Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Norman Yakeleya on May 27, 2004, regarding land access agreements in the Sahtu.

Mr. Yakeleya was enquiring as to what the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is doing to help the Sahtu region communities organize their position on access and benefits agreements with the Mackenzie gas project.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that RWED, in cooperation with the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, has been active in assisting the Sahtu region. For example, the Sahtu leadership meeting Mr. Yakeleya referred to was financially supported by RWED, in partnership with DIAND.

A regional petroleum advisor position was established in the Sahtu region during the fall of 2003 to provide a resource person to coordinate regional activities and act as a liaison with the Mackenzie Valley pipeline office. The regional petroleum advisor provides information to support community capacity, liaises with the regional boards and industry, identifies issues and community needs related to the pipeline, and helps access additional resources from within and outside RWED.

RWED's regional petroleum advisor has attended and facilitated regional and community meetings. RWED also made a commitment to continue to make available regional and headquarters staff to meet with communities who apply for assistance to help wherever our mandate allows.

With respect to the preparations and capacity assistance required for a regional approach to access and benefit agreements, RWED's Mackenzie Valley pipeline office, the federal government and the Mackenzie Delta Producers Group are developing a resource pre-development program. This program will provide some level of financial resources for the Sahtu region to prepare for and participate in negotiations with the producers group. It is anticipated that applications for this program will be based upon a regional approach that is inclusive of all of the aboriginal organizations in the region.

The federal government's pipeline readiness office will administer the program. Program guidelines are currently being finalized. Once these guidelines are finalized, I will provide copies to all members of the Joint Cabinet/Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight Pipeline Planning Committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Menicoche on May 27, 2004, regarding the guidelines for contractors to deal with mould.

Specifically, the Member asked if the government has guidelines or schedules in place for contractors to follow to prevent the mould problem from occurring. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation advocates and encourages good building practices during construction. The Housing Corporation construction

specifications contain requirements for contractors to protect building materials and unfinished construction projects from bad weather. The corporation also endeavours to select building sites that are well drained or may be easily dewatered through mechanical means. New houses are being built with high levels of insulation and adequate ventilation systems.

Additionally, the corporation is looking into the extent of mould problems in specific cases and has retained the services of an independent environmental assessment consultant. The corporation is currently preparing technical bulletins and will conduct workshops for local housing organizations and tenants on the identification, cause and mitigation of mould. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Ms. Lee on June 1, 2004, regarding overtime payment and vacancy rates at the North Slave Correctional Centre.

The Department of Justice receives quarterly reports on the number of vacancies at the North Slave Correctional Centre. For the 12-month period from June 2003 to June 2004, the number of correctional officer vacancies reported was as follows: June 2003, 10 vacancies; August 2003, 10 vacancies; November 2003, 12 vacancies; March 2004, eight vacancies; June 2004, seven vacancies.

As of September 30, 2004, there were seven vacancies. On October 4, 2004, 12 correctional officers began a five-week training program and are working at the centre as part of their training.

There are 50 correctional officer positions at the North Slave Correctional Centre. This number does not include supervisors, managers or program staff. In total there are 91 positions at the North Slave facility.

A total of $6,980,358 was paid to the entire staff at the North Slave Correctional Centre between June 1, 2003, and May 31, 2004. The amount of overtime paid during this period was $216,395.

Between June 1, 2004, and September 30, 2004, $243,913 was paid in overtime. The increase in overtime during this four-month period can be attributed to a number of factors. The move to the North Slave Correctional Centre required increased staffing levels while adapting to the new facility and providing time for employees to train on the new approach to supervision and interaction with offenders. The new facility requires an increased number of employees for each shift and there were delays due to appeals in hiring more employees.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on June 2, 2004, regarding residential schools.

