This is page numbers 83 – 126 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 electoral.

Topics

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

I would certainly express, at least, my opinion and I think maybe the opinion of most here that it would be an opportunity to talk with representatives from TerraX to certainly talk about the challenges they are going to face, because I would see that as being a challenge also on the power infrastructure that serves the City of Yellowknife. If we are considering that we are going to use the same infrastructure to supply power to the city that would supply to a mine, then there is certainly good reason to want to talk with them and see, in fact, what their demands are going to be. I think it is fair to say that the residents of Yellowknife would like to see a --

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Member, what is your line of question?

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

I guess the question is on behalf of residents of Yellowknife. Is there a way in which we can get a mine like TerraX on with the Power Corporation so that it can help drive down the costs for everybody?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

There are many options in these types of situations dealing with this mine or other possible mines, including liquefied natural gas. I am informed by my colleague from ITI that this department has, in fact, been in touch with TerraX.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

I guess I will ask a simple question, Mr. Speaker, which would be: what would be the concern, if any, from this government or position from this government or the Power Corporation if TerraX was able to find a way in which to self-sustain their own power and do it on their own? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I am not entirely sure if I understand the question. If TerraX proceeded on its own and had its own power plant, I suppose that would be one thing. On the other hand, the development of this mine or any other mine in this area may provide opportunities to the Power Corporation. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few more questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation about the modular homes. I have a few money questions. My first question is: how much money was advanced to Concept Energy Services and why was that money advanced? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since I do not know that exact figure at this time, I will have to take the question as notice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Item 8, written questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Highway No. 3 is in poor condition because of dips, potholes, and loose gravel causing frequent vehicle damage. Can the Minister tell this House what formula his department uses to calculate capital spending on Highway No. 3; and

1. if the formulas for capital spending and maintenance standards are applied to every NWT highway;

2. if these formulas take into account special circumstances such as accelerated permafrost degradation;

3. what the department's long-term spending plan is for Highway No. 3 and if it can be tabled in this House; and

4. what criteria are used to decide where and how road hazards are marked to alert travellers on Highway No. 3.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Social Development is pleased to provide its report on Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2): Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development and the comments to the House.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

You may proceed.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Sorry, Mr. Speaker.

Introduction

On March 9, 2017, Motion 32-18(2), Referral Of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development charged the committee with reviewing the petitioners' call to eliminate the biannual time change associated with Daylight Saving Time, or DST.

In our review of this complex issue, the committee considered studies that were comprehensive, recent, and undertaken with the policy-making in mind, examining DST and human health, accident rates, energy use, and economic impacts. We also sought studies investigating DST in other circumpolar regions and followed the work of our legislative colleagues in Alberta on a similar initiative. Today, we recommend that changes to the Northwest Territories' observance of DST not be pursued at this time.

Background

DST is the practice of moving clocks ahead in the spring and back in fall. It was observed intermittently in North America in the first half of the 20th century and its adoption in Canada was tied to time standardization. More recently, DST has been synchronized throughout North America, with the exception of one Canadian province, a small number of municipalities, and a few American states. In the Northwest Territories, the Department of Justice administers the Daylight Saving Time Regulations, under the Interpretation Act. These regulations were last amended in 2007 in response to amendments at the federal level in the United States of America.

Jurisdictional Comparison

Today, DST is observed in at least 70 countries and affects roughly one billion people. Notably, Japan, India, and China do not observe DST, although various informal systems are used to address regional disparity. Apart from Alberta, no Canadian province or territory has seriously amended their DST practices. However, the matter has garnered some public interest. Here in the Northwest Territories, Petition 6-18(2) received 533 signatures from residents of at least 18 communities. In Yukon, the Association of Yukon Communities intends to engage their government "to determine if there is a case for removing [DST] in the territory."

In Alberta, Bill 203, Alberta Standard Time, was introduced in March 2017. This private Member's bill proposed that the province adopt DST permanently. It received significant attention, attracting almost 14,000 public submissions, largely via response to an online survey. Because Alberta is our closest administrative and business partner, we have followed these developments closely. We note that the Standing Committee on Alberta's Economic Future has recommended that Bill 203 not proceed and that DST observance continue unchanged. That committee also highlighted the importance of "a coordinated approach" with other jurisdictions in any future initiatives.

Issues

Mental and Physical Health

We found that negative physical and mental health impacts associated with "spring ahead" are negligible, while in contrast, positive health impacts were observed at "fall back." This is linked to the amount of sleep a person may have in a night, as "fall back" can bring an extra hour of rest. Similarly, we found that rates of negative health outcomes such as heart attacks associated with "spring ahead" were also linked to sleep, and that risk could be mitigated with appropriate precautions, such as going to bed earlier. A policy focus not on DST, but on improved sleep accessibility, awareness, hygiene, and quality may achieve desirable positive impacts on population health, particularly for those already sleep-deprived or at risk of poor health.

Pedestrian Accidents and Vehicle Collisions

It is also commonly speculated that pedestrian accidents and vehicle collisions increase around days of time-change, particularly "spring ahead." We found that, where such rates increased in American states, these were linked to driver fatigue and driver error as a result of sudden changes in daylight. However, it is difficult to usefully compare such studies to the Northwest Territories, given our unique environment, small population, and comparatively low collision rates. Since 2007, an average of 33 collisions per year were attributed to alcohol, compared to an average of just one per year attributed to fatigue. Since 1997, collisions have also been more likely to occur in January, one of our darkest and coldest months, not the months of "spring ahead" or "fall back." Petition 6-18(2) proposes that the permanent adoption of DST will "result in an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day during the darkest months of the year." However, because of our territory's unique geography, there is notable variance in daylight hours between our 33 communities. The experience of such a change would be limited and largely subjective, depending on one's location.

Energy Consumption, Economic Impacts, and Local Contexts

Researchers have also speculated that DST supports fuel conservation and/or reduces energy consumption. However, we found that DST's impacts on energy consumption are dependent on unique local geographic and social factors, including sunrise/sunset times, average wake-up times, and average commute duration. For example, while DST was found to slightly increase energy demand in Alberta, it was found to reduce demand in Ontario. As with pedestrian and vehicle collision data, replicating these studies in the Northwest Territories is beyond the scope of the committee's work.

Similarly, although various researchers have explored the impacts of DST on consumer spending and local economies, such work would be difficult to usefully replicate here at this time. Generally, however, it is reasonable to expect that any changes to DST observance would have broad economic impacts, even more so if the territory were to fall out of alignment with Alberta. Any work or leisure activity requiring regular communication with or travel to other jurisdictions, from business meetings to television broadcasts, would likely be impacted. Should amendments to the Daylight Saving Time Regulations be pursued in the future, these questions will require further exploration. We would expect that, should such a situation arise, the Government of the Northwest Territories would engage the public, including stakeholders in industry, education, government departments, community governments, and non-governmental organizations.

Recommendation 1

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends, should the Government of the Northwest Territories consider changes to the Daylight Saving Time Regulations in future, that it engage with its counterparts in Alberta and undertake both broad public and targeted stakeholder engagement.

Conclusion

This concludes the Committee Report on Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development. All committee reports are available online at the Legislative Assembly website: www.assembly.gov.nt.ca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member from Yellowknife Centre, that Committee Report 3-18(3), Report on Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. There is a motion on the floor. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

The motion is carried. Masi.

Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Economic Opportunities Strategy: Connecting Businesses and Communities to Economic Opportunities – Performance and Measures Report, 2016-2017" and "Grants and Contributions Results Reports 2016-2017." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 23, 2017, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.