Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome everybody back into the House as well as welcome any NWT residents who may be viewing, especially through our new satellite option.

In our past O and M budget process, committee worked with government on committing funding for mental health prevention and promotion programs through the Department of Health and Social Services. Some of these funds were provided to the communities of Yellowknife and Inuvik and were to be allocated for day shelters.

In the community of Inuvik, however, the health authority had a meeting and worked with the local interagency committee to come up with a proposal for an emergency wet shelter that would operate in the evenings during the winter months. This shelter is now in operation and is being utilized on a daily basis. From what I hear, there are anywhere from 10 to 15 residents accessing the services nightly. Other informal discussions have also shown that there have been less alcohol-related disturbances in the community and less visits to the emergency room.

Although there are some good outcomes being presented, addictions continue to be an issue. More stable programming, more resources and more funding need to be provided to these organizations that do work on behalf of government. The initial success of this project can lay the framework for future emergency shelters, wet or dry, by utilizing

and supporting the resources that are available even in our smallest communities.

I’d like to thank and recognize the hard work, compassion and dedication of all the partners on making this project happen at such a fast pace – the Town of Inuvik, the RCMP, the Anglican Church, the Inuvik Interagency Committee – and all of the numerous volunteers that provide their time to keep this shelter open during the nights.

This emergency shelter is not only providing cost savings in health authority and through the RCMP but it’s saving lives.

I will have questions later on for the Minister of Health and Social Services on how we can build on this project in Inuvik but also build these types of projects in communities across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.