Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is national Pink Shirt Day. Wearing pink today symbolizes that we, as a society, will not tolerate bullying of any kind. This day of recognition and action was started in 2007 by two young men in Nova Scotia, David Sheppard and Travis Price. As an act of protest and support, they gave pink shirts to their fellow students, after a grade 9 student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school.

These two young men raised global awareness of bullying, starting from one school in Cambridge, Nova Scotia. In the last year, more than 180 countries have participated in this initiative.

Mr. Speaker, I provided pink lapel flowers for all of the Members to wear in the House today. We have done this for a number of years, to show support for victims of bullying and cyber bullying. It is also a reminder that there are many people working hard to bring this issue off the internet and out of the dark corners of our schools. I am proud to see all the pink in the House today, marking our collective accomplishment that bullying in any form is unacceptable.

In 2013, the Legislative Assembly passed Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act to establish a definition of bullying; provide for the establishment, by regulation, of a Territorial School Code of Conduct; and require education authorities to ensure the development of safe school plans. The Northwest Territories Safe and Caring Schools Regulations and Territorial Code of Conduct were established in 2016. The safe schools plans have now been created throughout our education system.

Mr. Speaker, schools across the North are working to create safe and welcoming learning environments for all students. Our schools are actively engaging students of all ages in wellness, resiliency, and inclusion activities, and making sure that all students are, and feel they are, valued members of their community. We have seen some marked successes stemming from these actions, with students growing into advocates and ambassadors. We must continue the work we began in 2013 to make our schools safe places for all members of the school community.

The 2018 national theme for Pink Shirt Day is cyber bullying. The Pink Shirt Day organization states that, in today's digital world, it can be impossible to escape online bullying, whether it takes the shape of harassment, spreading rumours, sharing embarrassing information, or threats. This year, Pink Shirt Day is encouraging everyone, young and old, to combat cyber bullying by thinking twice before posting something negative, and instead using the internet to spread positivity.

Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that all of our schools across the Northwest Territories will be marking Pink Shirt Day. I look forward to seeing the wash of pink across the North. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. The Honourable Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment to support the Intergovernmental Council towards implementation of the vision of cooperative and collaborative management of lands and resources, as set out in the Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement. I am pleased to report that the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Intergovernmental Council on Land and Resource Management took place on Friday, December 15, 2017, here in Yellowknife.

The Intergovernmental Council, or IGC, was created as part of the devolution process and provides the opportunities for member governments to collaborate on issues of land and resources, while acknowledging their respective jurisdictions.

The agenda for the meeting, which is jointly developed, identified topics for discussion, including a report on the activities of the Intergovernmental Council Secretariat; the Arctic Policy Framework; and the need to develop a formalized working relationship.

Some of the outcomes and additional items discussed at the meeting included:

• Identifying the need to complete the Intergovernmental Council long-term strategic plan in 2018. The strategic plan will include timelines, indicators, and required resources;

• The establishment of a working group tasked with developing formal government-to-government working relationships;

• Determining how best to collaborate and maximize federal government Indigenous funding programs; and

• Continued work with Indigenous governments to develop a northern approach to the Arctic Policy Framework, including the NWT chapter.

A summary of these items has been provided to the chair of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, who also attended the meeting and is also posted on the IGC website.

Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to report that the Government of the Northwest Territories has committed to working with the Indigenous governments to host a Northern Summit on Economic Development which will take place later this year. Invitations to the summit will be extended to a range of partners, including industry and representatives from the federal government.

I want to acknowledge and thank our Indigenous government counterparts for their ongoing commitment to the goals and objectives identified in the devolution agreement. By signing on to this agreement, we agreed to work together, and I am optimistic that our accomplishments to date are indicative of that collaborative approach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is just a bit different. Just a bit different is the tagline of NWT Tourism's new marketing campaign. It capitalizes on the unique Northern realities that make our territory a special and spectacular travel destination. As we continue to build our territory's tourism industry, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is investing to maximize the economic growth and diversity that this sector can provide.

Guided by our Tourism 2020 plan, we are investing in training, capacity building, and product development. We are working to ensure that tourism operators have a skilled workforce to draw and rely on and that activities and packages are tailored and available for travellers who arrive to share and experience our territory.

In today's competitive tourism marketplace, programs like our Tourism and Business Mentorships, the Community Tourism Infrastructure Contribution, and Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing offer examples of how the Government of the Northwest Territories is working and investing to ensure that we are, and continue to be, just a bit different.

However, Mr. Speaker, there is another half to our tourism equation. We can have the best tour operators and packages in the world, but if no one travels here, we will not have a tourism industry. It is NWT Tourism, under contract to our government, that is responsible for marketing and selling our spectacular territory to the world.

To remain competitive, our marketing needs to be nimble, to derive opportunities from trends, and to recognize our strengths and build on them. The Northwest Territories Tourism Marketing Plan for 2018-2019, which will be tabled later today, does just that. It includes a transition from print to online content marketing and a digital audit to gauge attitudes and sentiments about the Northwest Territories.

To better reach potential travellers, Northwest Territories Tourism will use social media platforms in each targeted market to deliver their messages. The Explorers' Guide will get a new look, styled as a lure piece rather than a catalogue.

While NWT Tourism will maintain its broad marketing reach, increased emphasis will be placed on Asia this year, especially China, where we are seeing exponential visitor growth and around which we can leverage broader Canadian investments focused on the Year of Canada-China tourism.

To support this new approach and add to its marketing assets, NWT Tourism will be investing in the second of five region-specific photo shoots this year. Each of our regions has something spectacular to offer visitors and travellers. These shoots capture that, focusing on one region per year and rotating annually. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the new fiscal year and prepare to implement the new and innovative approaches highlighted in our marketing plan, we are also approaching a new camping season.

In what was a record-breaking 2016-2017 season that saw over $200 million in visitor spending, I am pleased to advise Members that a new high was also set for people enjoying our territorial parks. Our parks welcomed over 35,000 overnight visitors in 2017, an increase of 20 per cent over the previous camping season.

It is yet another indicator of the growth that we are seeing in our tourism industry. More so, Mr. Speaker, it demonstrates that our partnership approach to developing the NWT's tourism industry is yielding the results we are looking for and that it is contributing to the growth and diversification of our economy.

