Debates of Oct. 16th, 2009

This is page numbers 3307 - 3340 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 4th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library.

The word of the day was communities .

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 4-16(4): 80th Anniversary Of The Persons Case

Condolences To Tu Nedhe Families On Passing Of Family Members

Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Natural Resources Wealth Of The Northwest Territories

911 And Cell Phone Services In Small Communities

Municipal Elections And The Right To Vote

Health Services In The Sahtu

Long-Term Care For Elders In Small Communities

Food Rescue Program And Donation Of Food Act

Condition Of Ulukhaktok School

Stanton Territorial Hospital Development Plan

Crossworks Diamond Cutting Facility And The NWT Diamond Strategy

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Acknowledgements

Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Minimum Wage Adjustments

Health Services In The Sahtu

Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Minimum Wage Adjustments

Minimum Wage Adjustments

Health And Social Services For Tsiigehtchic

Tabled Document 3-16(4): 20th Annual Report Of The Victims Assistance Committee Of The Northwest Territories,

Part 2, June 2009

Tabled Document 4-16(4): Aurora College Annual Report, 2007-2008

Tabled Document 5-16(4): Notice Of Nurse Visit To Tsiigehtchic On Thursday, September 3rd , 2009 Tabled Document 6-16(4): Notice Of Social Worker Visit On September 8th , 2009

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

The House met at 10:04 a.m.

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---Prayer

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Prayer

Prayer

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Ms. Lee .

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Minister’s Statement 4-16(4): 80th Anniversary Of The Persons Case

Ministers’ Statements

Range Lake

Sandy Lee

Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House today to mark an important event that occurred 80 years ago this Sunday, October 18th .

Emily Murphy’s nomination to sit in the Canadian Senate was challenged on the grounds that she was a female and therefore not a person under the British North America Act, the Constitution of Canada at the time.

“Women are persons in matters of pain and penalties, but are not persons in matters of rights and privileges,” an earlier ruling had determined.

Thankfully, Emily and four other women, who together have since become known as the Famous Five, appealed the decision to the British Privy Council, the highest level of appeal for Canada at the time. When the judicial committee of the Privy Council rendered its decision it stated, “Yes, women are persons...and eligible to be summoned and may become Members of the Senate of Canada.” It went further to say, “that the exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours. And to those who would ask why the word “persons” should include females, the obvious answer is, why should it not?”

As the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, on the 80th anniversary of the Persons

Case I would like to honour the work and tenacity of Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby, the Famous Five who changed the political and legal landscape of Canada.

This important action made it possible for all the Sandys, Janes, and Wendys, and all our sisters all

across the NWT and Canada to run for office, hold office, and represent our communities and our great Territory.

I’m happy to note that last week the Senate voted to name each of the Famous Five women honorary Senators, the first such move by the Upper House of Parliament.

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Minister’s Statement 4-16(4): 80th Anniversary Of The Persons Case

Ministers’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee . Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe , Mr. Beaulieu .

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Condolences To Tu Nedhe Families On Passing Of Family Members

Members’ Statements

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Since we last sat, a number of my constituents have passed on and I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words about them and pass on my condolences to their families.

From Lutselk’e, Bernadette Lockhart, a well-known entrepreneur in Lutselk’e who ran Bernadette’s Bed and Breakfast. Raised by her grandparents, Bernadette maintained a traditional lifestyle throughout her life, going out on the land regularly with her husband, Joe. At public meetings, Bernadette always spoke up for the people of Lutselk’e and always talked about investing in the future. She was always willing to help others and always had a smile for everyone. Bernadette is survived by her husband, Joe, two daughters, a son, and many other relatives.

There was also Joe Michel of Lutselk’e, who was a father to Bernadette. He was born and raised at the Artillery Lake area on the Barren Lands. Joe hunted and trapped all his life. He was born in 1925. He and his late wife, Alice, had 17 children and raised 11 of them. Joe was working with various boards, for preserving the land for hunting and trapping, when he passed away. He was active in land and culture activities.

There was also Bruce Beaulieu of Fort Resolution, son of Lizzy Beaulieu and the late August Beaulieu. Bruce had six brothers, two sisters, and he was predeceased by two of his brothers and a sister. Bruce spent most of his life in the hospital and

passed away at age 40. That was actually quite a miracle, because Bruce was only expected to live for 15 years.

There was Holly Martin, daughter of Alex Rabesca and Therese Martin of Lutselk’e. Holly was only 14 years old and leaves behind four brothers and two sisters. She was the granddaughter of well-known elder J.B. Rabesca from Lutselk’e.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to recognize these individuals today. They will all be missed. My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the families and friends of Bernadette, Joe, Holly, and Bruce. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

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Condolences To Tu Nedhe Families On Passing Of Family Members

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . The honourable Member for Weledeh , Mr. Bromley .

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Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Members’ Statements

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very concerned about this government’s stance in federal/provincial/territorial discussions on the Agreement on Internal Trade, or the AIT, and the mandate our government has to make commitments at these negotiations. As a complex and developing agreement, dealing generally with the establishment of free trade between provinces and territories and the elimination of controls on that trade, our input is required. The AIT puts in place many commitments that limit the ability of this Territory to maximize the benefits of economic development for Northerners.

For example, while it provides an exemption for the Business Incentive Policy, it forbids the ability to require the establishment of head offices in the NWT through socio-economic agreements. The consequences for a loss of corporate taxes are obvious. Many other measures now in place are of concern, such as the prohibition on procurement preference policies by municipalities created under the authority of provincial or territorial governments.

The Premier and Minister of ITI , responsible for trade, have continued discussions on expanding the AIT with several meetings last summer through to yesterday. Recent negotiations have included an energy

chapter directly related to the NWT’s resource revenue regime. This may be news to some Members, as it was to me. The basis of my concern is where does the government get its mandate to bind this Territory to sweeping and limiting measures without discussion or debate of negotiating positions through committee or here in the Assembly? From what I have seen, I do not find the positions taken by the government to be at all comforting. It boils down to governments making treaties among themselves that tie their own hands when it comes to regulating the economy of business to make cross-border decisions on matters vital to the health of our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I have to ask, what are the benefits of these measures, where is the critical analysis and what mandate does Cabinet have to carry on negotiations without the knowledge and consent of Regular Members?

One of our principles of consensus government agreed to by Caucus says except under extraordinary circumstances, Members of the Legislative Assembly should be made aware of and have opportunity to discuss significant announcements, changes, consultations or initiatives before they are released to the public or introduced in the Legislative Assembly. l suggest we put any decision on hold until my colleagues and I have been apprised and consulted on this fundamental economic policy and its acknowledgement of our unique northern conditions. Mahsi.

