This is page numbers 5353 - 5396 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.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Thank you, Members. It's back, the translation is corrected. Minister of ITI.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I believe that the CFIA process is on track in terms of timing. Whether it has already happened or whether it's scheduled to happen, I can confirm that possibly in advance of appearing on ITI's main estimates this afternoon, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's going to take staff to run that plant so I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell me if staff recruitment has taken place or if something's in the works. Thank you.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

Page 5362

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't think there's an active recruitment for staffing right now, but I can say that there's quite a bit of work happening with the Tu Cho Fishers Cooperative as well as with FFMC to ensure that those players and parties are all involved, that there's no overlapping work going on but that, in fact, everyone's working together. The goal, again, is to have this plant open and operational for the fishing season, including with having a manager and including having the staffing available. I, in fact, only spoke to FTI about this yesterday and had a very thorough assurance that the work necessary to reach that goal is underway. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

Page 5362

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

February 16th, 2023

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This last question is self-serving. Will the Minister commit to a fish fry during the opening of the fish plant in Hay River? Thank you.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

Page 5362

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Without knowing the date of the fish fry, Madam Speaker, it's a bit difficult to commit but I would love a fish fry, and I'm sure we can coordinate an appropriate date to be in Hay River for a fish fry. Thank you.

Question 1384-19(2): Fish Plant
Oral Questions

Page 5362

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I was so excited yesterday about Cabin Radio -- they turned me into a meme -- that I didn't get to my questions about midwifery for the Minister of health yesterday. So my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

My first question is, as we enter the final phase of implementation of a territorial midwifery program, what major actions remain to be done? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm happy to provide an update on the midwifery program. The major issue we have right now is with staffing. The Fort Smith program is now Monday to Friday because they're down two staff. We're also looking for a senior consultant in Yellowknife. So we're not fully staffed anywhere so it's difficult for us to move forward with the implementation program until that happens. Thank you.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. In her recent update to me by email, the Minister noted that for the territorial midwifery program, it's being guided by something called an implementation project charter. That's the first time I've heard of a charter outside of the actual strategy.

So can the Minister tell us when and how the charter was developed, including what involvement there was from stakeholders such as the Midwives Association of the NWT? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, a project charter is like a vision and mission statement. It sets out the project that is to be accomplished, breaks it down into timing, responsibilities and actions, and so on. The project charter for midwifery was created in 2021 to guide the work of implementation of the midwifery program. It's an internal document that employees refer to and measure their progress against. And while it wasn't developed specifically with external stakeholders, I'm sure the Member is aware that there was a very thorough public engagement on the question of midwifery in 2017, and the results of that engagement informed both the project charter and the implementation. Thank you.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'd be interested in seeing the project charter at some point, but. And the Minister spoke of the difficulty in staffing these positions. So can the Minister tell us whether there's a recruitment and retention strategy for the territorial midwifery program or what special considerations are required as part of an overall health worker strategy to maintain midwifery? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you. We currently have two ads out for midwives. One that is for two midwives in Fort Smith, and one is for a senior consultant in Yellowknife. Those ads are open until filled. The one for the midwives in Fort Smith has been up for three weeks; the other one for Yellowknife has been up for one week. So midwives are included as people who can have the benefit of the labour market supplement recruitment and retention payments, as well as the other incentives that we introduced such as having friends and family coming to spend holidays with people who are working here. So I think our greatest challenge, really, is the same as it is for other health professionals, which is convincing them to make the Northwest Territories a long-term home so that we can provide stability and continuity in patient services. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that, sincerely thank her because that was a lot of good news there and I hadn't heard all of that, so. But I think we need to start to think about evaluation of this moving forward as well. So how is the implementation working group and the project charter preparing for the essential task of gathering data and evaluating program effectiveness, including the engagement of stakeholders such as parents, staff, and advocates? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to say that there is a performance measurement framework. It captures a broad range of activities that are part of the implementation plan for midwifery, and it adheres to the recommendations that were provided in the stakeholder engagement in 2017. So I am not sure when this first measurement framework will be complete and ready for the public to review, but that's certainly something I can provide as a followup. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

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

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Could the Minister please provide us with an update on the Tulita Health Centre? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, right now we are working with the department of health to have a look at the project going forward. Thank you.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Okay, so not much of an update. Can the Minister respond to whether or not Clark Builders, the contractor for that work, has demobilized from site? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. No.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm a bit confused by that answer as it's been brought to my attention by several people in the area that the health centre has now been halted and is not progressing. Can the Minister please speak to the rumors and why that would be being said? Thank you.