This is page numbers 3107 – 3152 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 going.

Topics

Small Business Day
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Before we continue on Members’ statements, I would like to welcome into the House Mr. Leon Lafferty, a former Member. Welcome back to the House, Mr. Lafferty.

---Applause

The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I often hear how disappointed the public is about this bureaucratic style of government. Yet again I’m going to provide, if not illustrate, another example of how Northerners feel continually disappointed by this Cabinet.

The citizens of the territory keep calling for 911, but the MACA Minister won’t pick up the call for action. Citizens are struggling to understand why in the

North, why in this modern time the Northwest Territories does not have 911 services for us to access. It is a reality of life. It’s beyond a doubt that 911 makes it a lot easier to call for emergency services and time makes the difference between life and death. Report after report will illustrate that. Any delay can cause dangerous causes and effects.

The MACA Minister has been called to answer this question many times. What is stopping you? Yet he calls back and says nothing, and the fact is it comes down to, well, it’s not everywhere, we can’t install it because we don’t have cell phones. We must be at the end of the line of excuses by this government.

Recently NorthwestTel has put cell phone services in almost three-quarters of our communities across the territory. Basic 911 service has now become such a pervasive issue across North America it’s a natural instinct. You ask any young person what’s the emergency phone number. An eight-year-old will say 911.

So what is the delay? Northerners want this as a priority. The NWTAC wants this as a priority. Yes, the City of Yellowknife wants this as a priority. It has now reached a public safety priority.

I remind the Minister of MACA that he also includes Yellowknife in his mandate as Municipal and Community Affairs Minister. Often it’s seen as we wouldn’t want to support a Yellowknife initiative, but this is a territorial initiative which will help the safety of many of our Northerners, one thing that should always, always be on our mind.

If you go to the CRTC website, the website states, “basic 911 is provided in Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.” We should be calling 911 on the fact that they’re wrong. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

The 2014-15 Infrastructure Budget fails to meet the needs and investments in education of our youth. Youth need access to facilities and programs to help them succeed. They need a safe place to go after school and on weekends. Young adulthood offers a unique opportunity to discover where your interests and talents lay, and develop lasting skills in areas such as traditional activities, sports, arts and trades in a way we can only experience once in our lives.

Recently, I’m very proud that two young people from Fort Providence, Zachary Lesage and Alvin Minoza, took the initiative to come to my constituency office to let me know how much they

would like an area for skateboarding, a BMX track and a play zone for paintball as early as next spring or summer. We need to develop these areas for our youth and teach them the skills they need to get involved in building it for themselves.

Young people have a lot of energy that can be channeled for the good of their communities, schools, friends, families and themselves. Participating in various activities in a supportive atmosphere builds the confidence and social skills we need as people in order to build healthy relationships and achieve individual and collective goals.

Each community in the NWT should have at least one facility dedicated to youth. Everywhere you go you see a real need to have established and operating youth centres in small communities.

Schools and youth centres are so much more than buildings. When we invest in infrastructure for youth, we are contributing to some great programs that offer young Northerners opportunities like never before. When government neglects infrastructure in schools and youth centres, it shortchanges their own investments in quality programs, including youth development projects, sport and recreation programs and strategies, high performance athlete development, Youth Ambassadors, Northern Youth Abroad, youth leadership development, and components of afterschool physical activity and the Healthy Choices Framework.

Over the coming year I want to see the Government of the NWT, communities, industry and local businesses work together to enhance facilities and programs in all our communities for the benefit of the youth and the general public. I strongly support a balanced approach to investments in our capital infrastructure. We need to ask ourselves what are we teaching our young people. As we spend heavily in one area, what compromises are we willing to make in another?

Ultimately our future will be determined by the value, leadership and decisions of our youth. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Lifeguards For Lodune
Members’ Statements

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a sunny day in June 2013 – the first day of summer break for Yellowknife students – our Yellowknife suffered the loss of a young, vibrant little seven-year-old boy, Lodune Shelley. Lodune was in a tragic drowning accident at Long Lake beach within our NWT Fred Henne Park. Through you, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Legislative Assembly, our

sincere thoughts and prayers go out to the families who are with us today.

In the wake of tragedy there is always the opportunity for growth and positive outcomes. This unfortunate event saw the birth of Lifeguards for Lodune, an initiative started by Tanya Silke and a number of heartfelt volunteers who, in their spirit and in their words, came together to encourage community spirit, empower people, get involved and make a difference.

Get involved they did. The volunteer group quickly joined forces with spirited individuals and the business community for supplies, finances and, in some cases, expertise. In no time they were patrolling the beach at Long Lake, being that extra pair of eyes and ears and having on standby that much needed lifesaving equipment. All were volunteers, many were trained in First Aid and all were putting their faith in the hands of the Good Samaritan Act. Looming over their shadows, liability was, and continues to be, the barrier to their ultimate success.

