Madam Speaker, as COVID-19 approached at the beginning of this year, our government was preparing our institutions to respond to the threat of a generation. Before a case even reached our borders, we pulled together a team from across our public service to stand up for our emergency response. As the threat grew, so too did our response.
We declared a public health emergency; we restricted travel; we required self-isolation planning; and we put restrictions on businesses and people as the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in our territory. We stepped up contact centres like ProtectNWT and 811 to process more than 21,000 self-isolation plans and get people the information they needed; placed border staff at airports and highways and enforcement officers across the regions; and we established safe spaces for isolation in communities with enhanced medical care.
Madam Speaker, our initial measures paid off. We were able to keep this virus under control and bring stability to our territory. Achieving this stability means we are able to keep looking forward, even as many across the country look at tightening up. Now that we know more about COVID-19 and its effects on the Northwest Territories, we can build a stronger response that better serves communities, residents, and businesses. Madam Speaker, this is what the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat will do.
It will bring together the pandemic services thousands of residents have counted on since March under one roof and bring in the leadership and investment required to allow us to better prepare for the second wave. We know the majority of residents, businesses, and communities want these services, and they want them to work well. The dedicated team at the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat will be able to deliver more seamless services for residents and businesses.
Madam Speaker, these services are necessary. COVID-19 is not going to go away any time soon. We need the services to continue to operate so departments can better focus on their normal daily functions and the priorities of this Assembly. Rising to a challenge like this pandemic means making real investments. Every jurisdiction across the world has done it. Our territory is no different. We know that these investments in isolation requirements, border controls, and enforcement work, not just from our own experience but from the experiences of fellow successful jurisdictions like Nunavut, Atlantic Canada, and Yukon, who are all investing in similar services to keep their jurisdictions safe. Madam Speaker, we must also balance the need for these services with fiscal responsibility and bringing the delivery of our pandemic response under one structure will make controlling costs easier.
The work to find savings has already begun. We are currently reviewing the territory's approach to isolation costs and considering equitable and fair ways to reduce the financial burden that makes up over half of the costs of our pandemic services.
Madam Speaker, Indigenous governments and communities continue to play an important role in our efforts to protect the health and safety of residents. We will continue to engage with Indigenous governments and community leadership as well as business stakeholders as we consider important changes to self-isolation requirements and other secretariat functions. We know isolation in designated hubs has been tough on people. We have heard of the mental and social harms, and we are in a better position to resolve them. Now more than ever, we need to be talking about our mental health and well-being. If you know someone who is having a hard time, a difficult time, reach out. If you are struggling, please reach out for help. You are not alone.
Madam Speaker, with strong territorial pandemic response plans, we have built the resilience and capacity we need to respond to cases across our communities. With expanded rapid-testing capacity, enhanced surveillance of wastewater, and improved contact tracing, we are able to consider new ways to mitigate risk for communities while allowing people to return home sooner.
Madam Speaker, what this secretariat will not do is take away from the territory's investments in our health system. It will instead support these efforts and the work of Chief Public Health Officer by taking on pandemic services which in the past have divided the attention of health officials as everyone worked to rise to the early challenges of COVID-19. Investments like those in new testing devices, wastewater surveillance, nurses and laboratory expertise, and strong pandemic planning will continue, and our government will continue to get our health system the resources to respond to mental health and medical needs for all of our residents as we move forward.
Madam Speaker, recently, it was announced we have several active cases, the first cases the NWT has seen since the spring. With the arrival of a second wave in Canada, we must do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 now more than ever. That includes treating individuals who test positive, either presumptive or confirmed, with respect, empathy, and kindness. Even with taking every precaution, people may still get COVID-19, and we need to be diligent in our own precautions and support our friends, families, and neighbours. We must be ready, and we must stay ready. The guidance, advice, and orders of public health leadership, the expertise on our front lines, the operational support of the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat, and the work of each resident to abide by the Chief Public Health Officer recommendations will work together to keep residents as safe as possible.
