Good afternoon, Members. Ministers' statements. Minister of Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to capture opportunities for investment in transportation infrastructure by working to secure funding to advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway, make an all-weather road from Highway No. 3 to Whati, and improve access into the Slave Geological Province. Today I would like to provide an update on the progress made by the department on these projects where work continues to steadily advance. The Department of Transportation believes we have a significant opportunity to move these projects ahead by securing federal funding either through Phase 2 of Canada’s long-term infrastructure plan or through P3 partnerships. The recent Canada Transportation Act Review Panel Report also recommends investing in these key strategic corridors. Infrastructure investments help us connect communities to new social and employment opportunities, reduce the cost of living in the territory, improve our resiliency against the impacts of climate change, and increase access to natural resources. Each of the three proposed NWT transportation corridors projects will help us capture these opportunities to the benefit of our residents.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Transportation continues to make steady progress in advancing the all-season road to the community of Whati. Our government has been working in close partnership with the Tlicho Government for several years to advance this 97 kilometre road, which will provide year-round access to residents of Whati. This road will also benefit nearby communities by significantly increasing the length of operation of the winter roads to Wekweeti and Gameti and helping to address a key impact of climate change in this region. Our government is also working with the Government of Nunavut on a proposed route that would extend from Yellowknife through the Slave Geological Province to Gray’s Bay in Nunavut, and have set up a joint working group to collaborate in accelerating this project in both jurisdictions. The road will also support economic development in the region by increasing access to mineral resources and boosting investor confidence. The Tlicho All-Season Road is currently undergoing an environmental assessment by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, and we are also awaiting a final decision from P3 Canada on our funding application for the project. The GNWT is continuing to work with the federal government to provide any additional information they require for their decision-making process.

Another important project for the Government of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, is the next section of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley to Norman Wells. The $700 million business case for this project was submitted to the federal government under the National Infrastructure Fund of the New Building Canada Plan in 2015.

The Government of Canada is currently reviewing its criteria for evaluating how to award funding to various infrastructure projects across Canada. This means a temporary pause for our Mackenzie Valley Highway proposal, but it does not mean the project has been shelved. We expect the review to resume once Canada has made its decision about new federal funding programming. We continue to work with our federal counterparts and the Sahtu Secretariat’s Mackenzie Valley Highway Working Group, and, as new information becomes available, we will keep Members updated, as I committed last week.

Mr. Speaker, we have also made significant progress on developing an access road into the Slave Geological Province, with the ultimate goal of linking to all-weather road and port in Nunavut. A route has been identified that will provide the greatest economic benefit to the region and the NWT. We are currently assessing the economic feasibility and P3 potential for building an all-weather road along this route and will continue to update Members on our progress.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the construction of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway continues to be on time and on budget. The highway has been under construction since 2013 and earlier this year the north and south sides of the project met for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the project. This winter, the contractor will be entering its fourth and final season of construction; the highway is expected to open to traffic in the fall 2017. This is an incredibly exciting time for the communities of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk and for the Northwest Territories. The Department of Transportation has already started working with the two communities and Aboriginal governments, other GNWT departments and Infrastructure Canada to plan opening celebrations. Events will start in early 2017, with a ceremony to mark the closure of the last winter road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, followed by an official ribbon cutting in November 2017, with a tourism-focused celebration led by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment in June of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, improving the territorial transportation infrastructure will remain one of the priorities of this government as part of our commitment to improve the quality of life and lower the cost of living of our residents, support businesses and employment opportunities, and maximize opportunities to realize our economic potential. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to update the Members on how the Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories are making investments in our communities that will bring economic opportunities for residents and businesses and revitalize municipal infrastructure.

On September 6, 2016, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi, and the Northwest Territories Deputy Premier, Robert C. McLeod, signed a bilateral agreement for the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund and Public Transit Fund. This agreement will see the federal government providing over $50 million through the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund to support 29 projects. Combined with territorial and municipal contributions, more than $68 million will be going towards rehabilitation and improvements to community water and wastewater systems across the Northwest Territories.

Approved projects include rehabilitation and replacement of piped infrastructure in Yellowknife, Fort McPherson, Norman Wells, Fort Smith and Inuvik; improvements to water plants in Tulita, Nahanni Butte and Jean Marie River; and upgrades to sewage lagoons in Whati, Fort Resolution, Lutselk’e and Detah. These projects will ensure that our residents have access to clean and reliable drinking water, and have efficient wastewater systems to protect our environment.

