Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the world was thrust into uncertainty and turmoil as Russia launched an attack and subsequent invasion of Ukraine.

The Northwest Territories stands with Ukraine. The images coming out of the Eastern European nation are horrifying. My heart goes out to those who are forced to flee their homes to find safety, and to those who have lost their lives in a senseless act of aggression by Russia.

Canada has a long history of immigration from Ukraine. Today, Canada is the home to more than 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent, including more than 1,000 in the Northwest Territories. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

To support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, the Government of the Northwest Territories will match donations of NWT residents to the Canadian Red Cross up to a total of $50,000. This will also help to support Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion.

As Russia's alarming and aggressive actions are discussed among First Ministers and Canada considers how to best support the people of Ukraine, I will support Canada's immediate application of severe sanctions. I will also be inviting further conversations with Canada to consider the needs of our Arctic in response to Russia.

Mr. Speaker, history clearly shows we cannot turn a blind eye to international aggression. Although our voice may be small, we stand in support with the people of Ukraine. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, partnership is a theme I have spoken about many times since becoming the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. The reason for this is simple: The most effective way to address the housing crisis in the Northwest Territories is by working in partnership with Indigenous governments, community governments, non-governmental organizations, and the Government of Canada.

By working together to offer home repair programs, community housing plans, investment in new housing units and support for individuals at risk of homelessness, we can make meaningful progress towards achieving our shared housing goals in the territory. Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation has had many recent successes as a result of our strong partnerships. One example in the Northwest Territories is the community housing support programs, which empowers communities to determine their own priorities and help them develop local appropriate programs to make home repairs a reality. Communities and Indigenous governments we have worked with include Kat'lodeeche First Nation, K'asho Got'yne Housing Society, Denyinu Kue First Nation, and the Tlicho government.

Another way the Housing Corporation partners with communities is through the development of community housing plans. We work closely with communities to collect information and feedback on their housing concerns and priorities. Wherever possible, a community member is hired to help facilitate this process and ensure that local priorities are first and foremost in the plan.

At present, the Housing Corporation has met with 24 different communities and is well on the way to developing many of these plans. Recent plans have been adopted in the hamlet of Enterprise and the hamlet of Paulatuk.

Mr. Speaker, working in partnership also extends to the Housing Corporation's action to address homelessness in communities outside of Yellowknife through the northern pathways housing program. This is a supportive housing program for single adults currently operating in Behchoko in partnership with the friendship centre; Fort Simpson in partnership with the Liidlii Kue First Nation; in Aklavik in partnership with the Aklavik Indian Band; and in Fort Good Hope in partnership with the K'asho Got'yne Housing Society. Northern Pathways to Housing works with partners to provide wraparound supports to stabilize housing for clients.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to all the great work done with our NWT partners, the Government of Canada is also a key partner in addressing the housing needs of the Northwest Territories.

Recently, the Housing Corporation has partnered with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to invest just over $9 million for the renovation of 50 units at the Borealis Co-op here in Yellowknife.

The GNWT also partnered with CMHC with the construction of a new building for the Hay River Family Support Centre. Once completed, this new building will provide 14 beds for that shelter.

Working in partnership is truly the most effective way to address the housing needs in the Northwest Territories. While all of the partnerships I have spoken of are important successes, there is still a great deal of work to be done. We will continue to actively engage the Government of Canada and other stakeholders on the territorial housing needs.

We are confident that with the support and partnership of the federal government, Indigenous governments, and organizations, community governments, and other stakeholders, will help make housing in communities across the NWT more affordable and more accessible for the residents who need it most. I also want to thank the staff of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and our local housing authorities for helping us engage at the community level and in the larger centre. Mahsi for your work, Housing Corporation. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, traditional lifestyles are a very important part of the social, cultural, and economic fibre of communities in the Northwest Territories. Traditional livelihoods help to keep cultures strong and maintain on-the-land practices. This supports food security, provides valuable opportunities for individuals to earn an income and support a strong traditional economy across the territory. Support for a sustainable livelihood is a high priority for our government, and today I would like to highlight some of the investments and achievements that we are very proud of.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has expanded its programs this year to strengthen existing programs for people to access on-the-land activities and continue traditional practices.

ENR has worked closely with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to adapt the existing hunter's education program, which is now being offered for-credit program in the high schools. This program, developed in partnership with Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, and respected harvesters, puts safety and respect at the center of the training offered to new young harvesters. Current high school students who will be the next generation of harvesters will take the new course this winter as part of the pilot program in nine schools across the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, we know the support for culture is also important for healing. ENR has worked with the Department of Justice to develop a trapper training program that we will deliver to inmates at the North Slave Correction Centre. This training will help participants learn about trapping regulations, the genuine Mackenzie Valley fur program, how to set traps and prepare pelts, as well as a variety of on the land and survival skills. This is not only an opportunity to reconnect with traditional lifestyles but also develop a practical skills that participants can use upon returning to their community. While roll-out of this program was delayed due to COVID-19, we look forward to the beginning to offer this new program soon.

Mr. Speaker, we have also continued to help families get on the land through many new and existing programs.

In January, ENR provided almost $180,000 for 17 projects under the second intake of Take a Family on the Land program. This funding will support 17 organizations to help folks get out on the land with whomever they consider family.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT also continues to support the NWT On the Land Collaborative which brings together government, charitable, corporate, and other partners to provide financial support for projects across the NWT that promote traditional on-the-land skills building. In 2022, the NWT On the Land Collaborative will invest nearly $1 million to 54 projects across all the regions of the NWT. I would like to acknowledge that the NWT On the Land Collaborative was recognized by the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association with a partnership award for their innovative work. Our government congratulates all the partners in the On the Land Collaborative for the outstanding work they do each year and for the well-deserved award.

