This is page numbers 5679 - 5712 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 going. View the webstream of the day's session.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Infrastructure in Fort Simpson really should be commended for the work that they are doing to build capacity of residents in Nahendeh. They are hiring local residents and providing the requisite training to obtain the skills, knowledge, and ability to do the job competently.

Mr. Speaker, I have personally heard positive feedback from community members and visitors alike of the exceptional service done by these young people. A prime example of this are the following Fort Simpson residents who were hired as deck hands on the MV Lafferty in 2017: Ivor Norwegian, Cindy Edda, and Travis Hanna. I have had the pleasure of watching them work and interact with passengers on various trips across the Liard. They are always so positive and knowledgeable of the surrounding area.

It is my understanding that these employees continue to work with the department throughout the winter and are receiving training on the ground-penetrating radar ice measuring equipment facilitated by Sensors and Software. The training, along with experience gained through auger flooding and use of the new ice-spraying equipment throughout the season, will continue to benefit the community of Fort Simpson in the years to come.

Job-specific training has continued to be offered so these employees can continue to grow into their roles and accept more responsibilities related to their areas of interest. Opportunities for growth will include small-vessel machinery operators, boat captain, as well as various other marine certification, depending on each individual's interest. I am happy to say these three individuals are back to work on the Lafferty and use the knowledge they gained.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize these efforts by the Fort Simpson regional office to build local capacity. Training younger generations to succeed in a dynamic working environment with the necessary skills will ensure the efficient operation of the department's operation for years to come.

In closing, I would like to thank the department for being forward-thinking in this area of development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first statement on the floor in this House in 2015 was on the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories was the first jurisdiction in Canada to support UNDRIP and continues to do so today, which I am very pleased. Also, the Government of Canada has now signed onto this agreement.

Given the importance of the Arctic coast and seas to Inuit people, culturally, historically, and economically for sustenance, it is essential that Inuit are engaged in any development of laws or regulations for Arctic coastal waterways. Canada should be engaging with Inuit in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut on any work done in the Northwest Passage under UNCLOS, or United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, following the UNDRIP principles.

There should be a culture shift in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. Indigenous people are not a Liberal-Conservative issue, nor an NDP-PPC issue. We should have consistent engagement from Ottawa on issues that impact our way of life, regardless of who is in power. We must continue to implement at all levels of government to ensure our rights and our land-claim agreements, which are not only ours but are the responsibility of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I will quote Senator Murray Sinclair, who has been advocating for Indigenous people throughout his career. He states, "The Senate is still debating this, and it seems to be stalling with some senators. People who use the concept of veto and the concept of free, prior, and informed consent as though they are the same thing are totally missing the point."

Last week, our Premier also stated, "I also think it makes sense that residents of Canada's three northern territories have a leading say in determining Canada's plan for the Arctic. We are the ones who live here. We are the ones who are repeatedly affected when decisions are made for us, rather than with us. We are an obvious partner for Canada when they begin to discuss what should happen next."

Mr. Speaker, if anyone in our territory should be leading and implementing UNDRIP, it should be our Premier. Being an Indigenous person myself, I am proud of the work that he and his team have done in collaborating with Indigenous governments and the federal government on projects from planning to implementation. The rest of the country and other countries should take note and follow suit. We have come a long way, but we have a lot of work to do together.

Mr. Speaker, later, I will have questions for the Premier. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. My educational background includes a planning degree, and that is what brought me to the Northwest Territories on December 15, 1985, to become the land-use planning coordinator for the Dene Nation. I had the privilege of working directly with some great Northerners, including David Krutko, George Barnaby, Gina Bayha, Violet Camsell-Blondin, Raymond Jones, and Michael Nadli. I have maintained a keen interest in land-use planning and looked over the document "Finding Common Ground" tabled in the House a couple of days ago by the Minister of Lands.

The Tlicho Government completed a detailed land-use plan for their own lands in 2013, and it is very well done. The Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Agreement provides for land-use planning on other lands within the Wek'eezhii management area that are not owned by the Tlicho Government. Section 22.5.1 states: "Government may establish a mechanism for the preparation, approval, and implementation of a land-use plan that applies to all parts of Wek'eezhii, other than Tlicho lands, national parks, and lands in a community." Section 22.5.3 says, "The Parties may, by agreement, establish a land-use planning body and a mechanism for the preparation, approval, and implementation of a land-use plan that applies to all of Wek'eezhii other than national parks."

The GNWT Department of Lands, Tlicho Department of Culture and Lands Protection, and the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada agreed to work together to design, cost, and develop a terms of reference to implement a land-use planning approach for public lands in Wek'eezhii. As a part of this collaboration the parties are proceeding on a government-to-government basis to establish a joint planning office in Behchoko and to carry out a land-use planning process for Wek'eezhii. This House approved a contribution of $726,000 towards this effort in 2019-2020.

