Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, imagine waking up every day in a house that’s run down, mouldy, drafty and too small for your family. Then one day, you wake up in a big, new, beautiful home. You get out of bed and brush your teeth in your en suite bathroom and then make breakfast in your spacious kitchen. Mr. Speaker, you head off to your job with the mine, with a six-figure salary that helped you pay for your new home.

It’s well known that we have a deficit of appropriate housing in our territory. It’s been discussed ad nauseam, but no matter how many homes we’ve built, unless we address the cause of the economic disadvantage that fuels the need for subsidized housing, the problem will only get worse. I’m not at all opposed to social housing. We need to support those who need it. But when there are healthy men and women in Whati who want to work, who want to earn a good income, and who want to provide for their families, then it’s my priority to give them an opportunity to do that.

The road to Whati is not a handout to a mining company. It’s a way to support the creation of well-paying mining jobs and bring money and opportunity into a community. Despite how it’s sometimes portrayed in this House, Road to Resources is not a pejorative term. Roads to resources are our best hope to turn our local and territorial economies around. Just think if we built the Slave Geological Province road when it was first discussed in the '50s or if we built it in the '60s or the '70s or at all. We wouldn’t have a $3.2 billion infrastructure deficit and a housing crisis and we wouldn’t be sucking at the teat of the federal government, begging our residents to complete the census so we can get our headcount money. We would have a stable resource revenue stream, securing our people’s future for generations to come. I didn’t get into politics to put band-aids on our problems. I did it to get people working. I don’t want to be part of another Assembly who couldn’t do what was needed to provide for our territory, so let’s build these roads and put people to work so they have the power to buy their own homes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Nunakput.

Quyanainni Mr. Speaker, and Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank my colleague for that statement. It’s very meaningful. Mr. Speaker, today I’m going to talk about the Ulukhaktok arena closure. The arena in Ulukhaktok has been closed since late last year when the Hamlet Council received the consultant’s report indicating that the building is contaminated with

mould

. According to the Hamlet, “a significant amount of mould was found on surfaces in both the hockey and curling rink. The report also indicated that mould was found in the air quality test in the lobby, kitchen, washrooms, and change rooms.” Mr. Speaker, mould spores occur naturally and can be found in the air both inside and outdoors. When these spores encounter a moist environment, they begin to grow and release toxins. Mould contamination can cause allergic reactions in some people, with younger people being more susceptible than most. Ice arenas, which have a high indoor relative humidity, can provide a perfect environment for mould growth.

The hamlet did the right thing by closing the arena while dealing with this mould issue to minimize the potential health threat to children and other arena users. Unfortunately, the closure of the arena poses other risks to young people in Ulukhaktok, risks associated with boredom and lack of physical activity.

As we know, the benefits of physical activity in children and youth are extensive, with many direct and associated positive outcomes. Regular physical activity is associated with lower blood pressure and lower rates of obesity and diabetes. It is also positively linked to better mental health outcomes such as better social skills, improved academic performance and reduce rates of anxiety and depression. For this reason, it concerns me greatly to see Ulukhaktok’s arena is scheduled to be closed for such a long time. The consultant’s report revealed that it was a design flaw in the building, specifically, a lack of mechanical ventilation which caused the mould. The Hamlet is working to correct these issues and hopes to reopen the facility this fall. Later today, I will have questions for the Municipal and Community Affairs Minister about what the department is doing to assist Ulukhaktok to remediate the arena and re-open it to the public as safely and quickly as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Masi. Members’ statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Today, I’d like to talk about the long saga of midwifery services in the Northwest Territories, based upon the latest updates provided by the Minister of Health and Social Services. In 2012, the government responded to advocacy for community-based midwifery services with a Midwifery Review and Expansion Analysis Report. That report recommended options for expansion of midwifery services under community, regional and territorial models. In July 2015, the Minister said that the next goal was to move forward with a territorial model based out of Yellowknife in 2015-16, so that the full rollout could be done in 2016-17. The exact nature of a territorial model was not defined in that 2012 report. Work on creating the territorial model appears to be stalled. To move it forward, two consultants were brought on in 2015 to flesh out the concept. Midwife positions were created and staffed in Hay River and Fort Smith. Rather than two Inuvik staff positions, the Beaufort Delta health authority decided to pursue other care models. Positions proposed for Yellowknife and Behchoko have yet to be funded. That’s my understanding of where we are today.

