This is page numbers 5993 - 6030 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.

Topics

Indian Day School Settlement Agreement
Members' Statements

Page 5999

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People don't like to think about what will happen after they pass away. Unfortunately, this means that, on top of grieving the death of a loved one, families are left to deal with their estate. This is made even more complicated if someone died without a will.

The Department of Justice has a Legal Aid Outreach clinic which can provide free advice on wills and estates, and I encourage the Minister to ensure that this important office continues helping residents by assisting with wills. By clearly putting your wishes on paper, families will know how you wanted your estate dealt with. This will make handling the estate after death easier for everyone.

Unfortunately, across the NWT, there are many people who do not have wills. Over the last number of years, my constituents have had to deal with estates of their loved ones, and many have had to hire a lawyer to assist them, a cost that many of my constituents can barely afford. This is going to become a larger problem in every community in the NWT in the future, as elders are one of our fastest growing populations.

The public trustee can assist with some causes, but only in certain situations. This leaves most residents trying to figure out the legal questions on estates by themselves, a frustrating and exhausting exercise. Many of these estates are small, but some involve family homes and potentially several heirs with claims to them.

I don't think that we want to be in a situation where the children have to mortgage the home to pay for a lawyer to settle the estate. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The Legal Aid Outreach office can only provide advice on how to deal with the estate, but, if there are complications or a dispute between heirs, lawyers are often needed. If Legal Aid was able to assist in probating wills, this may help address this growing issue.

I will have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you.

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. The GNWT is implementing its strategy to revitalize the Great Slave Lake commercial fishery. I am very supportive of its goals, mainly to develop a commercial fishery into a sustainable industry and to increase returns to fishers. However, I am very troubled by the approach that the Department of ITI has taken in its dealings with the fishermen, which, from what I hear, sounds like a paternalistic way of doing business that should have been dead and buried decades ago.

A key component of this strategy is the construction of a new fish processing plant in Hay River. From what I can tell, the $12-million facility will be owned and managed by ITI and, at some point, the Tu Cho Fishers Co-operative, a co-op of local fishers, will somehow come to own the plant, or maybe they'll lease it, or maybe they'll just manage it. It is all very unclear to me, and it is unclear to the fishermen, as well.

The GNWT used the names of the Tu Cho Cooperative and the NWT Fishermen's Federation to access $10 million of federal funds to help build the plant, but is treating the fishermen more like pawns than partners. The government has well-paid employees and budgets for consultants, all of whom can work to advance the department's own interests on this project. They are actually in the process of hiring someone to manage the plant right now.

If ITI thought of the fishermen as partners, then they would ensure that they had similar supports. Neither the federation nor the co-op has the administrative capacity or the budget to hire someone with the skills needed to help them fully participate in the project and to advocate on their behalf, and ITI uses this power disparity to steamroll ahead while fishers are kept in the dark. Their participation is further eroded by ITI's insistence on engaging individual fishers instead of the elected heads of the federation or the co-op, and approach that has sown division among fishers. That's colonialism 101, Mr. Speaker.

The government has also actively taken steps to reduce influence of fishermen. The GNWT has a seat on the board of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, which has always been filled by a fisherman, but this summer the GNWT installed one of its own on the board. That directly contradicts the very first recommendation of the federal ministerial advisory panel that has been studying freshwater for the past number of years, which recommends increasing fisher participation on the board.

I have also been informed that ITI has discouraged the fishermen from pursuing partnerships with Indigenous governments and has worked to thwart the efforts of Indigenous entrepreneurs who want to invest in the industry and help it grow.

Mr. Speaker, ITI should not be working to consolidate its power and crush its competitors. The department has lost sight of the goals of the strategy and who the strategy is meant to benefit, and that needs to change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Fibre Optic Link to Communities
Members' Statements

Page 6000

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. The fibre optic line now runs from Alberta to Inuvik, a project completed in 2017 that will cost about $95 million and $3 million a year to operate. That fibre link was funded on the understanding of big community benefits down the Mackenzie Valley. Let's go back and look at the record. As early as 2011, the then-Minister of Health was promoting "a very ambitious plan that would provide a fibre optic link to all the communities. There would be cell phones, Internet, TV, all those systems in the community."

When the budget proposal was reviewed in 2015, the Finance Minister was asked if the proposal was for "getting a fibre optic line right in the homes." He said, "The intention is to have a clear point of presence in all the communities."

The March 2017 media release announcing the completion of the line said that residents and businesses would now have a hook-up point "located in Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Tulita, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Inuvik, and in High Level."

This Finance Minister's 2017 statement in this House said that "the completion of the nearly 1,200-kilometre fibre link brings affordable, high-speed telecommunications to six communities along the Mackenzie Valley, including Inuvik."

