Good morning, Members. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre has acted as the territory's museum for the past 40 years. The institution cares for a large collection of objects representing the peoples, cultures, history, and land of the Northwest Territories on behalf of all people who live here. Yet, the heritage centre is more than a museum. For 40 years, it has produced exhibitions, housed the NWT archives, undertaken archaeological expeditions and place names research, and administration. It also provides technical, logistical, and financial support to individuals and organizations involved in cultural activities and the arts.

The heritage centre works with communities and groups across the territory to care for, research, and celebrate our rich cultures, history, and languages. The centre supports community members to tell their own stories, highlighting northern culture and heritage to more than 60,000 visitors each year with innovative projects that have been celebrated on the national stage.

Mr. Speaker, in April, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre received a Canadian Museums Association award for outstanding achievement in exhibition for one such project, "We Took Care of Them, Special Constables in the NWT." This nationally significant exhibit honours Indigenous Northerners who worked as special constables and as seamstresses, guides, and interpreters. By sharing the skills needed to live and work in the North, local people often made the difference between life and death to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The We Took Care of Them website is the first online museum exhibit to be available in all 11 NWT official languages. The heritage centre staff also created six travelling exhibits that members of the RCMP are circulating to communities across the North. Developing these outreach projects along with the main museum exhibit ensures that Northerner's stories are made available beyond the walls of the physical building, to people across the territory and around the world. The We Took Care of Them project was developed collaboratively by the government of the Northwest Territories, the RCMP, and the people of the Northwest Territories who contributed their stories. I would like to extend my congratulations to everyone involved.

Mr. Speaker, while it is heartening to look back and celebrate the achievements of the past 40 years, it is also important to build on these successes, explore new possibilities, and look to the future. I am proud to say that the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre has developed a national reputation for excellence in exhibits, conservation, archival management, and archaeological research. To continue this work and ensure that our building accommodates current and future programming, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is undertaking a study of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to address building deficiencies and explore a mid-life systems retrofit.

Mr. Speaker, on June 15^th, we will host a birthday party to celebrate 40 years of operation for the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. This free public event will feature culture- and heritage-related activities, including storytelling, talks by museum and community experts, traditional games, and music, to highlight and celebrate the work of the heritage centre. I encourage everyone to come out to the party, have some fun, and learn more about the activities and the work that occur in the building to serve and represent all of the people of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To advance our government's commitment towards community wellness and safety, we are taking steps to improve the care for our people by working with the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to explore the creation of one self-regulatory framework for all nursing professions in the Northwest Territories. Currently, to practise in the Northwest Territories, registered nurses and nurse practitioners apply for licensing to the association, while licensed practical nurses apply for licensing to the Department of Health and Social Services. This dual registration process can be confusing for nurses, including new graduates as well as those relocating to the Northwest Territories. Removing barriers so that nurses can provide invaluable health services and care and improving the ways that we support our nurses during their work is what is driving our work with the association.

Mr. Speaker, nurses are the heart of our healthcare system. They are often the first point of contact for individuals seeking healthcare in our communities, and they provide invaluable service. As highly visible role models, nurses promote healthy living by personally adopting a healthier lifestyle and by encouraging residents to make healthier choices. Today's nurses not only serve at the front line, but publish scientific research, develop mobile medical applications, and are actively engaged in addressing healthcare policy. They are the face of healthcare for many in the North and collaborate with their colleagues, from social workers and physicians to hospital administrators and public safety personnel, to ensure that our residents are taken care of and are receiving quality care.

This is why, as part of the National Nursing Week earlier this month and in recognition of the exceptional services that nurses provide to residents and communities on a daily basis, I signed a memorandum of understanding with Mr. Rommel Silverio, president of the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. This MoU commits the Department of Health and Social Services and the association to create one regulatory framework for all nurses. Having one body that regulates the practice of nursing for all registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses in the Northwest Territories will streamline licensing and ensure that all nurses have greater access to training and resources to perform their scope of practice safely and collaboratively within the health system.

