This is page numbers 3805 – 3850 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th 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 health.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to speak about Northerners and Aboriginals getting jobs with the Government of the Northwest Territories. But firstly, it was good to hear that the shared services and long-term Aboriginal employees were addressed in the House yesterday. This government should be investing in Aboriginals and Northerners. We should be proud to have them in our public service. I think it would be a proud day when we can finally say the GNWT has a truly representative workforce.

Sadly, well-qualified Northerners and Aboriginals, P1 candidates, are still be screened out of job competitions, so who is the government trying to hire for these new jobs, I ask. Our government is not delivering when it comes to Aboriginal employment and hiring. We should be hosting job fairs in our communities, not only down south. Yes, I know our population is low and inviting people north is a good strategy, but I simply feel that we can increase our tax base by hiring more northern and Aboriginal employees.

The government has to stop over-qualifying our entry jobs, stop minimizing the years of experience that our Northerners have, and start hiring them. Thank you very much.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use my Member’s statement to give thanks to all the volunteers in our small communities and our communities in the Northwest Territories that, with great passion, dedication and encouragement, take their children to sporting events, hand game events, people who take time out to organize the events to get the people and rally around them to cook for young students, young people who play hockey in the hockey tournaments, or to the hand game tournaments, to the drivers, people who put up their place for people to stay. I’ve seen a lot of these people in the Sahtu region where families get together, people come together, they have a

special reunion, they support their kids, they drive on these winter roads that we have for the few months, and people who put up their homes, volunteers who cook in the schools, the refs, volunteers who keep the scores. A lot of these families do it for the enjoyment, but more so for the pleasure of the small children who not very often go to other communities to participate. Some go there for challenging themselves, some go for team competitions and compete against other students, and making friends.

I know when we were young in Fort Norman, we used to travel to Norman Wells in bombardiers to play hockey in an outdoor rink. We were just glad to get to the small community, have hamburger and fries and a can of coke, and play hockey outside, make some friends, jump back in the bombardier and travel all the way back to Fort Norman. We used to do that in the small communities because that would give us long-term friendships with our small communities.

To the parents and volunteers who encouraged us and got us out there, I want to say thank you to those who do this in our communities. I know they come out strong and they’re very proud of their communities. I want to thank you very much, because not too often we say thank you to the hardworking volunteers who make those events very successful in the communities of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Ywca Transitional Housing
Members’ Statements

February 20th, 2014

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to quote a story from the YWCA’s most recent newsletter, which I will table later today. The title is “Living at Rockhill: It made a big difference being here.”

The article reads:

“My boyfriend and I were living at the Ptarmigan Apartments with our son. He’s now two and a half. Rent was $1,675 a month and we started getting behind. Only one of us was working because we couldn’t afford daycare at $800 per month plus rent.

I heard about the Transitional Housing Program and called. They gave us the opportunity of living in an emergency unit for three months so we could catch up on bills. That did the trick, and then we moved into a one-bedroom transitional unit. That was lucky because they don’t always have openings and you have to go somewhere else.

It’s made a big difference being here. It allowed me to have the programs offered here, it’s given us time to save up money because we’re going

to move south in a few months. Anything you need, anything you want to talk about, the staff is always there for us.

I learned how to cook, how to be a better parent, how to have more patience, how to take responsibility for money. I make a pretty mean meatloaf.

The staff work with you, how to budget, how to save money, show you crafts, cooking and computers. They’ll help with resumes and looking for jobs.

We’re starting over in Red Deer at the end of May. My boyfriend has some family there. We’re going to find jobs and stay with a friend there for a couple of days.

I am way less stressed now. I used to be pretty stressed out all the time about money and bills, making sure everything was paid and making sure there was food on the table. It’s hard if you are a young family.”

Mr. Speaker, I brought this up to illustrate two points. I want to recognize the work of the YWCA and other non-government organizations that are working so hard to help families like this one. They are doing excellent work, often with shoestring budgets, low salaries and no forced-growth funding.

Secondly, this story is a perfect example of what I was talking about yesterday and the day before as we were reviewing the Housing Corporation. Working people cannot make a decent living here and they are leaving. How would this story have been different if we had affordable daycare, or transitional housing actually transitioned into affordable housing?

I will have questions later today for the Minister. Mahsi.

Ywca Transitional Housing
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak on a slightly lighter note today and send a shout out to those business owners in the Northwest Territories who involve themselves in their local chambers of commerce.

As we speak today, the NWT chamber executive is down in Hay River meeting with the Hay River Chamber of Commerce. Both of these organizations I’m very familiar with, having had the honour of serving as the president of the Hay River chamber for a number of years and president of the NWT chamber for a number of years. However, that does seem like a lifetime ago.

I’d like to congratulate the newly elected board of directors of the Hay River Chamber of Commerce. That organization has a very long and proud tradition in our community, and businesspeople, as everyone knows, are busy people, but I appreciate the fact that they take time out of their schedule to get together to come up with a unified and collective voice on behalf of the interests of the private sector and the business community and, indeed, do often offer input and insight on the private sector to this government as well.

So, later today I will be joining my colleague from Hay River North and thanking our Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment for coming to join us and speak at our chamber gala event tonight in Hay River. We will be going down there to enjoy the company of some Hay River and some NWT Chamber of Commerce representatives.

I’d like to just again send commendation and a congratulation out to the business members who do work together to make these organizations very successful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Before we start today, I’d like to start off first. I’d like to welcome Chief Ernest Betsina, chief of YK Dene First Nation and Ndilo, who is here in the gallery. Welcome today, Mr. Betsina. I’d also like to welcome Cathy Cockney, Ms. Agnes Kuptana, and my aunt, Evelyn Storr. Welcome to the House.

Mr. Lafferty.

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

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would like to recognize our guests. It is the language group. They’ve been working on language development for many years. Today they are having a meeting and they’re here for a brief visit. I’ll tell you their names. From the NWT Metis Nation, Vance Sanderson, Leah Desjarlais; and also for Akaitcho Territory, Chief Ernest Betsina is here to represent the Akaitcho, interpreter Mary Rose Sundberg is also with that group; and Betty Grandjambe from Sahtu; Deline First Nation’s Pauline Roach; and for the Deh Cho region we have Violet Jumbo; IRC is represented by Cathy Cockney and Evelyn Storr; for the Tlicho Government we have Wendy Mantla and Celine Zoe; and Laura Tutcho from ECE. I’d like to welcome all to the Legislative Assembly.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. 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 also like to recognize a couple of Weledeh constituents, Chief Ernest Betsina and Mary Rose Sundberg. I’d

also like to recognize and thank all of the folks that are working on the language groups. That’s very important work that they’re doing and I very much appreciate that. Mahsi.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Blake.

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

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of my constituents, Evelyn Storr. I would also like to thank her for all the years that she has been the SAO in Aklavik. I wish her all the best in her new role at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Yakeleya.

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

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I would like to recognize two of our Sahtu Pages from Fort Good Hope, Melina Tobac and Taylor Kaskamin, and all the other Pages doing a wonderful job taking care of us. I would also like to recognize some of the constituents from the Sahtu, Pauline Roche and Betty Grandjambe; and also a resident now of Yellowknife, Laura Tutcho; and also the other language members who are doing our good work, specifically Agnes Kuptana and Samuel Hearne schoolmate Cathy Cockney and also the chief of Ndilo. Thank you.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Miltenberger.

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

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, as well, would like to take an opportunity to recognize some constituents, an opportunity that doesn’t often befall out-of-Yellowknife MLAs, Vance Sanderson, Leah Desjarlais and Ria Coleman. Thank you.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I would like to welcome all the visitors here in the gallery today. Thank you for taking the time to come watch our daily proceedings.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up with my statement earlier today with questions to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. We are making some progress on transitional housing here in Yellowknife. We have the Bailey House, transitional housing run by the YWCA, and the Betty House is under construction.

Could the Minister remind us what the Housing Corporation’s understanding of the purpose of these transitional housing units is? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The purpose of these transitional houses is to get people to transition, if they’re homeless or if they need a temporary place, to move into transitional housing, from there either try to get into the public housing or market housing or homeownership. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister. That’s my understanding too. The clients that are accepted into transitional housing are generally not well off financially. They may have even been homeless in the recent past.

Given that situation, where does the Minister think that these people are going to transition to after just a few months? Mahsi.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. The people that are in these units, our hope is to see them transition, I think, in most cases, into the public housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, these people are trying to turn their lives around. They have taken the first steps, but then they find themselves at a dead end.

Could the Minister confirm that the Housing Corporation has integrated its programs with the Transitional Housing programs, and that clients in transitional housing will be prioritized for appropriate public housing above the clients who are homeless who could then be put into transitional housing? Mahsi.