Mr. Speaker, on January 16, 2019, I had the honour of signing the self-government agreement-in-principle for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Norman Wells, alongside our negotiating partners, the Government of Canada and the Norman Wells Land Corporation.
Reaching this Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle represents a significant step in the journey toward fulfilling the obligation to negotiate self-government in the 1993 Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement. More importantly, this agreement-in-principle represents a key milestone in the journey towards self-government and self-determination for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Norman Wells.
Mr. Speaker, the work of negotiating and concluding land, resources, and self-government agreements can be challenging, but it is essential if we are to build the Northwest Territories and Canada that we all want to be a part of. A territory and a country where our long history of working and living together is protected, and where the rights of Indigenous peoples are protected for future generations.
While there are similarities between self-government agreements in the Northwest Territories, there are also many unique aspects that take into account the different needs and self-government priorities of the communities. Simply stated, a "one size fits all" approach does not work here in the Northwest Territories.
The agreement-in-principle for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Norman Wells is a good example of our commitment to negotiating self-government agreements that reflect the unique realities of each community. The agreement-in-principle considers how to implement the inherent right for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Norman Wells in a community where they comprise a smaller proportion of the overall population. This agreement-in-principle is flexible and forward-looking, in that it allows for changes in the governance model, as the population demographics change in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud that in the Northwest Territories, we have a shared history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living, working, and governing together. This is reflected in the fabric of our communities, in the languages we speak, and in the cultural and business decisions we make.
This milestone achievement is something that should be celebrated by all Northerners, not just residents of Norman Wells and the Sahtu region. That is because we know and believe that completed agreements are the basis for realizing our true social and economic potential by clarifying and providing certainty with respect to Aboriginal and Treaty Rights.
With one milestone reached, the parties are already looking ahead and have commenced negotiations on a final self-government agreement for the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Norman Wells. Completing these negotiations continues to be one of the most powerful and meaningful ways that we can demonstrate our commitment to reconciliation and to empowering our people to be self-sufficient and self-determining.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge the hard work by the negotiating teams who have helped get us to this important moment in history. Congratulations to all of the parties on this momentous achievement, and most importantly, congratulations to the Sahtu and Dene and Metis of Norman Wells. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from January 16 to 17, 2019, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs brought community government leaders together to discuss cannabis. This was our first opportunity for such a gathering since cannabis became legal in Canada on October 17, 2018.
Mr. Speaker, the legalization of cannabis presents challenges for northern society. The purpose of this conference was to look for local solutions for community governments as they deal with this new reality. Our focus was presenting as much information as possible for local leaders with the right experts available to answer as many questions as possible.
The first part of the conference addressed the legislative framework for the management of legal cannabis. I wish to express my thanks to the following departments or agencies who made their officials available: the Department of Finance, who presented on their legislation and the new retail process; the Department of Health and Social Services, who presented on cannabis smoking control and health promotion efforts; the Department of Infrastructure and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who presented on changes to the Motor Vehicles Act and associated efforts to manage impaired driving; the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission and the law firm of McLennan Ross, who led an excellent session on labour relations and human resources; and the Municipal and Community Affairs' staff, who presented on community-based planning, zoning, and bylaw-making authority.
The conference included a keynote speaker from Manitoba who brought a national perspective, as well as a speaker from Colorado with an international view. In addition to the presentations, our conference organizers also provided a wide range of resources for delegates to take away and continue their learning.
Mr. Speaker, I believe there are lessons we can take away from this conference. First, despite the state of Colorado legalizing cannabis many years ago, they are still dealing with the effects of this change today, and there will be more for us to learn going forward. Second, we know that, despite providing considerable information and resources to community leaders, there is a thirst for even more information and a need to continue this discussion locally in our communities. Finally, we heard from communities that, while cannabis is now legal, there are still many impacts of drugs and alcohol that are having a continued effect on our communities and our residents, especially our youth.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that our government is continuing an aggressive public awareness campaign in the coming year. I especially commend the efforts of the Department of Health and Social Services, with community-based workshops, as well as social marketing efforts using cutting-edge techniques, such as augmented reality. All of this is aimed at supporting our youth as they deal with this change, and I am grateful for these efforts.
