This is page numbers 5263 - 5292 of the Hansard for the 16th 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 social.

Topics

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

If this doesn’t happen, we’ll have a major expense on our hands insofar as homeownership units across the NWT that are beyond economic repair and in need of replacement at a cost of $300,000 to $400,000 per unit. So you can see, the strategic plan to address the CMHC declining fund is critical.

I will have questions for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation on the matter.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I continue my efforts to convince NWT residents and some MLAs, unfortunately, that driving a car and using a cell phone are not compatible. I will put some more info out there and add to the public information, which apparently is necessary to make NWT drivers realize the dangers of distracted driving.

Someone on a cell phone while driving is four times more likely to have a collision than a not-on-the-phone driver. That increase is compared to the risk of collision when driving with normal background distractions, not compared to ideal circumstances where there are no distractions; a vehicle at rest, for instance.

Making calls on a cell phone are definitely more risky than listening to the radio or talking to passengers.

I’d like to share a very true but scary story, Mr. Speaker. A few weeks ago a car was observed settling into the bush at a bend in the road on the Ingraham Trail. The car had driven across the left-hand lane at the turn and straight off the road into the bush. There was no effort to make the turn at the corner, no evidence of any use of brakes, no skid marks on the road, not even any tire tracks in the ditch. The driver was seemingly not aware that the road had a turn in it and literally flew off the road. The person emerging from the vehicle, cell phone in hand, was very lucky; the car was totalled but the driver was not hurt. Thankfully, no other vehicle was coming the other way at the instant the car crossed the road, but a few seconds later there would have been a head-on collision. Mr. Speaker, it’s important to note that this happened on an NWT highway, not a municipal road.

Just one week ago today, Mr. Speaker, the St. Pat’s Students Against Distracted Driving recognized National Students Against Impaired and Distracted Driving Day. Part of their ad from last week’s paper said, “It’s legal but you know it’s foolish so you don’t eat yellow snow, so why would you use a cell phone while driving?”

Good question. How would each of us answer it? How many of us pull over to answer our cell or ignore the call and let it go to voicemail? Not 100 percent of us, I’m sure. In an informal poll conducted by the SADD students one morning last week they counted 27 or more people driving while using their cell phone in just one hour. That’s a lot of distracted drivers, Mr. Speaker, and at the time of day when we have the highest volume of traffic.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, a local travel agency has an ongoing challenge to NWT residents and businesses challenging us to make our cars a safe cell phone zone; no use of a cell phone in the car. So far nine businesses have taken up the challenge, but that only means there’s so many more who could join up. I’m hopeful my statement today will encourage more individuals and businesses to take up this challenge. It’s easy. Just go to www.topofworldtravel.com, fill out the form and send it in. I dare everyone who is listening to do it. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Distracted Driving
Members’ Statements

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to make my statement on distracted driving.

Mr. Speaker, distracted driving is nothing new. We like to associate it with texting and talking on cell phones, but when I was a kid growing up and we went on a road trip with our family, I can hardly believe my father wasn’t distracted with five screaming kids in the backseat of the station wagon and occasionally had to reach his arm around and give a few of us a little discipline, shall we say.

Back in those days, also, Mr. Speaker, they had bench seats in vehicles in the front, and I often used to ask my dad why it took two people to drive that vehicle, because people would be sitting so close together, so cosy on that front seat. Hard to believe those people weren’t distracted.

Distracted driving is not a new concept. However, Mr. Speaker, we had a motion come forward from this side of the House in a previous sitting and I was the swing vote, and I did not support the motion to recommend to our government that they institute, that they develop a legislative proposal to put in place a deterrent, a legal deterrent for people to be texting or talking on cell phones or handheld devices while they were driving a vehicle.

Mr. Speaker, although my name is Jane and I am a distracted driver…

---Laughter

…I am here today to say that if that vote were taken again today, I would have to support that initiative from this side of the House.

Mr. Speaker, just the other day I was driving down Franklin Avenue, and I thought this could not happen to me, but I was texting while driving and I almost rear ended a vehicle in front of me. I really pride myself in being a multi-tasker and I thought that it’s only other people who couldn’t do this, like my husband, who is painful to watch him even text, never mind drive and text, and I thought that I was very good at texting with that one hand and that would never happen to me. However, Mr. Speaker, it gave me quite a scare and I do think that we, as a government, need to do the responsible thing and bring forward, in a timely manner, legislation that would fine and penalize people from texting and speaking on cell phones while they are driving, and bring this into effect as soon as possible. Thank you.