Unfortunately for the communities along the route, few of these magical promises have come true. The fibre line hook-up point is not in all the communities. For Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Tulita, Norman Wells, and Fort Good Hope, the fibre line runs past the communities. As I understand it, it will cost $1 million plus to run the line into the communities. Without that money, the line might as well not be there.

This is extremely serious, Mr. Speaker. The Members of this House approved millions of dollars in expenditures of public funds because the government promised the project would deliver services in these communities, not past them. The justification of improved Internet service for these communities was repeatedly used in approving these expenditures. At the same time, numerous predictions were also made of large revenue streams to help offset the costs of this project.

Later today I will have questions for the Minister of Finance as to why the anticipated improvements to community Internet services along the fibre link have yet to happen and why the anticipated revenues from this project have not panned out. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Fibre Optic Link to Communities
Members' Statements

Page 6000

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Economic Diversification
Members' Statements

Page 6001

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about the urgent need to accelerate the economic diversification of our economy. Members learned this lesson during the first week of this Assembly, when De Beers told us they plan to close the Snap Lake diamond mine. It was a timely reminder that all the diamond mines are forecasted to close in the next 10 years, starting at the end of the 19th Assembly. There may be ways to extend the life of each of them, but their best days are probably done.

Mr. Speaker, there is no ready replacement for diamond mining and the benefits it provides. This is a particular worry for residents whose development corporations provide training and work at the mines; Det'on Cho Corporation, for example, employs nearly 1,000 people in its own companies and joint ventures. The last thing any of us wants to see is most of these people out of work, but there are few alternatives in this area, except for the Giant Mine remediation. Clearly, it's time to ramp up our economic diversification efforts.

Yesterday the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment told us it's all good, but the fact is that the government has not made investment and diversification a priority. In fact, there is less money being spent on it in this budget than there was two years ago. Some industries are thriving anyway. Spending by tourists has doubled since 2012 and government support has gone up, too, but it's still peanuts compared to the support that is needed. Most glaring is government's failure to invest in new visitor services in Yellowknife. There is a road to the Arctic Ocean, but no campgrounds there. How is the government helping Whati prepare for an influx of visitors?

Business is leading the way with services, but it's up to government to provide the necessary infrastructure. This investment would benefit communities throughout the NWT, creating jobs and revenue. We know from the 100,000-plus visitors who travelled to the Northwest Territories in 2017-2018 that they are interested in the North's unique culture and landscapes, but are often stuck for a place to camp or stay or get out on the water. Where is the action on that?

Mr. Speaker, the government has a track record of backing the big at the expense of the small, but there is no reason to sneer at the small enterprises that will create a broader economic base, greater stability, greater employment for dollar of input. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Economic Diversification
Members' Statements

Page 6001

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no reason to sneer at the small enterprises that will create a broader economic base, greater stability, greater employment for dollar of input, and greater economic multiplier for dollar earned. These jobs won't look so small when the diamond mines have closed. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Economic Diversification
Members' Statements

Page 6001

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

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

Eulogies for Muriel Betsina and JR Abel
Members' Statements

Page 6001

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about an unfortunate recent passing of two residents of Ndilo, Muriel Betsina and JR Abel, both of whom were related as grandmother and grandson.

To begin, I would first like to talk about Muriel. Muriel has been a long-time resident of Ndilo, but she was born in Tulita on May 25, 1944, and passed away on July 22, 2019, at age 76. Muriel is survived by her seven children; Ernest, Eileen, Norman, Dianne, Allan, George, and Frank Jr.; her 40 biological and adopted grandchildren; and more than 10 great-grandchildren, as well as her siblings Be'sha, Alice, and Joe Blondin. She is also a sibling to the late George Blondin.

Mr. Speaker, Muriel was an outspoken advocate for most of her life. She often talked about her experience as a survivor of residential school and about the importance of preserving a positive cultural legacy for the Dene of the NWT. She was also known for her strong beliefs in forgiveness and for sharing a strong sense of love and acceptance with all people with whom she interacted. She will surely be missed by the people of Ndilo and many people across the Northwest Territories.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I'm going to talk about the life of JR Abel. JR was born in Yellowknife on January 2, 1990, and passed away on August 9, 2019, at the age of 29. JR is survived by his parents, Eileen Betsina and Edward Abel; his siblings, Martina, Eric, Christopher, and Shalbe; along with countless cousins, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, and six nieces and nephews.

Mr. Speaker, JR grew up in the community of Ndilo, where he was surrounded by much of his family most of his life. JR was known to have a generous heart and never hesitated to offer his help to any of his family or friends, especially when it came to his nieces and nephews.

