The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Welcome Members. Minsters' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Madam Speaker, over the last decade, the Department of Health and Social Services has been working on improving cultural safety for the Indigenous communities and peoples of the Northwest Territories. This critical work underpins everything the health and social services system does to redress the legacy of colonialism and anti-Indigenous racism that has so deeply affected Indigenous communities.

This fall, a distinct cultural safety and anti-racism division was established to create a system-wide environment where Indigenous peoples feel safe, respected, and free of racism and discrimination when accessing health and social services.

To reach this goal, all staff need a foundational understanding of the ways in which anti- Indigenous racism is experienced within health and social services. We know that racism creates barriers that prevent Indigenous peoples from seeking necessary healthcare. Racism is contributing to outcomes such as a shorter life expectancy and higher rates of suicide, mental health and addiction issues, as well as chronic diseases. We know that training all service providers about cultural safety and anti-racism is imperative.

Madam Speaker, the department launched mandatory training for all health and social services system staff and since June 2021, 240 staff have participated in the training sessions. The training takes place in-person over two days and is delivered by Indigenous guest speakers and a staff team that is primarily Indigenous.

Another significant initiative to improve client and community experience is the introduction of Indigenous patient advocates. Four senior Indigenous patient advocates have been hired and are completing orientation and training in preparation for the launch of the program later this year. The Indigenous patient advocates will work in NWT acute care facilities in Inuvik, Fort Smith, Hay River, and Yellowknife. Madam Speaker, they will support Indigenous clients to address their concerns, complaints, and questions, while bridging culture and language barriers.

Part of improving the relationship-based health and social services system in which cultural safety is included and valued is the design of a new social innovation project called the Baby Bundle. The Baby Bundle is available to all parents with children up to six months. The bundle contains clothing, toiletries, and a tote bag that turns into a backpack. The program has been in development for several years and tried out with parents in four regions to ensure it contains the right items. The bundle is combined with prenatal care and well-child visits. These visits are critical to improving health outcomes and positive early childhood development indicators for all children. This initiative also offers an opportunity for healthcare providers to build relationships with families, to engage in discussion and decision-making, and to share culture-centered approaches to welcoming a new child to the world. The program was launched the week before, and 600 Baby Bundles will be available across the NWT this year.

Madam Speaker, we are working to bring the NWT to the forefront of change and innovation in the way the health and social services system responds to the needs and priorities of Indigenous clients and helps them feel confident about cultural safety and comfort that results in improvements in health outcomes for future generations. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Minister for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Madam Speaker, making strategic infrastructure investments is a priority of 19th Legislative Assembly. Given our vast territory, airports are indeed strategic infrastructure to the North. Residents across the territory depend on air travel for the movement of goods and people, medevacs, search and rescue operations, forest fire response, and much more. Our airports also contribute to the economic and social well-being of Northwest Territories residents. The GNWT is making major improvements to Inuvik's Mike Zubko Airport, a key part of the territory's multi-model transportation system. The improvements at this airport, I will speak about today, are the runway extension and civil infrastructure projects.

Madam Speaker, the civil infrastructure improvements will make the airport more resilient to the effects of climate change and help protect the permafrost below the airport. Plans to extend the runway by 3,000 feet, as well as upgrades to the lighting, navigational and military aircraft landing systems, it will support the Department of National Defence in meeting its obligations under the North American Aerospace Defence Command Treaty. Collaboration and partnership is an important part of how we do business in the North.

Madam Speaker. The GNWT is committed to maximizing employment and training opportunities for residents and businesses in the Beaufort Delta region. We have partnered on this project with Delta North Alliance Construction Incorporated, which is an Indigenous-owned and operated joint venture comprised of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Gwich'in Tribal Council, and EGT Northwind Limited.

In order to maximize local involvement, several work packages associated with the construction of the Inuvik Airport runway extension and civil infrastructure projects were created. In September 2021, a first work package for clearing and grubbing was awarded for $1.7 million. This work began in January 2022 and is now substantially complete.

