Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, caribou have sustained Northerners and communities across the Northwest Territories for generations. Today, caribou herds face pressure from a wide range of natural factors and human activities throughout their range, including the impact of climate change. We all want to see healthy caribou herds that can sustain harvest and cultural traditions for generations to come. With the winter’s harvest underway and weather getting warmer, I would like to speak today on respectful harvesting, why it is important, and what our government is doing to encourage safe, legal, and respectful harvesting.
Mr. Speaker, we are working with our comanagement partners to strengthen awareness and support for the conservation of caribou. Our focus on promoting respectful harvesting is meant to remind everyone that their individual choices make an important difference. To that end, our government has worked with Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, and respected harvesters to build a communications campaign based on traditional values. The campaign will focus on key messages grounded on what we have heard working with comanagement partners and respected harvesters:
Harvest respectfully, guided by traditional practices of take only what you need;
Don’t leave anything behind;
Share what you have when you get back; and,
learn from your elders.
Mr. Speaker, this is timeless advice and the good news is that almost everyone out there is following it. Unfortunately, there are still those hunting illegally in the Bathurst mobile zone, which was put in place through legislation to protect the herd based on agreements between comanagement partners. There are still caribou being wounded, wasted, and left behind. We heard from elders and respected harvesters that some people are hunting without respect for the caribou or the people and communities that rely on them.
Mr. Speaker, the stakes are high. Indigenous leaders, elders, and respected harvesters continue to tell us that they are concerned for the future of caribou in the NWT. That message is being shared for good reason. The Bathurst herd has declined nearly 99 percent in number since 1986. Despite this drastic decline and increasingly urgent messages from leaders, we are still seeing some cases of illegal harvesting of this critically low herd. That is why today the herd is protected by our own territorial collaboratively developed laws, herd management plans, and local community caribou stewardship plans that all reflect an agreement to not harvest from the Bathurst herd.
Mr. Speaker, in January 2022 I met with Indigenous leaders from communities on the Bathurst herd range to discuss the recommendations of a respected harvesters meeting. We all agreed that harvest needs being done in a safe, legal, and respectful manner, and in a way that supports our shared conservation goals. These goals are undermined by illegal harvesting and wastage and are not consistent with traditional and cultural harvesting practices. Every time people take more than they need, they put more strain on the herds that are already under pressure. We applaud the vast majority of hunters that are harvesting in a safe, legal, and respectful way, and support all of our comanagement partners in protecting caribou. We call on everyone to follow these examples and act now. Harvest with respect today so that there will be healthy caribou herds supporting our communities tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Justice.
Mr. Speaker, families encounter the family law system in some of life's most difficult moments, and the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to improving our family law processes to ensure we support families through these hard times. Today I am pleased to announce the launch of the NWT Child Support Recalculation Service.
This new service can, in eligible circumstances, recalculate child support amounts on an annual basis based on the parent’s income without having to go through the courts. This service is intended to reduce the time, expense, and stress that can result from parents relying upon the court process when the amount of child support needs to be changed due to a change in income.
The Child Support Recalculation Service aims to ensure fairness to both the payer and recipient at no charge. Instead of returning to court when a parent’s income changes, this service will allow for the automatic recalculation of child support amounts on an annual basis for eligible orders and agreements that have been registered with the service.
In order to be eligible, child support orders and agreements must meet the requirements as per the territorial Children’s Law Act or the federal Divorce Act. Once enrolled, the service automatically recalculates support amounts using the child support guidelines and a person’s latest assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.
Mr. Speaker, the establishment of the Child Support Recalculation Service required legislative changes to the territorial Children’s Law Act and the development of subsequent regulations as well as the establishment of an agreement with the federal government to allow for the recalculation of orders made under the federal Divorce Act.
In the spring of 2022, the GNWT invited residents, experts, and stakeholders to share their thoughts and suggestions with respect to the proposed regulations for the Child Support Recalculation Service. This public engagement process took place between June 6th and July 5th and provided insightful feedback that helped shape the regulations.
The department is communicating information about the new service to parents through legal aid offices, maintenance enforcement case workers, the Law Society of the NWT, and other appropriate channels. Information is currently available on the Department of Justice website. Parties to any new orders will now receive information about the program along with their court order. This new service is provided to NWT families through the Department of Justice and has been established with financial support from the federal Canadian Family Justice Fund.
