This is page numbers 5085 - 5134 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 work. View the webstream of the day's session.

Topics

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Mr. Speaker, I admire this work greatly. Here in the NWT, our healthcare and education systems are taking some important steps to improve resources for people with FASD, but, unfortunately, these make the gaps in our justice system stand out even more. I am hopeful that one day soon our people can have access to supports like those offered in Manitoba. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. The Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been approached by many parents and leadership that we need our own speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists in the Deh Cho. It is my understanding that there are over 70 speech and language pathologist cases and over 50 occupational therapy cases that need to be seen from the Nahendeh alone. The frustrating thing is that this has to be done in 13 service days. If there is one day of bad weather, the assessments get cancelled for months. This tells me that the services are lacking for the Nahendeh and Deh Cho and our youth. It explains why some of our EDI scores are so bad.

A majority of the clinics are held in major centres in Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, and Hay River. This means the smaller communities, such as Jean Marie and Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K'e, Wrigley, and Kakisa, would have to travel to these centres to get their children assessed. This means that the children would be assessed in a foreign environment instead of the location they are familiar with.

It is my understanding that families who have children with complex needs find it difficult to travel outside of their home communities due to the challenges that exist for their children. As well, it is my understanding that speech and language pathologists and occupational therapist services do not travel to smaller communities, with the exception of once in Jean Marie.

With the five small communities in Deh Cho proper, we are seeing youth not identified until they start going to school. In my research, I found that early intervention is the key to many speech and language pathology and occupational therapy issues. If speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists could travel to communities and provide workshops for the communities in collaboration with early child staff, many issues would be identified and possibly improved on prior to entering school. Decrease in vulnerability is noted on the EDI scores for the Deh Cho. How is this done? I believe by having speech and language pathology and occupational therapist staff in place.

If we have a speech and language pathologist and occupational therapist hired in Fort Simpson as part of the Dehcho Health and Social Services team, the patients currently being seen by Stanton and Hay River staff could be enveloped into the Deh Cho case load, further reducing the case load and helping these communities.

I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The government is ready to place a checkmark against another commitment fulfilled in the mandate of the 18th Assembly. The money is in place to build the road to Whati, and construction is expected to begin this fall, but let's take a moment to reflect on the cost of this project.

Mr. Speaker, two-and-a-half years ago I spoke in this House about the economic evaluation of the all-season road. The information came from a study by Nichols Applied Management of Edmonton, and it was completed in March 2015. To summarize the benefits, there will be a glut of construction jobs that will last, at most, three winters. The project will provide much-needed but short-lived jobs. A number of people will be employed afterwards for operations and maintenance.

Better returns on the road are available if and when Fortune Minerals builds its 50-kilometre spur road from its NICO project to Whati. There is no telling when that will happen. Fortune Minerals has the necessary permits, but the company has been unable to finance the $600 million project, and with its stock trading at 12 cents a share, development looks like a dot on the distant horizon.

Those are the benefits. Let's now turn to the costs. The 2015 report that I just spoke about put the cost of the road at $152 million. Two years ago my colleague from Yellowknife North asked the Infrastructure Minister for the all-in cost. His reply was $175 million, but that estimate is also short of the mark.

Ten days ago, the Minister announced that the contract had been signed to build the road. The NWT will spend $214 million for predevelopment and construction costs over the next three years, and a further $198 million over 25 years to repay the principal and interest on the debt, along with operations and maintenance of the road. The total all-in cost is $411 million, shared by the GNWT at 75 percent and Canada for the rest.

Mr. Speaker, let's focus on the opportunity cost. What else could $411 million buy? If we spent it on infrastructure, it could have bought a segment of road to more marketable projects in the Slave Geological Province. It could have increased the life of the diamond mines by reducing the operating costs of a winter road, or it could have been spent on people. It could have wiped out our housing problems.

I seek your consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, it could have met the needs of seniors who want to remain in their communities while they age. I don't think we have done enough to debate the opportunity cost of this and other infrastructure projects in this House. I recognize that it is too late for this debate to take place about the road to Whati, but it is not too late for other large infrastructure projects that the government is shopping around. It is time for the people to have their turn. I will have questions for the Minister of Finance. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

Investing in Apprenticeships
Members' Statements

Page 5089

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is well known that there is a shortage of skilled labour in the Northwest Territories and that it is getting worse. The number of apprentice program registrations and completions are down, and the number of licensed journeymen who are retiring is on the rise.

