The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Colleagues, before we begin today, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize some visitors to our proceedings today. I am pleased to welcome Ms. Martin's grade 6 class from Weledeh Catholic School. It's great to see students here learning about consensus government so please be on your best behaviour. Just kidding. Thank you, and please enjoy the proceedings today. Thank you.

Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, strengthening relationships with Indigenous governments is a priority of this Legislative Assembly and a key objective in Housing NWT's renewal strategy, so I am pleased to announce the formation of the NWT Housing Forum as another step toward this goal.

As we have been rolling out changes to Housing NWT's policies, programs, and ways of doing business through our renewal strategy, we have been guided by the Council of Leaders Housing Working Group. The working group told us clearly that it wanted to see more permanent venues to allow NWT governments to collaborate and share information on housing.

Mr. Speaker, we listened, and the result is the NWT Housing Forum, a body co-chaired by an Indigenous government and Housing NWT. Based on a proposal brought forward by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the NWT Housing Forum replaces the working group, The structure of the Council of Leaders Leaders through reporting and eligibility for members while providing a more practical and broader focus on the subject matters of housing.

Mr. Speaker, the forum will meet four times a year and in-person. A housing symposium will also be held in Northwest Territories communities every second year. The Indigenous government co-chair with an alternative and will be selected every two years by consensus of Indigenous governments members.

Mr. Speaker, this guided body will share information, discuss and advocate for improvements and changes to the NWT Housing's system and allows members to share their own housing-related plans and activities, and find opportunities for collaboration. The forum also provides an opportunity for Members to interact collaboratively with the federal government on housing-related matters, especially when speaking with one voice is very important.

Mr. Speaker, addressing the housing needs of the Northwest Territories is something that one government cannot do alone. Formalizing this group as the new NWT Housing Forum will build an already strong foundation and ensure Indigenous governments have a strong voice in the housing needs of their communities.

Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT's renewal is an ongoing initiative and Housing NWT will use this forum to seek input and guidance from members on future changes to programs, policies, and legislation relating to these matters within Housing NWT's mandate as well as provided an important ongoing venue for multilateral housing discussions between Housing NWT and NWT Indigenous governments, and any other groups they wish to include in this discussion. Having the Indigenous governments at the table and leading the discussions on how best to improve housing situations in the Northwest Territories is an example of reconciliation, collaboration, and will lead to improvements throughout the Northwest Territories. The NWT Housing Forum will hold its first official meeting on June 9th to confirm the selection of the Indigenous governments to co-lead. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ministers' statements. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, winter roads play a role in connecting families and businesses in the territory. Every year, they allow essential goods like fuel for electricity generation, heat, and transportation to be delivered to communities and homes. The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes the importance of these community lifelines and remains committed to building, operating, and maintaining accessible winter roads for all residents of the Northwest Territories. Today, I am providing an update on the GNWT's successful 2023 winter road season and fuel resupply activities.

Each year, highway crews in the Beaufort Delta, Sahtu, Deh Cho, and North Slave regions build and maintain approximately 1400 kilometres of winter roads, ice roads, and ice crossings. This important work connects the nine NWT communities that are not served by all-season roads while reducing the cost of living for residents who live there.

Many communities rely heavily on diesel and gasoline for electricity generation, heat, and transportation. Transporting fuel by winter road is the quickest and most cost-effective method of winter delivery. This year, the GNWT's season fuel resupply started on February 7th and was completed April 6th. The total volume of petroleum products delivered by winter roads totaled close to 5.2 million litres to six NWT communities.

The winter road season is always demanding on our fuel service and winter road teams, who have mere months to construct and make use of the seasonal connections. This year required particular diligence, attention to detail, and collaboration, as milder than normal temperatures early in the season, along with heavy snowfall, made conditions in some areas especially challenging.

The environmental challenges required even more oversight and administration from our teams. They conducted enhanced profiling and inspections, and responded to all issues, protecting the safety of the public and employees. Our team overcame challenging conditions by working closely with contractors, transport companies, and multiple divisions within the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge that the same conditions that required such tireless work from our staff and contractors also created challenging circumstances for our residents. To protect driver safety, it was necessary to open some winter roads later than usual and some closed with little warning in the spring. While this was necessary, I do recognize how frustrating this can be and I want to thank Northwest Territories residents for their patience as we all adjust to new patterns in the winter road season.

Mr. Speaker, our government's priority is to make strategic infrastructure investments that connect communities, expand our economy, and reduce the cost of living. The work done by our winter road staff and contractors helps achieve this priority, and this year required them to step up like never before. Thanks to their diligence and dedication, we had another safe and successful season. Our government will continue to work with the public and private sector's partners to maintain a dependable supply of essential goods and services to all Northwest Territories communities. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Mr. Speaker, the importance of workplace safety cannot be understated. The Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission works to emphasize this message in many ways, like through partnerships with organizations that share similar audiences and values. One such organization is Skills Canada Northwest Territories, which the WSCC has an ongoing, multi-year partnership with. Their recent territorial Skills Competition and Career Expo provided an opportunity for direct engagement with the youth.

As part of the career expo, the WSCC hosted a Try-A-Trade activity, which enabled Yellowknife, N'dilo, and Behchoko high school students to experience what it is like to be a safety officer and conduct a mock inspection. Students were taught how to properly use personal protective equipment and how to identify hazards in the workplace. Students observed a traditional workplace with a beading station and an area for blocking hides as part of the activity. The WSCC helped students to observe the workplace and identify areas where potential hazards could occur. Students also learned about their three safety rights as workers: Their rights to know; their rights to participate; the right to refuse; and, who to talk to about safety in the workplace.

Mr. Speaker, over 250 high school students participated in WSCC's Try-A-Trade activity, and they were curious, engaged, and excited to participate. Many students recommended their friends try the activity on the second day. The WSCC also helped organize the workers place safety territorial competition. Participants were tasked with completing an inspection of mock warehouse observation, other skill competitions, and identifying hazards and controls and research on a safety issue and delivering a toolbox talk. Yellowknife competitor, Liam Miller, worked hard and was rewarded with the gold medal in the safety workplace for their students. Liam moved on to the National Skills Canada competition and represented the Northwest Territories. The WSCC's partnership with the Skills Canada Northwest Territories continues to target the young workers since youth tend to be newer in the workforce and less experienced. Due to the factors, they can be more at risk and feel pressure to impress their employers, making them more vulnerable to injury risk. By supporting this important event and organizing them, they learned the experience that to work safe in a safety workplace and what that looks like and get valuable safety information. The WSCC offers a free young worker safety certificate course, online program that provides general safety certification.

Skills Canada Northwest Territories promotes careers in skilled trades and technology within the workplace that often present more hazards by promoting workplace safety and reminding all participants and organizations of its importance in the workplace. We all hope to foster even safer workplaces for our younger workers. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Deputy Premier.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I stood up in the Legislative Assembly to thank residents and communities that hosted evacuees. I want to acknowledge that many communities have hosted evacuees that were not registered as part of the formal evacuation program. I want to thank the communities like Fort Resolution, and many others, that opened their doors and their hearts to their neighbours in this time of need. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Deputy Premier. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the North is a pretty incredible community. When someone starts a new business, we show up and don't mind waiting to be one of the first to support a new venture. We love telling people about our experience and sharing encouraging words as our neighbours settle into entrepreneurship, and we love doing this because of the impact business brings to our community. While fulfilling their career goals, businesses step up when a sports team needs support, contribute to residents experiencing loss, and bring life to our communities. But I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if all public servants who make procurement decisions realize the immense impact that they have on the business community. Not only procurement shared services but also public servants from every department can procure services less than $10,000 and goods less than $25,000 directly from vendors through informal quotes. It is the responsibility of each department to take reasonable steps to obtain the best value possible, operate within GNWT policies, comply with the business incentive policy, the northern manufacturers policy, and the Financial Administration Act, and be able to demonstrate that all reasonable steps were taken to obtain the best value possible. But ultimately, they choose where GNWT dollars go. So many public servants have the ability to make it possible for local businesses to continue to exist, expand, and support our communities, but it starts with the bread and butter, or GNWT dollars, needed to keep that business rolling.

A quarter of GNWT dollars are going to non-GNWT businesses. This equates to $95 million of bread and butter leaving the Northwest Territories. Don't get me wrong, I know not every dollar will stay in the Northwest Territories, but I get phone calls from NWT businesses that are asked for informal quotes. They offer to provide similar goods for similar price points and then learn the department opted to hit “buy now” online. Sometimes it's because they wanted a different colour or were married to a different brand or have just always used that southern vendor. But what seems like an insignificant southern purchase are dollars that would have made a difference to small business. When you click “buy now” online, you take sport away from kids, you reduce business to capacity to grow in the North and job creation and, the truly devastating result, make NWT businesses ask if running their business North of 60, or just over the border with lower operating costs, is a way to go.

Mr. Speaker, I hope public servants listening hear me today. Your procurement dollars, no matter how small to your department's budget, matter to northern business owners and matter to your community's health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, youth in our territory face many challenges that we speak about daily in this House. Homelessness, violence, addiction, sexual abuse, and a lack of stability are putting a huge amount of stress on the young people of the Northwest Territories. Suicide rates are rising while the age of those identifying with suicidal thoughts is becoming younger and younger. Constituents with children as young as 12 have spoken to me about their concerns for their children after being alerted by their child's school as to words of self-harm. For Indigenous youth, this instability skyrockets when you add in systemic racism and the legacy of colonization, the 60s Scoop, and the residential and Indian day schools. Lack of resources in communities, including poor dental and health care, a high turnover and lack of teachers and support workers, and no access to recreational facilities only further compound the issue.

I said it here before, Mr. Speaker - we are a have and have not territory. Many youth prosper in Yellowknife. They become renowned athletes, doctors, lawyers, and trades people. Yet one only has to travel a few hours down the road and it's a whole different story. Schools are moldy and falling apart. There are no tennis courts or separate curling and hockey arenas like in Yellowknife. Some communities don't even have a youth centre - somewhere safe for youth to hang out when their home is not. And the only community with a youth shelter is Yellowknife, which isn't even run by our government. Rather, it is the hearts and life's work of the dedicated employees of an NGO Home Base.

Home Base is constantly struggling to find money and staff to meet the overwhelming need of youth in our communities. And, Mr. Speaker, when you do speak to the youth at the shelter, many are Indigenous, and many have come from outside communities to Yellowknife to seek resources and support.

Mr. Speaker, this already paints a pretty bleak picture of what many of the youth in our territory face. However, some have further hurdles in their way. For youth who identify as 2SLGBTEQIPA+, our territory is even more dangerous.

Yesterday, my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes made an impassioned plea for anyone with knowledge of Frank Gruben's whereabouts to come forward. Today I want to make the same plea. We need to bring this young man home for his family and his friends. Often it is the information that we don't think is relevant that could lead to a break in the investigation. If you know something, call the police. Frank deserves better than this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.