Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of things under general comments I would like to raise. I can appreciate the amount of work the Minister has been doing over the last while and the extra dollars he's been able to commit to his department. While it's gone to a territorial facility that services all communities in the North, I want to take at this time an opportunity to remind the Minister that there are other communities out there that need facilities, that need services. In communities I represent, I only have one nursing station and I represent four communities. Although all the communities that don't have the facilities in my riding are on the road system, it's still very difficult. Like if you wanted to go to a clinic, you couldn't just get up in the morning and just walk down the street. If you don't have a vehicle, you will have to find a ride or arrange for transportation. Even then, you have to find the appropriate people to contact to file for a travel claim or for any type of assistance you qualify for.
On the reserve, the population has been growing for the last number of years, yet we are not seeing an increase in our staff positions or to our facilities. Right now, it's quite difficult for a lot of the Members. It's been brought to our attention on a number of occasions that we need a type of facility, at least a place where we can have the nurse or the social worker, for that matter, coming to the community or the income support worker. We have no facility at all in that community. The band office is really the only place people can access, for the most part, and that is overflowing. We need to have something in place. It's difficult to have people travel back and forth. There are some travel arrangements made, but that hasn't improved in the 20- year forecast or the 20-year capital planning system. There are some dollars and I hope the Minister will start taking the time to address that issue to start doing the groundwork and necessary research to justify that facility comes into that community. We also, in Fort Providence and for many, many years now, have requested an increased level of care for our seniors. Right now, our seniors either have to travel to Fort Simpson or Hay River and that is difficult for the family members and a lot of the seniors have a hard time because they are away from their families. Not to discredit those facilities. I think the care is excellent in both the communities of Fort Simpson and Hay River, but it's very difficult for family members and for the elders themselves. I am not totally satisfied with the process and the hoops to try to request extended care. The Minister, on several occasions I have talked to him and I have also written him a letter. Health states that they don't build facilities for extended care or for seniors and the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation also states they don't provide funding for extended care, so it's kind of a hot potato. We get pushed and tossed from one department to another, but no real clear process. We should have that. If that program falls under the jurisdiction of two departments, there has to be a better process put in place so that we can have easier access.
Also, I am also quite concerned that there have been statements alluding to the replacement of alcohol and drug workers. These workers, for the most part, are all long-term workers. Many people have committed a good part of their lives to working with alcohol and drugs and other addictions in communities. We've asked many times on many occasions to see some funding increases, so we can get better wages, better compensation for them. They dedicate a lot of time and effort to the communities. We also stated that they should be certified. We are not seeing that now. I have been told they are going to be replaced by mental health workers. I don't know what that means. Where are these people going to come from? What is classified as a mental health worker? What effects does that have on the different facilities in the North?
So there are many concerns in the area of health, Mr. Chairman. We have to ensure that whether you are living in a small community like Kakisa or Yellowknife, that we have equal access and equal treatment and that we deserve the same quality of service. In some of the communities, especially Kakisa, we have been trying to address how we medevac somebody out of that community. How do we get quick access and ability to get everybody out of that community?
So those kinds of things are of great concern to me, Mr. Chairman. I think the Minister has to take some time, now that he's been able to deal with the crisis at Stanton and start looking at the long-term planning for the smaller communities. I certainly welcome him into any of the communities that I represent. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.