This is page numbers 1013 - 1063 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 5th 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 chairman.

Topics

Members Present

Honourable Brendan Bell, Mr. Braden, Honourable Paul Delorey, Honourable Charles Dent, Mrs. Groenewegen, Honourable Joe Handley, Mr. Hawkins, Honourable David Krutko, Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Hon. Michael McLeod, Mr. McLeod, Hon. Kevin Menicoche, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Pokiak, Mr. Ramsay, Honourable Floyd Roland, Mr. Villeneuve, Mr. Yakeleya

---Prayer

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 1013

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Minister's Statement 73-15(5): NWT Education Week 2007
Item 2: Ministers' Statements

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. This week is Education Week. We celebrate Education Week to raise awareness of the importance of education. This year we are promoting the idea that all northerners have a role in education. We are also hoping to increase awareness about the importance of education outside the classroom.

Mr. Speaker, NWT high school graduation numbers are increasing. Many northern students are moving on to post-secondary studies, and excelling in college, university or the trades. Later today, I will table a document detailing high school graduation rates for the past 30 years.

Mr. Speaker, the first Ministerial Awards of Excellence were announced recently. There were over 30 applicants for these scholarships, all with good post-secondary grade point averages. In their applications, most referred to special people who had made a difference to their success in education by helping them along the way, both in school and at home.

The theme of Education Week this year is You Can Make a Difference. The intent of this theme is to convey that learning is not an activity that takes place exclusively at school between a teacher and a student. Just as it takes a community to raise a child, in the best learning situations, there are many people who help. For the best chance of student success, parents must ensure their children are rested, well-nourished and otherwise ready to learn. Across the Northwest Territories, we are seeing more and more parents who actively participate in their children's learning and school activities. Parental involvement is so important to student success. Community members, particularly elders, are helping enrich the classroom by volunteering their time and knowledge, or by ensuring that there are stimulating activities to occupy time after school hours.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, in partnership with the NWT Teachers' Association, uses NWT Education Week as an important opportunity to celebrate the work of teachers. The Thank

You for Making a Difference Campaign that takes place during this time is now in its tenth year. It provides an opportunity to thank teachers and other school employees.

Mr. Speaker, teachers do very important work in our classrooms. I would particularly like to acknowledge that many teachers invest a lot of time and energy outside the classroom and after hours. Many of our community coaches, youth group leaders, fundraisers and chaperones are teachers. Teachers tutor outside school hours and outside their own subject areas. Teachers like these make a huge difference in northern communities, and we appreciate how much they do on their own valuable time.

Mr. Speaker, Education Week is, first and foremost, a time for celebrating learning. I would like to thank all of those who make a difference to young learners. I encourage everyone to mark Education Week by taking some time to thank people who help with education in your community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Minister's Statement 73-15(5): NWT Education Week 2007
Item 2: Ministers' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Michael McLeod will leave the House early today and will be absent for the remainder of the week to attend the Ministers of Sport and Recreation meeting in Whitehorse, Yukon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our aboriginal languages are essential to keep our culture alive and pass along our traditions and knowledge to our younger generation. Within the Northwest Territories, there are 11 official languages, including nine that are aboriginal languages. In the Northwest Territories, the population that is able to speak an aboriginal language dropped over 15 percent between 1984 and 2004. Mr. Speaker, we must make a commitment to protect these languages that hold our culture and traditions together.

A Phraselator, a device developed for the U.S. Military, translates English phrases into a language chosen by its

user. It uses modules, groups of phrases in a given language, designed by experts for specific use such as disaster relief, the military or law enforcement, then is translated by the linguists in the region where the language is spoken. Aboriginal groups across North America have already found this device beneficial for the people.

A member of the Siksika First Nation recently pointed out that one of the biggest problems they had when teaching their language is that the writing and reading language is so different from knowing how to pronounce it. The Phraselator provides a way for people learning the language to get the correct sound. Mr. Speaker, this is something that we could use, for example in our schools to help our children learn in a more relaxing and exciting way and an engaging way. Digital technologies and electronics are becoming more accessible to our children and appeal to this demographic. A device like the Phraselator would keep their attention and make language learning more fun.

Mr. Speaker, as I said in previous statements, I believe that preservation of language is a critical issue for the aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories. The Phraselator could help us sustain our language and culture for present and future generations. This technology has potential and is worth exploring. I will ask the Minister of Education and Culture more questions on this device at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty North Slave

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to talk on Highway No. 3, once again. As I said in a previous statement to this House, the stretch of Highway No. 3 between Behchoko and Yellowknife is extremely busy and we need to do all we can to make that road as safe as possible. The intersection of Highway No. 3 and Behchoko access road is a safety concern. Also, the mine road is open and also to Whati. Every day that road is really busy, and then they commute back and forth from Whati, and on top of that there are big trucks going back and forth towards the mine so they can resupply. That's why we all have a major concern regarding those four communities. (Translation ends)

The stretch of Highway No. 3 between Behchoko and Yellowknife is extremely busy. We need to do what we can to make the road as safe as possible. The intersection of Highway No. 3 and the Behchoko access road is a major safety concern to us. Many people commute back and forth between Rae and Edzo and between Rae and Yellowknife. That's a main highway system for us, Mr. Speaker. At the same time, there is a volume of through traffic speeding by the intersection, especially during the winter season with all the heavy trucks rushing to resupply the mines.