What the Northwest Territories offers travellers is just a bit different, and it is this difference that truly makes the territory a world-class destination. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about the old Canadian idea about the Roads to Resources. The idea started in the 1930s but was popularized by the Diefenbaker government in the 1950s as a way to open the "frontier," as they thought of us in the old days.

The idea of generating wealth and creating opportunity is not out of date, Mr. Speaker. The road to the Slave Geological Province can be an important element in creating new paths to prosperity for the NWT.

Mining, as we know, provides generational opportunities for individuals, families, and communities. It provides training that can create portable skills, which can build long-standing careers. It provides wealth at the community level and investment in community infrastructure.

The life of any major project extends from exploration to development to production to eventual rehabilitation and reclamation. At all these stages, jobs, training, and opportunities are created. The benefits start with a good income, a good job for this year and many more to come. They develop skills in trades like carpentry, heavy equipment operation, construction, kitchen management and food services, electrical, and mechanical. More still, they help grow our knowledge economy, building expertise in geoscience, design, environmental science, project management, engineering, and traditional knowledge.

Mr. Speaker, in the past, the mining industry has been seen as a grubby, destructive, fly-by-night business, but today's industry is actively working to break that mould. It respects communities and Indigenous landowners. It commits to projects from exploration through to remediation. Today's miners aren't just hard rock drillers with headlamps, picks, and shovels. They are geological and environmental engineers.

Above and beyond mining, Mr. Speaker, this road will offer access to a region currently only accessible by air and winter road. That can provide more opportunities in tourism and recreation.

I know that there are deep concerns related to environmental impacts of this road, specifically for caribou habitat. Mr. Speaker, part of building the knowledge economy lies in finding ways that allow us to pursue development without environmental degradation.

Challenges always face us. We need to build on our skills, knowledge, creativity, and the resources of our people to surmount these challenge. We know we will have obstacles to overcome, Mr. Speaker. That should not stop us from moving forward on our long-term economic goals. I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the privileges of being the Member for Hay River North is having the opportunity to rise in this House and acknowledge the contributions of the many residents and organizations who give freely their time to help make Hay River the great community that it is.

Today, it is my pleasure to tell you about the good work being done by the members of the Catholic Women's League of Assumption Catholic Church in Hay River. The parish council in Hay River is part of the Catholic Women's League of Canada, a national organization which is rooted in Christian values and which calls upon its members to serve God by serving others.

The members of the Catholic Women's League are tireless fundraisers and volunteers, and they contribute to a number of good causes.

The league's main annual fundraiser is a Mother's Day tea and raffle which is always well attended. I am telling you this now, Mr. Speaker, so that you and all of my colleagues in this House can get your tickets early and join us for tea in Hay River this May.

The league provides funds to Hay River schools to support the breakfast program, which helps get students to school and make sure they are able to learn. The league makes a monthly donation to the Hay River Soup Kitchen, which, unfortunately, struggles to meet a growing demand.

At Christmastime, the Catholic Women's League is very busy. Members provide a Christmas donation to the Family Support Centre and give gifts and quilts to our residents in long-term care facilities. They are also active internationally and sponsor a child through the Hay River-based charity which provides tuition and supplies so that children in Ghana can attend school.

These are just a few of the ways that the league supports our community. Many of the members are also active volunteers outside of the league, as well. Their overall contribution is beyond measure. Included among the 60 members are co-presidents Shirley Gutierrez and Dee Dee Lepine and board members Sheila Ryan-Hachey, Teresa Swallow, Sylvia Boyer, Marilyn Green, Liz Buckley, Doris Cadrone, Tessie Gonzalez, Rosa Loutit and Yvonne Maurice.

I want to thank all members of the Catholic Women's League of Assumption Catholic Church in Hay River for all they have done and continue to do for our community. Mr. Speaker, I have said before that Hay River is a beautiful place to live. It is safe to say that its natural beauty is rivalled only by the beautiful hearts of the giving and caring people who call it home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' Statements. Member for Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize the following athletes, coaches, cultural delegates, and mission staff representing the Nunakput region at the 2018 Arctic Winter Games in Hay River next month. Mr. Speaker, the following names are Jennifer Giffin, Casey Tai, Junji Tai, Matthew Anikina, Noel-Leigh Cockney, Cole Felix, Karlene Green, Jasmine Gruben, Jemra Gruben, Brayden Gruben, Kristen Jacobson, Mikayla Jacobson, Kobe Keevik, Agnes Krengnektak, Henson Nasogaluak, Joe-David Nasogaluak, Larsen Nasogaluak, Clorese Nogasak, Robin Jr. Raddi, Sophie Stefure, Kyran Alikamik, and Jacob Kengenberg. Also, Mr. Speaker, my step-daughter, Marie Carpenter, who is a Page here today.

Mr. Speaker, I wish all the athletes luck at the winter games, most importantly to have fun and make new friends all over the circumpolar world, work hard in school, and make time for family before attending the games. I would also like to recognize two New Youth Ambassadors from my riding: Alexandria Sayers and Mahlena Ross-Gruben. We as a community are always proud to see our youth involved in anything that improves their leadership and skills. It is an honour to have them represent and inspire other communities. Good luck, play fair, and represent the Northwest Territories proudly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize Frozen Rock studios, an artistic studio located in my riding of Kam Lake. Frozen Rock Studios is the creation of three notable NWT carvers: Eli Nasogaluak, of Tuktoyaktuk, John Sabourin, of Fort Simpson, and Derrald Taylor, also from Tuktoyaktuk, who now all call Yellowknife home.

These stone, snow, and ice carvers have been doing their work in the North for much of their lives, working to sustain themselves from their artwork; and most importantly, offering a reflection of our northern culture. All three artists are well known in the North, throughout this country, and in many nations across the world. They have helped spread the word of our culture through competitions they have attended and participated in at all levels. All three have won in snow and ice carving categories and have even won the Canadian championships. Their artwork is now located throughout the North, the South, and all over world.

Our NWT carvers have worked tirelessly to spread the word of our northern culture through their art and have created Frozen Rock Studios, located at 5 Coronation Drive, in my riding of Kam Lake, to keep doing just that.

