This is page numbers 1253 - 1276 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has approximately 2,400 public rental units spread out over the NWT. Let's say, for brevity, the units each consume approximately 1,200 litres of diesel fuel per month. The total for the year for 2,400 public rental units is approximately 34.5 million litres of diesel fuel consumed every year. If you were to stick a dollar figure on that, we use an average of a dollar per litre. We are looking at $34.5 million per year from the use of diesel fuel. Mr. Speaker, I would like the Minister to commit to developing an energy action plan for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation that will reduce the use of fossil fuels and incorporate wood pellet boilers in the public rental units. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Member, for your comments. Working on the energy plan for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is a priority. Right now, we have $3.9 million under the Low Carbon Economy Fund that we worked on with the Department of Infrastructure to try to alleviate the utilities and the oil and gas within our public housing units. We have also had biomass projects throughout the Northwest Territories. We do have 2,600 units throughout the territory. The Housing Corporation is working toward administering more energy efficiency within those public housing units. I will commit to developing a plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

That is good news to hear. We are constantly reminded of the date 2038. Nobody knows in the communities, the Indigenous communities, what that date really means. Most people are in fear of that date, that they will have no more units available for rent, for housing of our people, because every year from now until that date the funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the CMHC, will deplete until there is no more funding available for operations and maintenance on that date. Will the Minister act now in developing an energy action plan to extend the public rental housing program beyond 2038?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Member, for your comment. My answer, as I just reiterated, is: yes, we will be working towards an energy action plan.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

It's nice to hear that again. I look forward to the energy action plan that is innovative in the use of our natural resources and that creates employment for our communities. It is much-needed employment, and I really look forward to that report. Hopefully, it's not going to be too far into the future, that we will have something in front of us for review.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. I will let the Minister respond. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Member, for your comments. Like I said before, energy efficiency is a priority of the Housing Corporation in developing our units. I do recognize that we have declining CMHC funding as of 2038, and the Housing Corporation is working strategically on what we are going to be working with after the 2038 mark has come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the Chief Public Health Officer has the power to make all of the rules that have been in place and is not to be politically influenced, and we have heard this from the Premier and the past Minister. When this Emerging Wisely document was created, I would just like to know if this document was run by Cabinet before it was released to the public? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. This is before my time over here, but my understanding is that, yes, Cabinet did have a chance to review the plan before it was made public. Thank you.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

I also understand that there has been many changes to this document, and we've heard Dr. Kandola has said this, that it's a moving doc. It's a living document. There's been a lot of changes in there. There's been a lot of changes with the essential workers, who gets exceptions, who can get exceptions to go to communities now. How is this information passed onto the CPHO if there was no one to influence her decision on making changes?

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Just to be clear about what's happening here, the CPHO provides medical advice, and the Department of Health provides policy about how to implement that medical advice. As you know, people can apply to ProtectNWT or call 811 and ask for some kind of exception to the orders as they are written now, such as no long-term isolation, that they can go to work during the day, or that they can go to a community that is not a hub community, and exceptions of that kind. Those are given to her office, and she makes a choice on an item by item basis by assessing the risk. That's her primary measurement.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

During the public briefing that we had in September, I did ask the Minister if they could review the restrictions around funerals, and I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell me if the CPHO, if you know that they are reviewing this rule?

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you for the question. Yes, the CPHO is fully aware that outdoor funerals, if not already over, will be over in a matter of weeks because of the temperature outside. It's my understanding that the protocol that's in place now will remain in place but she is actively reviewing the funeral protocol, and that there is a possibility of revised public health orders next month, and that this would be the time we hear what she's decided about funerals.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have one question to the Minister: if she can ask the Chief Public Health Officer if she could move this up. Lakes are freezing at home. In the North, we've already got blizzards going. We can't have outdoor funerals already. It's already too cold. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I have the opportunity to meet with the CPHO every week, and I will certainly make that point to her, that its urgent that there be an alternative to outdoor funerals so that people can grieve in a more comfortable, controlled environment. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In March of this year, I asked the then-Minister of Health and Social Services about virtual care in the Northwest Territories. Since then, the GNWT has put together a three-phased approach to virtual care to address healthcare needs in the face of a global pandemic. In regards to the advances that were made through the COVID-19 pandemic as far as virtual care is concerned, I would like to see the changes and advances that were made continue their momentum. I'm wondering: for phase two, the virtual care initiative identified a need to create secure messaging between healthcare providers both within the Northwest Territories and with southern care providers, what work has been done to date to address secure information sharing between service providers? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. Oral questions. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The particular focus of the virtual care work is between in-territory providers, health providers, and in-territory patients. There has been some work done, although COVID-19 reorganized priorities, and that work has slowed down. We already have a head start because the secure messaging will be through the territorial EMR system, which is available in every health centre and cabin that we have, so there is widespread availability once the secure messaging is developed for application across the NWT. The only other loose end is that we need to continue work with physicians in Alberta on them being able to access patients here, that they have the appropriate licensing, that we have compatible medical records, and that they can talk to one another effectively. Thank you.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

That leads quite nicely to my next question, and I just want to confirm first, though. Are there currently no out-of-territory physicians practicing virtual care with NWT residents?

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Member for an opportunity to provide that clarification. Stanton Hospital has five southern service providers providing virtual care, and the family physician group has one southern service provider providing virtual care.