Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I share with you some of the excellent work being led by our colleagues at the Arctic Council and Permanent Participant Gwich'in Council International on the issue of renewable energy, an area that this government is active in through such initiatives at the Solar Energy Strategy and the Alternative Energy Technology Program.

Later this month, the Arctic Renewable Energy Networks Academy -- abbreviated to ARENA -- will kick off here in Yellowknife. It is a nine-month program for 20 individuals from the Circumpolar Arctic to participate in classroom and laboratory learning and visits to communities operating on renewable energy resources to gain first-hand insights. ARENA also features a webinar series which introduces remote energy network/microgrid concepts.

I am pleased to see that the Government of the Northwest Territories is partnering on this initiative alongside several federal departments and agencies. The GNWT investment in ARENA is important for three reasons, Mr. Speaker:

• it gives the NWT residents access to top-notch professional development programs;

• it advances our interests in switching our communities from diesel-power generation to renewable sources; and

• it shows our commitment towards supporting the Indigenous peoples from our region in the leadership role that they are taking on circumpolar policy challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that this support continues as Gwich'in Council International is proposing for the first time to lead a project at the Arctic Council. The Arctic Sustainable Energy Futures Toolkit will be a print and web-based guide for communities to follow when developing and exercising community energy planning processes.

The toolkit will draw upon best practices to help communities create and implement their energy visions, as well as increase energy literacy and capacity for community members and help build bridges between communities and agency officials and subject matter experts.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my support for this project and hope that the GNWT will continue to be an active and supportive partner on renewable energy projects at the Arctic Council across the Northwest Territories. Quyanainni Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate everyone who just finished the Walk to Tuk this winter, along with the organizers of the event, the NWT Recreation and Parks Association.

The Walk to Tuk, as you probably know, is the largest, longest, and most effective physical activity event undertaken each year in the NWT. Teams of course do not literally walk to Tuktoyaktuk, but rather walk to work, walk the dog, jog, ski, snowshoe, or walk on a track. Teams left Fort Providence on January 3rd, setting out on the 1,658 kilometre journey to the Arctic Coast and together 3,600 people walked almost 200,000 kilometres.

---Applause

I know, amazing. As I mentioned, the Walk to Tuk is managed by the NWT Recreation and Parks and organizers reported that there were 257 teams this year from 29 communities. The total participation rate, at just over 3,600 people, is up by a thousand participants from last year and represents almost 10 per cent of the NWT population. On average, each Walk to Tuk participant put in 320 minutes of weekly exercise, more than doubling the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.

Members of the Legislative Assembly took part again this year. Our team was 14 Members strong, and included both Regular Members and Cabinet Ministers. We started slowly but built up quickly, together walking almost 25,000 minutes and we got to Tuktoyaktuk on time. Thanks to the Honourable Member for Nahendeh who once again outwalked us all, accounting for 15 per cent of our total.

The Walk to Tuk is a brilliant way to encourage all of us to stay active in these cold months. To equal such an outstanding rate of participation in other parts of Canada, Ontario would need to get 1.4 million of its citizens signed up, or 900,000 people in Quebec.

So let us celebrate. Participants in Yellowknife are invited to pick up their T-shirts and enjoy some refreshments today from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Greenstone Building. Lastly, I want to congratulate all the teams who participated in the program this year, and encourage them to keep on walking. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the extended deadline for the NWT Housing Corporation's housing survey passed last week. I hope that every Northerner who wanted to was able to access that survey. It was definitely a hot topic at my constituency meetings.

In fact, my constituents have a lot to say about housing, and no wonder! In each of the three communities of the Mackenzie Delta riding, roughly one in four houses is in core need.

Think about the toll that takes on daily life in a small community.

We cannot lose sight of that, Mr. Speaker. When we talk about surveys, policies, or capital planning, we cannot lose sight of just how hard it really is when you do not have a home of your own.

The Social Development Committee made housing a top priority for just that reason. Housing is the issue that changes everything else.

In my riding, families are staying with families, Mr. Speaker. Houses are overcrowded. Young people are putting off starting families of their own, or else they and their families have to board with friends or relatives. Frustration sets in when you have to live with other people in such close quarters, but residents have to choose between a three-year waiting list or sky-high market rents. Let us be realistic: that is no choice at all.

Homeownership or market rentals are just not feasible for many in our small communities. It just does not make sense.

