This is page numbers 5713 - 5790 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 women. View the webstream of the day's session.

Topics

Filipino Heritage Month
Members' Statements

Page 5718

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize and celebrate the diversity of the Northwest Territories. On October 30, 2018, the House of Commons unanimously passed Motion 155 recognising June as Filipino Heritage Month in Canada. This declaration expresses Canada's recognition of the contribution of Canadians of Filipino heritage from coast to coast to coast. "Filipino Canadians have and continue to make Canada a better place with their recognized hard work, solid family ties, and strong religious grounding."

The Philippines declared their independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, and today recognises 19 official languages. Filipinos are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Canada. Prominent Philipino Canadians include singers like Canadian Idol finalist Elena Juatco and athletes like soccer star Jonathan de Guzman. Canada's first Filipino Canadian Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister Rey Pagtakhan, the late Senator Tobias Enverga, and Yellowknife's own city councillor Rommel Silverio are champions of the Filipino-Canadian community, and I want to thank them for all that they have contributed to the Canadian experience.

As far back as the 1930s, the first wave of Filipinos came to Canada and worked as nurses, garment workers, teachers, and in the health sector. Their stories are often those of enormous sacrifice, leaving their families behind in the Philippines to build a better life for them here in Canada, and hoping one day to be reunited with their families.

Mr. Speaker, building a diverse and inclusive society through promoting and encouraging awareness, understanding, and respect for our many different cultures must remain a paramount priority. The Filipino community is another example of how diversity is our strength. Filipino Heritage Month is a way of showing our country's appreciation of the Filipino community for their important contribution throughout Canadian history and for helping to make our country diverse and vibrant. Filipino Heritage Month will help celebrate these important contributions, and many more, that have enriched Canadian society.

Mr. Speaker I hope that the Members of this House will join me in celebrating and honouring Filipino Heritage Month. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Filipino Heritage Month
Members' Statements

Page 5718

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to visitors in the gallery here with us. I am pleased to draw your attention to the presence of Ms. Lucia Piazza, Consul-General of the United States to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories.

Ms. Piazza joined the State Department in 2001. She has worked extensively in Africa and on Middle East issues, serving in Uganda, Togo, Nigeria, and Tunisia. She has also had multiple tours in Washington.

Members, please join me in welcoming Consul-General Ms. Piazza to our proceedings and to our beautiful Legislative Assembly building. Welcome to the North; and, of course, our very own Carmen Moore, chief of protocol. Thanks for doing an excellent job. Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I watched the closing ceremony for the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. From the lighting of the quilliq to the families' tearful stories to the Commissioners' grim determination, it took me back to the three days of commission hearings in Yellowknife in January of last year.

In my statement to this House then, I spoke of priority issues I heard from northern women's testimony. Yesterday afternoon I reviewed the 120-page executive summary of the report to see what the recommendations said about those issues in particular. One was the difficulty of accessing counselling in small communities. The Commissioners acknowledged the lack of health and wellness services forcing people to relocate to access care. They recommended government services be accessible where people live, offered in partnership with Indigenous people, and within the context of cultural safety.

Another issue that concerned me was the importance of helping children who had witnessed violence in their families, and once again, the lack of services outside Yellowknife. The Commissioners' general recommendation is to provide continual and accessible support for children.

There is so much more in the report about better housing, the preservation of language and culture as underpinnings of identity, third-party police oversight, and establishing a Child and Youth Advocate, to name a few. These are the specifics, but make no mistake: the report recommends sweeping changes across society to come to terms with the legacy of endemic violence against Indigenous women and girls and to chart a path forward in which women are safe and valued. As the chief commissioner said to families yesterday, "your truth cannot be unheard."

The issue front and center for me is that, given the prevalence of violence against women, governments must put more money into prevention and eradication. The report released yesterday notes that there has been little movement to implement recommendations from previous reports, and most efforts have been reactive, not preventative. This is a significant barrier to addressing the root causes of violence. The report goes on to say, "Insufficient political will continues to be a roadblock across all initiatives. Solutions must be prioritized and resourced in partnership with Indigenous people and support self-determination."

I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women about how this government plans to respond to this milestone report. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Forest Fire Evacuation
Members' Statements

Page 5719

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.] The forest fires of Alberta have impacted the NWT and, as neighbours, we watch in worry for family and friends who live in northern Alberta. The residents of the Deh Cho riding remember all too well the terrible fires of 2014. Thankfully, none of our communities were damaged that year and we pray that the communities in northern Alberta are also spared.

