Mahsi. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, the first priority identified the by the 18th Legislative Assembly talks about improving governance by increasing accountability, transparency, collaboration and building stronger relationships with community governments and stakeholders. I am pleased to rise today to announce the launch of a new website that does just that. It is important that the residents of the NWT have confidence in the safety of their drinking water. Improving access to information about how the government and its partners work together to keep drinking water safe is one way to foster that confidence. This is why the GNWT is unveiling a new drinking water website that will provide people with the information they need in one location that is clear and easy to understand. Rather than having to go to several websites, residents can access centralized information about how safe drinking water is managed and maintained in the NWT. This new website, located at

www.nwtdrinkingwater.ca

, is a joint effort of four GNWT departments active in drinking water management: Public Works and Services, Environment and Natural Resources, Health and Social Services, and Municipal and Community Affairs.

By visiting the website, the public can learn about several aspects of safe drinking water. They can learn how a multi-barrier approach involving watershed protection, water treatment, monitoring and testing ensures drinking water is safe. Updated boil water advisories will be posted on the site. Residents can read about the roles and responsibilities of various groups who monitor and manage drinking water safety, including community governments, various GNWT departments, the federal government and the water boards. This website also includes various videos on drinking water and residential water tank cleaning, reports on drinking water published by the GNWT, and frequently asked questions. The website,

www.nwtdrinkingwater.ca

, serves as a valuable tool to raise public awareness, understanding, and transparency about how we keep our drinking water safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Ministers’ statements. Minister of Transportation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the key challenges facing the Northwest Territories’ transportation system today is climate change. In the past years, warming temperatures have led to permafrost degradation causing roadbed and runway instability, and shortened operating seasons for winter roads. But climate change also means lower water levels that are disrupting marine resupply services for remote communities, forest fires that are causing travel delays and permafrost and infrastructure damage. The Department of Transportation is committed to creating a more resilient transportation system that is flexible to change for the better and generate significant benefits to Northern residents and businesses alike. Research and development is critical to improving our understanding of climate change and identifying best practices for adaptation. With the help of emerging technologies, we are trying to identify promising opportunities to improve efficiency, safety, and environmental performance of the transportation sector. The Department of Transportation has collaborated with Transport Canada on several research and development initiatives within the Networks of Expertise in Permafrost and Arctic Waters under the federal Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative. These projects have contributed over $4 million towards climate change research in the Northwest Territories. Ongoing investment from the Government of Canada is necessary to continue advancing our progress and we are encouraging our federal partners to continue their support and renew funding for these projects.

The Northwest Territories’ unique environment allows us to take a leading role in climate change research. The Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is being constructed over continuous permafrost, making it an ideal location for innovative construction techniques that help to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Two sections on the highway are currently being used to test innovative stream crossing structures and deep fill embankment techniques. We also have 70 sites along the way where in-ground thermistors are constantly monitoring permafrost temperature. The Department of Transportation is also taking advantage of modern technology to receive timely information on weather conditions. A new Tablet Runway Condition Reporting System is being used to report on runway surface conditions at Northwest Territories airports, improving flight planning for our pilots. The tablet system increases the accuracy and timeliness of reporting on runway conditions, resulting in increased safety for air travel. It remains a long-term priority of the Department of Transportation to upgrade all winter roads in the territory to all-weather roads. The department is currently advancing three key strategic transportation corridors, including the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley to Norman Wells, the Tlicho all-weather highway, and improved access into the Slave Geological Province. These projects will respond to climate change and increase access to Northern communities, lower the cost of living for residents, and provide access to our natural resources and new economic development opportunities. The Government of the Northwest Territories must continue taking steps to protect our existing infrastructure assets. Adaptation and innovation are the best tools to ensure a resilient transportation system that meets the needs of Northwest Territories' residents and industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Ministers’ statements. Minister of Human Resources.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to announce that the Government of the Northwest Territories, for the fourth year in a row, has been chosen as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2016. This recognition by The Globe and Mail and Mediacorp Canada Incorporated distinguishes organizations that strive to include women; Aboriginal peoples; visible minorities; persons with disabilities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender peoples in the workplace. Receiving the award places the GNWT among an exclusive group of Canadian employers who have demonstrated a commitment to create a workplace where all employees feel comfortable, valued, and ready to achieve their full potential. The Government of the Northwest Territories defines itself, in part, by its commitment to building a public service that is representative of the population it serves. By way of example, as a goal of the NWT Public Service Strategic Plan, 20/20: A Brilliant North, the GNWT has undertaken a host of initiatives to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce. Key among these initiatives are:

