That is our primary target, to get people off of income support as much as we can, working with different programs that we’ve initiated within our Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s Ready to Work Program and just maximizing opportunities for income support clientele. If they could work, if they’re workable, then we like to fully utilize them in different areas. We do provide training programs for them to deal with the productive choices. So, Mr. Speaker, we can certainly provide the detailed information to the Members so they can share it with their constituents as well. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement to the Minister of Health and Social Services. A resident of Fort Liard detailed her concern about stomach cancer and the rates of it in Fort Liard. As well, we have examined other communities in the past when they have similar concerns, especially just her cursory research, Mr. Speaker, talked about H. Pylori, which was a concern in other communities as well. So I’d like to know what processes are in place in the Department of Health that such an in-depth examination for environmental causes which may cause stomach cancers in Fort Liard can be examined. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department does analyze and review data such as the cancer rates in the Territories. My information is that the cancer rates vary across the Territories, but in general, our rates of cancer in the NWT are similar to that of the rest of the country except in colorectal cancer, which is the reason why the

government issued a new clinical guideline for screening colorectal cancer more aggressively. Having said that, the information that the Member brought to me is new. I’ve not heard that before, and it’s one that I am interested in looking to see further. We would have to get into touch with the person in question and get the information and see if we can at least do a preliminary study and see where we could go from there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think the stats and the Minister’s department should have those. I think that’s a baseline to start from. I think, of course, there are many, many types of cancer, and she’s not a professional, but her initial assessment and talking with family and friends in the community is that a lot of it is indeed stomach-type cancer and that’s the concern. So that’s what she would like examined, and I support her that we examine that. I would like to ask the Minister again what process do we have in place that we can initiate such an examination of this concern in Fort Liard. Thank you.

The number of 15 cases, that the Member stated, in a population as small as 583 is huge. So I need to get more information on the names and just get more information on that to start with. The department will work with the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority to look into this further and be able to get back to the Member on what our next steps could be on that. Thank you.

I would be pleased to work with the Minister and the Department of Health and Social Services and the Deh Cho Health and Social Services, as well as get the young lady involved that had contacted my office in getting the assessment if there indeed is a root cause in Fort Liard. As I said, we had done it in other communities, especially when… It’s not yet been determined if H. Pylori has been the root cause, but the concern is if this is the case, then we should examine it. I’d like to get the Minister’s commitment, for the record one more time, that this serious concern will be examined. Thank you.

The H. Pylori project in Aklavik was initiated by an educational institution. It was initiated by a university who wanted to take a look at it. The Department of Health and the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority provided all the support that we could possibly give them to get that work done. My understanding is that the results of that will not come out for another year or two. They need to do an in-depth analysis of the data that they had collected. In the meantime, the H. Pylori tests are available to any resident that might be interested in getting tested for that, if that is their concern.

Going back to the Member’s question, I will look further into the cases and advise the Member as

soon as possible on what we can do there. Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad that the Minister is well aware of the process that occurred in the community of Aklavik. If the Minister can give that to me as well, about how to begin that process is the concern and is something that I, of course, support, and to see how much in-depth examination of the environmental and of maybe pollution concerns in Fort Liard can be determined, and if there is indeed a relation to the increase of stomach cancers in Fort Liard. Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement, Mr. Speaker, was substance abuse and aftercare. I have a question for Minister Lee of Health and Social Services. Will this government adopt a duel system to provide an equal number of days for post-program assistance in their home community? For example, the participant spends 30 days in an addiction program and there will be a minimum of 30 days of professional support in their home community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not familiar with the program that the Member is mentioning, but I’d be happy to look into that. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to advise the Member that the Department of Health and Social Services is working with the Gwich’in Tribal Council and IRC. We are investing $600,000 over three years to do an aftercare program in Tuktoyaktuk. We are working in partnership with IRC. IRC is working with Tuk to develop the Aftercare Program. I had the occasion to talk to Mayor Gruben when I was there for the Beaufort-Delta meeting, and he was pleased with this development. At the same time, IRC has separate money where they are doing a community needs survey of addictions programs for the entire Beaufort-Delta region, and they are working with GTC in this regard. So we have lots of things happening in the Beaufort-Delta. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, this is a new program I’m asking for. It’s nothing to do with what

you’re initiating right now. It’s a program that we’ve seen people get sent out of the community and coming back, no aftercare, and the next thing they’re back doing their passive abuse.

Mr. Speaker, given that across the Territory community governments and organizations are saying the same thing -- the communities’ number one problem is not enough counselling support -- will this government commit to a small, fully functional, around-the-clock, fully equipped addictions centre with nurses and counsellors in every community?

Tuktoyaktuk does have a community wellness worker as well as a mental health and addictions counsellor. As Member Jacobson as well as the community have told us, that they would like to see an enhanced aftercare program in Tuktoyaktuk, especially in light of the fact that they voted to go restricted. I don’t know about the program that the Member is asking. I have to look into that. But I think, as I said, IRC is working with us to use this money to do up pilot projects in Tuktoyaktuk. They want to concentrate on aftercare and family wellness. They are looking into doing family counselling and workshops, and coming out of this pilot project, they will have more concrete ideas about what more they want to do. I think definitely the Member’s idea could put into this to see if we could incorporate that somehow. Thank you.

Again, I love my home community of Tuktoyaktuk and my other three communities I represent in my riding. As mentioned in my previous Member’s statement, during my community visits in Nunakput and the mayors and the community leaders all identifying the lack of professional and social support as one of the most serious issues in the communities, Mr. Speaker. People are very passionate about these issues and have lots to say. As a government, we must listen and we must act. I think this government should review our current territorial strategy on addictions and other counselling programs that can conduct comprehensive community-based decision…

Question, Mr. Jacobson.

…on a go forward plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don’t know if I heard a question there. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, to the Member. We are reviewing the Mental Health and Addictions Program. Yes, we are working with IRC to do what the Member is saying, aftercare programming in Tuk. Yes, I agree with the Member that there is a need in all of the Beaufort-Delta, which is the reason why IRC is doing a community needs survey for the entire region. The Member mentioned earlier that we should work with the

federal government. I want to let him know that the Department of Health has submitted an application to the Mental Health Commission to get more money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.