Thank you, Mr. Speaker. State of Emergency for Humanitarian Reasons for Norman Wells.
WHEREAS the Town of Norman Wells has been requesting long-term solutions from the Government of the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS the Town has offered to work with the Government of the Northwest Territories on proactive community planning because of climate change impacts on resupply to Norman Wells which has resulted in rising food insecurity, rising heating costs, rising and prohibitive costs of living, and rising and prohibitive costs of doing business;
AND WHEREAS Imperial Oil is transitioning out of the community, which will result in a reduced tax base for the community and territory, diminished opportunities for skilled workers in the community and unknown risks and changes to the community's power generation and transmission;
AND WHEREAS the Mayor and Council of Norman Wells is seeking assistance and is requesting that the Government of the Northwest Territories:
Recognize the Town's local declaration of a state of emergency and communicate the matter to the to the Government of Canada, seeking humanitarian aid;
Develop a comprehensive policy and procedure to respond to any humanitarian state of emergency within Northwest Territories communities;
Engage in sustainable community planning with stakeholders in Norman Wells; and
Facilitate a discussion between Imperial Oil Resources and the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Tlegohti Got'ine.
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that this Legislative Assembly resolve that the current situation in the Town of Norman Wells is a state of emergency for humanitarian reasons;
AND FURTHER, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Government of the Northwest Territories to communicate this state of emergency with the Government of Canada, seeking humanitarian aid for the community;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.
And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to add to the motion I just tabled.
In recent months, I have brought forward many concerns regarding the town of Norman Wells. The situation is dire, climate change impacts are very real, as we see with the rising food and heating costs and the impacts on the overall cost of living and conducting business. I am thankful to the Ministers within this Cabinet that I have met with myself and other leadership to discuss these issues. However, the outlook remains break.
Norman Wells, for example, on this winter road resupply, which is an annual one, has received 30 percent -- 34 percent of the total fuel supply for this season. Another 34 percent is expected in the coming months -- month I should say, Mr. Speaker. But it won't be completed, the complete -- the resupply.
Mr. Speaker, people are foreclosing on their homes. It's a reality. I've met people that are doing that. They are leaving the town of Norman Wells for better prospects, opportunities, for themselves and their family, which will help make it more difficult for the community to succeed at large. It is time that the Government of the Northwest Territories to step in and declare this state of an emergency and seek humanitarian aid for the community.
To add to that written statement, Mr. Speaker -- and I have some time allowed -- I've seen firsthand and discussed with many parents, grandparents, youth, take the youth community, as said by the mayor of Norman Wells the community is in a state of fear. To describe that, take our children going to school. The parents are living in fear. Are the teachers of the school going to leave because they can't afford to stay there? Take the middle-aged population. They're living in a state of fear. Are we going to have another job? Industry's closing. State of fear. Example, take our elderly. The elder pensioners, living on their low income, can they afford to live there under these circumstances? So that's a wholistic approach to the three categories that make up each and every community.
In our community, we've seen the drastic measures, catastrophic impacts of no water. You can't afford to live there on an annual affordable resupply. As we said numerous times, what if you miss the boat? In this case, what if you miss the winter road? Is your project going to go ahead? Yes, we can fly sugar in, but who's going to afford that retail price? So picture that, and that will substantiate the concern of this motion.
Look at the eight grocers. Now they got to finance to make affordable retail prices based on that affordable winter road going into those communities. Then it begs the question, expiry dates of products, heating costs for warehousing this annual stock. It's an incremental example of taking each and every concern seriously. And with the backing of this Assembly, there is no doubt in my mind that we have the capacity to help that community and that region.