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Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley . The honourable Member for Hay River South , Mrs. Groenewegen .

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Natural Resources Wealth Of The Northwest Territories

Members’ Statements

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past weekend was Thanksgiving and we have now convened the House and I’d like to take the opportunity to draw to everyone’s attention to the vast resources and wealth of the Northwest Territories that we should be extremely thankful for.

As we listen to the news every day, we hear of countries that are inundated with natural disasters, typhoons, mud slides, with horrendous results. When you look at a map of Canada or a map of the world, you see that we are subject to very little in the way of those kinds of disasters that could potentially affect us.

Mr. Speaker, when I think of the resources of our land, I can’t help but think that there is more that we should be able to do to sustain ourselves from those resources. Yesterday I made mention of our vast non-renewable resources by way of oil and gas.

Today, and maybe for the rest of this session, I want to talk a little bit about some of the renewable resources that we have that we seem incapable of really benefitting from in any kind of significant way. In a time when the world contemplates things like the availability of fresh water, we have the Great Slave Lake and the Great Bear Lake, vast bodies of clean, fresh water on our doorstep. In those waters are fish resources. I know the Great Slave Lake better in that regard and I know what the sustainable harvest is available from the Great Slave Lake, and yet we do not seem to be able to harvest that in a meaningful way to even support and feed our own people this very healthy and

nutritious food source. Instead, we import things from far away.

When we look at the downturn in the caribou, but yet if you drive south of here, you know, you can see the bison standing on the highway, thousands and thousands of them. What a wonderful food source and yet we seem to, again, overlook that and think that we should import our food from some faraway place.

Our forests, our long summer days, the light, ideal for growing conditions and agriculture, the sustainable harvest of product for biomass.

Mr. Speaker, this is just a brief touching on some of these things, but over the next days of session here I want to zero in on some of these things and we need to ask ourselves why can we not benefit more greatly from these things on our doorstep. Thank you.

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Natural Resources Wealth Of The Northwest Territories

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen . The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta , Mr. Krutko .

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911 And Cell Phone Services In Small Communities

Members’ Statements

David Krutko

Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about the improvement of telecommunications in the Northwest Territories. I know there was a major debate yesterday in the House about 911 service for six communities. I think as a government we have to realize that we represent 33 communities in the Northwest Territories and we must improve the telecommunications, Internet service and uplinks to all our communities in the Northwest Territories. If this government is going to make any capital investment, it should be to the benefit of all Northerners. I think it’s important that this government seriously weigh in on this decision.

There was a decision made by the Yukon government to provide cell phone services to all communities in the Yukon. They made a political decision, they made a capital investment and now any community you go to in the Yukon you can use your cell phone service. You can drive down any major road system in the Yukon between Dawson, Mayo, Whitehorse, and receive cell phone calls on the highway system. I think it’s that type of communication that will benefit all Northerners in the Northwest Territories and not just 911 services for six communities.

I think it’s important to realize that as a government and as a territory we have to represent all of the Territory in any political decision that we make.

Mr. Speaker, I know it’s important that this government reaches out to Research Canada in regard to finding the federal investment, but more importantly, to improve the telecommunications in

the Northwest Territories. Yes, we have some political challenges in regard to telecommunications in our smaller communities, but there are efforts out there such as Falcon Communications and SSI Micro. We have a lot of companies that have basically established themselves in regard to ICE Wireless. You can receive Bell service here in Yellowknife and other communities. I think the systems are there. We have to make that capital investment.

So, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister or the Premier if this government will seriously consider making a capital investment to benefit the 33 communities in the Northwest Territories in regard to improving our telecommunications and Internet systems throughout the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho.

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911 And Cell Phone Services In Small Communities

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko . The honourable Member for Frame Lake , Ms. Bisaro .

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Municipal Elections And The Right To Vote

Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Monday is a very important day for a number of our NWT communities. This Monday, October 19th , is Election Day for the NWT’s cities,

towns and villages. In the communities of Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik, Norman Wells and Yellowknife, voters will be electing mayors, councillors and in some cases school trustees.

Canadians have not always had the right to vote. Some segments of our population, women and indigenous peoples for instance, have had the right to vote for less time than others, but voting is a right for each and every one of us and it is a right that must not be taken for granted. I believe it’s our duty to exercise our right to vote at every opportunity.

Municipalities and community councils make decisions that affect us, as residents of our communities, on a very personal level. It’s said that municipal government is the government that’s closest to the people, and I believe that. They make decisions about how we live, what services we can expect for our day-to-day activities and what our community will look like.

Mayors and councils can affect us for the better or for the worse if we choose poorly or if we don’t choose at all. Monday is the chance we have to influence the future of our communities, a chance to shape our government, that only comes once every three years.

As well as being a right, voting is a privilege, and a privilege that should not be abused, in my mind. When we don’t take advantage of a privilege that is offered to us, I feel we’re abusing it and it cannot be said strongly enough: get out and vote on Monday if

you live in a city -- that would be Yellowknife -- a town -- Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik or Norman Wells -- or a village, and that would be Fort Simpson. We all know what we want in our community, we all have ideas and thoughts about whether things are well run or not and we like to communicate those thoughts and ideas and, yes, complaints to our community leaders. But if you have no hand in the selection of your mayor or your council, you have no right to complain.

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Municipal Elections And The Right To Vote

Members’ Statements

An Hon. Member

Hear! Hear!

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Municipal Elections And The Right To Vote

Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

If you don’t vote, don’t expect to be heard. I wish all candidates the best of luck in their run for office. I urge all residents to make voting on Monday a priority; priority one.

I am hopeful that the results of Monday’s elections will show off high voter turnout and it will show that our residents know the importance of voting. I look forward to seeing the results from Monday’s elections. I also look forward to working with the six new councils to continue to make NWT a great place to live. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Municipal Elections And The Right To Vote

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro . The honourable Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Health Services In The Sahtu

Members’ Statements

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The recent health facility studies conducted by the GNWT show a clear picture of the health facilities in the Northwest Territories. That picture shows that the Sahtu region urgently needs a Sahtu regional wellness centre such as other regions have today.

The Tlicho, Beaufort-Delta and Sahtu regions all have to fly patients to regional hospitals. Sahtu residents are flown to Inuvik or Yellowknife to receive much of their care. The dedicated staff at the nursing stations in the Sahtu provide primary care and services such as X-rays and blood tests. In our smaller communities, the nurse provides the primary care and often refers patients to out-of-town physicians on medevacs, but the physician

schedule sometimes means that people have to wait a long time before they see a doctor.