This shortage has negative effects across the board. Seniors can't get renovations done on their homes to help them age in place, because there aren't enough qualified people to do the work. The growth of small- and medium-sized businesses is being stifled because they don't have the capacity to take on new work. Our government can't deliver on half of the infrastructure projects that it promises to complete. An untold number of available jobs are going to fly in and fly out workers. The list goes on, Mr. Speaker, but I am sure that I don't have to convince anyone that this is a serious problem. As such, it requires the full attention of this Assembly and must be addressed by the whole of government.

It has been said in this House on many occasions that the best social program is a good job. I disagree, Mr. Speaker. The best social program is a good education, because it is the last social program that you will ever need. If you are a journeyman electrician, you are probably not going to be living in social housing or collecting income assistance. Investments in training boost the economy, increase government revenues, and lower future expenditures.

I will give credit where credit is due. In the past few years, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has worked hard to promote the trades, develop strategies, revamp programs, and made investments to help individuals, small businesses, and organizations offset costs of training. However, Mr. Speaker, it appears that we are missing the full support of the three GNWT departments responsible for capital projects: the Department of Infrastructure, the Department of Finance, and the NWT Housing Corporation.

While programs to help private businesses provide training are great, they are not enough. Small businesses often don't have the capacity to provide training, and increasingly, they often don't have enough work to take on trainees or apprentices. That is why the government has to step up its game. Every time the government plans to build a new facility, procure a new manufactured product, or enter into a new P3 partnership, the relevant departments need to figure out how to best utilize the project as an opportunity to provide training.

Mr. Speaker, an honest effort will require a change to the way that business is done, a change to how RFPs are designed and evaluated, and it will require the government to look beyond the bottom line and realize that an investment in training is one that we can't afford not to make. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Investing in Apprenticeships
Members' Statements

Page 5089

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Fuel Prices in Nunakput
Members' Statements

February 27th, 2019

Page 5089

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of living in Nunakput is the highest in the Northwest Territories. On February 18th, the price of diesel fuel in Paulatuk went up almost 17 percent, hitting $1.94 per litre. The cost of regular gasoline is up to $1.98 a litre. Prices went up in Sachs Harbour and Ulukhaktok, as well.

Mr. Speaker, the rising cost has been hard on hunters living in these communities. People need fuel to hunt, to feed their families, and to continue to pass on their cultural survival skills to future generations. Families simply cannot afford the price increases of fuel, supplies, and equipment.

When families cannot hunt, they have to purchase all food from the store. The prices are simply shocking compared to the prices here in Yellowknife. I will not mention the quality or variety, but just to buy basic essentials is impossible for families. Even with Nutrition North, people are struggling. Inuvialuit prefer to have traditional food, harvested from their own time spent out on the land.

The average personal income in Nunakput communities isn't much more than $35,000 a year, Mr. Speaker, relying on numbers from our Bureau of Statistics. That is not even close to the average in the Northwest Territories, which is over $60,000 a year. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for many of my constituents to afford fuel at these prices. The Minister of Infrastructure will let me know that the prices of fuel in Arctic communities are subsidized. That is all well and good, if the subsidy can reflect and positively affect the cost off of living in that community. Mr. Speaker, on average this year, a tank of gas for a snowmobile is around $50. When we raise the fuel price, all that we are doing is creating hardship for residents in our communities.

The mandate of this government calls for action to reduce the cost of living, not to increase it. The mandate also calls upon the government to promote the consumption of traditional foods, such as fish and wildlife, improve nutrition, and improve the wellness and the way of life of Indigenous peoples in the territory. Investment in traditional harvesting is another priority that we set in our mandate. So is reducing poverty.

Raising the fuel price in Nunakput communities does the exact opposite in all of those areas, Mr. Speaker. The high cost of fuel prevents the majority of people's access to food, cultural values, and wellness.

However, there comes a time in point when any increase is too much. What we need is a commitment to fulfill this mandate item and a continued promise to serve our Arctic communities better by easing the high cost of living. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Fuel Prices in Nunakput
Members' Statements

Page 5089

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Stanton Hospital Transition
Members' Statements

Page 5089

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have been asking for some time now about the transition plan for the opening of the new Stanton hospital, the old Stanton hospital renovations, and what happens with the services operating during those renovations. I checked the Stanton renewal website, and there is a lot of helpful information there, but no real timelines for the transition of services or renovations.

