This is page numbers 1817 – 1858 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.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you. I appreciate the work that we’re doing for all residents and businesses that are on the natural gas situation. But the ones that are on diesel or on fuel, are there any initiatives in the plan going forward that would reduce the costs for those people on diesel fuel, as well, so that their cost of living goes down when other businesses on natural gas go down, as well, so that we’re targeting the whole community? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you. The intent with the Power Corporation, we’re focusing on generation of electricity. We’re a major customer in the community. We’ve been on diesel for a while now, ever since we got the word that the gas was being depleted, so that we would free up as much gas for the community as possible.

As we proceed on the liquid natural gas initiative, clearly there’s going to be opportunities for the community-at-large to take advantage of this as well. We have to look and balance the costs that are going to be there with liquid natural gas versus the projected costs for the synthetic gas, which is slightly less than diesel, but it’s still about $35 a gigajoule versus, I believe, $39. So it’s still very, very expensive when you think that natural gas is on the market down south for about $4 a gigajoule. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Question 61-17(4): Family Resource Centres
Oral Questions

February 12th, 2013

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my questions the other day in my Member’s statement on early childhood development with the Minister of ECE. I’m wondering, are the new family resource centres that are going into place this year meant to be a flash in the pan program, or do they actually recognize, I think, the intent and the need for a long-term comprehensive approach here? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When we first initiated these family resource centres, we wanted to do a pilot project. Maybe for a short period of time at this point for Tulita and Ndilo, but part of the process is we want to listen to the general public, the stakeholders when we’re engaging the general public about the Early Childhood Development Framework. What’s going to come out of that? Would this still be their first priority and others, other initiatives that we’ve highlighted.

We want to see this as a long-term strategy, but we want to wait and see what the framework actually tells us, and based on that, we want to move forward in this format. Mahsi.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks for those comments. I remain concerned about the $125,000 that had been allocated for the Family Resource Centre in Ndilo, apparently very recently because it’s year end. Ten of the 12 months have passed when those dollars were finally allocated. I’m concerned about the effectiveness of those dollars that are being spent for the last few weeks. So I’d like to know from the Minister, what is being done to ensure that those dollars are spent effectively, particularly given this situation this year. Mahsi.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi. We are fully aware of the time constraint on the funding allocation. The funding will be direct deposited this week. My department met with the organization last week to start planning. The Ndilo staff do have a plan and they assured us that they want to complete the project by the end of the fiscal year. The acting chief also emphasized to us that Ndilo will implement the initiative in the time remaining. So those are the confirmations that we’ve received from the community of Ndilo, but we’ll continue to assist them, work with them and provide support to the community, because we want this to be a successful project along with the Tulita and other projects along the way. Mahsi.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate his supportive approach here. I have to say I am disappointed. When the House approves expenditures, it’s with the intent that the Minister get out there and get the program on the ground so that we take benefit that year. So I’d like to ask, what were the issues causing this amazing delay in getting the Family Resource Centre dollars out the door into Ndilo, apparently just happening this week, other than their obvious reluctance to commit to a flash in the pan program when a long-term one was needed. What were the other issues and how were they addressed? Mahsi.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi. When the first announcement came out, my department met with the representative of Ndilo with respect to the Child and Family Resource Centre in September and also following in October and November. We’ve attempted to meet with First Nations CEO, and in mid-November my department heard from the CEO to discuss the required documentation. So the draft proposal has been submitted thereafter November 15th and there’s been some discussions

and dialogue between my department and Ndilo.

We’ve done what we can as a department to expedite the process but, unfortunately, through the process the CEO left the community. But we continue to have the dialogue with their representative because we want to see this be a

successful project. Again, I have to reiterate that we’re here to support them and we’re going to be allocating the funding now. The plan is in place to implement it. We’ll continue to provide that service and I will keep the Member up to speed on the process itself. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Short, final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I also did speak to the CEO and he expressed extreme frustration with the department. I am sure there are frustrations on both sides. I would ask the Minister to direct his staff to get down to it and just getting to it. Will the Minister commit to getting those dollars out the door early in the next fiscal year for early childhood development? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

We are going to be releasing the funding this week and the plan to implement their planning. Again, we are working closely with the Ndilo community. We want to have this be a successful project, as well, and other future projects. We are doing what we can to maximize our support and provide services to the communities. Releasing the funds expeditiously will be our top priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the Elders in Motion. In the Northwest Territories there are 4,342 elders who are 60 years and over. In the Sahtu there are 256 elders. We are all going to get old, Mr. Speaker. Some of us are going to be called to be an elder. I think in this House here, there are some seniors already here. I think there are four of them.

I went over to the Baker Centre and I saw some really dedicated people working on issues and helping the Elders in Motion. I want to ask the Minister responsible for Seniors, in working with his colleagues, is there some type of coordination where some of these elders who need support in ramps to their house so they can leave the house when they want to. I am asking this because that’s one of the concerns they brought up.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister responsible for Seniors, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Health and Social Services and also in my responsibilities for seniors, we are working on a plan for a continuum of care for seniors. One of the main objectives of that work is going to keep seniors in their home communities, in their own homes, as long as possible. That may

require some technical work on the units such as ramps and other barrier-free provisions within the unit. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I also asked the Minister responsible, I know there’s a wide range of issues we want to look at with seniors and also with the school and part of the continuum care. Is the Minister going to ask Education, Culture and Employment how it can make it more friendly for our seniors to come into the schools and participate with the students? One of the suggestions the group talked about is steps in the school so they could participate easier and they would like to come into the school. Would the Minister look at that also?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I would have no problem discussing that with the Minister of Education. We have recognized that the schools that have easy access seem to be a centre for elders to attend and visit with the students and teachers within those schools. Schools that have barriers such as steep steps are not as senior friendly. So we can have that discussion between the two departments or between my responsibilities as the Minister responsible for Seniors and the Education Minister. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I want to say thank you to the Minister of MACA because of the sports and recreation and the good job they are doing with the Elders in Motion program and working with the Department of Health and Social Services. These seniors don’t want to idle any more, Mr. Speaker. They want to go full throttle and they are asking the Minister to help them on some of these issues. One thing that really bothers them a lot, having to do with the municipality, has to do with loose dogs. I just don’t know how the Minister can help, the Minister of MACA, to have dogs tied up. That’s an issue that I want to ask the Minister about and if he would work with his colleague to see if they can get these loose dogs tied up in the communities.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. You are changing the topic, but I guess, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Again, Mr. Speaker, I have no problem to discuss the issue of dogs, stray dogs in the communities that could potentially be a danger for seniors with some mobility issues with the Minister of MACA. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya. I guess I will give it to you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement, I went to the Baker Centre and I heard the Sahtu people talk about the Elders in Motion program in our region and a number of issues our elders have to face. I want to ask the Minister, would he be committed to come back, within a period of time, and make some

improvements to some of their recommendations. Some of them I talked about in this House. Will the Minister come back this fall so we can have some discussions about some of the things we talked about to make it easier for the elders to keep in motion?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

As I indicated, within the continuum for care for seniors, I will give the Member a progress report on how we are moving along with that initiative. Thank you.