Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories remains dedicated to strengthening its leadership and authority on climate change, as well as ensuring that climate change impacts are specifically considered when making government decisions. As part of this commitment, Housing NWT continues to improve the energy efficiency of its housing stock and continues to make strategic investments in alternative energy solutions that not only help lower social housing operation costs and improve living conditions, but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
To help chart this critical path forward, Housing NWT is advancing the development of an energy management strategy and a threeyear energy blueprint. These two documents will support both Housing NWT's energy goals and objectives, as well the strategic objectives of the GNWT’s 2030 Energy Strategy.
Housing NWT's energy management strategy will propose short to medium term strategies to 2030, as it takes a longterm view towards 2050 to guide energy management decisions and investments. The strategy is supported by the threeyear energy management blueprint that will include measurable actions to track progress and outcomes over the course of the next several years.
Mr. Speaker, investments in energy efficiency solutions are not new to Housing NWT. Each year, Housing NWT's capital plan includes significant investment in modernization and improvement projects that include various energy efficiency upgrades as well as new construction with high efficiency standards that exceed the National Energy Code by at least 20 percent.
In recent years, Housing NWT has delivered 13 solar and biomass alternative energy projects for public housing units throughout the Northwest Territories. With federal government support, we also plan on investing in additional biomass district heating systems for public housing seniors' facilities in Fort Simpson and in Fort Providence.
Recognizing the importance of public engagement in the development of the energy management strategy, in December 2022 Housing NWT will be releasing a draft strategy and blueprint for public review and comments. The feedback collected during this engagement process will guide and finalization of the strategy and accompanying blueprint, ensuring successes in creating a realistic and effective approach to the energy management of Housing NWT units while contributing to healthy communities and smaller utility bills for residents.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the release of the energy management strategy and energy blueprint expected for April 2023. Housing NWT will continue to work closely with Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, community governments, the private sector, nonprofit sector, and our federal funding partners as we address the territory’s housing crisis. We will ensure climate change impacts are considered in the development of public housing units, helping the territory transition to a lower carbon economy.
I would also like to thank the staff of Housing NWT for contributing and putting this document together. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made it a key priority to advance the development of the allseason Mackenzie Valley Highway. Mr. Speaker, infrastructure development plays an essential role in the longevity and the health of our communities. A key component to the Department of Infrastructure’s transportation strategy, the proposed 321km Mackenzie Valley Highway between the communities of Norman Wells and Wrigley, will connect several remote communities to the public highway system yearround, make these connections more resilient to the effects of climate change, and create future economic opportunities. Infrastructure projects like the Mackenzie Valley Highway play a significant part in the economic future of the Northwest Territories – not only as we recover from the effects of the COVID19 pandemic, but as we advance transformative nationbuilding projects like this to the benefit of Northerners and Canadians alike. This project will inject millions into the economy, create jobs for residents, build capacity in communities and within Indigenous governments, and open the door to future economic development that will positively impact the Northwest Territories.
We have made progress on this project, Mr. Speaker, and I want to provide an update to Members of this House on the status of the project currently.
In July 2018, $140 million in funding was secured under Transport Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund for the environmental assessment and planning studies for this portion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway Project, as well the planning, engineering and construction of the Great Bear River Bridge and Mount Gaudet Access Road.
Mr. Speaker, over the last year, work has progressed on addressing information gaps and preparing the developer’s assessment report, which is required to advance the environmental assessment. Engagement with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations in the region is progressing and capacity funding has been provided to the Sahtu Secretariat Inc., the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation, Tulita Renewable Resource Council and the Norman Wells Renewable Resource Council, so they can participate fully in engagement for the project and partner in the completion of traditional knowledge studies.
Public engagement on the proposed project description was carried out in the spring of 2022 and inperson socioeconomic impact assessment related interviews are currently underway.
In the coming months, additional inperson engagement in the Sahtu and the Deh Cho regions will complete the project description and discuss potential project impacts and mitigation measures. The information collected through this engagement will be used to finalize the developer’s assessment report for submission to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Review Board which is early 2023.
