This is page numbers 179 - 228 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 going.

Topics

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the deputy mayor, Cathy Kotchea, who is on her way up to the NWTAC meeting. She is from Fort Liard, and I think it's the first or second time she has been here, so I would like to thank her for being here. Thank you.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a constituent of mine, Mr. Denny Rodgers, and another, Patrick Dan Gruben. He was my constituent, and he moved to the other side, but I am hoping to get him back soon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River North.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Denny Rodgers, the administrator for Aurora College. He is doing a fine job filling in for the board and keeping us all accountable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River North. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Patrick Dan Gruben. He is a constituent of mine in Inuvik Boot Lake. Thank you.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 184

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to acknowledge Denny Rodgers, who is the chair of my department at the BDIC. Thank you very much.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Page 185

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Members, I would like to welcome Mr. Anthony W.J. Whitford, formal Commissioner, Speaker, Minister, Member, Sergeant-at-Arms, and honorary Clerk at the Table; also, my constituency assistant, Liz Wright; also Patrick Dan Gruben, chair of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation; also Denny Rodgers, director of northern affairs at the Inuvialuit Development Corporation; and Mr. Vince Teddy; also former Member, Kieron Testart. Also, if we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber, and I hope you are enjoying our proceedings. It's always nice to have an audience with us. Thank you.

Item 6, replies to the budget address. Item 7, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 8, reports of standing and special committees. Item 9, returns to oral questions. Item 10, acknowledgements. Item 11, oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Question 76-19(2): Arnica Inn Transitional Housing Project
Oral Questions

February 25th, 2020

Page 185

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the housing Minister. I am wondering if the housing Minister can let us know when the Housing Corporation decided not to support the project of the Arnica Inn.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The project for Arnica Inn and the NWT Housing Corporation, I would like to elaborate on it a little bit, is that the Arnica Inn was advised to submit an application to CMHC. Once that application is approved and it's going forward, and it's supported by CMHC, NWT Housing Corporation would have followed up after.

We have gotten a letter from the CMHC that was addressed to the Yellowknife Women's Society, and they were given the instruction to resubmit their application and to fill the missing information that needs to be on that application and that would meet the affordability criteria for Yellowknife and that the long-term viability was not demonstrated. I would strongly encourage the women's society to go forward with the application and resubmit.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Just so that I am on the same page, then, the government did not not support the project of the women's society and have asked the women's society to resubmit their application?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Once the application is approved by CMHC, the application will now be supported by the NWT Housing Corporation. With the missing criteria, that has to be completed first because it is a federal program; it is not a territorial program. I would strongly advise the women's society to go ahead and look at their application, revise it, because they do have a deadline, and to contact our office, reach out to us, should they need us to go ahead and assist them in completing the application, as we did provide assistance before. I would like to strongly advise that the women's society reach out to the Housing Corporation.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

On the Housing Corporation website, I found a presentation that was delivered by the Housing Corporation president, called the National Housing Co-Investment Fund and NWT Housing Corporation. The presentation explained the co-investment fund to stakeholders and advised that the federal government would contribute 75 percent and we would contribute 25. Slide 4 of the presentation indicated that the Housing Corporation would help prepare applications. Would the Housing Corporation be prepared to help the women's society resubmit this application?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Absolutely. The Housing Corporation is in support of assisting the Yellowknife Women's Society to resubmit their application. I also just wanted to express that the Housing Corporation did enter into a partnership with them in December, and we did complete a women's shelter, and the Housing Corporation did contribute $750,000, and the centre was opened prior to Christmas.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think what I would like to know for my final question is: does any GNWT department have an environmental assessment of the Arnica Inn?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

We have not. To my knowledge, I have not seen an environmental assessment, but I will follow up with my department to see if we have received anything in the time being. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Along the same lines as the Member for Kam Lake, Arnica Inn has been on our radar since the election. September, October, we've heard it. Members, these women here, have supported it going forward, so it's surprising that we are still talking about the process itself.

Mr. Speaker, the territory's 25 percent share of capital cost spread over the project, 42 self-contained apartments, also lists $17,000 per unit. For the sake of people sleeping in apartment building stairways in Yellowknife or, even worse, outside, why did the Minister not jump on the chance to help provide those additional 42 transition housing units as badly needed today? Masi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to elaborate that the Arnica Inn currently was an ongoing conversation September and October, but my riding is the Sahtu. I was not familiar with the project at all, and I do come from a smaller community, where there are homelessness issues, throughout the Northwest Territories.

Going forward with the Housing Corporation, we do have several initiatives to work with that. Going forward, looking at the 43 units that were available, I believe strongly that there should have been more involvement, there should have been more communication. With the final submission of the application, I actually met with the Yellowknife Women's Society in December, and I advised them that I would like to see Indigenous partnership with the project, and I would like to see how is the project going to be integrated.

In the Northwest Territories, we are a government that does acknowledge Indigenous people. I would have really liked to see the Indigenous component. We did have a strong conversation, and, once again, I advised the Yellowknife Women's Society to reach out to us.