This is page numbers 869 - 889 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 3rd 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 study.

Members Present

Honourable Roger Allen, Honourable Jim Antoine, Mr. Bell, Mr. Braden, Mr. Delorey, Mr. Dent, Honourable Jane Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Nitah, Honourable Jake Ootes, Mr. Roland, Honourable Vince Steen, Honourable Tony Whitford.

-- Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you Mrs. Groenewegen. The House will come to order. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year the Government of the Northwest Territories introduced a Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy for the Northwest Territories based on the vision of this Assembly as expressed in Towards a Better Tomorrow.

The Non-Renewable Resource Strategy for the Northwest Territories seeks to position the Northwest Territories and Canada to benefit from increased non-renewable resource development in the Northwest Territories, through a combination of investments in much-needed infrastructure, in our human resources, and in support to business and industry. Because the benefits from this development will extend beyond the Northwest Territories, we have asked the federal government to join us in making the strategic investments needed to realize these benefits.

Today, I am very pleased to join the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew in announcing that the Honourable Robert Nault, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, has just approved the expenditure of $3.7 million to improve our infrastructure and work towards the goals laid out in our Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy. Over the next two years, this funding will help complete seven permanent bridges over river crossings on the winter road extension of the Mackenzie Highway between Wrigley and Fort Good Hope.

This is a partnership project. The GNWT will provide $2 million to the construction project and work will begin as soon as equipment, materials and construction personnel can get onto the land.

Canada's contribution is predicated on two conditions that are acceptable to the Government of the Northwest Territories. They are:

  1. that $2.3 million of DIAND's contribution will be spent on the employment of aboriginal workers and contractors; and
  2. that before the conclusion of the construction period, industry will have made a $200,000 contribution in cash or kind.

Though the amount of this approved contribution is modest, when compared with the four-year partnership investment figures set out in our Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy, it is nonetheless a very important contribution.

It signals Canada's commitment to sharing the cost of preparing the Northwest Territories for the oil, gas and mining development that is in our mutual best interests. It represents a down payment on the investment we asked the Government of Canada to make with us to prepare our infrastructure for accelerated exploration and development. It tells industry that Canada cares about their hopes and their plans to bring our frontier resources on stream to southern markets. It confirms to the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories that Canada and the Northwest Territories share the commitment to ensure that benefits from non-renewable resource development in the NWT will not be allowed to pass them by.

The aboriginal government and business leadership in the Deh Cho and Sahtu are unanimous in their support of this initiative.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Minister Nault for taking this important step in advancing the development of the NWT. His commitment to follow through on his promises to me and to this government is gratefully acknowledged. It is critically important to us, to the oil and gas industry, and to the communities along the winter road that the shipping season be extended from five weeks to eight weeks. Minister Nault recognizes this and, through today's announcement, has ensured the funding for permanent bridges to make this happen.

I also want to thank our Member of Parliament, the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, for her assistance in persuading Minister Nault and their shared Cabinet colleagues of the importance of the federal contribution to this initiative. She has been tireless and unrelenting in her efforts to this end and much of the credit for this announcement is hers. Thank you to Ethel.

I want to thank my Cabinet colleagues, particularly Minister Joe Handley and Minister Vince Steen and their respective staff, for their work with DIAND officials to ensure that the requirements, terms and conditions of this funding were fulfilled and confirmed. A job well done!

Finally, I would also like to acknowledge the positive feedback and encouragement that the government has received to date for our strategy from various federal Ministers and departments, including the Minister of Finance and his department, the Minister of Transportation and his department, just to name a few. My Cabinet colleagues and I look forward to the continued support of the federal Cabinet as we seek additional investments in the Northwest Territories Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy in the months and years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Merci, Premier Kakfwi. Déclarations de ministres. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I committed to Members of Caucus to keep them apprised of the status of the various land, resources and self-government negotiations.

