Good morning, Members. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, the infrastructure that supports transportation has always been crucial to Northerners, to enable us to grow and develop our economy, and to help create opportunities for our residents to find success. Transportation infrastructure has always been at the forefront of enabling Northerners to grow and develop our economy, and never has it been more important in guaranteeing our future growth and prosperity than today.

The opening of the all-weather highway between the Town of Inuvik and the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk on November 15, 2017, is an example of what collaboration between all levels of government can do to have our voices heard in Ottawa.

Expanding our transportation system with the opening of the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway No. 10 helps us connect residents to new social and employment opportunities, stabilize the cost of living in the territory, increase our resiliency and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and provide better access to natural resources. The role our partners play in helping to shape the Northwest Territories today and into the future cannot be overstated. The Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway No. 10 reflects the dedication of many people who have worked to improve the lives of our residents, and contribute to building a strong and prosperous Northwest Territories for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, Canada’s first highway to the Arctic Ocean is bringing significant benefits to the people of the Beaufort Delta Region, and global attention to the Northwest Territories.

The official opening was a success and included the attendance and participation of the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette; the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Mr. Amarjeet Sohi; the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Ms. Caroline Bennett; and the Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Our Premier, a number of Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly, and other territorial, Indigenous government and community representatives also attended.

Mr. Speaker, this new highway is connecting residents and communities with each other, as well as to new opportunities. In its first few months of operation, we are seeing traffic volumes in line with what we had expected.

The Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway No. 10 is providing more opportunities for family and friends to connect and share experiences together. The highway has also been instrumental in the creation of new relationships, and participation prospects such as youth and adult sporting tournaments, hockey, badminton, and volleyball, to name a few. It allows families to take advantage of activities at the swimming complex and other facilities, all of which contribute to healthy lifestyles.

The Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway No. 10 provides opportunities for increased consumer choice by providing improved road access to other communities. Increased choice in goods and services should translate into an improved cost of living, better access to health care, and other important benefits. Mr. Speaker, investments in northern transportation infrastructure help to diversify economic and social opportunities for people of the North. Working with Industry, Tourism and Investment, the Department of Infrastructure is committed to helping businesses in the Beaufort Delta Region capitalize on the economic opportunities created by this project.

In recent months, the number one tourism inquiry from potential visitors to the Northwest Territories relates to travelling the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway No. 10. The Film Commission has seen an increase in requests to film along this unique northern highway connecting Canada from coast to coast to coast. The potential economic impact will be positive for the people in the Beaufort Delta, with film crews using local services and hiring local skilled crew members.

The Beaufort Delta is rich in oil and gas reserves, and the new highway will provide more cost-feasible opportunities for potential development in the region. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is currently studying the feasibility of natural gas development in the region, and should natural gas extraction be viable, the development of this resource could provide clean energy security, employment opportunities, and support a sustainable economic future in the Beaufort Delta Region.

Mr. Speaker, there are also important scientific contributions relating to the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway No. 10. The Northwest Territories is a leader nationally and internationally in the area of permafrost study and in contributing to the discovery of knowledge focusing on climate change.

The Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway No. 10 will increase our resiliency in adapting to the impacts of climate change and provide better access to natural resources. The continued expansion of our transportation system will help us to connect residents to new employment, social and cultural opportunities, and help stabilize the cost of living for all those who live and work in the Northwest Territories. Nation-building and infrastructure projects can happen today in Canada’s North, much as they did in previous generations. The partnerships that we continue to build will help the Northwest Territories move forward to become a far greater partner in the Canadian economy, and give our residents the opportunity to achieve economic self-determination. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, we have an ambitious postsecondary agenda that is part of the mandate of this government. Undertaking the Foundational Review of the Aurora College, working with the college on a renewed long-term strategic plan, and creating a legislative framework to recognize postsecondary institutions will allow us to expand opportunities for postsecondary education for the Northwest Territories residents.

The Aurora College Foundational Review is on schedule and will be delivered to me by March 31st. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all Members of this House for their consideration and contributions to the review process. I look forward to sharing the results of the review and the management response with Members when I receive it from the contractor, MNP LLP. A management response will then be prepared to support implementation of the recommendations. Together, the review and management response, along with the Labour Market Information Report, will help establish a strong foundation for the college’s long-term strategic plan.

The review process has included engagement with staff, students, former students, board members, professional associations, non-government organizations, other postsecondary institutions and partners, and business and industry. There was also an online survey open to the general public. To date, there have been approximately 400 interviews and responses. The results of the review will also help us develop proposed legislation to create an overarching framework to govern postsecondary education in the Northwest Territories. This work is a critical step toward increasing postsecondary opportunities for Northwest Territories residents.