Sadly, during Lifeguards for Lodune’s early phase, they were strongly discouraged by this government to continue, but many in this House and all of Yellowknife were supportive and encouraged them to continue their cause, promising them that we, the elected, would battle for them in this House.

Therefore, I stand here today with many of my colleagues in support in saying, Minister Ramsay, bring back our lifeguards.

Now, we know that much awaited Lifesaving Society of Alberta report will be tabled later today. I haven’t read it yet, but we know from earlier department spokespeople that we shouldn’t hold our breath under water. Many are encouraged and thankful to the Lifesaving Society for providing 33 personal floatation devices at Long Lake beach this summer, but the majority of citizens are discouraged without the single recommendation we all hoped for.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Lifeguards For Lodune
Members’ Statements

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

We spend millions upon millions of dollars in infrastructure such as highways. In fact, one kilometre of new highway construction could fund a lifeguard program at Long Lake for 142 years, or put it another way, 23 feet of new highway could fund our lifeguard program for one year. Ask yourself, can the Minister spare a couple feet of highway each year to help save lives? Let’s ask him later today in oral questions. Thank you, Lifeguards for Lodune, and thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Lifeguards For Lodune
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Thoughts and prayers are with the family in the House. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In June of this year I talked about the importance of showing our support for families across the Northwest Territories who have experienced the tragedy of losing a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Last week, October 15th was recognized in many

countries, provinces and states around the world as a special day of remembrance for pregnancy loss and infant death. This day of remembrance has been honoured annually by all 50 U.S. states since 1988. In Canada, six provinces have observed October 15th a special Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Awareness Day, as has the United Kingdom and some Australian states.

Later today I will be asking this Legislative Assembly to please add our voices to those already raised in support of grieving families, by supporting a motion to observe October 15th as an annual day

of remembrance for pregnancy and infant loss in the Northwest Territories. As I said before, a pregnancy and infant loss day of remembrance is a small but important gesture for every family who has been touched by this tragedy. It shows our support and our sympathy and reminds us of the research and awareness that still needs to be done. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Social Programs is pleased to provide its report on the review of 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act, and commends it to the House.

Introduction

The Standing Committee on Social Programs commends the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for advancing this bill in response to motions passed in this Assembly.

A year and a half ago, MLAs Dolynny and Yakeleya introduced a motion urging the Minister to develop legislation to help stop bullying in the Northwest Territories, supported by a comprehensive awareness campaign.

The motion was passed unanimously by Regular Members. The message was reinforced this year in

a motion by MLAs Bisaro and Bouchard, who called for our government to support federal and provincial efforts to help control cyber-bullying including changes to the Criminal Code of Canada.

The misuse of new social media has had tragic results across Canada sometimes leading young people to take their own lives. The GNWT decision to amend the Education Act as a first step to curb bullying in the Northwest Territories was based in part on compelling independent research. A survey of 1,600 NWT students showed significantly higher levels of bullying here than most of Canada.

For example, 81 percent of girls in Grade 6 through Grade 8 reported that they had been bullied compared to 69 percent across Canada; 72 percent of boys the same age reported that they had been bullied, 9 percent higher than the rest of the Canada. These numbers are disturbing. What is worse, behind the numbers are young victims. In some cases of unintentionally hurtful pranks, but in others of real malice and cruelty.

The purpose of the amendments proposed in Bill 12 is to define bullying, including cyber-bullying, and provide, through regulation, for a territorial school code of conduct and safe schools plans. District education authorities would be required to develop a discipline policy consistent with the territorial code of conduct.

While bullying is defined and must be addressed in safe schools plans, bullying will not be explicitly prohibited in the Education Act itself. It is the intention of these amendments that measures against bullying will be included in the territorial code of conduct, safe schools plans, and other school rules described in the discipline policy enacted by each education authority.

Similarly, duties and procedures dealing with bullying will be contained in future regulations. In this way, the bill places the determination of responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, principals and education authorities squarely in the Minister’s hands.

These decisions were made following the Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s review of anti-bullying legislation across Canada. Prior to writing Bill 12, the department also sought feedback from major stakeholders including unions, the RCMP and the public. Approximately 350 responses were received. ECE also consulted with the NWT Teachers’ Association on how bullying should be dealt with in NWT schools.

The bill before you today includes three amendments introduced at the committee’s public clause-by-clause hearing in Yellowknife on October 24, 2013. These represent changes adopted by the committee after being recommended during previous public hearings. The amendments provide

clarification and more explicit definitions of bullying and cyber-bullying. The committee is grateful to everyone who attended hearings and commented on Bill 12. Your input has been a great help in improving the bill and providing guidance for the government’s future actions against bullying.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to pass the report off to my colleague, Ms. Bisaro.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to Mr. Moses.