Mr. Speaker, while we are proud of the programs offered by ENR, we recognize the importance of reviewing them regularly to make sure they continue to effectively support on-the-land activities.

To that end, we recently engaged with hunters, trappers, and other harvesters across the NWT about the long-standing Community Harvesters Assistance Program. We received valuable input on what is working well and about areas in which the program can be improved. A "what we heard" report with eight recommendations for improvement was shared with the public in January 2022. The intent was to seek additional public input to make sure we got it right. ENR is currently working to update some elements of the program and will use the input provided to continue that work.

Mr. Speaker, these investments are intended to support local harvesters, families, and leaders and continue to encourage sustainable livelihoods. I'd like to recognize the tremendous important role of elders, knowledge-holders, and Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations as they work to develop traditional activities and lifestyles. Our government will continue to provide support as part of our efforts to bolster the traditional economy, create employment opportunities in small communities, and increase food security for Northwest Territories' residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Diane Archie will be absent from the House today's proceedings to participate in a conference call with federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of transportation and highway safety.

Also Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable R.J. Simpson will be absent from the House for a portion of today's proceedings to participate in a conference call with the federal, provincial, territorial Ministers of labour.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In relation to my statement on Monday and throughout most of this week about economic recovery in the NWT, I would once again like to discuss the importance of the Taltson Hydro Expansion.

Mr. Speaker, all major infrastructure projects both currently underway, along with those in the future which I spoke about this week, are all interrelated with this hydro expansion. The Minister of Finance even said so herself the other day during question period. She said that to attract greater economic opportunities and investments into the Northwest Territories, our territory will need greater access to clean and affordable energy.

Well, that is exactly what this project will bring. We're not reinventing the wheel with this here. I mean the Talston Dam already exists. All we need to do is to add to it its increase in energy output.

Mr. Speaker, the construction of the Taltson Expansion would address at least two out of the 22 priorities of the 19th Assembly. The priorities include:

1. Reduce the cost of power and increase the use the alternative and renewable energy; and
2. Make strategic infrastructure investments that connect communities, expand the economy, or reduce the cost of living, including the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Slave Geological Corridor, and the Taltson Hydro Project.

Mr. Speaker, it is baffling that some Members of this House who are proponents of renewable energy are concurrently against this project's advancement and completion. We know that hydro power is a renewable energy as there are no greenhouse gas emissions that are emitted with this form of energy. We also know that our modern industrial economy is ever changing. We are increasingly becoming a more digital and information-based and technology-driven global economy.

For these reasons we need to better our economy for the future, and I'm convinced that the projects like the Taltson Hydro Expansion will be central in strengthening the NWT economy for the future generations. Mr. Speaker, I speak unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken several times about the importance of this project. I even visited the Taltson Hydro worksite last year with the Minister of Infrastructure. This expansion project is a no-brainer and will help bring greater economic growth to the NWT by the way of cheaper electricity and renewable energy. This project will also help business in the NWT to be more feasible and cost friendly.

Mr. Speaker, despite most of our attention being given to the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, I certainly hope that we have not fallen behind or given up pursuing the Taltson Expansion. There's a positive business case for this project, and I'm willing to see it advance and supported by the government wholeheartedly. I will have questions for the Minister of ITI later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Fridays I tend to like to keep my statements light so today I'm going to speak about airships, also known as blimps, dirigibles, or zeppelins, but of course they are not made from lead.

Airships or aerostats are aircrafts that gain lift using buoyant or lighter-than-air gas that can navigate under its own power and must be tethered to the ground. A hot air balloon is an example of an airship. Early airships utilized hydrogen gas to produce lift however after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 when 35 people lost their lives, airships have transitioned to using the inert non-flammable helium gas.

In the North, we rely heavily on seasonal ice roads to move goods and supplies to our most remote communities. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent over the past 40 years on melting infrastructure to connect our people. By not investing this money into permanent infrastructure, we now find ourselves in a state of peril as the uncertainty of climate change wreaks havoc on the extremely sensitive ice. The vast geographic landscape of the North is rich in resources, couple this with a lack of transportation corridors and isolated communities, and the Northwest Territories may be a place to consider airships for our future needs.

Airships may prove to be cost beneficial over traditional transportation methods such as building and maintaining roads, as well as landing strip infrastructure is not required furthering savings.

Possible applications for airships in the North could include passenger and cargo transportation, firefighting and emergency relief efforts, telecommunications, tourism, and geographical monitoring and surveying.

Airships can provide an environmental benefit. Under certain conditions, airships can have better emission levels than traditional overland travel methods while having a lesser impact on local wildlife and terrain. Airships also have a much higher fuel efficiency than conventional heavier-than-air aircraft and an airship produces 80 to 90 percent fewer emissions than a conventional airplane.

In May, I will be presenting virtually at the 2022 Aviation Innovations Airship Conference being held in Montreal. Delegates are interested to learn more about how the NWT deals with our transportation issues, including our melting infrastructure. They've asked me to speak on my experience as an ice engineer and consultant in the North and the challenges we face. It is my hope that this will help to inform those who may be interested in collaborating with the GNWT in this interesting and exciting area of air transportation. And Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that my thoughts are with the people of the Ukraine and their families here in Canada. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the past several months the NWT has many young people to drug-related deaths. They were sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and friends. Why do we continue to let this happen?

Mr. Speaker, whether we call these drug-related deaths an overdose or murder, the fact remains that these young people have been taken from their loved ones. Their families will have to live with the devastating fact that they have lost someone special to a disease that is remorseless and unrelenting, not only for individuals but for families and the community as well.

