This is page numbers of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st 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

Member's Statement 404-20(1): Deficit Mentality Impacting Financial Deficit
Members' Statements

Shauna Morgan

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about our deficit mentality in this government. What I mean is the way we think about our deficiencies, our deficits, that ends up dangerously impacting our actual financial deficit and increasing our debt burden.

Now, the Premier and the Minister of Infrastructure often refer to our infrastructure deficit in this territory. The word deficit means a lack, something that we want that we don't have or something that someone else has that we don't have.

I understand that when Cabinet goes to Ottawa, we're competing to access federal dollars, so we use this language to point out the things other places have that we don't have. But when this idea of an infrastructure deficit becomes the only story that we tell ourselves, we get into big trouble.

Our deficit is compared to what? Compared to who? Should we have the same highway and electricity grid network as Alberta does? Should every community in the NWT have paved highway access? Should every community have the same recreation facilities? We haven't really defined our ultimate goals, what would even be ideal let alone wise or responsible, and so we're left always feeling unsatisfied, that what we have is just never enough. And the list of new things to build keeps getting longer and longer, and our spending grows and our debt continues to break through every ceiling that is set.

Now, debt isn't inherently bad if you're investing wisely in building a solid foundation that will eventually return benefits. But with this deficit mentality, we rarely stop to ask why we need to build all these things beyond vague ideas about nation building and wishing that it will reduce our high cost of living. Looking back, has the Deh Cho Bridge truly made our nation stronger or lowered prices in any of our communities?

The Northwest Territories will always be a collection of many small remote communities, and no billions of dollars in infrastructure can ever change that. But instead of focusing on the isolation and the things that we lack, why don't we focus on the strengths that we gain from our remoteness and how it can bind us together and foster creativity. We have incredible people and incredible natural resources, like caribou, that continue to sustain people today, and that is something that none of the southern provinces have partly because they have too many roads. So let's stop referring to our infrastructure deficit and focus on our strengths and the wise investments we can make to build on what we already have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement 404-20(1): Deficit Mentality Impacting Financial Deficit
Members' Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.

Member's Statement 405-20(1): Supports for Northwest Territories Residents Experiencing Fertility Issues
Members' Statements

October 30th, 2024

Julian Morse

Julian Morse Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague from Great Slave -- note, I used the title, Mr. Speaker -- is putting forward some -- I'm listening to direction.

I understand my colleague from Great Slave is putting forward some written questions today, and I wanted to support her efforts and add my voice to the call for better supports for NWT residents who need access to fertility and surrogacy treatment.

Mr. Speaker, fertility issues are a medical condition which affect a significant number of people in the NWT. One out of six couples experience fertility issues. Infertility is a diagnosed medical condition as is recurrent pregnancy loss. I also want to note, Mr. Speaker, that like many disparities of care in our health care system, women are disproportionally affected by lack of coverage which I feel likely helps to explain why it is an area that is underresourced. Currently, men are covered for urology appointments required for diagnosing fertility issues; however, I understand that women are not similarly covered.

In her October 17th response to the petition tabled by the Member for Great Slave, the finance Minister made a strong case for why fertility support is important. She highlighted the NWT's declining birth rate and noted that a decline in population, including the birth rate in the NWT, could have significant implications for the territorial economy. A result in demographic shift would likely result in a higher dependency ratio which has the potential to place increased pressure on social services and health care systems. A lower birth rate, combined with an aging population, might also deter investments in sectors such as education, housing, and local businesses that rely on a steady growing population base from local families.

After making these arguments, however, she noted that the NWT's tax base is too small to support fertility-related coverage. I note with interest, Mr. Speaker, that the Yukon, with a similar tax base to our own, has just announced that they are expanding their MLA travel subsidy to make fertility and surrogacy treatments more accessible. This is the first phase of a broader plan which includes exploring the possibility of a new tax credit for Yukoners undergoing fertility and surrogacy treatments.