1. What is the direction of this government in providing support to survivors of residential schools?

The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes the support survivors of residential schools require. During the 14th Assembly, this government participated in the alternative dispute resolution in the case of the Grollier Hall Residential School abuse cases. It provided funding for healing and it provided its share of compensation to the survivors. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment designated a departmental contact for the 28 claimants and their beneficiaries. A 10-year memorandum of understanding between the GNWT and the claimants provide for this ongoing support. Cabinet passed revisions to Student Financial Assistance regulations to waive residence requirements for claimants and their relatives who reside outside of the NWT.

2. Where can survivors of residential schools go to receive specific treatment for issues that are a result of the residential schools?

Community counselling services are provided through health and social services authorities through HSS staff and non-governmental organizations. Additional counselling supports are available through the Healing Drum Society, an NGO funded through the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, for the specific purpose of providing residential school trauma recovery programs.

Survivors who participate in residential schools abuse trials have been provided with an additional level of counselling supports. The Department of Health and Social Services, in cooperation with Justice Canada, GNWT Justice, victims' services, and appropriate NGOs, can arrange to provide specific trial supports for survivors and their families. The Department of Health and Social Services is currently negotiating with Health Canada -- First Nations and Inuit health brace -- and Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada to enhance trial supports for survivors.

3. How is this government working with the office of Indian residential schools established by the federal government?

ECE has been working with IRSRC over the past months to develop an approach that will allow their researchers access to our records relating to residences/schools while complying with ATIPP privacy concerns. These records will help verify claims, an important step for allowing the resolution process to move ahead. The NWT archives has provided their finding aids to their collections and ECE has provided inventories of records in storage, handled as an ATIPP request in order to safeguard privacy until a mechanism is in place. Discussions are continuing in consultation with the legal division of the Department of Justice.

4. Would the Premier provide this House with clear direction as to where survivors can receive assistance in respect to residential schools court support?

As noted in the response to question three, this government is working to establish linkages with the FNIHB and learn how NWT survivors of residential schools can access support funds. The kind of assistance that is required necessarily depends upon the issue for which they receive treatment. In the Grollier Hall process, claimants were provided with an opportunity to receive treatment at the Somba K'e Healing Lodge outside of Yellowknife.

5. Is historical information available on how many children in the NWT attended residential schools, mission schools and boarding schools over the years? If this information is available, could a regional breakdown of this information be provided?

Historical information is available on student residences from the 1950s to 1985, and for Akaitcho Hall up to 1995. Statistical information on students enrolled in residences for 1973 to 1976 is available, including a breakdown by: home community, age, grade and ethnicity.

Historical information on many of the residences is also available. The main source of information is the quarterly report that residences sent to the federal government every three months. These reports listed individuals by: name, home community, band/disc, DOB, gender, religion, admission date, previous years, ethnicity, days in residents and discharge date.

The GNWT has historical information on student residences and copies of the quarterly reports in both the NWT archives and in old ECE records in storage at the records centre. The federal government will have a complete set in the Library and Archives Canada. Contact the NWT archives and the director of education operations development for further information regarding access to this information.

In addition, information on mission schools may be located through contacting church archives or the Library and Archives Canada. Further contact information can be provided on request.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on June 2, 2004, with regard to the effects of the closure of the Fort Good Hope bridge.

1. When will the report of the recent bridge closure in Fort Good Hope be released?

The Department of Transportation, highways division has completed an investigation into the cause of the failure of Jackfish Creek Bridge in Fort Good Hope, which occurred last spring. A bridge failure report and a repair plan is in the final stages of completing awaiting cost estimates from suppliers.

The bridge failure was due to a combination of factors:

• • poor drainage in the retaining walls;
• • poor fill material;
• • bin walls -- retaining walls -- not fully supported and protected;
• • natural settlement at uneven rates;
• • scouring of the base material;
• • ice/water action.

Repairs will be completed once equipment and materials can be brought into the area, which is expected to be January or February of 2005. The equipment and materials for the repairs are not locally available in Fort Good Hope and will arrive after the Mackenzie Valley winter road has opened this winter.

