Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NWT Water Stewardship Strategy, guided by the Aboriginal Steering Committee, represents a shared path forward for water stewardship and preservation with NWT residents and water partners. Water partners such as Indigenous, federal, and territorial governments; non-government organizations; research institutions and universities; regulatory boards; communities; and industry work together under the strategy, to ensure our water remains clean and safe for future generations.
The success of the water strategy is based on four main areas that require concentrated efforts: working together, know and plan, use responsibly, and check our own progress. Examples of key responsibilities under each component include: negotiating and implementing transboundary water management agreements under the "working together" component; implementing research and monitoring throughout the Northwest Territories' lakes and rivers under "know and plan"; reviewing and developing guidelines and regulations to clarify regulatory and environmental assessment processes under "our responsibility"; and regularly reviewing and reporting on implementation of activities in our action plans under "check our progress."
Traditional knowledge is an integral part of the water strategy, providing valuable information and important guidance for all stewardship actions. Specific actions on the importance and inclusion of traditional knowledge are identified in all four components of the water strategy. The next action plan to support the water strategy will cover the period of 2021-2025 and will build on the momentum we have gained over the last decade. This new plan will address current priorities for water stewardship in the Northwest Territories. As part of the development of the next action plan, we have worked with and engaged our water partners to continue to understand NWT water priorities to ensure northern voices are reflected. We thank all those who have taken time to participate. Upon finalizing the next action plan, we will release a "what we heard" document that will show how this important engagement informed the plan.
Mr. Speaker, we are also making progress on modernizing the existing Yukon-NWT Transboundary Water Management Agreement signed in 2002. We have updated the agreement that commits us to responsibly manage shared waters in the Peel and Mackenzie Delta basins, and we developed a similar new agreement for the Liard River Basin. These new agreements are consistent with the water strategy and the 2015 agreements signed with Alberta and BC. Consultation has occurred, and public engagement ended on March 15. We are now reviewing this feedback to ensure that it is addressed.
Mr. Speaker, beginning last summer, the water levels on the Great Slave Lake reached record highs, as did water levels in many rivers flowing into it. We know Northerners have questions about why this happened, and we are actively working to provide answers. Our government, along with experts from the Governments of Alberta, British Columbia, and Canada, worked together on an analyzing of our major shared waterways, such as the Peace and Athabasca Rivers. We learned that these high water levels were driven by high snow and rainfall across northern British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Based on this information, we anticipate Great Slave Lake water levels will not likely return to normal for a while. Current conditions are unprecedented, and what happens over the next few months will depend on several things like the timing and volume of precipitation, the timing and the rate of snow and ice melt in the spring, and the thickness of river and lake ice.
Mr. Speaker, partnerships are what water stewardship is all about. This government is committed to working together to ensure that the waters of the Northwest Territories remain clean, abundant, and productive for all time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Mr. Speaker, the season for planting may still be a long way off, but February 23rd was Agriculture Day in Canada. We have much to celebrate and work towards in support of agriculture in the Northwest Territories. I will also speak to the connection between the agriculture industry and efforts to strengthen food security. Despite the snow and still frigid temperatures, right now is, in fact, an important time of planning and investment for food growers and harvesters across our country and in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, as we mark Agriculture Day this year, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is preparing to implement the fourth year of the GNWT's Agriculture Strategy, The Business of Food: A Food Production Plan. Since 2017, we have invested in planning, training, capacity building, community partnerships, and regulatory improvements designed to position our commercial agriculture sector to increase its production of fresh, healthy, safe, and more-affordable locally grown food choices.
The industry has indeed grown, and as recently announced, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has responded to requests for increased financial supports for large-scale development on established and growing commercial farm businesses. Three significant investments were made this winter in farms in the Hay River area under the federal Canadian Agriculture Partnership. We continue to take stock of the progress that is being made by farmers and harvesters in order to determine what investments and initiatives are needed to continue the evolution and growth in our territory's emerging agriculture sector.