Mr. Speaker, I believe community leaders were pleased with the information that they received. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will assist communities on issues related to community planning and local controls and from a human resources perspective as they establish proper policies for their workplaces. We have only had legal cannabis for a little over five months. We cannot expect to have all the answers today, but Municipal and Community Affairs will continue to support our communities and our residents as we all adapt to the reality of legal cannabis in the coming months and years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know you and all the other Members here understand the importance of barren-ground caribou to our communities. Caribou are central to the way of life in the North and have sustained people here for many generations. This is why, together, this Legislative Assembly made a mandate commitment to improve food security in the Northwest Territories through the effective co-management of wildlife, including caribou.
Part of achieving this commitment requires recognizing that caribou are a shared resource and we need to work with our co-management partners, including the federal government, Indigenous governments, regulatory boards, industry, and other stakeholders to make shared decisions.
Mr. Speaker, last year the Government of the Northwest Territories carried out population surveys on five of our territory's barren-ground caribou herds: the Cape Bathurst, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Bluenose-West, and Bluenose-East, and the Bathurst caribou. The results of those surveys were not favourable, and in November I shared the details of those results with Members and the public.
What we learned was that, while populations of the three northern herds have stayed relatively stable, unfortunately, the Bluenose-East and Bathurst caribou herds continue to experience significant declines.
These results were alarming in that both of these populations have been reduced by half or more over the last three years, despite extensive co-management actions between the GNWT and Indigenous governments and renewable resources boards to support Barren Ground conservation and promote herd recovery.
Mr. Speaker, we know that these results were concerning to the public, and the GNWT shares this concern. We know that our communities are struggling without caribou and that many families have already sacrificed a lot to help the herds recover. As you know, there has been no harvest of Bathurst caribou since 2015, and harvest of the Bluenose-East herd has been significantly reduced. However, the caribou continue to need our help.
In the months since I shared these results with our co-management partners and the public, I have been meeting with Indigenous leaders and affected communities to talk about the low caribou numbers and hear their ideas for how we can work together to take care of the herds.
I want to particularly thank the Tlicho leadership, who have emphasized the importance of strong collaboration with the GNWT to address this urgent situation. Our two governments have been working very closely together over the past few months to consider what we can do to help support the caribou.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of ENR and myself are committed to meeting with as many of our co-management partners and Indigenous governments as we can to discuss this issue. At the end of January, I travelled with Tlicho leadership to Whati, Wekweeti, Gameti, and Behchoko. I also met with the chiefs of the Yellowknives Dene, and my officials met with First Nations and Metis leadership in Fort Smith. Earlier this month, ENR also held meetings with Lutsel K’e First Nation and the North Slave Metis Alliance on February 18, 2019.
One of the suggestions that we continue to hear at these meetings is that more needs to be done to deal with predators, namely wolves, and I agree. That is why the GNWT has increased the incentives that we offer to wolf harvesters in the North Slave region, specifically on the wintering grounds of the Bathurst and Bluenose-East caribou. The enhanced incentive program is meant to encourage harvesters to take more wolves on the ranges of the Bathurst and Bluenose-East caribou. At the same time, we are also looking at what more we can do together with the Tlicho Government to reduce the impacts of predators on caribou populations.
Predators are only part of the picture, Mr. Speaker. For the last few months, the GNWT has been working closely with the Tlicho Government to draft two joint management proposals: one for the Bathurst caribou herd and one for the Bluenose-East.
These proposals lay out the actions that our two governments are proposing to take to help the herds recover, including harvest management, habitat protection, and increased research and monitoring. The proposals also reflect the recommendations in the Bathurst Caribou Range Plan. This plan is in the final stages of approval and will ensure that we are managing activities on the land in a way that supports the recovery of our caribou herds.
Both proposals are now with the Wek'eezhii Renewable Resources Board for review.
Mr. Speaker, in the Sahtu, the GNWT continues to support a community-based approach to conservation planning for the Bluenose-East caribou herd, centred around Deline's caribou conservation plan. This is a plan that has been endorsed by both the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board and the GNWT.
This is the process outlined in our established co-management system, and we have complete confidence in both boards to make smart, effective decisions in the best interest of caribou and the people of the Northwest Territories.
I have also been speaking with my colleague in Nunavut, as the calving grounds and important post-calving areas for both the Bathurst and Bluenose-East caribou are in Nunavut. I am making arrangements to meet with Premier Joe Savikataaq this spring, who is also the Minister of Environment. My hope is for us to sit down with Indigenous leaders from both sides of the border to talk about what steps we can take to help our shared caribou herds.
Mr. Speaker, I know this is a passionate issue for many. We need to avoid the temptation to point fingers and, instead, focus on working together to make decisions that support the caribou.
We know from both science and traditional knowledge that caribou populations have undergone sharp declines and rapid increases in the past. We all have a role to play during this current low, and the GNWT will continue to work with all of our co-management partners, through established wildlife co-management processes, to help ensure that caribou can continue to sustain present and future generations of Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I noticed that the divisional education board office has two fewer staff supporting the schools than in the Sahtu. In the Deh Cho proper, eight communities, we have two support staff for nine schools, whereas the Sahtu has four support staff for five schools. It is my understanding that the Sahtu board has two IT support staff, while the Deh Cho has one. This doesn't seem right. We need to address this, or we are going to see more vulnerable children in ongoing decline in the EDI and MDI results for the Deh Cho. It is my position that the base funding based on the number of students doesn't work.
I would like to suggest a new base formula that guarantees a minimum staffing regardless of the number of students. This would be based on the understanding that it does not matter how many students you have in the school; you need a part-time custodian, principal, secretary, program support teacher, and teachers. There are districts in BC that use this approach, with better results for the students. For example, a principal has reports to write for the central office and for ECE, no matter how many students are in the school, but we have some administrators who teach all days. They have no time for administration. Once this basic funding is in place, other formulas should kick in based on the number of students, with the understanding that you will need two teachers, no matter what.
I recommend to the staff of the department that we see additional funding for the Deh Cho divisional education council in the following areas:
A language support person to help with translation; as well, this position will help promote the revitalization of Indigenous language in the region;
An intern program support teacher, whose focus would be to step in where school has a vacancy or where there is an illness;
A position focused entirely on curriculum support; she or he would ensure that the students are not falling behind and would build an education program; and
A curriculum support advisor; this person would carry the profile of literacy, numeracy, and writing, ensuring that the students get the support that they need.
I will have questions for the Minister of ECE later today, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the framework used by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to fund schools is not working in the Deh Cho, and it is not working in Hay River. We are lucky that, over the years, the schools in Hay River have had many skilled and dedicated principals, teachers, and support staff and have been governed by equally dedicated education authority members. It is because of all of them that Hay River has had better educational outcomes than most places in the territory.
However, Mr. Speaker, this success has come despite ECE's funding framework, which has proven itself too rigid and not responsive to our communities' changing demographics. Every year, we see cuts to funding that are out of line with the actual needs of schools and students.
As I have said, we have been fortunate that our education authorities have members who are very engaged and who are willing to put in the time and effort to make the tough decisions about how to allocate the ever-dwindling funds. We are also lucky enough to have principals who have the ability to stretch those funds further than we should reasonably expect them to.
However, Mr. Speaker, neither the education authorities nor the principals can multiply bread and fish, and so, eventually, even their skill and dedication will not be enough to stave off the damage from never-ending budget cuts. A system can only bend so far before it breaks, and we are already starting to see stress fractures.
Schools are increasingly having difficulty affording enough staff to provide the level of education that our students deserve and are having to make cuts in areas that they know will directly affect educational outcomes. They have no choice, though, Mr. Speaker. If you don't have the money, you don't have the money.
What worries me is that, at some point, the people who have been holding everything together are going to get fed up and move on, and the students will suffer. I have raised these concerns with the department before, and they have been raised by those within the system for years. However, nothing ever seems to change.
I have never really heard any complaints about the funding formula coming from Yellowknife, with the exception of junior kindergarten debates, and the capital seems to have excellent educational outcomes. If there is resistance to changing the formula because it works well for Yellowknife, then keep it the same for Yellowknife, but change it for the regional centres so that our youth are also provided with the best possible opportunities to achieve success.
Mr. Speaker, it's time that the department responds to these growing concerns and develops a funding formula that works for all schools. I'll have questions for the Minister of Education at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been two and a half years since the implementation of the new Airport Improvement Tax. MLAs were told that tax revenues would be used for capital improvements that would improve the customer experience. Now, during peak tourism season, is a good time to take a close look at the results.