While still in its infancy stages, these studio sessions are now available to the public and to tourists alike in workshops. These workshops allow even the most amateur of guests to create their own takeaway soapstone art, under the guidance of our NWT carvers. This passing along of thousands of years of NWT culture is a unique experience that all can take pride and participate in.

Northern carvers Eli, John, and Derrald are responding to the call of our government's desire to spread the word of the North and its cultures. This hands-on carving workshop approach is doing exactly what we want for our locals and tourists alike. Each session they complete means that a handmade piece of northern culture is taken away by someone to another corner of the world. It is important for us to recognize and support theses carvers, and encourage them to continue doing this valuable act of cultural exchange.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, February sees many Canadians celebrate Valentine's Day, expressing their love to friends and family; but there's no reason to limit that to just one day a year. I encourage everyone to look beyond the post-Valentine's chocolate sales and take a few moments to talk about heart disease.

February is also Heart Month, a time when the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation ramps up its efforts to raise awareness as well as funds for its life-saving research efforts. Mr. Speaker, we know that the heart plays a critical role in our health. Our hearts keep us alive, but we often don't appreciate this hard-working muscle like we should. When the heart is healthy, it works steadily 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to pump blood through our bodies; but when it's not healthy, we're in serious trouble.

Together with cancer, cardiovascular disease, or heart disease, is the leading cause of death for NWT men and women, and accounted for nearly half of all Canadian deaths in 2014. Those are intimidating numbers, Mr. Speaker, but we are not powerless. Although some heart conditions are congenital, affecting people from birth, up to 80 per cent of coronary heart disease and one third of cancers can be prevented with simple lifestyle changes: quitting smoking; eating well; staying active; and limiting alcohol consumption. Each of these things helps keeps heart disease away.

Your heart will also be happier if you're able to take steps to manage stress in your life, like talking to friends and family about things that are bothering you, and to practice your traditional lifestyle. That could mean staying active through hunting, trapping, wood-cutting, or going out on the land, and eating our delicious country foods. It's surely no coincidence that making these kinds of lifestyle changes can improve our physical and mental health across the board, not just for our hearts.

Mr. Speaker, every year scientists, doctors, and other researchers make new advances in the fight against heart disease, from new pharmaceuticals and surgeries, to public awareness campaigns, to new diagnostic techniques. There is hope and there are ways for all of us to help. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like governments across Canada, the GNWT is working to meet the federal government's deadline for the legalization of marijuana later this year. In the fall of 2017, the GNWT consulted with communities in the Northwest Territories about the proposed legislation to make marijuana legal in the Northwest Territories.

Unfortunately, Fort McPherson was left out of this consultation. The Hamlet Council, the Tetlit Gwich'in Band, and the Designated Gwich'in Organization are not happy about that. As they pointed out in a press release earlier this month, the hamlet has concerns about legalization and the serious implications it has for communities struggling with addictions issues. They also noted that there is a lot of public interest in the issue, which merits more examination and conversation.

Unfortunately, when the GNWT took its consultation to communities, there was no invitation to and no direct correspondence with the mayor, hamlet council, or the residents of Fort McPherson about the consultation planned for Tsiigehtchic. Surely, this should have been done.

While the GNWT may have failed Fort McPherson in this matter, there is an opportunity for this oversight to be corrected, and I am looking to my Regular MLA colleagues to step up and do what the GNWT wouldn't. When the cannabis bill is referred to the standing committees for review, the committees will have a chance to do their own consultation on the proposed legislation. I will be speaking with the chairs of the appropriate standing committees to request a commitment to visit Fort McPherson during that upcoming consultation process. The community has a strong interest in this issue and they deserve to be heard. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to complete my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT must do better when it undertakes consultation on important issues. In the consultation of cannabis legislation, a simple letter of invitation could have been signalled to the people of Fort McPherson that their input on this issue is important and valued. Instead, they were passed over and let down. I trust that my Regular Member colleagues will do what they can to help bring consultation on the cannabis bill to Fort McPherson, and I give the community this public commitment that I will do everything in my power to make that happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member's statements. Member for Sahtu.

Mr. Speaker, Northerners need to be the ones making decisions about their future. We are the ones who live here and we know what is best for our regions and our communities. This is why I support the Premier taking a stand on the Northwest Territories red alert last November. The Sahtu region has a vast store of renewable and non-renewable resources. We want to develop those resources so we can get the economic benefits from them and keep people off government support programs.

Mr. Speaker, developing our resources in a responsible manner is a fundamental principle of prudent land management stewardship. Northerners know best how to develop responsibly and safely. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu isn't seeing any signs from Canada that they understand how important resource development is for our region, or that they are in any hurry to get the economy of our region restarted.

Mr. Speaker, we need the Government of Canada to help us do that by investing in infrastructure projects like the Mackenzie Valley highway. We also need to know they support resource development as the engine of the Sahtu region and the Northwest Territories economy.

Mr. Speaker, we have negotiated land claims and the devolution to give our people the power to make their own decisions in important areas like economic development, but we are still having difficulties exercising those powers, Mr. Speaker, especially when the federal government still retains decisions that affect our independence.

Mr. Speaker, Ottawa agreed to review the transfer of authorities it held back under the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act within five years of devolution. That review comes to us next year, and we need to get ready by reminding the federal government that decisions about the North need to be made here by Northerners. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, colleagues. Asserting for more authority through the Red Alert announcement by our Premier last November was a positive step and something we should all support. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions later for the Honourable Premier.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about capacity issues in the Office of the Public Guardian, specifically about the size of the caseload the guardian herself is expected to manage. The Public Guardian takes care of people who can't take care of themselves. Young adults who have been diagnosed with FAS, people with severe mental illness or intellectual disabilities, and older adults with dementia are all potential candidates for public or private guardianship depending on their circumstances. These, of course, are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

When I last spoke about capacity issues, the Public Guardian's Office was swamped with applications for assessments for guardianship. It is my understanding that waiting times for assessments have decreased because the office has a larger pool of assessors to draw on. That is a positive change. Mr. Speaker, what hasn't changed is the capacity of the Office of the Public Guardian to deliver services to her clients who have guardianship orders in place. An external review shows the Office from Public Guardian's caseload continues to grow, but her budget doesn't. It also identified operational concerns such as the relevance of the operations manual and the lack of recommended audits.

