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

Dangers Of Thin Ice
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this past week, we were all saddened to hear of the accidental death of a respected elder and experienced hunter in the Kitikmeot, one of Mr. Ng's constituents, after his snow machine went through the ice on a fishing trip.

Last year in early winter, we here in Yellowknife, too, lost two young people to a similar type of accident on Yellowknife Bay when the snowmobile and toboggan that they were using to cross the lake fell through thin ice. It was only about half a mile or three-quarters of a mile from their homes in Dettah. A couple of winters ago, you will recall, sadly, that two experienced hunters from Lutsel K'e perished on the natural lake when their snow machine went through thin ice as well.

Each year in winter many sport hunters, fishermen and snowmobilers get anxious, as winter moves south, to get out and enjoy the beautiful winters that we have here. And almost each year for the past decade, we've lost someone. These events have ended tragically. In most cases, these accidents happen away from where help can immediately be found. Hypothermia is usually followed by drowning. If they manage to get out of the water, there is no guarantee that they're going to be safe because of the cold, and that can also result in death.

Some of these events can be prevented, they're not all totally accidents. If people just use caution, and certainly if they exercise patience. People must wait until the ice is formed solid enough on the lakes before they can...Certainly, on the bigger lakes where there are currents and the water stays warmer for a longer period of time because of the size, and the ice doesn't form.

I would also like to caution parents here in Yellowknife that they should explain to the children that Frame Lake, out here on our doorstep, will not be safe for quite some time, given the warm weather we've had. If you recall, the ice has formed almost solidly across the lake at least twice in the last two weeks. In a couple of day's time, the ice had gone completely and we had open water. And this is going to continue, according to the weatherman, for some period of time. So I would ask parents to make sure that their kids exercise...

Dangers Of Thin Ice
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Sorry, your time was up and I had pressed the button prior to completing your statement.

Dangers Of Thin Ice
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. May I seek unanimous consent to conclude?

Dangers Of Thin Ice
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Dangers Of Thin Ice
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and colleagues. You will recall that in the last two weeks, Frame Lake has frozen over completely from shore to shore at least twice. And a couple of days after, it had melted completely and we now have open water.

I would like to ask parents to make sure that they explain to their children that although there's ice on that lake, although they can throw rocks on it and the ice won't break, it's still not safe to walk on. If they ever fall through, it's very unlikely that they'll have a chance to be pulled out of there in time to save their lives. So, with that, I say think safe, wait and live to enjoy the winter. Thanks very much.

---Applause

Dangers Of Thin Ice
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

Upgrading Road In Sanikiluaq
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to express my concern in Sanikiluaq with regard to the road that takes the local people to the fishing spot. This road is not in very good condition; it has to be upgraded. It's the preferred road to be travelled, rather than going through the water they prefer to go through this road by three-wheel Honda or four-wheel Honda. I don't think it would be very much work to upgrade this road, and we would like to get support for upgrading this road. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

Upgrading Road In Sanikiluaq
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, following the tabling of the Metis Voice, yesterday, I wanted to rise to comment on the report that is contained within...

---Applause

...the Metis Voice. I got a B- in the report card...

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Some Hon. Members

Nay, nay.

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

...and I want to thank whoever wrote the report card for the mark.

I want to take issue with the report card that says I hate Billy. I don't always agree with the national chief of the Dene Nation, but actually he's not such a bad character. He sent me a calendar the other day, for instance, and this is something new for 1994. "Hate" in any way is a strong word to use in anybody's relationship. My relationship with the national chief of the Dene Nation has been rather rocky at the best of times over the years, and I would be the last one to deny it. But whoever said that political leaders have to love one another?

What I do take exception to even more is this slimy, low-life report card that ridicules good leaders like us who are working hard and trying hard to deliver on our political commitments.

Take my good friend, Mr. Nerysoo, for instance. I don't always agree with him either, but surely he doesn't deserve to be called "Slicky Ricky."

---Laughter

I think he has worked hard in the last few years trying to deliver in the area of education, which is very difficult.

The report card also says and calls me "stone face." Now, I find that a bit amusing, even though I don't smile when talking about it. Some people tell me I was born like that. Some friends who are liberals ask me if it is true that it is a childhood affliction, but my kids and my wife tell me it's slowly going away.

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Some Hon. Members

Agreed, agreed.

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Could I ask for consent to finish my statement, please?

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue with his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Proceed, Mr. Kakfwi.

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 553

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, when I was younger, I always thought that I smiled much too often and too frivolously. I thought, and I was totally convinced, that one should be very careful about how generous one becomes with such public displays of emotion. I'm always suspect as it is anyway, and when I begin smiling, people around me begin to enquire as to why the sudden change.

Madam Speaker, I will make a commitment that I will change, but I will have to try to phase it in. I want to tell you today of my new goal. No more stone face by 1999. Thank you.