Mr. Speaker, as I suggested in this House last February, the installation of traffic lights so there's visibility of vehicles passing through at the intersection will go a long way towards improving safety for all users of Highway No. 3. With the high volume of traffic at this junction, a stop sign is no longer enough, Mr. Speaker.

At the same time, there's talk about lighting that should be installed at Frank's Channel Bridge to improve safety when visibility is poor. I urge the Minister of Transportation to have these upgrades made without any delays to ensure safety of the public's travel. Mahsi.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Robert Villeneuve

Robert Villeneuve Tu Nedhe

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will use by Member's statement today to speak about some of the housing concerns that my constituents raised last weekend.

In the budget, there are more dollars requested by Education, Culture and Employment to distribute amongst the LHOs to cover wages and benefits. I don't want to downplay this request, because I believe this is a good injection of dollars to all the LHOs to assist with the rising costs of operating their public housing.

The issue I have, Mr. Speaker, is the accountability factor at the LHO level, which this government does not diligently monitor or pay much attention to how the LHOs spend their contribution dollars. I received the LHO budgets in my riding of Tu Nedhe. I noticed that wages and benefits have increased over time, and other important areas of operation, such as maintenance, have decreased during the same period. I understand that the redistribution of these dollars at the LHO level is permissible to a certain degree, and if it makes sense and improves the operation of the LHO. But when the public housing units are not receiving the maintenance they require on a regular basis because of the redistribution of funding by the LHOs, the clients start to refuse to pay their rent and this creates serious problems at the LHO level and at the Housing Corp, and it continues on today. We have massive debts at the LHO level, Mr. Speaker.

I would request that this government, through their universal partnership agreements -- the key word being "partnership," Mr. Speaker -- with these LHOs ensure that the consultation and annual reviews are conducted, and that the contribution dollars are spent on the expense items that they were intended for. If changes in the distribution or the reallocation of any dollars at the LHO level is required, then notice has to go out to all the public housing clients and it should go out to the Housing Corp headquarters and this government, and reasons why they're making the redistributions should be given to everybody, especially the public housing clients who are really concerned that maintenance dollars are going into wages and benefits and not going into maintenance of their own units which they pay exorbitant rents for, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Renovations For Diamond Jenness Secondary School
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, anyone who has visited Hay River will have noticed our famed high school. Built in 1972 and designed by Douglas Cardinal, Diamond Jenness Secondary School has been labelled throughout the Territories as the purple school, or the purple people eater. I have to say that.

Mr. Speaker, Diamond Jenness School is almost 35 years old and has never had any substantial renovations. I'm aware of minor renovations scheduled to take place shortly to move the change rooms from upstairs closer to the gym on the main floor. However, other major issues at the school are being overlooked.

Students and teachers complain about the air quality and the inability of controlling the extreme temperatures in the school. The heating system does not suffice in the cold weather, and the ventilation system is not enough in the warmer weather, and the windows do not open for circulation at any time. Water pipes are 50/50 soldered and, for safety reasons, water quality needs to be checked on a regular basis. Most people refuse to use the school water fountains because the water doesn't get cold enough to drink. The hot water pipes are thin from corrosion and are constantly in need of replacement. The roof collects rainwater and several leaks have occurred within the ceiling and the walls of the school, which begs the question of whether there's mould growing in the walls. The administrative offices are off to the side and almost detached from the school and there's little opportunity to control access to the school and the layout needs to be redesigned for safety and security. Classrooms are too small to handle even a moderate size class, and the junior high classrooms are beneath modern standards, making it difficult to accommodate student programming needs. These are just a few of the problems this outdated school has, and I could go on and on.

A midlife overhaul of the entire school is well overdue, yet I do not see this project on the books any time soon. The only commitment I've heard from the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is to consider it for the capital planning process. The long-range capital plan dated September 2001 indicated a midlife reno for Diamond Jenness Secondary School beginning in '07-08 and finishing in '09-10 at a cost of $12 million. Mr. Speaker, I don't know what happened to that capital plan.

I believe it is time to make a firm commitment to get this overhaul done to protect the investment of this valuable infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough the importance of the health and safety of our youth, and Diamond Jenness Secondary School is long past a midlife crises. We need a commitment to make this project happen so that our children can have a healthy and safe learning environment, and that our teachers can have a healthy and safe workplace. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Renovations For Diamond Jenness Secondary School
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Slave River Hydro Project Proposal
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Slave River flows into the Northwest Territories out of the confluence of the Athabasca and the Peace River. Over 20 years or so ago, the Alberta government took a very close look and spent about $30 million on the feasibility of a dam on the Slave River. For the last six to eight months now, Alberta, through ATCO and TransCanada Power, has decided to revisit the feasibility of that project. They've quietly been reviewing the data and information that's available and are continuing to ramp up their level of interest. Mr. Speaker, they will be coming north to Fort Smith for their first visit with their advance people to talk to the community leadership, to get to know the community, first having gone to Fort Chipewyan and Fort McMurray. I stand here today because I've been speaking about this now for the last six to eight months, when I first became aware of their interest.