There are 76 clients under public guardianship who live throughout the North and Western Canada. In order to monitor and help make important decisions about their health and well-being, the Guardian needs to develop a relationship with each person by visiting them at least once a year. It is my understanding this isn't happening because there just isn't time for her to undertake these visits, provide oversight of 77 private guardianship orders, and manage the application process.

Mr. Speaker, this is a crucial and one-of-a-kind service. The Public Guardian's caseload is obviously too much for one social worker. The office requires at least one more staff in order to provide the engagement and oversight these vulnerable clients need. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I will return again to a program which has probably had one of the longest gestation periods in the history of this Assembly: midwifery. I have recounted in past statements a history which stretches back to 2012 when public advocacy prompted the government to commission a midwifery review and expansion analysis report. Options for implementation were developed leading up to a full rollout in 2016-2017.

In 2015, the Minister said he was still committed to introducing midwifery, but with no money, a further study and public consultation would take place. Another study was completed, and not surprisingly, stakeholder feedback is again strongly in favour of expansion of midwifery services and improved maternal care. As to concrete plans for launching a service, there is nothing in the latest report or the 2018-2019 budget.

The department responded to committee questions by saying it is getting ready to prepare to begin to develop a program. A senior midwifery consultant has been hired. That position is laying the groundwork for future action by the Advisory Committee on Midwifery, including its role and establishment of a territorial midwifery program.

As to new midwives providing birthing support, nothing yet. One bright light is that, effective June 2017, women who must leave their communities for birth can now have an escort accompanying them. This is not a solution, as we are doubling on travelling and accommodation costs for escorts where a good part of this money could be spent on implementing midwifery.

For the third budget, now, I am back asking questions about midwifery. The Minister champions system transformation, and now is the time to get on board with midwifery. I will have questions for the Minister of Health on the concrete next steps to finally live up to the promises on the expansion of midwifery in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the past four months, I have heard a number of issues with the contractor that provide medical travel from Fort Simpson. I have heard of flights being delayed, rerouted, and even cancellations. This is not good for our residents. I have heard about at least 15 situations in this time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share a couple of stories here today.

On New Year's Eve, the flight from Yellowknife to Fort Simpson return was cancelled. The airline decided to provide a different flight route, starting from Edmonton to Yellowknife via Fort Simpson via Inuvik. This meant patients had to travel at least an additional six hours instead of a regular one-hour flight.

However, some patients had to travel to Edmonton for cancer treatment. This added at least another two hours to their travel if they were able to catch the flight going to Edmonton. If they were able to catch the flight, it was without their luggage. Others who did not catch the flight, they had to overnight in Yellowknife, get up early to catch the flight to Calgary, and then on to Edmonton to make their appointment.

On the same flight, there was a person who broke his leg during the holidays. They were looking at him to go on this flight. This was not a good idea, and the patient decided that he was not going to do this. I wish the flight was an anomaly, but it wasn't. I have heard of this situation happening at least twice more.

The second story happens more frequently. A flight that is scheduled to leave Yellowknife in the morning to Fort Simpson gets changed until 5:00 that night. However, instead of going to Fort Simpson, they have to go to Hay River, and then onto Fort Simpson. This does not help patients who are returning home. Sure, they get a meal voucher, taxi fare, but they don't want to be walking around the city. Some do not get offered a hotel room, especially for patients who have been up early to catch a flight from Edmonton to Yellowknife. You want to get home to your own beds. The patients from Fort Simpson now miss their appointments.

I realize that the NWT has very harsh and unpredictable weather which can lead to a variety of issues, from planes going mechanical to limited visibility and ice problems, all of which can result in flights being cancelled and patients missing appointments. However, it seems to be too much of a regular occurrence for patients from the Nahendeh riding. To add to the issue, more work is placed on the medical travel staff to have to try and make arrangements and make appointment changes.

Mr. Speaker, I have given some examples, but I realize I only have two and a half minutes. I will close here. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later on today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I'm going to talk about the effects of alcohol in our small communities. Mr. Speaker, I do believe that, in my 10 years here in the Legislative Assembly, this will be the first time I am going to attempt to do a complete Member's statement in my language.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided]. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would recognize my relative, Eli Nasogaluak, who my colleague from Kam Lake made a statement about, as well as Derrald Taylor from Tuktoyaktuk, and also to my wife Yvonne who is here today, and my step-daughter Marie who is somewhere in here as a Page. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish everyone a good day.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was listening. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a few people here today; Cathie Bolstad, the CEO of NWT Tourism. Welcome to the house, Cathie. Ainsley Lamontagne, marketing director from NWT Tourism. Everyone is going to get a kick out of this year. I'll do a little shout-out to Lillian Elias, my cousin from the Beau-Del. She is doing interpretation in Inuvialuit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize John Sabourin, Eli Nasogaluak, and Derrald Taylor. They are three world-class artists from my riding of Kam Lake who work at Frozen Rock Studio. Thank you very much for being here today.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the two interpreters we have from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, Mr. Tommy Unka and Mary Rose Sundberg. I would also like to recognize my new CA, Pascal Erasmus, who is in the gallery today. Thank you.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Yellowknife North constituent Cathie Bolstad, also executive director of NWT Tourism. Welcome and thank you for being here.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Yvonne with the original, I have to get used to the new last name, Nakimayak. Sorry about that. With family ties back in the Norman Wells Sahtu area, and Ms. Cathie Bolstad, who I've met over the years here promoting a thriving industry. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on my Member's statement with some questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. My first question for the Minister: does the department track how many patients from the Nahendeh riding missed appointments or have to reschedule appointments because of flight changes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our responsibility is to provide healthcare to the residents of the Northwest Territories. Yes, many residents do have to travel to Yellowknife or other locations to receive their care. Through medical travel, we book our flights on scheduled flights. We work with our residents to make sure that they know the information. The Member is right. From time to time, there are cancellations of flights. We do live in the Northwest Territories, where we do have adverse weather and other things that affect us.