More recently, the GNWT and the Government of Canada reached an agreement with the joint venture to advance additional work packages. A $41.2 million contract for drainage, earthworks, and quarry material production, was awarded in July 2022. The joint venture started this construction work last month.

Madam Speaker, this is an important project, both for Inuvik and the Northwest Territories. Like many capital projects in the Northwest Territories and across the country, it has been impacted by inflation and market escalations due to supply chain issues that have increased project costs beyond the original budget.

Current projections for the project have identified a shortfall of approximately $90 million and discussions with the GNWT and Canada continue to address this funding gap.

The GNWT will be responsible for a portion of the increased costs for the civil improvements.

We are working through these challenges with our partners, and the July agreement reached between the joint venture, the GNWT and Canada, is an example of how this collaborative approach allows us to advance this project.

The GNWT remains committed to doing all it can to see that this project is a success and benefits not just the people of Inuvik and the Beaufort Delta but the entire Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Minister's statements. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as we see the population of seniors and homelessness increase in Hay River and throughout the NWT, it is important we prepare our healthcare system to ensure trained personnel are in place to provide the health supports required.

Madam Speaker, we talk about keeping seniors in their homes and, as I stated previously, although an admirable expectation it is not realistic. This government expects to keep seniors in their homes, which may well work for those who have the financial resources, are healthy, mobile, and have family support. For those not in that position, there is a reliance on our understaffed health and home care services.

Unfortunately, home care does not provide 24/7 wraparound services thus placing that responsibility squarely on the shoulders of family. Madam Speaker, with increasing pressures on families just to keep up with the cost of living, it now requires two wage earners in the family to place food on the table while covering the necessities of life.

I have talked to seniors who do not want to place the additional responsibility of health and home care on their children who are already overburdened with the responsibilities that come with employment and raising a family.

Madam Speaker, we as government need to work towards identifying those gaps that currently exist within the system and fill them. We need to engage families, with their support identify solutions that will provide their loved ones with a quality of life each has earned. We must not forget that we are in a housing crisis and that there are persons who find themselves homeless and are falling through the cracks and, because of it, are not receiving proper care. To help them, we need to be out of our offices and on the street reaching out.

Madam Speaker, I recognize a pressing need in the community of Hay River for medical social workers, to take on the responsibility of supporting those who are vulnerable and require wraparound health, mental health, and a multiple of social care services. This work, as the Minister of health previously stated, is done off the corner of the desk of employees with other responsibilities and that is not acceptable. Our approach needs to change. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, on October 3rd, the chief coroner released the 2021-2022 Early Release of Suicide Data Report to raise the alarm on the escalating rate of suicide in the territory. There had already been more suicides by September of this year than in any year total in the previous two decades.

Madam Speaker, Indigenous youth that identify as male were among the majority of those who turned to suicide due to the stress of their daily life. What does this say about the state of our territory and the kinds of resources, supports, and opportunities the government is providing for Indigenous young men to succeed and live healthy lives?

Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege of working with an Indigenous youth in my constituency. With his permission, I want to share a little of his story to acknowledge the difficulties he experiences and to honour the incredible strength and resilience he has shown to overcome these challenges.

Madam Speaker, this youth is intelligent, a determined student and a star athlete. He has the potential to be anything he wants in life yet he continuously faces barriers to his health, well-being, and dreams because he, as a youth, has lacked a stable home environment and financial resources. This is not his fault, Madam Speaker, but he is being punished for it.

When he reaches out for help, this youth faces a myriad of barriers that would be overwhelming for an adult to navigate let alone someone as young as 15. For example, what is for many a simple act of registering for an athletic tournament, for him is a series of "nos" to his funding requests because he is not eligible or does not qualify for financial support. Despite these disappointments, he always moves forward and finds ways to support his own aspirations, including through working hard at his part-time job while maintaining his studies.

Madam Speaker, it is important to understand the life experiences of this youth and those of so many other Indigenous male youths. Understanding these life experiences would allow the government to design programs and create resources that could provide critical supports to young Indigenous males throughout their lives. The time to support Indigenous male youth, and all youth, is now.