Some evacuees from High Level and surrounding communities were accommodated on the Hay River Reserve, and they were just allowed to go home yesterday, but they have been told that they must be ready to evacuate again at a moment's notice.

Mr. Speaker, here in the NWT, we have 33 communities, and most of them are surrounded by thick forests. We have to ask ourselves: are we prepared to address a potential situation of an out-of-control wildland forest fire threatening our communities?

The recent wet weather has been helpful, and according to ENR, there is only one active fire in the NWT at the moment, but we all know how quickly things can change. Now is the time to prepare and make sure that our communities are as safe as they can be from forest fires.

Mr. Speaker, the 2014 forest fire season was the biggest forest fire season on record in the NWT. The community of Kakisa was evacuated and fortunately no injury or damage was done. Following that fire season, some fire guards around some communities were established. Some communities only have one road going into the community, and others are only accessible by air. A fast-moving fire could cause a catastrophe.

The GNWT has initiatives such as the FireSmart programs that clear low laying combustibles and forest thinning to lessen the spread of wildfire around communities. It is essential for our isolated communities especially to make themselves as safe as possible from wildfires. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time on what is being done to prepare our communities should they be threatened by forest fires. Mahsi Mr. Speaker.

Forest Fire Evacuation
Members' Statements

Page 5719

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Co-Development of Post-Devolution Legislation
Members' Statements

June 4th, 2019

Page 5719

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. In April and May, the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment travelled extensively on bills related to our post-devolution environmental and resource management regime. I have been mulling over the co-development process of such legislation which was part of the promise of devolution, the co-called made-in-the-North approach. While working with Indigenous governments and relevant co-management authorities might prove a challenge, it is the right way to develop our post-devolution management regime. What is not at all clear is how standing committee fits into the process.

Here are a few observations on what we heard about co-development or co-drafting. The process can be a time-consuming, as we saw with the Wildlife Act. Co-development worked better on some bills than others, with some departments better than others, with large variations even within departments. It takes time and requires more resources. Extraordinary negotiation skills and an understanding of our complicated history of Indigenous governance and land rights arrangements are required.

Paramountcy of lands rights agreements is a given. The trick is to find ways to recognize and incorporate the authority and jurisdiction of co-management authorities into bills governing such diverse and cross-cutting subjects as environmental rights, protected areas, and non-renewable resources. The expertise and experience of co-management authorities also brings added value to their involvement. We also heard that is important that legislative drafters be in the room when discussions take place.

Turning to standing committee and Regular MLAs, I want to acknowledge a very thoughtful submission by the Northwest Territory Metis Nation that offered observations and advice on co-development. Committee can play a significant role in ensuring that legislation is developed in accordance with the principles of the Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management. There should be no impediments to committee getting briefed as the legislative initiatives develop and important policy matters emerge. Committee should have a role defining GNWT's positions during the co-development process. That is how consensus government is supposed to work, but did not work well in the case of some of these bills. The NWT Metis Nation also observed that MLAs can lack discipline in voting to maintain critical positions on issues such as legislative initiatives.

Lots to reflect on and learn from the co-development process to date, and I look forward to being part of that process. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Last week, Mr. Speaker, the main supply line, Highway no. 1, was in jeopardy and experienced a temporary closure due to the northern Alberta wildfires. Here in the capital, experiences of this closure were seen by the empty store shelves. Essential products were among the first to go.

Mr. Speaker, this main supply corridor covers the whole Northwest Territories in one way or another and is consistent with the southern NWT communities, industry, and vendors to those clients. As you can see, infrastructure is an important connection to the sustainability and growth of the Northwest Territories.

As we transition from the 18th Assembly, reports of progress and in-progress mandate items are fundamental to the completion of our government's goals and aspirations. I address the Mackenzie Valley Highway Mandate 1.1.1 as a remaining priority in transition, which must be included in Cabinet's transitional report to the 19th Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, the North is unique and resourceful. With a balanced approach on collaborative engagements, partnerships, responsible development, TPR or tax payers' return on capital investments, principles that the Sahtu region only knows very well, Mr. Speaker, we can broaden our horizons through the expanding of our infrastructure network, while creating meaningful benefits. Mr. Speaker, later I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is of utmost importance that the youth of our northern communities have a successful school experience and set goals for themselves. One person is Julian Sabourin of Fort Simpson.

Julian has always considered Fort Simpson home, with close family residing in the community, and where his passion for the outdoors could truly be acknowledged.

At the age of seven, Julian moved to Yellowknife, but made an effort to visit family in Fort Simpson often, fulfilling a desire to stay in contact with the beautiful environment he calls home. Julian first took interest in working outdoors when an ENR Wildlife Officer presented to his fifth grade class. As a 10-year-old, Julian thought this job was very exciting and decided this is what he wanted to do in the future.

