Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members of the Legislative Assembly are aware that I have just returned from Ottawa from an important meeting with the Honourable David Dingwall, the Minister responsible for CMHC.

The basic purpose of my meeting was to brief the new Minister on: the great need for social housing in the NWT, to both meet the existing backlog of 3,600 units of social housing in the NWT and new units needed to keep pace with our population growth; the extremely serious impact of total federal funding cuts for new social housing by the previous government; the unique northern factors which have resulted in our government assigning the highest possible priority to social housing; and, the urgent need for reinstatement of federal funding.

I am pleased to report to this House that the Honourable David Dingwall was sympathetic to our social housing problems and the severe impact of financial cuts imposed by the previous federal government. Through the good work of our Members of Parliament, Ethel Blondin-Andrew and Jack Anawak, he had already been made aware of many of our concerns.

He clearly understood that there were several housing factors which are unique to the NWT and which do not exist to the same extent in southern Canada where social housing is a small percentage of their overall housing stock. In the south there are many other alternatives to social housing. In most NWT communities, there is very limited private housing available.

The Minister indicated that he would support our request for an extension of six months to the January 1994 deadline, so that we might present our case further.

At this early stage of the new federal government, it was most important that we seized the opportunity to clearly state the seriousness of our housing problems and the critical role federal funding reinstatement will play in a solution.

I was impressed by Mr. Dingwall's understanding of the issues in the NWT and the level of his sincerity to work toward solutions.

I will continue to keep the House, the Advisory Committee on Housing, the Standing Committee on Finance, aboriginal organizations, communities and local housing associations and authorities fully up to date, on both our continuing strategy and efforts to restore federal funding.

I also took the opportunity to discuss our government's business incentive policy and its future application to federal projects.

I emphasized with the Minister that the business incentive policy is not a trade barrier, but is needed by northern companies to offset the higher costs of operating in the NWT and to compete with southern companies.

It was agreed that a senior official of the departments would examine this issue further. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. Morin. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, I am pleased to advise the Members of this Assembly of the signing of an agreement with the federal Minister of Transport which will provide $10 million in additional federal funding to upgrade and improve transportation and infrastructure across the NWT.

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The Department of Transportation will match the federal funds from its own capital resources for a $20 million joint program. The agreement will enable work on a number of high priority transportation projects to be accelerated or enhanced and several new projects to be initiated.

At Coppermine, we had planned for a runway resurfacing. The agreement provides an additional $3 million for a total of $3.8 million, to allow us to widen the existing runway, expand the taxiway and the apron, resurface the entire airfield and replace the lighting system. This will allow jet service to be provided in this growing community. Completion is scheduled for 1995.

At Snare Lake, $2.6 million dollars will be spent to build a new airport, including a 900-metre runway, apron, taxiway, airfield lighting and passenger shelter. The agreement has allowed this work to be advanced by a year, with work to begin this winter and be completed in 1995.

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At Deline, our original agreement with Transport Canada allowed only for minimum improvement to the airport. An additional $3.6 million has been made available, under this agreement, to allow for relocation of the airport. This has long been a high priority for the residents of this community. This project will be completed by 1997.

At Pelly Bay, the budget has been increased by $1.8 million, making $4 million available to complete realignment and extension of the runway to 1,525 metres, relocate the apron and taxiway, and provide airport lighting and a passenger shelter. This project will be completed by 1995. Thank you.

---Applause

At Lutsel K'e, $600,000 has been added to the $2.7 million budget to complete the realignment of the 900-metre runway, relocate the apron and taxiway, and provide airfield lighting and a passenger shelter.

An additional $1.3 million has been allocated at Fort Good Hope, bringing the total to $2.8 million, to complete realignment of the 900-metre runway, relocate the apron and taxiway, and provide airfield lighting and passenger shelter by 1995.

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A total of $1.4 million will be spent at Coral Harbour to upgrade the community harbour and wharf and improve the access road to the barge landing and the airport.

At Pangnirtung, $2 million will be spent to construct a breakwater, anchorage channel and a cargo marshalling area. This project was designed several years ago, in cooperation with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. However, funding was not available to proceed until now. Work has already started and will be completed by 1996.

At Iqaluit, $900,000 has been budgeted to improve marine facilities for resupply and local activities. This work is scheduled for completion in 1997.

A total of $1.5 million has been allocated to improve a marine resupply facility in Rankin Inlet. This will support improvements to resupply activities in the Keewatin aimed at major cost-savings. This program has also supported a major hydrographic survey of potential shipping lanes into a future port near Coppermine by providing a $1.2 million contribution to the Canadian hydrographic survey.

As you will be aware, work on some of these projects has already commenced. These projects will be undertaken over five years, with the agreement expiring March 31, 1998.

Mr. Speaker, I must say there was some initial reluctance by the federal government to spend these funds on territorial priorities. However, I am pleased to say we succeeded in making a strong case for these projects. This, coupled with our willingness to match the federal contribution, resulted in the acceptance of the territorial proposals.

With the support of the Members, we will continue to upgrade our transportation infrastructure, create employment and enhance our ability to transport people and goods, safely and efficiently. I am certain you will agree with me that the NWT will benefit significantly from this joint venture to invest in transportation facilities in the Northwest Territories.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the last session of this Assembly, I announced

four new community-based teacher education programs which will help my department reach its goal of having aboriginal people make up half of the teaching force by the year 2000. These teacher education programs have proven to be much more popular than we anticipated.

Community-based teacher education programs are currently being offered in 11 communities in the Baffin, Beaufort-Delta, Dogrib and Kitikmeot regions. A total of 130 aboriginal teacher trainees are registered in these two year training programs, which is the greatest number of aboriginal candidates enrolled at any time in the 25 year history of teacher training in the Northwest Territories.

These programs are offered through partnerships involving the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Arctic College's teacher education programs and the divisional boards of education in each region.

In the eastern Arctic, the Baffin teacher education program has 37 full-time trainees in Arctic Bay, Igloolik and Pangnirtung, while the Kitikmeot community teacher education program has 13 full-time trainees in Cambridge Bay and Taloyoak.

In the western Arctic, the Beaufort-Delta community teacher education program has 59 full-time trainees and is offering courses in Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. The Dogrib community teacher education program has 12 full-time and nine part-time trainees in Lac La Martre and Rae-Edzo.

The community-based program offers basic teacher training and leads to the Arctic College Diploma in Education and the NWT Standard Teaching Certificate.

After completing the program, graduates can either take guaranteed teaching positions with their divisional board of education, or can continue working towards a Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, or McGill University in Montreal, through Arctic College's teacher education programs.

In addition to the people in the community-based programs, another 52 full-time trainees are registered in Arctic College's campus-based teacher training programs. A further 12 trainees are taking courses towards their B.Ed degrees at Thebacha campus in Fort Smith and Nunatta campus in Iqaluit.

Mr. Speaker, the improved access offered by these programs is providing new career opportunities for teacher trainees across the Northwest Territories. There are already 31 newly qualified teachers who graduated from the Keewatin teacher education program this past June, as well as ten Dogrib teachers who graduated in 1992 from the first community-based program in Rae. This initiative will soon result in a well-trained and qualified force of professional aboriginal teachers. In turn, this will help make our schools more relevant and will lead to higher levels of achievement on the part of aboriginal youth. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The United Nations has chosen 1993 as a year to recognize and celebrate indigenous peoples around the world. In support of this declaration, the Department of Public Works and Services has undertaken three activities.

The department has presented $500 each, to two outstanding northern aboriginal university engineering students: Warren McLeod, from Yellowknife; and Corey Wainman, from Inuvik. The students had to be entering the first year of a post-secondary technical program and, based on their excelled high school achievements, they were judged likely to succeed in these difficult programs.

In addition, four apprentices who are working with Public Works and Services will be recognized with $400 gift certificates to purchase tools. The apprentices are: Martha Aupaluktuq, from Baker Lake; Larry Benwell, from Fort Smith; Aime Panimera, from Igloolik; and Barney Tootoo, from Rankin Inlet. The selection of these awards was based on a combination of work performance and academic achievement.

As well, two posters of aboriginal employees -- Patty Greenley, from Cambridge Bay and Floyd Daniels, from Fort Simpson -- will be published in January, showing the employees as successful role models and encouraging aboriginal students to stay in school. The posters stress the department's theme of "work with us."

There is a great demand in the Northwest Territories for aboriginal tradespeople and graduates of technical programs.

Our awards recognize the success and efforts of individuals in these fields. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I left some papers on my desk. One of the documents was the Edmonton Journal, in which there was an article written about Kitty Nowdluk-Reynolds. It was missing this morning when I came in. I wanted to let the staff know, or whoever took it, that it is a good thing most of our statements are done by computers. I was able to retrieve a copy.

She was arrested, detained and transported from one coast to another in handcuffs. When she arrived in Iqaluit, she was transported to court in the same vehicle as her attacker.

Mr. Speaker, all northerners and Members of this Assembly, men and women alike, were horrified by Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds' treatment. Indeed, the RCMP complaints commission stated in their report that Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds was victimized a second time by the force's careless and insensitive treatment.

Mr. Speaker, I'm delighted today that the RCMP have reached and out-of-court settlement with Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds. The RCMP will pay Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds $100,000, as partial compensation for the trauma she suffered as a result of their wrongful action. In a letter to Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds, the RCMP Commissioner, Norman Inkster, stated that he was appalled at the behaviour of several mounties. Mr. Speaker, this settlement can only partially compensate Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds. After she pays legal fees and possible taxes, this amount is just a drop in the bucket when viewed in comparison to the emotional trauma suffered by this woman.

Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds will most likely always be distrustful of the justice system. She will undoubtedly always bear the scars of her rape, the scars of her treatment at the hands of the RCMP, the scars of having to repeat her story over and over again and of being subjected to vigorous cross examination during the public complaints commission held to investigate this matter. I am glad, however, that the RCMP have chosen to compensate Ms. Nowdluk-Reynolds and I can only hope that we will never again see a similar situation happen to any woman, whether native or non-native. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Whitford.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you, Mr. Whitford. One note of interjection here. It's been brought to my attention by a couple of Members they find it a bit awkward if they go beyond their time limit, to sit down and stand up and sit down. What I would suggest then, for Members who want to, if you go beyond your two and a half minutes, to stay standing and request unanimous consent. You don't have to sit down and then stand up again.

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Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last May my constituents were shocked and saddened by the tragic death of a well-known native pilot, Billy Bourque, who owned and operated Loon Air.

Mr. Speaker, Billy Bourque was killed in Villeneuve, Alberta while he was doing a test flight with the new plane he had purchased for his company. Mr. Speaker, his death was not a result of pilot error. His death was due to the airline cables being incorrectly installed. The cables were installed backwards.

Billy had a unique personality which always allowed his generosity and sense of humour to shine. Mr. Speaker, Billy Bourque received his private pilot's license at 18 years of age. With further work, he obtained his commercial license in 1972, at age 21. In 1980, Billy established his own business which was called Loon Air, a name and a logo which truly reflects our north. His company had four planes at the time of his death.

Billy Bourque was born in Fort Chipewyan to his proud parents, Albertine and the late Joseph Bourque. He leaves behind his wife Heather, three sons: Troy, Ivan and Scottie, and his daughter Rene. Billy is also missed by six sisters, three brothers and many nieces and nephews, uncles and aunts. He lived most of his life in Fort Smith.

Billy Bourque was a man who was held in high regard by many people in the north, particularly in Fort Smith. He was a man who respected everyone, regardless of who they were or what they did.

Mr. Speaker, nothing would please my constituents more than having the new tanker base to be built in Fort Smith named in his honour. Mr. Speaker, I would encourage this government to call the new base, when it is built, the Billy Bourque Aviation Centre. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for years there has been a cost-shared program in the Northwest Territories, which I believe exists in every province as well, called vocational rehabilitation for disabled persons, or VRDP. This program has been funded by the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories. It was designed to be available for people with disabilities and special needs.

Initially, there were committees in each region empowered to make assessments and decide on how funds should be made available. As far as I know, there is no longer a VRDP committee in the Baffin region. In fact, as far as I know, there are no longer any funds available in the Baffin region. I am told that monies in the program were recently used to fund a consultant, based in Yellowknife, who has developed an assessment tool which replaced the regional committee approach which had been followed for years. As I understand it, the diminished funds now available are controlled by this headquarters person. I am also told that the program in recent years was transferred to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, from the Department of Social Services. Mr. Speaker, there are disabled persons in my constituency and in the Baffin region who could benefit from the kind of long-term planning, counselling, rehabilitation and treatment which this program, in its initial conception, was designed to provide.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the students will be running the future in our land. They will work as Members of the Legislative Assembly. They will also be in the workforce. We have to work hard towards reaching these goals and I thank the government for providing adequate schools for our children. However, at this time, the communities' populations continue to grow. They have to travel long distances to get to their schools. Normally they do this by walking, many times in blizzards. There are dogs that are often unleashed and are a danger to these children. In Gjoa Haven, where I was voted in, this is becoming a growing concern and for a long time they have been requesting a bus for transporting the children. Since our children are our future, let's help them. Not just within the schools, but on their way to attend school and on their return. They experience hardships. When question period is upon us, I will be posing a question to that affect, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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