This is page numbers 4919 - 4952 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 youth.

Topics

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I will deliver my first of four Member's statements this week about Remembrance Day. Since this is the last session of the 19th Legislative Assembly we will get to commemorate the sacrifices made in the name of freedom, I wanted to take this week to talk about a number of themes that I feel are important to recognize.

As many know, I am the daughter of a veteran of the Second World War. My father went off to war in the name of freedom, one of many Canadians who fought for the ability to have the freedoms and society that we have today.

Remembrance Day is a time to remember those who lost their lives, have been injured in the line of duty, those who struggle with the physical and mental wounds of combat, and the many families and communities that were left behind to pick up the pieces of their lives impacted by war. We remember all you have done and thank you for all the sacrifices you have made so Canadians can live in the country that we do. It's the ultimate debt that we cannot repay.

Madam Speaker, as the years go by, the impact and significance of the two world wars is left to textbooks and popular culture to teach current and future generations about what their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents endured, so they could have the life they have today. While war and conflict continue to happen around the world to this day, the context to what it is happening is different than some of the more historical conflicts the world has experienced. That's why it's important we continue to honour this day.

Young people and future generations need to know why they have the freedoms they do today. We need to do our part to share our experiences and those of our family members who went away to war, and to honour the memories of those who did not come home.
Madam Speaker, Lest we Forget. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, every year at this time our society celebrates a ghoulish tradition - Halloween night. All schools hold Halloween costume parties, games, and there's prizes for the scariest costumes. For the children, there is excitement going trick or treating from house to house to collect all sorts of candies. Parents, I warn you, it is for your kids. Equally excited are the adults who have their own entertainment night at local establishments.

Madam Speaker, that was the first time I saw a ghost going from one ditch and across to the other ditch and back again and that was the whole length of the road; which reminds me, the man was in the hospital on Halloween for a series of medical tests - the last test had left his tummy upset. After making many false alarm trips to the bathroom, he decided that the fifth false trip would be his last and just stay in bed from now on. Then he had to go again, and this time it was the real deal and the bedsheets were covered in brown matter. This was very embarrassing for the man. So he jumped up, gathered up the bedsheets into a large ball and threw them out the nearest open hospital window.

A mixed martial arts fighter was walking to the hospital to visit an injured training partner when the ball of sheets landed on him. He started screaming, punching, and kicking his legs wildly as hard as he could, which left the soiled sheets in a tangled pile at his feet. As the fighter stood there staring down at the sheets, trying to work out what just happened, a hospital security guard, who just witnessed the whole incident, walked up and asked, are you okay? Still staring down at what just attacked him, the fighter replied, I think I just beat the crap out of a ghost. Have a Happy Halloween, everyone. Mahsi.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

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

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I can't exactly see everyone but it's my understanding that Avery Parle and other members of the union are here visiting us today, so I would like to welcome and thank them for coming. Thank you.

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

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.

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

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to recognize -- oh, yeah, I can see them now. Julianne Fuller, the mother of one of the pages, and also Pierre Benoit Rondeau Chalifoux who is the chaperone for the pages. And I'd like to recognize two of the pages from Hay River that are here, Jackson Fuller and Francis Cook, and they're both from Ecole Boreale. Thank you.

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

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I too would like to welcome Julie Fuller. She used to be in Inuvik so past resident of Inuvik. Welcome. I'm in a different capacity today, so.

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

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Madam Speaker, along with the number of adults on the street who are living with various health and addiction-related issues, we also have those with similar issues living in isolation with minimal or no supports. Madam Speaker, it is important medical social workers are available to those individuals who are requiring access to wraparound service. Therefore, Madam Speaker, can the Minister of health give us an idea of what wraparound health supports are available to assist the most vulnerable, which includes seniors, those living with disabilities, and those who are homeless? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question. So adult services supports case management of people with disabilities, including those who may have addictions and mental health challenges. These positions aren't necessarily social workers, but they could be other professionals who are able to provide case management support. It's important to say, however, that this position does not exist at the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. They don't have a medical social worker or an adult social worker at this time. Thank you.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, with staffing issues facing our healthcare system, will the Minister confirm if her department has considered the need to establish, for smaller communities, a shared medical social worker position that would provide wrap around services. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. The medical social workers work within the acute care settings and so at this time they are not in communities, and we don't have a plan to expand them there. Thank you.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, one can point to lack of housing as a contributor to addictions as well as physical and mental health issues. Can the Minister confirm her department's working relationship with the department of housing to address the connection between the lack of housing and health? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1259-19(2): Adult Support Workers
Oral Questions