Distracted Driving
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

October 25th, 2010

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

It gives me great pleasure to introduce in the gallery today my constituency assistant from Hay River. Ms. Diana Yeager is here today.

The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to welcome into the gallery a constituent of Inuvik Twin Lakes who also happens to be the mayor of Inuvik, Mr. Denny Rodgers. Welcome.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mark Bogan, a constituent of the Great Slave riding.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I may, I would also like to recognize His Worship Denny Rodgers, the mayor of Inuvik, who is also a little brother of my first best friend when I moved to Yellowknife, Canada, 32 years ago. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Mr. Denny Rodgers, a board member with the Business Development Investment Corporation. Thank you.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up with the Minister of Health and Social Services on my Member’s statement that I raised about the closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport, or the imminent closure. There was a recent city election in Edmonton and, unfortunately, the city supports the closure of the airport, but with that, Mr. Speaker, I know that when they get re-elected that there are a bunch of procedures that have to happen.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, does she have a plan to engage the new mayor and councillors and indicate how much of a stakeholder we are and how important the Edmonton City Centre Airport is for the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I mentioned that this was the responsibility of the airport, what I meant was the decision to close the airport was within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Edmonton.

Mr. Speaker, it should be made clear, and I’ve said on many occasions, that this is a very important issue for us and we have a responsibility to make sure that our public and our patients that need to use the Alberta facilities and Edmonton facilities are taken care of.

In that regard, I have been communicating with the Minister of Health in Alberta who, along with his Premier, have set up a quality council who are going to review the medical travel component. Mayor Mandel has committed that the runway will not close until there is a clear and workable plan. Our officials, under my direction, are in direct contact with the head of the quality council, who is coming up with a plan.

I should also mention that our Premier has met with the mayor in person weeks before the Member for Yellowknife Centre also did, and that I am working with the Alberta government and Alberta health services to make sure that our interests are protected. We have a commitment from the quality council that they will be consulting with us directly throughout the process and we are working with them. Thank you.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the Minister has reiterated some of the plans and some of the engagements that she had with respect to the closing of this airport.

Has the Minister engaged the new mayor of Edmonton and the new council, and what is the strategy in order to let them know that we are just as an important part of the planning of the imminent or planned closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport? Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, yes, indeed. We have invited the mayor to come up this summer. The mayor had committed to come up, but given that they were going through the election this September wasn’t going to be a good time. I was hoping that that could happen when the committee members were here.

Regardless, Edmonton as a municipality has made a decision to close that airport. It has been going on for many years. It started in a phased approach. The plebiscite was held 15 years ago. The recent election confirmed again the public position on that. My job as the Minister of Health and Social Services and this government is to make sure that our interests are protected and heard. That is what I am doing. We are directly involved with the Minister of Health office in the Alberta Health office who is responsible for medical travel. We are part of that discussion. We are very much involved.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, I think one of the things that constituents hear, and also Northerners hear, is that as the days go on, the point of where the medevacs end up are getting further and further away. Now in the news they are talking about Calgary. I would just like to know how is our government getting involved to ensure that... I was going to say their wise and infinite...

How are they getting information from us on a daily basis? That is not something at least my constituents want to see going further and further away. In fact, I think for my constituents, the better alternative is to stay at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital. How is the Minister continually engaging with the city and with the Alberta government in that regard, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, what our people need to know and I need them to know and the Members here should know is that when there is a medical emergency in any part of our Territory, they are connected with our medical providers at the regional level and a territorial level. There are doctors and nurses and care providers who are looking at the patient’s situation and deciding on the medical course of action. They will be sent to the Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife if necessary or if it is something that needs to go to southern jurisdictions right away, that will be done. Then our medical professionals get on their network of contacts to see where the closest facility is for that patient to receive care. In most situations, those are in Edmonton. It could be Grande Prairie if they have services that the patient requires. Sometimes it is further away. They will be sent to the closest facility where the necessary medical services will be provided. That would not change. We will continue to work with Alberta Health to make sure that plan is in place before the airport closes. That is the work plan right now. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is exactly what I am looking for. I am looking for a strategy by our Minister of Health and Social Services as well as our government. What is the strategy to take care of the medical needs and the emergency medical needs of our Northerners, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.