Many Sahtu babies are born in Inuvik and Yellowknife. Many Sahtu people have to relocate to Yellowknife or Inuvik temporarily to receive specialized treatment. I urge this government to find ways to expand the service provided by the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority. The Sahtu people need a Sahtu regional wellness centre that can provide acute care. There is a great demand for increased midwifery services across the Northwest Territories. The Sahtu regional wellness centre can be an ideal location for such a service in our region.

We need to be able to take care of our people while they are dying. It is very sad when our people have

to pass away far away from their homes at times, without their families with them. We need a health care professional based in the Sahtu, who can administrate the medication frequently required for the type of care. A specialized treatment that must be performed regularly, such as dialysis, if it were available in the Sahtu, would decrease the transportation costs and allow people to stay closer to home with their families, eliminating the struggle to find long-term accommodations in Yellowknife or Inuvik while they receive their treatment.

Our population is aging and that requires increased health care services. We need a Sahtu regional wellness centre that can provide a wide range of health care now. Let us show people that we care for them close to home and the loved ones that do support them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Health Services In The Sahtu

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . The honourable Member for Nahendeh , Mr. Menicoche .

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Long-Term Care For Elders In Small Communities

Members’ Statements

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all have experienced a loved one in need of care. We also know that in the coming years there will be more elders that will need to be looked after. Someone will be ill and someone will be frail. Their supports and needs can become very complicated and require training and specialized skills.

Hospital care is not what these elders need. Their needs are usually better looked after in the caring environment of their home communities. There they can have visits from their family, who also help them with their care. They can eat traditional foods and enjoy a familiar environment. The philosophy of our elders care home in Fort Simpson includes meeting the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the residents. This facility is a true community-based caring facility that encourages family and friends to visit and participate in the care of their loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, the elders care home in Fort Simpson unfortunately has only 20 permanent beds. This is not enough for a population that serves over 3,000 that is spread out into many of the communities. Just recently a constituent of mine had to endure a lot of hardship over many months before her husband was finally returned home to the Fort Simpson long-term care facility. This family had to travel far to see their sick family member, only because there was no bed available in Fort Simpson.

I want to remind the Minister of Health and Social Services that it is important to my people in the communities that they can look after their elders close to home. For that reason, I encourage the Minister of Health and Social Services to come

forward with supports to increase the long-term care beds available. This is urgent and this is a priority for our smaller communities. Mahsi cho.

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Long-Term Care For Elders In Small Communities

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche . The honourable Member for Great Slave , Mr. Abernethy .

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Food Rescue Program And Donation Of Food Act

Members’ Statements

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about the Food Rescue Program and highlight some of what it’s accomplished over the last 15 months.

The Donation of Food Act that was passed in 2008 ensures that those who donate food and distribute donated food are not liable for possible harm unless it was a result of intent to harm or reckless behaviour. This act has allowed the Food Rescue Program to increase, as it serves a pressing need within our community.

I would like to highlight the work of Ruby Trudel, a champion and facilitator of the program, and all of the volunteers who have helped her since the beginning of the program. They have done a lot of work and are a great resource for individuals in other communities who are interested in doing the same thing.

From the end of June 2008 until September 2009 the Food Rescue Program has rescued 125,000 pounds of food. Of that they have donated around 119,000 pounds of various food products. A breakdown of this includes some 7,000 pounds of meat, 16,000 litres of dairy product, 3,000 litres of juice, 876 dozen eggs, and over 1,700 sandwiches. Food banks across North America value each pound of food at around $2. This means that within 15 months of operations, Food Rescue, along with those people and companies supporting it, has donated and delivered around $238,000 worth of food to the community that would otherwise have been unavailable or ended up in a landfill.

---Applause

The Food Rescue Program is performing a valuable service to the community and is seeking to expand even further. The program is on the verge of moving into a larger but temporary facility on Old Airport Road. I would like to acknowledge the partners who have helped make this possible. First, Central Mechanical for providing the location and the power; Matrix Aviation for providing the shelter itself; Ryfan Electric for wiring and getting the facility operational. This is an important step for the longevity of food rescue in Yellowknife.

Ultimately, the Food Rescue Program’s long-term goal is to establish itself somewhere on a permanent basis. This would allow easier access to clients the program serves. Over the long term,

being within walking distance around public transportation routes is an important advantage the program is working towards. Achieving this goal would allow Food Rescue to begin limited daily distribution to selected groups within the community on a weekly rotation, operating like a mini food bank. Due to this, the Food Rescue Program requires continued support from various levels of government and larger communities.

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Food Rescue Program And Donation Of Food Act

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy . The honourable Member for Nunakput , Mr. Jacobson .

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Condition Of Ulukhaktok School

Members’ Statements

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In small communities across the Territories, the schools are a focal point of the community. They are places where the community gathers for feasts, dances, and even weddings. More importantly, they are a place where our youth can learn and get their education. This is why I’m very concerned and the recent letter I received from Karen Kitekudlak, the chairperson of the district education authority of Ulukhaktok, regarding the worsening conditions of Helen Kalvak Elihakvik School.

This school is designed beautifully. The school is a large, self-sufficient facility all under one roof, joining classrooms, recreational section, and an industrial shop. In the letter, Karen describes a serious maintenance problem that should have been resolved years ago. This summer was a perfect time for the repairs and upgrades and projects; however, the staff returned this fall and no work has been done to the school.

The boiler system has not been monitored and set properly, resulting in insufficient boiler circulation in the system. The heater was supposed to be inspected and fixed over the summer, but nothing was done. Now the heater cannot be turned down and in some areas of the school the children are so hot they’re starting to fall asleep, while in other areas of the school it’s so cold that the kids are getting sick.

There are windows all over the school that have been broken for years, that the Department of Public Works and Services has been trying to fix. These windows allow air to come through the windows. At one point two workers from PWS travelled to Ulukhaktok for weeks for nothing, because the windows that are supposed to be replaced did not arrive.

The local contractors wait for months for parts and material, resulting in huge, unacceptable delays for the simplest repair jobs. There are many school authorities in the South that are now turning to other material for windows, such as unbreakable glass. The education of the students is not just providing teachers and books, it is also providing a

safe, comfortable environment for students and teachers and community members to enjoy going to.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

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Condition Of Ulukhaktok School

Members’ Statements

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

One of this government’s pledges was to provide good, equal education for all residents of the Northwest Territories, but when one of the smaller community’s schools are far below large centres standards, such as Yellowknife and Inuvik, I wonder when this government will fulfill their commitments.

I demand this government develop and implement a strategy that provides equal resources to all communities for schools for quality education and maintenance. Thank you.

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Condition Of Ulukhaktok School

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson . The honourable Member for Kam Lake , Mr. Ramsay .

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Stanton Territorial Hospital Development Plan

Members’ Statements

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about Stanton Territorial Hospital, the flagship of our health care system here in the Northwest Territories.

Stanton requires immediate attention. Since becoming a Member of this House in 2003, the hospital has been riddled with issues around finances, human resources, space utilization and technical systems.

The Minister of Health and Social Services has, on numerous occasions, stood up in this House and told Members how important the Stanton Master Development Plan was to the future of this hospital. This plan has been discussed since at least 2004.

The building constructed in 1988 is now over 20 years old and requires upgrades in many areas. In 2004 a local architect and engineering firm prepared a technical assessment indicating that several building systems at the hospital are not expected to last more than five years. Five years have now come and gone and where is the department on the Stanton Master Development Plan? What systems specifically were mentioned in this technical assessment done in 2004?

It has come to my attention that no fewer than three areas of that hospital where patients were being taken care of have been shut down to deal with issues of mould and mould removal. This is very alarming. Mould can be very dangerous to patients, staff and visitors to that hospital, especially those already in frail health or those with respiratory illness. Some forms of mould can even be toxic, and I’d like to know just how prevalent is the mould

problem at Stanton Hospital. What exactly is being done about it?

Can the Minister produce the 2004 technical assessment of Stanton so that we can see what has been addressed and what is being left out? This all points to the fact that the Stanton Master Development Plan needs to be concluded as soon as possible. All I’ve seen from the previous three Health Ministers is them telling us how important it is. Minor upgrades, space utilization issues being addressed in the absence of any master development plan is bad management. This piecemeal approach to managing the flagship of our health care system has got to stop. Thank you.

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Stanton Territorial Hospital Development Plan

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay . The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre , Mr. Hawkins .

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Crossworks Diamond Cutting Facility And The NWT Diamond Strategy

Members’ Statements

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to highlight an issue that has been forwarded to me this morning. I won’t be quoting from the Globe and Mail, but it was a story in the Globe and Mail on October 14th . The story headline reads,

“Skilled Immigrants Staff Sudbury Gem Plant.” It’s a story about Crossworks Manufacturing that is now cutting diamonds in Sudbury. They have 27 workers in Ontario, and that would be Ontario’s only diamond cutting facility, and they’re certainly cutting DeBeers diamonds at Canada’s Victor Diamond Mine near James Bay.

This story highlights about the fact that the Victor Mine is expected to produce $25 million in diamonds this year. This diamond mine agreement has given Crossworks 10 percent of their annual production to cut diamonds.

Ontario has said they want to be the new international diamond pipeline. That is their position now for Canada, that diamonds run through there.

Crossworks expects to also train local students at the Sudbury local college to learn how to cut diamonds. Something’s clearly going wrong.

Ontario appears to have rolled out the red carpet for both cutting works and industry, and I’m worried what’s going to happen here. Clearly, the NWT diamonds are no longer the only game in town.

I question, what is the NWT’s diamond strategy? Has it ever considered a plan B when the diamond market opens up somewhere else in Canada? I’ve said for years that Israel has no diamonds, Antwerp has no diamonds, yet they’ve always found a way to make sure that they are truly the world market player for diamonds. Why hasn’t the Northwest Territories taken on the position of becoming the leader for North American diamonds? It’s slowly falling out of our hands.

I will have questions for the Premier today, but this story in the Globe and Mail puts into question the viability of the NWT being able to cut diamonds and produce skilled workers to do this job. Are we losing our edge? Will the polar bear diamond be an endangered species? I don’t know. But I’ll have questions for the Premier today to make sure that our government is looking into this problem and asking ourselves clearly what is happening on this issue and what are we doing about it.

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Crossworks Diamond Cutting Facility And The NWT Diamond Strategy

Members’ Statements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins . Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput , Mr. Jacobson .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to recognize Jamie Kimiksana; my Pages from Ulukhaktok, Bryan and Samantha; and also my escort, Kim Lucas from Sachs Harbour, and Issiaac Elanik and Kyle Wolki; and one of my good friends, Lucy Fabien.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson . The honourable Member for Monfwi , Mr. Lafferty .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

It gives me great pleasure to recognize some of the college students here from the second year social work class and also their instructor. First of all the instructor, Bruce Stewart, is with us here today. The students, Julia Naedzo from Behchoko, Jalessa Paulette of Fort Smith, Loreen Beaverho from Whati, Avis Vallis and Concilia Kahonde and Kadiatu Dumbuya from Yellowknife.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson . The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe , Mr. Beaulieu .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Tom Beaulieu

Tu Nedhe

Today I’d like to recognize Myranda Calumet. She’s with the Junior Rangers paging here today. Also from Fort Resolution is Lucy Fabien, who is with the Canadian Rangers travelling and working with the Junior Rangers.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu . The honourable Member for Thebacha , Mr. Miltenberger .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

I’d like to as well recognize Ms. Jalessa Paulette, one of the constituents from Thebacha. I welcome her to Yellowknife and to the gallery here today.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger . The honourable Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

I’d like to recognize also a Junior Ranger from Tulita, Ms. Allison Bernarde, and I’d like to thank the Tulita Rangers for having her come here.

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Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . If we’ve missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. It’s always nice to have an audience in here.

Item 6, acknowledgements. The honourable Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Tulita Fire Department has been awarded the 2009 NWT Fire Services Merit Community Award. I rise today to offer my congratulations to the Tulita Fire Department on this year’s recent announcement on the NWT Fire Service Merit Award. This award recognizes the dedicated members and all firefighters in the North and the commitment to be of service to their community. This year the Tulita Fire Department was chosen to be the recipient of this award. On behalf of the Sahtu I say thank you to all the firefighters and to the Tulita Fire Department for being there when we need you.

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya . Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta , Mr. Krutko .

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

David Krutko

Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Premier . It’s in light of my statement that we as government have to take the responsibility to ensure that we improve telecommunication services in the Northwest Territories, regardless of cell phone service throughout the Northwest Territories or uplink systems from high speed Internet and whatnot. I think it’s just as important to have that infrastructure in place, like our highway systems, regardless if it’s a pipeline. Any system that can improve the services in the Northwest Territories has to be considered.

I’d like to ask the Premier , in light of what happened in the Yukon where they made a political decision to ensure that they had cell phone services throughout the Yukon in every community so that they have improvement in regard to telecommunications in the Yukon, will this government seriously look at the proposal that was put forth, the success of the Yukon model, and implement it in the Northwest Territories?

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko . The honourable Premier , Mr. Roland .