The Government of Canada will also be providing Public Transit Funding of $320,000 to the City of Yellowknife to improve public transit services, and increase passenger safety and accessibility. The City will be contributing $106,000 of their own revenue to create accessible bus stops and proper sidewalks and wheelchair access, as well as improving public safety by creating bus pull out areas.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to leverage available funding through the New Building Canada Plan to invest in community public infrastructure. The New Building Canada Fund was introduced by Canada in 2014 and will provide $185.8 million for infrastructure projects in the Northwest Territories. Thirty-eight million of this will be through the Small Communities Fund to help smaller communities build projects that deliver on local needs. To date, 16 communities have had projects approved under the Small Communities Fund, including a new arena and recreation centre in Hay River, a fitness centre in Fort Simpson and chip sealing in Norman Wells. With the assistance of Municipal and Community Affairs and Public Works and Services, the communities of Paulatuk, Gameti and Wekweeti are combining their Small Communities funding with Municipal and Community Affairs Community Public Infrastructure funding to construct new water treatment plants. This project will be managed by the Government of the Northwest Territories on behalf of the communities and will result in all Northwest Territories communities having water treatment plants that comply with national guidelines.

Also in 2014, the federal government legislated the Gas Tax Fund as a permanent source of infrastructure funding for municipalities. The Government of the Northwest Territories made a commitment in its mandate to pursue new federal funding for the enhancement of community government infrastructure, and implement the asset management framework through the Gas Tax Agreement to ensure that all community infrastructure lifespan is extended and new infrastructure is delivered in a manner that takes into account new building technologies that assist in climate change adaptation and energy efficiencies.

The Government of the Northwest Territories signed a new administrative agreement which expanded the types of eligible projects and incorporated an annual increase to the funding. In addition to water and wastewater, communities are now allowed to use their Gas Tax funding towards other categories such as public transit, solid waste management and sport and cultural infrastructure. Since this new agreement was signed, Northwest Territories communities have invested approximately $30 million in over 100 projects.

Consistent with our mandate commitment, Gas Tax funding is being leveraged to implement the Northwest Territories Asset Management Strategy, developed in partnership with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and other community government representatives. Municipal and Community Affairs has purchased the licence for an asset management program, Web Work Azzier, for Northwest Territories communities and the first group will begin training this winter, with the remaining communities phased in over the next three years. Communities are faced with increased pressures to deliver better programs and services to their residents and invest in infrastructure. This asset management strategy will help them extend the lifespan and service potential of community assets and maximize their limited financial resources. Communities will also have the tools to take into account new building technologies that assist in climate change adaptation and efficiencies.

These federal infrastructure programs have also reduced some of the infrastructure funding deficit identified in the Municipal and Community Affairs Community Government Funding Review. Investing in community infrastructure is vital to the quality of life for our residents and we are proud of the working relationship we have established with the federal government and municipal governments to achieve this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, as investment and residency in the NWT grow we will be able to expand and diversify our economy outside of its resource sector in areas like tourism, agriculture, fishing, manufacturing and the traditional economies. While the GNWT is working to create investor confidence in the Northwest Territories, we are always investing to diversify our economy and to grow our communities. This work is being guided by the NWT Economic Opportunity Strategy which we published two years ago. The strategy emphasizes increased support for entrepreneurs and opens the doors to new partnerships and ideas. It highlights growth areas in regional economies and investments and supports needed by NWT residents and their businesses.

The responsibility of guiding this work rests with the Economic Opportunity Strategy's government committee that contributed to its development: The NWT Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Aboriginal Business Association, the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CANNOR and the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Industry, Tourism and Industry. The collaborative approach taken to implementing the Northwest Territories Economic Opportunity Strategy confirms that all government departments and strategy partners have a role to play in developing a new economic environment for the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, of the 117 recommendations put forward in the strategy, 92 per cent have been addressed. In fact, many of the actions and investments recommended in the strategy are now part of the government's mandate. Implementing them supports our commitment and highlights the role that this strategy can play in promoting economic growth and diversity in the NWT. Earlier this year, the Economic Opportunities Strategy Governance Committee identified 10 priority areas in which ITI will be advancing initiatives and investments, and I would like to highlight these for Members today.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to expand the agricultural sector by developing and implementing an Agriculture Strategy. Developing this sector is a priority and we look forward to introducing a formal strategy shortly to support and guide its growth based on our public and stakeholder engagements, and the direct input of this Assembly.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has also made a mandate commitment to finalize and implement a Commercial Fisheries Revitalization Strategy. We will be advancing a plan for the Great Slave Lake fishery to promote and revitalize commercial fishing in our territory in response to this commitment.