So far, the spread of COVID-19 has been managed, not because we are lucky, but because we took action. We elected to invest in the health and safety of our territory, and the establishment of the secretariat allows us to still focus on containing COVID-19, as well as committing to economic and social recovery and to delivering on our mandate. When considering our way forward in this pandemic, I ask all Members to support our actions because investing in health, safety, and stability is always the right choice. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Madam Speaker, supporting vulnerable residents in need of housing or facing homelessness continues to be an essential part of the Government of the Northwest Territories' response to COVID-19. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is working diligently to meet the needs of our residents as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to physically distance remains with us and continues to significantly impact our interactions with each other and has highlighted the need for all of us to work together, think innovatively, and simply be kind to others.
Madam Speaker, as the pandemic unfolded last spring, the Housing Corporation enhanced its Transitional Rent Supplement Program by streamlining the process and simplifying participants' requirements. Prior to the pandemic, this program served approximately 40 participants. Now, that number has expanded up to 150 households. This program has now been extended through November to continue to support our residents.
We recognize the impacts of COVID-19 have been felt across our territory and country. Among the many unfortunate realities of the pandemic is that a sudden loss of income could lead some individuals to being at risk of experiencing homelessness. In light of this reality, we increased the budget for the Homelessness Assistance Fund from $125,000 to $300,000. This program supports people with financial assistance to find private rental market housing. We understand the economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19 can be extremely stressful, and we are working to ensure that the application processed can be done as quickly as possible.
Madam Speaker, the GNWT remains committed to ensuring that our residents are able to access appropriate housing and shelter to self-isolate effectively, as needed. The GNWT has committed $5 million to help our most vulnerable residents to be able to effectively self-isolate. This includes $1.4 million to support the self-isolation needs of individuals at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. The funding also included $3.6 million to bring online 108 units that were mostly in need of renovations in order to meet core housing needs. At present, these units are not required by the emergency management organization. They are in the process of being re-allocated by the Housing Corporation to rental programs, such as public housing, market rentals, affordable rental, or to support homeownership. At this time, 36 of these newly renovated units have been allocated and are serving as safe, affordable, and appropriate homes for Northwest Territories residents. As more units continue to be re-allocated, we expect to see a decrease in waiting lists in many communities, which should help in preparing us for a second wave of COVID-19.
Madam Speaker, we must continue to work with our community partners to access buildings to serve as self-isolation centres for our most vulnerable residents, as necessary. In Yellowknife, we have leased the Aspen Apartment complex from the Government of Canada in order to provide 32 units for vulnerable residents to self-isolate. Also in Yellowknife, we have supported Spruce Bough, the former Arnica Inn, which provides up to 40 supportive housing units and have assisted the Salvation Army to utilize more of its space. In Hay River, along with the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities, we opened a new emergency overnight shelter and in Inuvik we used Aurora College student housing over the summer months to provide temporary housing.
As the Northwest Territories begins to recover from COVID-19, the Housing Corporation will be an important economic contributor to economic recovery. We will be working with communities all across the NWT to ensure the construction, renovation, and repair work that needs to be done is done in a safe and considerate manner that provides the greatest benefit to the local communities and their residents.
Madam Speaker, many residents across the Northwest Territories who are homeless or at risk of being homeless require housing stability and person-centred support. We know that addressing housing stability is critical to the success and overall well-being of our residents, and it is an issue that this government takes seriously. As we move into the anticipated second wave, we need to remember to look after one another, provide supports, and continue to listen to the advice provided by the public health officials, keeping all of our residents safe throughout this pandemic. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Madam Speaker, one of our government's guiding principles is to ensure that the expenditure of public funds maximizes economic benefits to Northerners and supports northern business. This is consistent with our long-standing commitment to support Northwest Territories businesses and grow a strong, diversified economy.