Mr. Speaker, going through a separation or divorce is difficult for families. Providing this service will relieve some of the pressure on parents by alleviating the need to return to court and allowing them to focus more on the wellbeing of their children and themselves. It is also expected to ease some demand on our court resources.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is committed to helping Northerners navigate the family law system. The new Child Support Recalculation Service helps families with child support orders and agreements ensure that a fair level of support is maintained for their children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Mr. Speaker, it is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner. The draw for extendedstay campsites at the Prelude and Reid Lake campgrounds will be held this Sunday in Yellowknife. These popular campgrounds, Mr. Speaker, are just two of the 17 facilities that are managed and maintained by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment across our territory. For summer visitors, the Northwest Territories camping experience is a key element of our competitive tourism product. Northwest Territories parks offer a spectacular staging point from which to enjoy our unique natural environment as well as our communities, events, celebrations and activities.
Last summer, with the easing of travel restrictions, Canadians and international travelers flocked to Northwest Territories parks in large numbers. Seven of the Northwest Territories' 17 parks recorded alltime visitation highs in the 2022 season. For example, the number of overnight visitors in the Beaufort Delta region was four times higher than it had been in 2021. Overall, more than 17,000 overnight visits were registered by individuals from outside of the Northwest Territories, representing a full rebound to prepandemic levels.
Mr. Speaker, in the face of this demand, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment will invest close to $2 million this summer in the ongoing maintenance and improvements of our territory's parks and campgrounds.
In the Inuvik region, a new deck and performance area is being constructed at Gwich'in Park that will feature tiered seating. Meanwhile, at Happy Valley Park, ITI will be increasing the capacity of the park's shower and washroom facilities. The Fort Providence campground will be getting a new adventure themed playground this year while the Sambaa Deh Falls Territorial Park will be getting an upgrade to the shower building with new mechanical infrastructure and improving its wheelchair accessibility. A new change room and concession are slated for construction at the beach at the Hay River Territorial Park. Shower buildings and laundry facilities are being added to NWT Parks facilities at the 60th Parallel and Little Buffalo River Crossing. A manager's residence is being constructed at the Queen Elizabeth Park in Fort Smith and the visitor information centre at Blackstone Park is being renovated to better display the centre's interpretive components and cultural displays.
Mr. Speaker, as ITI prepares for the upcoming parks season, amendments to the territorial parks regulations made last year are also coming into force. And, Mr. Speaker, this year, the GNWT's online reservation site will open the week of April 4th for the 2023 season and campgrounds across the territory open their gates beginning May 15th. As residents and visitors alike enjoy Northwest Territories parks and campgrounds this summer, the Department of ITI will be working to keep those parks running safely and smoothly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a dream that one day I can leave this place, maybe go into the woods, build a little cabin, live there, and not think about politics. Perhaps I could run a little tourism business on the side, maybe have a garden, and if I'm lucky enough maybe one day pass that home on to my children and just generally be left alone, Mr. Speaker. But Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands has killed my dream and the dreams of so many others because, first, in order to build that cabin you got to win a lottery, Mr. Speaker.
And even if you win the longshot bet on that lottery, they won't let you legally live there fulltime, Mr. Speaker. And even if you skirt that rule, they certainly won't let you run any sort of business out of that home. And then one day Mr. Speaker, a lands inspector is going to show up and tell you that your greenhouse is too close to your tool shed and that your lease is going to be out of compliance so you can't transfer it to anyone, you can't get a mortgage, can't leave it in your will. And so I am going to have questions for the Minister of Lands on when are we going to review these policies and make some changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, next weekend from March 9th to 12th, Fort Smith will be hosting the annual winter carnival, Wood Buffalo Frolics. This year will mark the first time since 2019 that Fort Smith's beloved carnival will be taking place. It was cancelled twice because of the pandemic and once more due to organizer and volunteer fatigue. Fortunately, this year has many volunteers who stepped up to help with planning and will help with all of the events over the next weekend.
Mr. Speaker, this year's Wood Buffalo Frolics weekend will coincide with sled dog races from the Thebacha Dog Mushers Association, as well as a snowboarding event hosted by the Slide Zone Shredders. Among the other events that will take place includes northern games, a bingo tournament, the Mad Trappers Ball, and a talent show. A hockey tournament and the Frolics Prince and Princess Pageant.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of Thebacha, I would like to thank all the volunteers and organizers who came forward to help make the Wood Buffalo Frolics possible this year.
