This is page numbers 2745 - 2784 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was communities.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of things we are doing. We are actually working on a strategy to address the funding gap that I talked about in Committee of the Whole yesterday, that we would be providing to the Members in the fall, coming up. We are working with the federal government to leverage their infrastructure money. Ultimately, it is the communities' responsibility to define what they want to do for capital projects and infrastructure building, so we actually provide supports to the communities to define their capital planning process.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Not to pre-empt this plan, but is this going to be a costed plan that actually has numbers attached to it, or is it an aspirational plan that talks about "support" and "working with" and "capturing" opportunities? Is it a costed plan that is going to actually deliver funds into our communities and get our economy back on track?

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

The plan is still under development. I suspect that there will be some work towards goals that are talked about in it and also some financial issues that we will need to address. Will it be actually costed and say: this is what we will provide each year? That, I cannot guarantee.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, of the current contribution we make to community-level infrastructure, does that money get spent? Does 100 per cent of that money get spent year on year?

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

It took me a moment to clarify what the question was. The money that we give to communities is actually their monies. They use their monies as they see fit. Some communities have surpluses with that, and some have deficits, and so we try to work with the communities that have deficits to try to address those by a deficit recovery plan.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that is part of the issue here, is we need to make sure that that money is going into local projects. Can the Minister commit to working with communities to make sure they are maximizing this investment, I know that that is part of leveraging federal funding, but with our own dollars, and taking a look at those surpluses and seeing if they can be invested in projects for today rather than continuing our economic woes, so to speak?

This kind of infrastructure spending creates growth. It is creating record growth in Canada, as part of increased federal infrastructure investment. It is time this government took that approach, and local community-level spending of infrastructure dollars is the best way to do it. Will the Minister work on getting that money out to the communities? Thank you.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

As I said earlier, we provide the funding to the communities. They determine what they are using the money for. Some communities are building up surpluses so they can build bigger infrastructure items. No, I will not commit to going in and using an iron fist with communities. I believe that that is a step backwards. We are working towards self-government, self-determination, and I as a Minister will adhere to that within my term. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 888-18(2): Funding Community Infrastructure Programs
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. The government recently announced a 48-bed long-term care facility, pending approval of this capital budget, would be built in Hay River. There is no detail in the capital plan other than a completion date of 2021, so I'd like to know: when can we expect this project to break ground? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is still a lot of planning to do and a lot of work that needs to be done. I'll have to confirm with the department when we think we might actually be able to break ground. Before we break ground, a significant amount of work does have to happen. We have to find potential partners; we have to find potential builders. We're looking at the H.H. Williams site. That building will likely have to come down before we get there. I will get more information for the Member to get as close to a potential break ground date, recognizing that a lot of work has to happen between now and then.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

September 25th, 2017

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

I was also going to ask potentially where this could be located, but he did mention the site of the old hospital, so I assume that's what they're looking at. Will this be operated by the GNWT or will this be under the authority of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority?

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, there's still a discussion ongoing around that. There are some potential partners who have indicated they would like to follow an Avens-type model in Hay River, so it could be something like Avens, but we haven't made that final conclusion or decision.

It could be the Hay River Authority; it may not be. I think there's a lot of interest in the community on doing things a little different, being a little creative about how we actually provide those services to the residents of the community as well as South Slave, and we're open to all possibilities at this point in time.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

A very intriguing answer. The big question is: how many positions can we expect at this new facility? How many jobs are we looking at?

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, it's a little early to give concrete, definitive numbers, but I can give some rough numbers that we're looking at today. The most efficient way to build long-term care beds in the Northwest Territories is 24-bed pods. We find that we're going to get the best value for money and be able to provide the greatest degree of safe services for residents.

Based on a 48-bed facility, which is basically two pods, what we're looking at is about 60 positions. That would include direct care staff, which is RNs, LPNs, resident care aides, and for a 48-bed facility that's about 38.5 positions, including relief, because we need to be able to ensure that we're providing 24/7 care. People do go on holidays, people do call in sick, so we need relief to cover that.

Those aren't the only staff who would be in this type of facility, Mr. Speaker. We would need managers, supervisors, admin, housekeeping, laundry, cooks, activity aides, coordinators. We're anticipating that based on existing models and modifying for 24-bed facilities that's about 17.5 positions, not including relief. We're hovering around 60 positions, and that would be true both for Hay River as well as Inuvik, because we're looking at 48-bed facilities in both those communities.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now, this represents a lot of skilled positions. Considering there's a facility planned for Inuvik, as well, that's a lot more positions. How is the government preparing our labour force for this future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, we're still a few days away from actually opening these facilities, so we have some time to do some training. When it comes to one of our more recent facilities, the facility in Norman Wells, we worked with local partners as well as Aurora College to provide some training for resident care aides. We can certainly explore that model. I think there's great training out there where we can train local people for local work, and at the end of the day that's what we would like to do: local people, local work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long‑term Care Facility
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The time has expired for oral questions. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Member for Yellowknife North.

Bill 27: An Act To Amend The Environmental Protection Act
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment has reviewed Bill 27, An Act to Amend the Environmental Protection Act, and wishes to report that Bill 27 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 27: An Act To Amend The Environmental Protection Act
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Tabled Document 454-18(2): 2017-2018 Health And Social Services Authority Budgets
Tabling of Documents

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Continuing Care Services Action Plan 2017-2018 to 2021-2022," as well as the "2017-2018 Health and Social Services Authority Budgets." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tabled Document 454-18(2): 2017-2018 Health And Social Services Authority Budgets
Tabling of Documents

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents.