Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given the upcoming festive season, I wanted to share a message regarding abstinence from alcohol and drugs. I wanted to relay a message about options should you continue and options to do other activities rather than turn to alcohol and drugs for enjoyment.
Mr. Speaker, when one chooses to party it up, whether they are single or in a relationship, and especially if they have children, there are significant effects to that decision. What we see from our communities and monthly RCMP crime reports is the escalating domestic violence and sexual assaults that plague our small communities.
Since COVID hit, there has been a significant increase in the use of alcohol and drugs, especially with all the free money floating around. Many families are running into problems with living expenses as they choose to buy significant amounts of alcohol and drugs; everything else is secondary to the fun they can have. The families of these people suffer because of their decisions and they bear the brunt of the stress waiting to see if they will come home safely and for many it is the children that are affected in this way.
We see far too often how happy the children are when their parents are home and taking care of them. This is what should be thought of before making decisions to purchase alcohol and drugs. What they also don't realize is the amount of stress that is placed on our everdecreasing health care and staffing levels. Most get serious injuries from falls or beatings and most times can't get the immediate attention they require due to staffing levels.
Mr. Speaker, there are more positives than negatives when one abstains from alcohol and drugs. There is the allimportant family relationship with immediate family and beyond, including the whole community. Healthy clear minds see improved mental health for all, increases willpower and selfesteem. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent.
Unanimous consent granted
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi, colleagues. This will also improve education outcomes as our Elders envisioned for us and have stated. We want good education for our children and future generations to become doctors, lawyers, and teachers and so forth. Abstinence from alcohol and drugs creates a positive community atmosphere as this will hopefully improve volunteerism and that helps to improve life in the communities.
I encourage all residents of the Northwest Territories to start doing and making things happen for your family, your friends, your community and, most of all, for yourself. There are always supports within your community to begin this journey. Please take advantage of all services available to improve your lives. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Member’s Statement on
As a Regular Member, I'm active on our social development committee which has identified children and family services as an area of focus. From this work, I have been learning so much about the issues facing families and youth in the NWT. One area that I am becoming more familiar with is the foster care system, and I want thank everyone who has taken the time to speak with me about this topic as it's a sensitive one.
Mr. Speaker, when I look at our social problems, I can see the gap that youth and young adults are falling into. Agingout or kicked out of foster care, they often find themselves with little to no options, with too many going on to become chronic dependents of social welfare as adults. One way we can remove adults from our system is to prevent them from being dependent on it in the first place. And in the Northwest Territories, only one organization is supporting youth to get them out of the system, and that is Home Base Yellowknife.
Home Base is a youth support organization that offers four programs for youth to help them become selfsufficient and deal with trauma from their childhoods. Home Base has ten fulltime dorm spaces in their main building on 52nd Street, also operating a shelter there from 8 to 8 daily. The shelter provides a safe space for youth to sleep, have a meal, and wash their clothes.
Home Base operates a second youth centre next to Overlander Sports, open from 12 to 8 every day, providing a second place for youth to shower, do laundry, eat, and work on resumes and life planning.
Home Base also has a housing program that assists 20 to 24yearolds with housing through commercial leases or at their newly acquired Park Place apartment building near City Hall. Youth can attend any of Home Base's programs to receive support, advice, and guidance on careers and life management skills. The goal of Home Base is to stabilize youth in order to reintegrate them into society and get them back into school.
Although Home Base wants to increase youth shelter supports to 24 hours a days 7 days a week, their current financial projection means a cut to shelter hours is coming rather than an expansion. In order to even maintain the current level of programming, Home Base needs additional emergency homelessness assistance funding to do so.
While Home Base receives programming money, they do not have core funding available for wages or to buy essential supplies. With core funding for staff and supplies, Home Base could offer 24hour supports to youth in an effort to divert this vulnerable population from a lifetime of dependence on social programming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