Mr. Speaker, the Slave River provides 60 to 80 percent of the flow into Great Slave Lake. We now know that the flows are 30 to 40 percent below their normal flow rate. We have the concerns of what is happening in Alberta already with the resource development and the drawdown on their own water systems. This project, when it was talked about back in the '80s, was for 1,800 megawatts, about a $7 billion project, which would have put a dam, riverbank to riverbank, on the Slave River. This time the vice-president from ATCO told me they're looking at some type of run-of-the-river option, but they're still looking at generating a maximum amount of power and the cost of that particular project will probably be well above the $7 billion mark.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here to raise this issue because last time it was seen as something of a local or regional issue. But I think people have become much more informed over the last 20 years and recognize the damming of one of the major rivers in the world would have significant impact on the Northwest Territories, from the 60th parallel all the way to Ulukhaktok and beyond. It's something that I stand here to raise in this House so that people will pay very close attention to what is happening and what is going to unfold if the Alberta government and these companies choose to proceed. I would hope, and ask, that the territorial government, in fact, be in contact with the Alberta government and these corporations to ensure that we are fully apprised and at the table throughout all these discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Slave River Hydro Project Proposal
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-economic Agreement
Item 3: Members' Statements

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David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today regarding the Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-Economic Agreement, the agreement that was signed last

month between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the pipeline proponents.

Mr. Speaker, I have said it before in this House, and I will state it again today for the record, that I remain in favour of the Mackenzie gas project going ahead. However, I do have some major concerns over how the socio-economic agreement was developed and why it is missing some very key elements.

The public was left out of the development of the document. There was no public opportunity to comment on the document and, also, the document was developed and signed in secret. Most troublesome for me is the fact that there is no link in the document for a long-term vision of this territory.

The Government of the Northwest Territories had no trouble issuing the so-called letter of comfort to the proponents saying that they would be able to operate in a stable tax environment here in the Northwest Territories. Why is there no support shown by the proponents in the socio-economic agreement towards the Northwest Territories' 20-year battle with the federal government over resource revenue sharing and devolution? As a government, why didn't we get or demand this support?

The proponents don't care which government they pay their royalties to, Mr. Speaker. This pipeline is not being built in the Ottawa Valley; it's being built in the Mackenzie Valley, in our own backyard. If we do not have the support of the proponents, I believe we are missing a critical bargaining chip, Mr. Speaker.

Also missing from the socio-economic agreement is any mention of a trust fund or heritage fund. I've spoken numerous times about the importance of the establishment of this fund for northerners in this House and I'm very disturbed that again the government has failed to get the proponents to agree that this is an important issue for northerners.

The Government of the Northwest Territories accepts in the agreement a lackadaisical approach to monitoring the project during construction and operation. The resources provided to the board are extremely low compared to other similar monitoring bodies in the resource sector; $200,000 per year during construction and $75,000 per year during operation. If you compare that to Diavik Communities Advisory Board at 400K per year, Diavik Environmental Monitoring Board at $630,000 per year, the independent monitoring agency for BHP at $560,000 per year, and the Snap Lake Environmental Monitoring Agency at $650,000 per year, Mr. Speaker, it's alarming that after construction this...

Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-economic Agreement
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Mr. Ramsay, your time for Member's statement has expired.

Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-economic Agreement
Item 3: Members' Statements

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David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-economic Agreement
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Ramsay.

Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-economic Agreement
Item 3: Members' Statements

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David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is alarming that after construction this NWT oil and gas socio-economic advisory board meets only three times per year during construction and only once a year during operation, with only a $75,000 budget. As a government, we should have negotiated a better arrangement on monitoring. Mr. Speaker, I have to ask the question, why have we failed our residents on so many fronts? Mahsi.

---Applause

Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-economic Agreement
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Condolences To The Family Of Norma Voudrach
Item 3: Members' Statements

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Calvin Pokiak

Calvin Pokiak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness today that I rise again to report another death of a constituent of mine in Tuktoyaktuk. Mr. Speaker, last night, after returning to the apartment, I received a call from my wife, Lucille Pokiak, in Tuk, advising me that Norma Voudrach of Tuktoyaktuk passed away after complications from an operation at Stanton Territorial Hospital yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, today I'd just like to send condolences to Paul Voudrach and his family. I'd just like to say, Mr. Speaker, that Mrs. Voudrach was very instrumental in getting the hotel in Tuk operating in Tuktoyaktuk. I know that she will be missed by Paul and her family. I just hope that they can stand strong and that...(inaudible)... today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Condolences To The Family Of Norma Voudrach
Item 3: Members' Statements

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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