities on the weekend, in a safe place. She also volunteers for the Lights On initiative, which also gives youth a safe place in the evening and weekends. One of Jacqueline's greatest strengths is how she believes in the youth of her community and seeks to empower them to become the next generation of leaders. She is always willing to listen, help establish a program, or be available to help in whatever capacity she's able. Jacqueline is not only a super coach, but she's also a super teacher, and a super mom. She continues to be a central community member, and for this, she is recognized for the 2018 Community Builder's Award.
Ms. Whelly would like to thank Aboriginal Sports Circle for the award, and Minister Cochrane for representing the ward since her dad was not able to attend the ceremony. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we work to expand and diversify the Northwest Territories' economy, we often point to tourism as the promising new sector. We used to talk about the Japanese quite a bit, but we recently know that visitors come from a few different Asian countries, including China.
That's as a result of a lot of planning, work, and expense that this government, working with the private sector, invested in developing that relationship. People and resources from various departments have been applied to the China file over the last 10 or 12 years. As recently as last summer, the Minister of ITI led a delegation to China with the goal of making the NWT top-of-mind for tourists from the world's largest market.
The result is that we have new NWT residents from China, and the benefits of tourism are beginning to spread beyond the capital city. There's a lot to be gained in this valuable relationship.
Now, Mr. Speaker, this valuable relationship may be put at risk by issues between the federal government and China. In spite of our often-stated intention to improve the relationship and increase trade between Canada and China, we recently put that to the test by arresting a high-profile Chinese executive. They in turn have arrested two Canadians.
I recognize that Canada has responsibilities within international law, Mr. Speaker, but one might think that the feds would try to build bridges instead of burning them. Regardless, the relationship that less than a year ago held so much potential and promise now appears to be vulnerable and weak.
Because of these changes, Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering what our government has done to convey our concerns to Ottawa. We need to be making sure the federal government is very aware of what this might cost our territory. Let's be energetic in making sure Ottawa understands the potential risks to our growing tourism sector, and our access to this huge market of travellers. What has this government done to repair the damage that this conflict may have caused?
At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions for the Premier. Thank you.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently, it was announced that two satellite operators received an interim licence to operate receivers at the Inuvik satellite station facility.
Mr. Speaker, this is good news and will hopefully pave the way for continued expansion of the satellite station and additional global customers for the Mackenzie Valley fibre link.
Mr. Speaker, the government's investment in the fibre line was significant. This communication backbone should help the economic diversification of our territory and improve service delivery in the communities along the Mackenzie Valley.
Mr. Speaker, the three years that it took to get the approval for these satellite operators is troubling. I understand this is a federal government responsibility and that there are concerns with national security, so there needs to be a complete review before licences can be granted.
Mr. Speaker, that said, three years is too long, and I would hope that the GNWT is providing input to the federal government on ways the approval process can be improved.
Mr. Speaker, previous to this position, I assisted in the installation of the fibre optic cable, a wire as big as your finger. This provided me with the experience to visually see the flashlight from one community to the next. It was an awesome experience.
As I said, the approval is a good-news story, but I will have questions for the Minister of Finance later on, on this Mackenzie Valley fibre line. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. A much-anticipated decision on environmental liability and bankruptcy was delivered by the Supreme Court of Canada two weeks ago today. The Redwater decision has huge implications for the environment and resource development, even here in the Northwest Territories.
No longer will financial institutions and trustees be able to ignore regulatory requirements during the sale of assets. To quote from the decision: "Bankruptcy is not a licence to ignore rules, and insolvency professionals are bound by and must comply with valid provincial laws during bankruptcy." "It is clear that the Regulator acted in the public interest and for the public good in issuing Abandonment Orders, and that it is therefore not a creditor of Redwater. The public is the beneficiary of those environmental obligations. The province does not stand to gain financially from them."
Where does this leave us here in the Northwest Territories? I believe this will make financial institutions much more careful in examining risk before backing projects. Banks, insurers, and investors will no longer be first in line when a project goes under. Investors will be more cautious in providing funds for projects that are not well-developed, that involve new or risky technologies or methods, or are owned by operators with a poor environmental track record, or have heavy monitoring and reporting requirements. Conversely, projects that demonstrate best environmental practices, use proven technologies in northern environments, and are operated by savvy owners should get easier access to financing.