Repairs will entail:

• • welding and bolting support structures on the bin walls;
• • installing proper drainage to the retaining walls;
• • ensuring proper fill along with compaction is completed;
• • providing proper protection around the base of the structure protecting against ice/water action and scour;
• • deck repairs to ensure safe and smooth ride.

The repairs will be carried out under the inspection of a Department of Transportation engineer and will employ local businesses, labour and equipment to the extent possible. The cost of the repairs is estimated at $192,000.

2. How many of these types of bridge are in use in other places in the Northwest Territories? Will the report look at the department's procedure in construction and putting such bridges into place?

The Department of Transportation has done a detailed inspection and review of its inventory of bridges and identified 10 structures that are under similar or near similar conditions as the Jackfish Creek Bridge. There are also three others, which are near enough in conditions to attract our attention. All of these structures will undergo inspections and preventive measures will be taken as necessary to ensure safe and efficient operations. Engineers are modifying the repair plan to deal with each of the structures.

Over the last five years, the Department of Transportation, highways division has introduced a foundation design with steel pilings to facilitate construction and ensure the safety of the structures. This design has formed the basis of the newer structures and will be the basis of a long-term repair plan for older bridges.

3. Will the Minister also release an action plan to address similar situations should they ever arise in other places in the Northwest Territories?

In its action plan to address the issue, the department devised a five-phase model to include:

• • phase one - investigation and inspection;
• • phase two - repair design and engineering;
• • phase three - equipment and material preparation and deployment;
• • phase four - repair; and,
• • phase five - follow-up program.

The department intends to apply this action plan to all its structures in the Northwest Territories. To date it has proceeded to phase two on six structures while the remaining seven structures are at phase one. The department expects to have dealt with all its structures by the summer of 2005.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on June 2, 2004, regarding the Tulita water treatment facility.

Mr. Yakeleya asked what are the plans to finally resolve the concerns regarding the water treatment facility at Tulita.

During construction and early on in the operation of the water treatment facility, there were some problems. However, the department has been advised that the operational problems encountered when the facility first went into production were minor and have been rectified. At this time, Municipal and Community Affairs staff have not been advised of any outstanding technical or operational problems with the water treatment facility at Tulita.

Mr. Yakeleya also asked what steps the minister will taken to ensure that the people of Tulita will enjoy safe and secure water treatment facilities.

The Tulita water treatment plant was commissioned in 2003 and contains sate-of-the-art water treatment and filtration equipment. The facility is operated and maintained by fully certified and trained personnel, and the water is tested regularly to ensure that the quality remains within the parameters established under the guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality.

Finally, Mr. Yakeleya asked what the timelines were for resolving the water treatment facility concerns that have been expressed by the people of Tulita.

Mr. Speaker, the department is not aware of any further operational problems that the residents of Tulita have expressed, other than those raised when the facility was first commissioned. There is a small problem with the colour of the water caused by the annual spring runoff, and I am advised that this occurs each spring for a brief period. The colour of the water is affected, but the quality of the water during the annual spring runoff remains within the guidelines during this brief period. There is a land-related issue associated with the water treatment facility and, as a first step, Municipal and Community Affairs staff arranged for the parcel that the facility is situation on to be surveyed this past summer. The next step will be for Municipal and Community Affairs staff to meet with the hamlet to discuss the turnover of the facility to the hamlet in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on June 2, 2004, regarding the housing data and programs for the Sahtu region.

1. There are currently 574 public housing residents in the Sahtu.

2. There are an estimated 97 elders in private accommodations in the Sahtu.

3. One-hundred-ninety residents of the Sahtu between the ages of 20 and 40 reside in public housing.

4. Seasonal workers are subject to the same rules as other public housing tenants in regards to rent assessment. Monthly rents are based on an assessment of monthly income. Local housing organizations are empowered to allow seasonal workers to submit T-4 information on a yearly basis and have their rents assessed based on their average income over a 12-month period. Rents are assessed on a sliding income scale.