Mr. Speaker, our government's first agriculture strategy was introduced as a means to advance regional economic development and diversification, but we also recognize that our agriculture sector can do much more than diversify and strengthen our economy. Our government's mandate includes a commitment to increase food security through locally produced, harvested, and affordable food. The growth of our agriculture sector is central to this commitment, and for the past year, the COVID pandemic has brought it to the forefront.
Food security is an issue that impacts everybody in the territory and, for too many of our residents, touches every aspect of their lives, particularly affecting health and education outcomes. It is an issue that rightfully is now commanding a collaborative all-of- government approach. While this work is being led by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, we are reliant on support from the Departments of Health and Social Services, Environment and Natural Resources, and Lands as well as our ongoing partnership with the Government of Canada.
The department has been working with these partner departments to consider how the GNWT can better support food security efforts across the territory. In doing this, the department has compiled an inventory of GNWT food security programming and developed a set of considerations to assist the GNWT in making meaningful progress on food security, and Health and Social Services lead an anti-poverty roundtable meeting focused, as well, on food security. All of these pieces will come together under a single document that we are currently drafting.
Canada's Agriculture Day is an important opportunity to celebrate the growth of this industry over the last few years, including initiatives by producers to adapt their businesses to the pandemic. It is also a chance to highlight the rising interest across the Northwest Territories to think creatively about local food production, such as shown at farmers markets, community greenhouses, and especially our small and vibrant community of commercial growers and food producers. Together, these efforts support the commitment that our government has made to addressing food security. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, throughout the life of this government, I have travelled to many communities, and it cannot go unnoticed that every community in the Northwest Territories is unique and different and has different needs. Within 33 unique communities in the NWT, flexible programming is needed to ensure community needs are being met. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has a program to support Indigenous governments and community agencies to develop innovative, community-driven housing projects of their own design. The Community Housing Support program works to ensure that local priorities around housing and homelessness can be met with a variety of support options.
Mr. Speaker, flexibility really is key with this program. The Housing Corporation, under this program, offers support through grants and other contributions. Supports may be in the form of policy and program design, material packages, technical expertise, land management, or surplus units when appropriate. At this time the Community Housing Support program is supporting projects in eight communities across the NWT. In Fort Smith, the Housing Corporation has completed a project with the Salt River First Nation that has led to the creation of six new affordable housing units. In this case, the Housing Corporation provided the materials and the Salt River First Nation provided the land and labour. In both Whati and Jean Marie River, similar projects were completed. Two new units were constructed in each community, with the Housing Corporation providing a contribution for the construction.
Mr. Speaker, in Nahanni Butte and Fort Good Hope, the Community Housing Support program was also used to create community-driven housing repair programs. Through these community-managed repair programs, communities prioritize the residents whose homes they think are most in need of repairs. Funding allows them to inspect houses, create a scope of work, purchase materials, and hire local tradespeople and apprentices to conduct this work. In Colville Lake, the community expressed interest in log homes, so the Housing Corporation is working on a log home demonstration project in the community. The project proposed the construction of four log homes in Colville Lake, constructed with funding from the Housing Corporation. The community will supply the logs, and we will contribute to the design, land development, and construction.
Mr. Speaker, working in partnership with Indigenous governments and community agencies is a priority of this government. Partnerships like those supported by the Community Housing Support program are critical to making sure the Housing Corporation is working to meet the needs identified by the communities themselves. The community also works to ensure that supporting communities to identify their housing priorities through the establishment of community housing plans. The Community Housing Support program is a key tool and has a role to play in supporting communities to address their housing aspirations. I am looking forward to seeing the results of these partnerships and what the next innovative, locally driven projects are that grow from this innovative approach. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about GNWT's Emerging Wisely Plan today. This document, which was released last spring in May, laid out the government's plan in how to deal with the pandemic response. First off, I want to say what a great job our medical teams have done in mitigating the spread of this virus and a big marsi cho to all our residents who have done their part by following all the current restrictions. At the moment, we have zero active cases, and this is definitely something to be very proud of.
Mr. Speaker, since last spring, a lot has happened. This pandemic is a fluid situation, and there are new developments happening daily. Over the last year, we have made some great strides in terms of vaccination development and delivery. However, we also now have to worry about the variant strains of this disease that emerged around the world.