We recognize the unique cultural, social, economic, and geographic contexts which define postsecondary learning needs in the Northwest Territories. We are working to ensure that the new legislative framework will benefit all residents and institutions of the Northwest Territories, now and into the future. Mr. Speaker, Aurora College is an institution that has grown, changed, and served the Northwest Territories well for more than 40 years. Our college will continue to evolve to meet the needs of 21st century northern learners in an ever-changing world.

We all want to support Aurora College as a thriving, northern postsecondary institution. We all want residents to be able to choose their educational journeys, acquire skills and knowledge, and contribute to the economic and social fabric of the Northwest Territories. I believe the work we now have under way will achieve these goals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that Minister's Statement 19-18(3) delivered by the Honourable Alfred Moses regarding the Aurora College Foundational Review progress be moved into Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

The Aurora College Foundation Review Progress is now moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Masi. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we MLAs from Hay River have a tradition, a tradition that started three Assemblies ago, and I'm truly honoured to be a part of it. I speak, of course, of the tradition of standing up in this House every four years and congratulating Hay River's own Brendan Green for making the Canadian Olympic biathlon team. This is the third consecutive time that Mr. Green will represent Team Canada at the Winter Olympics, which opened this morning in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Mr. Speaker, this is a monumental achievement and cements Mr. Green's legacy as one of Canada's greatest biathletes of all time. After strapping on the skis for the first time at three years old, he began training in biathlon at age 9. At 16, he set his sights on the Olympics. After years of unwavering dedication and training, he made his Olympic debut in 2010 at Vancouver. He was again selected for the 2014 Olympics, and he achieved Canada's best-ever result in one of his events, and was the fastest Canadian in numerous others.

He helped make Canadian biathlon history in 2016 when he anchored his relay team to bronze for Canada's first-ever relay medal at the World Championships. He has brought tremendous pride to Hay River, and is part of a group of biathletes that have raised the calibre of the sport across the country and raised Canada's profile on the world stage for biathlon. He brings pride to our entire nation.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Green should truly be looked upon as a role model. Not for his achievements, but for how he achieved them. I recently read a quote from him about the secret to his success. He said, "There are no secrets. It's about getting the work done, putting your head down, and grinding it out."

Mr. Speaker, truer words have never been spoken, and Mr. Green is living proof. Mr. Speaker, would the House please join me in congratulating and cheering on the pride of Hay River, Mr. Brendan Green. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Masi. Best of luck to all Northern athletes at the Olympics. Masi cho. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. A Legislative Assembly e-petition has been started asking that some of the funds raised through the Western Canada Lottery program, which now go entirely to Sports and Recreation, be used to fund arts activities. This issue was also raised during the recent public hearing on Bill 1, the Western Canada Lottery Act. At that hearing, the MACA Minister left open the door a crack to develop a definition for recreation, but only in consultation with the sports and recreation groups. So how can we go about improving our government's investment in the arts?

Later today I will table recent correspondence from members of the arts community and the ECE and ITI Ministers. ECE says it is responsible for skills development, arts creation, and presentation, and ITI looks after business support to the arts, including marketing and promotion. ECE reports it provides about $2,000,000 annually to support arts and heritage organizations and individuals. The funding is split with five grants and funding programs and $600,000 in project grants being supplied through the NWT Arts Council. ITI states it supports arts initiatives to the tune of $1.6 million in 2016-2017 through a number of programs.

The NWT Arts Council was completely underfunded to meet the administrative load of its oversubscribed programs, and has not had an increase in its GNWT contribution in 10 years. Other arts programs are still being administered separately. I recommend that the Ministers of ECE and ITI examine structural changes to merge all film, craft, and arts programs under the NWT Arts Council so there is a one-stop-shop approach that also has adequate capacity. This shop, or this office, would manage both the operating and granting budgets, and bring a coordinated, mutually supporting focus to bear on activities from across artistic sectors. It should be the vantage point for accessing other funds, including those from foundations, but most importantly the many and generous federal funding programs that are out there.

I will have questions for the Minister of ECE about how we can bring the greatest efficiencies and focus to bear on using and leveraging the funds we have in increasing our investment in this growth sector of our economy that also creates significant well-being and preserves culture. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently, I heard on the news that the Government of Canada was wrapping up the public consultation in its review of the country's criminal justice system. During the review in the NWT, some were saying that the territorial system incarcerates people with addictions, disability, and poor mental health, where it should be offering them treatment. Mr. Speaker, the news article spoke about how their view is focusing on issues such as delays in the court system, better support for victims of crime, and decreasing the number of marginalized and vulnerable people in jail. According to the article, decreasing the number of marginalized and vulnerable people in the jail needs to be the focus of us in the NWT.

