This is page numbers 2821 - 2866 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 3rd 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 agreed.

Topics

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about public housing rental subsidy, that is taken into consideration. But when I am referring to the survey, it is just the Bureau of Statistics did a survey on behalf of our department specifically pertained to those questions I raised earlier and highlighted and also teleconference and face-to-face meeting and also mail out questionnaires. What the Member is referring to is also within our department discussion to deal with those issues. The Minister of the Housing Corporation and I will certainly take those into consideration as well. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to request from the Minister here now to commit himself to going to my constituency, having a public meeting and dragging along the Minister of Housing so we can have a public meeting to see exactly what the clients in my riding are saying about the income support reform and housing.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, if we are invited by the Member, I am not going to drag my colleague along, but if he is invited, I am sure he will come along with us.

---Laughter

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, I did commit in this House I will be visiting all 33 communities during

my time here as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and Justice. Certainly I will commit to this House that I will continue to visit those communities. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson,

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement...the shortage of doctors in my riding, the visits...Is the department addressing the shortage of doctors all over the Northwest Territories, not just the Beaufort-Delta? What solutions are being implemented? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the entire Territories, the department and the government have been working to come to an agreement with the Medical Association. The Department of Human Resources and Health and Social Services were able to arrive at a package that would give extra incentive or remuneration for rural doctors so that our recruiters will have better tools and better packages to recruit and retain more physicians into our communities. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

How many positions in the Northwest Territories related to medical services in small, remote communities are vacant? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

I don’t have that information handy. I am aware that, following up on some of the questions that were brought up in Committee of the Whole and committees, we have just provided a number of stats and figures to the Members. Hopefully that will get to the Members as soon as possible. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

What policies are there when dealing with the medical conditions and regular checkups to the vulnerable and to my valuable elders and youth? Because of cases such as doctors and other staff shortages, why are we not flying them out once a month or drive them out to provide the service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister of Health and Social Services

Mr. Speaker, our health system does do various things to provide access to medical services to our residents. For Beaufort-Delta, for example, they have a five week rotation where the complement of doctors in Inuvik do travel to communities. For Tuktoyaktuk, there were at

least 10 visits last year. There is supposed to be a visit at least every four to six weeks or one or two months even in the most remote communities. I understand, for Sachs Harbour, over Christmas, because of the shortage of doctors, they didn’t see one for a while. I am following up on that. We have to continue to do more to have more doctor visits. For residents who need medical service, they are medevaced out where it is necessary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to let the Minister know I serve more than just Tuktoyaktuk. I have three other communities that need service. The health of my constituents is a priority to me, especially my elders and the people that are not getting the service. This department has to start providing services. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you. I didn’t hear a question there, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Environment Minister, Mr. Miltenberger, in terms of the hazards and contaminated sites in the Northwest Territories. Has the Minister had an overall assessment of all the contaminated hazardous sites in the Northwest Territories?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a list that exists that has been documented in conjunction with the federal government, the very many sites that there are across the Northwest Territories, which I would be happy to share with the Member. I don’t have it with me here today, but such information is available.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the offer for the sites. Can the Minister advise the House in terms of the assessments of the sites in terms of the amount of dollars it will require either ourselves or probably mostly the federal government in terms of cleaning up these sites in the Northwest Territories?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

There were estimates done. Suffice it to say it would be in the many hundreds of millions of dollars if you consider just the most immediate example closest to this facility here, which would be the Giant Mine site

which is about a $300 million price tag at this point, which is going to be much higher in the final analysis. That is just one single site. It would be in the many hundreds of millions of dollars. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, I would challenge the Minister in terms of I think it would probably be in the billions in terms of cleaning up the sites in the Northwest Territories, let alone the CANOL Heritage Trail. Just the rough estimate is in the hundreds of millions just to clean up that trail. That is my understanding. I don’t have the final numbers, but I guess I want to ask the Minister in terms of the Sahtu region in terms of the contaminated sites that were left by the federal government. Does the Minister have a more specific assessment of the sites that are in the Sahtu region that were done by the federal government in the early years?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

I identified some of those additional sites in my Minister’s statement. There has been work done. The most pressing one, of course, was the community of Tulita and the most outstanding one given the proximity of the community. But, yes, there has been work done on the other sites along the northern transportation route. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are various federal government agencies that have some operations around the Sahtu region. I take two issues in terms of the uranium sites along the Bear River, along the Mackenzie River, one Bennett field that had some storage of materials there and also the CANOL Heritage Trail, which has some very significant cleanup work to be done there. In terms of the Minister working with other departments within this government to identify some of the sites in the Sahtu that could be listed as hazardous contaminated sites that need to be cleaned up, would the Minister commit to the House to work with the other departments to look at the sites that need to be cleaned up? Would he provide that to me within a time frame of a month or two?

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Dealing with that particular issue across the North as well as in the Sahtu in particular are one of the mandates of Environment and Natural Resources, working with other departments in the government as well as the federal government. I will commit that we will continue to apply ourselves with all diligence and vigilance. Thank you.