This is page numbers 2689 - 2718 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 health.

Topics

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've been talking about mental health and COVID fatigue in our -- up back home in the Delta and my riding in Nunakput. Mr. Speaker, what funding and available support do we have for our local community governments that are able to provide with gatherings organized for youth, and is there any funding available, and is there a list that the senior administrative officer or the hamlets could get sent to them for the communities to access funding under the COVID-19 fatigue in that community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do not have a pot of funding that is designated to COVID fatigue, but we do offer a suite of funds to deal with health and wellness, including on-the-land funding, peer support, suicide prevention. We have counsellors who are resident in Tuktoyaktuk, and they are able to offer same-day appointments. We have apps for people to use who are experiencing anxiety and depression, parenting problems, and so on.

I realize that may not be very helpful in communities with slow internet connections. But we do have this range of funding available. And it's my understanding as well that there was funding provided by the federal government to Indigenous governments related to COVID.

So I can certainly find out or create a list for the Member to share with his SAOs, that there is quite a range of things that are available. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that, Madam Minister. What support services we have been made available to support mental health to our elders in our communities, I have one -- she says I have one in Tuk, but I think he was -- he left Tuk, and he's in Behchoko now, serving there.

But the biggest thing is the small communities, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, and Ulu. We have -- the services that are required there need internet. If you're using the apps and stuff like that, it's slow service. What's being made available, I guess, for in-person? Like I asked earlier this year, if teams could go in, help teams.

The biggest thing I think what we're looking for too is a community navigator appointed by the COVID Secretariat to see if we could use somebody in that position to help assist the communities and the people. Is that available? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the Member for Nunakput previously asked for a mental health team to go to his community, it went to his community in the last week of March, the last week that we were sitting prior to this sitting. So, certainly, the department is able to provide in-person mental health supports.

I'm not sure if they can do that again. It's something that I can request. I can say in the meantime, as long as people have a phone, they can get telephone counselling, which is not the same as person-to-person but is better than nothing by a long shot. You still have a professional on the other end of the phone.

So if the person doesn't have a phone in their house, they can go to the health centre and request the use of the phone for a counselling appointment, and the health centre will accommodate people in that service. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. Again, I mean we're really thankful when we're getting help sent in, and that is so much required. But we do need a community navigator to work with our communities to help community's residents navigate public health orders to uncover funding, the funding programs that will ensure the small communities can have as much social activity and gatherings as possible during this pandemic.

So is there any availability to have, like, a community public navigator appointed like we have sitting in Inuvik with the COVID police or COVID Secretariat? So is there somebody available that we could appoint to Tuk maybe working with the department working with the Premier that could do something like that? Is that available for the outlying communities as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't think there is a position that is specifically about navigating public health orders. Although, of course, people who work in public health in Tuk and in Inuvik would be able to talk to the public health orders, what they mean, and answer questions about them. So that certainly is possible. In terms of appointing someone brand new to a position in Tuktoyaktuk, that would really need to be a budget consideration. And so I invite the Member to forward that when the time comes. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the GNWT, through the resources on COVID Secretariat, identify staff persons and appoint existing staff, I guess in the community, that are going into Tuk and doing their jobs and appoint somebody from there to assist the SAO and just on the public health orders to access funding services to ensure all small communities can have the social gatherings and social activities that are so desperately required for health and well being of the people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hear the Member's desire to have more social activity in his community, and I appreciate that people are feeling cooped up, and they're ready to move on from this experience.

I can certainly ask the department if there is someone there or somebody in the health authority who can reach out to the SAO and go over what the possibilities are for funding in the area that the Member has indicated. So I'll make sure that that happens. Thank you.

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. Questions for the Minister of MACA. Can the Minister confirm how much financial assistance in terms of a cheque or cash has been paid out to individuals that have been impacted by the flooding. As it's been almost two weeks now, and I'm just wondering, you know, how much action with respect to payments that we have seen. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the Territory is quite anxious to see, you know, the response of what the department has been providing to the community of Fort Simpson. The Housing Corporation and Municipal and Community Affairs have just returned back from the community. We have followed up on a conversation this morning, and we are further to determine that about 43 houses have been affected in the community as well.

And looking at financial supports for that community, we have been working very closely as well and taking care of the hotel financial obligation for that community. MACA is taking care of those residents there.

And also looking at further assistance as well, we are really heavily dependent on the assessment that's going to be able to determine what needs are going to be provided for that community.

As of today, the only financial assistance that has been provided to the community is the support from the Department, both MACA and Housing, and also providing the accommodations for the residents that have been affected by the flood. The residents are currently now still in the hotels in Fort Providence and in Fort Simpson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister confirm how much money her department has set aside or identified to assist immediately with financial support to the victims that are in dire need of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I had said, we are waiting on the assessment to be completed. But in the meantime, we are providing that support to the communities and looking at their home and their housing repair, which is the priority right now. We will be keeping the Members and my colleagues updated as we go forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I thank the Minister for that response, you know, and I guess what I'm after is I want to know, you know, if that the people are being looked after for immediate needs right now, because I know that many of them have probably, you know, used up whatever funds they had just, you know, leaving their home. There's always a cost associated with it.

I'd also ask the Minister if she can confirm how long her department is with assessments or has it even started on the buildings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a lot of I guess maybe a conversation about the assessment, who conducts the assessment, who is going to be responsible for the assessment. The communities have reached out as well in wanting to conduct their own.

Right now, MACA has hired a northern company that will be getting into Fort Simpson on Wednesday and Thursday, both Simpson and Jean Marie River, of this week. And once I'm provided those further details, I will follow up with the Member and with my colleagues as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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. There's been a number of organizations raising money for the victims of the flooding. I think we've had Red Cross and United Way and individuals as well through GoFundMe pages.

Has the Minister been in contact with any of these groups or individuals to confirm, you know, how much money has been raised and how it will be dispersed and just to coordinate with what her department's doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct that there has been a lot of donations that have been provided to the community. We have not tallied up those numbers yet and outreaching to the organizations that are helping to support the community. I will have to get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, our time for oral questions has expired. Written questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. As we are over one calendar year into the COVID-19 pandemic, can the Minister provide a copy of the exemption policy document used to guide self-isolation exemption decisions, and the number of exemptions per week for the last three months, the category for grounds for exemptions, the percentage breakdown between exemptions granted to residents versus non-residents, and the percentage of exemptions granted for personal versus essential versus commercial purposes. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to Commissioner's address. Petitions. Reports of Committees on the review of bills. Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Government Operations report on the review of the 2019-2020 Northwest Territories Ombud Annual Report.

Introduction

The Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed the 2019-2020 Annual Report of the Northwest Territories Ombud. The committee thanks Ms. Colette Langlois, Northwest Territories' Ombud, for her appearance before the Committee on December the 9th, 2020.

The Ombud is a statutory officer of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly under the Ombud Act. The Ombud investigates complaints from people who feel they have been treated unfairly by territorial authorities. The Ombud's role is to find fair solutions and improve the delivery of government services.

The Ombud Act requires the Ombud to prepare annual reports on the activities of the Ombud's office. This includes the number of inquiries and complaints received. The Speaker tables the report in the Legislative Assembly. Once tabled, Committee reviews the report. The 2019-2020 annual report is the first report since the appointment of the Northwest Territories' first Ombud in April 2019.

In her report, the Ombud highlights the activities of setting up a new Ombud office in Hay River, informs on investigations and public outreach, and makes recommendations. In this review, Committee discusses and responds to the Ombud's recommendations.

I will now turn it over to MLA Johnson to further carry on the report.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Member for Yellowknife North.