I wish I didn't have to point to the Yukon so often, Mr. Speaker, but yet again, they have showing us what can be done in a northern jurisdiction that has the will to take actions they know will help keep people in the territory to raise their families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement 405-20(1): Supports for Northwest Territories Residents Experiencing Fertility Issues
Members' Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from the Deh Cho.

Member's Statement 406-20(1): Health Promotion in Small Communities
Members' Statements

Sheryl Yakeleya

Sheryl Yakeleya Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the issue I have raised in the past which is promotion of health and well-being for residents in our small communities. Mr. Speaker, our government has a mandate to deliver health promotion programming to residents to ensure that our population is educated and can make healthy choices in a variety of areas such as quitting smoking, injury prevention, healthy eating, staying active, sexual health, and education around substance use.

Across the territory, and especially in small communities, we have high rates of alcohol use, smoking, chronic disease, and sexually transmitted diseases for example. It's important that people know what resources are available for education purposes. There should be campaigns that reach our youth, adults, elders so that they are aware of health issues, their risks, and how to prevent or manage these. In small communities, this can be done through community outreach, through radio announcements, culturally relevant material, any resources that can reach out to the population, rather than waiting for health issues and disease to develop which will require care in a health facility and ultimately cost this government.

I would like to see a healthy informed and thriving population in the communities I serve. I would like my constituents to have the information and resources required to make healthy decisions, decisions around substance consumption, nutrition, and sexual health. I am concerned that in my riding not enough has been done to promote health and keep residents healthy. There isn't enough information getting out there to the people. My worries that the people need to know that just because they aren't hearing about certain health risks or issues doesn't mean it isn't there. They may be at risk and just don't know it. Health promotion keeps people healthy as well as their families and ultimately our communities. I will have questions for the Minister of health later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement 406-20(1): Health Promotion in Small Communities
Members' Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Member's Statement 407-20(1): Food Insecurity
Members' Statements

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over 20 percent of the households in the Northwest Territories struggle with food insecurity, and most of those households are home to Indigenous families. When those children go to school hungry, their academic performance suffers severely as does their ability to interact with their peers. Hunger and malnutrition also have long-term lasting impacts on their physical and mental health adding to the disproportionate numbers of Indigenous children who suffer from chronic illness and depression. This is is because nutritious food is becoming prohibitively expensive, especially in the smaller communities, and they don't have reliable access to the traditional harvested food which sustained generations before them since time immemorial.

So far, the Government of the Northwest Territories has provided $650,000 annually through their anti-poverty to support school run breakfasts, lunch, and snack programs. And this has been supplemented by the federal Jordan Principle program which has funded meals for students as well. But contracts under Jordan Principle are unreliable, and $650,000 here does not go far enough to provide every student with a healthy meal. Yesterday, however, I was pleased to see the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment announce a new funding program to expand the territorial school program with the federal government.

I'm very hopeful that this new agreement will greatly benefit children across the Northwest Territories, but I hope there are provisions to expand school meals for Indigenous students with traditional food source and provide educational opportunities for both culture practices. Imagine school lunch programs which provides traditional meals, Indigenous cultural made with locally sourced ingredients and prepared with care because this is not just about the food on their plate. This program expansion is an unique opportunity to intertwine with traditional, educational, and cultural teaching. We need a school food program that can teach them the importance of balanced diet and the benefits of nutrition and the values of sustainable respect for the land.

By incorporating culture, education to the lunch program, we empower children to do well, to make better choices, but also to embrace their heritage. This approach fosters pride in their culture and nurture strong connections into their culture and community. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I know this agreement is still in the early phase, but I hope to learn more about the benefits it will have on the children in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding and perhaps provide more room for input from my communities. I look forward to asking the Minister for more information later this afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement 407-20(1): Food Insecurity
Members' Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Member's Statement 408-20(1): Supporting Youth with Autism
Members' Statements

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to say supporting youth with autism in the Northwest Territories is critical. We need to look at it through a multifaceted approach by addressing their needs, whether it's regional or in large centre, Mr. Speaker, like Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, imagine if you're in a small community and you have children or a child or there's other types of people with learning disabilities in your community, where do they go? Well, they come to Yellowknife often because the services and supports aren't there. Mr. Speaker, but what I also find here in Yellowknife is people are leaving Yellowknife to go to Alberta because supports for things like autism are there, not here, Mr. Speaker.