Mr. Speaker, as of March 26th, according to the Department of Health and Social Services, the NWT has now administered a total of 23,722 first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Again, great job to the medical teams. That number, we're starting to closely creep up to that herd immunity number. I think one of my colleagues will be speaking pf that today later. The Emerging Wisely document released last year, simply says a vaccine needs to be available to the large portion of our residents. Northerners so far have done their part to battle this disease. With that, what is our direction moving forward in terms of relaxing restrictions? I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 11, 2021, the Minister of Health and Social Services made an announcement regarding long-term care bed projections for the NWT. Minister Green explained that the Department of Health had updated its data stream and worked with the Bureau of Statistics to redo the estimate of long-term beds needed for the NWT over the next 14 years. They concluded that the NWT does not require as many new long-term beds as they initially thought in 2015.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of this new estimate, the department also created a new prediction model to determine a new number of long-term care beds required in each NWT region. This new projection model has determined that the demand for the long-term beds in Fort Smith is greater than previous estimates. Therefore, the department has concluded that more long-term beds will now be built for Fort Smith. Fort Smith currently has 26 long-term beds in our communities. However, this new projection by the government will create another 24 new long-term beds for Fort Smith. This is a much-needed boost of infrastructure that will greatly benefit Fort Smith and the South Slave for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, I was very happy to hear this news from Minister Green. The people of Fort Smith are also very happy with this decision. In fact, I'd like to share an excerpt from a letter I received yesterday from the president of the Fort Smith Senior Citizens' Society, Ms. Mary Pat Short, who said, "The Fort Smith Senior Citizens' Society wishes to thank Minister Green for her decision to award a 24-bed extended-care facility to Fort Smith. In Fort Smith, we have a large and steadily growing population of seniors. As each year passes, more of our seniors need the specialized care that an extended-care facility makes possible. The facility will benefit our current and future elders, and on their behalf, the Fort Smith Seniors Society expresses our deepest gratitude." Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Lastly, the NWT Seniors' Society President, Mr. Don Webb, who is a Fort Smith resident, has told me verbally that he is also very grateful for the new long-term beds coming to Fort Smith. In addition, the entire community of Fort Smith wants to thank Minister Green and the Cabinet for their decision. As the MLA for Thebacha, I, too, wish to thank Minister Green and the Cabinet for implementing the renewal strategy and this decision. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start off today by thanking teachers for taking my kids back today. Second, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the health authority as they've done an incredible job vaccinating NWT residents and continues to do so. As we work towards 75 percent vaccination rate, NWT residents are wondering how this change to public health orders here in the Northwest Territories. While some question what this means for self-isolation, many NWT businesses and residents are asking what this means for within territory restrictions. In a recent letter to the Premier, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce asked the GNWT to provide transparent criteria and metrics to give businesses the information required to plan their operations over the coming month. Within the NWT, the letter specifically asks about removing capacity restrictions on outdoor gatherings and increasing indoor capacity limits.
Mr. Speaker, businesses need time to rehire and train staff as well as purchase additional inventory to accommodate changes to public health restrictions. Scrambling to adapt means increased operating costs or the inability to adjust in time for seasonal work. NWT businesses have been adaptive, responsive, and responsible and need the government's support through transparent guidelines to continue to put Northerners' safety first while preserving their own ability to stay afloat.
Mr. Speaker, the Chamber also raises concerns about case-by-case business exemptions. This approach does not provide clarity or certainty for businesses, is inefficient and lacks transparency and accountability. I also feel this increases administrative burden for NWT businesses, and creates a system where those with a capacity to advocate for themselves end up with different rules.
The NWT's race for herd immunity and where its finish line truly lies is unclear. While we measure our success as a territory, not all 33 communities will achieve 75 percent vaccination rate at the same time. Given our vaccination success is based on the personal choices of our adult population, some communities may never achieve true herd immunity, and understanding the consequences of this is important to the mental health and economic potential of our territory.
