This is page numbers 1597 - 1638 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 women.

Topics

Members Present

Honourable Roger Allen, Honourable Jim Antoine, Mr. Bell, Mr. Braden, Mr. Delorey, Mr. Dent, Honourable Jane Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, 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

Merci pour le priere, Mr. Braden. Bonjour, mes colleagues. My colleagues, I am pleased to recognize Monday, March 12, 2001 as Commonwealth Day. Commonwealth Day is an annual celebration of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and its members. Commonwealth Day brings together some 1.7 billion people from all over the world, approximately 25 percent of the world's population, of many faiths, races, languages and traditions.

The goal of Commonwealth Day is twofold:

  • • to promote the virtues of both the Commonwealth and parliamentary democracy to the younger generation; and
  • • to provide people with a memorable and enjoyable day of celebration for our association of nations.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretariat will be hosting the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London, England this year. The theme of Commonwealth Day is The Year of a New Generation, focusing on showing youth around the world that they can achieve any of their goals if they are given the right chance.

Mr. Paul Cook, a resident of Yellowknife, is currently attending university in England. He has been invited to celebrate as the Northwest Territories' representative. The Commonwealth Day events Mr. Cook will be participating in include:

  • • a discussion on Commonwealth and Commonwealth parliamentary associations and their contributions to parliamentary democracy;
  • • the observance at Westminster Abbey of Her Majesty the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth and all of the Commonwealth high commissioners in London;
  • • a tour of the United Kingdom House of Parliament and the opportunity to observe from the gallery in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Please join me in recognizing March 12, 2001 as Commonwealth Day.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Déclarations de ministre. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, climate change is considered one of the most serious environmental, economic and political challenges of this century. The impact of climate change on the Arctic and especially on people with traditional lifestyles is a major concern for all of us. Northern regions are already seeing the effects of a changing climate.

As Members are aware, climate change is caused by the build up of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere. Today, I will be tabling a draft strategy which proposes actions to help us begin controlling the emission of greenhouse gases in the Northwest Territories.

While the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development had the privilege of coordinating the development of the NWT Greenhouse Gas Strategy, this is not a Government of the Northwest Territories strategy. Mr. Speaker, more than 40 federal and territorial agencies, aboriginal organizations, industry and environmental groups participated in the development of the strategy. This is a strategy proposing action by all sectors in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, public education is a major theme in the draft NWT Greenhouse Gas Strategy. The recent opening of the NWT Climate Change Centre in the Arctic Energy Alliance's Yellowknife office is an example of a measure proposed in the strategy to raise public awareness. The NWT Climate Change Centre will play a pivotal role in educating people and building an understanding of the effects of climate change in the North.

The strategy also proposes the development of the Renewable Energy Technology Conversion Assistance Program to increase public awareness, confidence and acceptance of renewable energy systems. The proposed program is also designed to expand the renewable energy supply industry in the NWT, and to reduce long-term dependencies on fossil fuel and emissions of greenhouse gases.

These are just two examples of actions we could take to help control greenhouse gas emissions. Many more are identified in the draft strategy. I invite everyone to review the strategy and to provide comments and feedback on these actions. I also encourage all NWT residents to take personal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of those involved in developing this strategy and to thank the participants whose significant commitment of time and effort has guided the development of the draft Greenhouse Gas Strategy.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Déclarations de ministre. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, March 8th, is International Women's Day, part of International Women's Week which is being celebrated this year from March 4th to March 10th. March 8th is a day set aside around the world to highlight accomplishments in women's universal fight for equality, to raise awareness regarding women's issues and to celebrate together the victories and achievements of women.

The theme for this year's International Women's Week is Canadian Women: Raising Our Diverse Voices for Positive Change. This theme highlights the power that can come from women's diverse perspectives when they are raised both individually and collectively. It further acknowledges the influence of women to bring about positive changes locally, territorially and nationally through their paid and unpaid work.

Mr. Speaker, this week provides an opportunity for all of us to acknowledge the contributions women have made to improve the quality of life for women and indeed for all Northerners. Women have always played a significant role in the North's social, political, economic and cultural environment. There are countless women in the Northwest Territories who have dedicated hours of service to their communities in order to make positive change. Individually and together with government, business and NGOs, northern women have worked:

  • • to strive for the elimination of family violence;
  • • to ensure that quality child care is available in as many communities as possible;
  • • to involve more women in politics, locally and territorially; and
  • • to encourage young women to seek out greater education and career opportunities.