We have a duty to help these young people achieve the best and most full potential that they can. It may be limited in some cases because I'm also a realist and know that, but the fact is we have a duty to ensure that they can live the best lives that they can. This burden often falls on the big shoulders of parents who struggle with these challenges each and every day. Mr. Speaker, we cannot leave these young people who can do better, who want to do better, behind.

Mr. Speaker, lifetime pathways are being developed and formed when young people are born and then in their formative years, they're not getting the assessments and treatments and supports they need. We need early intervention because it's when it's when they're young it matters the most.

Mr. Speaker, we can help redefine some of those weaker pathways. We can strengthen the ones they've got because we don't want to miss this critical opportunity, because if we don't do this when they're young it's too late. In other words, collectively we must work together. How can we do this, Mr. Speaker?

Well, early intervention and diagnosis is clearly critical. Many families will tell me it takes them a couple years to get an assessment. Two, maybe three years already pass by without those critical interventions needed.

Educational supports, Mr. Speaker, we can only rely on the schools so much and there's not enough funding to go around, as well as focus on this particular issue. Mr. Speaker, community and family supports are critical. Mr. Speaker, when we have parents who have children with autism, you know, they end up having to leave work to cover for the SIP days, Mr. Speaker. After school programs don't exist for folks like this. Summer programs don't exist for this. It falls again on the family's shoulders.

There is limited, and I mean limited, funding through ECE, but it's barely enough to fund a couple families when we have more than our share. Mr. Speaker, there are mental supports for the families who struggle with this each and every day. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions later on this particular matter because it is critical for the North. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Member's Statement 408-20(1): Supporting Youth with Autism
Members' Statements

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements.

Member's Statement 409-20(1): Pat Rowe Memorial Golf Tournament
Members' Statements

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Colleagues, approximately 25 years ago, the Seven Spruce Golf Club decided that they should come up with a four-person best ball tournament. After thinking about this idea, the executive asked two members to reach out to various businesses in the community and surrounding areas. One of the businesses they reached out to, was the owner of Kingland. He directed them to speak to the parts manager, and since that meeting the partnership has grown. It started out being called the Seven Spruce Four Person Best Ball Tournament, sponsored by Kingland Ford, then it was changed to the Kingland Ford Four Person Best Ball Tournament, and the name was changed to the Aurora Ford Four Person Best Ball Tournament after Aurora Ford purchased Kingland.

With the passing of Pat Rowe, the executive spoke to the staff at Aurora Ford about changing the name to the Pat Rowe Memorial Tournament. After about ten seconds of the conversation, it was agreed that it would be the new name going forward. Now, with this in place, the executive started organizing the tournament. The first thing they needed to do was change the date for this year. It is normally held in July but because of organizational issues, it was decided to be held on the August long weekend.

As the executive started reaching out to businesses, they saw a huge support from local and regional businesses. They were very successful in getting businesses to sponsor the tournament. Like the merchants' bonspiel, they broke it down into the following categories: platinum, gold, silver and bronze. I have attached a list and will ask them deemed to be as read and printed in the Hansard.

Colleagues, as some of you were aware, Pat was always an active supporter of the golf course. He sponsored and did a lot of work on Hole 7 of the course. He was one of three local business owners that paid for the screen porch addition to the clubhouse.

Pat was well respected. This year's tournament saw 13 teams, including three teams from Hay River and a team made up from Yukon, BC and a business owner from Fort Simpson. The winning team was a Fort Simpson team with a score of 12 under. I have been advised next year's tournament is going to see more teams from out of town. I can't wait for next year, to play with my sons again.