We put that commitment into practice through the Business Incentive and Manufactured Products Policies, which help ensure that government purchases are made from, or through, Northwest Territories-owned businesses wherever possible, and to leverage this investment back into our economy. Similarly, our Negotiated Contracts Policy exists to increase the capacity of northern and Indigenous-owned businesses, supporting them to be more competitive in the northern business environment. We have committed in our mandate to work with Northwest Territories businesses to strengthen GNWT procurement policies and practices. By the end of November, we will formally begin this important conversation.
Madam Speaker, reaching consensus on the subject of preferential procurement is going to require that we work together, be open-minded and flexible, and adopt a whole-of-government and territory-wide mindset. Leaders from across levels of government and from businesses will be asked for their input on where and how to strike a balance between supporting Indigenous and Northwest Territories businesses and widely accepted principles of responsible public procurement, including transparency, fairness, and realizing competitive value for public dollars spent.
There are many difficult and contentious questions to face. For example, under what circumstances should the GNWT pay more for goods and services if they are provided by a northern business? How much more, and how do we define a Northwest Territories business? Should the objective of our policies be to level the playing field between Northwest Territories businesses and those in other jurisdictions? Is it to attract jobs and investment to the Northwest Territories? Is it to help minimize the cost of living in our territory? Likely, the answer will be "yes" to more than one question, so the challenge will be finding a way to balance these sometimes-competing objectives.
What should an Indigenous procurement policy look like? How do we achieve a measured level of participation and benefit to Northwest Territories Indigenous governments and businesses? Through interviews, written submissions, targeted engagement opportunities, and online surveys, we will give every opportunity for Northwest Territories leaders, Indigenous governments, business interests, and communities to share their perspectives and ideas on how to answer these many questions and help advance the collective interests of our territory.
Madam Speaker, our mandate states that government procurement and contracting is a source of economic activity throughout the Northwest Territories, and residents and businesses should benefit as much as possible. At the end of the day, we want more Northwest Territories residents working and advancing their careers and more businesses thriving and growing in our territory. It is time to revisit the policies we have to support these goals and face these sometimes complex and competing questions.
While the GNWT mandate commits to the completion of this review in 2022, I have asked the Departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment and Finance to do their very best to have this review completed by the end of next summer. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the spring of 1999, a small community in southern Ontario called Walkerton made national news because of the deaths and sickness that were linked to contamination in the municipality's drinking water supply. This incident served as a wake-up call for all municipalities and governments across Canada to take stock of the state of drinking water supplies in communities across the nation. Here in the Northwest Territories, three levels of government, including the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and community governments, are jointly responsible for ensuring that drinking water is safe for human consumption.
I would like to update the Members on the efforts to upgrade NWT water treatment plants to meet the requirements of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. The GNWT formed an interdepartmental committee called the NWT Drinking Water Committee. This committee focuses on water-related issues and provides a forum for communication, cooperation, consultation, and information exchange, as well as to provide a link to other governmental and non-governmental agencies with interests in drinking water. The committee set a goal early on to see each community with a modern water treatment plant that would meet the guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be able to announce that, as of October 5, 2020, this goal has been achieved. When Wekweeti's new water plant was approved for use, all communities in the NWT that operate a water treatment plant are now capable of meeting the filtration requirements of the national guidelines.
Since 2001, partnerships between the federal government, the GNWT, and community governments have resulted in:
23 upgraded water treatment systems;
16 communities have constructed new modern water treatment plants; and
an additional seven have gone through mid-life retrofits or upgrades to meet the standards.
Community governments have been successfully utilizing federal infrastructure programs over the years, such as the Build Canada Plan, Small Communities Fund, Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, and Gas Tax Agreement to supplement their community public infrastructure funding from the GNWT to build these water treatment plants.
Success can also be seen in community governments' investment in their staff. All 30 NWT water plants are now operated by local residents, and 23 of the plants have certified local operators. MACA is actively working with the remaining seven to upgrade the certification of their operators and provide more oversight and support while these operators are training.