Residents and businesses want to support the GNWT's efforts to keep Northerner's safe. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Residents and businesses want to support the GNWT's efforts to keep Northerners' safe, but this partnership hinges on open communication that supports both the physical and mental health as well as the economic needs of Northerners. Let's give Northerners the opportunity to emerge wisely by working to identify clearer goal posts, rewards, and economic supports. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. It's tax time again. That's especially important for recipients of Income Assistance, who are required to file tax returns in order to remain eligible. Case officers keep an eye on what tax refunds their clients might be getting. Refunds are considered "unearned income" and the amount of a refund is deducted from the client's monthly amount of income support, even if part of the refund is used to pay off other tax debts. There is an especially cruel twist to this year, thanks to COVID and the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB. When CERB was introduced, many Canadians who weren't really eligible claimed the benefit. Now, many of them are being made to pay it back. To ensure that no one went without income during the pandemic, GNWT did not claw back or reduce Income Assistance from April 1, 2020, to at least December 31, 2020, even if you've got CERB payments.
For those who received CERB but were not eligible, one way the federal government is collecting those debts is by garnisheeing the tax refunds of people who were not eligible. However, ECE is considering the amount of garnishee to be unearned income and deducting it from the monthly eligibility for Income Assistance. In some cases, this reduces the amount of the tax refund itself to zero. Some Income Assistance recipients are receiving no tax refund and then get less monthly Income Assistance because ECE is deducting the amount of the garnishee.
When anti-poverty advocates raised this problem of deducting garnishees from Income Assistance, the Minister of ECE says he is handcuffed by the Income Assistance regulations. He says that tax refunds are counted as income, so even though the refund is reduced or amounts to zero, the person is getting a benefit because the garnishee is paying down their debt. How does this practice encourage responsible financial management?
I have read the regulations, and I think that the Minister has discretion for leniency, especially during this extraordinary pandemic. I will have questions for the Minister on why people should lose part of their measly Income Assistance as a penalty for money they were supposed to be able to keep in the first place. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Responding to COVID-19 has been hugely challenging for our territory and the world. It has changed the way we socialize, work, and live our lives. Northerners have been quick to adapt, and everyone deserves credit for their efforts. As a result of our swift and aggressive response to COVID-19, through the implementation of strict public health measures and border restrictions, the NWT has been the most successful in containing the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. According to Emerging Wisely, the need to gradually and safely ease our restrictions has always been part of the plan.
As COVID response technology is improving and becoming more available, it is time to develop a strategy to emerge from our bubble. In engineering, we recognize that no project can ever be designed to 100 percent safety as the cost is too high and the design generally impractical. Likewise, when it comes to the NWT and COVID, the cost for 100 percent safety has been our economic and mental health.
Measures have been in place for over a year; travel restrictions, self-isolation protocols, and physical distancing are our reality. The cost of this new reality has been the loss of small business; an increase in substance abuse; and greater incidents of violence and mental health issues. What this is telling us is that we need to strike a better balance between managing the risk of importing the virus from outside of the territory and allowing people to be with their friends and family and businesses to operate.
We should be exploring options such as requiring travellers to produce negative COVID test results upon arrival. This could then be followed by a shorter isolation period, after which a second negative COVID test could be taken to clear the individual. While this may seem risky, it is a calculated risk that we must be willing to take. If we chose to continue to accept a very low risk of COVID infections, we are choosing to accept mental health, addictions, and domestic violence issues.
Residents need access to southern family. Many grandparents have yet to meet their grandchildren. People shouldn't have to make choices between their job and being with a dying parent, or between cancer treatment and the fear of isolation. Stigma, fear, and an adapting healthcare system are causing people to go undiagnosed and untreated for illness.