The government-wide Traditional Knowledge Policy, which ensures that Aboriginal knowledge, values, and experience are handed down from generation to generation. The GNWT has committed to using traditional knowledge in the design and delivery of governmental programs and services, understanding the importance of maintaining Aboriginal knowledge and values;

The GNWT’s Advisory Committee on Employability, which provides advice on ways to promote, support, and increase the representation of persons with disabilities in the GNWT workforce, reduce stigma, and foster a spirit of inclusion;

The Aboriginal Employees Advisory Committee that provides advice on ways to help increase workforce representation of Aboriginals at all levels in the public service and to create a working environment that supports and promotes Aboriginal employees in the GNWT;

The biennial employee engagement and satisfaction survey which includes inclusiveness questions designed to better understand employee perceptions on disability and employment in the public service;

An Aboriginal Management Development Program which provides developmental opportunities for Aboriginal candidates to enhance leadership and management skills in manager and senior management positions to meet the GNWT’s future leadership needs; and

The Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training which aims to enhance employee understanding of Aboriginal culture and reaffirms the fundamental importance the GNWT places on including Aboriginal values in program design and delivery for all employees in the public service.

Mr. Speaker, when we are able to draw on the talent and wisdom of a workforce that represents the population it serves, we are better able to understand and meet the needs of residents of the NWT. A diverse workforce in an inclusive environment will improve both individual and organizational performance and result in better value and service to residents and other stakeholders. Being chosen as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers again this year is a testament to the importance the GNWT places on a public service that reflects the diverse make-up of the North. While there is still more work to do and indeed we must ensure sustained commitment on this front, this recognition is positive confirmation that, government-wide, we have made real progress toward eliminating barriers to employment for all Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Ministers’ statements. Honourable Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of a transformative figure, an economic builder in our territory, a true Northern leader: Nellie Cournoyea. ---Applause