Mr. Speaker, our work to identify a viable, balanced and made-in-the-Northwest Territories approach to advancing oil and gas development in the NWT results from our mandate commitment to develop a long-term strategy to attract oil and gas development in our territory. Work is ongoing with the input of Members, Aboriginal governments and organizations, industry representatives and the public.

We have committed to developing a Northern Manufacturing Strategy and look forward to collaborating with industry and the Northwest Territories Manufacturers' Association to develop a formal strategy for the manufacture and sale of made-in-the-Northwest Territories products and to enhance the value-added processing of materials sourced in the NWT like diamonds and biomass fuels.

We will complete and implement Economic Development Plans to diversify and capture community and regional economic opportunities in each of the five regions. We will work to advance economic opportunities made possible by the installation of the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Optic Line. Finally, we will continue to invest in the success of our Tourism Plan 2020, the NWT Mineral Development Strategy, and the NWT Film Strategy and Action Plan.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Economic Opportunities Strategy was created to guide the government’s programs and actions to develop the economic potential in all regions of the NWT, to strengthen and diversify the NWT economy, and to advance and enhance the quality of life for all NWT residents. The Government of the Northwest Territories remains committed to this strategy and its vision which continues to be reflected in our mandate activities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, housing costs are a major component of the cost of living, which we all know is very high here in the Northwest Territories. Bringing these costs down is a priority. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will be putting out a housing engagement survey that will help us find out how we can design and deliver programs that better meet people’s housing needs.

The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation’s current strategic plan, Building for the Future, was created based on feedback received from residents. That feedback let us make changes to several of the Housing Corporation’s programs and activities in order to improve housing conditions in the Northwest Territories.

Although changes were made, people still have difficulty obtaining and retaining housing. As well, the Northwest Territories has a core need of 20 per cent compared to a national average of 13 per cent. This prompted a need to complete a thorough review of all policies and programs based on input from those using and providing the programs to ensure that they are meeting the needs of residents in an efficient, effective and appropriate manner.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is conducting a survey entitled "Engagement on Strategic Action Renewal." This new survey will continue to build on previous positive changes by getting further public input. This engagement survey will help the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation deliver on the priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly through a complete review of all policies and programs and a renewal of its strategic actions for the coming years.

Mr. Speaker, there are many families in Yellowknife who struggle to obtain and retain housing. Community visits throughout the North have provided the opportunity to listen to community and Aboriginal governments, as well as community members, regarding housing issues. Members have also raised housing concerns on behalf of their constituents. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs lists food, clothing and shelter as basic critical needs to people’s wellbeing. Housing is a critical component in people’s ability to thrive. In the Northwest Territories, safe housing is especially important in light of the remoteness of our communities, and our housing programs need to support people as they work towards self-reliance.

A recurring theme throughout the community tours has been people telling me about their housing issues, explaining that their situation is different than others. This reinforces the belief that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing housing issues in the Northwest Territories. Hearing from communities, including community organizations -- Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish my Minister's statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hearing from communities including communities organizations and Aboriginal governments through this survey about the solutions to housing as they see in their communities is critical. While housing is complex, be assured that this survey will assist in ensuring that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation plans coincide with the goals and the strengths of each individual community and work towards stable housing for all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, this survey will help the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation ensure its policies and programs are meeting the needs of residents and ensure that we're meeting the goal of providing affordable, adequate and suitable housing for all Northwest Territories residents. This survey will ensure that best practice principles are met and that the people who utilize the services will define their own housing needs and define their own solutions to address these needs.

The survey will be distributed to Members this week for their input into the questions and the format. It will then be distributed via Survey Monkey, paper format, and through personal assistance through local housing organizations and Government Service Officers. Please, take part in the survey and help the Housing Corporation focus its short-term activities on creative housing solutions and investments - which is especially important in these challenging fiscal times – and on long-term solutions as we work towards creating strong and sustainable housing for residents and communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Masi. Ministers' statements. Colleagues, I'd like to draw your attention to visitors in the gallery. We have with us special guests, Honourable Nick Sibbeston, Senator for Northwest Territories, former Member, Minister and Government Leader, known in those days as Premier and his wife Karen. Welcome to the Assembly. Hope you enjoy the proceedings.