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have, in fact, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, looked at how we deliver programs and services across the North in trying to, in fact, look at ways we can improve those services and the level of services. That’s why we’ve structured, along with Members, the Small and

Rural and Remote Communities committee. As the area of cell phone service and uplink and connections, connectivity across the Northwest Territories, there have been, quite some time ago, some very early discussions with NorthwesTel, but we have not had a formal proposal put before us as government. Thank you.

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

David Krutko

Mackenzie Delta

I believe this government did put out a request for proposal. I believe it was in the last government. I’d like to ask the Premier if he’d consider putting out a similar proposal to ensure that we are able to improve our telecommunications through the 33 communities in the Northwest Territories and the importance of having that linkage to all our communities in the Northwest Territories to improve services, not only for cell phone services such as Internet and high speed Internet throughout the Territories. I’d like to ask the Premier , would he seriously consider putting out that proposal?

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Mr. Speaker, if I understood the Member’s question, the previous government did, in fact, go out through a request of expressions of interest in cell phone services across the Northwest Territories. It was not proceeded with or the information that was received, there were no further steps beyond that. As the department reviewed the information, they felt at that time that they had nothing they could go forward with that would be viable and affordable across the Territory.

I’m prepared to sit down with Members of this Assembly if we’re to renew interest in some project or program out there that might be able to expand our services beyond what we’ve done through our what we call the previous government’s Digital Communications Network that we have out there right now. Thank you.

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

David Krutko

Mackenzie Delta

Mr. Speaker, it’s fundamental that this government improves its communications with all communities in the Northwest Territories. One way that we can do that is through technology. I think it’s important to realize the importance of telecommunications in the Northwest Territories and having that communication link to all our communities. I think it’s important as the government that we do find ways to upgrade our systems. You know, there’s capital layout. Yes, it’s going to cost us a couple million dollars, but I realize that the return on that investment over the long term will save the government by improving that communication system.

I’d like to ask the Premier again, how soon can he possibly come back to this House with some ideas on exactly how we can move forward to improve the telecommunications throughout the Northwest Territories and consider cell phone service for all 33 communities?

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Mr. Speaker, this process, number one, we should recognize that we do have communications availability and in every community, the 33 communities. That’s the hard-line phone systems in place. We have Internet availability in our communities. The issue of cell phone service and probably a higher band width is an issue that we wrestle with across the Government of the Northwest Territories. We could come back with a discussion paper. It will be led by Minister Miltenberger , as that branch of communication falls under his portfolio assignments.

We will come forward, if Members want, with a discussion paper to talk about what’s been done, some of the information that we have received, and options that have been considered in the past and we can go from there. Thank you.

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko .

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

David Krutko

Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, for one, feel that this government has to ensure that before we make any political capital investment, regardless if it’s 911 services or improving their systems in the Northwest Territories, that we have to ensure the benefit is for all Northerners and all 33 communities, and we have to ensure that that capital investment will show a return in the long term. So I’d like to request from the Premier that whatever they do when they come back, that we look at the cost-benefit analysis and also ensure that we will see an improvement in those services throughout the Northwest Territories and in all 33 communities. Thank you.

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

As Minister Robert McLeod spoke on the issue yesterday about providing a basic level of services in all our communities, that is one of the things we wrestle with when we talk about expanding our services that we do have available across the Northwest Territories. But as I said, we will work on coming forward with a discussion paper for Members of the Assembly and see where we can go from that. Thank you.

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Question 11-16(4): Cell Phone Service In Small Communities

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . The honourable Member for Weledeh , Mr. Bromley .

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement, I’ve become very concerned about the Agreement on Internal Trade negotiations that are going on, the lack of information provided to Members and lack of opportunity for input. These are limiting decisions and deals that are being made behind closed doors. Our companies, our entrepreneurs have extra costs associated with low volume, dispersed communities, long distances and so on, and as fuel prices soar, imports will become increasingly

expensive. There will be a need for preferential support to local businesses to ensure northern production of things like energy, food and other basic needs. Will these negotiations limit our ability to provide local entrepreneurs the support they may require and will it limit other governments’ abilities as well? I ask this to the Premier . Thank you.

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley . The honourable Premier , Mr. Roland .

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area of the Agreement on Internal Trade is part of a large package that’s been worked on for a number of successive governments across Canada. From the federal government it was initiated, provinces as well as the territories. What we bring to the table is those types of concerns. When those discussions are happening, it is to make sure that the things we have in place, for example, our Business Incentive Policy, remain in place and protect the things that we’ve established as the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The exact considerations the Member has raised about remoteness and the cost of doing business in the North, and trying to make sure that that’s recognized in any work that goes forward. Thank you.

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Yes, I appreciate those comments from the Premier . Will the decisions being made, for example, or already made, affect things like the Business Development Investment Corporation and impact benefit agreements? What are the decisions that have already been made that are going to impact these sorts of supports that we can provide to our public? Thank you.

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Mr. Speaker, as our Minister is at this time discussing with other Ministers across this country further pieces to the Agreement on Internal Trade, what I’ll have him do, when he comes back, is prepare notes and possibly get together with Members to give the latest update on things. What we’ve tried to put in place and voice concerns around the North is the cost of doing business, exemptions for what we have in place, as well, raise the aboriginal rights issues at these tables. Many of those types of things had been addressed over the years and will continue to be addressed by our government as we go forward. Thank you.

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Obviously, a very complex issue. I’m not developing any confidence yet. Why are these important discussions not regularly and routinely reported to committee and opportunity provided for review, analysis and debate that these important decisions require? Thank you.

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

Mr. Speaker, I’m sure over the history of the Government of the Northwest Territories when these discussions first started and updates since then, information has been shared. We will commit to getting the latest information to

Members. The simple fact is if we’re not at those tables, if we’re not sharing our concern from a northern perspective, those decisions will get made. That’s why, for example, we’ve been able to protect our things like the Business Incentive Policy process and some of our agreements that we have across the Northwest Territories. As I’ve committed to, I’ll have the Minister provide and try to set something up with Members so that they’re provided the information on what’s been occurring here. Thank you.

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley .

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Bob Bromley

Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to hear that the BIP has been protected. I didn’t hear any response in terms of the BDIC and the impact benefit agreements. I’m wondering if those are vulnerable. Will the Premier commit to a regular and routine update and the opportunity for input from Regular Members on this important policy work? Thank you.

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

Inuvik Boot Lake

Floyd Roland

Premier

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Question 12-16(4): Agreement On Internal Trade (Ait)

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . The honourable Member for Nahendeh , Mr. Menicoche .

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement on the elders long-term care facility in Fort Simpson. I previously raised this issue in the House about increasing the amount of bed space. I would like to ask the Minister: is there a current strategy to look at the needs of the Fort Simpson long-term care facility and the amount of bed space? Thank you.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche . The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services , Ms. Lee .