Sponsors of the Pat Rowe Memorial Golf Tournament.

Platinum ($ 2,000.00 plus)

PR Contracting
South Nahanni Airways
Rowe's Construction
Enbridge
Aurora Ford
Tire North

Gold ($ 1,000.00 - $ 2,000.00)

Northern
Simpson Air

Silver ($ 500.00 - $ 1,000.00)

Bradbury Services
Jiffy Lube Yellowknife
Taylor & Company
Rings Drugstore

Bronze (less than $ 500.00)

Goose Flying Services
Fort Simpson Beverages
Fort Simpson Fire department
La Dee Dah.

Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two pages that are here representing Inuvik Twin Lakes, Dallas Krutko and Keefer Ciboci-Raymond. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Monfwi.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and acknowledge Melinda Zoe. She's a chaperon for the two young page, Leela Bekale and Jaydan Zoe, from Jean Wetrade School in Gameti. So I would like to acknowledge them and welcome them. Thank you.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Member from Frame Lake.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Julian Morse

Julian Morse Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to acknowledge a constituent who is serving as a page in the Assembly this week, Lucy Mackay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife South.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very happy to say that I have a resident of Yellowknife South here in the room with us today serving as a page, Mr. Ben Mager. Thank you.

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.

Question 386-20(1): Old Stanton Building Decision-Making
Oral Questions

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, this is a question for Minister of Finance. Can the Minister explain why the government decided to sublease the Old Stanton Building at an increased cost of $78.6 million? Thank you.

Question 386-20(1): Old Stanton Building Decision-Making
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Question 386-20(1): Old Stanton Building Decision-Making
Oral Questions

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the opportunity that arose to sublease the building was later in the procurement process. This has been some of the challenge with the audit is that there were multiple stages to what occurred from back in 2013 when the project first originated up to the last stage of that project which is when that decision was made to sublease. At that point in time, there was this opportunity because the investment that was being made by one of the partners to decommission, renovate, you know, clean up that old building, that involved a significant amount of investment and their intent was that they would lease that out to recoupe the significant cost to do that. When they were ready to do that, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services was also looking at that time for an opportunity to put a long-term care facility somewhere. They did do an analysis on the cost per bed. I'll remind you, Mr. Speaker, that this was after COVID when costs of building and constructing new things had gone up. The cost per bed was quickly realized would be cheaper at the Legacy Building, then -- Liwego'ati Building than what it would be elsewhere and so a decision was made to pivot and to utilize that facility. Thank you.

Question 386-20(1): Old Stanton Building Decision-Making
Oral Questions

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Yes, thank you for that information. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain what non-medical services in the new hospital are projected to increase by $173 million over 30 years? Thank you.

Question 386-20(1): Old Stanton Building Decision-Making
Oral Questions

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, it probably is a bit of both departments here. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take that number back. That's a very specific number, and I'm -- while I'm familiar with the audit, I am not necessarily up to speed with what that number would be.

So in terms of the projected costs, we do have a fairly detailed analysis that's obviously been done when we got the audit in. We are looking at where costs are going over the course of time. There's some concern that we have seen with respect to the audit in terms of understanding the difference between the portion that is within the P3 project and the portion that may be connected to Liwego'ati Building and then on top of which there have certainly been changes in the health care sector with respect to the costs of delivering health care, particularly following after COVID-19, and the time when the projections were originally done, 2013, 2015, do not match up to the realities of what we were facing post-COVID and so there are some concerns in there. And that may well be the sum total of the explanation, but I want to make sure I fully get the number that the Member referenced. So, again, so aside from mentioning the concern there, Mr. Speaker, I will make sure that there's nothing missing in that number. Thank you.

Question 386-20(1): Old Stanton Building Decision-Making
Oral Questions

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. The auditor general estimates that the Stanton project will cost $1.21 billion over the next 30 years. Can the Minister explain how the territory will pay the increase in cost? Thank you.