Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m reminded by one of our great leaders from the United States, Chief Sitting Bull, he said, at one of his council meetings to his chiefs, “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.” I was reminded of that a couple of days ago when I had a meeting with the elders in Fort Good Hope, who sat around the table one morning and they were very, very concerned about our youth today.

Mrs. Groenewegen spoke a little bit about what the elders were talking about: the diet in the younger people with pop and chips and chocolate bars and fast food. Their diet is changing and we’re seeing more youth sickness in the communities. The elders are very, very concerned about the youth and what type of life we’re setting for them, because there aren’t very many elders in the Northwest Territories.

The elders were talking about our close connection to the land and how our land provides for us, but somehow as people in the communities we’re

missing the point of teaching our youth about life. They’re even concerned that youth at 12, 13 years old are drinking now in our communities. That’s going to cause a lot of concern. So our elders were saying that we have to do something.

Even our land is changing, our land is telling us something. There are lots of issues around their concerns about the pollutants in the land and the chemicals that are going into the water. If we don’t do anything, our people are going to have a hard time in the future. It has been prophesized by the elders in Deline, Tulita and right down the Mackenzie Valley. Elders are talking about how different our world is going to be if we don’t smarten up.

So I want to ask the Minister responsible for Seniors as to what type of programs or what types of things can be done to bring our elders together to talk to us and have a meeting with the youth, and to look at ways that we can help ourselves, such as the addictions forums that he’s going to look at in the next year. So I will ask those questions of the Minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 17th Assembly has set a goal to promote healthy

living for the people of the Northwest Territories. We’re seeing the costs of health care increasing and we are seeing increases in obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes throughout the northern territories. My colleague from Hay River South indicated Diabetes Month is November. I believe that we need to take steps to implement the goals of healthy living.

I would like to speak to an issue that is close to my heart, or should I say closer to my stomach? For years I was largely overweight. I had high blood pressures and I am a diabetic. On May 6, 2011, I paid to insert a weight loss band on the top of my stomach. The band has been successful for me. I have lost 200 pounds.

---Applause

At this time I would like to thank my family and friends for helping me out with that. My blood pressure is in the normal ranges now, and after six months I was able to get off of insulin. The high cost of weight loss bands is not being covered under any government programming and it is preventing people from helping themselves with their weight conditions.

The Department of Health has to strengthen the weight loss program in the Northwest Territories. We need to assist the cost of these weight loss

bands. The cost of the bands will be returned to the government very quickly. The lack of need for insulin, medication and chronic health care will be seen very quickly over the many, many years. I myself believe that I will not be on a chronic system in the government for an additional 10 years. I will not be on insulin, hopefully, for a very long time to see.

We need to follow other jurisdictions, and we have to have a strong weight loss program and fund weight loss bands. If we want people to have healthy lives, we need to give them the tools and the help to do so.

I will have questions for the Minister of Health when it comes time.

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

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [Statement delivered in an Aboriginal language and then in English.]

Today I would like to pay tribute to the late Beatrice Dawson, originally from Rocher River. Beatrice and her late husband, Fred, moved to Fort Resolution, like many other families, in the late ‘50s when the school in Rocher River burned down.

Beatrice and Fred had no children of their own but helped raise six kids. Two of the six passed away years ago. They were Shirley Overvold-King and the late Phillip “Wagee” King. Beatrice helped raise her step-daughter Jackie Pascal from Fort McPherson, adopted Delores from birth, and adopted Tendah and Bradley while they were very young when their mother, Shirley, had passed away. Beatrice’s compassion and love for family and children showed through her willingness to raise and adopt children.

Beatrice was born September 14, 1931, and passed away October 26, 2012, at the age of 81. Beatrice was detected with cancer in November 2011. She was hospitalized in Edmonton for one month before returning home. At the time the doctor told Beatrice that she would not live beyond March. The doctor could not believe it when he examined her in March to find out she was still alive and well. The doctor said Beatrice was a very strong woman.

Beatrice almost left us in March, as the doctor predicted, but she heard her family gathering around, crying out for her, and she came back. She later told her family that the next time she is ready to go, just to let her go. The love of Beatrice’s family kept her alive for an additional seven months. Beatrice passed away peacefully in the Hay River hospital after a gradual decline in her health.

Beatrice is survived by four of those children that she raised: Dolores, Tendah, Bradley and Jackie; 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Beatrice is also survived by her brother Henri King and Vitaline Lafferty here from Yellowknife, and numerous nieces and nephews. My condolences go out to Beatrice’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brother, sister, numerous nieces and nephews and many friends. Beatrice meant the world to them and to all I’m sure she will remain in their hearts.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Linnea Stephenson today, a Page from Weledeh.

I’d also like to recognize the work of all of our Pages and express my thanks to them. Linnea I’m sure can be found at the Snow Show at the Yellowknife Ski Club this Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of traditional healers. Dean Green is still there and Besha Blondin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a couple of Pages who have been working very hard for us for about the last three weeks now and one more week to go. Chris Yurris from Frame Lake and Raya Laframboise from Frame Lake are working with us here today.

I also would like to recognize a good friend and old friend – not old in age, of course – Besha Blondin. Welcome to the House.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize two legislative Pages that have been here for about a week from my riding. From K'atlodeeche Chief Sunrise School, Talia Martel, who is 12 years old and in Grade 8. Her favourite school subjects are English, math and science. Her hobbies are reading, listening to music, and visiting with family and friends. Talia’s education goals are to graduate and go to university and get her Bachelor of Science, get into a medical field and become a doctor.

Brooklyn Cayen is 13 years old, in Grade 8, and was born and raised on the Hay River Reserve. She loves math and algebra, reading and writing, and likes experimenting with science. Her hobbies are reading, cooking, skateboarding and listening to music with friends. Brooklyn is also interested in getting a Bachelor of Science degree and becoming a doctor.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a couple of hardworking Pages that have been here with us from my riding in Inuvik, Faith Rogers and Keenan Jacobson. They have been doing a really great job and I’m really glad that they had this experience here in the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a friend of our family, Mr. Jeremy Bird, who works for CKLB, a resident of Yellowknife. Not in my riding, but welcome, Jeremy.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my cousin Besha Blondin. It’s good to see family sitting above me.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. You said it so well; it’s good to see family here in the House. I have former MLA Mr. Vince Steen’s daughter here, Shannon Steen, my cousin from Tuktoyaktuk. It’s good to see Shannon in the House today.

I have Loretta Elias accompanying Shannon here today. Welcome to the House.

I’d like to welcome the Page for this week, one of my little cousins there, Keenan Jacobson. He’s doing a real good job here this week. Thank you so much. Ms. Rogers, as well. Thank you.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement, the Auditor General has noted that Health and Social Services did not have a territory-wide strategy to manage and prevent diabetes. That is part of the Chronic

Disease Management Model which was due to be implemented this year. I’d like to ask the Minister has that happened and, if not, when will this be implemented.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. The department is working with the health authorities to run a couple of pilot projects. We’re running a pilot project here, a pilot project in the Sahtu on diabetes, and we’re hoping that from reviewing the results of the pilot project, we’re going to be able to expand diabetes programs across the territory.