JR also loved to be out on the land and was considered a star pupil for the GNWT environmental monitoring program. Over the years, he also worked as a wildfire fighter during the summers and, in the wintertime, ice road flooder. It is truly unfortunate that JR passed away at such a young age. His memory, however, will live forever in the hearts and minds of those he touched. This goes the same for his grandmother, Muriel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Eulogies for Muriel Betsina and JR Abel
Members' Statements

Page 6002

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Our condolences to the two families, as well, and also to the community. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.

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

Page 6002

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize a really dynamic group of women in our gallery today. We have Sheryl Liske from the Yellowknife Dene. She is a long-time resident of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Ms. Beatrice Harper is the visitor from Onion Lake Cree Nation on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Ms. Maxine Desjarlais is a visitor from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. We have that name in the Territories, too, just to let you know. Shelley Wiart is a member of the North Slave Metis Alliance, and she is visiting from Lloydminster, Alberta. She is known as the co-founder of the Women Warriors, a really important part. Ms. Janelle Baker, she is a visitor from Sundre, Alberta. She is the assistant professor of anthropology, Athabasca University. With her, we have baby Argo Hus. Welcome the gallery, baby.

These women are here. They are working on the Indigenous Women's Health Stories. I am hoping that all MLAs have gotten an invite. They will be presenting tomorrow evening at Northern United Place at 6:00 p.m., sharing Indigenous women's experiences with the healthcare system. I urge anyone, if we are not in session, to please attend their presentation. Thank you all for being here.

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

Page 6002

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

Page 6002

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time, I would like to recognise Dana Martin, vice president of NWT SPCA. Welcome to the House and thank you for the tremendous work that you do on behalf of the territory. Thank you.

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

Page 6002

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

Page 6002

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you for your indulgence, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I forgot to acknowledge a Page who does tremendous work for us here in the Legislative Assembly. I want to acknowledge Joshua Drygeese and thank all the Pages for the tremendous work they do. Thank you.

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

Page 6002

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we are missing anyone in the gallery, welcome to our proceedings. It is always great to have an audience as part of our proceedings here today. Masi. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I again want to take the opportunity to thank the Minister and the department for the commitment that they have made to the NWT SPCA. Honestly, let's be fair, originally, there was some resistance to fund the SPCA through the NGO Stabilization Funding. I would like to ask the Minister: really, what was the reason for the change of heart, and why did the Minister see it fit to prioritize approval of this funding to the SPCA? Thank you, Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To be honest, we have a lot of non-government organizations that do a lot of really good work on behalf of residents of the Northwest Territories, our municipalities, our communities, our governments. As a government, we want to make sure that we can also provide support. This was the case with the SPCA. Previously, when the program was not through the Department of MACA, there was a one-time funding, I believe, of $25,000. As the Member has asked me in a previous session, we did give a one-time funding.

Coming from personal experience, coming from Inuvik, we do have the Arctic Paws. The Arctic Paws does have a really strong relationship with the SPCA. We really appreciate the work that they do in terms of providing safety and the health of the animals across the Northwest Territories. They did fall under some of the criteria that allowed them to get the funding. We want to make sure that, working with our NGOs who do work on behalf of the government, we want to support that. I think, moving into the next government, we are going to have to come up with some criteria.

As I mentioned to the Member, it is not core funding, but how do we support our NGOs to support the work that they do on behalf of residents and the animal population in the Northwest Territories. I really appreciate the work, and I am glad that we have a representative here from the SPCA today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you to the Minister for his response. Yes, indeed, we know, as does everybody, that a number of NGOs provide important and critical services to the territory, and they rely on the stabilization funding. We don't want to take away from that. Maybe, does the Minister have some other concepts or ideas that we can find a way to provide long-term funding to the SPCA while not impeding on the resources that a number of NGOs depend on?

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

I don't want to single out just the SPCA, here. There are a lot of NGOs across the Northwest Territories that do a lot of really good work on behalf of the residents and work on behalf of government. That is something that I think, because we are nearing the end of this Assembly, that the new government that comes in in the 19th is going to have to take a hard look at and see how well we fund our NGOs and our partners and stakeholders moving forward.

At this time, I can't make that commitment to say that we are going to be looking at any kind of core funding or ongoing funding. I think that is something that needs to have a really good discussion, because it has come up on numerous occasions during this government.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

I appreciate the Minister's response. Indeed, there are some challenges as it relates to the prerequisites when it comes to applying for this stabilization funding. I am sure that the SPCA might have looked for other alternatives, but one of the prerequisites is that you have to be receiving $50,000 from the territorial government by other means. If it is possible, can the Minister let the SPCA know or have his staff work with them to find ways in which other pots of money can be accessed so that maybe they don't have to go to the NGO Stabilization Fund?