I would like to give a special thank you to Dana Ferguson who has been leading the organizing this year, along with Jenny Shaeffer Cumming for helping with the cultural events. I hope all residents will take the opportunity to go out and have some fun in next week's festivities.
With that, I would like to thank the amazing constituents of Thebacha along with my husband Peter, my sons Mickey and Jerry and my dog Rambo. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Rambo may very well be the most famous dog in this House.
Mr. Speaker, last year the projected cost of the Giant Mine cleanup jumped from 1 to $4.38 billion. While this project is being overseen by the federal government, the GNWT is still a coproponent. It is still in our back yard and it still carries with it high expectations for NWT benefit retention.
Remediating the mine involves things like building a water treatment plant, filling pits, taking down buildings, and containing arsenic dust underground. Accomplishing this will put high demand on industries like waste disposal, construction, mining services, scientific services, transportation logistics, accommodation and food services, and medical services; industries that, to some extent, exist here in the NWT already. But today the demand on these industries is already high so for large contracts, local companies need time to prepare.
The Giant Mine Remediation Project reports that Northerners work roughly 45 percent of the total labour hours worked and Indigenous employees work 21 percent. This is shy of 55 to 70 percent for targeted work hours for Northerners and the 25 to 30 percent for Indigenous workers.
Mr. Speaker, these targets aren't high enough, but we aren't even meeting them to begin with. This project needs ambitious goals, paired with proactive benefit retention and this doesn't require big dollar investments maybe just a little more effort and certainty.
The oversight board estimates the remediation project will spend around $240 million annually in the next 15 years. That's a huge investment into our economy, and northern businesses need information to be ready to bid on this work. Currently, the project's annual budgets provide an idea of work categories and timing, but this information isn't detailed enough to determine the size, scale, and scope of work potentially being tendered. This month is a great example.
Right now, the federal government is accepting bids on a water treatment plant that was originally intended to be tendered next year. Once the bid came out, it became clear the size and scope of the project was much larger than expected by some proponents. The uncertainty in details and change in timing means local proponents may not be able to prepare and participate.
Building the capacity for benefit retention needs certainty and that certainty comes from information sharing between governments and the industry that it ultimately wants to participate.
Mr. Speaker, we only get one shot at benefit retention from Giant Mine remediation. We can't afford to fail. We need jobs, we need apprenticeships, and as a mineralrich territory we need to grow our remediation economy but the key to this is information. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am doing a eulogy for the late Carmelle Rose Landry from Fort Resolution.
Carmelle Rose Landry was born in Hay River on May 10th, 1975 to her parents Angelina and Howard. She grew up with her mom Angelina and dad Howard. Carmelle lived in various communities throughout her life until she decided to reside and build her home in Edmonton with her beautiful children Breanna Rose, Caitlin Dawn, and Shayden Lawrence Henry.
Carmelle was a homemaker. She loved her children dearly and ensured they had a happy life with her and strong traditional values. Carmelle honoured her family and friends with the utmost respect and dignity. She did everything from her heart and soul. Though never aiming to be the centre of attention, Carmelle's smile and contagious laughter naturally drew people to her and engulfed those around her. All those who knew Carmelle, I know that she always made sure that everything was comfortable and loved. Carmelle's calming presence and loving aurora made sure those around her were comfortable and all taken care of.
Shayden is Carmelle's one and only son. She enjoyed showing him how to cook and bake, teaching him in confidence and selfesteem so he can learn how to do things on his own. Carmelle and Shayden had a special connection like she did with all her children, and they always had a good laugh with one another.
Carmelle always spoke highly of her children, specifically about her baby girl Caitlin. Carmelle was always so impressed with Caitlin when she was afraid to try new things to pursue her goals. Carmelle was always proud of Caitlin's amazing accomplishments and made sure everyone knew that. Carmelle and Caitlin had their ups and downs but their connection to one another was unbreakable.
Breanna, Carmelle's first born, is Carmelle's heart and their relationship was unique. They spent many hours watching movies, hanging out and enjoying each other's company. It didn't matter if Breanna and Carmelle were talking or simply just sitting in silence, they shared a special bond with each other that no one else could understand.
When Carmelle was sitting with her mother Angie, she told her mom when you get old, I'll take care of you. Angie replied, "awwe thank you, my girl." Carmelle, being cheeky, replied, "you will be in a wheelchair and I will push you behind the house to the old folk’s home and you can hang out there." Angie told her, "you're supposed to take care of me."