Take the community of Aklavik. The Housing Corporation recently brought in modular buildings to create four new units. You will remember that Regular Members had a lot of questions on that project at the time. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Despite the fanfare, two of those units are now sitting empty. They are empty because rents of $1,400 or more per month is just not possible for the people that actually need housing.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is clear that setting those units aside as market rentals is not working out. My constituents know how many Northerners are stuck on the housing waiting list and they have a solution: make those units part of the public housing program. Get more people into homes now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I will have questions later today.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Ms. Green on February 15, 2017, regarding the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. More specifically, Mr. Speaker, about the government's role in pharmacy errors.

The department does not have a direct oversight role when a pharmacist makes a dispensing error in a retail pharmacy. The pharmacist's professional ethics and standards of practice will guide how the event is handled.

However, the department does have a role in ensuring that a complaints officer is appointed under the Pharmacy Act

to ensure that any person may file a complaint if they feel that a pharmacist's conduct is unprofessional or that they show a lack of the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to practice as a pharmacist.

I would also like to note that if a dispensing error happens within the Health and Social Services system and cause harm to a patient, the authorities would investigate the incident to determine exactly what happened in order to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to use this opportunity to recognize two pages from Inuvik. We have Gabrielle Nogasak and Shenise Vittrekwa. I want to thank them and all of the pages. We have had some long nights here and they have been pretty patient with us. I am not sure if they want to come back, but we appreciate the job they have done. I also want to recognize an old hockey teammate of mine from the 1970s, and no, it is not the NHLers. Tom Williams and I played minor hockey together way back in Inuvik a long time ago. I would like to recognize Tom and his wife, Pam Williams, who is originally from Aklavik. They are celebrating their anniversary today. Welcome.

Happy anniversary to both of you, and many more years to come. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, also want to wish Mr. and Mrs. Williams a happy anniversary, and also former NHLers, Hall of Famers, and Stanley Cup champions Bryan Trottier and Tyler Kennedy. I know Mr. Trottier has done a lot of work up in Nunakput region and, every time we get NHLers or individuals who can influence people through television and in person, it means a lot for our territory. Welcome and thank you for all of your dedication and hard work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Tom and Pam Williams, who are constituents of Range Lake now. Happy anniversary to both of you. On behalf of MACA, Municipal and Community Affairs, our sports and recreation division, I also want to recognize Bryan Trottier and Tyler Kennedy, who are true role models to the youth who are coming up in society. It is really important that we have people like that, and it is an honour to have them here. I want to put a shout out to Tom Williams, who is our deputy minister of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, who will be going with them to play for goalie. Just to let you both know, we have told him to take it easy on you guys so you come back again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we are missing anyone in the gallery, welcome to our proceedings. It is always great to have an audience. Masi. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier on, I spoke about the Arctic Renewable Energy Networks Academy. My questions are for the Minister of ITI. Mr. Speaker, my first question to the Minister is: what progress is the department making on climate change, framework, and the energy strategy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

--- through our public engagement sessions that we have talked about quite a bit this week in the House. To date, we have held public engagement sessions in Norman Wells, Fort Smith, Yellowknife, and Fort Simpson. Next week, we are going to be in my home community of Hay River and we are going to be doing a workshop with the community of Behchoko moving forward. We will be collecting this information and we will be using this to develop our energy strategy moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That answered my second question. Mr. Speaker, my final question for the Minister is: how is the Government of the Northwest Territories supporting the Arctic Renewable Energy Networks Academy’s ARENA initiative?

I am happy to say in the House today that we will join this week-long event, and we will be sending Government of the Northwest Territories representatives to attend ARENA. I will welcome delegates on March 24 to Yellowknife. Our Public Works and Services Energy Division will make a presentation later that day to provide an update on our efforts to develop our 10-year energy strategy moving forward as well. To add to that, the Power Corporation has arranged for tours for the hybrid solar and diesel battery storage project in Cobalt Lake. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I provided a line of questions to the Minster responsible for the Power Corporation. I would like to continue along that line of questioning today. I would like to start by asking the Minister: at the time that it became clear that the company Verdi was getting behind schedule on delivering these generators, what steps did the Power Corporation take to hold the company accountable, if certain benchmarks and certain milestones weren’t being met? Is there some form of penalty that was built into the contract? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.