This is page numbers 6187 - 6288 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 public.

Topics

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As outlined in the recently released Waste Resource Management Strategy and Implementation Plan, ENR, in partnership with MACA, is looking at a number of options to reduce, recycle, and better manage solid waste across the Northwest Territories. Materials recycling facilities, like the one in Edmonton the Member is referring to, they operate on much larger economies of scale than can be found in NWT communities. Given our small population base spread out over a very large area, the NWT will need to look at solutions. It is a lot different than those in southern jurisdictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Can the Minister advise this House if any communities in the Northwest Territories actually do have a paper/cardboard recycling program being utilized presently?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yellowknife is the only community in the Northwest Territories to operate a paper and cardboard recycling program, funded through municipal taxes. It has recently encountered challenges in finding markets for these materials. My understanding is the city is currently stockpiling these materials onsite in the hopes that markets improve in the future. Packaging and printed paper are identified in the strategy as target material for waste reductions and diversion efforts over the next 10 years.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I appreciate the Minister for his response here today. My final question for the Minister here in regards to this concern that I have brought forward is: will the Minister work with his department to look at establishing a pilot project in Simpson and work with the village and the band in the region there to develop a paper and cardboard recycling program?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

As it is laid out in the strategy, ENR and MACA will work with the communities over the next 10 years to prevent, recycle, and better manage our waste. Through the strategy, we have committed to finding solutions for a number of waste materials over the next 10 years. Beyond packaging and printing paper, target materials to be addressed include household hazardous waste; tires; additional electronic and electrical products; used oil; large appliances; scrap metal; construction, renovation, and demolition waste; organics; paint; mercury-containing products; and batteries. In addition to establishing a three- to five-year waste reduction or diversion program over the next 10 years, the strategy aims to develop a territory-wide backhaul program to reduce some of the logistical, financial, and technical challenges associated with removing hazardous and recyclable materials from NWT communities.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Question 834-18(3): Yellowknife Adult Day Programming
Oral Questions

August 20th, 2019

Page 6213

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Each sitting, I ask the Minister about progress on creating an adult day program in Yellowknife, a program for elders to assist them with social inclusion needs and to provide respite for their families. I realize the Minister has looked at various options, but the fact is there is still nothing in place. I note that the department is surveying seniors about their social activities. Can the Minister tell us more about the survey and what its purpose is? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the department is currently conducting a survey of potential stakeholders, potential clients, individuals who have an interest in this area, so that we can get a sense of what type of program the people and the seniors of Yellowknife really want with respect to an adult day program. That survey has gone out. We are shutting that survey down at the end of the month. I expect to have some results forwarded to me and shared with me by the department, at which point we will be able to give some direction on how to move forward.

Timing-wise, we will provide direction in this Assembly, but ultimately, it will be the next Assembly where this rolls out, but we will get that information by the end of the month. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that answer. What is the Minister expecting for a response rate? What would be, in his view, a statistically valid response?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

We have encouraged as many people as possible to fill out the survey. We are getting decent numbers at this point, but we need to see what we get by the end of the month. At this time, I would certainly like to take the opportunity to encourage everybody who hasn't to please get out and fill out that survey to help us design programs that will meet the needs of the residents of Yellowknife.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Can the Minister confirm that there is money available to implement a solution for the adult day program without having to wait for the next budget process?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Yes, there are dollars allocated for this program. We had, obviously, hoped that we would be able to deliver this program almost two years ago, but we have had difficulty getting interest in delivery, but yes, there is money in the budget for this service.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister. Is there any chance of action on solutions before this Minister leaves office? Mahsi.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I have been following this file closely. As I indicated, this survey will be completed by the end of this month. I have asked the department to have a summary ready for me to look at. That will probably be in September, at which point we can provide direction on how to move forward. I hope to do that in the life of this Assembly, but at the end of the day, the rollout will be in the next Assembly. Hopefully, there will be a program that meets their needs, meets the needs of this Assembly, meets the needs of the residents, early, very early, in the life of the next government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my questions are for the Minister of Finance. Earlier I spoke about P3 contracts and how these are becoming maybe a bit of a new norm here in the Northwest Territories, but right now they don't necessarily include northern benefit policies, such as BIP, to be applied to them or similar types of aspects of, let's say, negotiated contracts. I would like to ask the Minister: is there anything built into the negotiated process when you are negotiating with a proponent with P3s that brings northern benefit to the NWT in terms of employment or having to use local contractors and suppliers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Finance.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member pointed out in his Member's statement before, P3 projects have allowed the government to allow their dollars to go further and make further investments in infrastructure, which is a benefit to the people of the Northwest Territories.

When a project is undertaken as a P3, a specific part of the agreement is negotiated with respect to local and northern content. A good example of this is our latest P3 project that we just completed where there was $71 million of that particular amount that was spent on northern businesses. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

I appreciate the Minister's reply. I guess one of the other aspects that I would like to ask the Minister is that we have another opportunity where we have to negotiate contracts sometimes where we don't go out for a public offering per se. That negotiated process allows for some added-value northern benefits to be had for training, for potential apprenticeships, for hiring, and that sort of thing. Is there any kind of requirement that we can build into our P3 negotiating process that would for sure ensure that we have northern benefits such as those that we see when we do negotiated contracts in the Northwest Territories?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

It is always our priority in the Legislative Assembly to try to make as many benefits available to Northerners as possible, and we do try to build that into a number of the projects that we have. An example of this would be the upcoming P3 project we have, the Tlicho All-Season Road. There were specific thresholds established for the private partner to meet northern and Tlicho business for construction costs, labour requirements, and local business operation requirements. As we go forward, I think that those will be built into many of the projects that the Government of the Northwest Territories would implement.

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you to the Minister for his reply. I am wondering, when we award P3 contracts, is there any opportunity thereafter where we can expect that the proponent or the operator would have a requirement that they have to put out, say, a public offering or a public tender to local and northern suppliers and contractors so that we are not just letting these operators use their previously southern contacts, and that we're ensuring at least the opportunity for northern companies and suppliers to bid on work that these operators. In the instance of the hospital, I used an example earlier about coffee supply. Can we find a way to make sure that northern companies, northern suppliers, are going to be ensured the opportunity to bid on this type of work?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

As I said before, we will work with the proponents to try to build some of these requirements into the contract. Again, it would be up to the proponent where they will get their supplies from, but if we were able to come to sort of agreement that would benefit, the proponents obviously want to do things fairly quickly and use people that they are familiar with. Having said that, though, we need to build some of these requirements in. One of the benefits of the P3 projects, and we have seen that, I think, with the Stanton Territorial Hospital, is that they come in on time and on budget. That is a benefit of the P3 process.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.