'We know it is a difficult and sensitive issue and that is part of the challenge. We can no longer keep quiet. We can no longer tiptoe around the issue. It is time for this government to realize that we must change the way we engage drug dealers, the way we support those with addictions, and the way we support families impacted by addictions. Change must begin somewhere. It must start now, and it has start with us.

Mr. Speaker, it is our responsibility to talk to all those that come through our offices. Throughout my adult life in Hay River, more so now as an MLA, I had, and continue to have, people that I personally know with addictions coming to me seeking help - known drug dealers seeking help, family members seeking help for loved ones, and hearing their pleas are difficult but necessary if we want to address the issue and to effect change. We need to hear their stories, and we must not judge as they come to seek our support.

Mr. Speaker, from the standpoint of both justice and health, this government must ensure it has the financial and human resources in place to combat the disease of addiction. We must work in partnership with Indigenous governments, community governments, non-profit service providers, residents and, most importantly, we must engage those living with addictions.

Mr. Speaker, the approach and path we are on is failing our youth and residents. In a previous statement I said one more death in our community is one too many. Since that time, there have been many. Mr. Speaker, my heartfelt condolences go out to all families who have lost loved ones to addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to add to my colleague's theme day yesterday in this House since I wasn't able to do so.

Mr. Speaker, one of the issues I'd like to raise is how the Housing Corporation leases many of the units for the residents in Inuvik under their program. They lease a numerous of housing units in the Nova Apartments. Since I've been elected there has been nonstop issues with that apartment building that I've received, from not only my constituents but the other constituents of my colleague, that there are illegal activities going on, fire alarms being pulled in the middle of the night, parties continuously going on. But the one thing, Mr. Speaker, is that the landlord is part of another company.

The landlord is not with -- is part of the Housing Corporation.

I did approach the housing minister after I heard of the apartment building being purchased in Yellowknife to see if that would be a possibility for Inuvik. Since we lease so many units in that apartment building, would it not be more cost beneficial to buy the building, if possible, which would free up more units that they're already leasing privately. That way we can house more of then residents in Inuvik on our housing list at a lesser cost.

Mr. Speaker, we need to start making these decisions now, housing our people now, not coming up with new mandates and new priorities and new plans and new this, new that, new paperwork. We need to put people in houses. And this way will -- I will ask -- I will have questions for the Minister to see if this is a possibility and she will act on it. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for challenging each of us to celebrate the UN's Indigenous language's decade.

I came into this job with a love and appreciation of the power of language. I believe language to be a tool to see the world different at a time when we desperately need a new lens. But language is more than a lens.

Over the last two years, I have had the opportunity to meet many new people. When I reflect on some of the commonalities between the stories people have shared, language revitalization has been an unexpected common thread.

One person shared their journey through addiction. They lost relationships, home, connection to culture, and themselves. Regaining these was powerfully rooted in reclaiming their traditional language.

[Translation] Further down the road, I sat and listened to the connection between traditional language and pride. A man told me of a childhood where he would feel great shame and when his parents and grandparents would speak his traditional language in front of other people. Over time, he lost his language and reclaiming it help him connection struggling youth with their land and traditional and community. [Translation ends] experience of learning their language. Words didn't always come easy, the sound wasn't quite right, and sometimes the words came out as a stutter. Again, this story emerged from a conversation about self-acceptance and healing.

In and out of this role, I've learned language is not only a way for us to see the world. Language connects people to one another, culture, the land, and the work we do in this House. Language is pride, and language heals. Language and memory work together as a moral anchor that bring us back to our foundations. Language is worth learning even if we stumble and stutter along the way.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our interpreters, especially Mary Rose Sundberg, and also both MLAs from Monfwi that I've had the opportunity to work with and who have both ensured traditional language is heard every day we stand in this House. Thank you.

Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. In June and December 2021, I made statements, asked questions, and tabled redacted summaries of the secret meetings of the GNWT-Chamber of Mines COVID recovery working group. As a result of my fifth access to information request on these secret meetings, I am pleased to report that this group has now changed its name and has a public terms of reference.

Furthermore, very short summaries of these ITI/NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines Engagement Group meetings are now posted on the Chamber of Mines website. None of this was publicly announced, as far as I can tell, and this new information is found on the chamber's website but not anywhere on a GNWT website. I am not above taking some credit for this new found transparency and accountability on the part of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

In the terms of reference, there is an interesting item that "ITI members of the engagement group do not speak for the whole of the GNWT but will serve as an intermediary and liaison across GNWT departments where needed."

I hope that was the case during the previous secret meeting summaries which showed that ITI was going to be "watching" NGOs and pushing to lift land withdrawals. The affiliations of the engagement group are now publicly named and those attending specific meetings are now recorded as well.

As the Minister is probably fully aware, I am challenging the extensive redactions made in the previously supplied summaries of these secret meetings and look forward to a decision by the information and privacy commissioner.

There are still some troubling items in the three sets of meeting summaries now publicly available. The new summaries contain almost no detail as to what is being discussed. Several times, an item is listed as a topic with no details following. That makes me a little suspicious. There is more information in these summaries about the move to map staking and Mineral Resources Act regulations than I have ever seen before. It would be helpful if the department would be more forthcoming with all interested parties and included other interested parties in these secret discussions.

There is also a mention of sharing a pan-territorial study on northern mineral resource investment with the Chamber of Mines when this document has not yet been publicly released. I will have questions later today for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment on this working group. Mr. Speaker.

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

Good morning, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, this is Member's statement to Minister of Health and Social Services regarding community-based wellness.

Mr. Speaker, many people in my regions are suffering with addiction and substance abuse. Achieving good mental health is a struggle for many. Unfortunately, that also means that many of our children and youth are growing up in homes that are not healthy and put them at risk for maltreatment. We are frustrated with this situation.