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Range Lake

Sandy Lee

Minister of Health and Social Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member that we need to look at and review the long-term care facility needs for our elderly. In the long run, we understand that the demographics are changing and the senior population is the fastest growing one in the Territories. Because of that, the Foundation for Change Action Plan of the Department of Health is looking at doing a comprehensive 20-year study, not study but plan, on how we get ready for that.

With respect to Fort Simpson, Mr. Speaker, I think the region is very well served in comparison to others. For example, the Sahtu doesn’t have any long-term care that’s there at the moment. I think the addition of the Territorial Dementia Centre and increasing 28 beds will lessen the pressure in the system as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

I certainly agree that our current needs are taken care of, but I’ve listed the example that recently a family in Fort Simpson had to actually ship their loved one to another facility for about three or four months before that person was actually returned to the community of Fort Simpson. That’s only one case. There are several that have occurred over the summer months and even the spring months, as well, there, Mr. Speaker.

I’m just asking the Minister, is there a current needs assessment that’s going to happen at the long-term care facility at Fort Simpson? I know that there was a previous one about three or four years ago that said that the bed space was okay. Is there another current assessment that’s occurring? Thank you.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Range Lake

Sandy Lee

Minister of Health and Social Services

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are working on the NWT-wide needs study and Fort Simpson would obviously be a part of that. I do want to recognize the process the Member’s constituent had to go through. I am aware of the details of the situation and the person had the skills and the background to be able to provide care in the long term. I think it was a situation where by and large for the Fort Simpson facility we are able to accommodate most of the elders in the facility. But once in a while we run into a situation where there’s a lot more people that need the space than space is available.

There are times when there are beds available and not have anybody on the list. So it was a question of supply and demand that has come to the floor for that time. Thank you.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

I’d just like to reiterate that currently all the beds are being filled to capacity. Last month they had two individuals here at the hospital in Yellowknife. They were elderly, they could not be returned to Fort Simpson because there was no bed space in the long-term care facility. It’s just another example that our beds are being used and I would like to urge the Minister to work with the Deh Cho Health and Social Services to institute a needs assessment and I believe that needs assessment will show that we definitely need

an expansion of the facility. So, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister to work with Deh Cho Health and Services to begin a needs assessment, because I don’t believe that our community and my region can wait 20 years. Thank you.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Range Lake

Sandy Lee

Minister of Health and Social Services

I’d like to clarify that we’re not going to take 20 years to do the plan. We’re doing a 20-year plan that is quite current. Mr. Speaker, also I want to state that I will undertake to look at what the needs are at the moment in Simpson and I want to confirm again that we know already that we need extra spaces NWT-wide as we get ready for the next 10 or 20 years and that we will work closely with all the authorities to accomplish that.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee . Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche .

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just once again I’d like to see immediate action on this in starting a needs assessment for the facility. Will the Minister work with Deh Cho Health and Social Services in working towards that? Thank you.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

Range Lake

Sandy Lee

Minister of Health and Social Services

Yes, I will undertake to get back to the Member as to what the situation is in his area. Thank you.

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Question 13-16(4): Long-Term Care Facility For Elders In Fort Simpson

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee . The honourable Member for Kam Lake , Mr. Ramsay .

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got questions today for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it gets back to my Member’s statement where I was talking about Stanton Territorial Hospital.

In my Member’s statement I talked about a technical assessment that was done in 2004 on the building and I also mentioned the fact that here we are five years later and there’s still no master development plan for that hospital. It has come to my attention that no less than three areas of that hospital, that patients are housed in, have been shut down due to mould and mould removal. I’d like to ask the Minister if she’s aware of areas of that hospital that have been closed due to mould and the removal of mould in those areas. Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay . The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services , Ms. Lee .

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member did come and speak to me about this situation, so I did look into it and I can assure the Member that there were no units closed at Stanton. There were beds being moved around to accommodate some of the renovations that had to take place.

In a facility like this that’s 20 years old, there are times when the spaces have to be looked into and rectified when there are situations that occur. I can also assure the Member and the public that the air quality and such were looked at at Stanton and there are no safety issues or risks there.

Mr. Speaker, I do want to also say that the 2004 technical report that the Member is referring to is a master development plan that was initiated by Stanton in 2002. It took two years to complete and the report that they came out with had a cost implication upwards of $250 million-plus, something that is not justifiable for a 20-year-old building that is relatively new in comparison to other areas. So I have been working hard to get the focus back into what is a priority in the department and at the hospital and we will continue to work on that in the capital process. Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

That report from 2004 also identified areas of non-compliance with current codes and health care delivery standards. The report also stated that several building components must -- and I repeat, must -- be upgraded in order to ensure the asset life of that facility. I’d like to ask the Minister what exactly has been done from that report in 2004 to ensure the asset life of that facility is prolonged as much as it can be. Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

I do agree with the Member and it is well known that the hospital is not designed at optimum to deliver the kind of services that it is delivering. So it does need renovating. It’s just that the 2004 report showed an expansion of the hospital in a way that was not in line with what I was looking for, and the Member is very well aware of the seven priority areas and space utilization that we talked about. We need to look at emergency ICU, diagnostic imaging, rehab, medical daycare and all those areas.

That’s what I wanted the management to focus on, and we have been working on that since 2006-07 and ‘08 and, as the Member knows, the new capital process is such that the planning study and the capital plan has to include a lot more detail in terms of what’s planned to make it into the capital budget process and we are working on that. Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

I’d like to ask the Minister who informed her that there was no areas of that hospital shut down due to mould, the prevalence of mould and mould removal. I’m not talking about entire wards; I’m talking about a number of beds that were shut down in extended care, psychiatry and on OBS. Who informed the Minister that there was no mould problem at Stanton? Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

I just need to inform the Member that I did look into it when the Member came to see me and that there was some work that had to be done in units in the hospital, but we do not shut down units because the work needs to be done. The beds get moved around and the service

continues to be provided. Also, I took the Member’s concern seriously about the air quality at the hospital and I’ve inquired about that and there is no safety concern with respect to that. I think those are two important points that the Member brought up that I followed up on. Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee . Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay .

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

David Ramsay

Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Minister can stand up here today and say that there is no mould problem at that hospital and no beds have been shut down because of mould at Stanton Territorial Hospital. Is that what she’s saying today? Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I don’t think the Member should put words in my mouth. What I said is I have followed up on the Member’s question that there were problem areas that were found at the hospital, which is not an unusual situation for a building of that age, and the use of showers and baths and other work that gets done in the hospital sometimes leads to maintenance issues. They were taken into account and we followed up on that and we did not close any of the units in order to do that. There have been lots of technical upgrades and renovations that have been done at the hospital and a building like that would accommodate providing the service while those renovations go on. Thank you.