---Applause

Masi. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Through its Market Housing Program, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is mandated to provide housing units at market rent to "critical staff" in non-market communities. This includes the community of Fort Providence. Here in the House, on March 3rd, we heard that the Housing Corporation currently has 133 market rentals across most non-market communities, and that the corporation plans to increase their stock to 205 units within the next year. But I'm hearing from my constituents, and observing in the communities in my riding, that this program is not working in our small communities. In Fort Providence, two modular units were intended for delivery. One was delivered in January 2016, but has sat empty for almost a full year. As for the second unit, it was not delivered after local businesses expressed their concerns that importing units into the community would disrupt the local market. For example, two local businesses already provide rental property.

Mr. Speaker, further, as a few of my colleagues have talked about right here in the House, bringing in modular units may help the housing corporation keep costs down, but it doesn't do much at all for local employment. In contrast, Mr. Speaker, consider recent renovations to the seniors' home. For that project, local people were employed for the duration of construction. Mr. Speaker, there are projects that help both the government and our small communities, and there are projects that don't. I'll have questions for the Minister later today. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my riding, two young women recently graduated from Aurora College's Early Childhood development Program, along with another of their colleagues who graduated from Yukon College. These women are a northern success story. Gwich'in women who studied and trained in the Northwest Territories and Yukon; then took their skills home to our small community to care for the next generation through the Aboriginal Head Start program. But Mr. Speaker, the government's plans for junior kindergarten has left these Northerners concerned about both the children in their care and their future job prospects.

The administrators of Aboriginal Head Start in Fort McPherson were told that junior kindergarten would resume at Chief Julius School a full year sooner than they had expected. AHS staff members have also been put on three-month contract, in case junior kindergarten results in Aboriginal Head Start layoffs.

The department's study of junior kindergarten found that many long-term providers of early childhood programs, including Aboriginal Head Start, quote, "felt that their programs had been valued or respected." When small-community residents were surveyed, only 23 per cent said they had been provided with information that helped them understand junior kindergarten. We were told that things are different now, but Mr. Speaker, I'm not so sure.

The department has advised Aboriginal Head Start administrators that they, quote, "may need to refocus on younger children if there aren't enough kids for both programs." But, Mr. Speaker, this is not a simple thing. Such a change would alter staff-to-children ratios and require substantial staff re-training and program redesign. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you colleagues. Mr. Speaker, and in my riding where AHS has helped Aboriginal children learn and grow - to get that essential "head start" - for two decades, we are not assured that immediate entry into the school system through junior kindergarten will serve our children better. The department says participation in junior kindergarten will be optional, but Mr. Speaker, that choice won't be meaningful if other community-based programs are driven into a different operations model - or out of operations altogether. The government's mandate commits to supporting quality early childhood development in collaboration with existing organizations. Junior kindergarten has a great potential, but collaboration must be meaningful and it must respect that different communities have different needs. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'll have questions later today.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to share my view on the Government of Canada's approach to a new policy vision for a Shared Arctic Leadership Model. A Shared Arctic Leadership Model with reconciliation work on a renewed Inuit to Crown relationship and the ever-increasing impacts of climate change across the Arctic is an important time for Canada and Canadians to show leadership. Mr. Speaker, the empowerment of Indigenous organizations and governance structures in Canada plays an important role within the overall governance structures created by Inuit through local and regional governments the Canadian Inuit voice to the international stage, including the United Nations and the Arctic Council.

Having the full and meaningful capacity to contribute to important dialogues is very different than simply having a "seat at the table." We must move beyond the "seat at the table" approach to one that truly supports and enhances Inuit capacity to contribute nationally and internationally. In the spring of this year, the Inuit of Canada wrote to Minister Bennett and also submitted a proposal to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada with a request to recognize this inflation when determining the level of funding for circumpolar priorities.

We have yet to receive a response, but remain steadfast in our belief that a fair and reasonable increase to support Inuit in Canada, indexed to inflation, would enhance our collective contributions at important international fora and other requests for engagement, including those from the Shared Arctic Leadership Model. The result of the status quo is that our organizations are forced to invest an inordinate amount of time in proposal development and report writing, simply to 'keep the lights on' is not the best use of our collective time and energy when it could be devoted directly to working with the Government of Canada on the opportunities and challenges facing Inuit nationally and internationally.