We don't track the cancelled flights, Mr. Speaker, but we work with our residents to make sure that, if there is a cancellation, we get them on the next appropriate or available flight. If appointments have to be cancelled, then we work with them to reschedule those appointments and make them happen as quickly as we can. At the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, we know we live in the Northwest Territories. We know there are challenges and we work to resolve those problems. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I realize we live in the Northwest Territories, but, again, if a contractor is not providing the services, we need to make sure we do deal with that. Has the department approached the contractor or have they approached the Department of Infrastructure to help get this situation fixed?

As much as I'd like to be able to control the weather, we can't. When there are flights cancelled as a result of weather, we work with our residents to make sure that those appointments are rescheduled and the flights rescheduled appropriately. The Member has brought that concern from his region to me. I share his frustration on the number of cancellations that occurred.

Following up on our discussions, the department did follow up with one of our main contractors from Medical Travel, who does the majority of the flights in the Nahendeh region. They indicated to us that it has been a particularly harsh winter. As a result, they have had to either reschedule or cancel a number of their flights.

Once again, our priority is to making sure our residents get the care they need and they're getting the appointments. We work with our residents. Yes, sometimes that means that appointments have to be cancelled, but we work with them to reschedule them as quickly as possible and to get them on flights as quickly as possible. It's not as always as smooth as we'd like, but we're committed to providing that service to our residents.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess I disagree. If it's not weather, I can guarantee you it was a beautiful day on New Year's Day and it wasn't the weather. Again, that is an issue.

I'm going to move on to something else in regard to my Member's statement. It is my understanding that there is close to zero vacancies of hotels and boarding beds in Yellowknife during various moments in the year. What does the department plan on doing to help alleviate this type of situation where patients have to wait at the airport due to no fault of their own?

I understand that some of the issues, according to the Member, might have been something other than weather, but I would like to point out that the beautiful Northwest Territories is 1.1 million square kilometres of land and 33 communities ranging from the Beaufort Delta to Fort Smith, including Yellowknife. I've been in Yellowknife on one of the most beautiful days and talked my friend up in Inuvik who had 40 below weather, blizzard, and no flights for landing. It is possible to have good weather in one location and bad weather in another location.

With respect to the Member's question, we do have some boarding room capacity. There are certainly only a certain number of beds in that thing. We also know that, with the increased demands around tourism, which we all know is a great thing, it does make it a little bit more difficult to get rooms. When we know we can't get rooms, we will work with our residents for non-emergency issues and try to schedule them for when we can get capacity. I strongly encourage residents to keep following up with medical travel and make sure we are having that conversation so that we can get them in as quickly as we can. We work with our residents.

The issue about where do people stay during a day trip, that is an issue that has been brought up by many Members, the Members from Sahtu, Hay River, and others. We are currently working on a review of medical travel, and we are hoping to find a way to resolve that particular issue. I am hoping to bring the medical travel review to committee by the end of March so that we can have a discussion on these types of issues.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to have to rebut that. I have been in the Northwest Territories all my life. Yes, it is 1.3 million great square kilometres, 33 communities. The day I am talking about, the plane went from Edmonton to Fort Simpson to Inuvik to Yellowknife. It hit four communities. Again, this airline company or the contractor didn't provide the service that was much needed.

I realize sending patient escorts out earlier than required might not be the best solution. I have heard it before about the potential appointments being cancelled, capacity issues with boarding homes, et cetera. I can't argue with those points. What is the department going to do to help patients who seem to be continually put out by this type of situation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I hear the Member. We do know that there is some frustration with individuals who are uncomfortable with going the day of their appointments just in case there is a cancellation. There is some frustration there. Patients can go early. They can book the flights themselves and seek reimbursement. The reimbursement is based on the rate that we would pay. We have a standing offer agreement with a number of our airlines, which is a little cheaper than what residents would pay if they booked themselves. We can reimburse them up to that rate.

If there are unique situations, the residents can approach Medical Travel to see if there is an option for them to come early. We are open to those in unique situations on a case-by-case basis. There are a couple of options that are available for our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh. I was just being generous. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. As I said in my statement, the caseload for the Public Guardian is completely unmanageable because of the number of public and private guardianship orders she needs to supervise. My question for the Minister is: when does the Minister plan to increase the number of staff who work directly with clients? Mahsi.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member did bring this to my attention early in the life of this Assembly. As a result, I did order a review to be done. There were 16 recommendations that came out of that review. Many of them required us to do things like providing some additional training supports. It did talk about increasing the staff. One of the things we wanted to do before we actually moved forward with a request for additional financial resources is to make sure we are spending our money wisely.

We have developed new procedures manuals. We have developed different training available to our people. We have gone out and recruited some psychiatrists and psychologists who can help us with specialized capacity assessments. Those things are done. We are strengthening the office. We are building a business case so we can move forward through the next round of business planning to seek funds to provide the financial resources we need for that unit. I feel that, now that this work is done, we are in a good place to build that business case to seek support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I did give the Minister credit for speeding up the assessment process, but we are talking now about another year-long delay before this 150-person caseload is going to be addressed by more staff. That is entirely unacceptable. This office needs to be re-staffed now. I would like to see this staffing adjustment made in a supplementary appropriation during this sitting. Can the Minister make that commitment?

The Member is aware that we have processes that we utilize in this Assembly, including business planning, and that we have to have solid business cases if we are going to pursue or ask the Department of Finance and the FMB for additional resources. Currently, until we build that particular case, we are utilizing existing resources from the Department of Health and Social Services. We have identified staff to go and help the office meet their demand and provide work they are doing. All of this is helping us build a business case. We will be submitting the business case during the business planning process. Hopefully, we will see an expansion in that office.

It is my understanding that the additional staff relieve the Public Guardian when she is unavailable because of training or annual leave. It is not my understanding that there is any more than one social worker working in that office at any given time. Can the Minister please confirm that?

We are providing additional resources by way of human resources to assist that staff person when they are away on training and other things so that we don't fall behind further. The number of active files has decreased over the years. We are making improvements. The assessments are done by different individuals, psychiatrists and psychologists who we have contracted with. That has really helped us bring down the number. Those relationships will continue.