More importantly, the task at hand is the motion at hand. Are we going to step up to help our small communities? People are leaving. I've talked to people. A couple of young people recently just moved out. I'm living in fear, I don't want to live underneath that tension. So the overarching concern is the unknown. Are we going to get a barge? Good choice. It may, and it may not be a choice. It's looking like we won't. But I will not guarantee the businessperson to say okay, resupply come July. I would say guarantee your stock now. We got 32 days, and even that 32 days is unknown. Are we getting warmer weather? If we look at the forecast as shown by one of the leaders, yes, we are. And as we know, the distance of Wrigley north to the communities is long in distance. It may seem short from Red Deer to Edmonton but drive on the conditions of the road or the winter road is the only factor that takes time to go from point A to point B. It may seem 250 kilometers from Wrigley to Tulita, but you can't drive at the speed north or south on those roads like High Level. Warmer weather creates overflow which deteriorates the road. So having the trucks and tire chains go over top of that road is really deteriorating the surface of the road which prolongs the turnaround of the fuel.
As I said in one of my previous statements, the trucks fuel up at Enterprise, all the way to Colville Lake, offload, a six-day turnaround. Based on road conditions, it may increase to seven days, eight days. And people, Mr. Speaker, the drivers are getting burnt out. I know of several people said, no, my back can't take it anymore. That road is rough. So as I mentioned earlier, with the backing of this Assembly we can stand behind and stand proud after the road closes at the end of this coming month, we resupply the challenges in front of us, but we did it. We supplied 17.8 million liters of fuel to five communities. That's just fuel. It's an essential service to our homes and our workers, our institutions. So I share that with you, and there's many others.
I can go on there, Mr. Speaker, but I think I've highlighted the need for this institution to stand behind this motion, and I look very aggressively forward to working with all the Ministers. And I must compliment my feedback by these Ministers and the Premier for the past several months. Thank you, and I look forward to your support. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members, to the motion. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I could relate to what's been brought forward to this motion to the House here today and thinking back to 2023 -- sorry, 2023 fire season, and we all remember what happened with that fire season here in Yellowknife, my community Dettah, N'dilo, going all the way down to Fort Resolution, and it impacted everybody. Lessons learned. It was a very tough time for everybody. And we thanked the frontline workers, the fire support that we got for our small communities. It hit home because by the time I -- when I was in -- actually, I was in Hay River when that alarm went off on our phone and asking us to evacuate. My wife and I were there and eating in the restaurant and everybody took off, and everybody was heading south, and we turned off to Fort Resolution at that time. And it was a really scary time for everybody. In particular, after my wife went to Fort Resolution I managed to get back to Yellowknife and to help the elders in Dettah and N'dilo to help evacuate them as well. It was a very scary time for the elders too as well. And being in Fort Resolution too, I remember being there and, you know, I recall that I don't think I changed my clothes for about a good week or ten days because we were so busy dealing with issues. At one hand, it got to the point where, you know, the community was almost ready to be evacuated but we couldn't because we had a fire in Fort Smith, we had a fire in Hay River, and then if we were to get through that to go south, where were we going to go? Everything was -- all the small towns all down to Alberta was taken up. And so the leadership in Fort Resolution decided just to stay there, and we got lake there, we got the airport there if we had to do something.
But anyways, so when this motion came up, I asked my colleague if I could help maybe second the motion, and I relate to what he is talking about. And I have been listening and watching my colleague bring up his issues in the House where they had a fire season in Norman Wells -- sorry, Fort Good Hope last year, and a lot of that fuel that was used on that fire didn't get replaced. Everything was brought in, was flown in, but people had to pay for that and at a premium. And it was a very tough time for my colleague and his constituents in the Sahtu region. And, again, you know, we had issues with the barging season to bring the fuel in. It was just a tough time. So I relate to what he's been through with his constituents because we've been through that as well. But we spent $175 million that year.