While we have seen positive change, our work is not done. There are still enormous challenges facing women in the North, and indeed around the world. The fact that many women continue to be subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuse is unacceptable. Throughout the world, women still earn, on average, less than men. Women remain underrepresented in both elected office and in senior and managerial positions. The majority of single-parent families, almost 80 percent, are headed by women, and the statistics indicate that single-parent families typically face more challenges to their economic and social well-being. These are only a few of the challenges that women face, and it is up to all of us to recognize these challenges and to tackle them head on.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow many communities in the Northwest Territories will pause to celebrate International Women's Day. In Yellowknife, people are invited to gather in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly to mark the occasion and also to recognize the recipients of this year's Wise Women Awards. Since 1992, the NWT Status of Women Council has sought nominations annually to recognize and honour the many women who serve as role models, especially through their contributions to improving the lives of women and families in the NWT. Consistently, the council receives numerous nominations, an indication of the many worthy and deserving women throughout the NWT, and each year five awards are presented.

As the Legislative Assembly will not be sitting tomorrow, I would like to take this opportunity to commend these very deserving women who have made significant contributions to women's equality and to our quality of life in the NWT. The 2001 NWT Wise Women Awards are going to:

  • • Ernestine Gladue of Hay River;
  • • Monica Loomis of Norman Wells;
  • • Cecilia Martin of Rae;
  • • Louise Norwegian of Fort Simpson; and
  • • Hazel Nerysoo of Fort McPherson.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that all Members join me in thanking these women for their significant contributions and for being such positive role models. They demonstrate the commitment, dedication and spirit that International Women's Week is intended to celebrate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Merci, Madam Minister. Déclarations de ministre. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as elected leaders in this House we are entrusted by our constituents to improve their quality of life and to plan for the future. In order to do this, we must remain committed to working with each other and with aboriginal leaders.

At the national level, we must remain committed to working with members of provincial and territorial governments, with Members of the Canadian Parliament and with national aboriginal leaders.

Recently one of these leaders, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Matthew Coon Come, spoke out strongly on one of the most important issues facing aboriginal people in Canada -- health and living conditions. Yesterday I tabled his remarks made at a national health conference. He spoke about the need for all of us as individuals and as governments to take responsibility and to make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share a few perspectives on these issues and highlight the leadership role we are taking here in the Northwest Territories to address the needs of our residents.

National Chief Coon Come's remarks entitled, First Nations Health: Our Voice, Our Decisions, Our Responsibility, focused on the challenging health and living conditions faced by many aboriginal people across Canada. He urges that these conditions be improved with haste to avoid the costs of not taking action. He stresses the need for people to take control of their own lives and the shared responsibility with government to take practical and concrete action.

Mr. Speaker, aboriginal people in the NWT face some of the challenges of which the national chief spoke. This is evidenced by the discussions we have with our constituents, in our ongoing relationships with NWT aboriginal leaders and by the issues that have been raised in this House. I am confident that we are tackling these challenges head on -- we have been making a difference. We are assisting our people in achieving a better standard of living. Our goal is that they will be better off in the future than on the day we were elected.

The national chief's call for action in such a forceful and straightforward manner should be commended. I remain committed to working with him and other leaders in Canada to take this action. This is what we are doing in the Northwest Territories and we will increase our efforts at every opportunity.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the national chief welcomed the message sent in the recent Throne Speech to Parliament, a message that an intensive effort will be made to achieve social justice for aboriginal people. I can assure you that the Government of the Northwest Territories is ready and willing to work with the federal government and aboriginal governments in support of these efforts. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Déclarations de ministre. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Youth, Mr. Allen.

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister responsible for Youth and a Member of the 14th Legislative Assembly, I wish to commend the efforts of the CYAID Conference Organizing Committee. I particularly wish to formally recognize the efforts of Michelle Thoms, Rene Lamoreux, and the rest of the organizing committee who are working to make this national conference a reality. It will take place in Yellowknife from March 22 to 25 inclusive of this year.

For the first time in this conference's history, every province and territory will be represented by youth from across Canada. Over 300 enthusiastic youth from across the NWT are expected to participate, including youth from Inuvik, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, Fort Smith, Hay River, Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife.

The CYAID Conference Organizing Committee raised over $110,000 and numerous in-kind donations from both the public and private sector. This is a fine example of how everyone can contribute to help raise the awareness against drinking and driving, not only at the territorial level but also at the national level.

I wish to congratulate the CYAID Conference Organizing Committee for the endless hours they have put into organizing this conference, and I also wish them every success in getting their important message out.