Carmelle's stunning light in our lives who has a beautiful touch on an entire community. She lives on through her lights of her life, Breanna, Caitlin, and Shayden, and she will forever be missed. Her beautiful presence will leave a gap that we will all slowly heal from together, filling with happiness and most importantly laughter that Carmelle always wanted to share. We love of you, Carmelle. May your spirit journey safely and your infectious joy shine on. With that, I would like to thank the Fabian and Landry family. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community.
Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one year ago, I asked the Government of the Northwest Territories to transfer child and youth care counsellors to the Tlicho government without restriction. I asked this because the child and youth care counsellors in the Tlicho region are not working but we know how important these positions are to our youth, which is why the Tlicho want to take ownership of these positions to make sure they are culturally appropriate.
We know in our region that families are stressed due to the housing crisis. This has an effect on their mental wellbeing. Our youth see and hear everything that happens in the home and when there is not enough housing or repairs are not being addressed or parents are stressed due to pay their bills or get out of housing arrears, this also causes stress on our youth.
Mr. Speaker, I asked the government to transfer over child and youth care counsellors to the Tlicho government in our region and the Minister could not commit to doing this. But now the Government of the Northwest Territories is undergoing an evaluation of this program.
Mr. Speaker, we watch the GNWT review programs, evaluate programs, creating plans about plans, but where is the action? There is a solution to the child and youth care counselling program in the Tlicho region Transfer this to the Tlicho government.
Why does the government need to do an evaluation of this program first? The Tlicho government has a plan to better life I'm sorry about that. Our language, culture, and a way of life and a plan to build strong healthy communities. Offering culturally appropriate child and youth care counsellors to our young ones with elders and knowledgekeepers from our communities is the solution. It is a winwin for both government and Tlicho. When can we move forward with this? I will have questions for the Minister of health. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to congratulate my niece Ava Walsh on being crowned K'amba Carnival Queen. I also congratulate all those persons that put their names forward and raised money to support K'amba Carnival.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank the Town of Hay River for declaring a halfday civic holiday for K'amba Carnival, and I do encourage all people in Hay River to take advantage of this halfday and get out, participate, and support the events taking place and enjoy those great bannock burgers which I am sure are being served up and which I have been dreaming about for the last week. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I regret to inform you that on February 13th, the community of Fort Simpson lost a respected elder. William Gilbert Villeneuve, commonly known as Billy V a friend, a father, uncle, and respected elder passed away.
Mr. Speaker, it is rare to find a friend/relative who's always there, is nonjudgmental, a good listener, someone who cares and loved you regardless. That's who Billy was, regardless if he was an uncle, cousin or just a friend. It didn't matter as everyone knew that he cared about them. Mr. Speaker, in speaking with his family, they said he was an interesting father who loved his children in his own way and as he was dealing with his own challenges.
Billy was born and raised in Liidlii Kue First Nation. He went to school in Fort Simpson, Fort Providence and Yellowknife. Upon finishing with school, he went to work all over the North. Billy was not afraid of work. He worked as a labourer, heavy equipment operator, and a taxi driver. Billy was a very determined man. Once he made up his mind, he would set it as a goal. A perfect example was when he had a stroke, among other health issues. He decided he was going to be able to walk and be mobile again. He did this through exercise and determination to get to be able to operate and use his threewheeler bike with a basket. I can tell you Billy drove around the community on his bike regardless of how cold it was outside. I have seen him bike around when the weather has been 40 with a smile on his face.
Mr. Speaker, he also found a purpose and that was to pick up and sell recyclables so he could donate that money towards the building of the new Sacred Heart Church. After the church was up and operational, he would go by it and he could be heard saying "oh wow" with the biggest smile on his face. The same could be said, when he talked about the church.
Mr. Speaker, like most people, Billy had his own personal challenges and struggles. He would fall but he laboured to get up and was successful. He would dust himself off, smile, and keep move forward. He did this for 79 years.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell you he will be missed by his family, coffee shop, church, and everyday friends who he laughed with, cried with, and encouraged. He will be sadly missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community at this time.
Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, March is National Engineering Month in Canada, and it is our largest celebration of engineering excellence. An annual national campaign, National Engineering Month celebrates engineers, our work, and the important role we play in society.
