Debates of November 28, 2007 (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the last few years, it’s been raised in this House numerous times the issue around ambulance services and emergency response services in communities and the areas surrounding communities. Mr. Speaker, I think that everybody probably south of Inuvik is waiting with great anticipation to see what the government’s position is going to be. It was an interdepartmental approach to a review that was done between the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Transportation, I believe. Particularly in Hay River now, we have a critical need for the replacement of our fire hall facilities. If the government is going to take over those services or come up with a different plan, it’s very important for us to know, because right now those emergency response services are all provided in Hay River through volunteers with a very, very small contribution from the GNWT. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, who I believe is the lead on this particular initiative, what the…Maybe it’s Municipal and Community Affairs that was involved in that. Whichever Minister wants to answer it, I would like to know where are we at in terms of that review on how this government is going to support emergency response services in and around communities in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Return To Question 48-16(1): Emergency Response Services Study

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I could advise the House that the situation on this file is as it was in the last Assembly. There was a comprehensive study done on this issue and the work is being done between MACA and Health and Social Services to enhance what we have now and to be able to expand as the resources permit. So, Mr. Speaker, it is under progress between the two departments and I would be happy to update the Members of the Assembly on where we are with that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 48-16(1): Emergency Response Services Study

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the important issues that we raised was in fact that these services are being delivered in Hay River and surrounding area by very capable and well-trained, but, volunteers. We take time away from their regular employment to do this. The level of support from the GNWT to provide that service is very, very limited. One of the areas we were very concerned about was liability, because there is no other response for emergencies on the highway and the surrounding area. So we cover quite a large area. So would the Minister look at, in the interim, increasing the contract for services to the emergency response organizations in Hay River? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 48-16(1): Emergency Response Services Study

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, specific to that question, I would be happy to review that with my department and see where we can improve for the Hay River Health Authority. In the larger picture, Mr. Speaker, the need for this study came about because of the fact that this service is provided very much in a patchwork fashion all over the Territories. A lot of municipal governments are in charge of that and have to incur extra cost in delivering those services, much of them based on volunteer services and many communities and many highways are not covered adequately. So, Mr. Speaker, this is a huge project that we need to work more on. So I will make a commitment to work with MACA on the larger picture and then to address the question the Member is raising and I will get back to the Member on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 48-16(1): Emergency Response Services Study

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a matter of some urgency. As the Minister herself has indicated, there are areas that are not really legally anybody’s responsibility to cover and if there is a motor vehicle accident or some catastrophe outside of our communities, the pressure is on the communities to respond, but it’s not really within their resources or their ability to do that. I would like to ask the Minister when she refers to the patchwork approach, for example, two comparable sized communities, Inuvik and Hay River, what is the contribution to those communities for emergency services by this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 48-16(1): Emergency Response Services Study

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Luckily for us, the communities nearby usually come to the rescue and do provide services and we have to recognize the fact that municipal governments and health authorities are absorbing the costs as they come about for both Hay River and Inuvik. I believe they are covered by the health authority and the level of cost that’s being absorbed by health authorities, either health authorities or municipal governments, are very different and that’s what I mean by a patchwork approach that’s being done that we need to look at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 48-16(1): Emergency Response Services Study

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Minister has that information at her disposal, would she share with us the kind of inconsistency that we are actually talking about just to make the point? I think Hay River gets a contribution of about $25,000 a year, but I am not sure what Inuvik gets but I understand it’s substantially more. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 48-16(1): Emergency Response Services Study

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be happy to provide the Member with information on what the government contributes to every community that gets money for this kind of service, as well as the legislative changes that are required and some of the resource pressure for us to come up with a plan that works for everybody. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.