I recognize that navigating a global pandemic, especially while many jurisdictions are heading into a third wave, is a complex challenge. Therefore, I urge utilizing a science-based approach to easing restrictions with clear criteria, dates, and key milestones so that we can create a balance between the risk of COVID infection while protecting people from social harm and saving the economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In December of 2015, a final report titled "Northwest Territories Long-Term Care Program Review" was submitted to the Department of Health and Social Services. The report, some 288 pages, based on statistics and relevant data available at the time, identified requirements for long-term care facilities through the Northwest Territories. On March 11th of this year, the Minister of Health tabled a 17-page document that confirmed a substantial reduction in projected long-term care bed needs identified in the 2015 report, not only for Hay River, but for the NWT as a whole.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, 48 beds were identified for Hay River, which included Enterprise and K'atlodeeche First Nation. Both reports appear to have overlooked the communities of Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, and Kakisa, which, combined, represent an additional population of 1,400 people and are in the Hay River catchment area.
Mr. Speaker, upon review of the reports, I have concluded that, through the use of statistical information only, projections can be skewed to meet the department's objectives of the day. Compared to the most current analysis, the 2015 analysis was comprehensive and looked beyond statistics by considering the tangible and intangible uniqueness of the NWT. It looked at a demonstrated higher incidence of chronic diseases, lack of available and appropriate housing, and limited and necessary supporting community-based infrastructure, all of which contribute to higher rates of institutionalization in the NWT as compared to Canada as a whole.
Mr. Speaker, the department, in the most recent analysis of extended care beds, makes the point of having seniors age in place through more effective homecare services. To accomplish this, the Minister of Health stated that the department is committed to improving supports by looking to clients, families, communities, government, and non-government agencies to assist. This sends a message to me that the government is looking for a way to offload responsibilities to an already taxed NGO sector, underfunded communities, and families who may not be in a position to offer 24-hour care. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Other than recommendations from the NWT Home and Community Care report dated September 26, 2019, I have not seen, in support of its intent to reduce the number of long-term beds for Hay River, a substantive action plan from the department that establishes how it will achieve effective homecare for Hay River or throughout the NWT. As it stands now, there are no additional dollars, infrastructure, or identified staff increases to support that objective.
Mr. Speaker, the argument for reducing the number of beds for Hay River is weak at best. I would recommend that the department stay on track and complete the 48-bed facility in Hay River. If other communities, such as Fort Smith, require additional beds, then let us look at making that happen in the near future, but not at the expense of Hay River and the surrounding communities that we serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, back from our two-week break, I just want to thank some people. Being home for the last two weeks, you see how hard the people are working, our communities, our front-line staff. I really want to thank our schoolteachers because we had a shorter break in Nunakput so that they could go home earlier this year; our RCMP staff and our health centre; and I would like to thank the mayors and councillors, Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation, Paulatuk Community Corporation, Ulukhaktok, and Sachs Harbour. Also, our elders' committees are working so hard, and our local DEAs, our IRC, for helping with all of the suicide prevention workshops that they are doing in the Beaufort-Delta. I really thank them for that. They really stepped up. I would like to thank our government and the federal government for helping and assisting in getting funding to make things happen while we are in these COVID-19 days. I also want to thank all of our recreation staff that have been keeping our youth busy and occupied at night in our youth centres.
I just want to thank everybody for all of the hard work. It's not going unseen. I really appreciate all of the hard work that they are doing. I really would like to thank our elders because we are losing so many elders, Mr. Speaker. We had another death in our community of Tuktoyaktuk. We lost another really well-respected elder. We had four or five deaths in our community. Keep our community of Nunakput in prayers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Our thoughts and prayers are with the community and family at this time. Mahsi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and across Canada, we face a nursing shortage. The market is highly competitive to attract and retain nurses. We in the North have long struggled to fulfill all of our nursing positions. This last year has shown just how important our healthcare workers are. Our pandemic response was informed by our ability to manage the threat, and we took no chances, Mr. Speaker. However, we need to take that bold spirit to attracting and retaining our nurses.
I have had many exhausted nurses reach out to me over the course of this pandemic, offering solutions and looking for change. I believe we need to reintroduce service agreements, offering incentives to continue employment in the North. We rely on locums to a great extent in the North. However, at some point, when it is more attractive to be a southern resident nurse than it is to be a local one, many seize that opportunity and look for more flexible hours and higher pay.