Nellie served our territory and the Inuvialuit people for nearly four decades. Her career is a testament to what can be achieved with heart, resilience, and clarity of vision. A former Member of this Assembly as the MLA for Nunakput, Nellie tirelessly advocated for the best interests of her region, the Northwest Territories, and all its peoples. She was a fierce and passionate debater, but above all, she was a champion of the people of the Northwest Territories. She held numerous positions in Cabinet, including Health and Social Services, Renewable Resources, Culture and Communications, Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources, and, of course, she was the first female Premier of the Northwest Territories. She pursued policy with heart, always solid on numbers and always conscious of what communities wanted and needed. Nellie’s work in negotiating 1984’s Inuvialuit Settlement Agreement brought economic self-determination to the Inuvialuit people. Her work in creating numerous co-management boards constitutionally entrenched the equality of the Inuvialuit with the federal and territorial governments in issues of natural resource management, a hard-fought battle that brought economic justice to that region. The signing of the Northwest Territories' first comprehensive land-claim ushered in a new era for the Northwest Territories as the Inuvialuit Final Agreement established its signatories as full participants in both the economic and political life of the Northwest Territories. It is no accident that successive settlements followed the model that Nellie had helped to develop. Each agreement raised the level of Aboriginal participation and investment in the economy, eventually transforming the Northwest Territories economic environment when prospects of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline and the discovery of diamonds catapulted the Northwest Territories economy to new heights. Today, Aboriginal companies play a pivotal role in almost every area of businesses and industry, providing significant opportunities for investment and driving the development of a skilled and vibrant northern workforce. Nellie’s drive came from her desire to advance the economic wellbeing of the Beaufort Delta region. Her work to advance land claims, self-government and even devolution were all tools to this end. But her public service; her tough, pragmatic approach; and relentless work ethic was one from which we all benefited. Immediately after leaving the Legislature in 1995, in typical Nellie fashion, she rolled up her sleeves and took the reins at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, a position she held until retirement. I would like to recognize today Nellie’s incredible work building the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation into the strong economic engine it is today. Her leadership saw the corporation grow, from a small entity to manage settlement funds from the Inuvialuit Agreement, to an economic powerhouse with $492 million in assets. Her personal commitment to the success of the corporation was notable each morning as her office light in the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Building was the first one on each morning and the last to dim each night. Her success and the economic, community, and cultural wellbeing her leadership has brought to the Beaufort Delta region is an example that we should all carry with us as we move through these trying economic times. We cannot back down from the challenges we will face. We must not stray from our principles. That is how success is born. Nellie has been recognized nationally in Canada and internationally for all of her achievements. Mr. Speaker, Nellie was a winner of the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1994, and she is also the recipient of five honourary doctorates in law from Lakehead University, Carleton University, University of Toronto, University of Lethbridge and University of Alberta. In 2008, the Governor General of Canada awarded Nellie the Northern Medal in recognition for her significant contributions to the evolution and reaffirmation of the Canadian North as part of our national identity. That same year, she was also inducted into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame. Not only has Nellie been a leader, she has been a friend to our government and myself personally. I always knew that when she contacted me, the phone call would start with her asking how I was and then often chastising me about my travel and meeting schedule. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss, if I did not also recognize the newly elected chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Duane Smith. He will have big shoes to fill, but I have every confidence that he is up to the challenge, and I would like to wish Mr. Smith the best of luck in his new position and continued success for the IRC as a whole. In the meantime, along with all residents of the Northwest Territories, I trust his predecessor is getting a well-deserved rest for the contributions she has made to the social, political, but especially the economic, evolution we are now seeing in our North. Thank you, Nellie. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Mr. Speaker, my statement today is to emphasize the importance of post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories. Everyone is different and each one of us has different goals and ambitions in life. One of the benefits of living in this great territory, in this wonderful country, is that each of us has the right and the ability to choose our own path. As a result, our population is made up of trappers and carpenters, welders and lawyers, entrepreneurs and teachers, hunters and pilots. The wide variety of paths available to Northerners are all achieved in different ways, but all require a solid education. For some, their education happens in the bush; for others, it's in the cockpit of an aircraft; for many, required education happens in a classroom. One of the challenges for residents of the NWT, to choose whatever career path they want, is the availability of post-secondary education here at home in the North. Depending on the career they choose, young people may have to move away from home to get the education they need. Not only can that be expensive in spite of the NWT's generous Student Financial Assistance Program, but it's hard to have to move away from home and family to get an education. For that reason, I think it's important that our territory provides all possible support to post-secondary institutions that are emerging in the North. Not only will that allow Northerners to realize their individual dreams and goals, it also helps our territory to become a stronger well-rounded society, not only by providing a broad range of opportunities for Northerners but also by attracting academics, professionals, and students from around the world, people who want to learn about our part of the world, about northern peoples, cultures, languages, and ways of life. Currently, Aurora College provides an excellent service with the programming that it offers. Other academic institutions, like the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning and the College nordique, are expanding into other fields and specialities. These and other institutions of post-secondary learning deserve our clear support and endorsement. Call it what you may, a university of the north or a territorial centre of excellence, the development of institutions of higher learning will provide opportunities for Northerners. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish my Member’s statement. Thank you. ---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Beyond that, it will attract thinkers, authors, researchers, and specialists whose work will expand the northern body of knowledge, increase our capacity across the territory, and develop our abilities as a society. Later I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about our support for post-secondary education in the NWT.

Mahsi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House to speak about issues and challenges facing our health care system in Nahendeh. On February 17, 2016, I received a letter from one of my constituents who has experienced some issues with our health centre. I shared this letter with the Minister and asked a few questions to start the process of addressing these issues and I thank the Minister for responding to me. Since receiving this letter a Facebook page was developed asking for people's comments and their experience with our health centre. There are very some very positive comments with the service, especially when comparing it to the system down south. They talked about the hard work and commitment of some of the staff. They also stressed the importance of coming up with proposed solutions to make service better. There were others who are concerned with the service. In going over the comments as well as emails and texts, I feel it is best to use their own words:

Everything seems to pivot around saving money and the convenience of management.

The needs of people seeking medical help seems to be an inconvenience to the system.

No more walk-ins are allowed; you must book a doctor's appointment at least two weeks in advance. Gone are the days where mornings were reserved for people who had appointments with doctors and the afternoons were walk-ins with no appointments. The big issue was nobody knew how this change about. There did not seem to be any consultation with the community.

There has been numerous times where people needed assistance after hours and they would have to argue with people on-call for help. Sometimes they would refuse to see the patients, other times they would see them and tell them “There's nothing wrong. Take two Aspirins and come back later on if you don't feel well.” This cannot continue. Mr. Speaker, what concerns me is that people outside the large centres do not seem to understand what it is like to live in our small to medium communities. These people have hospitals, clinics, and doctors to provide excellent service. Another struggle we have is the department's inability to fill positions with full-time staff and the need to use rotating staff. The people in Nahendeh would love to have the department recruit and bring in nurses and doctors to live and be part of our community and the region. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to continue with my statement, please.

---Unanimous consent granted

In closing, Mr. Speaker, when Fort Simpson was downgraded from a hospital to a wellness centre, we were promised we would have the same service and would not notice a difference. Well, I'd have to say that this is not true. Later on, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mahsi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Today I want to discuss the decentralization of the Sahtu region. As said, the Sahtu region is not a region by itself even though you refer to it as the “Sahtu region,” but it is very much similar to many other areas of our great northern Canadian country. The Sahtu region, also, is currently experiencing limited amount of authority underneath the regime set by others or whenever the case was. My predecessor, Norman Yakeleya, keeps bringing it up in the past and we had some chats, and I look forward to moving his word forward as we progress. Later on today, I will have some questions for the Premier on the issue of decentralization for the Sahtu.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I raise a fact that we must face if we are going to make some real progress in the territory: Alcohol addictions and the impact on mental health it has in the NWT is huge. It comes home to roost in family violence, low education levels, unemployment, poor health -- You name the problem, chances are that alcohol is the root. I have been in government for a long time and know for a fact that we are not doing enough with addictions and mental health problems. The government has always struggled with this and how to get good long-term results. We tend to forget about the costs of mental health and addictions, the cost that starts in our homes and communities and ends up in our schools, hospitals, courts, and correctional centres. We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of that money deals with the results of addictions and not the problem itself. This government must find a way to deal with that problem. We have to tackle the problem itself, and keep working at it year after year. We must find a way to sustain the work on the alcohol problems.

We have a lot of good ideas. We have listened to the communities. We have heard from experts. We have heard from survivors who have rebuilt their lives. Their stories should be enough to convince us that we have to do more. We talked about on-the-land treatment. We tried more community-based treatment approaches than we have now and dropped it. We have the Wellness Court, which just might help to make sure those offenders get support and services they need to turn their lives around. I have no doubts that sending money away to provinces for treatment is a practical and effective solution for those who seek residential addictions treatment. I am positive that we don't do enough in our communities, every community, to help our people stay on the path of sobriety after they've gone for treatment. We need counselling to be available when --

Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, your tine for Members’ statements has expired.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

We need counselling to be available when it's actually needed and where it is needed. We have to find a way that works better than we have been doing so far. We can save lives. We can build a much healthier, a much prosperous society. The Department of Health and Social Services must make a greater effort to combat the effects of alcohol in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

