This is page numbers 2545 – 2580 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 expenditures.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Special Olympics Canada is a national organization that’s dedicated to making lives better through sport. The program consists of more than 17,000 volunteers, including approximately 13,000 coaches. They’ve been working with children, youth and adults for over 40 years and have over 35,000 athletes registered in their Special Olympics year-round sport programs across this country.

Today I am pleased to recognize the outstanding achievements of a member of the Yellowknife Speed Skating Club and a constituent of mine, Ms. Cynthia Simmons. As a result of her strong performance in speed skating at the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Games in St. Albert, 14-year-old Cynthia Simmons was selected to participate at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, in early 2013. There were 141 athletes on the Special Olympics team selected from 87 communities across Canada.

I understand that Cynthia is a very determined athlete and she gave her heart and soul to preparing for the challenge of the games. All of her efforts and dedication paid off when she won her place on the podium twice during the Special Olympics. Cynthia received two silver medals for

her performance at the games. She finished second in the 777-metre event on February 2nd , followed by

winning another silver medal in the 333-metre event on February 4th . To add to her success, Cynthia

placed fourth in the 500-metre event as well.

Cynthia co-hosted the welcoming event for Team Canada in Vancouver on the way to the Games and she was a gracious ambassador in South Korea for the Northwest Territories and for Canada.

The Special Olympics have an athlete’s oath. It is: Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. Cynthia, you have certainly lived up to your oath and have gone beyond your own expectations. You have made your family, your friends, your community and the Northwest Territories all very proud to have you represent us at these very honourable games. Thank you very much, Cynthia.

---Applause

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ramsay.

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

March 11th, 2013

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a great honour, privilege and a pleasure to recognize Cynthia Simmons. With Cynthia today is her father Mark Simmons. Welcome.

Also with Special Olympics NWT we have Cappy Elkin and Larry Elkin. Welcome.

I’d also like to recognize my constituency assistant, Ms. Wendy Morgan.

I have some other folks in the gallery today. It’s a busy day. I’d like to recognize the folks from Avalon: Mr. Don Bubar, president and CEO of Avalon Rare Metals; Mr. Mark Wiseman, vice-president, sustainable development, Avalon Rare Metals, and lead interface with regulatory agencies; Mr. Richard Pratt, general counsel and corporate secretary with Avalon Rare Metals; and Mr. David Connelly, special advisor to CEO Bubar. Welcome, everyone, to the House.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Moses.

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

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my constituency assistant, constituent and good friend, and a very good coach from Inuvik, Ms. Maia Lepage.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. 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 several constituents today. I’m very pleased to see Miranda Currie in the House. I will be chatting about Miranda later and recognizing her

again. Also Jacob Kass is here, and on the other side of Miranda there is my CA, Craig Yeo.

Also in the House today we have David Connelly, a resident of Weledeh. I’d also like to welcome the Avalon team. Avalon is very involved in the Weledeh riding.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mrs. Groenewegen.

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

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to welcome the Avalon team here today. They are very involved in Mr. Bromley’s riding. They’re also very involved and going to be very involved in my riding.

I’d also like to recognize my constituency assistant, Ms. Wendy Morgan.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Bouchard.

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

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce or recognize Wendy Morgan, also, not my constituency assistant but she definitely helps me out when I’m in Hay River for my Hay River riding. She definitely helps me out, and thanks for all the hard work. Like I said, we’ve been here for six weeks so she has been very helpful.

I’d also like to say thanks to Mr. Bubar and his team from Avalon for coming here. We look forward to having them in the South Slave and working with them in Hay River.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. 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 use the occasion to recognize a couple of constituents and thank them for being here today. That would be Cappy and Larry Elkin. They are certainly well-known stalwarts in our community here in Yellowknife, and volunteering with the Special Olympics is just one of many things of a long list of things that they do in our community.

Like my other colleagues, I too wish to acknowledge Mr. Don Bubar and his team from Avalon. I appreciate their investment in the North, I appreciate their interest in the North, and certainly their efforts to make strong partnerships with our northern communities and Aboriginal people. I thank them for all the work that they do.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dolynny.

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

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, rise again today to pay homage to what we heard today about a very talented and world-renowned speed skater. Before she was world renowned in speed skating she was an incredible swimmer for the Yellowknife Polar Bear Swim Club and she did her coach very proud. Congratulations, Cynthia.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. I’d like to thank and welcome all visitors here in the public

gallery today. Thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings today.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 5, 2013, Sister Celeste of Tulita was honoured with the 2013 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. She is truly an inspirational woman whose impact on families in the community of Tulita cannot be understated. She established the Fort Norman Child Development Centre in 1981 and in the 31 years since it has been open, she has given several generations of Dene and Metis community members a head start towards successful personal and working lives. A growing number of her former students are finishing up their high school and pursuing further education, and showing leadership roles in the community.

In 1995 the Child Development Centre was renamed after Sister Celeste, demonstrating the community’s appreciation for her many contributions. She is especially loved for her deep respect and appreciation of the Dene and Metis cultures, skills and language, ensuring they are taught in the classrooms.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about what’s next after devolution. This morning on the radio station I was listening to the chairperson from the Sahtu Secretariat, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, talking about the next steps in the progression of becoming a province that will have its own rights and meanings of being a part of the Confederation of Canada. She talked about a constitution in five to 10 years. I wanted to ask the Premier if that is the progressional steps we take in the evolution of becoming a province. We’re just about there, but we’re not quite there. We just don’t have that name. We have the powers now that we have negotiated them. Is that something that within this Assembly we would talk about and then move it to the next Assembly in regard to the Northwest Territories looking at provincehood?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Premier

I’m a very practical and pragmatic person, so before we start talking about a constitution, we need to get devolution done first.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

That’s all fine. That’s what we do here through our budgets and that. I’m asking about the leader here, looking forward to the Northwest Territories. I think as leaders around here, we are to inspire people to look at what’s ahead. I have a son who is 11 years old and it’s something he would look forward to and look at. Is that something they can look at and say, yes, one day, in five or 10 years? Is that something that the Northwest Territories can look at to be part of the Confederation of Canada through the means of constitution?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Premier

We already, as the Northwest Territories, are part of Confederation. I think, if I can put words in the Member’s mouth, he’s talking about becoming a province. We have looked at it. Right now the last time we examined it, our revenues would decline significantly. We would get approximately two-thirds less than what we’re getting now if we became a province, plus we’d have to face a hurdle whereby we would have to obtain at least 50 percent of the five most populated provinces to agree that the Northwest Territories should become a province. Those are the realities that we have to deal with.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

In the North and in Canada, we are always changing and so we’ve got to look forward. I think we need to look at a new level of provincehood or the way the Constitution is, but the way it looks now, it doesn’t look in our favour. However, I’m not too sure if Canada and the Canadian people will say, let’s not give the right to the Northwest Territories people then. We can do things differently. We certainly passed the hurdle of the devolution. It’s still in its draft stages. I have hope and I have hope for my people. I believe in our people. We can do this. I want to ask the Premier, is that something that maybe by the end of the life of this government that will be some of the things that we need to talk about becoming a province.