The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Member from Yellowknife Centre on a personal explanation.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide a personal explanation pursuant to rule 1.8(1).

Mr. Speaker, a copy of the letter addressed to me by the Native Women's Association was provided to the media. The letter is regarding my response to a question asked in this House on February 23rd, 2022.

The media reports on this matter have not quoted my response in full to this question. I believe this has resulted in me being misunderstood.

Mr. Speaker, quoting from the February 23, 2022 Hansard, the question asked was "Will the Minister finally admit that we are in a mental health crisis here in the Northwest Territories after two years of this pandemic?"

Mr. Speaker, here is the whole of my response:

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I recognize that the pandemic has been incredibly stressful for almost everyone. It has produced a lot of anxiety, depression, loneliness, especially for people who live on their own like elders. And we have provided services throughout. The demand for services is uneven. At this point, we are able to keep up with the demand for services, and so I feel confident that we're not facing anything that we can't deal with.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, 74 percent of the electricity that powers homes, businesses, buildings in the Northwest Territories comes from hydroelectricity. However, there is more we must do as a government and a territory. That is why in the 2030 Energy Strategy we committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in diesel-powered communities by an average of 25 percent.

Mr. Speaker, one of the projects that will help us reach this objective is the Inuvik Wind Project. This project was the first in the Northwest Territories approved for funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Canada is committing $30 million to the project and the GNWT is committing $10 million.

The Inuvik Wind Project is a key initiative within the 2030 Energy Strategy. Once operational, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6,000 tonnes annually and offset diesel consumption in Inuvik by three million litres per year. This will reduce diesel consumption in Inuvik, our largest diesel-powered community, by 30 percent. We are making significant progress on this project.

Construction of the 6-kilometre access road to the High Point site, where the 3.5-megawatt wind turbine and battery storage system will be located, started in January. That work is progressing and is expected to be complete by August.

Despite the recent flooding in Hay River, the wind turbine equipment is still on track to be sent by barge to Inuvik for installation later this summer. NT Energy is working with Marine Transportation Services to get the turbine shipped safely to the Beaufort Delta. Right now, the construction schedule remains on track and we anticipate the project to be completed by the winter of 2023, barring any unexpected delays.

Mr. Speaker, not only is this project critical to helping us meet our greenhouse gas emissions target and the objectives in the 2030 Energy Strategy, but as we emerge from two years of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure projects like Inuvik Wind will aid the territory's economic recovery.

Contract work flowing from this project during the construction phase will significantly benefit Gwich'in businesses, as the project is in the Gwich'in settlement area.

Mr. Speaker, investment in alternative and renewable energy can reduce the territory's reliance on diesel. It is a priority for our government. It is good for the environment. It is good for the North as we adapt to our warming climate and try to realize the 2030 Energy Strategy's vision of providing NWT residents with secure, affordable, and reliable energy. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our environment is changing rapidly. Average temperature in the territory are rising up to four times faster than the rest of the world. Coastal erosion is already affecting communities, and melting permafrost is impacting infrastructure. We know that ice-free summers in the Arctic will become a reality in the future, and ice jams have caused large-scale flooding events in the NWT two years in a row. There are many factors that contribute to ice jam flooding, and climate change is affecting each of these factors in different ways. We will continue to see flood events in the future, and it is possible that they will occur more frequently, or become more destructive with the effects of climate change.

Climate change is real and action is needed now, and I am proud to say that our government is taking action. 92 percent of funded action items in the NWT Climate Change 2019-2023 Action Plan are on track to being fully addressed by 2023. Last year alone, we invested $55.6 million to implement actions from the climate change action plan and the energy action plan. We are working to make communities more resilient to the changing climate by investing in research projects to understand how our environment is changing as we find ways to respond and adapt to those changes. But it takes more than money to make real change.

Addressing the climate crisis requires us to work together. I'm happy to hear of the great work the NWT Climate Change Council has been doing to provide guidance to our government. The council brings together staff from Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, NWT communities, elders, environmental organizations, and industry stakeholders. We are working with our partners on climate change adaptation initiatives, including risk and opportunity assessments and community hazard mapping to identify the key adaptation risks we are facing. This will allow us to focus our resources on priorities that make the biggest difference.

The council provides an opportunity to continue to build and strengthen relationships, shared understanding and trust. We are supporting the Climate Change Council to establish a youth advisory group, and I am excited to hear the perspectives and ideas of the next generation of northern leaders.

We are listening to and working with people who feel the effects of the changing climate every day. We have heard the need for better access to information on climate change and will be engaging the council at the next meeting on a draft climate change outreach plan.

We are working toward transformative projects; projects that, with the right federal investments and the hard work of Northerners, will deliver results for the North. For example, the NWT government needs energy that is secure and affordable as well as sustainable. We are working on alternatives and made-in-the-North solutions that can meet all of these needs. We have a new climate scientist and hydrological modeler who is working to assess how water levels have changed over time and how they are projected to change in the future. GNWT scientists are working with the federal government to review and update existing floodplain mapping information to flood-prone communities. We are incorporating climate change considerations into public safety and community operations planning.

In addition, we have developed a high-level climate change vulnerability assessment on the impact of public and community infrastructure within all NWT communities. Proposed adaptation measures and recommendations for future work have been identified for all NWT communities.

We are the first, and currently the only, jurisdiction in Canada to establish a climate change archaeologist position to assess climate change impacts on archaeological sites and other places of cultural significance in the territory. But we cannot do it alone.

Climate change is manifested and the responsibility must be too. We are working with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, communities, industry, non-government organizations and others to find solutions that work to prepare this territory and its residents for the future.

