This is page numbers 163 - 178 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 community.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I want to thank the Minister for that. I am not sure what agreements were signed in August of last year to establish this, but, presumably, one of them should be at least posted to our public registry. I want to move on.

Part of Thaidene Nene is an area to be set aside and established as a wildlife conservation area under the Wildlife Act. Can the Minister tell us whether the wildlife conservation area will include a permanent surface and subsurface land withdrawal, and when will the area be established by regulation?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

The surface and subsurface rights for Thaidene Nene wildlife conservation area were withdrawn on April 1, 2019. Thaidene Nene wildlife conservation area lands withdrawal is not intended to be permanent and could be removed when there is an approved land use plan, when the land claims are settled. The GNWT aims to establish the Thaidene Nene wildlife conservation area under the Wildlife Act in regulations by February 2021.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President, and I want to thank the Minister for that. I think there might be a little bit of a misunderstanding, here. My understanding is that the wildlife conservation area is going to be permanently protected and that the surface/subsurface is not going to be open for exploration, so I will be very curious to follow this along, because I don't think that's what the Minister said. However, earlier today, I said that the only public commitment of GNWT funding toward Thaidene Nene seems to be an annual appropriation of $290,000. The federal government has even committed to fund some of our costs. Can the Minister tell us: what specific capital and operations funding has our government committed toward Thaidene Nene moving forward in the future?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

To the previous question, I'll be willing to sit down with the Minister and the department to look at the thing, there. To answer his question, Environment and Climate Change Canada natural funding has provided $5.8 million over three years for the Thaidene Nene territorial protected areas. In addition, Parks Canada is providing $1 million in funding over the same three-year period. The Government of the Northwest Territories is committing $8.12 million of in-kind funding to the three protected areas identified under the nature fund. This in-kind funding is made up of operation, maintenance, and salaries. The GNWT is exploring operations to ensure stable funding beyond 2023 for the territorial protected areas, including an endowment fund and other natural base funding sources.

When I said "the thing," I apologize; "the protected areas," so I would be more than willing to sit down with the Member. Thank you.

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. My questions today are going to be for the Minister of Health and Social Services in regard to the Oral Health Action Plan that I mentioned in my Member's statement. In the action plan, I see a lot of it is generated around changing community health nurse standards, community health nurse guidelines, pre-natal, post-natal. What I want to ask the Minister is: knowing we have shortage, and I know we have some really excellent community health nurses, but a lot of times, with the shortage, we don't have community health nurses; we have a lot of emergency room nurses going into the health centres. So, with all these changes that are in here, how do we expect these nurses to make sure that they are providing this oral healthcare, when that is not their background? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member brings up a good point. I mean, it's very important, and I just want the Members to know that the dental services are not an insured service and are provided privately by dentists. Non-Insured Health Benefits, or NIHB, provides funding to bring dental services to smaller communities where there are no dental clinics. The Member is talking about the NWT Oral Health Action Plan and some of the results as a part of the action plan, and I can look into what the Member is asking. I don't know at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

I understand who provides care, and I understand that dental service is not an insured service, but, like I said in my Member's statement, it affects so many insured services. We do provide health promotion and, according to the action plan, a lot of that is health promotion, and our front-line nurses do provide a lot of that. In the action plan, there is "new oral health positions using a phased-in approach," in the first year, 2018-2019; second year, 2019-2020; and a third year, 2020-2021. Where are those positions? Have those positions been created, and where are they so far?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

I don't know the exact details. However, I do know that we added one registered dental hygienist in Norman Wells, and we are currently investing $974,000 in upgrading dental equipment across the territory. Otherwise, I don't know exactly where these positions are.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Referring back again to the action plan, it also says that it's going to establish a chief oral health officer role. Like in all the reports, we know that this is such a crisis in all Inuit, First Nations, Metis, in the territories. It's a crisis. Mr. Speaker, you're coming from a small town; you know the services are lacking. Is there a job description, and are we currently recruiting for a chief oral health officer role?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Again, I don't know at this time, but it's something I will look into and get back to the Member.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

One of the things that I would really like to know is: how does the Minister see the health centres providing oral healthcare as the nurses -- because it is. It's in here. Although they're not dentists, they are supposed to do the primary stuff, but on top of everything else that they do. I just want to know: how does she expect them to get everything that they have to do in their day on top of all of this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Very difficult questions. Again, I am not sure at this time. However, we are rolling out and expanding our prevention services and updating dental equipment in the dental rooms, both in the schools and in the health centres. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I just needed to make a correction to my Member's statement that my questions will be directed to the Minister of ENR. I just want to use my community as a brief example, here. We are right on the banks of the Mackenzie River, and we have many gas bars and tank farms along the river system in close proximity to the river. Of course, we have regulations for protection of the water, since water is life. My question to the Minister is: are there any regulations for fuel tank farms? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Short answer: yes, there are regulations. Over a certain size, the tank has to be registered with Environment and Climate Change Canada and, if it's under that, there are regulations with the Department of ENR. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Thank you for that answer. Are there any requirements and any regulations for yearly inspections on fuel tank farms?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

There are regulations. Again, it's up to the owners to make sure that they follow it. If it is part of our infrastructure, we follow regulations that are out there with the Government of Canada and with ENR. There are regulations, and they are available through our wildlife officers, our officers in the community, which you can access.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

It's odd that we are not regulating private businesses with their tank farms, because he has just stated that they only regulate the government-owned ones. If we're not regulating the private tank farms that are in close proximity to the river, to the waterways, I don't know, why are we even here? We're the government. We have to set these regulations, even for private operators. I am wondering if the Minister can advise when we may see updated regulations to all tank farms, whether they're private or government-owned?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I guess I should make it clear. Whether it's government or private industry, we do have regulations, and we need to follow them. My understanding is that the federal storage tank regulations were developed in 2012, and we follow those moving forward. We do have regulations. We do inspect them, but, if people have concerns, they need to reach out to our inspectors so that we can check on these things.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Deh Cho.