I am pleased to report on the status of the negotiations related to the Deh Cho process. Negotiators met on November 3rd, 2000, and have a framework agreement that is ready for initialling. Negotiators should also have an interim measures agreement ready for initialling by the negotiators in December. The next step would then be the approval of the agreements by the respective parties. These agreements will set the stage to allow for formal negotiations of an agreement-in-principle to begin in the new year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Déclarations de ministres. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, November 12th to November 18th is National Addictions Awareness Week. As you know, addictions is one of the most critical issues we face and I would like to take this opportunity to speak about what my department is doing to address this problem.

Over the past several years, our stakeholders have directed us to provide an array of programs and services that:

- address the underlying issues of addictions and abuse;

- provide services as close to home as possible;

- are delivered in a holistic manner; and

- emphasize more effective programs targeted to women and children.

Mr. Speaker, in response to this direction, the department joined with representatives from health and social services boards to form the Alternative Programs Steering Committee to better address community and regional addiction needs.

Established in April of 1999, the committee has consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders and worked with a number of partners to pilot three new programs:

- the Women's Mobile Treatment Program;

- the Women and Children's Healing and Recovery Program; and

- the Youth Mobile Treatment Program.

The Women's Mobile Treatment is a three-week program that addresses a number of issues specific to women and can accommodate up to 15 clients each session. Mr. Speaker, some women have difficulty with residential treatment due to a lack of reliable child care, and discomfort with co-ed programming that can make it difficult to openly discuss sensitive issues such as family violence and sexual and physical abuse. Furthermore, women told us that the programming was often geared to male needs. To date, programs have been successfully held in Rae, Fort Simpson and Lutselk'e and there are plans to deliver these programs in Inuvik and Hay River before the end of this fiscal year.

Another initiative we are very proud of is the Women and Children's Healing and Recovery Program, which was formally launched November 1st. Our partners, the YWCA, Yellowknife Women's Centre, the Status of Women Council and the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board, have developed this pilot project that supports the healing of northern women who have experienced trauma such as family violence, spousal abuse and other forms of sexual or emotional abuse.

The Youth Mobile Program addresses the well-being of youth. It was piloted in Fort Providence and Fort Simpson with the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Board. This program is targeted at high-risk youth and, like the Women's Mobile Treatment Program, it is customized for the community or region where it is delivered.

This week, I am pleased to advise Members that with our partners, the Native Women's Association of the NWT and the Status of Women Council of the NWT, we are launching the beginning of an FAS awareness campaign. The campaign recognizes that unresolved trauma such as sexual abuse and family violence may affect alcohol use during pregnancy. The campaign focuses on prevention by supporting recovery from abuse and addiction. I would like to recognize the efforts of all the partners, particularly the Native Women's Association, for their commitment to this project.

Mr. Speaker, this awareness campaign and our alternative programs initiative are the beginning of addictions reform, and there are more under development. Currently, the department is working with a variety of partners to establish a territorial Addictions and Mental Health Strategy that will improve our response to addictions and mental health issues which are often interrelated.

The Alternative Program Initiatives and the upcoming Addictions and Mental Health Strategy are not intended to replace existing programs and services. Instead, they will complement the alcohol and addiction projects we fund in 23 communities, the six-bed withdrawal management program at the Salvation Army and the 30-bed residential centre operating out of Hay River.

Compared to other jurisdictions in Canada, we have the best bed-to-patient ratio at adult residential treatment programs. When we are unable to meet client needs in the NWT, referrals can be made to appropriate programs outside of the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, our new initiatives address the fact that there are many approaches to addressing addiction and substance abuse issues and we are committed to exploring new, innovative methods that meet the needs of our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on November 6th, elections were held for the executive of the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

The Gwich'in have elected Fred Carmichael as the new president and re-elected Wilbert Firth as the vice-president. Fred Carmichael enjoys a rich reputation, not only as an astute businessman, but also as a person who has given of himself to the community in several different ways, including service in municipal government and Metis organizations at the political level. The newly elected executive will join vice-president James Wilson, whose position was not up for election, on the executive of the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

On behalf of this House, I offer our congratulations to these newly elected leaders and express our sincere desire to work closely and in collaboration with them.