It is my understanding that a committee is being established to develop their land-use plan and that it will be legally-binding. The deputy minister of Lands confirmed this in Committee of the Whole on March 7, 2019, when he said: "At the end of the day, it will be legally binding, signed off by the Tlicho government, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the federal government will sign it, and it will be a legal document. As to legislation, I would have to get back to you on exactly how to see that going forward." I am still waiting for that response and will have some questions later today for the Minister of Lands. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, the highway between High Level and Enterprise was closed two days ago because of a fire near Steam River. The only rail line into the territory has been shut down for a week because of the fire by High Level. Many of my constituents, myself included, are concerned about the situation. I want to bring those concerns to this House so that the government knows that, even though the source of the problem is in Alberta, that highway is a lifeline for the entire territory and this issue has consequences for all of our residents.

If this closure goes on for any length of time, it will begin to have an effect on the cost of living. The vast majority of goods that come into the NWT come right up that stretch of highway. It is about 1,100 kilometres from Edmonton to Hay River through Alberta. The alternate route through BC is almost 1,900 kilometres. While it is a scenic drive, it basically doubles the driving time, which means doubling the cost of shipping, leading to higher prices on nearly everything. It is also going to be a hit for small businesses, who will have to absorb the cost of those increase, at least in the short term, and who may not be able to work and generate income if there is a disruption in their supply chain. That is the last thing we need in this economy.

Every day that highway is closed also cuts into our tourist season, which, in the South Slave, isn't that long, so every single day is important. The economic effects won't just be limited to the South Slave or even to just communities on the highway system. All the fuel that MTS ships into the communities up through Mackenzie and in the Arctic is transported to the terminal in Hay River by rail. These fires have the potential to once again delay the marine resupply or, at the very least, cause the cost of shipping to rise.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't just an economic issue. It's a serious public safety issue, as well. Conditions in the South Slave are dry. The fire danger is high or extreme in every community. We are only a three-hour drive from High Level and half that to Steam River. If the worst happens and the resident of Hay River need to evacuate, that highway closure means one of our main routes, really our primary route out of town, is cut off.

I have spoken with the Town of Hay River, and I am happy to hear that they are convening a meeting of the Community Emergency Management Committee tomorrow to figure out how they are going to address this issue. I will have questions for our Minister to find out what the GNWT is doing to deal with this situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I am going to make a Member's statement on some of the work that we were doing in Committee of the Whole last Tuesday. Last Tuesday, I felt I was unable to communicate clearly enough to be able to get some answers. I am going to talk a bit about what I saw on Tuesday, much to my surprise and shock, the way that the mandatory or compulsory attendance for junior kindergarten and kindergarten works in the schools. My understanding, initially, before Tuesday, was that once a five-year-old, four-year-old student got to go to junior kindergarten and they had enrolled, at the point that they enrolled, it was mandatory for them to attend school on a daily basis like any other student who was enrolled in the school.

My understanding from the Committee of the Whole meeting that we had was that students can come and go as they please, whether they are enrolled or not. If they are enrolled in school and they choose not to go to school, then they don't have to go to school, but the numbers of enrolment mean that there could potentially be games being played where people could enroll a lot of four-year-olds and five-year-olds into the school and just concern themselves with students attending for the first couple of years until the numbers are counted, and then the kids no longer have to attend school. It also sets up a possibility that people are just using junior kindergarten as a childcare drop-off.

I became a bit concerned about that and started to think about all of the possibilities of our education development instrument, how all the time were working on the numbers, and the numbers were increasing, the vulnerabilities were increasing for the junior kindergarten and kindergarten students.

I will have questions for the Minister today, but I guess my understanding was that, if they are in school, then they are in school, but if they don't have to attend, then how are they going to increase the numbers? Maybe we should pick a different school to apply the education development instrument if kindergarten kids don't have to be there and, at any given day, they can wish to stay home. I am going to have some questions for the Minister on that today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 5687

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Fernanda Martins, the health policy analyst from the Canadian Cancer Society, in the gallery today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

May 30th, 2019

Page 5688

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to welcome to the House and to the North Mr. Michael Roberts, who is an author and motivational speaker. I just want to thank him personally for reaching out to our youth and giving some very strong positive messages, as well as to the residents and communities that he has visited. We do welcome him back up in the future. At this time, I would also like to thank the RCMP and the supportive staff for accompanying Mr. Roberts and getting him into our communities. Mahsi cho. Thank you.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize a Page from Yellowknife North, Lea Schwarz, who is also a student at Ecole St-Cyr. I want to thank all of our Pages for the tremendous work that they do for us. We wouldn't be able do what we do without them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to introduce two Pages from the Kam Lake riding, Ms. Katrina Butt and Ms. Belinda Formaniuk. It is great to have them in the Chamber helping us out, and all of the Pages. The youth are our future, and it is great to see them taking an interest on our procedures. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 5688

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two Pages from Thebacha, students at P.W. Kaeser School, Anais Aubrey-Smith and Sarah Porter. Thank you.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 5688

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize our interpreters, Maro Sundberg and Tommy Unka. Mahsi.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. James Pokiak from Tuktoyaktuk. James owns and operates Pokiak Guiding and Outfitting. He has been operating this for over 40 years. When you talk about traditional knowledge in the House here, on the floor, and in forums around the territory and around the country, James is one of the people who you would naturally go to see to learn more. When you see him around, pull him aside, ask him a few questions, and gain some of his knowledge. It is nice just to be around some days, Mr. Speaker, so I would like to welcome James to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife South.