We know that the health and well-being of a person, family, and community is holistic. We need our health supports to reflect the wishes of our families and communities, yet my fellow community members and leaders are saying our voices are being ignored. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services need to do a better job of listening to the people in my region, including Indigenous government.

The Tlicho government wants to take some authority. We need addictions recovery and mental health services that respond to our need as Tlicho people. This has to happen now, as many people in my region are choosing not to seek help. We want to be able to get support for addictions, substance abuse, and mental health in ways that are rooted in our culture and from counsellors who are Indigenous, yet many of the people who are providing these services are from the south and have no connection to us. We need support, especially for our youth, that affirm who we are as Tlicho.

Mr. Speaker, my region faces many barriers, including lack of access to counsellors. We do have child and youth care counsellors program that is important to our children and youth, but we are having poor outcomes. The Tlicho government wants greater control over this program as it is our Tlicho children and youth that are being served. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at appropriate time. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The official flower of the NWT is the mountain aven. The official bird is the gyrfalcon. But I suggest that we add an official smell, Mr. Speaker, and that official smell would be the smell of a traditionally tanned moose hide. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister today for his statement on supporting sustainable livelihoods, and I would like to thank the work ENR is doing to support traditional moose hide tanning. I would like to see more of this.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege of helping many people prepare their hides and attending numerous hide tanning workshops that people have put on across this territory. Yesterday in this House, we heard that it's becoming harder and harder to find traditionally tanned moose hides. The people with that knowledge are -- many elders are dying, and it's not getting passed on. But I know there is an organic grassroots movement for many people to host hide camps, and I want the department and this government to do everything we can to support that.

Hide tanning, unfortunately, is not a profitable venture. It is weeks to produce a traditional moose hide, and really it is not something that I think can be measured in dollars. The Minister rightly pointed out that passing on this cultural knowledge is a form of healing. And I know we have supported many partnerships and Indigenous governments to host hide tanning camps. I know there is work being done through the NWT On the Land Collaborative. I will have questions for the Minister of ENR just so we can highlight some of this programming and get more money out there for all of our moose hide tanners who are some of my heros, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the community at this time. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Replies to budget address, day 4 of 7. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these questions will be for the Minister of Health. Indigenous people are those mostly being impacted by addictions. I hear many say they want treatment to happen in the NWT. Then we hear a non-Indigenous bureaucracy tell us we are wrong. Will the Minister listen to the Indigenous community and commit to the establishment of treatment facilities starting in regional centres? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that addictions is a huge issue in the Northwest Territories. We spend a considerable amount of time reflecting that in this House; this House, which is comprised of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. And we have a suite of programs that I've spoken about in the past that are available to assist people who have addictions. The starting point, of course, is that the person wants help, and that can be the most difficult step. I've seen that in my own family.

In terms of building centres, we do not have any on the books at this time except for the regional -- sorry, the wellness and recovery centre planned for Yellowknife to open in 2024. We provide on-the-land funding so that people can have mobile treatment and they can focus it in whichever way suits their community best. If there is a need for more bricks and mortars healing, then that needs to be a priority of this Assembly and it's something that we need to talk about together. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for her response. And, you know, I think that addictions and treatment of addictions is a priority of this government, and providing the services in the regional centres and in the communities is very important. And, again, I say that the Indigenous community wants to see facilities that they can attend within the Northwest Territories.

So, again, I ask the Minister will she commit to talking with Indigenous organizations, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous people to confirm that is what they want and move forward with looking and planning for facilities in the NWT? Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the question. I have the opportunity to meet with Indigenous organizations at bilateral meetings with my Cabinet colleagues, and I recall that in the time that I've been in this role, which is about 18 months, this issue has come up once, and it was the Tlicho government that raised it. They were doing a cost benefit analysis of a treatment centre for their region. If other Indigenous governments raise this, I'm certainly willing to engage in the conversation. I think the question is what the value-added of a building is; what would it provide that would be better than the other forms of treatment that are available in the Northwest Territories. And I also want to say that if it's going to come into our budgeting process, it needs to be identified as a priority by this Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the response from the Minister. It was noted that we'd have to see what the value added of a building would be to the -- to those that would need it. I always -- and I'd ask there what's the value of a life? And we've lost too many lives over the past several years, and think that, you know, this discussion is an important one and it's got to start somewhere. And we can't brush it off and, you know, pass it on. So again, I ask the Minister will she commit to opening up this discussion and furthering it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify my previous statement. It's not that I don't think that any life is important. Obviously every life is important. And the Department of Health and Social Services provides a suite of services to people who are looking for addictions recovery and aftercare. There's no reason for people not to engage in that process starting today by making an appointment with the community counselling program in their community. The same-day appointments are available.

In terms of having a conversation about a treatment facility in the NWT, I'm prepared to have that conversation. The point I'm making to the Member is it's not my decision alone. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those that come to grips with the fact they need treatment find themselves placed on waitlists for openings in southern treatment centres. And I know that, because I've got relatives that are -- they come to me and they got to wait for a month or two months or maybe even a few weeks or two days, and sometimes a day is too long. So, you know, we have to do something. So what do I tell them? I'd ask the Minister, what can I tell them to provide them some hope that we're going to be there to provide them the services that they need in a timely manner so that they continue to live? Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the best thing the Member can do is refer his constituents to the community counselling program. That's really the gateway to all services related to addictions and aftercare. And so I would invite him to do that. I also want to caution him that having a northern treatment centre is no guarantee that there won't be waitlists.

When Nats'ejee K'eh operated on the Hay River Reserve, there was a month of men's programming followed by a month of women's programming. So if you missed the intake for your gender programming, you could wait up to eight weeks until the cycle started again so that you could go into the treatment program that was appropriate for yourself.