The GNWT is also working to advance some short road extensions along the Mackenzie Valley Highway alignment intended as capacitybuilding projects. These projects are advancing separately from the Mackenzie Valley Highway environmental assessment.
The Mount Gaudet Access Road is a proposed 15kilometre allseason road from Hodgson Creek to Mount Gaudet near Wrigley. The regulatory process for this project was paused in 2020 to provide the GNWT with the opportunity to address concerns raised by the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation.
This past August, the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board withdrew the project’s application. Followup discussions with the board resulted in the application being reactivated. We have committed to taking a collaborative approach with Pehdzeh Ki First Nation and the land and water board to plan for the review of these applications to restart.
The Prohibition Creek Access Road is another capacitybuilding project that is located near Norman Wells. As i explained in my Minister’s statement last week, the procurement for Phase 1 construction is underway with construction expected to begin this fall. The Department of Infrastructure has and will continue to work closely with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations as we advance this important project. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk once again about the Aurora College Thebacha Campus and future polytechnic university headquarters.
Mr. Speaker, I want to again reiterate to this House about the role Fort Smith has historically had with the education for the people of the NWT. In 1967 when the NWT changed its capital to Yellowknife, it was agreed upon by the leaders of the day that in exchange for the loss of the capital, Fort Smith would become the education capital of the NWT. Ever since then, the head campus of the Aurora College has been in Fort Smith and many prominent elected leaders from across the NWT have gone to school in Fort Smith.
Mr. Speaker, I do not agree with certain directions that Aurora College has been taking regarding to its transformation into a polytechnic university. I particularly repute the notion that there will not be a headquarters with the new university. I strongly disagree with the college president dismissing the terms "headquarters" and instead favouring the phrase "administrative centre." I do not want to see Fort Smith diminished in the role it will play within the future university, because I know that Fort Smith will continue to play a vital role within the future of the postsecondary education in the Northwest Territories, just as it always has, and I will make sure of that.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education has reiterated several times throughout this term that the headquarters of the future polytechnic university will be in Fort Smith. On December 10th, 2019, on our first day of session after choosing the Cabinet, the Minister said that there will be no plans to move the headquarters out of Fort Smith. Then, later in October 2020, the Minister said he was not aware of any discussion to move the headquarters anywhere else. Then in March of this year, the Minister said ECE was not going to build a new headquarters because there was already a location for it in Fort Smith. Finally, in June, during our last sitting, the Minister said there's no plan to move the administrative headquarters from Fort Smith to Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, as the MLA for Thebacha, it is my duty to look after the people and the interests of Fort Smith and the broader South Slave region; therefore, I will do whatever I can to ensure my community will thrive and prosper in the future. And I know that the university will be part of that future, even after I'm gone. That is why I will continue to ensure that Fort Smith is the location of the headquarters of the future polytechnic university.
I would also like to thank the Minister for agreeing to meet with the leadership of Fort Smith to discuss the transformation of the college. I will have questions for the Minister of Education later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to find out that the extended care facility identified for Hay River has been delayed to 20272028 came as a great disappointment not only to me but to the residents of Hay River and to those persons and families in need of the facility for loved ones.
Mr. Speaker, when I heard of the decision to delay the project, it did not come as a surprise. I knew the reasons used would be multiple and would touch on insurance coverage, loss of utilities, and flooding that occurred in the immediate area where the building is to be located. Mr. Speaker, upon visiting the site last weekend, looking at the available area and reviewing the footprint of the proposed building, there appears to be sufficient room to place the building well outside the area that was subjected to flooding. This, Mr. Speaker, would allow the project to proceed.
Mr. Speaker, the logic used to delay construction, although reasonable, fails to account for the urgent need of those beds and services for the community. This project, originally based on 48 beds, was reduced to 24 on the premise that this government wanted to support the initiative of keeping seniors in their homes. The question is, what has this government provided in the way of additional home and medical supports for those seniors remaining in their homes? Have we increased home care hours, home care visits, and have we added additional support staff? Will we add to that if the project does not proceed?
Mr. Speaker, looking after family members at home is admirable but it's not realistic for some. Without the experience of patient care, with the rising cost of living, with minimal free time, families today are working just to make ends meet. This government does not appear to see much value in supporting those needing 24/7 care, many who are seniors and who have provided so much to the NWT. Mr. Speaker, my priority has always and always will be the people. This government must make people a priority, and it must place people first.
Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Health to revisit the decision on the extended care facility identified for Hay River and to either reposition the building on the proposed site or identify an alternate location at the earliest so this project can get back on track. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I question whether the GNWT is meeting the spirit and intent of access to healthcare as defined under the Canada Health Act. Section 12(1)(a) of the Canada Health Act defines accessibility under the program from which the GNWT receives full cash contribution payable for healthcare services to each jurisdiction each fiscal year. Accessibility, as defined under the program criteria states, "The healthcare insurance plan of a province "(a) must provide for insured health services on uniform terms and conditions", and it goes on to further say "on a basis that does not impede reasonable access to those services by insured persons." But what is reasonable access, Mr. Speaker?
Here in the NWT, GNWT employees are provided toptier healthcare services over and above the delivery of healthcare for the public. Their medical travel benefit pays for the cost of hotels, per diems that reflect actual food costs, and they do not pay a copay for air travel. In the NWT, if you are a nonGNWT employee, you fall into a secondtier category a copay system, $50 a night hotel subsidy, lower per diems, and different escort eligibilities.
In addition to financial inequity, there is also growing access inequity. Many physicians are recommending patients travel to Calgary for some services given the longer wait times in Edmonton. But because medical travel only funds airfare to Edmonton and not the Alberta city with the most timely-available appointment, residents are often left to cover the additional travel on their own. For some, this is financially inaccessible and the ultimate cost is far greater than travel to Calgary, Mr. Speaker. But the GNWT health benefits have evolved to an incomebased copay system, one that I have heard directly from residents does not reflect the high cost of living in the NWT or additional costs many Northerners bear.
Mr. Speaker, I am not advocating for a reduced benefit to public servants but rather a system that entitles all residents to the same access to healthcare. I am advocating for the GNWT to use their own benefits as the gold benchmark for all NWT residents. Access to healthcare should be universal.
I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that a recent contract to build a duplex in Inuvik was awarded to a company that is not on the BIP registry. I'll be questioning the Minister of Housing as to why this happened; how does a local contractor in my riding lose out on work to a nonBIPed company?
Mr. Speaker, a longtime local Inuvik BIPed business that detailed all the northern business it would use, things like hiring local suppliers and contractors and fully adhering to the BIP policy, a policy meant to give Northern businesses a preference and to keep money in the North, Mr. Speaker, so it was shocking to hear that the Housing Corporation gave a nonBIPed business the same preference as a local longtime business, Mr. Speaker, that did not do the same.
The BIPed policy was to give northern businesses a 20 percent advantage for hiring locals as much as possible. In this instant, Mr. Speaker, businesses in my riding lost out on an opportunity for work by just 4 percent, Mr. Speaker, which in dollar amounts is just around $65,000, to a nonBIPed business, who for some reason got that same preference as a BIPed business. Today I will be asking when the Housing Corporation is going to support local businesses and ensure that the BIP policy is being followed, Mr. Speaker.
The BIP policy needs to be followed, or we should just tell our contractors now that they don't need to live here. They don't need to pay taxes here. They don't need to provide jobs and contribute to the economy here and that they can just move south and come up, bring their workers, bid on jobs, because there's no preference for businesses actually operating and living here. And if that's the case, that's not the government that I want to be part of, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT manages a $31 million lease portfolio. That is larger than the budget of EIA, Lands, and of that $31 million, Mr. Speaker, $21 million goes to one company, that is the combined assets of Northview and KingSett. That's more than we presently provide our communities for water and sewer, Mr. Speaker. We manage 129 leases for 626,000 square feet of office spaces. That's 12 Bellanca buildings, Mr. Speaker; many of them in downtown Yellowknife. And, Mr. Speaker, it is clear that that $20 million a year, we provide to one company year after year for decades now, has built up that monopoly such that one company owns the vast majority of commercial space in this town and a very significant portion of residential space. And yet, Mr. Speaker, we have done nothing at all to prevent this from happening. In fact, our leasing of commercial property policy is from 1998, and despite repeated requests to the Minister of Infrastructure, we have not amended this policy in over 20 years, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, getting a local developer to do any work in this town is becoming rarer and rarer. It's because the GNWT has strategically, over years of either neglect or on purpose, refused to give them work. They have all gone to one company. Yet, Mr. Speaker, I don't believe I have to speak to the benefits of local ownership to anyone in this House. When you have local landlords, they are more willing to build buildings. They are more willing to work with people. They are willing to add to our desperately needed housing stock. But when you have multibilliondollar foreign companies or multibilliondollar REITs, who Yellowknife is abound with them, they don't work with our local nonprofits, they don't work with our Indigenous development corps, they don't work with local contractors, and they do absolutely nothing to address our housing crisis or address what we want our offices to look like.