In the context of the document Towards A Better Tomorrow, the 14th Legislative Assembly will continue to support and work with all youth organizations to achieve their goals. Today I am pleased to share with you this fine example of our ongoing work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Minister Allen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, virtual schooling is growing significantly in Canada and the Northwest Territories. On March 12th of this year, we will be launching the on-line version of Northern Studies 10, a course which was piloted in six Northwest Territories communities last year. This is one of the 35 credit courses currently being offered on-line in the Northwest Territories. Over the last year, nearly 250 Northwest Territories students have enrolled in one of these courses or the on-line introductory course called Information Highways.

On-line learning became a reality in the Northwest Territories last year with the signing of a two-year memorandum of understanding with the Calgary Board of Education to partner with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in the delivery of on-line courses.

On-line program delivery is particularly appropriate in the Northwest Territories where communities are small and isolated. On-line classes give students in even the smallest schools the opportunity to access a range of senior secondary courses. A choice of programs enriches a student's education and improves the overall quality of education in the Northwest Territories.

I am pleased to report, Mr. Speaker, that students in the Northwest Territories have taken to on-line learning with great enthusiasm. The completion rates of students enrolled in the Information Highways course remains well above the average completion rate for students in other types of distance-learning programs. Results from the first intake of students studying a regular credit course on-line indicate that success and completion rates will remain high.

A process is in place to ensure that we can continue to increase the number of trained facilitators available to help students taking on-line senior secondary courses. So far, more than 40 educators from across the Northwest Territories have received the training necessary to allow them to serve as on-line learning facilitators.

In addition to training facilitators who help students, we are also training educators to instruct the courses. Three educators, two from Yellowknife and one from Wekweti, have begun instructing on-line courses alongside education instructors from the Calgary Board of Education. Our goal is to have most of the on-line instruction delivered solely by Northwest Territories educators.

Mr. Speaker, the North has always been a leader in adapting technology in innovative ways to meet our needs. The enthusiasm with which educators and students have embraced on-line learning augurs well for our ability to continue to provide a quality education in the Northwest Territories.

-- Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Déclarations de ministre. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Déclarations de députés. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Accomplishments Of Young Inuvik Dog Sled Racers
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about some accomplishments of constituents back at home. It has been reported previously in the papers and there are some proud parents back in Inuvik of some youngsters who have been successful in their extracurricular activities.

Mr. Speaker, Jason and Rebecca Baxter travelled to Fairbanks, Alaska and competed in the Junior North American and International Federation of Sled Dog Sports on February 23 and 25, 2001. Mr. Speaker, Jason took the first place title in the four-dog class and Rebecca took third place in the two-dog class.

Mr. Speaker, I think the youth of our Territory and our communities need to be recognized for the achievements they have excelled in, and have worked hard to get to. I would like to take this time to thank the parents and the youth that have taken a lot of time and dedicated extra hours in ensuring that they become successful in their activities. I wish them much success in the work they are about to do in the area of sled-dog sports. They have definitely highlighted it and brought more interest from our community.

Speaking of youth, Mr. Speaker, it brings me to the point where I feel I must also tell my family and my wife that I am coming home tomorrow. Thank you.

-- Applause

Accomplishments Of Young Inuvik Dog Sled Racers
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Déclarations de députés. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Community Breast Health Tool Kit
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last Friday a broadcast on CBC Northbeat on breast health kits caught my eye and I arranged for a briefing to see the kit myself this morning. In honour of International Women's Week, I would like to recognize publicly this ground-breaking initiative. I wish I could show the model. It is very impressive, but I do not think I am allowed to have a prop.

Let me just explain. This resource called the community breast health tool kit has been sent free of charge to each regional health board in the NWT. The intent is that each health centre will access the tool kit to provide information to women in their community. This unique display, made in the North for the North, has also captured the interest of communities across Canada. In addition to the complimentary copies being distributed within the NWT, the action group has sold tool kits to action groups from Vancouver to Newfoundland to Nunavut. I understand that the story has been carried by Newsworld, so I am sure they will get more calls.

The community breast health kit was produced by the NWT Breast Cancer Action Group. This group is primarily women volunteers who have been affected by breast cancer, either personally or through a family member. Their goal is to improve access to breast cancer information and support for women in the NWT. The concept of a tool kit came from Winnie Greenland, a community health representative at the health centre in Fort McPherson. Winnie identified a need for a visual display with basic information written in plain language to introduce northern women to the importance of breast health.