The Minister stated in July 2015 that he was still committed to introducing midwifery services based in Yellowknife and would expand the program into the regions, starting with the Deh Cho and Behchoko. The word midwife does not appear anywhere in our 2016-17 budget, so there’s been little progress on this issue. Recently, the Health Minister told midwifery advocates that, “The consultation process is currently being developed for the territorial midwifery program and consultation will take place during the fall/winter of 2016. Once completed, a proposal for territorial midwifery program will be reviewed and considered.” Mr. Speaker, we’re at least five years along from that decision that led to a 2012 report and recommendations. The 2015 work on two dedicated consultants has resulted in a proposal for further consultation in fall/winter 2016-17. That means that any incorporation into business plans is kicked down to at least 2018-19.

Members’ statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

My colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to a number of people in the gallery. All the language experts, language resource people, teachers, educators are here with us. I would like to thank you for being with us and more specifically for Camilla Bishop. Nora Wedzin is here with us. She’s been in a language area for a number of years as well, and also, Tammy Signwan-Deschambeault. Same teacher over the years. Thanks for supporting our language and continue your success. Masi. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I couldn’t say it better myself. Thank you for your remarks to our wonderful language workers and instructors throughout the Northwest Territories. Today I’d like you to join me in welcoming board members that sit on the Official Languages and Aboriginal Language Revitalization boards, which is very important work as we’re moving forward in this government and was a priority coming out the 17thLegislative Assembly as well. I know they do really great work with our Aboriginal Language Secretariat as well.

Please welcome me in welcoming Dora Grandejambe, from the Sahtu Dene Council. She’s the chairperson of the Aboriginal Language Revitalization Board. Beverly Amos, chairperson of the Official Languages Board from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Emily Kudlak, John Catholique, Emma Amundson, Jonas Landry, Mary Ross, Tammy Steinwand-Deschambeault, Teresa Etchinelle, Nora Wedzin, Vance Sanderson.

Also joining us here today are regional language coordinators, Barbara Memogana, from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation; Mary Ann Vital, Sahtu Dene Council; Violet Jumbo, from the Dehcho First Nations; William Firth from the Gwich’in Tribal Council; Nicolas Carrier, Federation franco-tenoise. Also, I believe up in the gallery is Shannon Gullberg, our Languages Commissioner and our great staff over at the Aboriginal Language Secretariat that’s doing some great work. I’d like to welcome our staff for joining us here today and have all Members join us welcoming our great workers throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to welcome Mary Ross and William George first to the House today. Thank you for all your work you’ve done for the Gwich’in language. Mahsi cho.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Dora Grandjambe, Theresa Etchinelle, and Mary Ann Vital. Welcome to the Assembly. Members of our home riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Quyanainni Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, also, I’d like welcome everybody from the Official Languages Board members, Aboriginal Revitalization Board members and regional language coordinators. I think we should put you guys to work in the translation booths. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to welcome a fellow Inuvialuit, Beverly Amos, Emily Kudluk, and Barb McKenna. I’m always a big advocate for Indigenous peoples and while we advocate for the environment, we keep our language strong. Thank you. Welcome.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a few other people in the gallery. We have Kelly and Todd Slack and the new addition to their family, Sam, probably one of the youngest people who has ever been in the gallery. David Wasylciw, who runs Open NWT, a valuable resource for political junkies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too, would like to stand up here today and recognize a few constituents from my riding. Emma Abbotson and Violet Jumbo and a shout out to Tammy Steinwand there. Thank you.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha.

To recognize John Catholique, representing the Akaitcho Territory Government, and Vance Anderson, NWT Metis Nation.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.