The outgoing president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council is well known to us all. Mr. Nerysoo has a long history as a leader in aboriginal politics and as an important past Member in this House, including service as the first aboriginal Government Leader of the Northwest Territories. I am sure my colleagues will join me in wishing him the best in his future endeavours. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Public Works and Services, Mr. Steen.

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to tell you today about a recent award with the Department of Public Works and Services.

The North American Occupational Safety and Health Week is an annual event held throughout North America. It is intended to focus the attention of employers, employees and the general public on the importance of preventing illness and injury in the workplace.

Public Works and Services received an Employer Recognition Award for its sponsorship of a variety of workplace safety events during North American Occupational Safety and Health 2000. Each regional office took part in planning meetings, worksite inspections and safety courses. In Yellowknife, the department's safety inspectors used a display at a local mall to explain safety concerns related to boiler, gas, electrical and elevator installations. The department was also able to turn the award ceremony into a staff celebration that raised safety awareness.

I would also like to congratulate two other award winners: Inuvik Gas and Northland Utilities Ltd.

The Government of the Northwest Territories needs to be a leader in the prevention of workplace injuries. I am very proud of the efforts of Public Works and Services and would like to challenge other departments to take a leadership role in the next North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, which will be held May 6 to 12, 2001. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

National Addictions Awareness Week
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge National Addictions Awareness Week from November 12th to the 18th. Mr. Speaker, alcohol and drug residential treatment centres are apparently a declining service. The Northern Addictions Services Dettah facility has been closed since June of 1999. The detoxification program on Franklin Avenue in Yellowknife was moved to the Salvation Army at the same time. After consultation for alternative programming a number of priority areas were identified. They are children and youth treatment programs, children's assessment and treatment services, and men's healing and recovery programs. A women's and children's post-trauma healing and recovery program has been developed and is underway. Meanwhile, addictions treatment programs for women and youth have been delivered.

Overall funding levels have remained the same over the last two years. The Hay River treatment centre received $1.3 million and the Salvation Army's withdrawal management plan received $325,000. Given the nature of addictions in the NWT, this does not seem to even scratch the surface of what is needed, Mr. Speaker.

With that, I would like to, at this time, acknowledge the people who are dealing with their own recoveries and the people who are helping them to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

National Addictions Awareness Week
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Déclarations de députés. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Member's Statement on RCMP Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program

National Addictions Awareness Week
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Brendan Bell

Brendan Bell Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the financial support of the NWT Power Corporation and First Air for their contributions to the RCMP program DARE, or Drug Abuse Resistance Education.

The Power Corporation provided $20,000 to the RCMP to help them take this program to our schools across the North over the next two years. First Air provides free air travel to the RCMP to offset what would otherwise be a very significant cost to the program.

Mr. Speaker, since the inception of this program in 1997, the RCMP have been to over 20 communities and reached more than 1,500 students. The program is run by the RCMP's drug awareness office and over a 17-week period, youth learn about conflict resolution, anger management, alternatives to substance abuse and violence and how to say no to drugs.

Without the financial support of the NWT Power Corporation and First Air, this program clearly would not be viable. I think it is important for us to recognize this financial support and the dedication and commitment of the RCMP officers involved in delivering this program. I hope my colleagues will join me in thanking these folks for working to improve the lives of our children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

National Addictions Awareness Week
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Fur Garment Manufacturing Industry
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today concerns the Government of the Northwest Territories' support for the fur garment manufacturing industry.

Mr. Speaker, the fur garment manufacturing industry is a relatively small industry in the North, yet at the same time it helps to capitalize on the skills and capacities of many Northerners that are unsuited to work in the non-renewable resource sector. In particular, the work that the industry provides can lend itself well to the cottage industry and home production techniques that allow Northerners with traditional skills to participate in the wage economy.

