This is page numbers 3939 - 3964 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 indigenous.

Members Present

Hon. Glen Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Blake, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Ms. Julie Green, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. McNeely, Hon. Alfred Moses, Mr. Nadli, Mr. Nakimayak, Mr. O'Reilly, Hon. Wally Schumann, Hon. Louis Sebert, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Vanthuyne

The House met at 10:03 a.m.

---Prayer

Prayer
Prayer

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Good morning, Members. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has significant and varied energy resources. As Canada's gas and liquefied natural gas industry takes steps towards competing in the global market, the Northwest Territories' resources are positioned to both improve energy security locally and help Canada compete.

The responsible development of these resources will also create meaningful jobs for residents, opportunities for business, and sources of revenue to support territory-wide public programs and services for NWT residents.

In particular, the Northwest Territories' petroleum resources offer a frontier for exploration and represent, in their development and delivery to market, significant opportunities to grow and diversify our economy.

In time, our natural gas resources will also contribute to regional energy security, lessen our reliance on imported diesel, reduce the energy costs, and lower Northwest Territories greenhouse gas emissions.

None of this will happen overnight. Realizing the benefits of the Northwest Territories' petroleum resources will take time, commitment and innovation. All of which, Mr. Speaker, we have.

On May 1st, as part of our government's transition to a strong, healthy economy, one in which the Northwest Territories' residents and communities are resilient and adaptive in the face of a changing climate, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment introduced a Petroleum Resources Strategy as committed in our mandate.

The Northwest Territories Petroleum Resources, A Path to Northern Benefits and Energy Security presents a balanced, viable and made-in-the-Northwest Territories approach to advancing petroleum development in the NWT for the benefit of all residents.

Its aim is to realize both short and long-term economic benefits of our territory's petroleum resources, positioning and preparing the NWT to realize eventual industry investment, while pursuing local energy security and advancing our growing knowledge economy.

The Petroleum Resources Strategy, Mr. Speaker, is framed by a family of GNWT strategies and policies, including the Northwest Territories 2030 Energy Strategy and the NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework.

It outlines actions to improve the NWT's competitive edge for investment including support for infrastructure projects that facilitate activity in the NWT's petroleum resources sector; improvements to the NWT's oil and gas regulatory framework, and investment in greater public understanding and awareness.

It also highlights opportunities to provide locally produced energy to communities, build the NWT's workforce and business capacity, and take an active role in the governance of offshore oil and gas policy and co-management.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we will work, through the implementation of this strategy, to create a sustainable, innovative petroleum resources sector by ensuring decisions about the development of NWT petroleum resources consider both science and traditional knowledge and by encouraging the application of the knowledge economy to petroleum resources.

Mr. Speaker, access to secure, affordable, and environmentally sustainable sources of energy is essential to the prosperity of the NWT, and everyone has a part to play in achieving a more sustainable territory.

I look forward to working with colleagues, stakeholders, and Indigenous governments to implement this pursuit of economic opportunity and prosperity on behalf of all residents of the Northwest Territories. Later today, at the appropriate time I will be tabling this strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the federal government implements its plan to legalize cannabis this summer, the Department of Health and Social Services, in partnership with other Government of the Northwest Territories departments and agencies, has already begun public education and awareness efforts.

Mr. Speaker, in late April, we launched our campaign in order to equip residents with the health information they need to make informed decisions about cannabis use. While all Northwest Territories residents will be provided with cannabis-related health information, groups that are especially at risk for harm from cannabis will be our immediate focus. This includes youth under 25, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and those at risk for adverse mental health outcomes.

Mr. Speaker, this will not be an easy task. The challenge for us is in striking the right balance in providing information about the very real health risks associated with cannabis products while acknowledging that residents will soon have the option to legally purchase and consume cannabis.

Our goal is to provide residents with evidence-based and culturally appropriate harm-reduction information on safer cannabis use so that they can feel confident in their ability to make informed health decisions.

Like other controlled substances, there are risks associated with cannabis use that people should be aware of. We know that cannabis use negatively impacts brain development in infants and young people, possibly up to an age of 25. For this reason, some of our most important audiences for this education and awareness campaign are youth, their parents, and youth influencers. To this end, we provided residents with the Cannabis Talk Kit: Know How to Talk With Your Teen, a publication from Drug Free Kids Canada and endorsed by Health Canada. This simple talk kit was sent to all households and businesses in the Northwest Territories. Over 13,000 kits were distributed to help start and guide the conversation regarding cannabis use. This kit is one of the many initiatives that will raise awareness regarding cannabis use.

To make sure that the important information in the Cannabis Talk Kit reaches all residents, we have worked with local translators to provide a summary of the kit in all of our Indigenous languages. These translations are currently airing on local and commercial radio stations and are available on the Department of Health and Social Services website.

Other elements of our public education and awareness campaign include social media and newspaper advertising, videos, and posters that will provide fact-based health messaging for our target audiences. Our work with the schools and educators is an important part of how we are working together as a government and with our partners to make sure that our youth are getting important information about cannabis.

On June 11, 2018, a brain expert from the University of Calgary will host a live video conference question-and-answer session with students and educators in schools across Northwest Territories on the effects of cannabis on the brain. Similar information sessions are also being provided to health professionals and Northwest Territories recreation leaders on how to talk to youth and people who use cannabis about the health effects. As Community Healthy Living Fairs begin in the fall, we will also have materials available for the wider public.

We hope that these new resources and activities will prompt further discussions in our communities and in our homes.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring that our young people and residents have the most up-to-date information on cannabis is not a one-time effort. We know that we will need to continue to be a trusted source of information for residents and that this will require longer term planning and dedicated resources. That is why the Department of Health and Social Services has submitted a detailed, multi-year funding proposal to the federal government that will allow us to expand our campaign to support even more public education activities in communities.

Part of the proposal will help us identify community champions and provide information to our communities in culturally appropriate ways. This would be in addition to the scheduled Community Healthy Living Fairs that will take place this fall, which provide healthy choices advice and information directly to communities.

We applaud the work that the federal government has begun on cannabis public education, including using social media, paid advertising, and promotional materials, all of which is helping to provide important information to residents in NWT and across the country. We hope to leverage this campaign and extend our own campaign.

Our government is committed to making sure that NWT residents and communities have the information they need to educate themselves and their children in order to make informed decisions on cannabis use. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the release of an action plan to support the 2017 NWT Aboriginal Languages Framework.

The Northwest Territories Indigenous Languages Action Plan has two goals. The first is language revitalization, with efforts intended to slow down, stop, and reverse the decline of Indigenous languages in the Northwest Territories. The second goal is to improve people's access to public services in the nine Indigenous official languages of the Northwest Territories: Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut; Gwich'in, North Slavey, South Slavey, Tlicho, Chipewyan, and Cree.

Mr. Speaker, the Framework and Action Plan together support the 18th Legislative Assembly's priority of increasing cultural programming in education --

I'm sorry, Mr. Speaker. I'm missing a page. I apologize, Mr. Speaker. I am missing a page from my document. Thank you. Sorry. I'm going to try to find where we are. I can't believe this just happened.

Mr. Speaker, the Framework and Action Plan together support the 18th Legislative Assembly's priority of increasing cultural programming in education and revitalizing Indigenous languages. Indigenous languages are essential to the history, culture, and traditions of the Northwest Territories. They are vital to the identity, well-being, and prosperity of Northwest Territories residents now and in the future.

Revitalizing Indigenous languages is an enormous task, one that takes the effort and commitment of many people. Parents, families and language communities; Indigenous governments and non-government organizations; early childhood programs, schools, and postsecondary institutions; language representatives, boards and the Government of the Northwest Territories; all share the responsibility for strengthening Indigenous languages.

Mr. Speaker, our investment in Indigenous languages has increased to $21 million this past year, which includes $5.9 million from Canadian Heritage as part of a multi-year funding agreement. We provided a total of $4.8 million last year to Indigenous governments to design and deliver Indigenous language programming in their communities. This amount includes support for Indigenous languages in early childhood programs. A further $10.6 million was invested in Indigenous languages and culture-based education in schools.

Forty language partners were supported in taking Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute courses through the University of Alberta to increase the quality and success of their local Indigenous language programming.

The new Revitalizing Indigenous Languages in Communities Program provided multi-year funding to innovative, community-based Indigenous language learning and revitalization training programs, such as the Elder and Youth Language Mentoring programs and Family Language Learning initiatives. As well, we continue to support community radio stations across the territory to provide Indigenous language programming.

Our schools are doing their part towards achieving the action plan goals. Nineteen schools piloted the new Our Language curriculum this school year. We will be piloting the program in all Northwest Territories schools beginning in September 2018. This means students in all schools will hear and use Indigenous languages during their school routines and in interactions with staff and other students.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Official Languages Board and the Aboriginal Languages Board, many of whom are here today. They played a vital role in the completion of the NWT Indigenous Languages Action Plan: A Shared Responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, we must act now to revitalize Indigenous languages in the Northwest Territories and improve access to public services in Indigenous official languages. Our government is committed to meeting these goals, together with our key language partners. We are working with them to achieve a shared vision where Indigenous languages are supported, respected, and thriving. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer our sincere thanks to the many people and groups who were involved in the 2018 Arctic Winter Games held in the South Slave Region from March 18th to March 24th.

I acknowledge Mr. Greg Rowe, President of the Arctic Winter Games Society, his dedicated Board of Directors and staff, whose efforts over many months resulted in the delivery of a very successful Games. All Northwest Territories residents should be proud.

I would like to recognize Mayor Lynn Napier-Buckley of Fort Smith, Mayor Brad Mapes of Hay River, and Chief Roy Fabian of the K'atlodeeche First Nation for being tremendous hosts to the athletes, coaches, mission staff, cultural delegates, and visitors from across the circumpolar region.

