Debates of March 1st, 2022

This is page numbers 3603 - 3664 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 know.

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Yellowknife Airport

Update on Health Human Resources

Tourism Supports Across the Northwest Territories

Lifting of Pandemic Restrictions

Government of the Northwest Territories Remote Work Policy

Lack of After-Care Facilities and Transitional Housing in the Northwest Territories

Opening of the Snow Castle in Yellowknife

Mactung and Cantung Contaiminated Sites

Accountability and the RCMP Territorial Police Service Agreement

Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Customer Service

Supports for People Parenting with FASD

Use of Biomass Energy in the Northwest Territories

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Costs and Services Related to Substance Abuse

Increasing Costs of Policing Services in the Northwest Territories

Government of the Northwest Territories Remote Work Policy

People Parenting with FASD

Labour Market Supplement for Health Care Workers

Mactung and Cantung Mine Sites

Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Customer Service

Three-year Energy Plan

Prohibition Creek Access Road

Tabled Document 578-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2021-2022 Tabled Document 579-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2021-2022 Tabled Document 580-19(2): Northwest Territories Tourism - Welcoming Visitors - 2022-2023 Marketing Plan

Tabled Document 581-19(2): Article from The Daily dated February 16, 2022 - “Black and Indigenous people's confidence in police and experiences of discrimination in their daily lives”

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.

March 2nd

Page 3627

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. That always makes me think of something else I want to ask.

I guess further to this, I think this is the right area to ask around, like, our archives and such and whether or not -- I know that there's been -- or again, for this lack of capacity that we have in the North or lack of resources, that we're potentially not able to preserve and archive and really utilize the great art that we do have stored at the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre, and when we did do the tour there that was expressed that the building isn't adequate. So is there money coming federally for us to start taking care of our arts stock better? And I guess I look at the fact that, again, we are not one area or one territory where everything is homogenized inside of it. And so in reality, we have, you know, however many different cultures that each have their unique arts and culture that needs to be preserved. So I guess I'm -- I know I'm probably pleading to the choir or singing to the choir, but maybe the Minister could speak if there's more money coming there? Thank you.

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

March 2nd

Page 3627

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. So through the capital process, we are looking at ways to enhance the ability of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to, you know, store and display art. There is not the level of federal funding that one might think available for things like this. It's actually quite limited. Generally, museums, art galleries are not 100 percent funded by a provincial or territorial government. Again, there's other avenues for funding and so we are exploring, you know, how to perhaps access some of those other avenues and how we can perhaps tie in with some other projects that might be happening in the territory and, you know, utilize some other facilities. So it is on -- there are staff who are working on this but it is a slow process given the magnitude of the issue. Thank you.

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.

March 2nd

Page 3627

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I guess I really want to see that mukluk and kamik display or collection that we have at the museum get on display at some point because it's pretty fantastic.

I like what the Minister is saying about collaborations, and I think that there's an opportunity to collaborate with Indigenous organizations. I love that we have the art in the airport, that type of thing going on. So I think there's plenty of opportunities. We can have art in our schools, other ways that we could be showcasing that around city so that when we do have tourists return, there's something for them to look at. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Are there any further questions? Member for Thebacha.

March 2nd

Page 3627

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Chair. I notice that there's a decrease to the NWT Arts Council. Is that going to -- is that decrease going to continue, or are we going to at some point get back to watching live shows and all these other things? And I'm just wondering why there is the decrease. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

March 2nd

Page 3627

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the NWT Arts Council is showing $700,000 year over year, and the actuals in 2021 were $710,000. Is that what the Member is referring to?

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Yes.

March 2nd

Page 3627

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. So I believe the arts council just overspent that year by 10,000. Perhaps I can ask Mr. Shannon for some more detail on that. Thank you.

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Mr. Shannon.

March 2nd

Page 3627

Shannon

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have not much to add beyond the budget was overspent in that current year and there have been no budget changes during the course of that time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

March 2nd

Page 3627

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

The heritage centre's line, the $491,000, could you give us a breakdown on the allocations of those funds? Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 2nd

Page 3627

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

March 2nd

Page 3628

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. From what I can recall, the Hay River Museum Society gets $60,000. I believe the centre in Thebacha gets $198,000. But I can ask the deputy minister for the actual numbers. I believe he's looking at them. Thank you.

March 2nd

Page 3628

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy minister MacDonald.

March 2nd

Page 3628

Macdonald

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the numbers for the heritage centres are.

In Fort Smith, at the Northern Anthropological and Cultural Society, 198,000;
In Norman Wells, at the Historical Society, it's 118,000;
At the Hay River Museum Society is 60,000;
The Yellowknife Historical Society is 60,000; and
The Fort Simpson Historical Society is 55,000.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 2nd

Page 3628

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

March 2nd

Page 3628

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

The line for Indigenous language revitalization has gone down from the 2021-2022 Actuals by 25,000. And I just wonder how serious this department is in Indigenous languages revitalization when you see a decrease in the mains. Thank you, Madam Chair.

March 2nd

Page 3628

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member -- or Minister of ECE.

March 2nd

Page 3628

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Very serious. I'm very passionate about this, this file, and like I said I think it's -- there's a lot of good work happening, work that wasn't happening, you know, just five years ago. A lot of strides have been made. For some of the details on the funding, I can ask the deputy minister to provide that. Thank you.

March 2nd

Page 3628

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister MacDonald.

Debates of March 1st, 2022

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