Madam Speaker, I am proud of the accomplishments we have made to date, and all NWT residents can be confident that their drinking water is safe. Our work is not done. MACA continues to work with community governments to assess their systems, plan for upgrades, and continue to support operators with ongoing training. Our interdepartmental team will continue to support our communities. The GNWT is committed to providing a coordinated approach that supports water systems including intake, treatment, and distribution. We will continue to ensure that safe drinking water for all NWT residents is a priority. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Marsi cho, Madam Speaker. Today, I want to talk about the adverse impact and influence which illicit drug trade is still having within our communities amid the ongoing global pandemic. Madam Speaker, another common theme that I've noticed in my constituency is the increase of crime, violent crime, and hard drug use within our communities. During the early stages of the pandemic, the federal government distributed CERB funding. I believe this was a mistake as many of our residents used these new funds to feed their addictions to new levels. All we've seen is many of our bootleggers, drug dealers, and even our liquor stores profit immensely from this influx of money. I know now the federal government had tightened up their rules surrounding allocations of money for those out of work during the pandemic, but there still needs to be clear rules about what these monies are meant for.
Madam Speaker, while there have been some minor wins this year in terms of successful drug busts executed across the country, the issue of illicit drugs plaguing our communities has remained unchanged. I know the bulk of our attention and focus on COVID-19 this year. However, we must remain vigilant against other harmful threats to our people, as well. Pandemic or not, people are still selling, getting addicted to, and dying from illegal drugs. Dying. We in this House need to get ahead of this.
Madam Speaker, according to the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and Addiction, "people use substances report a loss of social connection and supports, as well as an increase in isolation, fear, and anxiety as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the general population, they are more vulnerable to the health impacts of COVID-19 and the hardships of physical distancing."
Madam Speaker, they say it takes a village or a community to raise a child. In my opinion, it's going to take a village or a community to combat this huge problem of drugs in our communities. We cannot solely rely on our law enforcement community to tackle these by themselves. We need to work with the leadership at the local level to start fighting back at the distribution of drugs in our communities. We need to send a clear message to the drugs traffickers out there that their actions will not go unpunished. With that, Madam Speaker, I'll have questions for the Minister of Justice at the appropriate time. Marci cho.
Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madame la Presidente. Today, I am going to return to the issue I first raised in the winter session regarding the implementation of amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. As I pointed out then, a lot of good work and cooperation went into the new legislation with excellent changes introduced as a result of extensive consultation with GNWT departments, public bodies, the Information and Privacy Commissioner, and the general public. Improvements included the reduction of mandatory exemptions, the power of the Information and Privacy Commissioner was also increased to allow the issuance of binding orders, and the legislation will apply to municipal governments as suggested over many years.
Eight months on from my last statement and questions and 15 months after the passage of the amendments, we are still waiting for the legislation to be brought into force. These changes are supposed to also include fee reductions, training, identification of classes of records that do not require an ATIPP application, and many more. At the passage of the bill in June 2019 and as result of my questions, the then Minister of Justice committed to: reduce the initial fee for general information requests from $25 to $10; provide 10 hours of free processing for general requests; photocopy charges were to be dropped to 10 cents per page; and the personal information requests information free pages were to be increased from 100 to 200.
These basic and simple adjustments have not yet been made. It's not clear why the delays continue. We have to pin our hopes and fears on the new Minister of Justice to finally bring this legislation into force. I'll have questions for the Minister of Justice later today on when he will bring this long ordeal to an end and finally bring the new and better Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act into force. Mahsi, Madame la Presidente.
Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm going to sound like a bit of a broken record here. However, I feel that my concerns are falling on deaf ears as I review the infrastructure plan for the upcoming year. Earlier in this sitting, I spoke about the need for funds to rehabilitate the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway.
On November 15th, the ITH, as it is commonly referred to, will mark three years of being open to the public. The first year saw an unexpected boon to local tourism seeing an unprecedented number of visitors camping and biking this scenic ribbon of connectivity that finally links southern Canada to our third ocean, the Arctic. In July, Madam Speaker, you will recall that you and I had the opportunity to drive the ITH up to Tuktoyaktuk, and I have to say that what I saw was shocking, considering the relatively young age of the highway. In some places, the highway sits flush with the surrounding environment, the gravel fill having migrated onto the neighbouring tundra, giving one the impression of a flattened pancake. In other places, drainage channels mark erosion in the embankments, particularly concerning in the areas surrounding bridges and culverts. The pullouts are pull-offs, and there appears to be none of the scenic viewpoints I recall there once being an RFP issued for.
Most concerning though to someone of my background, geological engineering, are the areas of ponded or standing water on the sides of the highway. Speaking to any northern engineer or geologist and we know that ponded water is the kiss of death for permafrost, a key component for the stability of the ITH. Madam Speaker, why did we go to all the expense of creating an entire highway constructed of fill in order to protect the permafrost if we were going to skimp on materials and allow its degradation only three years after the project was completed?
When I spoke earlier in this session, the Minister was glad I was advocating for infrastructure in her region, but this is not just a regional issue. It's one that affects all parts of the Northwest Territories. This is about our connections, our corridors, our means of mobilizing within our territory. Every year, as the climate changes, we will see less and less reliability on our frozen infrastructure and increasing need to build and maintain permanent highways. This makes it even more imperative that we protect and maintain our existing assets better as every year that we don't the costs will only rise exponentially, and, Madam Speaker, that is not something we can afford. I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
[English translation not available] …flourishing in the conditions created by the pandemic. Women, girls, and LGBTQ2SIA+ people face a heightened risk of home-based violence with COVID isolation measures. In Canada, more than 70 percent of domestic violence murders happen after the victim has ended the relationship. Indigenous women are killed at six times the rate of non-Indigenous women. Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incidence of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16. Two-thirds of Canadians know at least one woman who has experienced sexual abuse and the NWT is second to Nunavut for the highest rates of family violence in the country.
Various pandemic-related stressors have contributed to the increase in family violence, including job loss and reduced income, food insecurity, fears about contracting the virus, exacerbated mental illness, and disrupted family routines, services, and resources. Isolation puts those surviving the violence in prolonged contact with their abusers and others are no longer around to see the signs of violence. Isolating also means that people aren't leaving the house as much which creates indirect barriers to access services from shelters and other community supports.
Before 2020, the Canadian Department of Justice estimated that Canadians spent $7.4 billion each year in the aftermath of spousal violence. COVID is widening the cracks and making it easier for women to fall through. Poverty in Canada is already gendered. The disproportionate gendered impacts of COVID could have long-term and far-reaching consequences. If we are to restore momentum in our efforts to bring about gender equality in Canada, social and economic recovery efforts must take a feminist approach and, more so in the North, an Indigenous feminist approach. [English translation not available] Merci, Madam la Presidente.
Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's good to see you in the big chair today. I hope you can keep this unruly bunch in line. Madam Speaker, the first week of November is National Skilled Trades and Technology Week, and I would like to congratulate all of our new journeypersons and top-mark earners. My colleagues and I have spoken at length about the need to increase the amount of tradespeople in the North, and I know it's a shared priority both for the Minister and all my colleagues in this House.
However, the numbers are not just low in the Northwest Territories. There's a trade shortage across Canada, Madam Speaker. As caucus, we got to tour the Aurora College trade shop in Fort Smith, and I believe our transformation to a polytechnic gives us a unique opportunity to build on many of the existing successes in our trades programs. The reality is: the trades don't attract as many people as they used to, and even people in the system, many apprentices, are looking to other career options these days, Madam Speaker.
COVID has given us an opportunity. It has changed the way we deliver our education system, and it must change the way we deliver our trades training. We have a chance to re-imagine what trades training looks like. Are there no journeypersons in your community? Why don't we get a mobile trades program where we fly instructors out to provide six months' training programs in each region, or why don't we develop a distance mentorship program and put much more of our trades programming online?
Madam Speaker, if our young people don't see why the trades are valuable, we need to make sure that our high school curriculum focuses on northern problems. There are many climate-aware students, and as we work on our GNWT good building practices, possibly a northern building code, building, retrofits, there's an entire world of northern specialization in the trades that we need to speak.
I believe, Madam Speaker, we need to look at developing northern-specific trade curriculum. Right now, we use the Alberta curriculum, and we largely just copy and paste it. As a result of it, some of the very unique building features of the North and some of the things we need to prioritize such as adapting to climate change are not front and centre in our trades programs. I believe, in the transformation to a polytechnic, we can build northern curriculum which will inspire our students to take them but will also attract other tradespeople who want to come here and become northern building specialists.
Madam Speaker, we are still struggling to attract and retain women in the trades. We must prioritize hiring female instructors to provide a lasting impression on young apprentices. We must expand trades education to address the root social issues that are keeping women out.
Madam Speaker, we are struggling to get many of our apprentices to school, but I believe with a new look and the tools of online learning, we can increase the people entering the trades and our number of journey person's graduating. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. It appears that, when we now talk about our economy and small businesses in today's environment, we must preface it with the term "COVID-19." Madam Speaker, believe it or not, not all businesses are being treated equally in this harsh economic environment. Government tends to favour larger businesses over small, and maybe there is good reason for that. it is just as important to think of our small businesses where, in Canada, approximately 60 percent have experienced a revenue drop of 20 percent or more. Small businesses, statistically, have laid off a larger percentage of staff than larger businesses. Small businesses, on a greater average than large businesses, have sought credit from financial institutions just to cover basic operating costs.
Madam Speaker, when operating in the North, generating revenue and cash flow for any business, big or small, is problematic at the best of times. It is our small businesses, not only in Yellowknife but in all communities, that are feeling the economic realities of COVID-19. This impact, along with bureaucratic opposition to applying government policies that are meant to support our small Northern businesses in the best of times, is only working to smother any chance they have at survival.
Madam Speaker, I routinely have the opportunity to talk to business owners, not only in Hay River but in Yellowknife and throughout the NWT. A common theme that arises from those discussions is the question why this government is not doing more to listen to and address the immediate concerns of small businesses? Madam Speaker, the bottom line is that our small businesses need work, and they need it now. They need to generate revenue, and this government has plenty of work on the books to keep all our small businesses working in all our communities. We as politicians have to realize that, and we have to make the bureaucracy realize it, as well. We need to take a can-do attitude.
Madam Speaker, we talk about reviewing and revising our procurement and business incentive policies to better support our businesses. I would suggest that while we work towards that end, let us apply what we have in place to address current needs. NWT small businesses need this government to work and support them if they are expected to survive, and we have tools to make that happen. Those tools just need to be sprinkled with some magical political will. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Last week, I talked about longer term impacts on this COVID-19 pandemic is doing to our small communities. Restrictions on social activities such as community feasts, sporting events, and extracurricular activities can negatively impact the mental health of our citizens. I want to say again that the Minister and the Chief Public Health Officer of the Department of Health and Social Services are doing good work keeping COVID-19 out of our communities. The restrictions are necessary, and they are doing their best to communicate this to the public, keeping fears to a minimum, but things could be much worse, Madam Speaker.