Madam Speaker, every statistic provided by the chief coroner is a person who was loved by their family and their community. So today I share, out of respect and care for them, and all youth in our territory. The youth are our future leaders and they deserve all the support we can give them to realize their dreams and potential. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Madam Speaker, it has been said in this House many times, and I stand up again, to stress that cell service is greatly needed on Highway No. 3 between Boundary Creek and Behchoko.

Madam Speaker, on Highway No. 3 there is very little shoulder on the side of the road to pull over if you need. This has been the cause of many fatal accidents. There is no room on the road to stop safely, and you are at major risk of being hit by oncoming traffic if you have to get out of your vehicle. Just this past weekend on Saturday, October 29th, we witnessed another accident - a small car collided with a truck carrying wood. It was dark; it was in an area without cell service. Luckily, Madam Speaker, this collision was not fatal. However, with wood spilled all over the entire highway, it was a major traffic hazard.

Madam Speaker, there was no ambulance, no RCMP on the scene, because there was no cell service to call for help. A young man was in shock. He was in pain and caught a ride back to Behchoko to the healthcare centre in Behchoko. It's shocking to hear, Madam Speaker, when the RCMP met the young man at the health centre, he was accused of leaving the scene.

To avoid all the unnecessary accidents which have taken so many lives and injured many others, leadership in the Tlicho region have been advocating to the Government of the Northwest Territories for years to establish cell service along Highway No. 3 and to make safety along this road a priority.

The Minister of Finance recognized previously in this House that the lack of cell coverage is a safety risk but, Madam Speaker, I am not seeing a capital budget that delivers more cell towers along Highway No. 3. Just this past summer in the news, an ultrafast electric vehicle charger will be available in Behchoko by 2024 at a cost of $624,000. I am aware this is a federal government project.

Madam Speaker, we asked for cell service and outhouses; we got an electric vehicle charger for hybrid cars. Madam Speaker, it is very ironic that people in Behchoko do not drive electric cars. Madam Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Madam Speaker, it is very ironic that people in Behchoko do not drive electric cars. People have enough struggle to find a house to live in. Not only that, with the high cost of living and low average income in the NWT people cannot afford it. Our region has been advocating for improvements in road safety and outhouses along our roadways, Highway No. 3 and Tlicho Highway, which the Government of the Northwest Territories has not been able to advance but they can build an electric vehicle charger station. I will have questions for the Minister of Finance later today. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Madame la Presidente. On October 21st, I volunteered for an interview with staff from Ernst & Young and the Department of Lands concerning a contract to consider whether GNWT should accept surety bonds as a form of financial security for environmental disturbances caused by industrial and commercial operations. I have raised concerns in this House in the past about this form of financial security and whether it is truly unconditional, irrevocable, and immediate.

Members may recall that for the first time in 2014, the GNWT accepted surety bonds backed by insurance companies for the Ekati Mine rather than irrevocable letters of credit from Canadian chartered banks, or cash. In the past, the federal government accepted some dubious forms of financial security, including promissory notes that were not guaranteed in any way, mining properties, and a hydro dam. Our government failed after devolution to ensure the public was protected from reclamation liabilities at Cantung, Cameron Hills and Prairie Creek. I have said it before, it's time that the Auditor General is called to help prevent further public liabilities.

This takes me back to surety bonds. It's not clear to me why the Department of Lands is focused on surety bonds for the convenience of the mining industry when so much other work is required to prevent further public liabilities. This work should include:

• Public reporting on the amount, form and expiry dates for financial security held by GNWT;
• Publicized reasons for decision when a Minister accepts anything other than cash for financial security;
• Making financial security mandatory, along with regularly-updated closure and reclamation plans and up-to-date financial security calculation tools;
• Prevention of perpetual care situations and industry-funded mechanisms to manage such sites;
• Restrictions on ministerial discretion to accept dodgey forms of financial security; and
• Development of legislation, policy, and capacity within GNWT to prevent further public liabilities.

I will have questions for the Minister of Lands later today on why our government is poised to accept surety bonds as an acceptable form of financial security. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.