I will once again have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure of whether she is going to do anything at all to address the monopoly that we have created and we are responsible for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on September 13th, two uniformed officers arrived by helicopter at the Thaidene Nene East Arm National Park. What followed can only be described as a raid, as officers proceeded to enter a cultural camp of 80 people, including LKDFN elders, children, and Indigenous university students and faculty from New Zealand. Under the threat of arrest, they had to stand by while ENR officers searched their dwellings and seized belongings. Elders stated the raid was reminiscent of their youth and the experiences of their ancestors, being persecuted by colonists for practicing their cultural ways and subsistence lifestyle. They felt it flew in the face of the treaty of peace and friendship they signed 122 years ago.
UNDRIP Article 11.1 states Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present, and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artifact, designs, ceremonies, technologies, visual and performing arts, and literature. Respecting Indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment.
In fact, Mr. Speaker this is exactly the tenet that our worldrenowned environmental comanagement system is based on. In the NWT, where cultural genocide has led to serious addictions and mental health issues, and in a postpandemic world that sees rising food insecurity and a cost of living, harvesting country food, hunting and spending time on the land is an ideal way for Indigenous people to deal with the stress and combat some of the harsh realities they face daily. However, what was to be a muchneeded time of healing and wellness on September 13th instead became a situation of traumatization and disrespect.
Mr. Speaker, I am not here to comment on the wastage. As the Minister has stated, we don’t know what happened. However, what I do want to comment on was the utter lack of respect shown to the LKDFN, their elders and children not to mention the guests visiting them. What impression did this make regarding Canada and how the GNWT treats Indigenous people?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister states they attempted to contact the band regarding this matter. When? Did the Minister try to mitigate this situation before the officers arrived? Mr. Speaker, if the authorities found something in my neighbourhood, are they going to show up at my door, push their way into my House looking for answers? I don’t think so. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Pauline Ekotlah Bertrand was born in Snake River, BC, on May 2nd, 1933. Her Dene name was GoYah, little sister. Unfortunately this is where her and her little brother Sam had lost their parents at a very young age. Not long afterwards, their grandmother Margaret took them home to Pretty Hill, which is known as La Jolie Butte, to live. From there she was taught how to hunt, fish, trap to which she passed on these teachings to her children. As a young lady, she married her husband Francis Bertrand, and they settled down and made their home in Pretty Hill. This is where their 12 children were born and raised. Together, Pauline and Francis provided for their family by trapping, hunting, and fishing from the land. It has been said that she worked very hard with no complaints. It was part of life. The little joke with the family was even taking care of the household chores such as laundry, which was no match for her.
She was known for always being ready and willing to help her children with the tasks of providing and help looking after their children when needed. As it could be seen, she loved each and every one of them.
Pauline lived and loved the traditional lifestyle of the Dene people and enjoyed travelling with her family, whether it was on river or on the land. She will always be remembered for her bannock, supply of dry meat, sewing, moose hide tanning, and other personal interests and hobbies she would pick up.
Mr. Speaker, Pauline will be remembered for her beautiful smile, laugh, and she will always have a big hug for her loved ones. It has been known that she loved to sing her favorite songs and sometimes known to dance.