So I stand up here today to give support to this motion and second it, you know, again calling on the state of emergency for humanitarian reasons for Norman Wells and for the fuel supply as well. Again, it's a tough thing. It's an act of God. Nobody knows what's going to happen even this coming summer. All we could do is to prepare as best we can and -- but, again, we need to give support to our colleagues as much as we can and be there for them because as a government, we all have to -- I'm almost like a -- my Speaker talked about, like, being an elder. I am. I feel like an elder. But at the end of the day is that we all got to work together. And I often -- I say that amongst my colleagues as well, that we need to do that. So I just want to give support to my colleague on this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the motion. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting this motion today. I don't think anybody in this House could say that the Member for the Sahtu is nothing but not determined, is not speaking and advocating for his region extremely well over these last 15 months we've been together. And fundamentally, Mr. Speaker, a part of why I voted on the capital budget was to support the access that he is -- to projects that he's been talking about on the winter road these last few weeks. So all that said, Mr. Speaker, it's fantastic that he's trying to seek every avenue for his people, to make sure that they can find some sort of reliable way to be resupplied knowing that Mother Nature is not in our favour these last few years. And so happy to support this motion and support the Sahtu. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. To the motion. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too will stand in support of this motion. Last year in October, we put aside the business of this House to have an emergency debate, which is not common practice for us, about this very issue, the humanitarian crisis in the Sahtu. It is with some regret that I support this motion because I would hope we wouldn't need to bring forward -- the Member wouldn't need to bring forward yet another call for a state of emergency in his riding and in a regional centre of the Northwest Territories. We have to do a better job of caring for the people of Norman Wells.
I've spoken with mayor -- with the mayor there as well, and his passion is very clear that this is a crisis. And there are practical things that can be done, and we need to ensure that our government is working with the municipality, the federal government, and everyone else who can help bring much needed humanitarian relief to the community.
There's also a need for long-term solutions. We need to continue to invest in the infrastructure, the Mackenzie Valley Highway that's going and other energy solutions as well, local energy solutions, that can help support this region and not set it up for continued climate emergencies and states of emergency.
You know, and I -- I'm just reflecting on some words that we -- that I -- my honourable friend, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, mentioned this morning that some of the dialogue out there in our community of Yellowknife is, you know, we shouldn't be supporting these motions, we shouldn't be supporting motions that don't relate to our ridings, that don't relate to our community, and that Members who do stand and support our community members are in somehow doing this for political gain, to score points. These are comments I saw this morning, and I want to stand in this House and say that's having compassion for other Northerners is why we're here. We are not here to score cheap political points. And while our styles may differ, where our approach to this job may differ, and where our passions may differ, does not mean that any of us doesn't want to be here for the right reasons. And it's very easy for people's personalities to be a source of criticism, and it's very easy to become a caricature when you're a politician.
So all I'll say, Mr. Speaker -- because I see that you're getting -- you may be getting advice -- is we stand in support of this motion because it matters to all Northerners, not just one community, and that is relevant to this motion. So I'm very proud to support my colleague. I'm proud to support all of our colleagues as we work together for a better future for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I never want to miss an occasion for an opportunity to work with my community colleagues. And I won't go in a similar length as my previous speaker had just mentioned about the criticism, but it's a reminder of we're here collectively and we have to find ways to work together.
It's an unusual concept, you know, that some people feel, but I think it's the fundamental concept of working together when it's outside of your community and riding. And, you know, frankly, the town of Norman Wells needs additional hope. It needs the hope from power from Yellowknife MLAs getting behind a community MLA issue. It's to help a regional issue. When Yellowknife MLAs see this matters so much, we need to lend our voice to this. The people in Norman Wells don't want to feel abandoned. Whether you live in Tsiigehtchic or you live in Lutselk'e, you know, they matter to us. And we try to find ways to ensure that we support initiatives just like this particular motion, Mr. Speaker.
You know, when we see the changes of our territory, it's molding every day, you know, new changes. As our -- my good colleague from the Sahtu had mentioned, you know, Imperial Oil is transitioning, not quite effectively a change as other people transition but I'd certainly say, you know, they're transitioning their business. And I'll honestly say is, you know, business is always changing. If that's the one constant, things are always changing. And we look at the struggles of that town. That struggle should matter to me. Those communities, whether you're in Deline, you're in Tulita, you're in Colville, you're in Fort Good Hope, or you're in Norman Wells, that whole region needs the support. So when the town of Norman Wells does a declaration, I'm sure it wasn't over a coffee or a bagel sitting in the town coffee shop saying hey, let's do something exciting today. That statement, including the emergency debate brought forward by the Member, is really echoing the cries and passions of a region that see it as we have no choice but to raise the red flag. We have no choice but to yell from the tops of our voices as high as we can that we need support.
