This is page numbers 6301 - 6336 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 seniors.

Topics

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People in my riding are used to harsh weather but it seems that that are some still very difficult times like these last few days. Situation at Reindeer Point, seven kilometres outside of Tuk, still a part of Tuk, is still having a tough time. The power went out there February 27

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and it took 24 hours to

restore the power. The power line problem, once the lineman was there it only took an hour to repair. It had been broken in high winds of 90 kilometres. Twenty housing units froze up. Many have broken pipes. Once the tenants ran out of white gas for their primer stoves they had to move out. They had no heat, no power, no phones, and no Internet, and the winds are still blowing. All these people had to stay with relatives and friends. I’m proud to say that the people of Tuktoyaktuk are still taking care of each other as we always do. It’s still hard for the people to leave their homes.

Once the weather cleared, the kids still had to go to school. It’s hard to stay organized when your life is disrupted. Most of the families are now back at their homes but their lives are not back to normal. You either have heat and power or your pipes and pumps still have to be replaced. No water.

The housing crew is working on this but there’s a lot of work and patchwork to do. It’s a real hardship for the people. It’s especially hard when there are three private homeowners who have to pay for their own repairs. It’s ironic that Richard Cockney is one of those people. He’s a superintendent at the Tuk power plant. He kept working for the two or three days that the blizzard was going on. He really served his people of Tuk but he lost the furnace in his house at Reindeer Point; it froze up. I want to thank him again for his hard work. Private homeowners are facing expensive damages that they should get some help.

I told you the phone lines are still not working at Reindeer Point. This incident makes me wonder if we’re well prepared in our communities. This government and the services for big emergencies, how ready are we when a crisis comes? It seems when the power goes out and the damage is done, people are on their own.

I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Elder Abuse
Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In December last I attended the NWT Seniors’ Society symposium held here in Yellowknife. It was called Making Connections: Building Networks to Prevent Elder Abuse. There was lots of grey hair in the room, but oh, the knowledge and the experiences to be shared. I felt privileged then to be part of such a group and I still feel that way.

The symposium was the second phase of a three-phase NWT Seniors’ Society Elder Abuse Project. One of the symposium sessions shared the results of the society’s research findings from phase 1 and I was particularly struck by a couple of the findings. First, that 71 percent of the 450 or so older adults surveyed said that abuse of older adults is a problem in their community. Second, that one of the biggest contributing factors to elder abuse is silence. People do not speak out about the abuse that they experience or that they see around them.

For a very long time, abuse of older adults has been a taboo subject. It’s not acknowledged publicly and it’s gone unnoticed in our communities. In the last 15 years or so the NWT Seniors’ Society has been working hard to change that. Due to their efforts, elder abuse is starting to get the recognition it should. We are starting to better understand the breadth, depth and magnitude of this problem.

Abuse of older adults is not something that can be left to an NGO to fix. It’s too big an issue. The government must shoulder some responsibility and assist the NWT Seniors’ Society in their endeavours. There needs to be a different kind of assistance than what the government normally considers. What is required is to give a higher profile to elders in our government hierarchy. GNWT must start to consider elders as a cohort of their own, gather statistical data for elders, and fund elders as a distinct segment of our society, much as we do for our youth.

The Elders Parliament held last May passed a motion calling for an elders secretariat. That’s one possibility. As well, this House recently passed a motion calling for targeted funding for a seniors home repair and maintenance program. That’s another possibility. Paramount is the need to fund programs to reduce and eliminate the abuse of older adults as a separate program.

At the moment, funding comes under the umbrella of a Family Violence Action Plan. Funding for elder abuse programming needs to be separated out and funded on its own.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Elder Abuse
Members’ Statements

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Funding for elder abuse programming needs to be separated out and funded on its own, within the Family Violence Action Plan but funded as a separate line item. Until we do that and until we speak out about elder abuse, a lot of our elders and seniors will not improve. Certainly abuse of NWT adults will continue and that is a shame. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Seniors at the appropriate time.

