Mr. Speaker, to my knowledge, the contracts for O and M on Highway No. 7 would be maintained, and those dollars would be there to continue to maintain and operate Highway No. 7. Thank you.
Debates of Feb. 8th, 2013
This is page numbers 1711 - 1728 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 4th 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 nwt.
Topics
Question 28-17(4): Highway No. 7 Reconstruction
Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh
Mr. Speaker, this year’s plan which didn’t happen, there was a plan to chipseal from the BC border 20 kilometres towards Fort Liard. Is that still being planned in the ‘13-14 capital season? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 28-17(4): Highway No. 7 Reconstruction
Oral Questions

David Ramsay Kam Lake
Mr. Speaker, I’d have to follow up with the department on exactly what the plan is for the capital dollars for Highway No. 7 for ‘13-14 and get that information for the Member. Thank you.
Question 28-17(4): Highway No. 7 Reconstruction
Oral Questions
Question 28-17(4): Highway No. 7 Reconstruction
Oral Questions

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There’s an opportunity because the community of Fort Liard does want to do some chipsealing in their community to save some money should the department go out and put out a bid for chipsealing, to work with the community of Fort Liard thereby reducing costs. It would be a win-win situation. Can the Minister do that? Thank you.
Question 28-17(4): Highway No. 7 Reconstruction
Oral Questions

David Ramsay Kam Lake
Mr. Speaker, at the Department of Transportation we’re looking for ways to work with communities, to work with industries. We have a track record of doing that. Certainly, if there are some economies of scale and an opportunity to work with the community of Fort Liard to get some work done, that’s something that we’ll certainly take under consideration. Thank you.
Question 28-17(4): Highway No. 7 Reconstruction
Oral Questions
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I spoke about my concerns about the downtown day shelter and I directed my questions
to the Minister of Health. Certainly, the issue to me is I’ve always been a big supporter of the downtown day shelter concept. That hasn’t changed even today. I still am a believer.
The RFP process and fresh start is really what I’m after. Yesterday the Minister is quoted, in short, they have a few issues, and they’re referring to the contractor, which are the contribution agreement, year-end report and proposal. So we need to get these things cleared up.
Is the downtown day shelter contractor meeting all of their obligations? If not, which ones have they not been meeting? Has the Department of Health been holding back money, and for how long? Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The provider of the day shelter, I think the initial intent was exactly what they think indicates as a shelter, a place for some people to get out of the weather and go and have a warm place to go to. Within that, as they were operating the shelter, they made themselves, the John Howard Society themselves made recommendations to provide some training to staff. They thought that the operation of the shelter would require some training of their own staff on various things like First Aid and so on. Also, trying to provide some referrals. So individuals that are using the day shelter may be referred to counselling and so on. These were recommendations that the society themselves made. So I think their request is to provide some additional funding to be able to do that.
So far the money has been flowing over the three fiscal years at a consistent amount. So they felt that they were not able to provide those with the current funding, and I’m assuming, since the funding hasn’t increased, that they’re still not able to provide those, but they are providing what was required of them initially. Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. I was listening to the Minister’s answer very attentively and what I hear is an organization bid for the proposal. It sounds like they underbid it, didn’t know what they were bidding on, and now they want more money to run it in a new fashion. The question was not answered in any way specific to the Minister’s quote, which was he said there was contribution agreement problems, year-end report problems and proposal problems.
What are those problems? Are we holding money back because they have not fulfilled their obligations? Let’s be clear on the record. What obligations have they not fulfilled and why? Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe
Thank you. No money is held back. So, money will continue to flow in that
way. Obligations I speak of are exactly what I said, the report so that we have an opportunity to review it. The contribution agreement, which is actually a contribution agreement between ourselves and YKHSS so that we can have the money flow through them and then they will then get a proposal from the society, which they haven’t received. So there could be an idea that the society will be adding more to what they want to do and that may form the proposal. At this time we don’t have that information, but we’re not stopping the money because of it. Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
It’s critical to point out that the concerns I am raising are important, but they’re not only mine; they’re issues raised to me by the public and many people. Let’s be very, very clear. Is the Minister going to go out to an RFP to ensure that the downtown day shelter gets a fresh start or some new leadership that is qualified to run that shelter rather than making it up in a hodgepodge way? Because the people who are really hurting are those who need it, and they need the help. Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe
We do want to go to an RFP. The issue was that the request as we were dealing with the Health and Social Services Authority, the request for them to recommend that we go through an RFP process. So they would perhaps look at other providers. It was very late in the fiscal year and we didn’t think we could achieve the proper requests for proposals at that late juncture. So we decided to continue with the cash flow, and then during the process, as we’re continuing to operate, then go for an RFP. So in future years if it’s deemed that the facility should remain open, then it will be done under the guidelines of a proposal. Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.I want to be absolutely crystal clear. My problem isn’t with the employees. My problem isn’t with the people who use the thing. I think they need the help and I think they deserve respect and dignity by giving them help. My issue comes down to the management style of the way that that place is running. So how can this Minister guarantee that this place will be running better and not more of the same? Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe
Thank you. It would be very difficult to guarantee that something like a shelter will be running better in the future. What we can do is we can guarantee that some of the things that the society indicated would be an important part of running a shelter, such as I indicated earlier, training staff on things like First Aid. There is also crisis intervention; there is also communication skills of the people working in there, how they communicate with the users of the facility. So if
we’re able to achieve those, then it should run better. That will largely depend on the people that are using the facility how well the facility runs. Thank you.
Question 29-17(4): Dene Ko Day Shelter Funding
Oral Questions
Question 30-17(4): Status Of Fort Providence Ice Bridge And Ferry Workers
Oral Questions

Michael Nadli Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I rose to at least honour the people that made it possible for us to transport goods plus drive over the Deh Cho ice bridge for a long time. So my question is to the Minister of Transportation.
I’d like to know the status of the crew that used to make the ice bridge, at the same time just the status of the crew that operated the ferry and what are the plans for them. Thank you.
Question 30-17(4): Status Of Fort Providence Ice Bridge And Ferry Workers
Oral Questions
Question 30-17(4): Status Of Fort Providence Ice Bridge And Ferry Workers
Oral Questions

David Ramsay Kam Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wouldn’t know the status of the ice crew and what they were doing. I certainly would go back to the department and see if the department knows exactly what those folks are up to.
On the Merv Hardie ferry crew, there were a few employees, or most of the employees were of a casual nature. I believe others were offered employment elsewhere. To the exact status of those employees, I’d certainly be more than happy to get the Member the status of the employees that did serve us, and serve us very well, on both the ice crossing and on the Merv Hardie itself. Thank you.
Question 30-17(4): Status Of Fort Providence Ice Bridge And Ferry Workers
Oral Questions

Michael Nadli Deh Cho
I wanted to know if the Department of Transportation has any prepared plans in terms of helping the people that perhaps have been laid off, or in terms of trying to help them with making the transition to other employment opportunities. Mahsi.
Question 30-17(4): Status Of Fort Providence Ice Bridge And Ferry Workers
Oral Questions

David Ramsay Kam Lake
Thank you. For employees that were affected by the discontinuation of service of the Merv Hardie, I’m certain that department officials were working with those employees. But again, for the specifics on what was offered to employees, that is something and a level of information that I don’t have with me today, but I’d certainly be more than happy to get that for the Member. Thank you.
Question 30-17(4): Status Of Fort Providence Ice Bridge And Ferry Workers
Oral Questions

Michael Nadli Deh Cho
Thank you. Switching to the big bridge that is in operation now, I just want to understand what are some of the immediate short-term and long-term plans for the maintenance of the bridge. For one thing, or a couple of things, I know there are concerns about eventually bison perhaps stopping the flow of traffic. Another concern is just the traffic lights. At what point do
you see perhaps the establishment of those additions to the bridge? Mahsi.
Question 30-17(4): Status Of Fort Providence Ice Bridge And Ferry Workers
Oral Questions

David Ramsay Kam Lake
Thank you. The Texas gates that will be installed on the north side of the bridge should be installed in the spring. Those will keep bison off of the bridge.
As to the maintenance, I believe the department continues to work with the community of Fort Providence and opportunities there to look at maintenance opportunities. As well, there are some other works that are going to be needed over the next eight to nine months, and certainly Deh Gah is going to be included in some of the work that is going to be required, remedial work on the bridge. I know they’ve partnered up with Ruskin to get some of this work done. So I’m happy to see that some more work will accrue to the community of Fort Providence, and some more employment opportunities as well. Thank you.