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Question 14-16(4): Mould At Stanton Territorial Hospital

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee . The honourable Member for Hay River South , Mrs. Groenewegen .

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources . We hear a lot and talk a lot about the issue of heat generation through biomass and one of those biomass opportunities is through the production of wood pellets. At the current time the wood pellets that are burned in boilers and pellet stoves in the Northwest Territories are all imported into the Territory. I would like to know what work the Minister’s department is doing through Environment and Natural Resources in identifying potential areas of harvest of natural materials that would be suitable for the production and manufacturing of wood pellets. Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen . The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources , Mr. Miltenberger .

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We see the area when it comes to our Biomass Strategy of providing the product as a value-added secondary industry that is very important. We’ve been looking at making sure that

our inventories are going to be up to date around the communities, especially as we look at trying to come up with manageable forests around communities that will have a combined function. We’ve had some discussions with companies that are interested in one major plant. The communities that we’ve talked to, that I’ve met with, all are interested in having some type of portable capability when it comes to biomass.

So the Biomass Strategy will be sent to committee here in the next number of days for some feedback. That is one of the areas where we’re looking to have some very serious discussion as we build this big move to transform our energy requirements. Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

What areas of the Northwest Territories where there is vegetation would be considered suitable, sustainable supplies for a stationary or mobile pellet manufacturing plant? Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

We have the benefit of containing about 18 percent of the boreal forest in the country. The boreal forest runs, of course, on the 60th parallel all the way up to Inuvik.

The treeline is moving north.

There are two things you need: you need access to the supply and you need the energy to be able to do the business. So the South Slave, the Deh Cho, up the valley, depending on what size of infrastructure we’d be putting in, is it going to be pellets, is it going to be wood chips, there’s a number of variables, but there’s varying types of potential throughout the boreal forest area. Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

What research and data has the Department of ENR already established that would identify inventories and the sustainability of suitable and enough inventory to warrant this? Like, is the inventory and that kind of scientific work, has that already been conducted and concluded? Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Our forest inventory is a work in progress. As we’ve looked at our Biomass Strategy and developed an approach, it’s going to look at managed forests around communities. It’s focussed down on some of the needs as we’re going to work with regions and communities to see what kind of area of sustainability we need in communities if they were going to do bio or pellets and in a sustainable way around our communities, how big a forest area would they need.

We’re also looking at the broader forest inventory as it comes to other management issues tied to forest products. So that work is underway and is going to have to be intensified as we move forward with biomass. Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger . Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen .

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Jane Groenewegen

Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since this is a land-based activity -- and of course we know that much of the land in the Northwest Territories is either in some form of agreement for First Nations -- what kind of work or groundwork has been laid to ensure that when the time comes, either through joint ventures or agreements or land set aside through land use plans, that they will actually have access to those areas where this product will be available? Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

The Member raises a critical point. A lot of the key and major areas of opportunity for boreal forests lie in the unsettled claims area. As we move forward with these initiatives as we look at it on a regional basis or by community, we’ll have to negotiate and have discussions and work in partnership with the aboriginal governments. Where the land claims are settled. It will be a little more straightforward in terms of how we resolve the issue of access of supply. Thank you.

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Question 15-16(4): NWT Production Of Wood Pellets

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger . The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre , Mr. Hawkins .

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my Member’s statement today, I talked about the issue of diamonds being now cut in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, every resident of the Northwest Territories knows that millions of dollars have been invested and at times rushed into the diamond producing industry and seeing it as the backstop of our economy going forward. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the diamond cutting industry, the ground has certainly shifted and it’s starting to look more like a sinkhole than an investment.

Mr. Speaker, the issue, really, simply is this: I would like to know what this government is doing to protect our diamond cutting industry making sure that we still have a viable position in Canada knowing that we are not the only ones cutting diamonds in Canada. Thank you.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Floyd Roland

Inuvik Boot Lake

The diamond cutting polishing industry in the Northwest Territories has definitely gone through its challenges. Without the support of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I would say in fact there would be no industry in the Northwest Territories. It has been through our determination and the programming and funding we have put in place to help this maintain and exist. I think we can say we still have an industry in the Northwest Territories. In fact, I think it has been the basis of what we have put in place. That has been used by Ontario to use their

Victor Mine to supply their cutting and polishing industry that is just starting out. One of the things that was done prior to this work is the Minister of ITI committed to reviewing our policy and coming back to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure on this policy. Thank you.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, has the Government of the Northwest Territories ever contemplated its position as to where it would be in the sense of investment-wise if another area of Canada started producing diamonds? Have they looked into this issue and evaluated as to how we are going to position ourselves for the future to be relevant? Thank you.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Floyd Roland

Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, I am not all up to speed on what the Minister of ITI is undertaking in this review, and he’s going back to the standing committee this fall, but I would expect that that work will look at quite a number of options as how we deal with the Northwest Territories and our support for the industry. Thank you.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the answer on that, because the Premier can only answer what he can answer. But the fact is the ground is moving on this issue. So the reality now goes to what are we going to do about it.

Mr. Speaker, the fear is those millions of dollars will be lost and it will all be gone. As I said in my statement, the fact is perhaps the polar bear diamond will now become the latest endangered species because the Ontario diamond may have a shine to it. It certainly will outpace our own. Mr. Speaker, is the Premier willing to look into this issue to find out what strategy we can put in place to make sure that our diamond cutting industry isn’t lost to Ontario or elsewhere in Canada? Thank you.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Floyd Roland

Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, just for the record, let’s be clear here. We are not losing the industry. We have worked with the industry. We have put supports in place for the industry. We have put training and programs in place for the industry. We have worked with the diamond mines. Our socio-economic agreement has looked at this to make sure we could have a supply maintained in the Northwest Territories. I expect that the Department of Industry and the Minister responsible will be, as their department is doing the work, going forward to the standing committee on this policy.

We will be able to answer and have a lot more information and Members of this Assembly can help us as we go forward on how we approach the next phase of that industry in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins .

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been gratefully corrected. Potentially the polar bear

diamond is a species of concern right now, maybe not on the endangered list but the reality is Ontario is now producing diamonds and their market is looking a heck of a lot more attractive when they can get deals on land to set up shops. They can get workers in there cheaper. Their power is cheaper. Everything is cheaper to do the business.

I need to know from a constituent point of view, from a territorial point of view, what this government is doing as far as a strategy to make sure we continue to court these industries in a way that they are willing to invest and cut diamonds here in the Northwest Territories, to benefit the Northwest Territories, that produce taxes in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

Floyd Roland

Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, it might be my opportunity to ask the Member what he is suggesting. We have already committed to a process. The Minister and the department are reviewing that policy. We will be meeting with the standing committee. We will be reviewing this process. We will await that work that has to be done.

