This is page numbers 4369 - 4400 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

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me whether her department is in discussions with the federal government to try and get the empty houses that they have sitting in Hay River for use as temporary accommodation for some of the families that were displaced? Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been able to enter into an agreement with the federal government to have access to the four federal housing units in the community, but that administration will be handled by Municipal and Community Affairs as this would be for homeowners. Housing NWT is providing assistance to our public housing tenants. 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

This is a question for Education. Will the Minister commit to reviewing how it allocates funding to small communities particularly to see if they are adequately funded and resourced? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There will never be enough money for Education. I think that's fair to say. You know, we can always do more. But I can say that we have made some changes to the funding formula that do benefit small communities. The way communities are funded, they're based on school population and at times there's a bit of a cliff when the school falls below a certain number of students it can experience a drop off in funding. So we have smoothed that slope for a number of different funding streams. And so that is something that happened this year that is benefitting small communities.

As part of the larger Education Act to modernization initiatives, we will be reviewing how schools are funded. Because I've been saying since day one I would prefer to see funding that ensures equitable education across the territory. Thank you.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Will the Minister commit to providing more flexibility on how funds can be spent so communities and staff can be more creative on program delivery?

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So where there's a district education council or like the TCSA, the department provides a lump sum of funding, and there are essentially three pots of money. One pot of money has to be used for inclusive schooling, and so that's ensuring that there are supports to support students at different levels in the same classroom. One portion has to be used for Indigenous language and education. And the rest can be used for anything. We don't really have strings attached to it. The delivery of education is the responsibility of the local education body. And so ECE is quite hands off and allows as much creativity as an education body can muster. Thank you.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. This is one of the example that, you know, I said I had six examples so I'll add one more. We still have time.

Has ECE advanced the piloting of a support network that meets the need of students, educators, and principals, is centered on Indigenous view, and when is the pilot completed?

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that information. Perhaps I can check the dashboard. Everything in the action plan that was a response to the Office of the Auditor General report is online in the progress tracker. And so when an item is in progress, that is noted on the online tracker. So I don't have that information but I can check that out and let the Member know. 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. Another example is in 2020 -- in 2020 and 2021 school that did not align their calendars saw some of their NDL students missing up to 25 percent of NDL class periods for some courses during the academic year.

What has been the progress in working with educators, administrators, and district education authorities in aligning the calendars of schools offering northern business learning programming? Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that is not a simple answer. So what I can say is that northern distance learning has produced some amazing results. You know, I hear great stories about it. I hear about students who, you know, in small communities who are taking these, you know, advanced level courses, academic courses, and making their way to university. And it's not obvious that they would have that opportunity in their community if not for northern distance learning. So it is a very valuable project, and I'm -- I don't want to say proud, but I'm happy with the investments that this government and the previous government have made into that program. It's been expanded. However, its progress really hasn't been helped by COVID, both because communities, you know, understandably, did not want people coming in to their communities to install the hardware and things like that associated with northern distance learning. As well, there were of course school closures and things like that that -- that slowed things down.

That being said, we are making some progress, and it's been unfortunate that education bodies have been busy dealing with other things with school closures, with school reopenings. It has really hindered a lot of the progress that we would have liked to see.

I can say, though, that because education bodies themselves determine their school calendar, they submit their school calendars for approval, there have been some progress. So I know in the Beaufort Delta, for example, the school calendars have been synchronized this last year.

Now, I haven't spoken with the chair about this but I presume it is for things like northern distance learning because that was -- that's where it's from. Northern distance learning originated in the Beaufort Delta. And however, the DEC, the district education council, the overarching body, their decisions are sometimes at odds with what the communities want. So I've heard from local communities that their desire is to have calendars that differ from their region has not been heard.

You know, in different -- the territory is vast. And even though there could be a single district education council, it covers education bodies over a large area. And you know, one of the main issues is the hunting season. You know, we face that situation here in the Assembly when we look at our calendar and how we want to, you know, when we want to meet. Basically our calendar here is crafted around the different hunting seasons around the Northwest Territories.

Similarly, we hear those concerns from education bodies as well. And so while we have -- there has been movement in aligning calendars within regions, we are not at the point where we have a territory-wide calendar yet. And I'm not sure given local bodies' desires that we'll get there. But we are working on it. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Way to run the clock there.

Colleagues, our time for oral questions has expired. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to the Commissioner's address. Petitions. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, Plain Language Summary for Bill 52, Elevators and Lifts Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, Plain Language Summary for Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Lands.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, Northwest Territories Surface Rights Board 2022/23 Budget, and the 2022/2024 Strategic Plan and Business Plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Colleagues, I wish to table the Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly: Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services in the Northwest Territories, Independent Auditor Report 2022.

Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 2nd, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the Legislative Assembly recommend to the reappointment of Ms. Gail Cyr of the city of Yellowknife for a term of four years to the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission.

And further that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of this appointment to the Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Notices of motion. Member for Monfwi.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes that this Legislative Assembly calls upon Housing NWT to increase efforts to transfer ownership of Housing NWT units to long-term tenants who have lived in their existing units for 20 years or more and are willing to assume ownership of their family home for a nominal fee.

And further that Housing NWT will work with municipal and Indigenous governments to ensure land leases or fee simple titles for their units remains affordable when transferred from Housing NWT to the current tenants.

And furthermore that Housing NWT increase efforts to transfer unused and vacant units to interested residents in the communities throughout the territory.

And furthermore that efforts supporting the transfer of unused and vacant units as well as units of long-terms tenants commence immediately by Housing NWT.

And furthermore that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within the 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Notices of motion. Motions. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.