Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk about a major issue that we are facing in the North. Many people suffer from mental health and addiction issues in the NWT. These issues affect not only the individual, but their family, friends, co-workers, and the community. It is one of the leading causes of disability affecting more than 6.7 million Canadians. It is also very costly to the justice, health, and education systems in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a northern addiction treatment facility in the NWT. Our members have the option to attend treatment centres down South, either in Alberta or British Columbia. This may not be feasible for all individuals; some examples may be those with one income, small children, elderly parents, or employment conflicts. The statistics show that, in 2016-2017, a total of 172 people from the NWT attended a southern treatment centre.
Mr. Speaker, in the North there are many alcohol-related crimes, but I believe that many of those could have been prevented. I would like to mention that a judge on the NWT Supreme Court wished that treating addictions was "more of a priority" in the NWT. A judge called for more resources to be dedicated to fight substance abuse in the territory during a sentence hearing February 17, 2017, relating to one of my constituents. Many of our northern residents have been criminalized for suffering with alcohol and substance-related issues. It is clear that we need far more resources in the North to address this major social problem.
Mr. Speaker, in addition, I would like to see the creation and implementation of on-the-land programs geared for our youth starting at the elementary school level. We can create a new mentality of examining and addressing addictions and mental health, and one which focuses on prevention, treatment, and understanding. Mr. Speaker, another aspect is to focus on the services offered to those incarcerated. Helping to truly rehabilitate, educate those individuals, and provide ongoing care and commitment: this could help establish successful individuals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.