Pauline was predeceased by her husband, brother, two sons, and two grandchildren. She leaves behind three daughters, five sons, and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and other nieces and nephews. Mr. Speaker, she will be forever missed by her surviving family and friends.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community at this time.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when this government is looking to delay projects, it has to prioritize those that impact the most vulnerable. For Hay River, that is the extended care facility that supports seniors and persons who require 24/7 care. This facility is needed and cannot be delayed until 20272028.
Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health confirm when the demolition of the HH Williams Memorial Hospital will be completed? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for that question. The demolition of HH Williams Memorial Hospital is well underway and will be completed in this calendar year. Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm the reasoning behind delaying construction of the proposed extended care facility for Hay River? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reason for the delay has to do with the flood. The flood, while it didn't flood Woodland Manor, made services, water and sewer services, unavailable to the site, and as a result all of the residents had to be removed and relocated to other locations. And so we need to choose a site for the longterm care which is not subject to those risks. It is very difficult to move elders in an emergency. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that answer; however, I think moving to another site is one option but my understanding as well is that, you know, we're looking this government's looking at mitigation measures to ensure flooding doesn't happen. We're raising roads in the community and things like that. So there are other options.
So, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm if consideration has been given to reposition the building on the site and tying it into the existing Woodland Manor facility? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the repositioning on the site doesn't deal with the problems I mentioned around maintaining essential services to the building. Certainly repositioning could happen, but the maintenance of service is the first thing that needs to happen. What we're waiting for, and I know other departments are waiting for as well, is the new flood maps that will be created as a result of this flood. And the bottom line here is that if the building is not insurable, it can't be built in that location. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to put the project back on schedule, is the Minister committed to revisiting the decision to delay and consider other options, such as another useable site, which she appears to be doing? Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to report to the Member that the department has a jump on this. Our infrastructure staff have met with the Town of Hay River to talk about an alternate site, and the leading contender is a site called Sun Dog which is adjacent to the new health centre which did not flood in the spring. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain to me how a nonBIPed business gets BIP preference in the Northwest Territories on housing contracts through Housing NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question as well too. And it's a quite complex question as well, and I'm quite surprised to know of this, that we've awarded a contract to a nonBIPed company. But according to what I've received so for, that the evaluation was completed according to the BIP policy. There were five bids that were received, and as part of the process the companies are provided a rating, if they indicate they will be using local labour and these types of items with Housing will ensure that it's being done.
I will follow up with the department in making sure that these obligations are met and what type of penalties are going to be exercised if these local contractors are not being used to fulfill the needs within the Member's region. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I'm really confused here because, you know, the company that was awarded the contract states that they will be using local content. So I'll be tabling a document later today to show that the local companies the electricians, the heating and plumbing, the local supplier, were not used. The trucking companies that the I mean, the company had actually brought in all the supplies from the south just before I came back after the weekend. So how is this department going to review and ensure that the BIP process was fairly applied to our local BIPed businesses. There's four of them that are BIPed and one that is not, and how does this contract get given to them with a 4 percent difference? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member as well too. And one thing with the portfolio is that we do have such a large housing roll out and my commitment to the Northwest Territories is that we keep majority of those contracts here in the North, and we are providing opportunities for small businesses and businesses within the territory as well.
What has been provided to me is that the contractor did confirm with Housing that they are using they are investing locally with the mechanicals that are required for the contract. But according to the Member's statement, I will be following up with Housing and looking forward to seeing if this has actually been fulfilled and exercising penalties if that is appropriate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm still confused, because if this local company is going to use just the mechanical, what about the supplies? We know that the supplies have come in, and they're from the south. What about the electrical? There's one electrical company there; we know that they're not using them. So I'm asking the Minister to pull this contract and start awarding contracts if they're available this is a local company and award it to a BIPed company, not be giving our money to the south. This is a company that we paid millions of dollars to rebuild their own builds and then having another local contractors go in and fix their problems. So I'm asking the Minister to pull this contract and give it to a BIPed company. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, thank you to the Member for the question as well too. And I just really would like to express that when these contracts and these opportunities do go out that the Indigenous groups are acknowledged first. There are letters that are out there and sent for interest if they're wanting to pursue these contracts. I will have to pull this back for further evaluation and review and just really taking into deep consideration the comments from the Member. I take this very seriously, and I will be reviewing that within the department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