As the pandemic wears on, the government must do all it can to ease negative impact on our residents that I'm worried about, such as people on medical travel. Some of these folks have treatment for serious conditions, health conditions, such as cancer, that requires repeat trips to the south. Self-isolating was once an inconvenience, but now, I'm glad the government is making possible for travel to self-isolate to the four major hub communities. However, repeated self-isolation through no fault of their own can expressly be stressful. This is the situation many of the people on medical travel are facing. They are already dealing with the impact of serious illness on themselves and their families, and now, they have to add this to their burden.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Health and Social Services quoted the understanding that only travellers and essential workers can get immediate testing available to people who are going to a healthcare setting. Other people are not to receive these tests. I wonder if the Minister can consider immediate tests available to those requiring repeated medical travel so that they can be reunited with their families at the shortest amount of time. I also wonder if the Minister would consider prioritizing people with rapid testing when it becomes available to allow them to reduce a two-week self-isolation period. I urge this government to make special arrangements for the small group of residents who are already dealing with stressful and serious illnesses. I will have questions for the Minister of Health at the appropriate time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Madam Speaker, over the last two months, there has been escalating tensions in the province of Nova Scotia between the Mi'kmaq First Nation and the non-Indigenous fishermen. The issue at hand is about the rights of Indigenous people. The Mi'kmaq are exercising their constitutionally affirmed right to fish for a moderate livelihood. However, the Mi'kmaq are being met with serious resistance, violence, and hate from non-Indigenous fishermen who are terrorizing the Mi'kmaq to intimidate and suppress their Indigenous rights.
Therefore, Madam Speaker, I stand today in this House to declare my solidarity with the Mi'kmaq nation inserting their Indigenous rights. I also strongly confirm and denounce the ongoing violence penetrated against the Mi'kmaq. The level of violence and intimidation being done toward the Mi'kmaq is extremely concerning given widespread reports of non-Indigenous fishermen engaging in several criminal activities, including intentionally ramming and shooting flares at the Mi'kmaq boats, the destruction of property, the cutting of traps, and various illegal protests hindering Mi'kmaq fishermen activities.
Madam Speaker, as a former Chief, I know from experience what it's like to fight and defend Indigenous rights. I did so on a regular basis at Salt River because it's a constant struggle to have Indigenous rights recognized and affirmed by the courts and by governments alike.
Madam Speaker, regardless of where disputes like these take place, I will always stand with the Indigenous people who are fighting for and asserting their rights. To me, it doesn't matter where any First Nation is located because we are all fighting the same struggle. Thus, I believe it is extremely important that fellow First Nation leaders and organizations vocalize their support and stand in solidarity with any rights-based conflicts, wherever they may be.
In closing, Madam Speaker, I urge both the federal government and the provincial Government of Nova Scotia to take immediate action and safeguard the inherent rights of First Nations in this conflict. I also encourage our northern organizations and leaders to vocalize their support and solidarity in the rights-based conflict. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Back in December 2019, I had enquired with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs regarding extending the cellphone range as there are current limitations that restrict our duty to provide for the safety and well-being of our travellers using the highways or waterways. Madam Speaker, there are many residents who traverse well beyond municipal boundaries. There are hunters and trappers out on the land year-round. There are fishermen plying the rivers and lakes, eking out a living setting and checking nets. There are a vast number of travellers out on our highway systems up and down the whole Northwest Territories.
When 911 rolled out back in November 2019, many residents were optimistically looking forward to the possibility when extended cellphone range would be well beyond the community boundaries. 911 is only available within the community boundaries or slightly beyond. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs indicated at the time, "The GNWT has highlighted increased cellular service along the major roads and highways as a priority to the CRTC," the Canadian Radio and Television Commission. The Finance Minister stated this past Friday, after enquiries from the MLA from Monfwi, "The department wanted to move this forward quickly to ensure the protection and safety across all roadways." Madam Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosemary Gill retired June 8, 2020, after spending her working life in education, management, and career development, mostly in northern Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and finally the Northwest Territories. Rosemary taught elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education and has worked in management and career development for provincial and territorial as well as First Nations governments.
