This is page numbers 611 - 644 of the Hansard for the 14th 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 communities.

Topics

Return To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 619

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 619

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like the Minister to inform me if he or his department has met with the seniors' society in Hay River to talk about the Senior Citizens' Home Repair Program since I brought this up in October. Has he met with the senior citizens in Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 619

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 619

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I haven't personally met with the seniors' society in Hay River, although the President of the NWT Housing Corporation did meet with the NWT Seniors' Society in October to convey some of the progress and work we are trying to contemplate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 619

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 619

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister please inform me, when that $37,500 cap was put on the Senior Citizens' Home Repair Program, when that was instituted and how often is that figure reviewed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier, I don't have a specific time or date that it wasinstituted. However, we are evaluating the current guidelines and we will certainly look at increasing the income threshold. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Your final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to continue looking at this situation and take a sliding scale into consideration in developing a new program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we continue to consult with the seniors' society, we will look at the mandate of those policies and see what can be fitted into all the communities we do serve across the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Question 198-14(6): Senior Citizen's Home Repair Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral question. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Diabetes can be a killer, but it can be recognized and it can be managed. I wanted to ask the Minister for Health and Social Services, does the NWT have a strategy for dealing with diabetes prevention and treatment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker we do have a strategy and plans to deal both on the prevention side as well as work with people who are diagnosed. We are involved with exercises such as the one that took place in the Great Hall today in which we focus on trying to encourage people to take steps to avoid Type 2 diabetes. As the Member indicated, it is preventable and has a lot to do with lifestyle choices, to make the right choices, in terms of what they eat, and what exercise they engage in, and to not drink and smoke. We also have resources in place to assist people, once they are diagnosed, to help them make the transition to the lifestyle, eating habits and cooking habits that may be necessary to make sure they have a proper diet that does not exacerbate Type 2 diabetes. Thank you.

Return To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I would like to see if I could get some more information on just what kind of resources are being applied in terms of dollars, human resources, with their own staff and potentially recruiting volunteers such as Rose with the NWT Diabetes Association. What are we doing to actually get this information out into the regions or the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a health promotion unit in the department that engages in that function. As well, we have all the public health facilities in the communities, working with the nursing stations and the public health nurses to make the case we have about the issue of Type 2 diabetes. We have a significant part of our health and social service system geared towards active living, healthy lifestyles, appropriate eating, as well as dealing with the outcomes of people that contract Type 2 diabetes. Mr. Speaker, there are specific funds for health promotion that the system has dedicated to the work being done in all communities and in the department to try to address Type 2 diabetes, which is seen as one of the big cost drivers in the system. Thank you

Further Return To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, there have been in particular alarm bells in recent years about the incidence of childhood obesity, and especially how a poor diet relates to the onset of this seemingly totally preventable situation. What are we doing, to specifically target the problem of childhood obesity and its relationship to diabetes? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 620

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department has an active living strategy. As well, we are trying to sit down with the Minister responsible for Youth and with MACA and with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to see if we can blend some of our funding to, in fact, have it geared to doing practical activities and programs with children and youth to do the very things that Mr. Braden has mentioned. It is critical to get them engaged in active lifestyles and the right choices when it comes to eating, drinking and above all, trying to engage them in the very many opportunities for healthy activities that we do have in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Question 199-14(6): Strategy For Diabetes Prevention And Treatment
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 621

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Braden. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.