Meanwhile, our diamond industry is spooling back up. Our factories are hiring more people again as there is more interest and more money available for diamonds again throughout the world. Let’s be clear: the Northwest Territories diamonds, the polar bear diamonds, are prized throughout the world for their quality that we have here in the Northwest Territories. Let’s not undersell ourselves on this. Thank you.

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Question 16-16(4): Diamond Cutting Industry In The NWT

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland . The honourable Member for Nunakput , Mr. Jacobson .

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From my Member’s statement today regarding the Helen Kalvak School in Ulukhaktok and our small, remote communities, the delay of even simple repairs can be significant; parts can often take weeks, given the unique situation. Will the government devote resources to develop a system so parts and materials and skilled workers will be available to repair the schools faster? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson . The honourable Minister of Transportation , Mr. McLeod.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Deh Cho

Michael McLeod

Minister of Transportation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member raises a very important point, something that has been raised by a number of communities in his riding. Of course, our government has been very concerned over some of the frontline services that we have been providing to some of the very isolated communities. This year in the community the Member represents, we were further challenged by the fact that some of the

materials got bumped and really compounded the issue even further. I recognize that there are some challenges that we have to overcome. We are planning to deal with the issue such as the availability of contractors and skilled workers in those communities. We plan to look at the possibility of hiring some of the retainers in some of the communities that the Member is referring to. Thank you.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, there are many school authorities in the south of the Territory now turning to other materials such as non-breakable glass. Will the government look into all types of alternates to address our school’s maintenance challenges and problems? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Deh Cho

Michael McLeod

Minister of Transportation

Mr. Speaker, the issue of materials that can be utilized in communities that have durability to last for the long term is something that is ongoing. We continue to research that. We have to recognize the fact that we certainly have a vandalism problem in a lot of our communities. Last year, for example, we had in excess of over $5 million worth of damages done to our facilities. We look at ways that we can use material that will help us alleviate some of those concerns. I continue to work on that. Thank you.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, for years, this government has been promising all schools, students and teachers will be treated equally and that all resources will be devoted so that all communities will be able to have the same level of standards for larger centres such as Yellowknife. Will the government look into whether all of these commitments can be implemented immediately so our students no longer have to work in a substandard environment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Michael McLeod

Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, we have put together a fairly aggressive deferred maintenance plan for all the communities in the Territories. We expect to set a standard that everybody can appreciate. I will work with all the different departments to ensure that happens. We will continue to move forward on that plan. We certainly will be able to share it. I think we have already, with all the Members, on what we plan to do for the next few years. Thank you.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson .

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Jackie Jacobson

Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite both the Minister of ECE and the Minister of DPW to come for a tour of the Nunakput communities to see this firsthand. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

Michael McLeod

Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, I can’t speak for the Minister of ECE , but I would certainly be very happy to visit the communities that the

Member represents. I will talk to the Minister of ECE to see if he will accompany us. Thank you.

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Question 17-16(4): Maintenance Issues At Remote Community Schools

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake , Ms. Bisaro .

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment . I would like to follow up with him on some concerns. I would like to talk to him about minimum wage.

The Minister and the House knows I have been pushing this issue for quite some time, I think probably since I first got here two years ago. My latest questions to the Minister in discussion on this subject were in June of this year.

At that time, the Minister indicated, or the Hansard indicates that he said, “we are hoping to finalize our discussion with the various parties within a month or two and have a final decision by the fall.” I would like to ask the Minister if he could give me an update, please, on the status of the discussions that he has been having with businesses and with the department and with the various stakeholders involved in minimum wage, the status of the discussions and consultations. Thank you.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro . The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment , Mr. Lafferty .

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I appreciate the Member’s question in this regard, because that is one of the topics that is before us. As a department, we have reviewed and consulted with businesses and stakeholders. We have compiled our information and we are just waiting to present to the Standing Committee on a going forward basis. We are looking forward to that. At that time, we will certainly address those issues. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister for the update. I await that briefing, I guess, with anticipation. I guess I would like to ask the Minister whether or not a decision has been made. Can he indicate whether or not there will be an increase to the minimum wage and whether or not there is a timeline for the implementation for such an increase? Thank you.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, I cannot make a decision at this point. I need to consult with the standing committee first, because their input is valuable to our decision. We need to go back to the Cabinet to move forward with whatever decision is made at that point. But I can certainly say that the Member will be satisfied. Mahsi.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

I hope I am satisfied, Mr. Minister.

---Laughter

Thank you for that. I don’t remember when, probably a year ago now at this time, I had an indication that there was going to be a Cabinet decision on this particular issue in December of 2008, and then in June it was, well it hadn’t happened. We were carrying on forward. I appreciate that the Minister wants to discuss with the standing committee. Certainly standing committee wants to know what is going on before it gets to the public, so I really appreciate the fact that we are going to get a briefing. Once that briefing is done, when can the Minister advise that a decision will be made by Cabinet and this actually whatever is going to be implemented will take effect? Thank you.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Certainly it will be from the outcome of the committee’s decision. Certainly we’ve been waiting for some time now to present to standing committee. We are just waiting, I guess, for a green light to proceed with that. At the same time, once a decision is made, we will certainly bring it back to Cabinet, because we are just waiting for that decision to happen and we will expedite the process. Mahsi.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . Your final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro .

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Wendy Bisaro

Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I guess I need to ask the Minister to explain to me what “expediting the process” means. When, after a Cabinet decision is made, can something actually happen that will be felt in the realm of the public and our residents and our workers are going to be able to see the effect of? Thank you.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

Jackson Lafferty

Monfwi

Once a decision is made at the standing committee level and brought back to Cabinet, then we will roll out the program. Whether it be within a few months from now, then certainly within the new year we want to roll out the program once the decisions are made. Mahsi.

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Question 18-16(4): Minimum Wage Adjustments

Oral Questions

The Speaker

Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty . The honourable Member for Sahtu , Mr. Yakeleya .

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Question 19-16(4): Health Services In The Sahtu

Oral Questions

Norman Yakeleya

Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement talked about the Sahtu regional wellness centre. That’s the hope for the people in the region. I want to convey strong messages from my people. When the Minister and I had a tour in the Sahtu region there a couple of months ago, services that we see in other regions have this type of wellness centres or hospitals, as they call them. I would like to ask the Minister, can she identify a

schedule when the needs assessment in terms of the services and the

facilities in the Sahtu can be identified and looked at?

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