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, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister's advocating for an increase to the federal CanNor funding to try to ensure that all 33 communities receive an investment from CanNor's Canada Community Revitalization Fund. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the revitalization fund is a direct application program with the federal government. Municipal and Community Affairs is available to assist communities with their applications and help identify their priorities through the capital budgeting process. It is my understanding is that any community government can apply for this funding.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is always advocating for more funding for municipal governments from the federal with the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So has the Minister received any requests from communities for influxes of funding for the end of the public health emergency to bring communities together through cultural, sport, or any kind of recreation events? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To date, we have not received any requests for additional funding for cultural, sport, or recreational events above and beyond the existing funding pots that we provide right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister have an estimate of how much additional expense in responding to COVID-19 has fallen on the shoulders of municipalities? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT and the federal government have provided NWT communities over $9 million in funding to help community governments with their pandemic-related costs.

As I said previously in this House, Municipal and Community Affairs will be reviewing the financial impact on community governments of COVID-19 response as part of the 2021-2022 year end fiscal process. So in other words, when they get their audited statements and that, we will be looking at that to see if there hasn't been an impact on communities, and then we will move forward on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I guess that's a question that I'll have to come back around to once MACA has had these audited statements and are able to take a look at them after the end of the fiscal year. But we're two years in now, and so I guess a better question is given the results of the 2020 year end statements MACA would have already seen some changes to that. And so is the GNWT working to address these additional expenses, then, that would not have been part of the original municipal funding formula? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said previously, we've given $9 million to communities with some real good flexibility to it. They have the ability to use that money as they see fit where they need to address their pandemic issues.

Moving forward, we understand that, you know, COVID's going to be a part of the process and we are encouraging municipal governments to start budgeting accordingly. But we're more than willing to sit down and work with them with their budgeting process as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be to the Minister of Housing.

Can the Minister commit to allocating in the budget for home assessments in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding for this fiscal year? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To date, we have in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, we have 1100 in population. Out of those 1100 in population, we have an average household -- here I have recorded of 372. And our public housing units in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding is 189. 36 of them are market units. Eight of them are HAP units. And over the past ten years, we've invested $22 million into the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister commit to increasing the homeownership and home repair programs in the 2022-2023 budget for our riding? Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that information on hand to see what is going to be allocated for each of the ridings but 80 percent of our budget is allocated to the smaller communities functioning with our district offices, our local housing authorities, and also our programming.

Over the last ten years, the Housing Corporation has put in $13.6 million to construct 50 housing units and major repairs to 118 units in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, $3.9 million for homeownership or repair programs, and $4.7 million for minor housing repairs on our public housing units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister commit to enter into a contribution agreement with Indigenous governments in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding to carry out homeownership assistance -- or sorry, assessments and home repair programs? This'll also help if we -- with the targets that they laid out in terms of apprenticeship training. Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did follow up with the Member as well too. We did have a brief conversation about our community initiative programs that we do have. And he was interested in looking at what significant repairs are required in his riding.

One of the things that the Housing Corporation is in the process right now is that we do have community housing plans. We have met with his communities - Dettah, N'dilo, Lutselk'e, and Fort Resolution. Those would be identified in those community housing plans. So I will follow up with the Member and if this is something that he would like to be highlighted in those community housing plans, I would like to have the opportunity to speak to those Indigenous groups in those specific communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the budgeted for -- or allocation for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding is $3.4 million for public housing repairs. Can the Minister commit to working with Indigenous governments to talk about and negotiate contracts to promote apprenticeship training? Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, I would like to speak with the leadership of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Apprenticeship is something that we highlight very strongly within the corporation. I am interested to see what our numbers would be like for the local housing authorities in each of those communities as well. And look at plans going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Does the Minister understand the difference between a joint venture and an Indigenous government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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