Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. Honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker...(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise that construction of the Yellowknife passenger terminal building improvements project was recently completed.

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This project was initiated in response to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, CATSA, requirement for a security system at the Yellowknife Airport to screen all checked baggage for explosive devices. This system was operational ahead of the January 1, 2006, deadline.

Along with the changes for the new security measures, the department also carried out a number of improvements to the building that will ensure that the Yellowknife Airport will continue to serve as an effective and efficient hub for northern air transportation. Some of the specific improvements included:

• • construction of new air carrier offices, ticket counters and a second inbound baggage claim area;
• • expansion of the north apron; and
• • expansion of the departure lounge, including washrooms and provisions for food services.

Mr. Speaker, the expansion of the passenger terminal building and airside apron will enable us to handle the surge in aircraft and passenger movements now being generated by resource development in the Northwest Territories. This project will help to facilitate future changes to air services to Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the members of the public for their ongoing patience and understanding during the construction of the Yellowknife passenger terminal building improvements. With the cooperation of all airport users, the Department of Transportation was able to keep disruptions to a minimum. I am very pleased that the work has been completed and normal operations have resumed.

In closing, I am confident that we are well positioned to meet any new air transportation challenges and that the Yellowknife Airport will continue well into the future to satisfy the travelling public needs for a safe and secure air transportation system. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to stand and speak to the plight of our non-government organizations to continually have to fight for money year after year. Mr. Speaker, we're talking a lot of first-contact groups in the communities that deal with a lot of the social issues. They're the first people that a lot of people seeking help will go to and they're usually the last in the pecking order as far as handing out money goes, and that's not fair to them, Mr. Speaker. They provide an essential service to residents and they should not have to worry every year whether they're going to get their money or not, or whether they're going to get it on time. A lot of these agencies have boards and they're being dictated as to how they're supposed to spend their money. Boards really don't have much authority over how they spend their money. The funding agency, the people that give them the money, will tell them how to spend it and that's not fair to these organizations, Mr. Speaker.

They do provide, like I said, an essential service and it's hard work. You think it's eight hours a day but, in most cases, it's not; it's 24/7. A lot of these people do their work with a lot of passion, with a good heart, and they believe strongly in what they do. To have to put these people and the NGOs through this every year is really not fair to them, Mr. Speaker.

It's time that we had a look at all the non-government organizations that run a good organization, and look at having some multi-year funding for them so they can concentrate on the work at hand, Mr. Speaker, and not have to worry about the finances.

They do provide, as I said, an essential service, a much needed service. It's a service that I think as we go further down the road here, we're going to find that more and more residents need these services a lot more. So this government, Mr. Speaker, should do our part in ensuring that all they have to worry about is providing the service to the people and not have to worry about their financing every year. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The tourism industry is a very dynamic and dramatic one around the world, and here in the NWT, Mr. Speaker, we have incredible opportunity and potential to advance this industry to diversify our economy. These days, though, this is an industry under siege, Mr. Speaker. Our aurora visitation across the NWT is down considerably, Mr. Speaker, and in some quarters sports hunting, which is a lucrative aspect, because of the concern that we have for species, including polar bear and caribou, is also under some threat.

Mr. Speaker, tourism is an industry that has a strong and sustained level of competition not only from within the industry itself, but also among governments that compete with each other through taxation, through fees, through subsidies that attract and enable tourism to thrive in their various jurisdictions.

Mr. Speaker, we have a serious situation before us where the federal government has signalled that it is going to, through a change in its GST legislation, now add 6 percent to the cost of tourist packages that are sold outside of Canada. This is a brand new tax for this product, Mr. Speaker, and it is one that adds absolutely no value to what a visitor from outside of Canada is going to receive here and it hurts this industry because it is going to impose a brand new 6 percent cost barrier to our attractiveness and our competitiveness.

Mr. Speaker, this is something that the aurora industry, the sports hunting industry, conventions that attract people in from all over the world to the NWT is going to feel the pain from this and it is something that I know across Canada has raised a particular amount of protest and attention and we should be signalling our protest from the Northwest Territories as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today a very important event is going to happen in Fort Simpson regarding the NWT Winter Games for all the students. Young people are going to be heading over there from the Northwest Territories communities.

