This is page numbers 4677 - 4704 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.

Topics

Question 491-18(3): Fur Harvesting Programs
Oral Questions

November 1st, 2018

Page 4690

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as follow-up to my Member's statement on trapping season I would like to ask the Minister responsible for ENR if he could share the numbers. You know what, many of us here have Facebook accounts, and we see all of the nice pictures people put on, whether it's trapping, hunting, but I have seen in my riding a number of young people starting to get into trapping. So can the Minister share numbers from the last trapping season on the number of trappers, if they have seen an increase or a decrease? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from November 2017 to June 2018, which is basically the trapping season, there were 661 trappers in the Northwest Territories. They marketed about $622,000 of Northern fur for that particular year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

I know many of my constituents, especially the ones who go out, bring in a lot of furs. I just have a question. I would like to get an update on the uptake on the Grubstake Program. I know this Territory is a leader that is pretty much the only territory -- none of the provinces that I know of have a grubstake program similar to ours. Just a little update from the Minister on that program?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

As far as I know, we are the only jurisdiction in the country that offers a grubstake program as far as traditional fur harvesting goes, and we are quite proud of that fact. We recognize the fact that it is an important economy in the Northwest Territories. The Member is absolutely correct. We are starting to see more and more young people get back into the traditional lifestyle. We are getting a lot of support from the government.

As well, I know of a couple of Aboriginal governments, I think the GTC has a great program where they support the young people who are trying to get back into trapping.

Trap and Grubstake Program allocated a total of $101,000 for the current 2018-2019 trapping year. We have it broken down by regions, as well. I think in the BeauDel last year, there was about $34,000 that was allocated through the Grubstake Program.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

The department has started a new initiative in the Mackenzie Delta, especially in Aklavik-Inuvik, with harvesting of beaver this past spring here. It was very, very productive. You know, the community has seen over $100,000 brought into the community of Aklavik alone; the communities that were a part of this. It wasn't cash into the communities, but it was money that went into cards, whether it was to the local Northern store. On that note, on-the-land collaborative, how many projects and how was this paid out?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

The program that the Member spoke about, I think I was in collaboration with the Aboriginal governments up there. I think IRC was heavily involved in that. My understanding was fairly successful program. As far as the on-the-land collaborative, we received a number of applications, I think it was about 104 applications, but 48 projects were approved. Approximately $1 million was dispersed to support on-the-land programming.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a final run on this topic. I know in the past, even myself, I have attended a couple of trapping workshops. You know, it is always good to show our up-and-coming trappers new techniques and ways to set traps. Does the department plan to hold any more trapping workshops this winter?

I know a number of people have been asking about how to get traps in communities, especially the ones that don't have any hardware stores or anywhere to get them actually in town. Is the department planning to have any trapping workshops this winter? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

As far as the actual workshops, I am not quite sure of that detail. I will commit to getting that detail to see when and where we are having any workshops that are going out. I think the department is also coming forward to this Assembly, I believe, soon with the new initiative that they would like to try. I will not speak of it now, but it will be brought up before this Assembly as we deliberate the O and M budget during February-March. I think the folks out there will be pleased with the new initiatives that are coming out through ENR.

I will find the information on the actual workshops and where they are having them. I take the Member's point. I believe that they have had workshops in the past where they teach them how to prepare their furs properly to get the best prices for them. Trappers were appreciative of that because any little course you take, you gain some valuable experience out of it and increase your knowledge a bit. I will find out and share it with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this set of questions is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Last winter we discussed the availability of family planning tools such as birth control and the medication that terminates an early-stage pregnancy called Mifegymiso. At that time, the Minister said his department was reviewing gaps in supplementary health benefits. Can the Minister update the House on the progress of this review as it relates to family planning? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the review of the supplementary health program is in relation to all coverage for all types of thing, including the things the Member has described. That review is going to take some time. It will likely go into the next government and be something the next government is going to have to make some hard decisions on.

We did have a brief chat this morning, and I did confirm that to the Member. Since then, I haven't had an opportunity to talk to the department. Taking the Member's point that waiting that long could be problematic for many, many women, I have issued a directive to the Department of Health and Social Services to put in some interim measures to cover the treatment or the Mifegymiso on an interim basis until the conclusion of the supplementary health review.

This means that it will be a payment of last resort and that individuals must use either NIHB, Extended Health Benefits, Metis Health Benefits, and an insurance if they have it through their employer or indigent health benefits. Basically, low-income workers who don't have insurance will be covered once this directive goes into place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate the Minister taking proactive action on this. The other issue that we talked about last winter was exploring options to make the pill available in regional health centres. Has there been any progress on making this service available outside of Yellowknife?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

There has been progress, but not enough. One of the challenges that we are facing is the diagnostic steps that need to be taken before the pill can be issued or prescribed. We are having some complications making sure that that can happen at a regional level. I commit to the Member that we will continue to do that work, and we will make sure that this is available through the NOW Program to all residents of the Northwest Territories. It will take a bit more time to make that happen.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate the Minister's efforts. Could he give us any proposed timing for resolving those issues? I guess at this point the question is: is it during the life of this Assembly, or will it be deferred until the next one?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

After our conversation this morning, I did talk to the department and issued that directive. I did tell them that I wanted this other issue resolved as quickly as possible. There are a few technical issues we have to work through. They said they would get me a timeline on how long they think it might take, but I directed and indicated I want to see it happen in the life of this government and not dragged out into the life of the next.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for letting me clear out my closet of extra questions. This time, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. The GNWT invested millions of dollars to construct a new office building in my riding. This building has been open for several years, and it's called, very glamorously, the New Government Building, or the NGB for short. Several constituents have approached me with names for this building, and my question for the Minister is: when will the Minister begin the process of finding a proper name for the NGB? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That policy actually doesn't lie with me. Just because Infrastructure built the building and we have some of our staff in there, that policy of naming a building actually lies with the EIA, with the Premier's office, the Executive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate the Minister's information. My question for the Premier is: when will the Minister begin the process of finding a proper name for the NGB? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Infrastructure.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I'm not the Premier. Let's get that straight. That question would have to be redirected to the Premier, and I can gladly have a conversation with the Premier after this sitting and see how we are going to move on that, if we are moving on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.