This project was funded by CIBC Run for the Cure. The Run for the Cure is held annually in October in Yellowknife, raising funds that have been spent on projects to benefit women in the Northwest Territories. The tool kit is a visual display written in plain language with entry-level information. It is comprised of six components. It is a display which sits accordion-style on a tabletop, with a breast model with lumps of various sizes in it, the Canadian Cancer Society breast self-examination video, a technical brochure with breast health information for women of every group, and a give-away bookmark with telephone numbers for cancer support.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude this statement by thanking the group and the individuals who actually made this at home to...

Community Breast Health Tool Kit
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Ms. Lee, the time for your Member's statement has concluded.

Community Breast Health Tool Kit
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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, may I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please?

Community Breast Health Tool Kit
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There being no nays, Ms. Lee, you may conclude.

Community Breast Health Tool Kit
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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, colleagues. I would like to conclude this statement by saying that the tool kit display information encourages women to practise good breast health by following three steps:

  1. learning and doing breast self-exams;
  2. have a breast exam during the well-women checkup; and
  3. identifying when a woman is eligible for having a mammogram.

I would just like to thank all the people involved in making this kit for their good work. Thank you very much.

-- Applause

Community Breast Health Tool Kit
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Lack Of Staff Housing In Dogrib Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Monday an ongoing crisis was again brought to my attention. This crisis is the lack of staff housing in the Dogrib communities. The situation exists because there is not enough affordable housing in the communities for either professional staff or for local people.

The GNWT used to operate and maintain a number of staff housing units in each community, but with the move to community empowerment and the recognition that these units were extremely costly to maintain, the GNWT turned these buildings over to the communities to run. In turn, some communities turned surplus staff housing over to the local housing association which felt that the empty units were public housing units.

In the North we still rely on importing health and education professionals, but a crisis exists in the communities because there is no affordable housing for them to live in. Grade 10 extensions are stalled in both Gameti and Wekweti because there is no housing for the new teachers. In Wha Ti, a teacher is staying in a commercial bed and breakfast.

In Rae-Edzo, there are currently six positions vacant in Health and Social Services. If and when these positions are filled, it will be almost impossible for the health care staff to find available and affordable housing.

By shifting the responsibility for staff housing to the communities, the Housing Corporation has unfortunately created a crisis in the North Slave. Local organizations are not yet able to build and operate the needed units without financial support.

Although the Housing Corporation is moving away from providing staff housing in communities, I think they still have a role to play in this time of transition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Lack Of Staff Housing In Dogrib Communities
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Déclarations de députés. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Assisting Non-government Organizations
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a statement earlier this session, my colleague Mr. Bell mentioned how difficult it is at times for NGOs to access funding that is made available through federal programs. I would like to follow up with this statement because I have become aware of a federal program that is very difficult for groups to access funds from.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has set aside $350 million to help healing groups across the country. Recently, we heard that 13 proposals for funding submitted by communities in Nunavut did not meet the guidelines set out by the Ottawa-based Aboriginal Healing Foundation. The foundation now says it will hire coordinators in each Nunavut region to assist those communities in accessing funds.

Mr. Speaker, although I know that some funding from the foundation has made it into the Northwest Territories, I wonder how many organizations in communities across the Northwest Territories have missed out. From what I understand, the application process is both lengthy and difficult to understand. This is a common concern with many government programs.

Most small organizations in northern communities will never be able to access the funding available in federal programs like this. As is the case with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, the community groups rarely even know that the programs are available, and if they are informed, they often do not have the resources to successfully get through the frustrating application process.

Mr. Speaker, this program and the funding will soon sunset, probably without using all of the money that is available. Mr. Speaker, I believe there is a way in which our government should be assisting these small community organizations and helping to bring money to the North. In July of 1999 and again last April, I wrote to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services suggesting that a staff position be identified to help non-government organizations. I suggested that this person could assist NGOs in identifying third-party funding and preparing proposals.

Mr. Speaker, I am still waiting for the government to act on this proposal. Minister Groenewegen replied last year saying that this would be considered by the social envelope and that I would be kept advised of any developments in this area. Mr. Speaker, that letter was dated May 17, 2000, nearly a year ago now.

We keep hearing about the fiscal challenges we face in trying to identify adequate funding to deal with social problems. Minister Groenewegen has said, for instance, there is not adequate funding to increase the numbers of social workers as quickly as we should. With help, Mr. Speaker, NGOs could access a lot more federal...

Assisting Non-government Organizations
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Mr. Dent, the time for your Member's statement has concluded.