Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I called on the government to pursue new major projects that will create jobs for the hardworking people of the Mackenzie Delta. Today, I want to continue on that theme of employment, but at the other end of the scale, the small initiatives and training opportunities that can supplement the benefits of major projects.

Residents of Fort McPherson have an idea. They have told me that prospector training like the sessions government supported in Yellowknife and Hay River last year would deliver a useful skill boost in the region. In its mandate, the government commits to supporting Aboriginal governments to build capacity in dealing with mining-related activities, and we have heard many times from Cabinet that resource development is critical to local and territorial growth. Mr. Speaker, look at Cabinet and staff's recent attendance at the AME Mineral Roundup in Vancouver, for just one example.

These are exciting times and exciting opportunities, Mr. Speaker. To take advantage of that, I would like to see the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment collaborate with Aboriginal governments in the Mackenzie Delta to bring prospector training options to the region. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I will have questions later today.

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

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I speak today about the passing of Elder Violet H. Beaulieu of Fort Resolution. Violet was raised in a mission school, where she lived until she married Jonas on January 12, 1953. Violet was a very loving, dedicated woman who raised a family of nine. She also was involved in various community-focused and youth-oriented initiatives, and she worked on both committees and councils in Fort Resolution.

Violet was born in Old Fort Rae on April 5, 1932, and, sadly, passed away on October 20, 2017, at age 85. Violet was a very healthy elder, but, unfortunately, she was killed in a car accident. Violet was predeceased by her husband, Jonas; her three sons, Stephen, Maurice, Gregory; her brother, Charles; and her granddaughter, Delta.

Violet is survived by three siblings, Marlene, Stuart, and Marguerite; six children, Mildred McQuinn, Gladys Morin, Lucille Harrington, Brenda McKay, Larry Beaulieu, and Myra Pizandawatc. Violet loved spending time with her 13 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and one great, great-grandson who is also the grandson of our Speaker.

Violet was a devoted wife and mother. She was a role model and an inspiration for all who knew her. Violet was a very strong person. I visited with her on many occasions and could listen to her speak for as long as she wanted to speak, but she always was kept busy and felt she needed to do something and was always on the go.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to Violet's family and friends and all of the people of Fort Resolution. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Our condolences go out to the family, as well. Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce my partner, Janice McKenna, owner and operator of McKenna Funeral Home, and with her is Mr. Todd Reinholt of Edmonton. He is a specialist in grief and healing grief. He presented a public seminar on that topic in Yellowknife last night. Mahsi.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about employment in Nunakput, and my questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: what has the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment done or is willing to do in order to help existing Nunakput culture become a source of employment and revenue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of ITI has worked extensively in all regions to promote these exact things across our territory. In this particular riding, the department has two economic development officers in his riding, one in Tuktoyaktuk and one in Ulukhaktok. They are on the ground there in the Member's riding to promote our programs in the region and be able to facilitate and steer clients to areas that support funding that suits their needs for their local region. The SEED policy is there to gear towards regional community applications, and I think it is a great program. If there are any other questions the Member has around that particular issue, I will gladly sit down with him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, my second question for the Minister is: what has the government done so far to recruit and train or involve locals in the tourism industry?

In particular, as of late, I think the big tourism opportunities that have been there locally are around the cruise ship industries. Our staff have been in there the last two years when these ships come into the region and support economic development in the region and tourists spend their money. Our staff is there to help facilitate that. I think we have actually even used our programs to help facilitate providing opportunities around business opportunities with such a large influx of people who will come to shore when these boats come to town, but as I have said, we have our two economic development officers who are in the region to help facilitate these sorts of things going forward, not just around the cruise industry, but other types of tourism, be it hunting or guiding and these types of things, and we will always reach out to help facilitate that.

That is very useful information. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister work with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in order to create or build upon our community's employment potential within tourism and the creation of a possible deep-water port or small craft harbour?

I would gladly sit down and have a discussion with all of the leadership around the potential of a deep-water port in the Beaufort Delta region. I know it is something that is clearly on the minds of people in the Tuktoyaktuk community for sure. I have had casual conversations about that and how we can try to initiate and move that forward and how it can actually stir more economic development in the region and for the territory as a whole, depending on our approach to it.

I am sure it is on the federal government's mind as well, around sovereignty issues for the region and protecting the coastline. As we know, we have the largest coastline in North America, and a big chunk of it is in the Member's riding, so I would gladly sit down and have that discussion.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's openness in willing to work with Indigenous governments, as well as other departments in the GNWT.

Mr. Speaker, earlier, I spoke about the Yukon's Sourtoe and how little things like that generate revenue in the Yukon, and Mr. Speaker, my final question for the Minister: is the Minister willing to donate a toe for a better knockoff of the Yukon's famous cocktail, which could potentially create revenue for generations to come? Mr. Speaker, please consider a Minister's toe versus a stranger's toe could generate a large difference in revenue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

That is a weird question, but anyways. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

I think I will defer that question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. He toes the line more than I do in this Assembly, but I believe his toe might be cheaper than mine, so the upfront costs would be a little bit better and revenues would be higher. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know how I'm going to match that. Mr. Speaker, today I talked about Guthrie House and inmates who have trauma and addictions and that. My questions are to the Minister of Justice. In regards to dealing with inmates with trauma and addictions, can the Minister please tell us what the department does to help inmates deal with these matters while they are incarcerated? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no doubt that many of those who do end up incarcerated do have issues with trauma and addictions. I can advise that Corrections staff have attended training and workshops on trauma-informed practices to assist them in working with inmates who have experienced trauma, which would be a pretty high percentage of those who are incarcerated.

I can also advise that, along with facility psychologists, Corrections has an addictions counsellor on staff at South Mackenzie Correctional Centre, and traditional counsellors and liaison officers are on staff at both SMCC and North Slave Correctional Centre.

In addition, Corrections Services has implemented several programs, including substance abuse management, violence prevention, living without violence, and respectful relationships designed to help inmates.

Those are some of the programs that are being used in our corrections facilities, and as I say, we do recognize that a very high percentage of those who do end up being incarcerated do have trauma in their lives and also suffer from addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for that nice answer, and it kind of led into my other question that I already was going to ask. When he talks about these programs, and having staff in the corrections centres, do we have psychologists and addiction counsellors in each of our corrections institutes?

I can advise that psychologists are on staff at North Slave Correctional Complex and the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre providing psychological services to inmates. At the Fort Smith Correctional Complex, on-call psychological services are available. Fort Smith Correctional Centre is entering into a recruitment process for a full-time counsellor.

Corrections psychological services are also made available to those on probation on an as-needed basis, and I can advise also that, along with the facility psychologists I have referenced previously, Corrections has an addictions counsellor on staff at SMCC and traditional counsellors and liaison officers on staff at both SMCC and NSCC. Substance abuse and violence programs are offered at all facilities and most probation offices.