As Julian grew up in Yellowknife, there were many other interesting career paths he could take, but maintained focus towards his original end goal of becoming an ENR Wildlife Officer. In 2014, Julian was given a job opportunity at Parks Canada in Fort Simpson. Although the process took longer than expected, Julian was looking at a bright future. Eventually, Julian got a call to start work at the Parks, along with being accepted to a post-secondary school. Julian took a natural resource program at Lethbridge College. Beyond being from a small northern community, Julian successfully attended school while working at Parks Canada in Fort Simpson during the summer months.

Julian now works as an ENR Wildlife Officer in Fort Simpson. Julian is pleased to say these experiences and opportunities have shaped what he wanted to do in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I speak for myself and for our region when I say we are very fortunate to have young members advocating education be taken as not only sitting at a desk, but experiences that could possibly develop into a life goal being accomplished, and I would like to thank Julian for his commitment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

Aging In Place
Members' Statements

Page 5721

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I believe this will be my last Member's statement on "Aging in Place." Over a number of years, I have been talking about the huge benefits of allowing seniors to age in place in their own communities and in their own homes.

Mr. Speaker, this government has decided to build long-term care facilities in Hay River and Inuvik, both with 48 beds. However, there aren't many seniors who actually look forward to moving into these facilities. In Inuvik, the majority of the elders going into long-term care are from surrounding communities, and most, if not all, have no desire to be uprooted and institutionalized in another community. In fact, that is the opposite of what people want. No seniors have ever called me to say that they were looking forward to moving into a long-term care facility. Yet here we are, planning to build and fill up new facilities with seniors at a rate of over $140,000 per senior, per year.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we need to approach this issue with a different strategy because, while I do recognize the need for more long-term care spaces in the future, I believe we must also consider ideas from other jurisdictions that have potential to help improve our existing homecare policy in the NWT. For example, in British Columbia, there are several options people can choose prior to entering into long-term care facilities, all of which are a variation of homecare delivery, which includes community nursing, community rehabilitation, home support, choice of supports for independent living, caregiver relief, end-of-care services, assisted living, and short-term residential care facilities.

Another example to consider, Mr. Speaker, is the homecare policy of Ontario, called "Home First," which is a philosophy that aims to keeping frail patients out of the hospital and back into their homes as soon as possible. The Home First model includes three components: the Wait at Home Program for daily living, errand and social support; the Enhanced Wait at Home Program, which includes up to 56 hours per week of personal support for seniors in need of more help; and the Stay at Home program, which helps seniors delay or eliminate the need for LTC placement. Mr. Speaker, I speak unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Aging In Place
Members' Statements

Page 5721

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

This approach, among other things, provides seniors and their loved ones more time to decide whether or not they wish to move into long-term and also allows seniors to wait at home, rather than in hospital, until a long-term care spot is necessary.

I could go on Mr. Speaker, but, ultimately, the best solution for this situation is to allow seniors to age in place by providing them with supplemental programs that will help them to maintain safe and independent living in their own homes as long as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Aging In Place
Members' Statements

Page 5721

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Aging In Place
Members' Statements

Page 5721

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to move to item 13 on the orders of the day, reports of committees on the review of bills. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Bill 38: Protected Areas Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5721

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment has reviewed Bill 38, Protected Areas Act, and wishes to report that Bill 38 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 38: Protected Areas Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5721

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Member for Yellowknife North.

Bill 38: Protected Areas Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5721

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(5) and to have Bill 38, Protected Areas Act, moved into Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 38: Protected Areas Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5721

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(5) and have Bill 38, Protected Areas Act, moved into Committee of the Whole.

---Unanimous consent granted

Bill 38: Protected Areas Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5722

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Bill 38, Protected Areas Act, is now moved to Committee of the Whole for further consideration. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Member for Yellowknife North.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5722

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment has reviewed Bill 44, Forest Act. Mr. Speaker, after extensive consultation, serious consideration, and ongoing dialogue with the sponsoring Minister, the committee wishes to report that Bill 44 is not ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole and recommends that the bill be not further proceeded with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5722

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Reports of committee on the review of bills. Member for Yellowknife North.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5722

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(3) and to have Bill 44, Forest Act, moved to third reading of bills later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 44: Forest Act
Reports Of Committees On The Review Of Bills

Page 5722

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(3) and to have Bill 44, Forest Act, moved to a third reading of bills for later today.

---Unanimous consent granted