This is page numbers 6259 – 6290 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 work.

Topics

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Monday evening I happened to catch on the CBC website late that night, I noticed that there was a story, and the story headline said, “NWT Highway No. 3 at Risk of Closing Due to Forest Fire.”

That story was issued at 5:37 that evening. What caused me some individual concern is after last year’s fire experience, there was no e-mail in my inbox saying that there was going to be a closure of the highway. Not only that, to my surprise, I had been talking to people in the industry, the grocery industry saying that they had no notice in any way.

The following morning it was followed up by a Twitter notice saying forest fires near Highway No. 3. Again, no e-mail in the MLAs’ box.

It’s not a point of criticism, but MLAs are part of the solution to ensure that public information can be disseminated in a timely and safe way. Now, I know this isn’t a story or a Member’s statement quite as sexy as a screaming scandal of terrible things, the sky is falling, but the reality is good public communication is vital to ensure that the public knows what’s happening.

As I said about the grocery companies, in speaking to them, they wondered why the Department of Transportation doesn’t communicate with them as part of the critical infrastructure of public information. If you ask a grocery store, they said that in five days, or even four days if really pressed, they can fully stock their shelves for the long haul, just like the good old ice road closure days, like the ice road crossings. They said in two days they could bring any vital, critical type of perishable to their stores and be prepared for a bit of a short-haul but ensure that all their transportation of important goods come through.

What’s important, as well, is I’ve been informed that during last season’s experience, tractor trailers were sitting with milk, eggs and vegetables while lumber and other types of dry goods were passing through. So the issue really came forward as what are our priorities and have we learned any lessons from last season’s highway closure.

I’m not taking a personal issue with the fact that the department was doing some due diligence by ensuring that the public has known, but I think MLAs are critical to be part of the solution to ensure that we can provide information in a timelier way. People look to us. When my neighbour walks across the street and says, “What the heck is happening?” I say, “I don’t know, but I just e-mailed the Minister and I’m waiting for an answer myself.” We cannot have that type of solution. Here is the opportunity, and I’ll finish it by saying I’ll have some questions about solutions during question period. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Even knowing the opportunities for Member’s statements during this short session are few, I would want to take time today to profile the need for and importance of providing flexibility in part-time versus full-time jobs in government and in our communities. This simple but key act yields benefits ranging from an enhanced quality of life to a healthier society and the retention and attraction of NWT workers and families. The far-reaching impact of this modest tweak to employment patterns is something that job providers throughout the Northwest Territories, both public and private, really need to pay heed to.

Time and time again people tell me they want jobs that give them more time to engage in the community outside of work. They want what we want: increased self-sufficiency, diverse economic opportunities, time for volunteer work and involvement in neighbourhood and community support and quality family time, especially with

young children. Well, even my good friend Peter McKay today exemplifies exactly this. People realize life is about more than a paycheque. They are looking for healthier, compassionate and more well-rounded lives. Businesses find challenges filling jobs, though they are much quicker to realize the need to offer different opportunities to employers like adjusting work time. The GNWT has difficulty filling hundreds of positions, with 500 to 700 empty at any one time.

We claim that temporary foreign workers are required to fill many of the available traditionally configured jobs. Perhaps a new approach is called for. I am always saddened when a hardworking and valued employee approaches the employer to request a change to half or three-quarter time and the ask is denied with little attempt to accommodate. Typically the employee is seeking a chance for personal development, home construction or renovation, volunteering in civil society or care of an ailing family member. Such rejection of engagement leads to the loss of a dedicated long-term employee and loss of all broader benefits.

We had shoehorned ourselves into defining jobs as one person year, no matter what the job is. I don’t buy it. Granted, it may be difficult initially to decline the work in ways that full, half, three-quarter or two-thirds steps can do, but the workforce, family, employer and, indeed, community benefits would soon outweigh that initial difficulty.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Job sharing, seasonal jobs and reduced-time jobs are important factors in the quality of life. Providing people with job opportunities geared to today’s northern lifestyle would yield happier and more productive workers with healthier families and communities. It may well yield improved attention and attraction of new northern families.