We will continue to bring our case file down. We will continue to provide the services. We are building the business case. We are going to put forward a submission once we have all the evidence we need to justify that, recognizing that all business cases have to compete against everything else in the Government of the Northwest Territories, we need to make sure we do the work right so we have that solid case.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are talking about the most vulnerable people in our society. They have intellectual disabilities. They have dementia. They have FAS and its effects. They need to have a relationship with the Public Guardian so that she can make effective decisions on their behalf. There are 77 public guardianship orders in place now. That means there is no family backup. There is nobody else to assist these people in making important decisions about their day-to-day life, and their health in particular. I can't understand why the Minister is not out in front of this and providing the additional staff immediately. My question is: will he reconsider? Mahsi.

The Member did bring this to my attention, and I directed the department to do the work. They did the work. We are rewriting the policies and procedures manuals, fixing the unit itself so that it can get best value for money and so that the staff are adequately resourced to provide the services that they want. There are 79 public guardianships. There are 85 private guardianships. There is a caseload of new applications.

We are working on these, trying to reduce those numbers to provide the support we need to the residents. I am confident that we are building the case we need to seek additional resources. In the meantime, we will fund within and provide the support centre needed to make sure that work is getting done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Justice. Would the Minister of Justice please advise this House what process was used to determine which communities the GNWT visited on consulting on the proposed cannabis legislation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Legalization of cannabis was, of course, announced by the federal government approximately one year ago, so we had a very limited time to meet the target date of July 2018. Staff visited nine communities; Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Inuvik, Tsiigehtchic, Norman Wells, Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Hay River, and Behchoko. We simply didn't have the opportunity or time to visit all 33 communities.

In addition to that, there was an online survey that was open to all residents. As I mentioned, public hearings were held in seven regional centres, including Inuvik, and two smaller communities, including Tsiigehtchic, which has a liquor prohibition regime in place, and Fort Liard. The meetings were well publicized. In addition to the meetings, of course, there was the online survey so that the opinions of residents could be obtained. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister already answered my next question, so I'll go to my third: does the GNWT have any guidelines to assist the departments to undertake consultations?

Yes, of course, this government is committed to establish open government policy. In these circumstances, again, with the limited timelines that we had, we decided to visit a cross-section of the communities. With respect to Fort McPherson specifically I know that letters were sent to Indigenous and committee governments, including the Hamlet of Fort McPherson, the Tetl'it Gwich'in council band, and the NWT Association of Communities. In addition to that, there was a teleconference in which the people of Fort McPherson participated. Also, there was the NWTCA meeting a couple of weeks ago where officials and Cabinet Ministers attended. We are working currently to establish and develop public engagement guidelines so that we will have a policy in dealing with matters such as this.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like the Minister of Health and Social Services to give us the current state of affairs on development and implementation of midwifery services on a regional and territorial basis. Given that the latest on midwifery does not present a solid path or timeline towards a Northwest Territories midwifery program, what concrete steps are being taken by the Minister to implement midwifery across the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Department of Health and Social Services are still supportive of midwifery services. It is a mandate item of the Government of the Northwest Territories. The report was completed with 16 recommendations. We agree with all 16 recommendations. We are now moving forward with the program design. We're moving forward on the recommendations that were made. We're looking to develop a territorial midwifery program that meets the needs of residents throughout the Northwest Territories. This will include building and strengthening the existing two community-based midwifery programs, but also working with other providers such as community health nurses and others to roll out midwifery.

We're hoping to be ready to roll out midwifery services in the last year of this Assembly. It will go through the normal business processes and be discussed with committee as we begin that official roll-out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank the Minister for his response. He sort of answered my next question. I believe he said that he was starting to put together the proposal for a territorial midwifery program. Is that something that he can share with the standing committee, and when would he be in a position to do that?

We actually have hired a midwifery consultant and we are working with the different midwives in the Northwest Territories to help strengthen the existing services, but our territorial consultants are also working with us to update our procedures and our guidelines to make sure that they're current and they make sense. Those are building upon the recommendations.

I'm happy to have a meeting with committee if committee so desires to walk through where we are and where we're going and where we hope to be by the end of this Assembly.

Once again, I would like to thank the Minister for that commitment. I look forward to sitting in on that briefing. A number of training standards certification issues have been identified in past reports on midwifery. Can the Minister tell me what steps are being taken now and with what partners to ensure training and administrative oversight needs are in place to launch the programming once it is funded?

As I've already indicated, there was a report done. There were 16 recommendations. We've supported all 16 recommendations and we're moving forward.

The expanded program will allow for a continuity of maternity care and enable greater clinical support for residents of the Northwest Territories. One of the things that's being done right now is the NWT Midwifery Framework. It has been revised and we're entering the final stages of that approval. That includes the work that we're doing on guidelines to make sure that the guidelines are current and that they stay current. Many of these things will evolve over time as new science and new technology comes forward, but we're working on those guidelines now.

We have brought in the consultant, as I said, who is doing a significant amount of work on future design. As I said, I'm happy to meet with committee. I would suggest maybe after session would probably be best, to give us a little bit more time to get through the next couple of weeks. I'm happy to meet with committee to walk through where we're going, where we are, and where we hope to be in the life of this Assembly.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Again, I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm sure that he will think about or would probably be able to give that briefing to committee in public, as I know there are a lot of interested folks across the Northwest Territories that would be curious to hear him make that presentation.

The Minister has spoken in the past about how we do have a bit of a complicated health system here with the NWT Health and Social Services Agency. There's the Tlicho Community Services Agency, Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. How has the Minister starting to work with these other agencies that are responsible for delivery of programs across the Northwest Territories in the hope of designing and implementing a program on midwifery? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Ultimately we see them being a part of the single system here. We do recognize that there are some unique realities in our healthcare system with two separate boards. We hope to bring Hay River into the public service at some point. Until that happens, there is a midwife representative from the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority on the territorial midwifery expansion working group. They are participating in a design and participating in the work that is needed to be done before we could actually roll out a midwifery program.

We've also been engaging with the TCSA on the midwifery program expansion. We're planning to do more of that in the coming weeks and in the coming months. It's a little different, obviously, because of the structure that did exist with the TCSA, but they've been very open to working with us on being a part of a single system in the Northwest Territories. We expect they'll have some issues they want to address. We'll certainly work with them to address the issues that they raise. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A follow-up to my questions on red alert that was made by our Premier last November. My first question: the people of my region agree that Northerners should have the ability to make their own decisions, but federal policies and decisions like the Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas Moratorium affect the kinds of decisions that we are able to make. Can the Premier tell me how his efforts to lobby the federal government and raise awareness on Northwest Territories priorities through the red alert will help support economic development in the Northwest Territories, and more specifically, the Sahtu region? Thank you.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the red alert was about standing up for northern priorities and making the point that Northerners need to be making their decisions about what happens in the North. Also, it points out that, if the Government of Canada shuts down an economic sector in the Northwest Territories, for example, there should be an accompanying economic strategy.