And I also want to add that during the time that Nats'ejee K'eh operated, it was never more than one-third full. There were people who preferentially wanted southern treatment because they wanted to get away from the circumstances of their addiction in the North, and they wanted additional privacy.

So this is a very complicated conversation. It's not just a matter of writing up an RFP for a building. There are many considerations about how a treatment centre would work, how it would be funded, and who would use it. I appreciate the question. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the other day during question period, the ITI minister said that to attract greater economic opportunities and investment in the Northwest Territories, our territory will need greater access to clean and affordable energy. Does the Minister agree that the Taltson Hydro Expansion will be instrumental in strengthening and expanding our economy for future generations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, I could not agree more wholeheartedly. The Taltson Hydro facility, and obviously it's one of the big three infrastructure projects that the entire Legislative Assembly has prioritized for this, for our 19th Assembly. It is part of the 2030 Energy Strategy. It is an opportunity for equity participation by Indigenous governments. This project has quite a number of potential of reasons of why it can be a dramatic change to the economic landscape, and I most certainly agree with the statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister agree that all sectors of the business community are unanimous in their support for the Taltson Expansion? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm hesitant to speak directly on behalf of the business community in this role but I can certainly say the engagements I've had to date with mineral resource companies, exploration advanced, and even the operating mines, all certainly agree that they are keen to see the advancement of green energy options in the North and certainly ask about the work that's happening at Taltson. And similarly, any businesses that are in the construction industry that are in the -- would have an opportunity to benefit from greener energy certainly are asking for updates, and they have a lot of interest in this project. So over the next year as we get into a point of further planning, I'm sure we'll continue to hear positive remarks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this Minister is both ITI minister and finance minister. So she knows the memorandum of understanding with Indigenous groups and the construction of the Taltson Expansion is essential to the project's successful completion. Can the Minister tell us if she and the rest of Cabinet are prioritizing the MOU to move forward with the work on the Taltson Expansion?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, it is in the role as the Minister of Finance, along with the Minister of Infrastructure, that we are -- the two of us are collectively on the steering committee which is as part of the memorandum of understanding. The memorandum of understanding is an opportunity to really approach the design of the project differently. So we're at still a very early stage. We're at the stage of kind of conceptualizing what this could look like, what the project might be. And going through the MOU process is really an exciting opportunity to engage Indigenous governments at the front end. And yes, so we are very much committed to that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit, in her capacity as ITI and finance minister, to engage with all Indigenous groups near the Taltson Dam, whether in a bilateral or multilateral meeting, to move forward in a positive way to get this project underway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there -- we are very much committed to the MOU process, and I will certainly ensure that we continue to use that MOU process to engage with the Indigenous governments who have also signed on to that process. That is, again, as I've said, an opportunity to design this program and to design this project differently. Once there of course is a project on which to consult Indigenous governments in the region or in any affected traditional territories, that also, of course, will happen, Mr. Speaker. Consultation and engagement is essential for any project in the Northwest Territories, but definitely the MOU process is the chance where we can bring folks together to help us to really design what this could look like. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment. It was good to see that there is finally some improved transparency and accountability to the regular meetings between ITI senior officials and the Chamber of Mines. Can the Minister tell us why and when the decision was made to making summaries of these meetings public and why there was no announcement of this change? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism, and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I recall correctly, the first time this came up last spring we had made efforts to ensure that meetings were going to be posted in a public fashion, and I do believe that it was actually last session in December that I had informed the Assembly again of the intention to make these summaries public. Putting up some notes on the website is not normally the kind of thing around which I would be doing formal news releases or otherwise but happy to have the information out here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. The new summaries kept of these ITI-Chamber of Mines Engagement Group meetings, they continue almost no details as to what's actually discussed. Several times an item is listed as a topic with no detail following. Can the Minister tell us what is going on in these meetings and why the meeting summaries are remarkably short and lacking in detail? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, those meeting minutes are not intended to be transcripts and there is certainly a danger when there's, you know, the idea that people's comments are being written down not exactly as quotes, not as transcripts, but then being treated as such. So I have asked, and I will verify that the meeting minutes are an accurate reflection of the topics that were discussed, of the attendances, of any action items, of any follow-up, and that's really what I would hope people can take from it so that they do understand the work that the Department of ITI, but also the work that's happening from other departments. We've also made an opportunity -- taken this opportunity to expand and, you know, for example, Mr. Speaker, although it wasn't one of these group meetings, when there was meetings with the chamber during round up, there was ITI, ECE, ENR, we were all present; we were all there together. So again, these are opportunities for the public to understand the topics and the work that's happening, not to act as a transcript. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. As short as these meeting summaries actually are, I've learned more about the move to map staking of the Mineral Resources Act regulations than I've ever seen before, and I want to suggest that the department become more forthcoming with all interested parties.

So can the Minister tell us when her department intends to publicly release a full schedule and plan for the development of the regulations under the Mineral Resources Act? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Mineral Resource Act regulations project is really quite massive, and obviously it contains -- I shouldn't say obviously. It contains quite a number of different components, and putting all those components together with a schedule in and of itself has taken some effort, even as the different pieces have advanced.

So what I can say, Mr. Speaker, firstly, there is, I believe, an outstanding offer to brief standing committee about this work. I'm again happy to reiterate that offer and to give that briefing and to ensure that that is made available, and in doing so we can have the very detailed project schedule, which I mean I've seen it; it's extensive and long and fairly complex in terms of all its interrelations. So if that's an appropriate forum to engage all members of the Assembly, I would certainly be very happy to undertake that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I've been waiting with baited breath for two years for this plan so I can really hardly wait.