I urge this government to pursue this opportunity soon, and I will have questions for the Minister. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to revisit the subject of daycares and daycare funding. Over the years this government has repeatedly professed that children are important and that we care for our children, but the actions they’ve taken belie their words.

We don’t have many licenced daycares in the territory. Lots of communities have no daycare at all. Those licenced daycares which do exist in the NWT can get some funding from Education, Culture and Employment to help them with their operations, but it’s well-known that the current funding opportunities are not really working for them. For example, daycares are still funded based on daily attendance of children, an onerous and time-consuming practice that does not provide stable funding for the licenced daycare operator.

Education, Culture and Employment has, since last fall, been reviewing the Early Childhood Program with a focus on funding and governance. There are seven pages of the terms of reference for the review on the Education, Culture and Employment website, and it indicates that a report was due on March 31st of this year. Information went out late

last year to daycares about a survey they could participate in, and a symposium was to be held. According to the survey request from ECE, the focus of input was to be on administration and funding processes. Strangely, the survey targeted front-line staff, those working directly with children, those not usually involved in administrative duties. Why not target managers and operators?

But I’m very glad that this review was undertaken. It was long overdue. Little has been heard of the results of the review, however. Did the work actually get done? Was the symposium held? What were the results of the survey and the symposium? Was a report completed by March 31st as was

required by the terms of reference? Does the department have recommendations from the review for improvements to the administration and funding of daycares? Will we finally see changes to the way that daycares are funded? I have lots of questions and could find no answers anywhere on the Education, Culture and Employment website.

Changes are very much needed and I hope that change is coming. I will have questions for the Minister of ECE. I hope he will have the answers that I and others seek. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Respite Care Services
Members’ Statements

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An aging population and aging family support system have major implications on our health care systems but, more importantly, on our respite services that are provided throughout the Northwest Territories and in our communities. I’ll take it a little bit further than that. It’s not only the aging population but we do have people in the Northwest Territories, whether it be a child or an adult, who are living with a disability or a chronic health condition. It could be physical, mental and, in some cases, cognitive impairment,

and they need assistance in their home, and their families need assistance providing those respite care services.

I want to talk about respite care services, talk about home care services, providing support workers, and even support for the support workers, creating instrumental activities so people who are under these conditions can actually live a daily lifestyle that you and I share, Mr. Speaker, or help them get reintegrated back into society.

Respite care has been reported to reduce the burden on families with family members who have developmental disabilities at home, relieves family stress, improves family functioning and also reduces social isolation for people with a chronic condition or disability. It gets them out in the community.

I know when we’ve extended health care services, we do provide long-term care services, we provide day programming, we do have home care services in the communities, but when you talk to our home care support staff, when you only have one in a community, they’re overburdened with the amount of elders they have to visit, the amount of children they have to visit, the amount of people who have developmental disabilities or other physical impairments.

We do have a lot of challenges in the Northwest Territories. For instance, we have eight communities without a nurse. We have health centres that are aging and depleting. We also have some facilities that don’t have gyms and other facilities where we can hold these day programs, and we also have some human resources issues, and more importantly, there’s always a financial burden when it comes to these kinds of discussions.

Most families pay out of pocket for respite services. In fact, those who can’t pay for it actually go without respite services.

I will be asking questions of the Minister of Health today how we can address those issues and give people who need that assistance the assistance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Respite Care Services
Members’ Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to have track tryouts this afternoon out back. If you can walk that far, you’re on the team.

This is a great time across the Northwest Territories. With all the graduation ceremonies that are going on, it’s just a very positive time. In Inuvik we have a number of ceremonies that are taking

place. It starts right from the four-year-olds, the Aboriginal Head Start program, with their little gowns and they graduate into kindergarten. We have our kindergarten children graduating into Grade 1.