There's a warning here about lowering our environmental standards. Under our watch, Cantung went into receivership without adequate security. Prairie Creek has not posted financial security to the full value of site liabilities, and there has been almost no progress on the mandate commitment around contaminated sites management. The commitment was to "Develop an integrated, comprehensive approach to the management of contaminated sites, including prioritizing, sharing of responsibility in collaboration with other governments, monitoring, and a sound financial security system to prevent public liabilities." Cabinet has not lived up to the promises of responsible resource development. No policy, regulatory, or legislative changes have been put in place to better prevent liabilities from happening in the first place.
I'll ask the Minister later today what the Redwater decision means for the Northwest Territories and why there's been no progress on the prevention of public environmental liabilities in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Yellowknife Women's Society on being named Up Here magazine's Northerners of the Year.
As the magazine's testimonial story outlines, today the Yellowknife Women's Society is a major force in the safety and wellbeing of women. It has moved from strength to strength in the last few years.
YWS leases apartments throughout Yellowknife and sublets them to people transitioning from homelessness in the Housing First program. YWS continues to operate a women's shelter from its long-term location on Franklin Avenue, along with eight semi-independent units downstairs where the daycare used to be. Now, the daycare is in a standalone building that doubles as a family centre. The society has staff who operate the highly successful safe ride program that assists people in distress on our streets. They also lead the Common Ground project to facilitate employment for downtown homeless people. The Yellowknife Women's Society is a major force for good in our community.
Mr. Speaker, as usual in the world of activism, YWS started with a few committed people with a passion for change and for social justice. According to the Up Here magazine profile of them, the society's roots are in a gathering at International Women's Day in 1988. Incorporated in 1990 under the leadership of Arlene Hache, the society set up first as a drop-in and mutual support centre downtown. As the society moved on to a house on 49th Street and then to its long-term location on Franklin Avenue, the society expanded to include a women's shelter, providing emergency housing for up to 30 people at a time. Our own Minister of Education, Culture and Employment was the executive director before she was elected and helped the society regain financial stability.
Under the leadership of the current executive director, Bree Denning, YWS has further expanded and grown. The Up Here article describes her desire to see the emergency shelter operate as a short-term solution in a city where anyone capable of living independently has that opportunity. I am confident that these developments are just the latest chapter in the continuing story of service to Yellowknife women and to the community as a whole.
Please join me in congratulating the Yellowknife Women's Society for its recognition as Up Here's Northerners of the Year and, above all, for its many years of outstanding service. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I am going to talk about an issue that is not talked about a lot. That is the overrepresentation of persons with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder within the justice system.
Mr. Speaker, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a condition that is created when the fetus is exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. The result is permanent brain damage, which causes a range of cognitive and emotional impediments, including difficulties in reasoning, judgment, and learning. However, physical effects are not always apparent, making FASD nearly invisible to the untrained eye.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, one of the consequences of people with FASD is an increased risk for adverse outcomes involving the criminal justice system. Research indicates that 60 percent of our youth and adults who have FASD have reported contact with the justice system, and 35 percent have reported they have been incarcerated for a crime at some point in their life.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that one quarter of all inmates in Canada have FASD, despite accounting for only 4 percent of the general population. What is unknown, however, is the number of NWT inmates that have FASD, because the government does not track that. This brings me to the heart of the issue, which is that more work needs to be done in helping persons with FASD navigate the justice system.
In terms of solutions, Mr. Speaker, there are two pillars on the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action that address this very issue and present the best solutions. Firstly, all levels of government must recognize this as a high priority and need to address prevention of FASD by developing preventive programs in a culturally appropriate manner.
Secondly, the government must undertake criminal justice system reforms to better address the needs of offenders with FASD, which includes providing greater community resources and powers for courts to ensure FASD is properly diagnosed. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Marsi cho. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, it is important to point out that there are many individuals with FASD who do not encounter the criminal justice system. The pervasiveness of this issue, however, indicates a need for more work to be done. The GNWT must take an interdepartmental approach to determine the prevalence of FASD. Thank you.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker. The United Nations has designated 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages, and the NWT has announced February as Indigenous Languages Month here in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, what does this special focus bring? It brings the opportunity to highlight the urgent need to protect and nourish Indigenous languages and to emphasize this government's responsibility to dedicate itself to undoing the years of damage done to Indigenous languages by settler-colonial laws, policies, and practices.
A couple of generations have passed since children were punished for speaking their language. Even today, children still face covert pressures to conform to English monolingualism. For example, it is difficult for language learners to regularly converse with fluent speakers; to find books, films, and other media in their language; or to pursue meaningful language education as children, when their brain is most perceptive.