October 31st, 2022

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to confirm for the Member that we, in fact, do see the connection between homelessness and health, and for that reason, we have been participating in the development of a homelessness strategy being led by the NWT Housing Corporation. We believe that homelessness requires a whole-of-government approach. It's not usually just one reason that a person is homeless or one kind of service, like a house that they need; they need a number of different services. And so we are able and willing to participate in improving services to homeless population and look forward to seeing the homeless strategy when it's available. Thank you.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it is clear from the Minister's answer in this House last Friday that she is committed to the placement of two medical social workers in Hay River. I would ask the Minister if the funding for the positions would be long-term and secure going forward. Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I think that would be the intention, but I can't commit to this funding. What the process is, is that Hay River Health and Social Services Authority needs to make a business case for the medical social workers and then submit it during the regular business planning cycle. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Question 1260-19(2): Suicide
Oral Questions

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. According to Statistics Canada, the national suicide rates are higher among Indigenous people than the non-Indigenous population in Canada. The NWT Office of the Chief Coroner 2021-2022 Early Release of Suicide Data Report does not include any data on race or ethnicity, and the absence of this data does not allow the government to target supports and resources to those who really need it. So can the Minister of Justice explain whether or not the chief coroner tracks this data by race or ethnicity? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1260-19(2): Suicide
Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister responsible for Justice.

Question 1260-19(2): Suicide
Oral Questions

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So the information is currently not tracked. The coroner's office does ask families for information about ethnicity but not all families provide that information. So it's not a full data set. But I can't commit that the coroner's office to do something, but we can have that discussion and look further into it. Thank you.

Question 1260-19(2): Suicide
Oral Questions

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. He kind of answered my next question, which was could we commit to trying to track that data as clearly if we don't understand the -- or can't characterize the extent of the issue, then we wouldn't be able to come up with some good solutions. Given the overrepresentation of Indigenous men in our criminal justice system, which suicide prevention strategies are being used in our correctional facilities and rehabilitation programs? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1260-19(2): Suicide
Oral Questions

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So obviously the staff are the people who are in direct contact with inmates in correctional facilities and staff are -- they receive training in applied suicide intervention skills, so the assist training that's been discussed in this House before. They also receive mental health first aid training, and this year they've moved to the mental health first aid northern peoples edition training. The intake process at corrections includes screening for suicide and mental health issues. There are psychologists, counsellors, and traditional counsellors in the correctional facilities, depending on which facility you are in. And there are a number of different programs as well that incarcerated individuals can access. Thank you.

Question 1260-19(2): Suicide
Oral Questions

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I'm glad to hear that those supports are in place for people while they're in the criminal justice system or within the facilities themselves. Can the Minister speak to what's given or offered to inmates after they've left the facility as far as mental health and wellness counselling or supports go? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1260-19(2): Suicide
Oral Questions

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So once someone is released from a correctional facility, they often have to check in with probation officers, and those probation officers can provide additional support, often things that are maybe not even necessarily in the policy manual. You know, when you're dealing with people in real life situations, you might be providing supports that are outside of what is normally provided. But we don't have, I mean aftercare I guess, in the Northwest Territories for people who are coming out of jail. The move towards the therapeutic model at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre is moving in that direction where we are trying to give people the skills they need while they are incarcerated, and then hopefully begin to provide assistance afterwards as well so that they don't get back on the same track so they can maintain the progress that they've made. Thank you.