The recently released meeting summaries show that a pan-territorial study on northern mineral resource investment has been given to the Chamber of Mines before it was even publicly released. Can the Minister explain why this privileged access by the mining industry to publicly-funded studies continues, and what is going to be done to ensure other stakeholders have access to this sort of information and input going forward? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, there is a joint research project that was done, the Northern Mineral Sector Investment Study. It was a joint project between Nunavut, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, it was tabled. It is document 531-19(2 and I'd be thrilled if folks would look at it. It's a -- it does have a lot to say about how to increase resource exploration in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question's for the Minister of Housing. Will the Minister of Housing confirm how many units are being leased currently in the Nova Apartments in Inuvik of the 45? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I also just want to acknowledge the questions coming forward to the Housing Corporation because it really engages and really gives us a strong argument and statement with the federal government of how much housing is needed in the Northwest Territories. I just wanted to acknowledge and say thank you to my colleagues for the questions coming forward.

Right now in Inuvik we currently lease 38 out of the 45 at the apartment building located in Inuvik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Wow. Wow, Mr. Speaker. 38 of the 45, that's -- that's $950,000 a year according to our O and M that we currently pay per unit. You know, will the Minister commit to looking into purchasing, if possible, because this could potentially house an additional seven families off the waiting list in Inuvik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation tries to find, and the partnerships in the smaller communities as well and outside and inside of Yellowknife and looking for housing opportunities. And I know that this number is quite -- like, 38 out of the 45. But we don't have that amount of money right now in this government to be purchasing buildings such as this. I know that we did just purchase one here in Yellowknife for $2 million, and that was an opportunity that we were one of the bidders among ten of them here in Yellowknife as well too, and we were successfully able to purchase that. But unlikely when we're looking at other opportunities through the Northwest Territories, I don't know if we would be able to find another opportunity such as that. We don't have an additional $10 million set aside to be purchasing these buildings. And I understand throughout the Northwest Territories that this is a significant amount, but it's the least amount that we do have, and we did jump at the opportunity when this building was being built to try to alleviate our waitlist in the community.

The other thing that I also pursue as a Minister is our federal funding that is out there with the federal government. We've been quite successful with the rapid housing program and also the co-investment, and also just with the conversations with the Indigenous groups as well.

As those conversations continue, we are talking with the Indigenous groups in Inuvik as well and looking at their possibilities to submit for co-investment application to work with the corporation and working with those -- with the waitlist and those existing leases in Inuvik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's been a long time since we've had college family units as well. I know, and you know, in Inuvik there's a huge vacant lot known as the Blueberry Patch. Will the Minister look at working with the Minister of Education on utilizing this vacant land formerly known, like I said, as the Blueberry Patch in the collaboration possibly with an Indigenous government to build family college units, housing units for our community as they both lease units privately off the market as it stands in Inuvik. And this -- you know, with all the federal money coming in and the focus on housing, I think right now it might be a great opportunity for the two to work together to actually put some units in that Blueberry Patch. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for that question as well too because we do have vacant land throughout the Northwest Territories that we do not have the funding to construct and to start building on those properties as well too. I want to highlight the property as well in Hay River that we're trying to work and look at opportunities that we possibly can have to rebuild the seniors complex.

I am familiar with the Member's area as well too as the Blueberry Patch where the college housing was once built and now has been demolished.

I would like to inform the Member as well that we continue those conversations with the Indigenous groups, and if there's an opportunity that we are able to successfully see a co-investment application going forward, I would like to speak with the Indigenous groups as well if there is a possibility that they may require this property to be built on. I think partnership is a great opportunity in the Northwest Territories, and the Housing Corporation can compromise with those opportunities going forward. But presently right now, we do not have additional money in our budget to be constructing a whole apartment complex.

The other I want to just highlight is that I did ask the department to provide a 160-unit I guess -- putting their numbers together, what would it cost for us to acknowledge the same situation here in Yellowknife, with the 162 leases that we do have here in Yellowknife with Northview, what would it cost the Housing Corporation to build on our own the same thing in Inuvik. We just don't have the money in our budget but it's something we are speaking about. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know what, all I have to say is my colleagues in this House have been saying over and over and over again to the housing minister ask us for the money, and we'll -- we'll -- we'll -- we'll say yes, if you put it in the budget. So, you know, we have one more cycle in this House, and you know, I know that there's money that's been awarded, announced for Indigenous governments and for this government and, like, I'm not sure with the new announcement in the news if that money's going to come to us in the territory but, you know, I hope that this Minister focuses the next year on actually getting more houses and our waitlist cut short. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And absolutely, like, you know, if I were to put forward and forecast the additional money for the department, in respect that we do have other programs and services that do suffer when we are reallocating money to the corporation as well, and I respect my colleagues on this side as well as trying to find a common balance of what it is that we can provide.

And I also want to highlight that the -- that the progress that I've made with the federal government in receiving the 90 units throughout the Northwest Territories and also wanting to provide a second submission to the federal government to acknowledge our shortage in seniors housing as well too.

And I also want to acknowledge the announcement of the $80 million that was provided by the federal government. I don't have information on that. I would have to follow up with the department. But in response to those vital programming, the Housing Corporation did invest into a position that does work with the Indigenous groups to provide further information on completing applications and what further housing opportunities are out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier today about the need to make sure that we continue to produce traditionally tanned moose hides. And one of my concerns in this area is I know many harvesters do not take the hide when they harvest a moose. It's quite a bit more work. Harvesting the animal to take the hide completely. And if you have no one to give it to or you're not willing to put in the weeks of time yourself, it's not really worth taking it out of the bush. And I'm just wondering if the Minister could look into some sort of incentive to make sure people try and take the hides from moose. I know we pay people, I believe it's 50 bucks and you get a free hat if you bring in a moose jaw, and I know we advertise in a number of other areas to take all parts of the animal. And I'm just hoping the department can look into some way to make sure we're not leaving these beautiful hides in the bush. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR is open to discuss possibilities for moose hunting and hide tanning incentives and training through our online program. I think we talked about it in Committee of the Whole yesterday, and we said that we'd look into that there.

