This is page numbers 743 - 763 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th 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.

Members Present

Mr. Allooloo, Mr. Antoine, Hon. Silas Arngna'naaq, Mr. Ballantyne, Mr. Dent, Hon. Samuel Gargan, Hon. Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Koe, Mr. Lewis, Mrs. Marie-Jewell, Ms. Mike, Hon. Don Morin, Hon. Richard Nerysoo, Hon. Kelvin Ng, Mr. Ningark, Mr. Patterson, Hon. John Pollard, Mr. Pudlat, Mr. Pudluk, Mr. Whitford, Mr. Zoe

---Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Good morning. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Pollard.

John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, the Premier will be absent from the House today to attend the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in Vancouver. Mr. Todd will also be absent from the House today to attend a meeting in Ottawa with the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy on the future administration of community futures and business development centres programs.

I will be absent from the House Monday, April 3rd, and Tuesday, April 4th to attend a meeting with the Honourable Paul Martin in Ottawa to discuss the formula financing agreement and federal transfer payment reductions that were announced in the federal budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to announce that the settlement corporation of Fort Good Hope will become a charter community on April 1, 1995 and will be known as K'asho Got'ine. Fort Good Hope is the third community to become a charter community under the Charter Communities Act. The words "K'asho Got'ine," Mr. Speaker, is North Slavey for "Big Willow People."

Mr. Speaker, many individuals from the community were involved in achieving charter community status for Fort Good Hope. I particularly wish to commend Chief Isidore Manuel, along with members of his council, and Mr. Everett Kakfwi for their dedication and hard work in leading the community to achieve this goal.

The community charter developed by the settlement council and approved by the residents of the community is very progressive. The community charter allows council to enact a variety of by-laws provided for within the Charter Communities Act; however, a provision has been provided that permits council to seek the approval of the band assembly prior to voting on any motion or making any by-law. Mr. Speaker, this is truly an example of public participation in local government decision-making and an example of the flexibility for community government provided for under the Charter Communities Act.

I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, to advise the Members of this House that the community charter of Fort Good Hope also adopts the provision of zero tolerance of violence against people. The charter requires that community council members conduct themselves in accordance with the zero tolerance declaration or risk being removed from council. Again, this provision is very progressive of the community.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs continues to offer assistance to community councils who wish to explore the options available for becoming a charter community. As a further example of the department's support to interested communities, I am pleased to announce that the residents of Deline recently approved amendments to their community charter. These amendments allow for the number of appointed members to increase from four to five; change the name of "The Council" to the "Deline Dene Council;" and recognize that the band is known as the "Deline Dene Band."

Mr. Speaker, as Members will note, this department continues to place a priority on assisting in the political development of community governments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Caribou Carnival
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this weekend the city of Yellowknife celebrates Caribou Carnival. For over 40 years now, Yellowknifers have been participating in a wide variety of carnival events such as the caribou capers show, the ice sculpting contest, snowmobile racing and I understand this year there will even be a skydiving competition. There have also been various individual sporting competitions and I understand that the honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine, has demonstrated some particular skills at Caribou Carnival in the past. I expect we'll see him out there defending his good efforts, in the past again this year in log sawing and so on.

Caribou Carnival
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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

The caribou king.

---Laughter

Caribou Carnival
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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

As some Members have no doubt already discovered, the Caribou Carnival cops have been making arrests for the past couple of days and I encourage Members not to take these arrests too seriously. It is one of the main ways that the Caribou Carnival raises its funds for operation, through fines charged by the caribou cops. Mr. Speaker, Caribou Carnival is a unique northern event which provides northerners with an entertaining break towards the end of our long winters. The carnival is also enjoyed by visitors from outside of the city as well.

Mr. Speaker, the highlight of the carnival has always been the Canadian Championship Dog Derby. This race requires a special combination of strength and endurance from derby competitors and I would like to extend my best wishes to all those competing in the dog derby this weekend.

I would also like to recognize members of the Caribou Carnival association and all of the carnival volunteers for their efforts in organizing this year's events. Chief among the carnival organizers is Vic McLeod, president of the carnival board. Other board members are Donna McLeod, Donna Bunt, Gerry Seaward, Lois Grabke and Lisa Staples. These people, in particular, have worked hard to put the carnival together but there have been countless other volunteers who have dedicated themselves to putting this year's carnival together and I would like to acknowledge a great debt of gratitude on behalf of all Yellowknifers for the work they have done.

Mr. Speaker, it appears that I will need a few more seconds to conclude my statement so I seek unanimous consent.

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the number of visitors in town and the events taking place, this year's carnival promises to be a tremendous success. I encourage everyone to join in the weekend's festivities. Get out, participate and have fun. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Koe.

Career Fair Days
Item 3: Members' Statements

March 30th, 1995

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Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week in Inuvik there was a major event which involved a lot of companies, corporations and government agencies. This event is one that has become an annual event in Inuvik and in the surrounding communities and it is a career fair day. Companies set up booths and invite students from high schools, senior students of elementary schools and colleges. It is also open to the public. Every year, they seem to get bigger and better and this year was no exception.

The career fair day was held in the Inuvialuit building in downtown Inuvik and they took up most of the space available on the main floor. There were companies, corporations and government agencies from both federal and territorial levels. They all had very professionally designed and developed booths and provided a lot of information. Parts of these displays were then moved on to Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik and Fort McPherson.

I would just like to thank all of the organizers and people who participated in career fair days because it gives our students an opportunity to look at jobs that are available and the types of training and development they need to be able to obtain and achieve these jobs. I would like to thank, again, the people involved and the students for attending these career fair days. Mahsi.

