Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This weekend is my least favourite day of the year, Mr. Speaker. And that's the day the clocks go forward. And, Mr. Speaker, it's not just me who hates the time change. Every single year the day after the time change there's a spike in car accidents, Mr. Speaker. People hate the time change so much they are crashing their cars in protest.

Mr. Speaker, the day after time change, the economy loses millions of dollars in economic productivity, and the Monday following time change is the Number 1 sick day consistently in the GNWT, Mr. Speaker. People awake and, in protest of the time change, they phone in sick to their public service job which they love, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we recently went out and we surveyed whether to get rid of the time change, and it was the single biggest response the GNWT has ever gotten in a survey. 3,545 people responded. Mr. Speaker, that broke the previous record on the cannabis survey. The people have spoken. They hate the time change more than they love cannabis, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 87 percent of respondents said they were in favour of getting rid of the time change. 87 percent, Mr. Speaker. What clearer direction do we need from our people?

Mr. Speaker, all too frequently we go out and we produce these "what we heard" reports, and they become "what we did not listen to" reports. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of time is not here today so I will have questions for the Premier whether she will listen to the people of the Northwest Territories, and this can be the last time change once and for all, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

(audio) after that, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to share with you a success story from the Nahendeh riding. 18 years ago, the business arm of the Acho Dene Koe First Nation, Fort Simpson Metis Nation, Nahanni Butte Dene Band, and Sambaa K'e First Nation came together to form Dehcho Regional Helicopters. The core of a business plan was to secure, with their operating partner Great Slave Helicopters, the contract for the helicopter services that supported the Fort Simpson fire base. It is a source of pride for the Dehcho Regional Helicopters Limited partners that every summer, since its founding, the company has played a part in managing wildfires and protecting the communities and cabins of their members from these fires.

In 2008, the company acquired its first helicopter, an ASTAR 350 B2, which its call sign was DCV. That helicopter has been dedicated to forestry contracts based out of Fort Simpson each summer.

In 2010, the partnership extended to include the economic arms of the Liidlii Kue First Nation and Pehdzeh Ki First Nation. The expansion united all seven First Nation and Metis Nations in the Nahendeh region in the business. Their business model and their commitment to each of the seven limited partners have contributed to this company's success.

This past spring, Dehcho Regional Helicopters acquired a second helicopter, an ASTAR 350 B3, named after the company with the call sign DRH, a helicopter which you might have noticed flying around the city because it's bright orange, has already worked at Diavik during drill moves outside of Yellowknife this past summer supporting fire crews in the mining sector in Saskatchewan.

As the only 100 percent Indigenous-owned helicopter company in the territory, Dehcho Regional Helicopters and its limited partners are committed to increasing Indigenous participation in leadership in the aviation industry. The company offered three different types of scholarships each year. In 2020, and again in 2021, the company was pleased to award $30,000 to fixed-wing or helicopter pilot scholarships to two students from Fort Simpson who were studying aviation management program at Sub-Arctic Leadership Training College in Fort Smith.

Dehcho Regional Helicopters, which is looking forward to celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024, as an Indigenous business success story. Please join me in congratulating them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to wish Lillian Elias Happy Birthday today. She's our language interpreter. It's her 80th birthday. Quyananni for all your hard work that you do here. I'd also like to recognize MP McLeod and Grand Chief Lafferty who's joining me this afternoon to do a big announcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Brad Enge for coming to the Legislative Assembly today to observe our proceedings. And I'd like to say hello to a longtime friend Kelly Ryder who is here as well. Thank you.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'd like to welcome Lieutenant Colonel Kris Udesen, commanding officer of First Canadian Ranger Patrol Group out of here, out of Yellowknife. I want to welcome him to the House and thank him for his service. And I want to welcome former colleagues of ours here in the House, Mr. Speaker. I really miss them. Jackson Lafferty, grand chief, thank you for coming to the House. It's always good to see you. And our former colleague Mike McLeod MP and thank him for all what you guys are doing for the people. And keep up the good work.

And also, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to welcome Sholto Douglas in the House as well, from Fort Smith. Sholto is one of the most knowledgeable dog guys I know and the biggest volunteer for NWT dog sledding where he travels around and helps us in the Delta for timing and being race marshals and stuff like that, for the community, for the communities across the North, you know.

Mr. Speaker, also I really want to welcome to the House one of my closest friends for over 20 years, Mr. Curtis Earhart from Alaska. Curtis came, one of our friends got in a car accident, Mr. Speaker, Brent Beck, and he had nobody to care for his dogs. And Curtis drove 28 hours from Fairbanks, Alaska, on his own dime, to come and help Brent run, train, and for keeping upkeep of his dogs. And Curtis went above and beyond, you know, for that, doing not only training now, then they got on the race circuit. So he went to Minnetonka, Minnesota, and they've been travelling around and doing the southern South Slave dog races. And I just really want to, you know, thank Curtis for what he's done for Brent. And he'd do that for anybody; I know that. And I just want to thank him for what he's done and just let it be known that, you know, it's not going unseen and we thank him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Michael McLeod, our MP from the Northwest Territories. I'd like to say welcome. Also I'd like to welcome Jackson Lafferty, the grand chief of the Tlicho region. Mahsi for being here. Also I want to recognize Brad Enge; I think he's in the back. And also, I'd like to recognize Sholto Douglas, and thank you for being here. And also, I want to say thank you to, again, all the translators out of here as well, including Mary Rose Sundberg, Jonas Lafferty, Tommy Unka, Marg Casaway, and our friends who have a Happy Birthday to them. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize the Member of Parliament, Mr. Michael McLeod, and welcome him to the House. But this House is my House so he's actually a constituent, Mr. Speaker. And I'd also like to welcome back former colleague, Mr. Jackson Lafferty, who is now the grand chief of the Tlicho Nation. I'd like to congratulate him on that venture and hope him success in many fronts. And I'd also like to recognize Sholto Douglas who is the vice-president of the NWT Sled Dog Sports. I wasn't sure he was a vice-president because he always says he's the boss, so I don't know about that then. I'd also like to recognize Curtis Earhart. My colleague recognized him and advised where he was from and that he is racing with Brent Beck Racing Team. And this weekend too, Fort Smith is hosting a sled dog racing weekend to their carnival. They have one of the largest pools around. And we got ten-dog racing teams and an equal number, if not more, for the six-dog racing, so I wish them well, good luck this weekend in Fort Smith. Mahsi.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.