It is my understanding that, when people come from a trauma situation, it sometimes leads to their addictions so they can cope with the difficult issues in their life. Trauma could be from loss, grief, or effects of the residential school systems, as some examples. During the trip to visit the treatment centres, we had the opportunity to visit Guthrie House, part of BC Corrections, which provides residents with a unique program that helps them deal with their trauma and addiction.

We had the opportunity to speak with the residents and they talked openly about their lives, trauma, and their addictions. What I found very interesting was their opening conversation piece when a new inmate comes in: "What happened to you?" Not: what did you do wrong? Powerful words, I would have to say. Mr. Speaker, most people end up in conflict with the law as a result of trauma, addiction, or mental health issues. Our system focuses on punishing people for misconduct and not treating problems like addiction and trauma.

I would like to see residents be sent to treatment facilities, but sometimes a person ends up in jail. With this in mind, why can't we use the Guthrie model up north to help them deal with their trauma and addictions while they are in there? It is really interesting to hear the residents talk about how they want to heal themselves, and this model helps. It is about providing the necessary tools of peer support, therapy from psychologists, additional counselling, and anger management classes, to name a few. Presently, our approach does not seem to be working. We need to do something differently. I think the model would be a great start. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Justice later on today. Thank you.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I talked about dealing with addictions. Today I want to talk about prevention. Here in the NWT we know the harm alcohol does to residents and communities, but you may be surprised to hear that more people were hospitalized in Canada in 2015-2016 for alcohol, the harmful effects of alcohol, than for heart attacks. This is one of the findings of the Report on Alcohol Harm in Canada published last summer by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

The report concludes that provinces and territories with higher alcohol sales also have a higher prevalence of heavy drinking. The NWT is part of this trend. The definition of heavy drinking is downing five or more drinks in one sitting at least once a month. Heavy drinking costs residents their health, even their lives, and it is costing the government hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospitalization costs.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, my grandmother used to say, and prevention in this case involves some straightforward changes. One is to reduce the open hours of liquor stores. The report shows that, when liquor stores are open more than 10 hours a day, there are notable increases in both impaired driving and alcohol-related hospitalization.

A second way to reduce alcohol harm is to increase the retail price. The report says that a 10 per cent increase in cost results in a 4.4 per cent decrease in consumption. In the NWT, we could choose to index alcohol costs to inflation and adjust costs for alcohol content. The aim of both of these measures is to reduce consumption. We must also follow most provinces by setting a minimum price for alcohol.

A third possibility is to have clinicians screen patients to spot harmful drinking patterns. The screening is followed by a brief counselling session aimed at reducing consumption and refer to additional care if necessary. Where this approach has been tried, it reduces hospitalization costs with an estimated $4 return on every $1 invested. The Canadian Institute for Health Information has developed a new indicator that tracks hospitalization entirely caused by alcohol. It can provide data for evidence-based decision making of allocating resources in the short term and monitoring the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs over the long term.

The key is to connect policies around alcohol sales with a harm reduction approach. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise again today to express my respect and appreciation for the dedicated people who keep community fire departments operating in the Deh Cho region. These people undertake training, volunteering their time and risk their lives to keep their fellow citizens safe from harm. They are on call to work at any time of the day or night and often in the harshest winter weather conditions.

In addition to fighting fires, volunteer fire fighters in the Deh Cho communities such as Enterprise and Fort Providence also serve as first responders to emergencies on the highway. As if it weren't enough, today I want to pay tribute to the community of Enterprise for another notable achievement. On January 10th, the hamlet was recognized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as the first community in the Northwest Territories to achieve official FireSmart recognition.

Mr. Speaker, the momentum that led to this milestone started in the spring of 2017, when Enterprise won $500 from FireSmart Canada for a wildfire community preparedness day event. This event prompted the enthusiasm of the community and leaders and volunteers and resulted in establishing of the local FireSmart committee. The committee conducted a wildfire hazard assessment and created a FireSmart plan for Enterprise. The local volunteers went to work participating in the community, a wide cleanup of potential volatile fire hazards from the community's boundaries.

Mr. Speaker, the summer of 2014 was the worst wildfire season in the NWT in 30 years. It reminded us that wildfires pose a serious threat to our communities. I want to acknowledge and congratulate those individuals in Enterprises who took the initiative to make their community a safer place to live, including, my apologies if I mispronounce the names, the FireSmart committee: Tammy Neal, SAO; Blair Porter, fire chief; Brandon Kimball, volunteer fire fighter, FireSmart and community liason this summer, Brandon Kimball, Michael Kimball, Nicholas Kimball, Lynn Ecoheena, and Jimmy Carpenter. Also involved were Leslie Steed, the wildfire risk management coordinator, and Amber Simpson, wildfire prevention coordinator. These dedicated folks have made Enterprise an example of how small communities across the NWT can reduce the risks posed by wildfires. I want to join the Minister of ENR in congratulating them on their achievement. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the issue of project planning and reviews, both are essential tools to achieving project goals and objectives. Mr. Speaker, the construction of the new Stanton Territorial Hospital, a public/private partnership project. The pre-mortgage construction phase is currently under way and creating a significant amount of benefits.