---Applause

Career Fair Days
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

The Use Of Acronyms
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sometimes I think it's important that we, kabloonas, also talk about our language and culture, what's left of it. Today being Friday, I would like to talk a little about acronyms and it may take me a little more than my allotted time, I should warn Members. But, now that you're in the chair, Mr. Speaker, we have a little more time on Fridays than we would otherwise have.

Acronyms, these little devices are peculiar to my first language, which is English. As far as I know, they aren't employed by the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories. Once again, the aboriginal people have achieved simplicity and elegance in refusing to use acronyms in place of confusion and incoherence. But for the sake of those who are blessed by not having English as their first language, I will explain what an acronym is. An acronym is made up of the first letters of words which make up an expression. I first came across the use of acronyms as a young boy when people started calling me DP instead of Dennis Patterson.

---Laughter

I thought that was quite flattering and it was being used fondly, until I found out that DP is actually often an uncomplimentary term for a displaced person.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that so far, I haven't had very much influence. At a recent meeting of the Nunavut Caucus with the Nunavut Implementation Commission...

The Use Of Acronyms
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Patterson, your time is up. Mr. Patterson.

The Use Of Acronyms
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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

I seek consent to continue, Mr. Speaker.

The Use Of Acronyms
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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Patterson.

The Use Of Acronyms
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I attended a recent meeting of the Nunavut Caucus with the Nunavut Implementation Commission and the executive of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and there were also officials of the Division Review Committee and the Special Joint Committee on Division present. Or maybe I should say at the meeting with the NIC, NTI, the DRC and the SJCD.

---Laughter

That meeting was held in YK in the LA, by the way. I learned at that meeting of a completely new acronym which has been devised by the capable bureaucrats who are assisting the NIC in planning Nunavut. This one had me completely flummoxed. I had to stop and ask what this term meant. As far as I can see, this is a completely new acronym invented by the Nunavut planners. I must, therefore, announce that my impression is that rather than banning acronyms, Nunavut is likely to inflict more of them upon us.

I will tell you about this new acronym. Just as everyone has become familiar with what a PY is -- I think you all know that a PY is actually an acronym for a person year -- they can be half people too, or as we learned the other day in the...

The Use Of Acronyms
Item 3: Members' Statements

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An Hon. Member

(Microphone turned off)

---Laughter

The Use Of Acronyms
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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Yes. Half people are just as important as full-time people. As we learned in Mr. Arngna'naaq's Renewable Resource supp the other day, PYs can even be quarter PYs.

---Laughter

I think this one could be subjected to abuse or misunderstanding. In case you think I am joking about the dangers of acronyms, I want to tell you a little story before I conclude.

One of the perils of using acronyms is they can have unintended consequences. You have to be very careful, for example, in choosing a name for an organization because the acronym may contain an unpleasant surprise.

I have been pressing Mr. Nerysoo for months about giving college east and college west new names and I am very delighted that he has resolved the question recently with some very inspiring new names. But now I want to warn the Minister that he is faced with finding a name for the Inuvik campus of the new Aurora College. He was musing the other day that perhaps it might be appropriate to name that campus after a person who has made a great contribution to education in the region. I just want to warn him that he should be very careful in selecting this name because when I was on Cabinet way back when, and when I was Minister of Education way back when, we decided to create a college out of the adult vocational training centre in Fort Smith, or the AVTC, as it was fondly known. So we decided the college needed a new name and we thought the democratic way of having it would be to have a name-the-college contest and let the students and the good people of Fort Smith decide the name.

So, Mr. Speaker, Cabinet was about to approve the contest winner for the new college at Fort Smith and make it official, when suddenly someone said wait a minute, what about the acronym. I want to warn Mr. Nerysoo, before he finalizes the new name for the Inuvik campus, especially if he is going to name it after a person, ask that question. What about the acronym? The name we almost gave to the Fort Smith college, Mr. Speaker, was Stewart Hodgson Institute of Technology. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

---Applause

The Use Of Acronyms
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Development Of Cadillac Mine Site In Nahendeh
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about a mining possibility in my constituency. Mr. Speaker, the Cadillac Mine site has existed in the mountains west of Fort Simpson for quite a number of years. In the past, attempts to develop this mine site have not been successful. This mine site sits along a river called Prairie Creek which runs into the south Nahanni River. That is the world-renowned Nahanni National Park, which is an international reserve. A Vancouver-based company called San Andreas Resources Corporation is conducting a pre-feasibility study on the old mine site, Mr. Speaker. Factors of the study are zinc, lead and silver. This is about 100 kilometres north of Nahanni Butte.

Upon favourable results of this study, a full feasibility study will be undertaken and should be completed by this spring. Accordingly to company personnel, economics of the project continue to appear very positive. Representatives of San Andreas Resources met with the public in Fort Simpson and in the Deh Cho communities during the week of January 25th of this year. The purpose of the meeting was to bring everyone up to date on the developments and proposed activities of this mine site.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of San Andreas Resources as they have been working along with the local and regional economy, so that appropriate measures are ensured and their operation has little impact on the environment. Also, applaud their efforts in maintaining a link with the communities in the region.

Mr. Speaker, in the past, all too often in exploration, extraction of the products by southern firms has been done without significant benefits to local residents and in total ignorance of our environment, in some cases. When I think of those times, Mr. Speaker, I think the philosophy that southern companies are exercising now and have adopted in their dealings here in the north should be the basis or standard for any and all activity proposed by all outside firms. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Development Of Cadillac Mine Site In Nahendeh
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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