In March of 2017, the Minister said that the new fee would support improvements at the airport to help "create benefits for all travellers." Specifically the Minister claimed that, again, "Improved security services and expanded holding areas that reduce congestion, along with improved amenities, will improve traveller experience and comfort."
Now, after millions of dollars collected in user fees and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on renovations to the security screening area, the key complaint of constituents is that security line wait times are unreasonably long. Why? Because there is still only one security line at the airport.
Mr. Speaker, one of the objectives of those renovations was to increase security screening throughput, but clearly it doesn't seem like things have improved at all. In fact, some people believe the situation is much worse.
So what went wrong? Where is the new CATSA Plus screening equipment that was supposed to be included in the renovations? Airport management, during a presentation at City Hall, told council that CATSA Plus would increase throughput by up to 60 percent. This system looks nothing like CATSA Plus systems in other airports.
Does the YZF management even track security line wait times? How do they expect to be able to manage the problem if they aren't measuring it?
Mr. Speaker, stories of missed boardings, and even entire missed trips, have now become legendary on social media. When the process is so inept that people are missing flights or flights are being delayed, that's not an acceptable practice.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister created the revolving fund and introduced the new tax, he chose not to go the full distance and establish an airport authority, which, as we've seen elsewhere, would have introduced a very business-like approach to managing the airport. Instead, he opted to maintain government control of the airport, but has it worked? An airport authority surely would have done something about an obvious problem like security wait times by now.
I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring further attention to an issue which affects Northerners of all ages and walks of life, directly or indirectly, our mental healthcare system.
I want to take a moment first to thank all in our communities in the public and private healthcare facilities, the nurses, doctors, therapists, community leaders, specialists, and elders who work tirelessly for the betterment and health of all Northerners. We all owe you a great debt of gratitude. My thoughts today are being made in the hope we can improve the existing programs and the concerns that have been shared with me by Northerners about access to these crucial services.
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, seasonal mood disorder, bipolar disorder, suicide, survivors of abuse, the list goes on. The people who live daily with these and many other afflictions are too often hiding in plain sight. They may have the biggest smiles and brightest of personalities, and yet, just below the surface, they may be facing thoughts, feelings, and emotions which are not in line with the outward image they portray.
When Northerners decide they need help, they can call the NWT Helpline, which is a good first point of access, but members of the public have brought it to my attention that, under the current process, wait times are more commonly six to 12 weeks, or even months, a far cry from the two to three weeks as stated by the Minister. In Hay River, I am told, it can take eight months of waiting just to get an appointment to see a counsellor. For those without health insurance benefits or those who cannot afford to wait due to a mental health crisis, there is even less support, and paying out of pocket just isn't an affordable solution to those who need help the most.
Now, let me be clear. I'm not talking about a two-tiered system. We are talking about those who fall through the cracks, those who need help now, and those who, if they wait for the prescribed length of time, risk falling back into addiction, self-harm, or worse.
There is clearly a disconnect between what we are being told in this House and what the public is telling us at their doorstep. These wait times can have far-reaching consequences. We know that, when people reach out for help, being told to wait for months on end is just not an option. They are at high risk and are in need of compassion and a helping hand at that exact moment. We need a system of mental healthcare that makes best use of our resources and gets Northerners the help they need, as soon as they need it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to bring up the quality of healthcare we have in the NWT. My riding of the Mackenzie Delta has a high number of complaints regarding treatment received at the local health centres, and also in Inuvik.
Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents who call me say they go the health centre because they are sick, they are in pain, they need medical attention, and in most cases, they are given Tylenol or other equal antibiotics for pain and sent home. Many of my constituents are continuing to have medical issues, and these medical issues can and will get more serious if not treated. I'm sure all our small communities can relate to this concern.
Mr. Speaker, before our people suffer more than they already have, let's get answers to why many of our constituents are not being referred to doctors or hospitals for further examination.
Mr. Speaker, my constituents are demanding a better quality of healthcare. I'll have questions later today, thank you.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Our mining Minister recently announced that the Mactung property in the Mackenzie Mountains is finally up for sale.
Just how did we get here? North American Tungsten, the owner and operator of the former Cantung Mine, went into creditor protection on June 9, 2015. Somehow the federal government let that company put up the Mactung property as part of its financial security for its water license. When our government inherited management of the Cantung site under devolution, nothing was done to change that arrangement, even though the GNWT had total discretion over the form of the security that was filed. So much for polluter pays, and the devolution promise of responsible resource development.
As part of the creditor protection proceeding, Cabinet ended up purchasing Mactung for $2.5 million with a special warrant that bypassed the Legislative Assembly. That way, it could hand Cantung back to the federal government for remediation. When we acquired the Mactung property, a lot of junk and hazardous materials had been left behind at the site, even though I had been told that there was nothing there. A non-compliance letter was written by the Yukon government to GNWT about Mactung on February 4, 2016. I kept pressing Ministers to have an assessment done of the site. That was done, but the report has not been publicly released. The GNWT issued a contract for $87,000 to do a partial cleanup of the site in the summer of 2018.
Two reports of field observations and geology of the Mactung deposit and surrounding area were prepared at taxpayers' expense and released in January 2018. The Minister promised to share the marketing plan with the standing committee for Mactung, but that hasn't happened. On December 20, 2018, a Vancouver consultant submitted an application for a Class 4 Quartz Mining Land Use Approval to the Yukon government for 10 years of exploration at Mactung, "as part of a means of increasing the appeal on the Mactung property to prospective buyers."
Lots of questions, and not a lot of clear communications. I'm sure the Minister is looking forward to my questions later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 2019 Traditional Games Championship. Mr. Speaker, as you know, the Government of the Northwest Territories offers many diverse programs and services. Together, the departments, boards, and agencies take care of our infrastructure, deliver healthcare, maintain public housing, power our homes, and much more.
These are big, important things, but the GNWT also helps Northerners take care of the little things, and sometimes even these little things are valuable. I want to talk about one today.
This past weekend, the 2019 Traditional Game Championship, sponsored and led by the staff of the Aboriginal Sports Circle, was held here in Yellowknife.
Students from 22 schools, including Chief T'Selehye School in Fort Good Hope, the Colville Lake School, the Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells, and the Ehtseo Ayha School in Deline, gathered to compete in traditional Dene and Inuit games. I am glad these young people can gather to celebrate their culture together like this. This is great to see and witness.
Mr. Speaker, being on the Standing Committee on Government Operations, the GNWT supports for games like these are very important to me and my colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to see this continued support for games and for our non-government organizations or NGOs like the Aboriginal Sports Circle for continued success. Later, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, housing is an important issue in Yellowknife Centre, where so many of my constituents are renters. Affordability remains a major issue, with one in seven households overspending on rent in the marketplace. Availability is also a significant problem for people who need rent geared to income. There are long waiting lists at the Yellowknife Housing Authority, Northern United Place, and Avens Court. With these facts in mind, I attended the announcement of the new federal-territorial housing agreement in November with great anticipation.
The agreement is worth $140 million over 10 years, with money beginning to flow in April. The agreement addresses the three elements of housing need: affordability, adequacy, and suitability. It identifies priority groups for social housing, including seniors, women and children fleeing violence, veterans, refugees, visible minorities, people suffering from mental illness, and those who are homeless.
Mr. Speaker, the new agreement aims to increase the number of rent-assisted units by 15 percent beginning in 2020-2021, and it aims to repair 20 percent of existing public housing units. This is good news, but, again, I am disappointed there are no targets for new Housing Corporation construction, even though the strategy is supposed to expand housing stock.
At a briefing to the Standing Committee on Social Development, the president of the NWT Housing Corporation confirmed that the corporation's rental inventory will stay at 2,400 units. However, there is $60 million available through a co-investment fund, for non-profits and others to build affordable housing.
Mr. Speaker, Regular MLAs are keenly interested in reducing housing need across the NWT. We passed a motion in 2016 that called on government to reduce core housing need by 2 percent a year for four years so that the NWT met the national average by the end of our term. We will know later this year what progress government has made. The NWT Bureau of Statistics is conducting its every-five-year NWT Community Survey this winter. It will give us a snapshot of where we stand. In the meantime, the detail about how the money from the federal-territorial agreement is going to be spent will be worked out in a three-year action plan to be completed next month. This action plan represents a key milestone in meeting the needs of Northerners for more and better housing. I will have questions for the NWT Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mahsi
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, through its Community Economic Development Organization, has been awarded a $500,000 prize by the Arctic Inspiration Prize Charitable Trust.