Public Comments – A Discussion

The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted an active and thorough review of this bill. For the first time in the history of the Northwest Territories, the committee held hearings in schools to solicit the views of students. To facilitate discussion and openness, the format was much less formal than a typical public hearing on a bill.

These sessions took place at the Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River, Ecole Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells, and the East Three Secondary School in Inuvik. An additional session was done with a video e-learning link to a class in Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk. Members thank the many thoughtful students and teachers who took part, as it represents a new milestone in our territory’s democratic progress.

The committee’s small survey amplifies the findings of the independent research cited earlier. Virtually every student had been bullied or had seen bullying at school. A much smaller but very encouraging number – perhaps half – had reported bullying. This speaks to the timeliness of Bill 12 and the need to take positive action.

Students’ comments at the various schools had much in common, but differences were evident including issues related to the size of the community and student body.

In each school, students provided at least one new and useful idea for the committee to consider and sometimes more.

For example, in Hay River a student suggested that schools identify a group of students willing to speak up about bullying incidents on behalf of others. They also suggested bringing in motivational speakers to address bullying issues.

Empowering victims and bystanders to report bullying or even to intervene in some cases was a key theme among students. As one young woman put it at East Three Secondary School in Inuvik, “what I hate the most is that nobody ever does anything about it. They just stand and watch.” The territorial code of conduct and safe schools plans should address this issue, ensuring support to

bystanders who come forward. Students must know help is easy to get. The committee encountered some who said they did not even know who to go to for help.

I would like to now pass the reading of the report to my colleague Mrs. Groenewegen.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Cyber-bullying is a “live issue” for students at all the schools visited by the committee, though it appears to be a bigger problem in the larger more urban settings. Students identified several websites that they consider to be problematic because the participants are anonymous: whisper.com (“but everybody talks about it”), Ask.fm and Omegle.com (including Omegle Canada). The latter involves live chats with strangers including video. Awareness of these sites and sites of this type should be part of ECE’s communication plan for students, parents and schools.

Students frequently spoke about the need to “call them out on it” – the bully, that is – but admitted it can be hard to do and often is not done. The rise of cyber-bullying contributes to that problem. “There is more cyber-bullying than regular bullying now,” reported a student in Inuvik.

Public hearings were also held in Inuvik, Norman Wells, Yellowknife and Hay River, between September 23 and October 7, 2013. The unifying theme of these meetings is that bullying “is a community and societal problem, not simply a school problem or a family problem.” As one concerned observer said in Yellowknife, the goal should be to replace a culture of bullying with “a culture of peace and non-violence.”

From this general theme came recommendations to draft separate legislation specifically to address bullying in our society, community, cyberspace, workplaces and public venues. This may be a desirable approach, and Nova Scotia may serve as a national example in this regard, but it is well beyond the scope of Bill 12.

Some frustration was also expressed with the vagueness of Bill 12, due to the absence of information about the contents of the territorial code of conduct, safe schools plans and regulations. It remains unknown exactly what these policies will require of teachers, principals, education authorities and perhaps even parents.

Similarly, it came up in several public hearings that there is no reference in the bill to adults in schools who may be victims of bullying. This is a significant oversight which should be addressed in the territorial code of conduct, safe schools plans and regulations.

Many thoughtful and effective practices to reduce bullying are already in place at NWT schools. However, the committee also encountered inconsistency among teachers in the way bullying is handled, let alone across an education authority or the territory. While one teacher might stop bullying at the teasing level, another might say, “Handle it yourself.” Students often cited cases in which they believed nothing was done after bullying was reported.

At one hearing a young man said that after two years he finally just beat up the bully, but then saw the bully’s fear, and felt sorry. In Inuvik, a woman, now well-advanced in her studies for a Bachelor’s of Education degree, said she had been bullied so much, “I just wanted to give up and say, ‘this is it, I’m done.’” She said some students in Inuvik from Sachs Harbour have done just that, and put their education aside. Bullying is preventing students from getting the education they must have to succeed in today’s world.

These incidents speak strongly to the need for action against bullying. This should include support and, if necessary, training for teachers and principals tasked with responding to incidents of bullying.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to turn the report over to my colleague from the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya, for continuance.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. A consistent and predictable response to bullying is desirable, but that is not the same thing as hard and fast, inflexible actions and discipline. In each community, the committee heard the desire to tune responses to the local environment and the case at hand. In short, education authorities, principals, teachers and students need a compatible set of integrated tools. Taken together, these tools should be delivered in the territorial code of conduct, safe schools policy guidelines and regulations attached to the Education Act.

Another consistent theme is the view that suspension from school is not an effective form of discipline. It is not considered effective in any community, by adults or students who spoke to the committee. Suspension is seen by many as a “holiday” for the bully that results in him or her falling behind in school, a practice that actually encourages absenteeism. Community service was suggested as an alternative form of discipline by students in Norman Wells, Yellowknife and Inuvik. We heard many times from teachers how disruptive it is when a suspended student returns to the classroom.

In sharp contrast to suspension, there is general support for restorative processes to meet the needs of victims and perpetrators of bullying. This, coupled with a progressive, “tiered” set of responses linked to the severity of the incident and its circumstances, was recommended in every community visited by the standing committee. A student in Tuktoyaktuk recommended “a ladder of consequences.” An experienced teacher in Inuvik stressed that “bullies need consequences, and counselling support.”

Counselling is universally seen as essential to both the prevention of, and as a response to, bullying. As one young woman put it in Yellowknife, but speaking of her experience in Ontario, “I honestly think that [counselling] saved me for those two years.” The committee was told repeatedly that resources for counselling are insufficient now and will be further taxed by new anti-bullying measures. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment must be prepared to address the critical need for counsellors in every NWT school.

Opinion was divided on whether there should be mandatory counselling for perpetrators of bullying. But many students and some teachers believe it is worth the attempt, and could help bullies come to understand they are hurting people, and change their ways. The committee is convinced that mandatory counselling should be an option available to schools.

Some teachers and parents advised focusing preventive efforts and education about bullying in the early grades, involving parents from the beginning of their children’s school years. This makes eminently good sense. As one student sagely advised, “teach respect” from the start.

Now I turn the report over to my colleague Mr. Dolynny.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dolynny.

Recommended Actions

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Social Programs recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment:

1) review and build upon existing curricula and

practices related to bullying in schools across the NWT;

2) emphasize restorative processes in dealing with

bullying, dealing with root causes to the greatest extent possible;

3) provide counselling support for both victims and

perpetrators of bullying;

4) use a tiered approach to discipline, with

suspensions as a last resort;

5) provide schools the option of using in-school

suspensions to deal with bullying behaviour, and provide adequate resources to schools choosing this course;

6)

provide schools the option of adopting mandatory counselling for bullies, and provide adequate resources to schools choosing this course;

7) ensure that both large and small schools are

adequately resourced to provide counselling related to bullying and other matters;

8) the territorial code of conduct, safe schools

guidelines and regulations should be provided to the Standing Committee on Social Programs and other stakeholders in education for review and feedback in advance of their enactment;

9) the territorial code of conduct, safe schools

guidelines and school practices should empower bystanders to report bullying, and ensure protective measures are taken afterwards;

10)

research best practices and ensure that

responses to bullying are appropriate in cases involving students with special needs;

11) ensure accountability of parents in preventing

bullying and disciplining of bullies;

12) design and implement a territorial awareness

campaign, as directed in Motion 5-17(2). This should be a made-in-the-North campaign with strong northern content;

13) consider gender-specific approaches to bullying

prevention and awareness;

14)

to the extent practicable, ECE should stay abreast of website developments that pose risks to students, and provide an updated list to education authorities of those that should be blocked on school communication systems;

15) the Department of Health and Social Services

should add a link to the Kids Help Phone website to its My Voice, My Choice website; and

16)

immediately begin work on broader anti-

bullying legislation that addresses bullying in general society and cyberspace, beyond the school environment.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to turn it over to our chair of the standing committee, Mr. Moses. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Good job.

Conclusion

It is the considered opinion of the Standing Committee on Social Programs that the bill is a reasonable first step in the NWT’s efforts to prevent

bullying. However, it cannot be the last step. In fact, committee members expected more and so do residents of our territory. Further work must address the root causes of bullying.

It is significant that Bill 12 does not amend the Education Act to prohibit bullying outright. This surprised some students. In Inuvik, for example, one said, “It should be law. It’s wrong.” It is hard to argue with such straightforward logic. This should be considered in any subsequent legislation related to bullying.

At this time, the Standing Committee on Social Programs advises that it supports Bill 12 as presented to Committee of the Whole.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the Report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the Review of Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act. Therefore, I move, seconded by the Member for Range Lake, that Committee Report 8-17(4) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Carried

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Beaulieu.

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

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize Aurora College students in the Social Work Program in the gallery. First their instructor, Vanessa Rankin. The names of the students, Cheryl Cleary, Alice Mawdsley, Jolene Donovan, Lidya McLeod, Stephanie Rabesca, Vanessa Temple, Fiona Wray, Denise Mackay, Jessica Landry, Tanya Snowshoe and Lucy Kay.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Dolynny.