This is page numbers 549 - 580 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 6th 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 housing.

Topics

Return To Question 263-12(6): Telecommunications Services For Unserviced Communities
Question 263-12(6): Telecommunication Services For Unserviced Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 558

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Department of Public Works and Services has the responsibility for dealing with NorthwesTel on this issue. The Members had requested a meeting with NorthwesTel. I have arranged that meeting for November 15th, and I've signed off the letters to those Members who represent communities that are unserviced.

Through CRTC hearings that were held in the Northwest Territories, we did take a presentation to those hearings: that we supported the concept of a general surcharge to all NorthwesTel customers to pay for the service going into these unserviced communities. They had come back with CRTC's final decision on this matter, or it's expected soon. But the proposed schedule that NorthwesTel has come up with is Snare Lake to have telephones in 1994-95; Colville Lake, 1995-96; Jean Marie River, 1996-97; Nahanni Butte, 1995-96; Trout Lake, 1996-97; Kakisa, 1996-97. That's what NorthwesTel is proposing and that's basically what we'll discuss with the president of NorthwesTel on November 15th with the Members. Thank you.

Return To Question 263-12(6): Telecommunications Services For Unserviced Communities
Question 263-12(6): Telecommunication Services For Unserviced Communities
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 558

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Health. Last night, Madam Speaker, I watched, with interest, a news show on television showing the very innovative and imaginative ways that hospitals across the country are raising money. There was an example of a Tim Hortons outlet in one hospital. There are other retail stores in hospitals. My question to the Minister of Health...Here in Yellowknife, it's my understanding that all we have is an American-based catering company, so we probably have some room for imagination. Has the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital looked at any innovative ways of raising money within the hospital?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Health, Madam Premier.

Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 558

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, when we were considering the new chairman of the Stanton territorial hospital, one of the discussions I had with the now chairman was to try to find those innovative approaches to finding extra funds and financing some of the projects in the Stanton territorial hospital. Given the background of the chairman, I believe that with his energy and his innovative ideas that he has demonstrated in his everyday life, hopefully that can be transferred in inspiring the board to look at these innovative ways. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 558

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Dent...Mr. Ballantyne.

---Laughter

Supplementary To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 558

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

We look a lot alike, Madam Speaker.

---Laughter

I thank the Minister for that response. It was interesting because the one example was the hospital which was running a Tim Hortons. For the first time ever, I saw a situation where the patients were all happy because they could actually go to Tim Hortons. The hospital was making a ton of money, the administration was happy, it was one of those win, win, win situations. I wonder if the Minister could give assurance that she will discuss with the new chairman of the board some of these imaginative approaches to hospital care. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Health, Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I believe that in addition to the Stanton hospital, some of the rationale behind the formation of health boards is to give the independence to take on some of those innovative ideas, so that the total reliance on government dollars doesn't always continue; that there would be opportunities to explore other ways of doing particularly special projects. I believe that certainly with the Stanton territorial hospital, these discussions will be ongoing. I believe that, given there are some very strong Members of this Legislative Assembly, they may themselves, even though they're not on the board, lend some positive ideas to the Stanton board. I don't think that everyone has all the answers, but any feedback that they can get would be very helpful. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Further Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Further Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Minister gave me a reply for the 1998 Arctic Winter Games host community selection, and she did say that she can safely assume that the international committee was aware and considered any new infrastructure that was expected to take place for Inuvik. I would like to ask the Minister...The town of Inuvik is getting a brand spanking new arena; Inuvik is getting money for a community sports field; Inuvik is getting money for outdoor recreation trails; Inuvik is getting money for the renovation of Aurora Campus; Inuvik...Well, that's good enough.

Further Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

An Hon. Member

We get the picture.

Further Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

You also have two claimant groups: the Inuvialuit Development Corporation and the regional government there. So my question then is, is the committee aware of these new infrastructures that are taking place?

Further Return To Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Mr. Gargan, you may want to rephrase your question. According to our rules, questions posed to the Ministers should be basically under the knowledge of the Minister responsible for the particular department. It's going to be difficult for me to determine the Minister of MACA having that knowledge of the committee, which I believe the committee should have the knowledge of as opposed to the Minister of MACA, when they made the decision. So I would like to ask if you could rephrase your question, taking that into consideration.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

I will just make reference to her own department, then, Municipal and Community Affairs. The Minister is aware that the new infrastructures are happening in Inuvik. Has the international Arctic Winter Games committee been made aware of these, because in your statement you said you can safely assume. I would like to know more precisely whether, in order for the Arctic Winter Games committee to deliberate, you said these things are happening.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Return To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

Rebecca Mike Baffin Central

Madam Speaker, my department informs me that they worked very closely all summer long with the Inuvik planning committee to host the 1998 games. The Arctic Winter Games selection committee was made aware of what Inuvik has to offer, and that was one of the reasons why this really surprised all of us; that they ended up not getting the award to host the Arctic Winter Games in 1998. Thank you.

Return To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

Supplementary To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask...Winter sports doesn't require a lot of infrastructure. It's winter, most of it is done fairly easily. So I would like to ask exactly how much money is required in order for a community to put in the infrastructure. Inuvik is going to have three gyms. They already have one arena and they're going to get a new one, I believe, this year. So I think all the extra facilities are there. I'm just wondering how much more is required in order for the community to have gotten it.

Supplementary To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Further Return To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

Rebecca Mike Baffin Central

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There are general criteria that the international committee uses for guidelines; I don't know to what extent they use it in evaluating communities. Since I don't have the inside information of the committee's decision in arriving at the decision they made, I could provide the...I'm not even sure if the requirement for facilities was one of the guidelines, but I could provide the Member with a list of the facilities that are available and the facilities that were planned to be built as of this winter. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 559

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of the Housing Corporation. Most of us are aware that there's a large amount of rental arrears owed by tenants to the various housing associations. Can the Minister give us an indication as to the magnitude of these arrears owed to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 560

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I cannot give the Member the exact amount of arrears, but I know it does run into millions of dollars. We are working to try to adjust the arrears issue. In some cases, we have people who have passed away who are still on the books as owing the Housing Corporation rent. We have some arrears that are 15 or 20 years old. So I have instructed the department to put together a paper on how to address the arrears, what arrears should be written off and what shouldn't so I can take that to Cabinet for approval. Thank you.