Then on Saturday in Inuvik, the East Three Secondary School is having their high school graduation ceremony. I think they have over 30 students this year graduating, so congratulations to them.

The learning centre, those who have gone back to try and upgrade their schooling so they could get into college, they’re having their completion ceremony, if they haven’t had it already.

At Aurora Campus a couple weeks ago, Member Moses and I had the privilege of attending. They had their convocation ceremony. They had a fantastic theme this year. It was Our Elders, Cultures and Traditions. They had the gym all decorated up with tents, and it was just a fantastic ceremony. I was pleased to be part of it.

There are a lot of proud families across the Northwest Territories; there’s a lot of positive energy; there’s a lot of enthusiasm; and I think we have to do what we can, as legislators, to tap into that positive energy and enthusiasm and work to give all our young people an opportunity. I think this government and governments before and governments that come after us will do that. We’ll work hard to give them an opportunity to further their education and make sure they come home to work.

I would like all Members to join me in congratulating all graduates across the Northwest Territories. This is a great time for all their families and themselves. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. 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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s always a great day when we get students visiting us here at the Legislative Assembly. I have two great schools in my riding. One of those schools is St. Joseph School. I was mentioning to the kids out in the Great Hall earlier that I was a student at St. Joseph in Grade 6. So, it’s great to see them here visiting the Assembly today. This is a Grade 6 class. The teacher’s name is Amanda Delaurier. I’ll go through the students’ names: Jasmine Balsillie, Nolan Elliot, Aron Nathaniel Gomes, Avery Hacala, Tori Hamm, Keegan Head, Makayla Lane, Landon Lavers, Julia Leonardis, Elijah Loos, James MacCara, Lennie Mager, Juliet Mcguire, Raven Mutford, Madison Penney, Marianne Richard, Kyle Rogers, Katie Schauerte,

Olivia Talen, Ellie Mia Taylor and also Alyssa Vornbrock-Jaeb. Now, we had another class. I’m not sure if they’re up there, Ms. Booth’s class. If they’re up there, it looks like they’re gone, but I also want to thank Ms. Booth and her Grade 5/6 students who were here earlier visiting the Assembly. Thanks.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

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

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy to have another student from Bompas Elementary join us here today and it’s my very own stepdaughter, Ms. Brittany Jewel Kendo. Welcome to the gallery. I just want to say she has been training hard to attend the track and field meet in Hay River as well. So, good luck with that.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you. 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 our Pages today, particularly Emma Willoughby. I’m not sure if she’s in the House at this moment, but she’s around somewhere. Also, of course, I’d like to recognize her mother, Catherine Boyd, in the gallery with us today. Thanks very much for all of the things you do on behalf of the MLAs.

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 missed the name of the young man for whom we applauded, but I just want to say there is a leader. As soon as Minister Ramsay started calling out the names, he pointed at every single person that was being introduced. They maybe were shy to introduce themselves, but he did that. Hey, you need one in every crowd. Way to go. Welcome.

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

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I’d like to welcome everybody here. Thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings here today. It is always good to see youth in the House. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to Minister Ramsay’s statement today on morel mushrooms, I have a few questions. We have seen the morel mushroom pickers converge on Hay River. It’s an interesting group, the ones who are from outside of the Northwest Territories. You can recognize them readily. “Hi. You must be here to pick mushrooms.” That’s what I usually say to them. I can’t tell you why I recognize them, but anyway, they are coming in and the Minister has

indicated that this is an industry that could result in millions of dollars for harvesters. They say the department has offered on-site workshops.

I guess I have some concerns. It sounds like even from the Minister’s statement it’s creating a little tourism because there’s no rain, so there are no mushrooms to pick. So we’ve got all these people hanging around. So, good on Kakisa for taking an opportunity to do a little cultural awareness. That’s really great.