Mr. Speaker, we need to offer better training opportunities for our nurses who want to stay. We need to build on the success of the Aurora College nursing program, one of our best programs that has led to many great local nurses. We need to then allow those nurses to further specialize in different fields. Many of those specialized positions are filled by locums presently, and increased training opportunities would work to solve both of those issues, Mr. Speaker. By doing this, our local nurses, particularly in remote communities, will stay longer. They will have a stronger connection to their communities, and the culture in our healthcare system will build to retain our nurses.
Presently, one of the biggest reasons our nurses leave is workplace culture and burnout. We need to offer more flexible working hours, increase part-time options for nurses, and allow nurses to come back from retirement should they wish. We can't make it a binary of forcing nurses to either burn out or leave. Mr. Speaker, I know this is a priority of this House, and the department knows it, too. We need to make that spirit that we applied to COVID-19 and focus on retaining the nurses that we have to make sure that our healthcare system capacity remains.
I believe that our situation is actually getting worse, Mr. Speaker. We risk a downward spiral where more nurses leave for other markets, making the current nurses work more overtime, causing more to leave. We need to commit to serious action to ending such a spiral. I will have questions for the Minister of Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Summer is coming up. We know that the road between Rae Junction, that road hasn't been worked on for over 30 years. Last summer, they were working on it on contract. It has been over 30 years that the road hasn't been worked on, so I would like to talk about the road contract. [Translation ends]
Summer is just around the corner, so my statement today is about the reconstruction of Behchoko access road. Mr. Speaker, it has been well over 30 years since the construction of the road from Rae Junction to Rae. Just last summer, a three-year public works project to smooth out and strengthen the 10-kilometre road that gives Behchoko connections to the outside world was finally in progress.
The people of Behchoko were pleased to see the work started last spring and are eager for completion in 2023, but, Mr. Speaker, they are not pleased with the community's share of local jobs and business opportunities. Sadly, road projects seem to be an ongoing issue. Many road construction projects have promised local benefits and failed to deliver.
Mr. Speaker, have we delivered what we agreed upon last summer with the contractor? Summer 2021 is coming up, so I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Masi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The questions are for the Minister of Health. The Minister confirmed that new bed projections were based on 10 years of statistical information versus the five that went into the 2015 report. Can the Minister confirm what statistical evidence was considered in developing the NWT's long-term bed requirements? I have a difficult time believing that so much has changed in five years when our population has a minimal change overall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for Hay River South for that question. What has changed is a greater amount of data about actual use has allowed us to quantify the age and stage of the people who are entering long-term care facilities. We have actual information to rely on. In 2015, those were truly projections based on bed ratios for age. What we have now is actual versus projected. That is why those two numbers are different, what was required in 2015 and what was required in 2020. Thank you.
The NWT has issues such as lack of housing, addictions, effects of residential schools, and others. Compared to the rest of Canada, these issues negatively impact delivery of extended care and homecare support due to our relatively small population. I would ask the Minister: what, if any, consideration was given to the uniqueness of northern health issues during the recent review process for determining long-term bed requirements for Hay River?
It is my understanding that, in doing that report, the Bureau of Statistics looked at issues such as the age of people going into long-term care; what their health status was going into long-term care; how much time they spent in long-term care; which community they were from and which community they want into long-term care in, which are sometimes different. They looked, certainly, at the comorbidities, as we say, more than one chronic disease, that drive people into the requirement for higher-level nursing care and thus into long-term care. I feel confident that the health of the population was a primary consideration in looking at the bed needs going forward.
The reality is that many of our NGOs, families, and support networks are taxed to the breaking point, yet this government wants to try and squeeze a little more out of them. Can the Minister confirm if the department, during its reassessment of long-term bed requirements, talked to those community organizations currently supporting long-term and homecare clients, and to what extent was that conversation?
It is my understanding that the consultation on the new bed projections is about to begin next month with, in fact, a trip to Hay River to talk to people there about the findings and to verify those numbers on the ground. We have not done that in advance. The study that was done was done by the Bureau of Statistics. They are not using qualitative information; they are using quantitative information about the size of the population, the health of the population, where they live, and so on and so forth. That is not the kind of document that we would normally expect them to consult on. We just asked them to produce the numbers, and that is what they did.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.