Mr. Speaker, to establish a single body that can regulate all nursing professions, we will require adjusting the legislative framework. The project will hopefully be completed during the life of the 19^th Legislative Assembly and, as we are nearing the end of the 18^th Legislative Assembly, we felt that it was important to start the work now by solidifying our intent to carry out this work in the years to come.

I want to thank all of our nursing professionals throughout the Northwest Territories for being the face of healthcare in many of our communities. Working closely with the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, our government is committed to finding ways to advance our goal of best health, best care for a better future by improving the care we provide to our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to move item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery prior to members' statements, and address it presently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, we are joined today by the grade six class from Princess Alexander School. They managed to make their yearly trek up here despite some concerns that they wouldn't make it because the bus that was carrying them was coming out of high level. I would like to introduce half of them, and then my colleague from Hay River South will introduce the other half.

We have Mr. Jacob Alyward, Avaia Ashton -- and I'm sorry if I've mispronounced that; I was just introduced to her -- Joshua Barnes, Cameron Bateman, Julianne Groenewegen, Brayden Michaud, Ethan Morin, Rylee Robillard, Corinne Smith, Shelby Snow, Thomas Smith, Caleb Swan, Diesel Beaulieu, Bert Buckley, Phoenix Casaway, Otto Peter, Danika Coakwell, Leland Lafferty, Keanna Dryneck, Adrian Drakes-Bilodeau, Jessie Brant, a teacher, and then some chaperones, Mark Harris, Nikki Ashton, Scott Cloutier, and Bertha Smallgeese. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the P.A. School that's on their trip, and their teachers and chaperones. I don't think I'm going to do as good a job as my colleague from Hay River North. Some of these names are a little tough: Charlea Chocolate, Daide Coleman, Delayna Cross, Gracious DeVera, Everett Durocher, Miah Harris, Louis King, Natalie Linehan, Lexus Pellissey, Jack Pettipas, Mackenzie Schwartz, Ryan Tambour-Wilson, Deacon Tybring, Kasthon Vyse, Xavier Graham, Raiden Gully, Brody Hodgeson-Beaulieu, Kaydence Lockhart, Ian Cayen, Brianna Simister, Charlene Smallgeese. Stephanie Haas, teacher; Kathleen Groenewegen, chaperone; Sandy Cowgar, chaperone; Tamarah Pellisey, chaperone; and James Dixon, chaperone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Welcome to our Assembly. It's always great to have an audience, especially the young generation. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to welcome the following people from the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories of Nunavut who are with us here today: Rommel Silverio, who is the President; Denise Bowen, the executive director; Jan Inman, the director of professional conduct review; and Shawna Tohm, the director of regulatory services and policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for being here today.

Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree, it is great to see all the youth here today, and so I want to take this opportunity to welcome all of the youth climate strikers who are here today. In particular, I want to acknowledge some residents from Yellowknife North, Ella Kokejl, Mokoa Kokejl, Jack Kotaska, Aurora Nind, Emma Willoughby, and, of course, I want to thank them all for reminding us that leaders today must take action to protect their future. Thank you for being here, and welcome.

Masi. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have amazing constituents at Range Lake. We have so many hours given back to our community, but what's more exciting is to see our youth stepping up and using the community lens. Part of our climate change activists who are here today is Ms. Anusha Sivakumar, who I know personally, has been our Page. I know her mother. She's a wonderful person, and we're hoping that you'll keep this up right through as you become an adult. Congratulations for all you do, all that you all do for our future.

Masi. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize our gallery of youth and the climate change protestors there, Ms. Emily Bayha from the Sahtu. Thank you.

Masi. Member for Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to recognize two constituents from Yellowknife South, Jan Inman and Tenisha McMullen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, colleagues. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Here's the thing: we are already paying the cost of the climate crisis, so why don't we invest in mitigation as well? There is no downside, so what are we waiting for?