This is page numbers 2439 - 2492 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 housing.

Topics

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

In a 2007 business plan, the department committed to a streamlined land management system to transfer leases to fee simple title where appropriate and to continue to transfer municipal lands to municipal governments. What I would give to have completed the work in the 2007 business plan. I don't understand why we have only transferred 16 of the 832 leases. Can the Minister explain what is the barrier in transferring these leases?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I can't tell you about 2007. I wasn't even in politics there. I'm glad the Member has been able to find those resources, but the barriers we're facing right now is that we need to consult with our Indigenous governments. That is part of our process. We need to respect our Indigenous governments; we need to consult. The Member is aware, we have 697 housing leases right now, and the departments have been meeting, Lands and housing, to decide on what we're trying to do. We're working on multiple dwelling units of 179 units.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

I well recognize we need to consult with Indigenous governments. However, I want to note the majority of people in our public housing are Indigenous. One of the biggest problems in our territory that Indigenous people face is lack of housing. Fee simple title begins to create markets. It allows the Housing Corporation to build more units. Is the Minister committed, as per the 2014 agreement, to transferring all of the Housing Corporation leases to them in fee simple title?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I wish I could do it like that. We have a process, and we are working with the NWT Housing Corporation. They have asked us to focus on multi-family units, which is 179. We are working on those. The Member is aware, we just had a recent conversation, and we are in the process of going through that plan of how we are dealing with it. If it's one at a time, we are going to be doing that, but we are working with the NWT Housing Corporation to do this. It's not just Lands. I understand the Member's passion about these things, but again, please allow this Member to understand that we need to consult with Indigenous governments. Please, we need to do that job. If that Member wants to not consult with them, please tell us.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My actual preference would be that we give all of our Housing Corporation units to Indigenous governments along with the funding, but I will save that for the Housing Corporation Minister. I heard the Minister say we are trying to transfer 179 units to the Housing Corporation in fee simple. Do we have a timeline for when that will be done? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

There is a process. The timeline is: as fast as we can get it done, we will do it. Just so people understand, the consultation process takes 90 days, plus with COVID, we add another 30 days. We need to do those things. We are working with the NWT Housing Corporation. We are working with Indigenous governments. We are trying to get this fee simple. The Member is right. In 2014, we agreed to transfer it for a dollar to the NWT Housing Corporation to get it done. We are going to work as fast as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, and my first question is: has the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation defined their ideal partnership? Thank you.

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. I'm not too sure about the ideal partnership, but we have had significant headway with the Indigenous groups in looking at housing delivery throughout the Northwest Territories. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation has been working with the co-investment fund and rapid rehousing program that the federal government has offered for the Northwest Territories.

With that, the Housing Corporation has hired staff to travel throughout the Northwest Territories. The last number that I had checked that I had personally travelled with the president, we had visited approximately 17 communities out of the 33 throughout the Northwest Territories. Once we did hire a person to work with CMHC with the national co-investment fund to encourage applications not only from Indigenous groups, but also from stakeholders throughout the Northwest Territories, businesses, and non-profit organizations in order for them to acquire the funding.

Mr. Speaker, I feel that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is open to several partnerships. If we can get houses on the ground and are able to work with our partners throughout the Northwest Territories, including Indigenous, then I am open, as a Minister, to have those conversations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

I am happy that the Minister mentioned Indigenous-owned housing options in the Northwest Territories. Is the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation currently supporting any Indigenous-owned, but Northwest Territories Housing Corporation-operated housing options or projects in the Northwest Territories to increase public housing stock?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

The Housing Corporation has had a number of conversations throughout the territory in regard to transfer of units that we do have and market housing units, as well, and looking at partnerships dealing with residents who are entering into eviction. We have supported them through our Northern Pathways program throughout the Northwest Territories; our homelessness initiatives throughout the territory, and shelters, as well; looking at transitioning our tenants into home ownership.