We know tanning is often a family and the community-based activity where knowledge is passed on to the youth. This is why ENR, ITI, ECE, and HSS have been providing financial and in-kind support to the NWT On the Land Collaborative to ensure that these skills are retained.

ENR is happy to have conversations with organizations interested in running hide camps and programs on a case-by-case basis and encourage anyone interested to, reach out to ENR on the land unit to discuss the available funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to commend the department on their work to date working with ECE to get the hunter ed program in the schools. I know we're piloting it in nine schools. I also know there's been some work through Bush Kids and other initiatives to have kind of traditional knowledge in schools. But I would really like to have the Minister work with his ECE colleague to get hide camps into schools. Is this something the Minister could look into doing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, educational bodies and schools have programs in place to bring in cultural programs to the schools. ECE has some funding for cultural programs and often gets funding from other departments, organizations to supplement school or community-based initiatives. ENR and ECE recently launched the hunters education as a high school credit program, as the Member talked about and I said in my Minister statement here today. The implementation of this pilot project can inform the development of other future harvesting programs.

ENR has also provided funding to schools throughout the NWT to take a kid trapping what -- which supports other land skills -- based skills. ENR will continue to partner and support external organizations such as schools, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous organizations to develop, deliver land-based learning opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the department has provided support through a variety of funding mechanisms for hide camps. In the past, I know they've supported the Dene Najho Urban Hide Camp which happens right in Somba K'e Park here in Yellowknife.

I'm just hoping the Minister can give me a total of how much money we have provided to support this area and exactly where one can apply, where the funding comes from? Thank you.

Thank you. In my Minister's statement today, I talked about the land -- On the Land Collaborative. The collaborative supported eight specific hide tanning programs since 2006 for a total of approximately $195,000. ENR Takes a Family on the Land program can support tanning given its focus on mentorship. The next applications call for this program is expected to open April 2022.

Through ECE, the arts -- NWT Arts Council has funded individual handing time -- individual hide tidy -- or tanning projects and provides support to organizations such as the Northern Life Museum in Fort Smith. All our application programs are advertised, and interested organizations are encouraged to contact on the land units for more information. And if they have challenges with that, reach out to our regional offices. Our regional office staff are more than willing to help them with this sort of thing as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister may have answered my question there but I'll tell you 200 grand for those eight camps was a great deal, and I know many people are running these not necessarily with government support, that they're community-driven initiatives. But I've talked to some of the organizers and they'd really like to, you know, take these to another level, perhaps fly in elders, fly in people to help support, you know, turn them into bit of kind of an educational aspect as well. And I just would ask the Minister that perhaps the department, you know, with this fund, reach out to people who run these camps and get the word out there that anyone who wants to run a hide tanning camp, the GNWT is willing to support them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I think here we're telling people that we're interested; please reach out to us. We don't know all of the time what camps are out there and that, so we encourage them to reach out to not just, like I said, the on land unit but our regional office. We're more than willing to work with them, work with the schools to do this. So the Member is right; this is very much about, you know, being able to pass on traditional knowledge, and that's what we're all about, is trying to be able to do this. So if the Member is aware of certain things, please have him get them to reach out to our regional offices and we'll work together with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This for the Department of Health and Social Services. So what is the department doing to recruit more Indigenous counsellors? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for raising this issue. The staffing shortages that we see across the NWT are particularly acute in the Tlicho region and Behchoko in particular.

There are vacancies for the manager of health services, the nurse-in-charge, two nurse practitioners, two public health nurses, five community health nurses, one clinical nurse educator, eight community social workers, two child and youth care counsellors, one child and youth care supervisor, two individual and family counsellors, and one trauma counsellor. In other words, I don't know who's working in Behchoko but you have a very large vacancy rate there.

We advertise these jobs on a territory-wide basis. And we, as you know, preferentially hire P1s who have been -- who are Indigenous to the NWT. We also preferentially hire people who come out of the Indigenous Gateway Training program. So we put out the job competitions generally and hire Indigenous people preferentially. The caveat there is that they need to apply and to have the relevant experience. These, in some cases, are specialized positions which require specific training. Thank you.

Will the Minister and leadership team commit to visiting Tlicho region to discuss how to create more culture and community-based solution for addiction, substance abuse, and mental health? Thank you.

Yes, thank you. The delivery of health and social services in the Tlicho region, as the Member knows, is handled by the Tlicho Community Services Agency. I have met with them once while in this role. Certainly interested in meeting with them again to discuss any of the issues that they are particularly concerned with. The TCSA is also part of the leadership council for the NTHSSA, and so I do see the chair, Ted Blondin, at those meetings, which I attend about once every three months. Thank you.

Thank you. Will the Minister commit to identifying where the Tlicho government can take authority over mental health program? Thank you.

Yes, thank you. I'm sure the Member appreciates that we want the initiative to come from the Tlicho government, and so we are interested in seeing any proposals they have that would expand their service delivery, would make it more culturally appropriate to their region, more specific to their region. We have the specific funds that the Tlicho government applies for, such as on-the-land healing. But we're interested in seeing proposals for other services that we provide that the Tlicho government would like to provide instead. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Monfwi.