Elder Abuse
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Barb Hood, executive director, and Ron MacLellan, researcher, with NWT Seniors’ Society. I’d also like to recognize Yellowknife Seniors’ Society president Merlyn Williams, executive director Vivian Squires, and program coordinator Yvonne Quick. The NWT Status of Women executive director Lorraine Phaneuf is here, community development coordinator Sammy Dechief, and program staff Annemieke Mulders, Lois Little of Lutra Associates and Weledeh resident for sure, and of course, we can’t forget our seniors amongst them, Mr. Ed Jeske, again, one of my mentors from the early days. Greetings to Ed. I also want to mention Reverend Ron McLean and all the others who are volunteers on elders’ issues that are with us today. Mahsi.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. 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 a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Mr. Merlyn Williams. Thank you.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

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

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to make special recognition again of Mr. Ed Jeske, Yellowknife’s very own Mr. Hockey. As well, at the same time, I’d like to recognize Vivian Squires, executive director of YK Seniors, as mentioned. As well, as mentioned earlier, I’d also like to make note of our Reverend Ron McLean. Thank you very much for joining us today.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

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

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize a Frame Lake constituent, Yvonne Quick, who is here. I’d also like to thank Mr. Bromley for mentioning all the people that are up behind me there who I can’t see, but the Status of Women Council staff are here, the staff of

the NWT Seniors’ Society, and I’d like to recognize, in general, all the older adults who are up there today. It’s lovely to see you all and welcome.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. If we’ve missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I raised the issue, once again, regarding a seniors charter. Since three weeks ago I made sure that the Minister of Health and Social Services, who is also the Minister responsible for Seniors, received a copy of the matters I was raising as well as the corresponding research on the particular issue, Mr. Speaker, I’d like an update from the Minister responsible for Seniors. Has she had a chance to evaluate the merits of a potential seniors charter for the Northwest Territories and what are her plans with that matter? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Seniors, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister Responsible for Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member stated, he was kind enough to give me a copy of that charter on February 13

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, and it is

under review. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, the charter that I’ve spoken of as well as the particulars I’ve spoken to in my Member’s statement talk about a lot of things: recognizing the dignity, stopping elders’ abuse, among many, many other things. Does the Minister responsible for Seniors agree with that type of merit and believe that a seniors charter could help us achieve a manifesto of our principles that we believe strongly here? Thank you.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister Responsible for Seniors

I had a cursory look at the charter and I do believe that we in the Territories have programs for seniors that we can be proud of. We have very extensive health care programs for seniors, extra coverages, we have very generous long-term care programming, which is virtually cost free to the seniors in comparison to other jurisdictions where the costs are rising. We also have very extensive home care programming as an insured service, which is not the case in other jurisdictions and, obviously, we have other housing programs too. Mr. Speaker, I do believe in reading the charter that we go a long way in providing for our seniors and one that we can be proud of. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I couldn’t argue with the Minister. I think she’s quite right. We have a lot of fantastic programs for our seniors. I believe strongly, as do many, that an NWT charter for seniors would certainly be, as the old saying goes, it’s finally when the rubber hits the road it sort of locks into our position on how we feel.

Mr. Speaker, in 2006, a copy of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was delivered to the then Minister responsible for Seniors. Mr. Speaker, this is not a new issue for this department. When will the Minister be able to commit one way or the other if the department and certainly if the Minister is behind an NWT seniors charter? Thank you.

Question 554-16(5): NWT Seniors Charter
Oral Questions

March 1st, 2011

Range Lake

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Minister Responsible for Seniors

As I indicated, I received this about two weeks ago. It’s under review and I will have to get back to the Member in due course. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the homeownership programs, specifically homeownership programs for seniors needed to be developed by the Housing Corporation. I have some questions for the Minister of the Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister direct his staff to develop a seniors-specific program for repairs and maintenance of senior homeowner units? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do provide a lot of assistance to seniors, and as I quoted some numbers the other day when I was speaking to the motion, the number of seniors that are accessing our programs, our CARE program, for example, which allows them to access more money than they would have under the old system, we had quite a few seniors that took part in that. But I’ve heard the Member’s concern and I heard the motion the other day. I haven’t had an opportunity yet to sit down with the senior staff, but I do know that we are doing an evaluation of our Housing Choices program and hearing the concern of this Legislative Assembly, it’s one area that we’ll have to have a look at. Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister direct the staff at the Housing Corporation to develop a strategy to ensure that all senior homeowners are contacted during the delivery stage? Thank you.