Mr. Speaker, I have a list of representatives from the Sahtu region. There's going to be about 40 athletes with 10 chaperones. Mr. Speaker, the students who are going to be participating in these winter games in Fort Simpson look forward to it every year, and I think it's a really golden opportunity that the smaller communities down the Mackenzie Valley, Beaufort Sea, to have an opportunity to come together once a year and participate in the NWT Winter Games. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that these communities from my region certainly appreciate the effort done by MACA and by the communities to get them going into these sports and get them through the fund-raising events and the practices and training. Communities like Nahanni Butte that doesn't have any gym, but they are participating with people from Tsiigehtchic and Colville Lake that are going there. These young students that are going there may one day be Olympic hopefuls, as some of our Members talked about. Some of our own people here in the Northwest Territories are moving up on a higher level of athletic sporting performance in the world. So this gives hope to the young ones and to the small communities, that we are looking out for them, we do care for them. The good people in Fort Simpson and around that area are going to host over 300 people over the next couple of days and they're going to be putting out their time and energy and volunteering to put a good show on for these young people that come into Fort Simpson. I think these NWT Winter Games need more support, need more money, and need to really help these young students to say, yes, we believe in them and that maybe one day they could participate at a Canada Winter Games or even Olympic trials.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say congratulations to the wonderful people that put this together, and to thank the people in Fort Simpson for hosting the NWT Winter Games this year. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, further to our discussion about the dementia facility project yesterday, I'd like to take this opportunity to speak about where this project is at, from my point of view, for the benefit of many in our community who desperately would like to see this project happen.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to begin by saying that I feel more optimistic than ever before that if all the parties involved give their best efforts, it is very possible to see some concrete results toward having this project included in the business plan in the near future. Mr. Speaker, we know that there's no question about the need for this government to step in to address the need for long-term care programs and facilities for seniors, which will only grow in future. We also know that a designated dementia/Alzheimer's facility in Yellowknife is only one piece in the larger picture of the need to have adequate seniors' facilities and programs in all major regional centres.

We know that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has repeatedly supported a dementia centre in Yellowknife and this larger objective we need to keep in mind. Mr. Speaker, we also know that the previous Minister had approved $1 million for planning of this project, which was not completely accessible because the scope of the project had to be reprofiled.

Within a month of the new Minister of Health and Social Services taking over the portfolio, we know that he met

with the YACCS board to go over where we are with this project, and I believe it was strongly suggested that a price tag of $20 million-plus would have difficulty finding a place in our capital infrastructure plan. But a reprofiled and rescoped project that would bring the price tag down to a reasonable level, about two-thirds of that, is something that he's willing to look at, and has instructed his staff to work with the YACCS to work together to achieve that.

In talking with people at the YACCS, Mr. Speaker, I know that they have been working diligently to make this happen. Mr. Speaker, we also know that this is a normal process of getting a capital project into the planning process. A lot of work has to go in, in putting together a capital project documentation and get through the competitive process, through the line department's budget process, and then at the Cabinet level, and then through the standing committee review process before any budget item makes it into the House for a vote. We also know that approval of no capital project is a certain thing until it's voted in the House as we're doing in this session, but the first step is to work through the business planning process and get it into the government's business plan, and I believe this project is making progress in that regard.

Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to complete my statement?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, people involved in this project, especially the staff and the board of YACCS, have been working on this for too long and too hard and I would hate to see this project not be included.

They have to go through this process all over again with the next Assembly and next government who may want to do everything afresh, as any new government is entitled to do, but one that would certainly result in another long delay.

I would like to thank the Minister for the leadership he is taking on this file, and would like to call upon all the parties involved in this project to do everything they can to make it into the business plan process for this summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the banks of the Hay River where it enters into Great Slave Lake by Hay River, there's about 40 million litres of fuel stored in barges, single-hulled old barges. We're not sure of their condition, we're not sure if they've been certified, inspected, but they're on the waterway that leads directly into Great Slave Lake, are on the lake down to the Mackenzie into the Arctic Ocean. I consider this to be a significant environmental hazard and a very high-risk operation. For whatever reason, it has happened. On land it would be unequivocally denied. It would be illegal under our laws and under our regulation. In fact, on land, we've just increased the requirements for storage of fuels.