But anybody coming into the Northwest Territories who wants to fish, harvest firewood, transport goods into our territory, be a vendor in our territory, or even wants to go on a trip on the land, they generally have to check in with somebody. So here’s my concern. You have a lot of people from down south. No doubt the Northerners may be aware of some of the dangers of being in the bush, but these people say they’ve got camps set up all over the place. I say, “Where’s your camp?” “Oh, it’s 150 miles down, you know, the Kakisa River, or wherever.” I’m concerned that, yes, this may generate a lot of money, but how much is it going to cost us when one campfire or one cigarette butt goes into our extremely dry forest and burns the Northwest Territories down? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all the authorities in the Northwest Territories we continue to work with, of course, the RCMP, ENR monitoring these camps and where people are. There is no requirement for them to check in. Many of them are working for somebody else who would know where they’re at. The Member has a valid point and that’s something I’ll discuss with the department, and because we have had a lack of rain, although there is some rain in the forecast for next week, we’re hoping to get rain on Tuesday and possibly Thursday, which will help the harvest and help with potential forest fire danger here in the territory. We’ll get a more thorough response for the Member on monitoring the pickers who are here, where they’re at, and that is a very important issue. Thank you.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

I would like to ask the Minister of ITI to share with the Assembly the risk-benefit analysis that the department has undertaken to determine how this territory would gain from allowing hundreds of non-resident harvesters to pick mushrooms on the land who will not pay income tax to the GNWT and, at the same time, will put the territory at great risk either for rescuing them or dealing with their emergencies or, as I said, starting fires that we know costs millions of dollars to suppress. What is the cost-benefit analysis of that being done? It’s a great idea. Come

on up here and pick mushrooms, but it’s worrisome. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Not only are we seeing an influx of pickers from western Canada who are showing up in the Northwest Territories, but through the work of the department we are trying to get local people interested in this harvest. That’s why we’re putting on the workshops. That’s why we’re doing the walking tours. It is going to have an economic impact. The pickers who do show up here are going to eat at restaurants, they are going to stay in our parks and campgrounds, they are going to buy gas and supplies from local stores. There is going to be an economic benefit to having them here, but we are trying our best to ensure that the benefits of the morel harvest this summer accrue to people in the Northwest Territories, pickers here in the Northwest Territories.

We’ve had a great deal of interest. I mentioned in my Minister’s statement that 1,200 residents attended the workshops here in the NWT. Our belief here is there is going to be a very good harvest once the rain hits next week and we will see some economic benefit. We haven’t, to my knowledge, done a complete cost-benefit analysis on what it would be. We don’t really know, as I mentioned in my Minister’s statement, and there are a lot of variables. Things like weather, supply and demand, a number of variables there. We haven’t done that, but once this morel season is over, perhaps we could take a look and try to quantify what the economic uptake was on the harvest this summer. The most important thing is we are trying to get local people out to harvest the morels.

Last March we had second reading given to a proposed amendment to the Forest Management Act, which would allow the Minister of ENR to make regulations in respect to the harvest of timber forest products, which would include mushrooms. This is moving forward as well. We have to concentrate on the local economic uptake on this. That’s local people picking morel mushrooms. Thank you.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

I agree with all that. Thank you to the department for all of the workshops and all the awareness they’ve brought to this potential remarkable industry for the Northwest Territories, renewable resource industry. But the fact is, we have many, many non-residents who have come to the Northwest Territories. It’s like a mushroom rush out there. There is no registry. There is no place to sign in. We don’t know their names. We don’t know where they’re from. We don’t know who their next of kin are. There are all kinds of dangers in the bush and that’s where these people are going to be operating and hanging out and camping.

You can’t come into the Northwest Territories and take one fish out of our rivers or lakes without a

non-resident fishing licence. You can’t hunt, you can’t kill an animal, yet you can come in here and be part of what is being touted as come and make $500 or $1,000 a day.

Why can’t there be a registry of some kind set up at the border where they are all coming in on rubber tire traffic? Why can’t there be some kind of a registry that the RCMP could have access to, to see who these folks are? So we could contact families if they went missing, just like you do when you are going on a canoe trip somewhere. You register with somebody, at least. It would be really nice to know who they are and where they are.