Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this motion that is in front of us has been highlighted and a lot of discussion took place over it during our pre-budget consultation in communities. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, when I toured the Tlicho communities the first part of February, this was a huge issue in the communities. They want to see a treatment centre in the North. They are asking why the Yellowknife treatment centre closed down and the need to have one reopened or even one in the community, the region. Just highlighting that and just increasing addictions, as Mrs. Groenewegen mentioned, it is increasing in the North, especially in the isolated communities. It clearly shows that there is a need for a treatment centre here in the North and in the communities to serve in the communities.
We see a lot of funding going south to send people over the years, even from the communities to Palm Acres or Weatherby or wherever it may be for treatment services. They come back. Really there is no follow-up program afterwards in the communities. This will provide more services in the North all through the communities. That should be taken into consideration that we need to do more in the communities.
That has been clearly identified when we tour the communities. Even having a reopening of these residential treatment centres in Yellowknife and Inuvik that is both in the North and also working along with the communities because even in the regions, we are talking on the Tlicho region, the Monfwi riding, where they are requesting a treatment centre because there is none in the Yellowknife area which is closest to the Tlicho communities. If there is one opening up in Yellowknife, then they can work with the centre here to deliver on-the-land programs or even aftercare programs that are badly needed in the communities, Mr. Speaker. Just a need to invest here in the North is highly critical, especially taking into consideration the home-grown communities that we face. We represent them. I would just like to highlight that.
I do support this motion with a thought in mind that there is a lot of work to be done on this as well where they need to work with the communities. We represent the isolated communities. Isolated communities have a huge impact, especially in the area of Mr. Pokiak's riding and my riding where there is no access road, all-weather road, only a winter road at times. There are more problems in those communities. I think we need to clearly identify those communities and the community members that are from those areas and to deliver, let's say, treatment centres and then the aftercare program is essential in the communities. If we can work with agencies in the communities, organizations in the communities because even though we have a treatment centre in Yellowknife or Inuvik, that's just a one-stop area where there needs to be an aftercare program, also. It's really important that we need to follow up on that, and I'm looking forward to a treatment centre being established either in Yellowknife or even I would like to see in a region. So I'm just thinking ahead where we have to have long-term plans as well where we, as a new Tlicho Government, are very interested in pursuing in that area. So this is one step in the right direction and there will be more initiatives to take place. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.