5. Market housing units have been delivered to Fort Good Hope, Tulita and Norman Wells during the first year of the market housing initiative.

6. The Housing Corporation has budgeted approximately $1.2 million for repair projects in the Sahtu district for the 2004-2005 fiscal year and $1.7 million in 2005-2006. Additional renovation assistance is available to residents through the Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program and the Independent Housing Program.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on June 2, 2004, regarding local business opportunities to perform municipal and community affairs services.

Mr. Yakeleya asked the following questions:

1. What are the policies that the department operates under when awarding contracts or supporting local business as it relates to work performed on behalf of the department?
2. When will local business be provided an opportunity to negotiate with the department to perform work on their behalf?
3. Will the Minister ensure that all regions are advised of any changes in the procedures relating to supporting local business?
4. This year, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is providing approximately $49 million directly to community governments in the form of grants and contributions. This amount of funding is over 63 percent of the total appropriation given to Municipal and Community Affairs. Community governments use these funds to provide programs and services for their residents.

In some cases, community governments contract local businesses to perform this work under the authority of community government legislation. Community governments have the authority to spend this money in accordance with their own budgets and procedures. The department gets involved in these contracts only upon request and to provide our expertise.

For projects in the government's capital plan, Municipal and Community Affairs uses one of three ways to undertake work. In the case of major capital projects, the Department of Public Works and Services manages the contracts on behalf of the department. In the case of minor capital projects or major capital projects where the community government has expressed interest and has the capacity, the work is given over to the community government for their management. In the case of specialized, professional service needs such as engineering, planning and training, the department may manage the awarding of contracts, either alone or in partnership with the community government.

In the current year, Municipal and Community Affairs has issued 38 contracts at the community level. Of those, 30

are, or will be, managed by Public Works and Services; at least three contracts will be managed by a community; and up to five contracts will be managed directly by the department. The contracts to be managed by the department are for equipment purchases and a sewage/solid waste study.

All Government of the Northwest Territories contracts are managed in accordance with the government contract regulations. Other regulating documents include the Business Incentive Policy and the negotiated contracts practices.

In some cases, the work is done on an invitation to tender basis with an emphasis of encouraging local businesses to bid. Within this process, there may be opportunities for suppliers to negotiate with the responsible department or community government.

Under the new municipal legislation, which came into effect on April 1, 2004, community governments have new powers to engage in economic development activities in their communities. There may be further opportunities for local companies to engage community governments in discussions in this regard, and companies should be encouraged to approach their community governments to explore the possibility.

As a matter of course, stakeholders are advised of changes to government procurement policies by the responsible department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Robert Hawkins on June 2, 2004, regarding the Northwest Territories Business Credit Corporation.

Mr. Hawkins requested that I use my directive capacity and report back to Members a list setting out to whom the BCC had lent money and how much they had lent in the last 10 years.

As Mr. Hawkins had acknowledged, section 15 of the BCC Act limits release of information regarding specific applicants. I do not have any directive capacity to change this statutory limitation. Changes to a statute would require passage by the Legislative Assembly.

The specific client's name is only allowed to be released if the loan is in default and the Legislative Assembly reviews an act to write off or forgive the loan or, alternatively, with the consent of the borrower. Therefore, it is not possible for me to provide Members with a list of whom the BCC has lent money to and how much they received over the past 10 years.

I would like to note that the BCC does make public the number and amount of loans, together with a regional and community level breakdown, as well as a summary of sector assistance; however, the BCC does not provide the names of clients. This information is contained within BCC's annual report, which is tabled annually in the Legislative Assembly.

In the near future I hope to introduce legislation that will create a new corporation to amalgamate Government of the Northwest Territories business assistance programs. This may provide an opportunity to review this issue and enhance reporting and transparency.