[Translation] Ecole Allain St-Cyr is located in the Frame Lake riding. It started in 1989, in a portable near J.H. Sissons School, as the first francophone school in the NWT under constitutionally protected language rights. Following a court challenge by francophone parents, a separate school was opened in 1999 that soon included high school. Ecole Allain St-Cyr was expanded in 2008 following another court challenge. A further court challenge has resulted in a decision requiring the GNWT to add a gymnasium and access to the small spaces for specialized activities. This has been a long and tragically, an often bitter struggle for francophone families and their children. I can speak from personal experience as our two children went through Ecole Allain St-Cyr, up to the end of high school. They saw their classes dwindle to two students in grade 12 as their friends left for other Yellowknife schools with better facilities. We have to put the interests of the students first to ensure there are more equitable school programs and facilities for all our Yellowknife students. Parents and students are losing patience and are leaving the Ecole Allain St-Cyr due to this unfair treatment compared to other students in Yellowknife. New parents moving to Yellowknife consider Ecole Allain St-Cyr incomplete, and register their children elsewhere. Space-sharing agreements with other schools have not worked. I would like to have additional time to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

[Translation] Transportation by buses or by taxis to have access to other areas is a waste of time which could be better spent in the classroom. Three classrooms are currently used at William McDonald School, but students don't want to go into that school as the culture and climate is very, very different. School enrolment at the primary level continues to grow, but the school is losing students in its high school program, which is in crisis. In 2015-16, nine of 42 students left for other Yellowknife high schools. This is a vicious circle. At Ecole Allain St-Cyr students are leaving because of a perceived lack of facilities and programs, which leads to the school not being able to offer programs and courses because of a lack of students.

I commend the Minister of Education, Culture and Education for his commitment to work cooperatively on the issue of the Ministerial directive that currently restricts enrolment in NWT francophone schools. I understand that the Minister is prepared to work collaboratively with the francophone school board of the NWT and parents in Yellowknife to resolve the current issues at Ecole Allain St-Cyr. I will have questions about this for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment later today.

Mahsi. Members’ statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's recently been confirmed that the Northwest Territories continues to bear the shameful distinction of having the second highest rate of police-reported family violence in Canada. Statistics Canada reports that set against a national average of 243 incidents per 100,000 persons, the NWT comes in at eight to nine times the national average, a rate eclipsed only by Nunavut. These abuses include the second-highest rates of violence against children and youth, as well as seniors and of course, against intimate partners, most often women. Eight women were murdered in the Northwest Territories between 2011 and 2015, a horrifying and unprecedented number. Even so, we are poorly equipped to help those women and children fleeing violent settings. As the Coalition Against Family Violence recently pointed out to us, we must urgently act to address core needs. The Coalition Against Family Violence's presentation focused on three immediate priorities. First is prevention and the need to change social responses to this crime. Working to reverse the normalization of family violence is an important long-term project that will lead to lower rates of violence in northern communities. Updating the 2007 NWT Family Violence Attitudinal Survey to support the delivery of a complete family violence campaign applying social marketing and principles will start on this need. The second priority is emergency response. There must be adequate and consistent funding for shelters and victims' services. This is critical. The third priority is healing. It is crucial we invest in a permanent community-based therapy program available across the NWT for those who have used, experienced, and/or witnessed violence. We need to support systemic responses to family violence, such as the New Day pilot program that works with abusers.

The mandate for this 18th Assembly specifically identifies this “crisis of family and community violence,” as one of the five priorities for action on community wellness and safety. These are just words, unless we put resources behind them. We all know there are dozens of priorities. I will ask you, Mr. Speaker, if I may conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi.

We all know there are dozens of priorities, but where do we make a difference if not against lowering the number of people who are being beaten, terrorized, and killed. What could be more important? I recommend the Coalition Against Family Violence’s presentation as required reading for all Members, and I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time.

Mahsi. Members’ statements. Member for Deh Cho.