As I understand it, May 26th is the day when patients will be transferred from the old Stanton to the new Stanton hospital. I am sure that this must involve a monumental amount of planning and coordination. It is great that, according to the Stanton renewal website, the old Stanton is going to be renovated to allow extended care; transcription services; primary clinics; food and laundry service for extended care and long-term care; outpatient rehab programs, which includes occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology; and long-term care; but where is the schedule?

All I am asking for is clear communications showing when and where services will be located during that transition. It could easily be done by a dated Gantt chart, of course, subject to change. I haven't seen anything like that, even though Stanton is in my riding. I think that's the least we should be doing for our residents, who rely on Stanton, and even for the staff who work there. As we move closer to transition day, we need to ramp up our public information efforts, so answers are there for people and they will know where the services are available, and when.

I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Stanton Hospital Transition
Members' Statements

Page 5090

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery, thanks for being here with us. It's always great to have an audience as part of our proceedings. Mahsi. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke about speech and language pathologist and occupational therapist positions in the riding, and the need for them. Can the Minister please tell us: how many service days does the department provide for the communities of Fort Simpson and Fort Liard in respect to speech and language pathologist and occupational therapist caseloads? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are 19 days allocated for speech-language pathology and OTs for the Deh Cho, and that's broken down as 10 for Simpson, and six for Providence and Fort Liard. That's site visits, daytime face-to-face meetings. This does not include weekly telehealth sessions with clients or intensive rehab sessions held at Stanton, where a client has to come in. These are also separate, just so we're all clear, these are separate from the numbers available for adults. These are for paeds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

That's good information to hear. Can the Minister please tell us how many rehabilitation speech and language pathologist and occupational therapist caseloads people are on the waiting list for in the 2018-2019 fiscal year?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

There is a wait list for the zero- to 18-year-olds for 2018-2019. There are 23 for OT and five for speech-language therapy. Of those, nine OTs are for children under five, and five speech-language therapy are for children under five.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I think I missed how many cases are out there, not the waiting lists, but I'll go on to my next question. It is my understanding that the department is not looking at placing a speech and language pathologist and occupational therapist position in the Deh Cho. Can the Minister explain how we are going to improve services in this area?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

My apologies. I forgot to give the number for the caseload for rehabilitation services. For OT, it's 57 in the Deh Cho, and for speech, it's 85 in the Deh Cho. With respect to the follow-up question, we are working hard to support the demand for rehab services across the Northwest Territories. We are focusing on improving services delivered by the existing rehabilitation teams that exist. Additional resources have been allocated to the Beaufort-Delta in 2018-2019, and while we are proposing some additional investment into the Stanton team for 2019-2020, there have been significant new investments put in place. Over the past two years, we have increased the budget for rehab services by $2.02 million, and we've increased it by 13 positions. This is an increase of 33 percent in the budget in this area, taking us from $6.2 million to $8.6 million, and an increase of 21 percent in positions.

Currently, before the rollout in the Beaufort-Delta, the travel teams all worked out of the Yellowknife office, or the Yellowknife Stanton. Those travel days that were previously allocated to the Beaufort-Delta will now be reallocated to the South Slave, which includes Fort Smith, Hay River, and the entire Deh Cho region. With those reallocations and the creation of the positions at Stanton, we are actually anticipating an increase in the number of travel days, but also actual employment time, which can be done by telehealth to the Deh Cho, which will greatly increase the services in the Deh Cho. To that end, we're also looking at having the travel teams travel beyond just the locations they've been travelling to, which are Fort Providence, Fort Liard, and Fort Simpson, and actually including some of the smaller communities where the caseload demands it.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister for answering those three questions with good information, and I appreciate that. My last question: does Stanton have therapists who can provide specialized services for children with complex needs, and how does the region access these resources? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

We do have speech-language pathologists and we do have OT for paeds. We also have the FASD and the ADS coordinator positions. All these positions can be accessed through referrals through their health providers in the communities. Obviously, we were out there trying to get the referrals done so that we can get these kids the supports and services they need. Regardless of where you are in the Northwest Territories, it still takes a referral to access any of our rehab services, regardless of where you live. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the cost of living in Nunakput, and my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. My question is: how does the Minister justify the recent increase of fuel prices in Nunakput, given the mandate priority of reducing the cost of living, reducing poverty, and investing in traditional harvesting and consumption of traditional foods? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.