---Laughter

---Applause

Metis Voice Report Card
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 554

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Telecommunications In Small Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 554

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to talk about communications today. In this modern era today, we enjoy using telephones and cordless phones, and you can talk to anybody in any place in this world today, Madam Speaker. However, there are some of my constituents who are still in the dark ages in communication. These are the smaller communities that I have talked about before in the House. I would like to say again that these people have been in need of better telecommunications in the small communities of Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake. They only have one telephone which is a pay phone and it is on the FM channel, so there is a public poster in the community that says if you use the telephone, don't talk about anything personal or medical because there might be someone in the community who has you tuned in and will listen to everything that goes on in your conversation. So even though they have a telephone, it isn't a very private way of communicating. So they have very limited use of the telephone and it is very inconvenient.

There are people in the communities who have requested to have phones in their own homes. However, that isn't possible with the technology that is available to them in the smaller communities. There are band and community offices, schools and teachers who require better communications. They don't have the convenience of faxes available to them either.

Just the other day, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment made an announcement about distance education that is available to people who have the technology. But this limits the people in these communities from not acquiring these services from the department. The communities, when they first got their telephone, modified it so they could use a cordless telephone. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.

Telecommunications In Small Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 554

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

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

Telecommunications In Small Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 554

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The people in the communities, when the telephone first came into their area, were able to modify it on their own, so they could use cordless phones in the band offices. Then they wouldn't have to stand by the pay phone when they made business calls for the band office. NorthwesTel personnel squashed their little bit of communication freedom by remodifying the telephone so that cordless phones could no longer be used. This was very inconvenient for them. So what happens is when their business call comes in to the band manager, they have to go to the pay phone and conduct their business standing by the pay phone. In a lot of cases, it is in the porch of their public building.

In this case, it is very inconvenient and requires some changes and help from the government. I have made statements in the House requesting the Minister responsible for Public Works and Services to do something about this. Two years ago, I was organizing a trip, for the MLAs affected, to go to Whitehorse and meet with the president of NorthwesTel. But I was told to hold off, until the Minister could do something with

it. I am still waiting. I think it is about time that something be done about this. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

Telecommunications In Small Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 554

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Sexual Assault And Child Sexual Abuse
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 554

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The incidence of sexual assault and child sexual abuse is increasing at an alarming rate in the Northwest Territories. Present victims' programs and services are woefully inadequate to deal with the alarming rise in sexual assaults and child sexual abuse.

What is needed in the Northwest Territories is a combination of approaches. What we have seen is, slowly but surely, increases and stiffer sentences for perpetrators. That has to continue. People who are convicted of sexual assault or child sexual abuse have to be told, in no uncertain terms, that it is unacceptable in our society.

There have to be stronger statements by political leaders. We hear a lot of very strong, positive statements by women leaders, but what we haven't heard enough of over the years is strong political statements by male leaders. We need immediate and long-term counselling and support for victims. We have a long way to go.

It has been said many times that there has to be ongoing education for everyone involved in the justice system and social services system. It has been documented in numerous reports, but between reports it seems to be forgotten. There can be no misunderstanding that men are the primary perpetrators of sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Men then have the primary responsibility to put an end to it.

Sexual assault and child sexual abuse is totally unacceptable in our society. The statistics are frightening. Unless we do something about it, eventually its impact will be felt personally by everyone in this room. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

Sexual Assault And Child Sexual Abuse
Item 3: Members' Statements

Page 554

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Madam Premier.

Return To Question 136-12(6): Status Of Birthing Centre Pilot Project In Keewatin
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

Page 554

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a return to a question asked by Mr. Ludy Pudluk on October 14th regarding the status of the birthing centre and the pilot project in the Keewatin.

Madam Speaker, the Rankin Inlet birthing project appears to be functioning very well. There have been 20 babies delivered in the health centre since November 22, 1993. Only one mother and baby had to be medevaced out after delivery, due to prematurity of the infant. Two deliveries had minor complications, but the nurse/midwives were able to handle the situation in the absence of the regional physician. High and extreme risk mothers are still being sent out to Winnipeg for safe delivery of their infants in a hospital setting.

The education component of the project is progressing very well. The partners of the mothers are becoming more involved in the classes and attending clinics with their partners. It has been noted that fathers who have attended the delivery of their baby are now visiting the well-baby clinics with their new infants.

Madam Speaker, there have been problems in staffing the nurse/midwife positions. Both midwives who started with the project have left. The Keewatin Regional Health Board has advertised twice across Canada and has not been able to staff the position yet. The coordinator of the project is working in one of the positions and the second position is staffed by rotating nurses from within the Keewatin region to ensure coverage until the positions can be filled.

Efforts are continuing to locate replacements for the midwives.

Return To Question 152-12(6): Staff Cuts To Yellowknife Health Centre
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

Page 555

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I have another reply. It is a reply to a question asked by Mr. Charles Dent on October 17th regarding staff cuts to Yellowknife health centre.

Madam Speaker, the Yellowknife public health unit has not cut one public health nurse from its staff. A two-year term position expired on October 23, 1994. This position was in addition to the approved staffing level for that unit. Mackenzie Regional Health Services will be conducting a review of the current responsibility and workloads of the Yellowknife public health unit in this fiscal year.

The results of this review will determine the long-term staffing for the Yellowknife public health unit. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 152-12(6): Staff Cuts To Yellowknife Health Centre
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions

October 26th, 1994

Page 555

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions.