Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Dan Schofield and his wife Kim, long-time Northerners and public servants, will be retiring and leaving the North. Today I would like to acknowledge the impact he has had on many of the youth, including my own children.

Mr. Speaker, Kim Schofield has served in the North within the Justice Department. That and serving in the capacity of recreational leader, community development, director of school community government, and COVID Secretariat. The role I know Dan's best, however, as a coach, advocate for the youth.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Dan for countless hours here he put into youth across the Northwest Territories. He coached soccer for Canada Summer Games. He was a president of Basketball NWT. He initiated Arctic Shoot-out, the Cager high performance team, initiated the still, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Dan Schofield has coached hockey in the NWT for well over 30 years and has affected the lives of hundreds of Northern youth. Dan's team completed nationally and internationally, at Arctic Winter Games, Canada Games, and Europe Challenge. He coached both male and female players, many of whom who went on to complete at higher level in the south, Triple A, Junior A, NCAA University, WHL, Royal Hockey under 18 hockey championship.

Mr. Speaker, Dan is a tough coach. He expected the best of his players and worked them hard. But no one worked harder than Dan. He scored extra ice time for his teams, coordinated training and tournaments, arranged multiple fundraising opportunities so that the team can travel. He was constantly raising the bar, pushing his players to do better. His influence extended far beyond the bench. Dan's lessons were life lessons.

In the words of my son, Jayde, Dan was a very strong influence. The main key for the hockey experience. He gave me more opportunities than I have ever asked for. He motivated me to be the best hockey player possible and version of myself, pushing me every time. Even if I want to give up, he trusted me. He believed in me. Those teachings also transfer to life lessons - to never give up and keep pushing for what I want. Thank you, Dan for everything, and thank you for being the best coach.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of many players, coaches, and families affected by generosity and dedicated spirit, I would like to thank Dan Schofield for his dedication to his sport and youth in the NWT. Masi cho, Dan.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is very sad to see the plight of flood-affected families and we all must come forward to help each other in the hour of need. This includes the GNWT as we work on doing their best to assist the affected families and evacuees during the 2021 flood for the communities of Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson. As a person who was in one of the communities during the flood and in contact with the other community, the GNWT did a great job. What I saw and witnessed was the departments doing their best to support each community as we dealt with the flood.

The GNWT response started with the regional EMO team that is made up of departmental staff who helped and assisted the community staff and team. They showed great leadership and willingness to help and get things done as quickly as they were asked. This process started in January/February. Was it perfect? No. Did we need to adapt and modify the plan daily? Yes. Did we learn what needs to be improved next time? A big yes.

As I said in my previous member's statements, I know I am missing things the GNWT did but what I did see was nothing but amazing. They were there for the communities. I have attached appendixes with the various departments and staff lists that helped with the flood response. I would like to deem them as read.

Mr. Speaker, Deh Cho Health and Social Services moved our long-term care elders to Norman Wells with four staff, homecare elders to a B&B on the mainland, had community and regional staff available to provide necessary services and a M.A.S.H.-style mobile health unit.

Infrastructure had airport staff working to accept flights in with food, supplies, and transporting evacuees to Fort Smith and Hay River. They worked to get the ferry up and operational, ensuring it was done in a safe manner, so supplies could get into the community. As well, Infrastructure ensured the JMR access road was maintained.

The Power Corp did an amazing job in both communities. They had staff look after the power plants and shut them off in a timely manner. Unfortunately with the plants being shut off, they had to bring in a temporary plant to Jean Marie from Fort St. John, BC and start up an alternate plant up on the mainland.

They brought in staff from outside to help the community ensure that they had power and made sure, as the water receded, the power was hooked up safely.

ENR - they were a great asset during the flood. They helped bring in a mobile unit so staff had a place to stay in Jean Marie as they dealt with wildfire, wildlife issues. They helped the residents that stayed behind in both tent city camps. They brought in shower facilities and additional wall tents for Fort Simpson. They transported goods in the community and between both communities.

Municipal and Community Affairs provided - as food was needed, the department purchased 210 food hampers for Fort Simpson and Jean Marie. This was a big help for the residents that stayed in the community. The department put another 300 hampers together as evacuees started returning home.

Mr. Speaker, this is a small amount of support the GNWT offered during our difficult time. On top of this, the Government of the Northwest Territories donated $150,000 to the United Way in support of those impacted by flooding in the Northwest Territories. All I can say is thank you, thank you, and mahsi cho.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Colleagues, please be mindful of the clock. It was like two statements there but we will let it go for today.

Okay, Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgments. Sorry, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I didn't see the Member for Hay River North jump up so I would like to recognize Anne Danielson, the CA for the Member for Hay River North, and welcome her to the gallery and it is good practice for us, I guess, to finally start getting people in here. And welcome, Anne.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Welcome to the gallery; I hope that you are enjoying the proceedings today. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would also like to recognize our interpreters that are doing a great job and keeping up to our Members even though -- well, actually, everybody kind of slowed down a bit here. So thank you, once again.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd ask the Minister responsible for Health and seniors to confirm where her department is with respect to developing a home care strategy that is in line with this government's commitment to supporting seniors, aging at home, with dignity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important commitment to me. I plan to age in place here. I know some of my colleagues do as well, and their parents as well. And so the services provided are very important.

In the 18th Assembly, the department commissioned a home and community care study. It was delivered in September of 2019. It had 22 recommendations. And the department followed up by responding formally to the home and community care review. And so that is basically our strategy for what we're doing with home and community care; how we're addressing those 22 recommendations.

In this fiscal year, there are six new positions in home and community care, a total of spending of $1.42 million. And the priorities for this year are to hire three new regional home care nurses who will provide oversight for home care in their areas, two territorial wound care nurses, support for additional home care services after hours and on weekends, and for people who are palliative, and a project manager in Yellowknife. So there are a lot of things going on in home and community care to better meet the needs of residents of the NWT, recognizing that our population of people who are aging need these services. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess you provided me with -- the Minister provided me with the number of supports that are going to be coming out. And I'm just wondering on the timing of them, if some are out already, if we're moving ahead, or are some going to be in place later on, if she can just come up with some idea of time for me. Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure when these six positions will be filled or if they've already been filled so I'll have to come back to the Member with that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm if her department is working with the Minister of Housing and ECE to collaborate on effective programs and support for seniors? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are taking a whole of government approach to seniors aging because it cuts across many different departments. And one of the things that we're working on together is an elders strategy which will look in more detail at the gaps that exist across government in services for seniors and to make a plan to fill those gaps. So that includes housing. So we recently -- the Minister of Housing and I recently went to Fort Good Hope for the opening of their new seniors housing. And the collaboration there is that the Housing Corporation built the facility, and the nursing unit in Fort Good Hope provides the home and community care so that the people who are living in the housing can stay in the housing. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that arise, and I know it is in Hay River, is that some seniors don't have access to transportation to get to the health centre. You know, they may have to take a taxi and some may not have the funds. And I know that there are vouchers that are provided at some times. But can the Minister confirm with her department about considering providing financial support to communities without adequate means of transportation to health centres so that they can make it there. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, transportation is an issue in every community, including Yellowknife. Getting seniors to program sites, health sites, shopping, and so on is an issue all around. This is not something that the department has taken on but it's something that I can inquire about. The department provides the individual support. So if somebody needs a walker, for example, then the department would assist them in obtaining that but not necessarily a ride to the health centre. Thank you.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are related to my Member's statement presented earlier regarding suggestions to incorporate life skills courses into schools to pique interest in career paths for students. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment provide an update as to development of this initiative. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As what the Member was asking about teaching life schools in school, and I don't have specific information about a life skills initiative but I can talk a bit about what is done in schools in a broad sense, understanding that what happens in the school is highly dependant on the DEA, the community, and the teachers at that time. And there could be a lot of variation and there could be heavy focus on life stills depending on those influences. So in schools of course we have the courses like career/life management that people are familiar with.

We also have courses like career and technology courses where you can take more practical hands-on type courses as opposed to theoretical thins. We are introducing career and education advisors across the territory, and those individuals can help students figure out what path they want to go on in terms of education. So these students I guess aren't aimless in their education. They can really focus on what they need and get the skills that they need which in and of itself is practical. Of course we are also engaging in a curriculum renewal and one of the criteria that we are looking at is a curriculum that is not so much focused on just memorizing things but focused on gaining skills, competencies that you would need to use in everyday life. So those are some of the things that we're doing. You know, if there's something more specific that the Member has in mind, I can try and speak to that as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I know he states there's hands-on experiences but I think shop centres and trade centres were built and developed for the larger centres and not necessarily the small centres. We really want to see some change to increase changes of students' success that could create a positive learning experience for them, then, you know, cost should not with be a stumbling block and waiting for decisions to be made others. I just reiterate again, will the Minister develop an action plan to initiate this initiative? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we're not looking at an action plan, to initiate something like that. However, I can say that I have had conversations with the education leaders across the territory, so the chairs of the regional boards and the local DEAs, and there has been a focus on the hands-on type learning, and you know, it's clear that there is a lack of those facilities in the smaller communities, and I even hear in the larger communities it is difficult to staff a lot of those facilities.

There is a shortage of journeypersons across Canada and not every journeyperson wants to be a teacher. And so, you know, there has been difficulties in Yellowknife and in the communities in staffing those positions. However there is a renewed focus on that with the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university. We're looking at expanding the reach of the college in to every single community in the territory and hopefully that will help us strengthen the relationship between the college and the JK to 12 system so that there can be some of those hands-on skills taught in a -- by the college or to high school students and have some perhaps dual credit courses where students can take high school courses to get credits for the college. So that is focus of what we're doing.

We understand that we need to prepare people for the job market. We need to prepare people for the real world and there is a focus on ensuring that we take the steps now to do that without a specific strategy as part of our overall goal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.