One of the many benefits of hosting the Arctic Winter Games is the infrastructure legacy that the community receives afterwards. This year, we saw investments in the Hay River airport, the new arena, and upgrades to the snowboard park, which residents will be able to enjoy for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate Mr. Doug Rentmeister, Chef de Mission, and his staff. They helped the 350-plus members of Team NT make a great showing in 19 different sports, with our athletes bringing home 102 ulus.

I am sure that all Members of this House will join me to thank the many parents and volunteers who helped make the 2018 South Slave Arctic Winter Games a success. Hosting an event of this scale in one community is a large feat, but hosting across a region required an amazing effort from many people in the South Slave.

Congratulations to all those who supported these games by opening your homes to visitors, volunteering at events, or by attending and cheering on the participants. As volunteers, you are the heart of our communities, and without you, these games simply do not happen. On behalf of all Members, thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to extend my appreciation to all of the Members who took time from their busy schedules to take part in the Arctic Winter Games. We only have the opportunity to host this event every decade or so. Having a strong show of support from this House for our athletes and cultural performers demonstrates our commitment to the young people of the Northwest Territories. They are our future.

There is also still some work to be done to wrap up the 2018 Arctic Winter Games. Currently, many who were involved in different aspects of the games are supporting the completion of an economic impact study. Its findings will help demonstrate the economic effects this event had on the South Slave Region. Studies of this nature reflect the need for us to continue to support the Arctic Winter Games and to invest in our economy in all parts of the Northwest Territories.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would once more invite all of my colleagues to join me in offering our thanks to all those who were involved in the 2018 Arctic Winter Games for a job well done. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go to item 5 on the orders paper.

---Unanimous consent granted

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you can see, we have a full gallery today. It is the annual grade 6 class trip. The gallery is full of students from Princess Alexandra School, and we are happy to have them. We have a long list of names here. I don't want to miss anyone. Let's get started.

The students, we have Ashley Angulalik-Elder, Chayce Beck, Emerson Beck, Esha O'Brien, Kaiden Broedner, Jadeane Brown, Glacia Gordon, Teagan Hedderson, Kyzer Hehn, Angelia Nitsiza, Nora Lecouter, Teagan Lefebvre, Theron Mabbitt, Grace Schaub, Joshua Cayen, Sienna Daniels, Alijah Famorcan, Linkin Giesbrecht, Teddy Lefleur, Angelina Maerz, Tyrel Thomas-Comeau. We have chaperones, as well: Wayne Korotash, Reverend Francais Delaplain, Stephanie Haas, Miranda Orr, and Joe Ganier, who got them all here safely.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Member for Hay River South.

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Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member stated, we have students from Hay River, our growing population. He only read half of the people who are here. I would like to introduce 24 other participants: Kale Beck, Dawson Bourque, Tyler Brockway, Keira Coakwell, Zoe Cross, Adison Korotash, Breanna Makepeace, Emma Peters, James Graham, Brooke Delorey, Marie Buggins, Albert Jensen, Alanna Klause, Hayden Braun, Teegan Brockway, Lainey McPhee, Ava Pokiak, Dominic Sim, Payton Walters, Liam McIntyre, chaperone Colleen Cochrane and Darlene Lamb, and also Paulette West and Lynnette Moore, and also my CA, Myrtle Graham. I would like to wish happy birthday to Paulette, Lynette, and Myrtle today, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. I would also like to recognize Tammy Dechamel, my Edzo neighbour, and my good friend, as well, we call her Dr. James, nowadays. Thank you for coming. Thank you for coming. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Member for Range Lake.

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Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I would like to recognize our language board members who are here in the gallery: Tammy Steinwand-Deschambeault, Jonas Landry, Deanna Marie Jacobson, Emily Kudlak, Richard Latourneau, Vance Sanderson, Angie Lantz, Sarah Gargan, Bella T'Seleie, Betty Elias, Joshua Oliktoak, Karen Mitchell, Mary Cardinal, Mary Rose Sundberg. I want to thank each of you for sharing your expertise and stepping forward in our efforts to revitalize and strengthen our languages. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Member for Thebacha.

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Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my wife, Anne, who has travelled from balmy Fort Smith to be here with us today. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

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Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize some people in the gallery today, two members of the language board that are from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, Angie Lantz and Maro Sundberg, and I would like to recognize Vance Sanderson, father of my grandson Syi Sanderson. I would like to recognize Zoe Beaulieu Cross, my great niece from Hay River. I would like to recognize the interpreter for us this week, Tom Unka, from Fort Resolution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

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Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce to the House three pages from my riding of Kam Lake, Mr. Kyle Rogers, Ms. Lydia Taylor, and Ms. Rhuwina Javier. Thank you very much for serving with us today.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

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Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize the board members of the language program and also in particular Bella T'Seleie from my home community in Fort Good Hope. Welcome. Thank you.