Capitalizing on these benefits is also essential and expected of this government, Mr. Speaker, more specifically in the area of accumulated apprenticeship hours by the Northern Trades Profession individuals and trainees. The NWT Apprenticeship Trades and Occupational Certification Strategy 2017-2022 is a strategy that is designed in creating benefits from this project.

It will be gratifying to reflect on project completion day on the career differences the strategy has made for the individuals who are currently employed. Mr. Speaker, later, I will have questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statement. Member Yellowknife North.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about our royalty regime. I think we recognize that, while we are working toward economic diversification, for now the NWT economy relies significantly on mining.

Aside from the training and jobs that mining provides, we benefit from the royalties and taxes that industry pays to the government, but how are royalties calculated? Are they consistent from one region to the next? How transparent is industry regarding what it pays? How effectively does government manage its side of the relationship? Are we being transparent enough? Mr. Speaker, a recent presentation on this subject certainly grabbed my attention. The report "How To Lose a Billion Dollars" comes from a new movement called Publish What You Pay. This is a global network of civil society organizations that work towards transparency and openness in the global resource sector, including royalties and taxes.

Along with other industry representative groups, they launched the Resource Revenue Transparency Working Group in 2012. Their work with government resulted in the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act in 2015. The resulting website lists mining companies and the payments they make to governments in Canada, including Indigenous governments.

This new openness by the extractive industry has resulted in improved transparency and accountability. It contributes to effective legislation and a stronger, more trusting partnership between industry and public governments.

This was the focus of an address at the recent Roundup conference in Vancouver. Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, cofounder of Reconciliation Canada, spoke about the importance of positive relationships and sharing between Indigenous people and the mining industry. Figures from the NWT Chamber of Mines show that companies in our region already have that focus. Our diamond mines have provided over $5 billion to Indigenous business; over 26,000 person-years of northern employment, half Indigenous; and over $100 million in community contributions, not to mention taxes collected by all levels of government.

Mr. Speaker, industry is doing its part. It is government that should be doing a better job. We currently do not provide an annual report compiling details of royalties, taxes, or other payments made to various levels of government. We should offer a concise report summarizing those figures and outlining the benefit of mining in the North. This would offer clear accountability and important detail to Members of this Assembly and the public. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, we are developing our own Mineral Resource Act as we speak. Northerners need to be confident that we are gaining our fair share of the pie when it comes to resource development. Let's make sure we continue to build respectful, accountable, productive partnerships through open and transparent accountability. I will have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, economic development opportunities in Nunakput are difficult to come by. My constituents have told me that they are struggling to find work, contracts, and opportunities. While the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway is expected to bring some economic benefits to Tuktoyaktuk, my other communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, and Ulukhaktok need jobs and a sustainable economy, as well. Our communities are filled with skilled, hard-working people, and we are a thriving, productive workforce if there are opportunities created and supported. Government programs like the Small Community Employment Support Program are needed to build upon the skills and strengths of our communities.

Nunakput offers the world a truly northern experience unlike any other place in Canada. We have our on-the-land tours, traditional harvesting practices, and traditional art, music, literature, dancing, and languages. The Government of the Northwest Territories' investment in these fields is not only an opportunity to foster straight business growth. It is also a way to cultivate the knowledge economy to secondary or post-secondary exchange students and to research and new ventures in scientific communities.

Also, Mr. Speaker, our culture and incredible people are the key to creating a resilient future for our region, which is also valuable to visitors and new friends from around the world. The more people who experience the Arctic first-hand, the more people who will return to the Arctic and understand the need to protect its landscapes and support its peoples.

Speaking of tourism and the northern experience, we can learn from our neighbours in the Yukon. Their famous Sourtoe Cocktail, which has garnered international attention, generates at least $80,000 in revenue each year and has been on the bucket lists of many. It is unique, distinctive, and unforgettable.

Mr. Speaker, as the Premier has said, we need economic development opportunities. I am making myself available to work with the government and our local leaders and businesses to identify what investment opportunities exist or could be created in order to provide support for entrepreneurs so that our residents can chart their own paths to self-sufficiency and create local jobs. We also have suggestions to help the government break down requests for proposals on any public works into smaller pieces to allow for small businesses to be able to compete on goods and win contracts, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the traditional economy plays a major role in my region. I believe we need to set an example of Indigenous and local knowledge that the Government of Canada will recognize, as well as governments around the world. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.