Debates of February 7, 2025 (day 40)

February
7
2025
Session
20th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
40
Speaker
Shane Thompson
Word PDF
Members Present
Hon. Caitlin Cleveland, Mr. Edjericon, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Jay Macdonald, Hon. Vince McKay, Mr. McNeely, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Mr. Nerysoo, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. Lesa Semmler, Hon R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek. Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, Mrs. Yakeleya
Assembly Members
Topics
Bill 17: Municipal and Community Affairs Statutes Amendments Act
Bill 18: An Act to Amend the Partnership and Business Names Act
Committee Motion 70-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 278-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, Carried
Committee Motion 71-20(1): Deferral Motion – Tabled Document 279-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025 – Deferral of Directorate, Department of Finance
Member’s Statement 451-20(1): Renaming the Northwest Territories
Member’s Statement 452-20(1): Northwest Territories Nominee Program
Member’s Statement 453-20(1): Insurance Rates
Member’s Statement 454-20(1): Aurora College Community Learning Centres Closure
Member’s Statement 455-20(1): Aurora College Community Learning Centres Closure
Member’s Statement 456-20(1): Aurora College Community Learning Centres Closure
Member’s Statement 457-20(1): Substance Abuse Counselling Services
Member’s Statement 458-20(1): Aurora College Community Learning Centres Closure
Member’s Statement 459-20(1): Condition of Housing in Inuvik
Member’s Statement 460-20(1): Deton’cho Renewable Energy Project
Member’s Statement 461-20(1): Support for Funeral Costs
Member’s Statement 462-20(1): Celebration of Life of Marie Lou Pineda Leguerrier
Minister’s Statement 89-20(1): NWT Personal Support Worker Bilateral Agreement (HSS)
Question 446-20(1): Immigration Programs in the Northwest Territories
Question 447-20(1): Renaming of the Northwest Territories
Question 448-20(1): Impacts of Illicit Drug Activity on Housing Units and Tenants in Inuvik
Question 449-20(1): Home Insurance Costs
Question 450-20(1): Aurora College Management and Oversight
Question 451-20(1): Closure of Aurora College Community Learning Centres
Question 452-20(1): Addictions Support and Resources for Residents in Small Communities
Question 453-20(1): Cultural Sensitivity and Costs Related to Funeral Preparation
Question 454-20(1): Closure of Aurora College Community Learning Centres
Question 455-20(1): Role of the Public Administrator of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority
Question 456-20(1): Immigration Programs in the Northwest Territories
Question 457-20(1): Improving Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority Service Delivery
Question 458-20(1): Cultural Sensitivity and Costs Related to Funeral Preparation
Question 459-20(1): Closure of Aurora College Community Learning Centres
Question 460-20(1): Improving Income Support and Housing Support Programming
Question 461-20(1): Fiscal Sustainability Framework
Tabled Document 279-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025
Tabled Document 280-20(1): Northwest Territories State of the Conservation Network 2024
Tabled Document 281-20(1): Report of the Northwest Territories Integrity Commissioner Dismissing the Complaint by Deneze Nakhek’o (Daniel Richards) about Disclosure of Identifying Information about him by the Honourable Shane Thompson, MLA for Nahe...
Statements

Member’s Statement 459-20(1): Condition of Housing in Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about the ongoing drug issue in our territory. And I know my colleagues have mentioned it several times since this House has been elected, as well as the Premier alluded to it in his address.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak specifically to Inuvik and to one issue. We have one apartment building up there. It's quite a large apartment building -- it's three floors, I think it has somewhere around 60 units -- and every week I get at least, at minimal two, sometimes every day, e-mails, texts, phone calls, often videos, not only of the drug activity going on in that building, Mr. Speaker, but also the deplorable conditions in that building and how residents are having to live in there. And I bring this building up, Mr. Speaker, because it's a three-storey building, and two of those floors are leased out to the housing corporation and we provide units in there. And a lot of the constituents that send me those e-mails are being sent from residents living in there; they're living in the housing units.

I know the Minister is alive to this. I'm sure she gets just as many e-mails and texts as I get, but I guess today what I'll be looking for is what can we do, what can the NWT Housing Corp do, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that those residents in there are safe? There are families in there. There are elders in that building. I know -- I've been through the building; I know some of the conditions they're facing. The RCMP, to their credit, have been doing an amazing job, you know, the best they can up there. I know they're busy. They've made several busts in that building, which is good. Unfortunately, you know, a week later we see the same activity back in the same units in there again. And, again, I get those updates. And the tenants are sharing those updates with the RCMP as well, which is very helpful. So I'll have questions today, Mr. Speaker, for the Minister of housing on what the housing corp specifically is doing to combat some of this and to certainly combat the conditions in that building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.