Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last month at Woodland Manor, the long-term care facility in Hay River, there was a physical incident involving two residents that resulted in a fairly significant injury, according to the health authority. I'm not going to discuss the details of the incident because of privacy issues, but it's an ongoing concern, and it also highlights an important issue.

Violence among residents is a growing concern in long-term care facilities across Canada. We've been relatively lucky in the North. There have been very few incidents as serious as this. As our population ages and more seniors reside in long-term care facilities, the concern grows here, as well. As the government moves forward with plans to expand long-term care facilities, it needs to consider how these types of incidents can be avoided in the future.I've spoken with residents of the long-term care and extended care units in Hay River. This incident has put many of them on edge, and they're now concerned for their own safety. The health authority has been very proactive in trying to mitigate these risks, but, in the current system, only so much can be done to protect residents' safety. While we use terms like long-term or extended care, to the residents, these places are home, and they have the right to feel safe in their own homes. We have to be concerned not only with their physical wellbeing but with their psychological wellbeing, as well, which can negatively affect their physical health. There's no simple fix for this issue. We can't evict residents of these facilities who are violent. They're there because they can't be cared for elsewhere. If a resident has a history of violence or poses a threat, we can't just lock them in their room; they're not prisoners. However, all residents of long-term care facilities are vulnerable in one way or another, and we can't allow individuals who pose a threat or who are psychologically abusive to remain amongst a vulnerable population.

I hope that the incident at Woodland has spurred the government to begin to address this growing concern, and I'll have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Service at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.