Now, we've seen challenges, and I suspect there will be new challenges next year and the year after that. You know, there was a time we'd say we have never seen days like this, or this is the 100-year flood or this is the 100-year drought. Boy, it sure feels like it's déjà vu every year. There's something else we're saying haven't seen happen.
So I think his call for a comprehensive policy and a process to help create this, I mean, it's the framework that really asks ourselves what do we do in times when places in crisis. You know, we need, as he points out, good, sustainable community planning and support. And that has to be done with the community on the ground.
So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to point out that the government isn't the only solution to this problem, you know. We have good partners. Imperial Oil could be, you know, supporters, the town could be supporters, the community governments could be supporters. We've got Indigenous governments that have expertise. We have a lot of people. So even this motion is directed to call upon the Legislative Assembly to say hey, government, do something about this, you're not alone. There are a lot of people that want to do things. I'd say, government, come into this with an open mind and say how can we do this together. And don't be afraid to say we're going to find a way to support this community, this region, and this territory. And I thank my good colleague, the Member of Sahtu. I also acknowledge my good Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh for helping support this motion. And I think there will be some other wonderful things coming from our colleagues in support. And as a Yellowknife Member as well as my previous colleague here who just spoke -- or a couple colleagues that have spoken, it's an honour to be part of a bigger picture solution because I know they're there when we need them too, and they can probably get the same questions from their communities. And this is what it's all about, working together in a way that makes things clear but supportive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. To the motion. Member from Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too will be supporting the motion for Sahtu calling on this government to go to Ottawa and get humanitarian aid for the community.
Mr. Speaker, I lived in Norman Wells for a little over a year a few years ago, and so I know the community and I know that they're -- I know that the state of stuff that -- the situation they must be going through. They have a seniors’ home there, Mr. Speaker, that houses seniors from the Sahtu region. If the community were to close down, it would put them -- a lot of things in jeopardy for people in the community. So I am thinking about that, especially those seniors who want to stay home. We keep talking about how we need things to happen at home for our own people. And so a lot of times I am told, even as a Deh Cho Member, that if Sahtu needs support, help them. They're our neighbours. So that's why I'm here to stand to say I am going to support -- I support the Member for the Sahtu and his motion calling for this government to go to Ottawa and get humanitarian aid. And if they want, I can go and help them too. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. To the motion. Member from Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to address the current situation in Norman Wells where a humanitarian state of emergency has been declared not once, but twice. This action is a direct response to the rising cost of fuel, groceries, and essential supplies which have surged due to the cancellation of the 2024 barge season.
I have spoken several times to the Norman Wells mayor, including this morning, about the challenges that the area is facing, and we share the concerns about the increase of costs to the residents and are taking concrete actions to address them. The GNWT has taken a government-wide approach to support the safety and security of the residents, businesses, Indigenous governments, and community governments. We are focused on both immediate relief and long-term planning to mitigate future supply chain disruptions and to strengthen regional resiliency.
Some of the actions that have been taken recently by this government, thanks to the hard work of the GNWT departments working together, the staff, and the hard work by the MLA from the Sahtu, the government has
Reduced the fuel costs by up to 86 cents per liter, easing financial pressures on the residents and the businesses;
Enhancing the senior home heating subsidy with support reaching up to 1,455 per liter at its peak;
Allocating $1.8 million through the support funding for businesses and communities impacted by the 2024 barge cancellation program to offset increased transportation costs for essential goods. The deadline to apply for this program is still March 7th, 2025;
Contributing $150,000 to the Norman Wells.
Food Bank to support families through the winter months;
Assessing financial impacts of the community government and assessing long-term costs through financial planning; and
Continuing advocacy for long-term infrastructure solutions, including the Mackenzie Valley Highway to reduce resiliency on seasonal transportation and improve supply chain sustainability.
The GNWT has also engaged with the federal government to explore additional assistance options. I have spoken directly to the Minister of federal emergency preparedness to discuss potential supports for Norman Wells and the region.
The GNWT respects the town of Norman Wells's decision to declare a local state of emergency; however, under the NWT Emergency Management Act, a state of an emergency applies only to situations where there is immediate threat to life or critical infrastructure. While the challenges are serious, I want to be clear that they do not meet the definition of emergencies under this Act.