As you recall, when the fishing industry was shut down in Newfoundland, there was a $9 billion compensation package that was announced at the same time as the moratorium. People throughout the Northwest Territories want to be sure that their children and grandchildren can look forward to a strong future with good jobs. Canada still has the power to make a lot of decisions that will affect the economy and the future of the North. We need to make sure they understand northern priorities when they make those decisions, particularly around their desire to have a strong economy.

The Northwest Territories' interests and priorities are not well-known or understood within the federal government or within southern Canada, which can lead to decisions that lead economic development and program and service delivery that has often been designed pursuant to settle self-government and land claims agreements.

The red alert is about bringing awareness and starting a conversation with the federal government, and making our interests and priorities heard and understood. Northerners need a plan for the long-term social and economic development of the Northwest Territories, and Canada needs to be a part of that, including making concrete commitments to strategically invest in areas that would create the greatest benefits for Northerners including new and existing sectors of the economy.

Thanks to the Premier for the reply. I understand the conditional challenges facing our territory, which leads me to my second question. The Sahtu, Dene, and Metis land claim confirms the rights of Indigenous people in my region to participate in decision-making about the land and resources and the benefit from the economic development. Can the Premier tell me how red alert helps support the rights of Sahtu, Dene, and Metis?

Partnerships with Indigenous governments is part of how we do business in the Northwest Territories. The land claim and self-governed agreements that have been negotiated in the North are an important way to achieve the kind of reconciliation that Ottawa is making a priority right now.

The Sahtu land claim confirmed and clarified some very important rights for Dene and Metis people of the regions, including management of renewable resources within the settlement area, land use planning within the settlement area, environmental impact assessment and review within the Mackenzie Valley, and regulation of land and water use within the settlement area.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to the implementation of the land claim agreement and wants to ensure that Sahtu, Dene, and Metis continue to be able to exercise their rights. We are also committed to ensure Northwest Territories Indigenous people's share in the benefits of development in the Northwest Territories is reflected in an agreement our government signed with its Indigenous governments. We have provided for resource revenue sharing, and we will work with the Sahtu people to develop and contribute to the Arctic policy framework that will help guide federal investment and develop their vision for the Arctic up until 2030.

Thanks to the Premier for that reply. On the issue of resiliency, my third question: we know that the federal government is working on an Arctic policy framework to guide its decisions in the North. Can the Premier tell me how the GNWT is going to make sure that NWT priorities and economic interests are reflected in the Arctic policy framework?

The Arctic policy framework is still under development, and the structure of the framework is still being negotiated and confirmed, but the federal government has committed to a chapter for each territory to set out their priorities. It is also expected there will be a chapter on Indigenous priorities.

The government of the Northwest Territories will have the lead for developing the Northwest Territories chapter, and has been engaging Indigenous governments and other stakeholders to ensure Northwest Territories use and priorities from federal polices and plans. Also, Mr. Speaker, the three territories have developed a Pan-Territorial Vision on Sustainable Development to help inform territorial interests, including the need for economic opportunities for people in the North to build self-reliance; live in healthy, vibrant, prosperous communities; and build capacities to reach their full potential.

I want to see this vision clearly reflected in Canada's framework, and we will continue to do our best to support and be involved in this process.

Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Premier for that reply. Being a supporter of devolution, the devolution agreement included a commitment to negotiate management of offshore oil and gas between Canada, the GNWT, and the IRC. Can the Premier tell me what progress has been made with Canada on keeping this? Mahsi.

Our government has been engaging with the Government of Canada to try to make some progress on a specific commitment in the devolution agreement to begin negotiations of a co-management of the Beaufort Sea. As the Member knows, we have just passed the one-year anniversary of Canada implementing a moratorium on offshore exploration in the Beaufort Sea. Specifically, they have said they are definitely off-limits to new offshore oil and gas licences, to be tested every five years by a science-based review.

Also, as well, federal officials have been approaching and asking oil and gas companies with licences in the Beaufort Sea what it would take to give up their leases and licences. Obviously, there's a different intention there. Canada negotiated specific commitments to negotiate co-management of offshore oil and gas resources with the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Inuvialuit Regional Council, and those negotiations are not taking place in spite of several requests. The Government of the Northwest Territories' position is that it has a right to be involved in management of offshore oil and gas resources, and this was recognized in the devolution agreement, and the unilateral imposition of a moratorium was contradictory to that.

Along with IRC, we continue to communicate to Canada our interest in getting started on negotiations and fulfillment of this commitment of the devolution agreement. Northerners need a plan for the long-term social and economic development of the Northwest Territories, and Canada needs to be a part of that. We are waiting for the federal government to give us a response as to whether we will proceed with negotiation of co-management. There is provisions for dispute resolution in a devolution agreement, and we are awaiting some feedback from the federal government before we look at our various options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in my statement I talked about the situation with heart disease in the Northwest Territories, and Canada as well. Trying to address that, this government has a wide and varied approach. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Chronic disease, including heart disease, contributes to sudden deaths in the Northwest Territories. The Department of Health and Social Services has identified tackling chronic disease as one of their major policy and program goals. How will the department take on heart disease in 2018-2019?

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to chronic diseases, which obviously includes heart disease, we're trying to take a prevention approach, which means we are really focusing on trying to encourage healthy lifestyles for residents of the Northwest Territories, but also put in place mechanisms to help educate people on how to prevent some of these things from occurring. We also need to make sure that we're enhancing screening. We are providing quality screening so that individuals can get screened early so that, if treatment is required, we can provide it.

