Mr. Speaker, the knowledge of your elders is essential and very important to tracking and learning about changes in our climate. There are observations of species changing ranges and habitats and the new introduction of species is how these changes will affect our ecosystem. ENR works with elders at wildlife workshops in the regions and collect this valuable information to help us with our added adaptation to climate change and the experience and the knowledge that they bring is very important to the work we do at ENR.

Masi. Oral Questions. Member for Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, my final question for the Minister is does the department have concerns that species that are migrating further north with drive out plants and animals that have been the keystone of northern landscape and harvested from the land for a millennia?

Mr. Speaker, the department, we share these concerns with these species working their way further migrating. However, as our climate is changing we are starting to see the movement of new species out of their natural ranges to the Northwest Territories, and it's awfully difficult with climate change for us to stop these migrations, and it's just something that we have to adapt to and try to work with and see what type of an effect it will have on our ecosystems, and we will continue to do that work and keep Members apprised as to the work we're doing.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

MR.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I talked about my communication with the MACA Minister on the support for seniors and sports and recreation. In reply, the Minister indicated that her department is actively encouraging development of an application to support these types of services. How actively though is the department involved? That is, has the department proactively assigned an expert policy program delivery staff to assist in the drafting of proposals or is it simply asking seniors representatives to develop applications and come back with further revisions? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. There are a couple questions there. Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm assuming that'll count for two of the questions then. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is actually very active in trying to support seniors. We recognize that we need to address more and not only from seniors but from cradle to grave, and so we need to address the whole spectrum of sports and recreation within our territories.

So on that end, I mean we do provide some support currently. We support the Elders in Motion Program through the NWT Recreation and Parks Association and the Canada 55+ Games which is provided through Sport North. Of the 55+ Games, 38 athletes actually attended from the Northwest Territories. They competed in nine sports and won a total of 16 medals in swimming, bowling, cycling and darts. They received $14,000 from Sport North this past summer and it covered uniforms and pins. But we do recognize that we still have a long way to go, and so like I had said yesterday in question period we are in the process of contacting and I know we’ve reached some, I don't know if we've reached them all -- we're contacting all the five sports and recreation associations to bring them to a table. Our plan is to address all of the gaps and the duplications that these organizations are providing at this point. Seniors, youth, all of that will be put on the table to address that and then we'll be working with them to develop a new business plan to see where they can go forward with the fiscal constraints where we are today.

So we are recognizing that we have a long way to go but we're being very proactive in actually trying to address the needs of all residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I think I heard a little slip there; the word "fiscal" came into the picture. I did want to ask the Minister, I've got some ideas here, but in view of that MACA only delivers their programs through third parties at the present time, why doesn't MACA include specific terms and conditions in their agreements with these organizations, requiring funding such as a percent of budgets, specific dollar amounts, or required minimal amounts be dedicated to seniors?

Currently, we don't have anything within our application process that I know that states what programs or financial amounts that we dedicate specifically for seniors. But, like stated in my previous answer, we are bringing all of the organizations together to see if we can actually address better the needs of the residents of the Northwest Territories. I will carry forward the Member's comments to that meeting with the organizations and see if there is more that we can do.

Again, I appreciate the response from the Minister. I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall in that meeting. Can the Minister commit to report back to Members the results of this meeting, identifying gaps and what sort of commitments might be made with regard to support for seniors in sports and recreation?

Like I said before, we are bringing the organizations together. It probably will be a little bit of a process to get through identifying what the duplications are, what the gaps are, who's going to take them on, how we develop that, where we go forward, but I can commit to once all of that information is received that I will put that forward to all of the Members of Legislative Assembly.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Again, I appreciate the response from the Minister. The Minister sort of outlined what might be a rather lengthy process here and I'm just a bit concerned about that. Does the Minister have any sense of what the timing of these meetings are and who is going to be invited? Could she just give us a few details about that? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

So I can say that the five sports and rec organizations will be at the table. I can get a list of the five. I knew it yesterday, I'm thinking I'm forgetting a few of them today so I don't want to state and forget some of them, so I will provide that to the Members. The timeline is difficult. It's really hard to say what time that it will be finished. I am respectful that there are some issues with the groups; they might not want to hear about overlaps, there might be some contention. So I can commit, though, that it is a priority for me and that as soon as the results are in I will get that to Members, but I can't say specifically when because it will depend on the feedback and the interactions that we have with the organizations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member's statement I spoke about the importance of physical literacy for older adults. I'm not talking about sport, I'm not talking about recreation; I'm talking about physical literacy. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs advise this House what the department is doing for older adults as it relates to their physical literacy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

As stated earlier, currently the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is providing funding to NWT Recreation and Parks Association, which is one of the five, for the Elders in Motion program, and we're also providing it for the Canada 55+ Games. We do recognize that there is an issue with physical literacy and so that will be a topic that's on the agenda.

I should also state that there has been a representative from one of the seniors' organizations that has recently come forward and asked if we would consider working with them also to provide a new program for seniors. I don't have the details on that, but I do know that we have expressed more than interest in working with senior groups to provide supports to seniors.

I thank the Minister for her answer. I guess I'm a little bit concerned. We're talking about third-party funding, so the department gives funding to the two of the partners to run events. But I guess my thing is I was looking for the department, and I appreciate that they're working with the seniors, or older adults as they want to be called. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I spoke about some of the benefits of physical literacy for older adults. Can the Minister advise the House if the department is willing to promote the benefits of physical literacy to the residents of the NWT?

Yes, I think that we don't do a good job in actually promoting the benefits of sports and recreation. I think we do but we could do better, and so we will work on developing that as well. Again, it is something that we should be bringing to the five organizations because I also think that they have a role in the promotion of sports and recreation throughout the Northwest Territories. So again, like I said, I will commit to bringing that issue to the table when we meet with them all and see if it becomes solely a department issue or if it's something that all of the organizations should take part in, because, in my personal opinion, I believe it should be a shared responsibility.

I thank the Minister for her answer, but we need leadership, that's what we're looking for, and we need the department to show the leadership then the five partners will follow in stride with it. Physical literacy is important. It's just not sports, it's just not recreation, it's about wellness we're looking for. I realize older adults and seniors cross over other departments. Can the Minister advise the House if there's a committee, Ministers, or departmental staff that work together to help provide older adults with programs to help improve their lives?

At this time no, there is not an interdepartmental committee to look at sports, rec and physical literacy for people in the Northwest Territories. That is the responsibility of the Municipal and Community Affairs.