This is page numbers 3793 - 3836 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.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR and ITI are working closely together to explore additional opportunities to support domestic markets for our fur marketing within the NWT, the North, and across Canada. This includes a proposed fur industry forum in 2022 to develop a roadmap for a future of the NWT fur industry and opportunities for innovation. ENR is currently evaluating the existing Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program to determine what is working and where changes will maybe needed to enhance that program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, no one is doing anything with furs in the Northwest Territories. The Fort McPherson Tent and Canvass is not using the furs in their products. The Dene Fur Cloud Shop in Fort Providence is using rabbit pelts imported from out of territory. I see potential industries for our territory in the creation of mitts, gloves, vests, coats, hats, and the list is not exhaustive. All this with the use of furs caught in the NWT.

Will the Minister take a closer look into this possibility and develop plans to making this initiative a reality? Mahsi.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR and ITI continue to look for ways to enhance trapping in the traditional economy. The proposal for -- proposed fur industry forum planned for 2022 is intended to help develop a plan for the future of the NWT fur industry. This forum will bring together key players in the NWT fur industry and will address the issue that the Member is raising. And I thank the Member for bringing forth this concern. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Minister for that. I'd like to suggest the Minister work with other departments to advance this initiative, and it could be more than just two departments. Even during tough times, we have to be seen as being optimistic for the future, including the fur economy.

Will the Minister commit to open dialogue with First Nation leaders to discuss the government's plans to revitalize not only the fur economy but to actively putting our residents, including the young adults, back into the working environment? Mahsi.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR undertook a very broad engagement when developing the sustainable livelihood action plan, which included 18 community open houses. This included engagement with the communities, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, renewable resource boards, and councils, hunters and trappers committee. All actions in the plan reflect key community concerns related to harvesting, trapping, and food security. ENR remains committed to continue ongoing engagement in collaboration with our co-management partners and the trappers themselves for input on the proposed fur forum and trapping in general. And Mr. Speaker, I can guarantee you our Indigenous governments are very much a key stakeholder and partners as we move 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 Municipal and Community Affairs.

As we apply the learnings from the pandemic and the flooding events that occurred in 2021, could the Minister comment on how lessons learned from the past will affect our future collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross in the Northwest Territories? How will the Red Cross work with this team during our next emergencies? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the question. Red Cross has -- we've had conversations with them, myself and the Minister of Health and Social Services. We've had conversations on that. Communities have reached out to Red Cross as well. So we are working with them presently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the collaboration is a collaboration; I appreciate that answer. So next my question is in complex and protracted events, it is essential to collaborate with organizations that bring learnings and expertise from across Canada that we may not have here in the territory; as well, we're all responsible for community preparedness and readiness.

So how will the GNWT and the Red Cross collaborate and share expertise on important initiatives such as volunteer capacity building, advanced preparation and disaster planning, and community education and awareness? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have reached -- Red Cross has reached out to us; we've reached out to them. We're having these conversations. We are building our capacity within the territories. We're working on our flood management programs, our flood-related issues. ENR is working with them with fires as well. So we are working on these things. We are building the capacity in the communities. And if the communities are saying we need certain things that we don't have to offer, we're looking elsewhere. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll try again; I'm actually looking for details on that collaboration in training programs, schedules, you know, meeting appointments, anything that could be provided to the Regular Members as to actually what is going on in that conversation with the Red Cross.

Can the Minister explain why at the beginning of the flooding disaster last year, it took so long for the GNWT to draw on the resources of the Red Cross? It's my understanding that it took Indigenous leadership in the region to start that ball rolling. What is the Minister doing to ensure that if we do need help in the future that we're going to request that help at the first moment possible? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. The Member has about three or four questions in there so I'll try to focus on a couple of them.

We are working on a plan to move forward. If that involves Red Cross, we will add that into it. We are working with the communities to make sure they're prepared for it. We had learning opportunities from the last flood, and so we're working on those. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister did not explain or answer my question as to why it took time for the Red Cross to be pulled in and why we left it up to Indigenous governments in order to do so. Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For that detail, I'll have to get back to the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I spoke about in my statement, right now the shingles vaccine is both available and recommended for those over 50; however, it's only covered under both Blue Cross health extended benefits and NHIB for those ages 65 to 70. I was hoping the Minister of Health can explain this, especially the cap. It seems odd to me that if you are 71 and you go to get the vaccine, you're too late. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recognize that shingles is a very painful condition for those who contract it and it can lead to significant health outcomes, as the Member said in his statement.

The rationale here is that the numbers of people in the NWT who require the shingles vaccine is relatively small compared to other vaccines that we would like to fund and don't have the money to fund at this point. In order to bring the vaccine to the whole 50 to 64-year-old group, and then the EHB would cover it after that, we'd be looking for an investment of $2 million which is something, of course, the Regular Members could request during the budget process. Thank you.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, I -- and I know that the department and -- whenever we're looking to bring a vaccine into public funded, there's a bit of a debate, you know, about most vaccines that save us money in healthcare costs in the long term if they prevent hospitalizations we save money in the long term. And with shingles, in this case we would save people a lot of pain. I'm just wondering if the department has any evidence that -- or has done any of the research about whether extending this vaccine to everyone would actually save the health system money? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a full analysis has not been done but there are some estimates. So cost due to hospitalizations due to shingles for NWT residents aged 50 plus, for 2009 to 2018, was $1.3 million. The cost for the vaccine product to immunize the entire NWT population for 50 plus is $1.91 million. And there's also a need for boosters with shingles, and the annual cost of that would be $165,000.

So as things stand now, it would cost us more to vaccinate than it would cost for hospitalizations. But that is a very mathematical answer. People who have shingles -- and I'm aware of people in my own acquaintance who have had shingles -- it's a very painful condition. So if people have employer plans that would cover the shingles vaccine and would be able to get it prior to age 65, I would certainly recommend that. Thank you.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I'm going to have to revisit those numbers because if there's annual ongoing hospitalization costs and we can just do a one time, get everyone out there vaccinated and, you know, largely at some point the chicken pox vaccine will catch up and the number of shingles cases will really decline in the population. But I'm hoping I -- you know, as public health moves into, you know, having a little bit more time on their hand, we could get some information out there telling people to get vaccinated for shingles and how exactly and when they can get reimbursed. I know it's different whether you have NHIB or it's different if you have Blue Cross, and I know some people have went and paid for it not even knowing they were eligible for any sort of reimbursement. So if the Minister could commit to getting some information out there for our seniors to get vaccinated against shingles? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the department is interested in targeting the most high risk population, which is that 65 to 70-year-old group. Also, people who are receiving active cancer treatment who are immune compromised. And the NHIB program offers an exception to the 65 to 70 age group. People can apply for coverage if they feel they can make a case for that with NHIB.

Having said all of that, I think that the Member's suggestion is a good one, that we provide a more targeted campaign to encourage uptake on the vaccine for the 65 to 70 group and for those who have benefits, as I say, who might be able to get it sooner, to go ahead and do that rather than deal with the pain and potential long-term consequences of shingles. Thank you.