Additionally, declaring a local state of emergency does not unlock federal funding or territorial funding. This has been confirmed to me by the Minister of emergency preparedness and at the department level. Instead, the GNWT is focusing on particular solutions to provide real financial relief and long-term sustainability in the region. The GNWT remains committed to supporting Norman Wells and the Sahtu region. We continue working with the local leadership, businesses, Indigenous governments, and the federal government to address both immediate and long-term challenges. We understand the urgency of the situation, and we will continue to take action to ensure affordable access to gain goods into the region and services for the residents.
Mr. Speaker, as this motion proposes direction to Cabinet, Cabinet will abstain from this vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Hay River South. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Does the Member from the Sahtu wish to conclude, close this debate? Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks very much to my colleagues that provided comments. It's very encouraging to sit in this room designed by the sharing of the circle. Look around us. When I got the orientation in 2015, this was pointed out to me, this circle, the healing circle.
We have issues. We have problems at the community level, many, many. I heard disturbing news from my home community just the other day, Mr. Speaker, as a result of what could be the drug issues and the addictions created by the product. It's very disturbing, Mr. Speaker. And this is about the current problems we have. No water.
Sustainability and planning are essential to management delivery and success of a going concern. Take the private enterprise. The ambitious entrepreneur is committed to producing results. The same concept, approach, is shown here today. There's a need. We'll put our heads together, develop a sustainable plan of recovery, and we will be resilient. I guarantee that there, Mr. Speaker.
Now, if we constant behind this, the GNWT accepts this, let's just predict and assume, we accept this state of emergency. It's a designation; a designation that allows the ability to move ahead utilizing that designation for access. Without that, the federal government's going to say you don't have that door open to you. So there is really many options available once you accept that designation.
I made a trip with my colleagues and leaders of the Sahtu back in October. We had success, fruitful and productive conversations. On the same conceptual approach of determination, Mr. Speaker, that was seen in 2017 when I was sitting in this very same assigned seat. I took no for an answer. This government produced a business plan; we're going to build a highway from point A to point B, it's going to cost us this much. I was denied by the Minister at the time not to go there. There's no reason. I see no reason, I was determined, got the approval, made two trips that year. In the fiscal year of 2018 this government, in the Great Hall, made a joint announcement by both governments, you have $140 million for that project. I'm proud to say with determination, you can move mountains, Mr. Speaker. And I think in this case, our mountain's very small. It's not a huge problem. Planning is going to eliminate part of that. And we only have 32 days, as I mentioned earlier, to get our resupply done.
But still that shouldn't stop there. Planning is essential. We've got the fear of our residents looking for leadership. Is this government going to be behind that? We are requesting that. And I smile with dignity and determination; I think we're going to get there. I'm glad to see you're in agreement with your smile, Mr. Speaker. It gives me inspiration. I got 15 minutes. I got 15 minutes to that motion.
In short, to move on, let's move on, let's stand behind this motion and let's move on and show the residents of the Sahtu, not specifically Norman Wells, how it brings in the communities is that resupply our airplane stock with fuel, and it goes to the communities and provide transportation. If that supply is not there like we experience, how can our scheduled service sustain our communities? That's the lifeline after that road's closed. So that's how it impacts surrounding communities of Norman Wells. Thank you.
In closing, I say mahsi cho, and I look forward to working with everybody. And as I said, back in our first state of an emergency, what if it happens to your riding? I will be there. We will be there. As my colleague from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh said, the fires. Huge impact. The floods. I will be there to support you. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Member for the Sahtu has asked for a recorded vote. Those all supporting the motion, please stand.
The Member for Sahtu. The Member for Yellowknife Centre. The Member for Range Lake. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. The Member for Monfwi. The Member for Frame Lake. The Member for Great Slave. The Member for Yellowknife North. The Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. The Member for Deh Cho.
All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.
The Member for Thebacha. The Member for Yellowknife South. The Member for Hay River North. The Member for Hay River South. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. The Member for Nunakput.
Colleagues, to the motion, ten in favour, zero opposed, six abstaining. The motion has been carried.
---Carried
