This is page numbers 1389 - 1412 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 communities.

Topics

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, we have to think short-term and long-term. Short-term, in my view, is connecting to Whati. I'm just wondering if the Minister and her department, at the federal and Northwestel level, has there ever been consideration of, once Whati is connected, Gameti and Wekweeti are also in line for the discussion to move forward as a long-term objective of this government? Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

That is the first time I've had it raised to me that that is an option or a solution that we should be pursuing, and I agree with the Member's statement that there is short-term and there is long-term. Yes. Absolutely, short-term, I'd like to see this project to Whati in partnership with the Tlicho Government advance, and then, beyond that, to get the satellite communities to the state where they have gained access to low Earth orbit satellite system. Then, beyond that, I will give you the words that I was told by the federal counterpart, which is: dream big. If we're being told to dream big, then we want to dream big. I am happy to hear that there are other options and ideas, and I am happy to continue to take them forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm planning to return to Hay River this weekend, and my constituents told me in no uncertain terms, "If you don't get answers on this matter, don't come back." I will ask for support from the Minister of MACA because I adore the community of Hay River and want to return home tonight. What happened to our shoreline this fall is a very serious matter, and my constituents want answers with solutions and commitments from this government. Can the Minister of MACA tell me what it would take for her department to consider an event as an emergency under the Emergency Management Act? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, we do administer the Emergency Management Act. We would be working with climate change or natural disasters, fires, erosion, and shore erosion, as well erosion on the river banks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Can the Minister confirm what triggers an event to be deemed as an emergency and to commence action to deal with it? Using the Hay River flooding caused by the high water and wind as an example, what is the process and what action was taken in this instance?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

While the Emergency Measures Organization monitors risk situations as they develop and advises communities to increase the risk of period factors, triggers for active responses include the risk factors of community capacity to deal with situations and other associated response issues. The decision of when it is activated would be the response of GNWT assistance. In normal, a discussion would be the with Emergency Management and ENR for wildfires.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Can the Minister confirm what supports those impacted under an event declared as an emergency can expect from this government? Is there financial support for rebuilding and flood-proofing?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Just specifically for Hay River, I am familiar with the Member's questions and with his comments, as well, in that we did deal with a situation where we had high water levels in Hay River. The department did reach out to and did work with the Town of Hay River. As well, we did reach out to Infrastructure to get material to work with the shoreline that was affected and the houses that were affected. Right now, the South Slave District MACA office is working with the Town of Hay River to complete a federal Climate Change and Preparedness North funding program for flooding mitigation.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister confirm that her department will commit to working with the Department of Lands, West Point First Nation, Hay River Metis Government Council, and the Town of Hay River to develop a plan to secure the perimeter of the lake in the town of Hay River, to address this issue in order to avoid future flooding and damage? We need this work done before next spring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Those conversations are actually happening internally right now. We will be working with the Town of Hay River, and we are in communication with them in regard to the high water levels in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Question 402-19(2): Trades Education
Oral Questions

October 22nd, 2020

Page 1403

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment currently has five career and education advisors serving all 33 communities. This role is to help high school students come up with a path that they want to take after high school and to be able to lay that path out with them and get kids really excited about what they want to do. I've had the opportunity to speak with both people who serve in that role and kids who have taken advantage of that role, and it's a very positive relationship. What I am wondering is: what is ECE's plan to grow the career and education advisor role within the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd be happy to grow that program. I can't count how many times, just talking to members of the public, they've said that, "My child didn't know what they wanted to do. They didn't have the courses they needed to graduate. I wish there was someone to help them." I've been able to answer time and time again that we now have that. We have a program that was only accessible to students in about six schools in the territory. Most students did not have that access to career counsellors. This program, we had six counsellors, and we added three more in this current fiscal year. Six of those counsellors have spread out to the regions, so we now have two in the Beaufort Delta, one in the Sahtu, one in the Deh Cho, one in the South Slave, and four who serve the North Slave region, so including the Tlicho region.

Looking forward, I would be happy to add more of those positions if it's possible at some point and to expand the age range that they deal with. Right now, they work with students grades 9 to 12 as well as anyone aged 18 to 24, whether or not they are in the labour market or they are in university or they want to get into the labour market. I would be happy to expand it so that we can get students access to the career and education advisors even earlier. However, we know there are a lot of competing priorities, and there is only so much money to go around. While it's definitely something I would like to do, we will have to see where it lands in the grand scheme of things. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Given that we know that our home and community care needs will be increasing by 80 percent over the next 15 years and that, due to COVID, Aurora College is currently offering its personal support worker program online, will ECE consider offering the personal support worker program to high school students? This would allow students in grades 11 and 12 to work towards their college diploma while also completing their high school diploma, preparing the student for a place within their local economy without having to leave their home community.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

I like how the Member thinks. I think we need to be offering more programs than we are, increasing the number of programs that lead to careers and lead to employment soon after high school. However, this is a program that is offered by Aurora College, and I can't tell the college what to do. I will bring this information back to them. I know that they have been working with Health and Social Services and the territorial health authority to expand delivery of the program outside of Yellowknife, and so it is being offered online, as well. It is being expanded, but it's not being offered in the high schools at this time.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

I appreciate the Minister's comment about not being able to decide on programming from Aurora College, so I hope Aurora College is listening. Will Aurora College consider integrating the personal support worker diploma courses for partial credit towards the first year of the nursing program so that the personal support workers can receive credit for what they have completed should they decide to return to college and so that existing nursing students will be eligible for personal support worker positions as summer employment while they complete their nursing degree? As an aside, Mr. Speaker, this is currently a practice at Ryerson. Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Another good idea from the Member, but again, I don't do the programming at the college. Nonetheless, I do appreciate what the Member is saying. The college is moving towards a laddered approach, where you can get your certificate and then move into a diploma, degree, and so on. That is not currently possible with this personal support worker program. There is nothing beyond that. The credits do not transfer, and it would take some rejigging of the program in order to make that happen, especially considering that nursing is nationally accredited and that there are stringent requirements. However, that said, I am happy to take this back to the college.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Along the same lines as making sure that high school students have all the opportunity in the world to build their experience, whether it be economy of care or whether it's trades, I am hearing from some employers that there is a concern that, in order to qualify for the trades wage subsidy, their apprentice needs to accomplish a minimum of 30 hours of work during the week. Some of the apprentices are high school students through the SNAP program and obviously cannot accommodate 30-hour-a-week minimums. I am wondering if the program is willing to work with employers to reduce that minimum requirement or if that minimum requirement is different when it comes to high school students. Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

The SNAP program, people participating in the SNAP program are already able to benefit from the wage subsidy program, so no change is needed. It's already happening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.