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

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the Honourable John Todd will be absent from the House today as he is attending meetings with the Keewatin Inuit Association. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with heavy heart that I rise today ...

---Laughter

... to state, for the record, that the MLA Sharks were narrowly defeated by the media Ravens hockey team. Yes, Mr. Speaker, the unthinkable happened last Saturday evening in front of more than 100 spectators. The unsinkable MLA Sharks were benched 8-6 by the Ravens. We can take some consolation, however, in the fact that our very own Sheila MacPherson was named the media's most valuable player.

---Applause

---Laughter

Ms. MacPherson also had the distinction of collecting the first penalty of the game, a shameful fact that will probably get our lawyer disbarred. The Sharks can also take consolation in the fact that they played a good solid, and most importantly, Mr. Speaker, clean hockey game. Since I consider myself a good sport, Mr. Speaker, I will not accuse the media of cheating, although that we all know they did.

---Laughter

---Laughter

The Sharks were also disappointed when the Government Leader, Nellie "The Puck Stops Here" Cournoyea was arrested by the caribou cops just seconds after the game began, another shameful act, Mr. Speaker.

On the positive side, Mr. Speaker, we would like to thank the following MLAs for their fine performance: Titus "Beebop" Allooloo, Rebecca "You Are Lucky I Am The Minister Of Health" Mike, Richard "Madtrapper" Nerysoo, Henry "Zorro" Zoe, James "Lee Van Cleefe" Arvaluk, and Jim "The Lynx River Trapper" Antoine. I would also like to thank the Assembly staff and the deputy ministers who helped strengthen the Sharks' roster.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize to the general manager, David "Scottie" Hamilton, on behalf of the Sharks for losing. I promise Mr. Hamilton that next year the road dog will be carrying our flag around the arena. By the way, Mr. Speaker, you will have to do a much better job at juggling the lines if you want to be a coach next year.

---Laughter

One observation as a coach, on other teams people who criticize the coach are sent down to the minors and can play the rest of their career for a federal government farm team.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about the annual meeting of the Gwich'in renewable resources council, which was held in Inuvik from March 17 to 19, 1993. Renewable resources councils, which have basically replaced the hunters' and trappers' association, have been established by the Gwich'in comprehensive land claim agreement. Clause 12.9.1 of the agreement states that there shall be a renewable resources council in each Gwich'in community to encourage and promote local involvement in conservation, harvesting studies and research and wildlife management in the local community.

Mr. Speaker, I was very impressed with the level of commitment and the participation of the 30 plus delegates of this meeting. Many issues were discussed and some of the resolutions dealt with the compensation for hunters and trappers, and the establishment of a trap manufacturing plant. Many issues related to the Porcupine Caribou Management Board. They wish to establish a fur auction house. They wish to establish a renewable resource management program in the Gwich'in settlement area. They wish to establish a tannery. They also set some restrictions on hunting of grizzly bears and caribou on the Dempster highway.

Mr. Speaker, I will be tabling copies of the resolutions which were adopted at this meeting, later today. Again, I wish to congratulate the organizers of the meeting, all the participants, and, especially, the chairperson, William Greenland and the co-chairperson, Morris Blake, who kept the proceedings moving and discussions on track. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you. We have visitors in the gallery, the mayor and deputy mayor of Fort Simpson, Mr. Ray Michaud and Mr. Tom Wilson.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and in particular, thank you for coaching the hockey game. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, March 18, I questioned the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, on the government's plans to make the River Ridge facility, located in Fort Smith, an open custody facility for young offenders. As members of the public may know, this facility was originally planned and built

as a secure custody facility for young offenders. Mr. Speaker, I am cognizant of the government's desire to save money by designating this facility as an open custody facility. It is my understanding the secure custody facility is currently being under utilized. Nonetheless, I am very concerned that the government is making this decision rashly and without adequate consideration of the need for young offenders.

Mr. Speaker, the federal Young Offenders Act has two very different definitions for open custody and secure custody. Open custody means custody in a community residential centre, group home, child care institution, wilderness camp or any other like place or facility. Secure custody means custody in a place designated or the secure containment or restraint of young persons. These two definitions suggest very different types of custodial facilities. The Minister has already indicated that there will be no renovations to the River Ridge centre which will remove the bars and other secure devices which makes this facility a secure custody facility.

Mr. Speaker, in a Prince Edward Island court case, the court held that the King's County Jail was a facility for adult offenders, a secure facility and also an open custody facility. Justice MacDonald, at the time, indicated the physical characteristics of a facility were relevant to a determination of whether the facility could be designated as an open custody facility. He indicated that the physical characteristics of an institution were not conclusive and that other characteristics such as the number of staff, the qualifications of staff, and the establishment of programs set for the benefits of offenders were also relevant for determining whether a place could be properly designated as an open custody facility within the meaning of the Young Offenders Act.

Similarly, in Nova Scotia's decision...

Mrs. Marie-Jewell, your allotted time has lapsed.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you. Similarly, in Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court held that the dual designation of a jail as both an open and secure placement was improper. In that decision the court focused on the lack of facilities and the lack of programs for guidance and assistance for young offenders in determining whether the designation was valid.

Mr. Speaker, the Young Offenders Act and judges in sentencing young offenders have made a very clear distinction between open custody and secure custody. I do not believe the Minister can simply wave his wand or his hand and without proper structural alterations and other personal modifications change a facility from open custody to secure custody. I will continue to pursue this issue with the Minister until such time as the concerns of my constituents as to the validity of the Minister's actions have been fully addressed by his department. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I went for a drive on the highway out of Yellowknife. I thought at first this highway went nowhere. It is called the Ingraham Trail and 20 kilometres of it is paved. As I drove along the highway, I realized that this highway did go some place. At the end of the highway there is a mine and there is a great deal of transportation going back and forth. There are people taking advantage of that highway, they have cabins along the lakes, recreational facilities and people can ice fish and caribou hunt. This kind of highway is good for this community. As I was driving along, I realized if we had a highway down the Mackenzie Valley, there would be equal opportunity for us to enjoy the land as the people from Yellowknife enjoy their land.

---Applause

The eastern Arctic, too.

The eastern Arctic, as well. The highway is important because people make use of the country. I was fortunate enough to run into a herd of caribou, so I took advantage of that as well.

---Laughter

A kilometre and a half off the road?

A kilometre and a half off the road, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

---Applause

I also noticed that 20 kilometres of this highway was paved and I was thinking why could we not have the highway paved from Fort Simpson to the airport, which is only about 16 kilometres. If Yellowknife can have this, why can we not have this in Fort Simpson?

Hear, hear.

---Applause