Homeowners now have to pull their tanks out of the basements; they have to be double walled. Industry has to have higher standards of storage. Yet on water, we're forced to stand helplessly by because the federal government has jurisdiction and authority but no regulation. All they can offer are suggestions in terms of the storage. Is there an emergency measures plan? Is there a spill plan? How do you respond to a spill if there is one, God forbid, and it goes under the ice and starts working its way to the lake and downriver?

The federal government is moving towards double-hulled barges, but these barges have had their use changed from barges to storage facilities. It is a circumstance that not only we struggle with, but the people in Baker Lake woke up to find the same circumstance in their community as well. When we say the federal government has responsibility, they do. But we can't count on the federal government to look after our best interests and we see this in many cases. This is a very clear case in point. This is a hazard to the waterway; it's a hazard to the community. If there's a fire, if something happens around Hay River, what is to be done? How often are the tanks dipped? We know that accidents happen because NTCL had a punctured barge that leaked fuel all the way from Tuk to Kugluktuk before it was discovered, releasing we're not sure how much fuel. So we have a circumstance here that is high risk and, in my mind, unacceptable and hopefully will not happen again. Later today I will be asking the Minister questions about the plans in terms of emergency response and monitoring. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

(Translation) Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. On a recent visit to the North Slave Correctional Centre, I met with inmates from Tlicho community and we discussed various programming being delivered at the centre. It was apparent that the majority of these programs did not reflect the needs of Tlicho inmates and highlighted the need for programs in the Tlicho speaking residents. In a facility like North Slave Correctional Centre, there are many challenges that inmates face on a daily basis. A challenge that they should not have to struggle with is language barriers.

Mr. Speaker, during my visit I couldn't help but notice that the centre was full-time Chipewyan speaking...(Translation ends)

...communities and we discussed various programming being delivered at the centre. It was apparent that the majority of these programs did not reflect the needs of Tlicho inmates and highlighted the need for programs aimed at Tlicho speaking residents. Mr. Speaker, in a

facility like North Slave Correctional Centre there are many challenges that inmates face on a daily basis. A challenge that they should not have to struggle with is language barriers.

Mr. Speaker, during my visit I could not help but notice that the centre has a full-time Chipewyan speaking person employed who can assist with language barriers some inmates might have. In the centre there must be at least over 20 people who speak the Tlicho language from the Tlicho communities, Mr. Speaker, yet there is no Tlicho speaking counsellor in the facility. These kinds of numbers should demand a full-time Tlicho speaking counsellor to assist with those who might have language difficulties.

Mr. Speaker, from what the inmates were sharing, they were told to be the interpreters when one is needed. Mr. Speaker, this should not be the case. An outside Tlicho speaking counsellor should be brought in to help assist unilateral inmates and that option should be made available to all Tlicho residents.

Mr. Speaker, part of the vision for correction services is the commitment that the correction services shall be the leader of facilitation of holistic healing in a progressive manner that meets the unique needs of offenders and a contribution to a safe community. Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions for the Minister at a later point. Thanks.

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Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, I'd just like to acknowledge and commend the good work of two of my constituents who are working here in the House as Pages for the week of this session.

Ursula Unka, on your right, and Adreana Boucher are both Grade 8 students at Deninu Kue. They have been enjoying their stay here in the capital. I think it's interesting to note, Mr. Speaker, that Adreana Boucher, on your left, was selected to represent Deninu Kue at the NWT Winter Games being held in Fort Simpson this weekend to play basketball, but she gave up her spot on the team in order to complete her work here at the Legislative Assembly. How nice is that?

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Adreana, who also considers herself a tomboy -- and she didn't mind me saying that -- also had no choice but to face one of her greatest personal challenges, and that is to put on a skirt and put her hair in a ponytail, along with hairpins, for the very first time, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

She felt very self-conscious and uncomfortable at first, but it has been two, three days now and this is something Adreana has come to terms with. I asked her what made her change. Her reply was only the money made me do this. I thought that was a good answer.

The type of commitment and the interest that Adreana and Ursula have made in the Legislative Assembly for seatings is certainly commendable, not to mention very encouraging, especially for our youth in the smaller and more remote communities who do not always have the opportunity to experience something as wonderful as this. I just want to thank Ursula and Adreana for agreeing to come to Yellowknife to work as Pages. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.