Mr. Speaker, the project is a joint venture between the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Gwich'in Tribal Council and fully supported by the Aurora Research Institute. Mr. Speaker, the concept is to develop an innovative process to support Northern Indigenous artists and crafters in the Western Arctic. The team will engage with artisans in each community and create an association of Indigenous artists and crafters across the region to work at developing sustainable business ventures; improving their art skills; ensuring authentic, high-quality products; and building confidence as sustainable business owners.
Mr. Speaker, the project will commence immediately and provide the business supports required to:
establish a sustainable association of working artists and crafters who will support each other and the arts/crafts sector by building a critical mass in each community;
remove barriers to venture creation by hiring two business managers for the association to manage the books, provide business services and counselling, promote the artists, create an online presence for sales, and develop markets.
Mr. Speaker, the project will also address long-standing challenges traditionally faced by Northern Indigenous artists, including but not limited to:
encouraging meaningful investment in artists/crafters;
addressing policies that hinder venture creation, tweaking them to be more encouraging and supportive;
building and maintaining the reputation for high-quality, authentic Northern Indigenous art; and
developing young artists to ensure that the continuity of traditional knowledge in the art and culture.
Mr. Speaker, the project team is a strong and collaborative partnership between the IRC, the GTC, and ARI that have the skills, expertise, resource, and passion required to move it from concept to successful completion and to inspire local artists, crafters, and the community members to embrace the vision and make the project their own. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate "Traditional techniques tweaked to inspire and galvanize Indigenous Northern artists" on their win at the Arctic Inspiration Prize 2019. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided]. I rise today to speak about the passing of an elder, Madelaine Marlowe, of Lutselk'e. Madelaine was born on May 5, 1932. She was born and raised in Lutselk'e and lived to be 86 years old, until she passed away on August 10, 2018. Madelaine was a well-respected elder, and she was a valuable knowledge-holder who will be missed by many.
Mr. Speaker, Madelaine is survived by seven children, Frank, Angelina (Angie), Fred, Catherine, James, Richard, plus 17 grandchildren, and countless other great-grandchildren, nephews, and nieces. Madeline is pre-deceased by her husband, Johnny Marlowe, and her three sons, Noel, Troy, and George Marlowe, and her granddaughter, Vanessa Marlowe.
Mr. Speaker, among many stories of Madeline's life, there are three in particular that I would like to share today. Firstly, in 2015, Madeline was among a group of 25 who received the Premier's Award for Collaboration with respect to their work with Lutselk’e Dictionary Project.
Another notable fact is that Madeline has a granddaughter, Tishna Marlowe, who is a fashion designer and accredits Madeline tremendously for her beading and sewing prowess. According to Tishna, she could not have achieved the success she's earned if it wasn't for Madeline's influence.
Thirdly, Mr. Speaker, I also want to acknowledge the fact that Madeline Marlowe is the mother to my Lutselk'e constituency assistant, James Marlowe. James has been a valuable and loyal member of my staff for many years. So to James, your family, I extend my condolences for your loss. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize a page, Ashley Sisson-Carlson from Kam Lake, and all the pages who have been helping us for our sitting. Thank you very much for the work that you do. Thank you.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to recognize my son, CJ, and he is here with his friend Sarah, who is a dedicated Air Canada stewardess who helps move tourists all around the world. That benefits the residents of the Northwest Territories, as well. Welcome to the House. Thank you.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start with recognizing, again, my nephew Jeremy Beauchamp. It looks like he might be trying to take my seat here in the House. I am glad to have him. Then Suzie Napayok is the translator in Inuktitut. She lives in my constituency, so I am glad to see her. She is also is a great writer of books, with traditional knowledge from her culture, so a great asset to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, in my Member's statement, I talked about the funding for the Divisional Education Authority for Deh Cho, which has eight communities. My first question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is: can the Minister please provide information on how the school funding framework works? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