Mr. Speaker, adequate resourcing of Indigenous organizations will ensure the capacity is present to address the substantial issues before us as we encourage you to include this as a fundamental foundational aspect of the report.

A Shared Arctic Leadership Model has meaningful relations between Inuit and the Crown at its core. We must recognize what we have done to date has not generally served Indigenous people well. All people involved from politicians to the technical and working level need to generally care about the improved social health outcomes for Inuit. Mr. Speaker, at this time I seek unanimous consent to continue my statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues. Mr. Speaker, as I continue, the current methods used to uphold the duty to consult are different than Inuit interpretation, and this hampers reconciliation and a renewed Crown to Inuit relationship. Real partnership and leadership means that Inuit are a part of the actual decisions being made. It means that our input is valued directly at the decision-making table rather than only through consultation beforehand. This will enhance the quality and outcomes of decisions being made that directly affect the lives and wellbeing of Inuit and Indigenous people across Canada, Mr. Speaker.

A positive example of this would be to build on the structure of the Arctic Council where Inuit are engaged as permanent participants and are at the same table as member states. This would, however, benefit from enhanced core funding directly from the federal government to Indigenous organizations. Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to do my Member's Statement on an important part of health transformation; the recruitment of doctors.

Mr. Speaker, at one time I envisioned a health system having a full slate of doctors in all regions and a full complement of specialists in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services continues to improve its infrastructure across the NWT, including the Stanton Territorial Hospital renewal, new health centres in Hay River, Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, to mention a few. These projects are huge investments. It would be even better if we could have these facilities staffed with our own doctors.

Mr. Speaker, it's my understanding that the health system is still utilizing doctors from other jurisdictions. I further understand that it is difficult for the system to hire doctors that are prepared to live in our regional centres. I feel like we would have much better success if we were hiring fulltime doctors that could divide their time between Yellowknife and the regional centres.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know how many full-time doctors we have in the regions, but I'll use Hay River as an example, since many of my constituents access health services there. If Hay River requires five doctors and they're only able to fill three positions, instead of bringing several doctors from outside the NWT, the doctors for Hay River could be filled in Yellowknife. Therefore, the system could potentially hire four doctors who live in Yellowknife and each of them be half-time doctors in the Hay River Health Centre.

Mr. Speaker, the same concept could apply to Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Inuvik, and Norman Wells. I believe that the Tli Cho doctors already live in Yellowknife. If they choose, the doctors could live in any one of the communities and work half-time in Yellowknife, that would also work.

Mr. Speaker, offering a doctor that chooses to be in Fort Smith an opportunity to work in their field of expertise in a hospital setting at Stanton from time to time would also be ideal. Mr. Speaker, the bottom line here is that we are a lot further ahead if we draw on a territorial pool of doctors even if the majority of them were to live in Yellowknife. We cannot continue to rely on locum doctors from other jurisdictions. Having exclusively territorial doctors would be a good thing for the local economy, the housing market, and of course healthcare for the clients they serve. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide some feedback on the recreation, sports, physical activity and physical literacy policy that is presently being looked at by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Like everybody in the system, I'm a strong supporter that this policy needs to be developed so that we have a policy that is made for Northerners.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage the department to take a more inclusive approach to developing this policy. Policy needs to be drafted by consulting the sport partners, the communities, recreation and sport organizations within the communities and schools. As well, the department has to include GNWT policies such as the poverty action plan and the mandate of the 18th Assembly in this policy.

Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of linking it to the national policies and framework, but this policy needs to build on the strengths of the sport and recreation sector and the hard work that is being done in the communities and at the regional and territorial associations/organizations. Mr. Speaker, this policy needs to make sure that it includes those outcomes and goals that are linked to our desired outcomes and actions. I firmly believe a good policy will help us prevent the issues we are facing today.

It is my understanding the department is working on a physical activity strategy in isolation of others who work in the field. It has been brought to my attention that various associations in the sport and recreation world are not happy with this development. They are concerned that creating another strategy could and would overlap the current policies and create more confusion on the goals, strategies and rules in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the physical activity strategy needs to be included in one policy that addresses the sport, recreation, physical literacy and physical activity components for the Northwest Territories. It has been strongly recommended that this process include consultation with all partners who have a vested interest this policy. I firmly believe that a new policy that includes all of these areas would be responsive and valuable policy that will guide the work of the department and all organizations for years to come. Later on I'll have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs about this policy and the Western Canada lottery program funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.