Mr. Speaker, language immersion is what is needed. The trouble is that is hard to do. Nevertheless, it is what we need to do.
Mr. Speaker, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People says: "States shall, in conjunction with Indigenous peoples, take effective measures in order for individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their communities, to have access when possible to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language."
Mr. Speaker, this is an option, hard-won, open to Francophone children in the Northwest Territories. It is also something Indigenous peoples have tackled around the world, from the original "languages nests" of the Maori in New Zealand, to the K-12 Hawaiian language education program in Hawaii, to dedicated curricula in Indigenous communities in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia. Here in the Northwest Territories, extended immersion programs, perhaps up to at least grade five or six, would be an incredible thing for our traditional languages.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has been working on language revitalization for many years, and yet the stakes have never been higher. The most recent action plan tells us: "Revitalizing languages is an enormous task. It is said that language is the key to and the heart of culture, and as cultures change, so do their languages. Similarly, as languages change or are lost, so, too, are entire cultures."
Mr. Speaker, this action plan commits to expanding and improving Indigenous language programs in Northwest Territories schools and to renewing the Aboriginal Language and Culture-based Education Directive. Mr. Speaker, later, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Yellowknife North resident Nancy Zimmerman. I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize Yellowknife North resident and president of Local 11, Mr. Frank Walsh. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I have three Pages who are from Mildred Hall School who are working with us during this sitting and who are residents of the Frame Lake riding, Josephine Seagrave, Austin O'Neill, and Amabel Zoe. I want to thank them very much for all the work that they do on our behalf. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a couple of Pages from Hay River South, Jon Tatti and Shaelyn Mabbitt. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today in my Member's statement I talked about the relationship between Canada and China, and what is at risk if the relationship doesn't stay as a positive one. I'd like to take this opportunity and ask the Premier a few questions: can the Premier advise if he has expressed concerns to the federal government about the impact on the NWT economy of the dampening of Canada's relationship with China? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our relationship with China goes back a long way and, if anything, the recent tightening of the Chinese government on subnational investments and business has had a limited effect on our territory. Most of the investments were in mining. We did have some business investment and, with the crackdown on a number of areas, some of the Chinese businesspeople who were here, we haven't seen in a while, but as far as I can tell, the most visible Chinese visitors are the Chinese tourists. I have not seen a decrease in their visitation. It could be a concern. The Chinese could see fit to revoke the designation of Canada as an approved destination status, but we haven't seen any evidence of that yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for his confidence that things appear, at this point in time, to be fairly secure and that we are not seeing any direct impact so far. I would like to ask the Premier: what, if anything, has the Government of Canada indicated to our government that our relationship and investments with China will not be disadvantaged?
Other than what we see in the media, there has been no reaching out by the Government of Canada to us. I believe that, the incident at Huawei, Canada was following the rule of law. The fact that a number of individuals were apprehended in China gives us pause to think. We were planning a trade mission to China for this year, but we have since put it on the back burner. We are waiting to see what happens.
I have met the Chinese ambassador to Canada, but it was before some of the latest incidents happening.
As the Premier has indicated, we continue to build upon the relationships with China. It was looking as though we were going to travel there once again, but already this relationship between Canada and China has been having an effect. We have put a pause on that now. Let me ask: has the government reached out to reassure our friends and business partners, both here at home and in China, that, regardless of international matters, we remain open for and interested in their business?
Yes, we certainly are prepared to do that. We are still in contact with the Chinese, People's Republic, friends of the people who usually host us when we go to China. There is still a possibility that we could go there before the end of the term of this government. With regards to tourism, we continue to market the Northwest Territories to Chinese tourists, and I think that we are prepared to look at further investment.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the response from the Premier. Just lastly, can the Premier indicate if there have been any communications locally, here, with our Chinese business owners, and have we encouraged the tourism operators here or assured them that we are still open for business, that any concerns that they might have are certainly being paid attention to and that we are going to continue to build positive relationships with China?
We have done a lot of work with the Chinese over the past. We have developed a China Strategy for the Northwest Territories. We have also been looking at investing in sister cities or provinces. We just recently had a Chinese counsellor visiting us, meeting with the Minister of Economic Development, and he assured us that it was business as usual. Destinations Canada, who have offices in China and Beijing, have also reassured us that it is still business as usual, at least in the tourism business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