Rosemary was born in Wrigley to Elizabeth and Albert Horesay. Her father moved the family to Fort Simpson to work for John Goodall when she was a year old and spent her formative years in the Deh Cho. She attended Thomas Simpson Secondary School, Sir John Franklin High School, Aurora College, University of Alberta, as well as completing an after-degree program, Aboriginal governance, at the University of Victoria.
Rosemary and her husband, Lyall, decided to give back to their community, thus moved home in 2000 to work for Lidlii Kue First Nation as the executive director and general manager for Nogha Enterprises. After two years later, Lyall was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2004. Rosemary then left abruptly, eventually ending up in the Yukon, working for Ta'an Kwach'an Council as their executive director. She decided to retire in 2009, spent a wonderful summer with her grandchildren but, without a retirement plan, was at loose ends and was soon enticed to help out a friend who was elected chief for his First Nation in northern B.C.
Rosemary returned home in 2011 and went to work for Education, Culture and Employment as a career development officer before moving to Aurora College as the program head for the Deh Cho region in 2011. It was in this capacity that she was seconded with full support of the GNWT to Dehcho First Nations as the senior advisor to the grand chief in 2019, a position she held until her retirement.
Rosemary stated, "My career success in a lifetime of interesting employment opportunities can be tied directly to the education I've taken advantage of." She firmly believes that education is the one factor that will mean success in life for our youth. We can no longer be complacent about the disparity between the graduation rates in the NWT compared to the rest of Canada. Creative solutions and best practices are needed to make a difference. We must place a higher value on education, as parents and members of our community, working as a team to ensure a positive experience for our students. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Our education system needs to expand capacity to accommodate not only preparing our youth for academic post-secondary education but to make investments to meet the demands of the trades and technology fields. A solid grounding in literacy, numeracy, and technology will serve one well, no matter the path one takes in life.
Rosemary plans to stay close to home during the pandemic, gardening, reading, and working on her house, but once it's safe to travel, she will see some of the places she's only read and is curious about. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to my friend, mentor, and collaborator, Lyda Fuller. Ms. Fuller is retiring at the end of this month, after a 35-year career with the YWCA, 23 of those years in Yellowknife. Ms. Fuller is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. After she finished her master's degree at Johns Hopkins University, she worked with vulnerable populations there. On a camping trip to Ontario with a friend, she met her future husband, Ron, and eventually married him and moved to the YWCA in St. Thomas to work as director of community development. While there, she spearheaded program and community development initiatives that led to improved services for women in various Elgin County communities.
Madam Speaker, in 1991, Ms. Fuller and her husband moved to Regina, where she became the executive director of the YWCA there. She provided leadership to the agency through a difficult period, after large losses threatened its viability. During her six years there, she added significantly to the agency's assets and extended its community involvement.
Ms. Fuller and her husband arrived in Yellowknife in 1997, at a time of significant change for the YWCA. The agency was moving out of Northern United Place into Rockhill, with both a change of focus and expanded service options, including the Alison McAteer House family violence shelter and after-school program, which is the largest licensed childcare offering in the NWT and a transitional housing program for families.
Madam Speaker, these have been eventful years for Ms. Fuller and the YWCA, from the high of opening Lynn's Place, which offers second-stage housing to women who have experienced violence, to the low of seeing the Rockhill Apartments burn down two years ago. The agency has not only survived but thrived under Ms. Fuller's leadership, for which she was awarded an Order of the NWT last year. Hawa Dumbuya-Sesay is now taking over as executive director, and I wish her every success.
Most of all, Ms. Fuller has been a champion for women who have experienced intimate-partner violence. She has expanded and improved the range of supports for women throughout the territory and has collaborated on important research on this issue. Madam Speaker, I wish Ms. Fuller a long and happy retirement, with her keen interest in the night sky and fossils. I would like to thank her for her service to the North. Thank you.
Marsi cho, Madam Speaker. I would like to recognize my CA, Tommy Lafferty. He is here with us, passing through from Lutselk'e. He is originally from Behchoko. I want to say thank you. Marsi.