The climate crisis is real. It is frightening and can even seem overwhelming. But together, we can adapt and respond proactively. Together we will continue to rise to the challenge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to speak about our progress in establishing a polytechnic university in the Northwest Territories. The magnitude of this project was never something to be taken lightly, and we remain committed to completing work in the right order and at the right time.

The transformation follows a three-phased approach that ensures Aurora College can build a strong foundation so that it transforms into a sustainable polytechnic university that delivers high quality education to Northerners.

We are already seeing gains as we establish the building blocks for transformation and strengthen the college's programs. These gains are evident when I speak with faculty, staff, and students in their communities, and they include:

• A new approach to corporate planning and annual reporting;
• The launch of an entirely new Aurora College website, including a student information system;
• A new approach to strategic planning, academic planning and strategic enrolment management;
• The new centre for teaching and learning dedicated to the ongoing professional development of Aurora College instructors, enhancement of Aurora College curriculum and course delivery;
• The establishment of two new research chair positions and a new research services team, being launched this year;
• The completion of the social work and education program reviews; and
• The coming into force of the new Aurora College Act.

Moving into Phase Two, the relationship between the GNWT and Aurora College is now evolving and will be marked by a new mandate for Aurora College. An early step toward a new way of working, this mandate will guide the College in its goal to operate at arm's length from the GNWT while taking steps to ensure academic and research excellence across the territory.

Another major milestone in Phase Two of Aurora College's transformation is the completion of a Polytechnic University Facilities Master Plan.

Mr. Speaker, the Facilities Master Plan will provide Aurora College and the future polytechnic university with a roadmap for the ongoing enhancement and expansion of facilities across the NWT. The development of the Facilities Master Plan has been a process involving input and participation from Indigenous governments, partners, and stakeholders.

Since transformation began, we have heard from across the NWT that the polytechnic university is in a unique position to integrate Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and doing into its physical form and operation, programming, and governance structure.

I look forward to seeing this theme of Indigenization manifested through the new governance system, particularly the Indigenous Knowledge-Holders Council as they develop a framework that will guide the culture and administration of the polytechnic university.

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to move forward with Phase Two of the transformation. I am confident that we are designing a polytechnic university that will meet the needs of Northerners, northern residents, and will become a showcase of education for students in the North, in Canada, and around the world.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today was going to be on homelessness but I have decided at the last minute that I'm going to talk about one of our mandate priorities is, you know, in this House when the 19 Members came together, one of the biggest issues that we talked about was contracting and keeping the work in the North, you know. And, you know, we've had lots of talks about this, you know, we've talked about revamping our procurement, our Indigenous procurement policies. So when I look back and thank the Minister for her statement because you know what, I'd really support this wind project, you know, in my community but the one part of it is there's one section of that contract that is only going to be able to benefit the people of my community or the people that live in our region is that access road.

That access road could be built by anybody in our region. We have companies that have built the Tuk Highway. We have the companies that have been working on the highway to the border, you know, but yet we -- you know, the Minister talks about this project and the Minister is also responsible for the NTPC, the Power Corp, which Entec falls under. This somehow got really swayed in the way we're doing contracts, you know. And so when I, as a community Member, as an advocate for the businesses in my community see that we have outsiders coming in to take the only part of work that our community members could do, they're not gonna build the wind turbine. They don't have those expertise, you know, but they could build that access road. And when we see, when I'm driving and I go to work and I see Whitehorse companies' body jobs sitting in the parking lot and when I see trucking companies coming in from Whitehorse sitting down and, you know, in yards working out on the highway, this is not what we said we were going to do as a government. We said we were going to keep the work local. Whoever we're working with Ministers, Members, we should all be working together to ensure that work stays in the North and not ignoring it.

I will have questions for the Minister of ITI later on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe it is time to rename some things. In the last year and half of this Assembly, I propose we start with the lake just down the street here, Great Slave Lake, Mr. Speaker.

Great Slave Lake, it was named after a Cree word “Awokanek” which refers to the Dene people being "Great Slaves." Mr. Speaker, it's 2022. I don't know why we still have a name that honours the history of slavery between warring nations long ago that was essentially picked by European explorers.

Mr. Speaker, I love that lake, it is a great lake, but its name does not do it justice. There are plenty of different names. There are Indigenous names. I think we need to go out and consult with the public and find a new name that does not honour slavery in this generation.

Mr. Speaker, next, moving up the valley we have the Mackenzie Mountains and the Mackenzie River, both named after Alexander Mackenzie. But wait, named after two different Scottish men named Alexander Mackenzie.

The first, the explorer was on that river for about three months, got up to Tuk, and found out it wasn't the Arctic Ocean, it wasn't the Pacific Ocean, and so he turned around.

Mr. Speaker, Alexander Mackenzie did some good cartography work but, honestly, in the realm of explorers does not deserve the great Deh Cho River.

Next, Mr. Speaker, the mountains - the glorious Mackenzie Mountains were named after Alexander Mackenzie, Canada's second prime minister who, really, was a pretty unremarkable prime minister. Honestly, his biggest accomplishment was implementing the Indian Act and his countless efforts to assimilate Indigenous peoples. In fact, Mr. Speaker, Alexander Mackenzie, when he was Prime Minister those mountains weren't even part of Canada. There's no evidence he ever set foot in those mountains or knew anything about them at all, Mr. Speaker.

I'm going to read you a quote from Alexander Mackenzie, our second prime minister, who we have decided to honour by naming one of our great mountain ranges after: "It is the mission of the Anglo-Saxon race to carry the power of the Anglo-Saxon civilization over every country in the world."

Now Mr. Speaker, I recognize that many of our first prime ministers said ridiculously racist things like that, and had white supremacist views. But I don't believe that in this day and age we have any reason to honour him by naming the beautiful Mackenzie Mountains after him. Mr. Speaker, let's do our history, our culture and our geography a favour and rename some things.

I'll have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.