There are a number of things that are happening currently. We have healthy living fairs that are travelling throughout the Northwest Territories providing information to residents on a number of chronic conditions and the types of things we need to do. There has been a lot of work done on identifying healthy foods. We would work with the NWT Sports and Recreation Council to promote healthy exercise, exercise on a regular basis. There are lot of things happening, but recognizing that science is continually evolving, we're learning new things. We're also working on a chronic disease and prevention management framework, building upon past work but moving forward with a new framework that's really going to be focused. It's going to be a patient-centred approach, and this will build upon some of the existing things we are doing at communities, the good partnerships that we have out there to encourage more healthy living and wellness. That's on top of the existing things that we're doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd like to thank the Minister for his reply. The Minister has to be commended, and indeed in his department, in terms of undertaking education initiatives to ensure that people do live a healthy lifestyle. One of the challenges, of course, is language. My question is, once again, did the department recently work with communities in the Sahtu region to develop a Sahtu glossary for cancer terminology with entries in multiple dialects? This is some incredibly valuable work, and I congratulate all those who made is possible. With heart disease matching cancer for health impacts in the NWT, can the department work toward a similar glossary in other Indigenous languages? For example, Deh Cho Slavey?

Obviously, I'd love to take credit for that work, but it was really work that was led by the communities. It was incredibly valuable. I think the people of the Sahtu really need a pat on the back for the incredible work they've done to create this glossary and get it out to residents of the region. The department did play a role; we did provide some support in the form of some human resources and some other supports. It was a great tool. The department is absolutely open to working with other regions, other language groups, to create similar documents, recognizing that, really, it needs to be community-led, and we're there to, certainly, partner and help as best we can. We think it's a great idea. We would love to see more.

The Minister stated that steps were being taken, apart from education initiatives, in terms of prevention. I'm a member of the Standing Committee on Social Development, and that committee has pushed for the department to take targeted action towards smoking prevention and cessation programs in our small communities. How has the department taken action on anti-smoking work in our small communities?

Over the years, there have been many different approaches to encourage people not to smoke here in the Northwest Territories.

One of the things that has been done is we've obviously been working with communities. We feel that communities are really one of the appropriate places to be leading some of this work, and many of the communities have included this type of initiative under their community wellness plans, but the Member is right and committee is right. We need to continue push as a department as well. The department, to that end, has recently launched the Let's Clear the Air campaign, which focuses on the importance of lung health. This campaign has launched in January of this year, and promotional materials have been shared across the entire Northwest Territories.

Last May we brought youth from across the Northwest Territories together as part of our commitment to healthy living and wellness. This gathering was a great opportunity to hear from youth and share information about healthy living. Workshops on lung health and smoking cessation were an incredibly important part of this event.

Our Healthy Living fairs, that the Member I'm sure is aware of, that travel around the Northwest Territories also provide an opportunity for residents in our small communities to learn directly about lung health and smoking cessation, through presentation and interactive learning opportunities. So if the Member hasn't has an opportunity, when one of these fairs comes to his community or region, I encourage you to go. I encourage everybody from your region to go and look at some of the interactive displays and other information that is available to show how important it is not to smoke for the residents of the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, recently I did find myself in the community hall in Fort Providence and it was packed, and it wasn't because of the bingo; it was the health fair that was happening. So I just wanted to follow up with the Minister in terms of what are the plans in terms of maybe building upon the success of the health fairs that are happening throughout the NWT communities? Mahsi.

I'm glad the Member had an opportunity to attend one of the healthy living fairs; and I hope the Member had an opportunity to stroll through the giant colon and see the impacts of colon health and cancer.

For the rest of the Northwest Territories, it's certainly an interesting adventure. The health living fairs are an incredibly important tool. I think it's great that they're getting out to residents of the Northwest Territories, and I'm thrilled, absolutely thrilled, to hear that the event was packed. I think as MLAs, as Ministers, we all need to encourage our residents to go to these fairs and learn about prevention techniques and other things that can be done. We need to take care of ourselves. We all have some personal responsibility to live healthy, and the more people who can be educated, the better. So yes, these fairs are going to continue, they're important, and I encourage you to encourage your residents to attend and take a stroll through the giant colon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the last couple of days I've been talking about the road to the Slave Geological Province with regard to my Member's statements. This is obviously a very significant project that could provide many important benefits to the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, it's a major piece of our mandate, but it still remains a little bit unclear as what to our vision and commitment for this critical piece of infrastructure really is. My questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Last year the Minister advised the Assembly that the government was conducting a P3 business case assessment of this critical piece of infrastructure. I wonder if the Minister can provide the House with an update with regard to this assessment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Infrastructure.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The P3 business case, we continue to work on it and it should be done shortly, if it isn't done already. I'd have to check on that. We have submitted our comprehensive proposal to the National Trades Corridor Fund with the federal government; we did that last November. We're hopefully going to hear about this funding in the coming months from federal government on what the uptake on that is going to be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for his update. I'm hopeful that we're going to see a positive reply here from the federal government. So I guess the next question, then, would be: if the funding and the P3 is approved, can the Minister inform us what the actual next steps would be?

That's going to depend on the level of funding. This is a significant project that's been submitted, like I said, with the National Trades Corridor Fund, which is application-based with all of Canada. That's where it's sitting presently. There's $2 billion for the whole country. Depending on the level of funding we're getting, it could done in various stages. We'd have to conduct some environmental studies and some engineering studies before we can move to an environmental phase. Depending, of course, on the amount of funding we get, we're going to have to involve consultation in engaging people Indigenous groups and people in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. The Minister touched on the idea that we would have to undertake an environmental assessment. We know that recently a major concern is the potential impact that this corridor might have on the Bathurst caribou. We've seen roadways built in other areas that, you know, have had some effect on wildlife: our Highway 3 going south, we see bison along the road all the time; the Porcupine caribou have been crossing the Dempster for many years, and they are a thriving herd. We know the Bathurst is a fairly sensitive herd. They are, or are near being considered, an at-risk species. I just wonder: can the Minister advise what the Department of Infrastructure is doing or who they are working with to understand the impacts this road might have on the Bathurst herd?

As I said, this is early days of this project, but we are very mindful of the caribou, moving this whole project forward. Infrastructure has been working very closely with the Department of ENR to identify gaps, particularly around knowledge and opportunities around the caribou. We realize that, as this project advances, this type of work with ENR and others to explore the migration route options and to reduce the impacts of caribou on our proposed route would have to take place, and we will continue to do that.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister of Justice for an update on the perimeter fence at NSCC. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.