This is page numbers 4205 - 4270 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

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a trilateral meeting that was held yesterday with department and National Defence, the GNWT, as well as representatives from the joint venture that will be doing work on the Inuvik runway extension.

The meeting confirmed several things for us and also highlighted the need for the GNWT and the joint venture to be able to work collaboratively and come up with a path forward. That's where we're at with the project right now, Mr. Speaker.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my question is this time-sensitive work that needs to be done this spring, will the Minister provide me with an answer that this work will be issued, like approved, so that we can get the lift done?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the meeting, the meeting confirmed that the Department of Defence expects there to be due diligence applied to the project, and that's important for the bid and scope of the work to match available funding. So we know that it is time sensitive but it is a five-year project, Mr. Speaker, so there are four phases, and we are -- four work packages. So we are currently on schedule with some of the work that's proceeding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that this is a five-year project, but this is a time-sensitive section that needs to be done so that other layers can be put on later on. What is holding up this section of the project to put the lift down so that we're protecting the permafrost? Why can't we go ahead with this?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's funding that's holding this project down. You've seen in Cabin Radio that, you know, they had an article on the over-costs of this project. The department -- the GNWT is working closely with Canada to be able to secure that funding. So that's what's slowing the process down. We are continuously having conversations, almost on a daily basis, with Canada and the joint venture to be able to look at ways to proceed with this project on budget on time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister is will she direct her department to complete this vital part of the project? This is going to provide local contractors with work. Right now, the only work that's in the region has been given to Alberta residents. So I'm just wondering if this Minister is going to support our local contractors as the Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to make it clear: This Minister wants the project to go forward. It is a benefit to the community that I represent. I also said that the project needs to be done right, on time and on budget. Rushing major work without appropriate site preparation or plans or due diligence being applied is a recipe for disaster. I also want to make it clear that the GNWT does not have the funding to pay for any cost overruns. So we need to make sure that we do this right first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Okay, thank you. Minister Green, I would like to invite you to the Tlicho region to visit the communities and see firsthand what services and programs are available. Would the Minister commit to doing that? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken previously to the Member and assured her I would be delighted. Thank you.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. More funding is needed to provide community-led and on-the-land addiction recovery program. Can the Minister commit to increasing the amount of funding available through the on-the-land healing fund. Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we -- we raised the value of the on-the-land healing program in the fiscal year before this one. It's now worth $1.825 million. And so I feel that the money is adequate.

I note, and I have done this before, that the Tlicho are not taking advantage of all the different funds that are available to them for community-based mental health and addictions support. So we've talked about the northern Indigenous wellness counsellors, who are here today. There was an open call to Indigenous governments to use our money, a million-dollar pot, to hire these counsellors. We do not have any proposals from the Tlicho region that are funded at this point. So there is money. There is a disconnect somewhere here, which I hope the Member will be able to sort out. Thank you.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. That is a subject for another matter so I will be speaking on that as well.

But can the Minister commit to allocating additional staff hours. This is reference to what she just said. Hours for proposal writing aimed at securing additional departmental funding for community led and on-the-land addiction recovery programs? Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do not write proposals for Indigenous organizations. However, we are willing to work with them on proposals to ensure that the finishing the application and getting it in is not a barrier to accessing the money. So we're here to help, but the initiative needs to come from the Indigenous government organization. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. How does the Department of Health and Social Services currently support people once they have completed an addictions recovery program? Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when a resident of the Northwest Territories, who has been to a southern-based addiction treatment centre is ready to be discharged, the centre creates a discharge plan which puts the resident in touch with local resources such as the community counselling program. That would be the primary method.

The resident would then go on to attend counselling appointments; AA, if it's available in the community where the person is. We have a peer support fund which would enable people to create groups like AA in their communities if they thought that would be useful. We have the online app called Wagon, which was developed by the Edgewood facility, which you and I visited in 2017, which is programmatic with study groups and group therapy and individual therapy available. We also have the addictions aftercare program, which I have just referenced, which employs the people who have just finished their training at Rhodes College. So they are to be community-based resources who will help people who are in addictions and recovery aftercare. The on-the-land healing program can be used for addictions aftercare if that's the choice of the Indigenous government.

So I feel that we offer a full range of services to people who are finished their addictions treatment. Could we do more? We could. We could absolutely do more. If you give me another $500 million, I will make sure that there is a treatment centre in every region fully staffed and ready to take everyone who wants to have healing and recovery. Failing that, I encourage them to use the resources that are available now. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure regarding the Inuvik Airport.

When I hear the Minister say that the delay at this point is around funding, I find myself quite confused considering the announcement of $150 million was made in 2019. Can the Minister speak to why the conversation about funding, particularly when we would be breaking this project up into phases and different work packages, would be waiting as of now two years -- three years later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a number of factors in the cost overruns. I mean, you know, we have looked at this project and negotiated with the contractor, and we need to do a little more work on some of the costing and some of the difference phases. So that's probably all I can say about this project at this time in terms of some of the cost overruns. Thank you.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just for clarification, you can't have an overrun if you haven't started the project yet. So I think calling it an "overrun" is not a legit way to phrase it.

So now I hear that the Minister needs to meet with the contractor, or the JV, to get these answers, yet it's my understanding that their proposal was submitted to the department on February 7th. It's now March 31st. So I'm kind of confused if this is a time-sensitive winter work that needs to be done, why the Minister hasn't directed her department to meet with the JV and the contractors sooner than now. Thank you.