Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Round two of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the North, Mr. Speaker, and the pandemic is hitting our small communities hard. While there have been no cases, the fears coming in from the TV, radio, and the news, it's really starting to affect leadership back home. While there have been no cases in the communities, the Chief Public Health Officer has done good work. I would really like to say that. Thank you for your work, Ms. Kandola and Minister. They have done good work in our small communities. Most of all, my mayors and councils have been doing really good work, as well, consistent. However, the distress that comes with that is steady. Every day, you are hearing it on the news coming out the South. That keeps everybody on edge.
Communities are hurting, Mr. Speaker, and the people need help. As we head into winter, our normal activities, some people are trying to keep busy, but it's not able to happen because of the COVID-19 restrictions. We cannot have our community feast. They do drive-throughs now for stuff like that back home. The kids are not playing organized sports. School extracurricular activities are very limited or not happening at all. The small communities do not have resources to help their residents. The increased demand on food hampers, people need assistance to get out on the land. Families need help paying for their Internet bills, which have skyrocketed over this last few months, seven months.
Mr. Speaker, I represent the most isolated communities in the territory. There are no winter roads to Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, or Ulukhaktok to get cheaper groceries and what is needed to survive back home, like larger centres and towns. The community governments have to provide opportunities for help to socialize and get mental health breaks. When people don't have these chances, they turn to alcohol and drugs, Mr. Speaker. I am asking this government: I would like to know what are we doing to support small communities to run extracurricular activities, for community hunts, to keep people busy, healthy? I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.