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

Members Present

Mr. Antoine, Hon. Silas Arngna'naaq, Mr. Ballantyne, Hon. Nellie Cournoyea, Mr. Dent, Mr. Gargan, Hon. Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Koe, Mr. Lewis, Hon. Jeannie Marie-Jewell, Hon. Rebecca Mike, Hon. Don Morin, Hon. Richard Nerysoo, Mr. Ng, Mr. Ningark, Hon. John Pollard, Mr. Pudlat, Mr. Pudluk, Mr. Whitford, Mr. Zoe

---Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 549

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Good afternoon. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to congratulate Ms. Mary Simon on the occasion of her appointment as Canada's first circumpolar ambassador. The announcement was made jointly by the federal Foreign Affairs Minister, Andre Ouellette, and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Ron Irwin, late last week. Dr. Simon, who is the first Inuit to hold an ambassadorial position in Canada, will assume this position on October 31, 1994, on Monday.

Ms. Simon is known for her dedication, her impressive list of accomplishments and for creating awareness about and generating action about northern issues, particularly as they relate to the concerns of northern aboriginal peoples. Ms. Simon was born in northern Quebec and worked for CBC Northern Service until 1973, including responsibilities as a producer and announcer for Inuktitut radio and television.

She has held a number of positions with the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and has been a member of the board since 1991. In 1979, Dr. Simon served as first vice-president of the Makavik Corporation and was elected president in 1982. From 1980 to 1983 she was an executive council member of the Inuit circumpolar conference and served as its president from 1986 to 1992. Since then, she has been the special envoy to the Inuit circumpolar conference, dealing with many important issues such as fur harvesting.

In 1992, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from McGill University and was appointed a year later as co-director of policy and commission secretary for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. In 1994, she was appointed as a member of the Nunavut implementation commission.

Mary Simon has been honoured for her work through appointments to the Order of Canada, the National Order of Quebec and the Gold Order of Greenland. Circumpolar ambassador, Dr. Simon will report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. As well as representing Canada at international meetings on circumpolar issues, she will coordinate federal efforts on circumpolar issues, including the implementation of a Canadian proposal to create an Arctic council, a fulfilment of Canada's policy with respect to Antarctica and Canada's participation in the eight-nation Arctic environmental protection strategy. The next ministerial conference on the Arctic environmental protection strategy is scheduled for the spring of 1996, and it is to be hosted by Canada in Iqaluit.

Madam Speaker, I've had the pleasure of working with Mary Simon in the past on a number of issues of importance to the north. Her keen interest in addressing and motivating action in critical areas such as the environment and political development has provided a strong voice for northern people. Her appointment as Canada's first circumpolar ambassador will continue to provide an effective role in international recognition for northerners in areas within her mandate. I'm particularly pleased that the federal government has not only acknowledged the significant contribution of Mary Simon to the advancement of circumpolar and aboriginal issues, but Ottawa has also recognized that a northern aboriginal person can most effectively represent Canada's as its first circumpolar ambassador.

The Premier and I both have written to Ms. Simon on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories to congratulate her on her appointment. Dr. Simon has been invited to meet with the Government of the Northwest Territories and Members of this Assembly at her earliest convenience to review northern matters related to her mandate and to determine how we can provide assistance and support for her important work. Thank you.

---Applause

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Transfer Of Sir John Franklin High School
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, on June 30th of this year, the government dissolved the board of secondary education here in Yellowknife. This opened the way for the long-awaited transfer of responsibility for Sir John Franklin High School to the Yellowknife Education District No. 1. Naturally, district No. 1 considers the management of Sir John to be a great responsibility. Not only is the district taking

over responsibility for an important part of our public education system, it is also taking over a large, aging school building.

Madam Speaker, the district is understandably concerned about this responsibility. They are understandably anxious to avoid adding to the property tax burden of Yellowknife ratepayers, who already pay more than their fair share of education taxes.

The district has tried to address these concerns by drafting a memorandum of agreement between the district and the government. The chair of the district board, Wendy Bisaro, sent this memorandum to the Minister of Education on August 17th for his signature. The Minister responded in September by saying he had difficulty with signing the agreement. The Minister's letter went on to describe the issues outstanding and the government's position on those issues, which appeared the same as what was set out in the memorandum of agreement of August 17th.

Madam Speaker, Yellowknife Education District No. 1 is concerned about the Sir John transfer. Taxes collected from Yellowknife ratepayers are already far higher than those collected elsewhere in the Northwest Territories compared to the total funding of local schools. The average Yellowknife home owner pays four to seven times as much education tax as does the average NWT home owner outside of Yellowknife. The percentage of total school funding, paid by education property taxes, is 10 times higher in Yellowknife than the rest of the NWT on average.

Madam Speaker, for instance, an average three-bedroom house in Rankin Inlet -- say the type that an MLA might live in -- will be assessed in 1994 annual school taxes of $118.14. A similar house in Cambridge Bay would be assessed at $116.55. In Iqaluit, the owner of such a house will pay $189.62 this year. Madam Speaker, I am about to run out of time, so I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Transfer Of Sir John Franklin High School
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Transfer Of Sir John Franklin High School
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 550

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you, honourable Members. As I was saying, a home owner in Fort Smith or Hay River will pay approximately $225 in school taxes. In Inuvik, a home owner will pay the comparatively high amount of about $250. However, Madam Speaker, in Yellowknife, the owner of a similar home would pay a whopping $878.88.

Madam Speaker, given these comparisons, it is no wonder that Yellowknife Education District No. 1 is concerned that without a firm agreement with the Minister of Education, residents of Yellowknife might have to pay even higher taxes to cover the cost of operating and maintaining Sir John. This is especially important given the extensive and expensive renovations planned for the school over the next few years.

Madam Speaker, I hope that the Minister of Education will consider this issue carefully. Not only must he provide a way of reassuring Yellowknife Education District No. 1 that they will not be left holding the bag for Sir John, but they must also consider the issue of equitable school taxes in Yellowknife and the rest of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

Transfer Of Sir John Franklin High School
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 550

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Environmental Review Process
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 550

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as Members may be aware, the federal government is presently conducting an environmental review into the impact of low-level flights in the Goose Bay/Labrador area. Apparently, a leading anthropologist from the Arctic Institute of North America, Ms. Carol Brice-Bennett was commissioned to study the potential impact of these flights and present them to the review panel at the public hearings.

It is my understanding that during her presentation, she was attempting to comment on the review process itself, the nature of the panel and the scope of the issues being addressed in order to put her findings into context. Again, as I understand it, the chair of the panel didn't allow Ms. Brice-Bennett to continue in this manner and, in effect, ruled that her presentation would not be heard.

This disturbed me greatly, Madam Speaker. As we all know, the north has been the centre of such environmental reviews in the past and will be again in the near future. In fact, a similar occurrence was experienced not long ago during the scoping hearings in Sanikiluaq for the Great Whale hydro project. Apparently, the chair of the federal panel cut the meeting short because of bad weather approaching and they did not want to get weathered in. At that point, a number of residents had still not had the opportunity to make a presentation to the panel. They were advised to submit their views to the panel in writing. This is unfortunate, Madam Speaker, because as Members know, the way we do business and address our concerns in the north is face to face, in person. This is especially true of our elders who do not have the formal education to express themselves in writing. Needless to say, those written submissions, if they were sent, could not have had the same impact or been given the same consideration as oral presentations.

There is another concern that I have, Madam Speaker. This has to do with the environmental assessment and the review process itself. It concerns me that the process seems to be set up so that it allows the federal environmental assessment review...

Environmental Review Process
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 550

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Mr. Gargan, your time is up. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Environmental Review Process
Item 3: Members' Statements

October 26th, 1994

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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to continue my statement.

Environmental Review Process
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Environmental Review Process
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and honourable Members. ...the federal environmental assessment review

office, FEARO, to establish a panel and conduct public hearings into the initiative of other federal agencies or departments. I am not saying there is anything wrong going on. But appearances are important. As we believe in this House, justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done.

This concerns me for another reason, Madam Speaker. In the Northwest Territories, we have not established our own environmental assessment and review process. As it stands, we fall under the federal process. We, in the north, are very aware of and concerned with the environmental impact of development projects. When the time comes, it won't be long now, we will want our voices to be heard when decisions about our future and the future of our land are to be made. We want to be in possession of all the facts, including the opinions of experts. We do not want rules of process or procedures to interfere with our ability to make informed decisions. We do not want what happened to Ms. Brice-Bennett or the unfortunate people of Sanikiluaq to happen here.

Therefore, Madam Speaker, I submit that it is time for all governments, particularly the federal government, to take a long close look at the entire process to ensure it is as effective as possible, as independent as possible and as fair as possible. They are called "public hearings," Madam Speaker, so let the public be heard. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Environmental Review Process
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 551

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Round-table On Economy And Environment
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. During the 11th Assembly, we established a Special Committee on Northern Economy. This work really was to provide some kind of long-range idea about the way we should go as a jurisdiction. It was adopted by our Assembly.

One of the recommendations was that we establish a round-table on the economy and the environment. That was chopped after a short time because it was seen to be redundant, but a lot of thought had gone into the way we were going as a territory. It was felt by our committee and Members at that time that if we were going to develop in the west -- especially in the west -- then it was very important that we didn't put ourselves in the position that we have to react and take on fights with all the groups of people who are attracted to this part of the world and there is a battle which suddenly they can engage in; raise lots of money to protect this and that.