Most of all, Mr. Speaker, I really want to weigh heavy on the co-investment fund, because that is the program that really ties the Housing Corporation with the Indigenous groups and with the bands and Indigenous governments throughout the territory, in order for them to engage in public housing and deliver housing programs, as well. Also, Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation is available to be working with the Indigenous groups, as well, in how to program deliver low-cost-income housing.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

The co-investment fund is very exciting. I agree with the Minister that this is a great opportunity for partnership in the Northwest Territories. I am wondering if the Minister of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will commit to engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including northern business and Indigenous organizations, to create a policy foundation for a private-public housing partnerships in the Northwest Territories?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

I would have to follow up with the Member to elaborate on this policy, because as the housing Minister, I don't feel that we need a policy in order for us to engage into partnership. I think that the federal government has provided enough funding adequately presently for the Northwest Territories to be entering into partnership and supporting these applications as we go forward. I will follow up with the Member to be clearer on what type of policy she is wanting the Housing Corporation to engage with. I don't feel that we need a policy in order to engage into partnerships throughout the territory.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am always game to have any kind of chat about housing with the Minister at any time offline, for sure. One such example of this could be: earlier, I heard the Minister saying to the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes that she is open to entertaining new lease arrangements in communities in the Northwest Territories. One of the things that we run into in the NWT is that it's very, very costly for builders to come in and build housing units, especially without some form of a contract of clients on the other end. When communities largely have public housing, it would be great if builders could set up contracts with the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation before the build in order to know how we are going to operate this, how we are going to work together. This is one such policy example that doesn't exist that would be really helpful to the people of the Northwest Territories to be able to get housing on the ground. I am wondering if the Minister is willing to commit to at least partnerships, then, prior to a build, with northern industry. Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you to the Member for elaborating on that and giving me more of an idea of where she is going with her questions. Throughout the territory, we do have leases in the larger centres and not specifically in the smaller communities. If there is an opportunity for us to enter into an arrangement such as this to provide low-cost-income housing throughout the territory, this is something that I would like to further on the conversation with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Question 659-19(2): Northwest Territories Arts Council
Oral Questions

March 10th, 2021

Page 2445

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. It appears that the NWT Arts Council has not received the attention it deserves for the last several years. Only half the seats on the council are currently filled, with two having been appointed only in the last couple of weeks. The strategic plan ended in 2018, and much of the website is out of date. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment explain what is going on with the NWT Arts Council and how it was operating with only one person on the board out of six? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A lot of things happened. We had a complete turnover in the office that deals with the arts council, and there was no overlap of employees. In a situation like that where we have a limited public service and we don't have these big offices with a lot of lateral positions, we could run into these issues. That was an issue in getting the arts council filled with board members. We had a couple of resignations that were unexpected, but to the Member's question about how it operates with a single position, there is no requirement for a certain number of members for quorum, so even though there was a single member who was officially appointed, the other members who were in between appointments, who have been since reappointed, did participate.

In May, we are going to have a call for nominations, and we will fill the other seats. We will be back to a full board this spring, and I think the future is looking bright. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the website, this relates to the Member's other questions about the other website, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, that's also going through a refresh at the same time as part of the same process. That would be taken care of as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I want to thank the Minister for that, and certainly, my intention is not to embarrass anybody. I just want to make sure that we get the arts council back on track. I think part of the problem is the lack of support from the department and the way that arts seems to fall between two departments, namely Education, Culture and Employment and Industry, Tourism and Investment. Can the Minister tell us what he is doing to support the NWT Arts Council and its independence?

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

We currently have staff who provide support to the arts council. As I've said, there were some operational issues last year, but things have improved. The arts council, it's a creation of policy in the Northwest Territories, and through that policy, they have a role in making recommendations to the Minister about how to distribute the arts council funding. We provide them support in doing that and support for their meetings. The best practice is: having peers review the submissions for arts funding. Because of that, when these recommendations from the arts council come to the Minister, the Minister will look at them, but essentially, they're signed off. It's not something where I'm going to go through and make my own -- say no to this artist, say yes to this artist's submission and things like that. They are arm's length in that sense. However, going forward, we have a new Arts Strategy coming out, and we want to look at ways to improve arts across the territory in any way possible. One of those ways might be looking at the possibility of enhancing the profile of the arts council, perhaps, enhancing its responsibilities, its duties, how it's governed, the support that it has, and things like that. I can leave it there.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm interested in looking at best practices, as well. I think some of those best practices are shown in other Canadian jurisdictions, including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Newfoundland and Labrador. Their arts councils are equivalent; they're actually established through legislation. We've got a policy that dates from 1989 that sets up our arts council. Will the Minister commit to reviewing this situation and bring forward legislation to formally establish the NWT Arts Council as an independent body?