Spearheaded by Engineers Canada, National Engineering Month this year is guided by the theme "There's a place for you in engineering" which celebrates the diversity of thought, opportunities, and people that make up the engineering profession. In some provinces, you will find geoscientists joining in as part of National Engineering and Geoscience Month.
National Engineering Month is a forum for engineering students, engineersintraining (or EITs), and earlycareer engineers to have conversations about their profession and the role that engineers play in society. It gives them an opportunity to network with others that may share the same struggles or concerns in their career. It also gives those newer to the profession a chance to connect with intermediate and senior engineers that can provide valuable mentorship and guidance a key pillar of engineering.
Events during National Engineering Month will empower and inspire all engineers to consider important questions as they embark and continue with their careers.
What is our role as engineers in society?
What will my impact be as an engineer?
How can we use engineering to contribute solutions to today’s biggest challenges?
What do we want our profession to look like?
National Engineering Month will also allow for NWT youth to be exposed to engineers and what we do, possibly opening the door for more NWT children to consider the profession.
Mr. Speaker, we often hear that residents here do not have the capacity to play a significant role in northern projects. It's through advocacy like National Engineering Month that we can ignite a spark in the youth that will lead to an educated northern workforce so that we not only work on northern projects, but we are actually leading them therefore controlling our own future and retaining economic benefits.
Mr. Speaker, as I said before in this Chamber, engineering has been around since the first humans began altering their physical environment to improve their comfort, safety, and food supply. It is one of the oldest professions in the world, and I am proud to call myself a professional engineer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the court circuit in Nunakput riding. The Department of Justice and Government of Canada will often complete court circuits throughout the territory. This is a travelling court circuit that aims to provide services to small communities that look to support our residents without removing them from their homes. However, Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure that the communication of the government and our communities can be clear and timely.
These people are using services that are not it's not a big secret in the communities when the court circuit is coming to town. When there's a shift in timing or cancellation or a charter, that's the aircraft's being held, and the court party's not staying in the community, especially for the community of Tuk, Mr. Speaker, that we do have a road now but they still tend to use aircraft, and they're holding up aircraft that could be utilized for serving my smaller communities in Nunakput riding. I think, Mr. Speaker, that we do have a road to Tuk. They should be using the road. I don't have a problem, no choice to fly into the communities of Sachs, Ulu, and Paulatuk in regards to servicing them for court services but there I could see both all three communities have hotels or B&B that are capable enough to holding the court party. Why is the court party still holding aircraft all day? The cost of that on the taxpayer and not able to stay in the community to help local businesses, especially in the smaller communities of Paulatuk and Ulu, because they do have hotels. Why is the court party not staying there to provide their service, instead of holding a plane at probably $2,000 an hour at 12 hours probably the day, their duty day; it's not right. They should be sharing the wealth instead of just flying back to Inuvik every night for servicing.
Mr. Speaker, I think our Justice Minister I did ask him. I had this brought up to me to my attention again because there was an aircraft, delay of having one aircraft down, another or sorry, on maintenance and other communities being held up to travel back home. And I don't think that's fair. I think if the court party's travelling to the communities, they should be dropped off and picked up. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize our two young girls, pages, Gabrielle Nitsiza and Keira Franki of Whati. They're both attending Menzi Community School, and their chaperone, KerryAnne Franki, and Calvin and Suzie Franki. So I would like to welcome and acknowledge them. And I would like to acknowledge all the interpreters that are here from the regions. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome from Helen Kalvik School in Ulukhaktok, Kaden Okheena and Tobin Klengenberg and chaperone Greg Dunn, and thank the pages for all their hard work they did this week and thank them again for coming down. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize my page, Paige Hawthorne, who has joined us here in the House this week from Kam Lake and thank her for all of her hard work. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha.
I would like to recognize Greg Dunn from Ulu. I became friends with him just by talking to him every day as I was leaving the building and coming in, and I wish him well in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Oh sorry, Member for Great Slave.
Wrong end of the room. I would like to welcome Natalie Pressman with the CBC that has joined us. It's always nice to have media here. And I can imagine it gets to be quite a long day at times listening to us here. So I appreciate she comes. Thank you.
And also very exciting I'm sure.
I too would like to recognize Grant Dunn who is a former teacher in Tsiigehtchic and now in Ulu. And just to let you know, we still miss you in Tsiigehtchic. He had a great basketball program with the students there, and I'm sure he's doing the same in Ulukhaktok.