Thank you. Will the Minister commit to transferring the child and youth care counsellor program responsibilities to Tlicho government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the recent bilateral with the Tlicho government, I indicated that we were interested in discussing this possibility. We would like to see a proposal so that we understand what it is that the TCSA would like to do with those positions. And of course that would include a discussion with ECE since the CYCC program is a joint initiative of our two departments. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I'd like to continue the conversation started earlier this week in regards to child and youth mental wellness.

The Health and Social Services has a child and youth mental wellness plan in which objective 3 states: Provide training for all NWT school principals, program support teachers, junior kindergarten to 12 educators, and classroom support assistants in trauma-informed and culturally respectful practices. I'm wondering if this training has been developed. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible Education, Culture, and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, in response to the child and youth mental wellness action plan, such training has been developed, both trauma-informed classroom training and culturally sensitive classroom training. It is not mandatory for all NWT educators, but it is available upon request and it's free to education bodies, and there has been significant uptake on those programs. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister can define "significant uptake" and if the Minister is willing to work with school boards to mandate this training for educators who work in the territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, I don't have the numbers in front of me, and it's not -- it's not as easy as just mandating training for educators. As I think we've learned over this Assembly, there's a strong separation of authorities between education bodies and the department. That being said, we always encourage training; we provide extensive training; we work with the NWTTA to ensure that their members are aware that the training is available. And as we go forward in modernizing the Education Act, this is definitely an area where we want to look at to ensure that all teachers receive the appropriate training. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Minister parking -- putting that in the parking lot for the Education Act, because I think it's really important. If it's important for our public servants and our frontline staff to be educated about the history of the Northwest Territories and working in a trauma-informed way, then it's equally as important for educators to be doing the same.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, 2SLGBTQQIA awareness and training and in creating inclusive classrooms saves lives. So will ECE also mandate the 2SLGBTQQIA awareness and training for NWT educators as part of that conversation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I can't really mandate glad things but we do do our best to develop the resources and provide the resources, promote the resources at no cost to educators. So the LGBTQ2S+ equity, safety, and inclusion guidelines training is available upon request from ECE. In addition, we have safe school regulations that mandate that all 49 schools in the territory provide a safe school plan which includes identifying LGBTQ2S+ resource people in the school and gender sexuality advisors. ECE works with local partners to put on the triannual rainbow youth conference. Unfortunately, the last one was scheduled for April of 2020. It was fully planned and ready to go but obviously that did not happen for reasons we're all too familiar with. And so we do work to develop and promote this training and provide this training at every opportunity. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that there are a lot of expectations on all of us right now, especially educators and mandating something like that, through maybe a ministerial directive, can be a tall ask sometimes. But when the -- when the repercussions of not doing it are far too great, when the repercussions of not using informed language are far too great, sometimes making that extra step to mandate something is worth it and is important.

Even here in the Assembly, as busy as all of us are, especially our ministerial colleagues, we took the time together to do a blanket exercise. And while all of us in this room are aware of the history of the Northwest Territories, the act of going through that was incredibly powerful as a group. And so would the Minister consider putting together a ministerial directive in order to mandate training like this for the Northwest Territories to better serve the children of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Being the Minister of Education is all about relationships. We have to work with the teachers; we have to work with all of the education bodies across the territory. And I think that we have a good relationship with both of those entities and, as a result, we're able to make things happen without having to mandate them.

I think there is desire among all educators to have this training. That's why there has been uptake on this training. The local school boards see the value in this training, and so that's why it happens as well. So I don't think this is a situation that requires a mandate. I think that much of the work that the Member is talking about is actually happening. So I want to give her that assurance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was going to ask the Minister of Infrastructure some questions about airships but she isn't here today so I'm going to put the Minister of Housing on the spot. Could I please get an update on where the Aspen Apartments is at in my riding, and what the plans are for its future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now currently the Housing Corporation had negotiated with Canada to extend our rent-free lease with Aspen Apartments. I'm not too sure when that rent free lease would expire. I'd have to get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess that I would like to ask the Minister what she thinks about using Aspen going forward for potentially the vulnerable population given the number of children that are in the apartment buildings nearby and the safety issues that I raised earlier in week? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the Aspen Apartments, that is a government -- I mean a federal government-owned building. So we've been trying to work with the federal government in order for us to maintain and keep that lease. But there are other conversations going forward that they would like to acquire that building back. But we are looking at the response to COVID and using that building and with programming as well. And I do hear the Member speaking about our youth, the homelessness in that population as well too, and the corporation is working strategically with the Department of Health, and it's more of a wrap around service delivery as well too. But just on the movement that we have been making so far, that we also acknowledge the need for youth homelessness as well too. But presently right now, we are just working in Yellowknife with the transfer of the -- sorry, I can't remember the building that we just purchased. But we're working in that -- Nordic Arms, sorry. Yeah, Nordic Arms, thank you, transfer right now. But I can follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the housing minister for her answer. I guess I'm just going to take this opportunity to reiterate my comments from earlier this week that I would like to see some changes being made to the prioritization list of housing clients for the Nordic Arms in order to prioritize vulnerable families. If the Minister could speak to maybe committing towards doing that, that would be great. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So right now we are looking at, you know, finalizing the purchase of Nordic Arms. What I can tell the Member right now is that we don't have anything set concrete. We have a lot of scenarios that are out there. We're wanting to work with the waitlist. We're wanting to work with the transfer list. We're looking at mobility issues as well amongst our clients and if those units are actually suitable to meet those needs. We're also looking at seniors and a variety of programming as well, too, and how we're going to better serve the people in Yellowknife as well. But just taking very careful consideration on how we're going to be looking at the transfer, and I know that we do have a number of issues here in Yellowknife, and the Member has expressed to me really looking at the transfer list and the safety of our clients as well too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.