It is important that the government moves forward and provides support for the renewable resource industry; that it takes steps to ensure all sectors of the northern society can participate in economic growth and opportunity. The NWT Economic Strategy 2000 document commits in paragraph 46 to develop a more co-ordinated approach to training, raw material supply, product development and marketing in regards to arts, crafts and cultural industries.

However, Mr. Speaker, I have a great concern that support currently shown by the Government of the Northwest Territories towards this industry and towards the fur sector in the North as a whole is uncoordinated, ad hoc and ineffective.

In my own riding, Dene Fur Clouds, the Fort Providence-based fur garment producer working with the NWT Development Corporation, has experienced continuing frustration and a lack of focused attention to the community-based business. This is a business that is committed to a realistic commercial approach to the manufacture and design of unique knitted fur products for sale both in southern and northern Canada. It is certainly not what some would call a "make work" project. Since 1996, targeted training and product development in conjunction with southern partners and northern, aboriginal designers, have combined to position Dene Fur Clouds as a supplier of unique, high quality products.

Dene Fur Clouds now has seven trained and experienced local producers, specialized knit fur machines, and a modern building that was committed to and recently completed by the community development corporation in order to provide manufacturing space for the business.

However, now that this has been done, it would seem that meaningful support from the NWT Development Corporation and presumably therefore from the GNWT has disappeared.

Fur Garment Manufacturing Industry
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Mr. McLeod, your time for your Member's statement has expired.

Fur Garment Manufacturing Industry
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Fur Garment Manufacturing Industry
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. McLeod. You may conclude.

Fur Garment Manufacturing Industry
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, in March of this year, the NWT Development Corporation informed Dene Fur Clouds that its northern designed sample product lines, months in the development, would not be produced, citing problems with the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur initiative. Commitments to further investment also went by the wayside. Dene Fur Clouds subsequently suspended operations in May and closed down, years of work seemingly wasted.

Mr. Speaker, it is critical that the GNWT implement a focused and coherent fur strategy for the North that will allow the primary fur producing industry and secondary manufacturing industries to complement each other so that we can be manufacturing and exporting high value products from the North. Perhaps the same vigour that was applied to the establishment of a secondary diamond industry can be brought to bear on the fur industry in the North also. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Fur Garment Manufacturing Industry
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

National Addictions Awareness Week
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to address the awareness week, National Addictions Awareness Week. It is often great to say in the NWT that we are leading the way in something or other, Mr. Speaker, but in the area of substance abuse, we are demonstrating a tremendous degree of negative leadership. Some statistics have come to light. For instance, there is particularly trouble among our youth, Mr. Speaker. I talk of people in the 15 to 24 age bracket who, when they sit down to have a few, really do have a few.

A heavy drinker is defined as someone who has more than five at one sitting. Some 43 percent of our youth, Mr. Speaker, are in that category. That is triple the national average. Among hash and marijuana users, we are double the national figure at 15 percent. Among illegal drugs such as speed, LSD, cocaine, our use is again 50 percent higher than the national average, Mr. Speaker. Forty-four out of 100 adults in the NWT are smokers compared to the national average of 27 percent.

A senior RCMP officer recently told a Yellowknife public service group that there is mounting evidence of an organized crime problem in the NWT with distribution of illegal substances from southern centres in to the NWT. Mr. Speaker, we have a substance abuse problem that is not turning the right corner.

It is encouraging and I do applaud the announcement by the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services today of the start of a new campaign for fetal alcohol syndrome awareness. I would like to advocate, Mr. Speaker, that this is the kind of thing that we need to have much more of in the NWT. Public awareness campaigns such as National Addiction Awareness Week tend to become routine. They tend to become kind of ordinary and the more that we can break that cycle of complacency and routine, the more impact we are going to have on our population in dealing with this very, very troublesome topic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

National Addictions Awareness Week
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.