I would urge the government to really look at some kind of forum, whereby all the stakeholders could meet -- and it doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to meet every week -- maybe once or twice a year to exchange information so that northern people can set the ground rules about the way we're going to develop. That was the point of the round-table. I'm sorry, in their haste to look at things that could be chopped out because they didn't have an immediate impact, the government reconsidered the need for this kind of forum right now. Simply because I believe we are on the verge of major developments in the west and I don't believe we should allow people outside of this jurisdiction, and outside of Canada, in many cases, to dictate to us how we go. Thank you.

Round-table On Economy And Environment
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 551

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Contamination Of Coppermine's Fresh Water Supply
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 552

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, similar to a majority of other communities with trucked water service, Coppermine's fresh water is drawn from a fresh water source -- in their case, near the mouth of the Coppermine River -- into a water treatment centre and stored until water trucks receive the water and deliver it to households and businesses throughout the community.

Over the past several years, the contamination of the fresh water supply has taken place as a result of silt and sediment infiltration and salt water intrusion. The reasons for the contamination have been attributed to faulty salt water detection monitoring equipment, low water levels in the Coppermine River, high tides, strong northerly winds, clogged intake line filters and various other reasons. The obvious reason for the annual contamination problem is poor location of the water intake treatment facility.

Madam Speaker, this year has been the worst ever, to the recollection of Coppermine residents, for salt water contamination. The community has endured salt water contamination regularly since early August. The hamlet council and I have addressed this issue to the government, only to be reassured that alternative water resupply avenues were established through a contingency plan to be used during extended periods of salt water intrusion, to ensure that the community has access to potable water at all times.

Madam Speaker, the contingency plan is not working. Over the last two full days the community residents of Coppermine have gone without water deliver as, once again, the high tides and low water levels have shut down the fresh water system in Coppermine. At 9:00 am this morning the water supply system was reactivated and, once again, there was fresh water available at the intake source. However, this may only be a temporary occurrence as tides and wind conditions may once again lead to the closure of the water supply system, if not today, in the immediate future.

In recognizing the water supply problem, MACA in previous years, had scheduled major water supply improvements to the community of Coppermine for 1995-96. However, in this year's capital estimates, the water supply improvements have been pushed back to 1996-97.

Madam Speaker, my time is up. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Contamination Of Coppermine's Fresh Water Supply
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 552

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Contamination Of Coppermine's Fresh Water Supply
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Madam Speaker, honourable colleagues. Madam Speaker, fresh water is a basic necessity for survival. It is a priority for all people. I find it totally unacceptable that the people of Coppermine had to deal with not having the availability of fresh water on a regular, year-round basis. Our government supplies and maintains the water treatment infrastructure. They have been unsuccessful in addressing the issue of ensuring fresh water is available to the hamlet for delivery to the community. It is obvious to me that the water supply intake source must be relocated.

Madam Speaker, this issue is of critical importance to the people of Coppermine. I will continue to pursue this matter in asking the government to reinstate the funding for next year's construction and to ensure there is a constant, dependable fresh water supply to the residents of Coppermine.

---Applause

Contamination Of Coppermine's Fresh Water Supply
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 552

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for High Arctic, Mr. Pudluk.

Future Location Of The Capital Of Nunavut
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 552

Ludy Pudluk High Arctic

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I would like to express my concern about the Nunavut government. I know they are discussing the location of the capital of the Nunavut government today. I know there is going to be a great deal of debate and lobbying. It was a difficult battle to divide the north and settle the boundary. We had to work very hard at it for many years. Today, our people in Nunavut believe and know that Nunavut is going to become a reality.

They are happy that future generations will have a place to call their own and a government that is closer to their communities than Yellowknife. Many people have expressed the concern many times about having the headquarters in Yellowknife, which is too far away.

We began discussing the division of the north in the late 1970s and we had a plebiscite in 1982 to settle this question. The majority voted for division. Since then, we started discussing the boundary issue; where the dividing line is going to be. After ten years of discussion, we had a plebiscite to settle the question of the boundary. The majority voted in favour of the proposed boundary. Up to today, northerners have made their own decisions about how Nunavut is going to be.

Madam Speaker, I would like to tell the leaders of Nunavut not to worry so much about where the capital is going to be. We know it is going to somewhere in Nunavut. The exact location or the formation of the government is not really an issue any more. There is no real need for debate any more. We can just settle through negotiations. And 1999 is getting closer. We will have to put our House in order so that Nunavut will have a firm basis to start from. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Future Location Of The Capital Of Nunavut
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 552

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark.

Allocation Of Social Assistance
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 552

John Ningark Natilikmiot

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I stand today to talk about social assistance recipients. They are in need. I realize they always go through a hard time. They are worried about their children, their families and their households. This summer, I met with the hamlet council in Pelly Bay regarding this issue and I was asked to bring up the issue of social assistance to the Minister.

A lot of times, a large household will receive the same amount as a household that is smaller. As Members of the Legislative Assembly, we have to work for the people in our communities. We have to treat our constituents the same and we have to support them. It is not good to ignore this situation. I will be bringing this up during question period. Thank you.

Allocation Of Social Assistance
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 552

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.