Thank you. Please be seated. I'd like to thank Joe Otokiak for doing the opening prayer.

Colleagues, before we get going, I'd like to recognize a very special person in the House today, my better half. I know she's turning red. But I want you guys to be on your best behaviour today, because if you don't then I'm going to have to deal with it later when I get home. So welcome to the House, my dear. Ministers' statements. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a complex issue that touches all aspects of society and all NWT communities. Every jurisdiction across the country is facing this issue, amplified in recent years by the pandemic, the rising cost of living, illicit drugs, and climate-related emergencies. What causes people to lose their housing and the cascading effect on their lives and the communities where they live are varied. This is why A Way Home, the Government of the Northwest Territories Homelessness Strategy, is a whole-of-government approach that requires partnership and collaboration with all stakeholders in order to be successful. To ensure we maintain this comprehensive and collaborative approach, implementation of the strategy is led by the Department of the Executive and Indigenous Affairs under a newly formed governance and service integration division. In addition to A Way Home, the new division will also be responsible for service integration efforts across the territory, antipoverty and food security initiatives, as well as strengthening our relationship and support with non-governmental organization partners.

This division will focus on increasing transitional and supportive housing options across the territory and beginning to close this specific gap in the housing continuum. We know that stable housing is foundational for people to address other challenges in their lives. We also know that moving from shelters straight into independent housing is often not possible and can create additional challenges for some people. By increasing transitional and supportive housing options, we can ensure people have access to on-site wraparound supports and person-centered services that are critical to helping people create the stability to be successful tenants and reach their own goals. This is where efforts towards service integration come into play.

Over the course of this Legislative Assembly, we will establish four service integration teams across the territory - three teams focused on homelessness, and one team focused on family preservation. These teams will streamline access for residents and ensure services are provided in a timely, agile, and culturally safe manner, and that there are supports to keep people housed and prevent homelessness rather than only responding to crisis. These teams have already been established in Yellowknife and Fort Simpson, with plans to launch in Inuvik this December.

Non-government organizations play a critical role in the service delivery continuum, and we are committed to strengthening these relationships, ensuring that NGOs remain resilient and provide sustainable services. As such, EIA has established an NGO support position within the division to better understand NGOs' needs, to reduce barriers they face in interacting with government processes and systems, and address the recommendations outlined in the strengthening the non-profit and charitable sector final report.

Mr. Speaker, addressing homelessness in the territory is not an easy or quick task. Homelessness is a complex issue with many moving, ever-changing parts, and solutions will require effective partnerships and collaboration. However, the GNWT's recent experience working with various partners to find solutions for Yellowknife residents staying at the encampment on 51st Street clearly demonstrated that collective problem solving and working together towards common goals is not only possible but strengthens us as a system and provides a space for us to learn from one another and build the trusting, mutually respectful relationships between service providers and with the people we serve that are required to do this kind of work. Collaborative experiences such as these make me hopeful that, together, we can address homelessness across the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for NWT Power Corp.

Mr. Speaker, when the public utility board, or PUB, accepted the terms of sale from the Hay River utility franchise to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, or NTPC, earlier this year, it set a deadline of October 30th for the filing of a general rate application, or GRA, by all Northwest Territories' utility companies. On Wednesday afternoon, NTPC filed a GRA, and so over the next several months, the PUB will review the application to ultimately determine whether the costs that NTPC has presented are reasonable and reflect the true cost to deliver electricity.

The GRA process is managed by the PUB. It is designed to be inclusive and has opportunities for Indigenous and community governments and members of the public to participate in several different ways, both formally and informally. The PUB will provide information about how to participate as the process advances.

Regulated utilities have limited flexibility in how rates are set. Rates are set by the PUB to ensure that rates align with policy direction and, in general, follow the principle of cost causation, meaning that whoever is benefiting from electricity generation and infrastructure pays for the cost of that generation and the cost of the associated transmission and distribution infrastructure.

The structure of the electricity systems across the Northwest Territories is very challenging. The Northwest Territories electrical system is primarily an isolated non-integrated system, meaning it is not connected to the North American grid. Since we are not connected to the continental grid, unlike other jurisdictions that can share electricity, in the NWT we are on our own.

NTPC operates two separate hydroelectric grids that are also not connected. Since the two hydro systems are not connected, they cannot back each other up and, consequently, the hydro systems rely on diesel generation for backup.

Diesel generation on the hydro systems is typically only required under two conditions. The first is when there is low water on the Snare system, and the second is when the hydro unit is down for maintenance. Both of those conditions are occurring today, and this has a material impact on costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

NTPC also operates 21 separate community grids primarily powered by diesel generators. However, over the last few years, NTPC has reduced diesel generating by increasing natural gas generation in Inuvik and increased use of renewables from utility-owned infrastructure but also power purchase agreements with Indigenous governments.

As more renewables are added to the system, the NTPC needs to be cautious about the impact on rates and system stability. When renewables are added to a community that already has sufficient generation and is experiencing little or no growth, there can be upward pressure on rates. Those additional assets must be maintained, adding additional costs to the system. Finding the balance between a sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy system is a challenge; it is a challenge we are embracing.

As we all know, the Northwest Territories is experiencing little to no major growth in industrial sectors such as mineral resource production, and this has impacts on NTPC.

While other jurisdictions across North America that are connected to the continental grid are worried about their ability to keep pace with growing demand, over the last decade in the Northwest Territories, electricity sales have declined or remained flat just about every year. Without increased sales from industrial activity, there will be pressure on rates to keep up with general inflation. Recognizing all these challenges, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made significant investments in the electricity sector over the last two years to help keep rates low.

In my May 2024 Budget Address, I announced that the GNWT would make a $30 million contribution to help offset the impact of increased generation costs in the North Slave due to extreme low water on the Snare system, which came on top of a $15.2 million contribution by the previous government in 2023. The contributions acknowledge that low water was a matter beyond the control of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, and the resulting dependence on diesel could have had an unacceptable impact on electricity rates. The price of diesel has increased by approximately 40 percent since electricity rates were last set, and this increase has impacted every community as diesel provides either primary or backup power. This government has also made an additional $38 million contribution to the Inuvik wind project to reflect the higher-than-expected cost of the project and to ensure that those costs do not lead to an increase on rates. Despite these investments, NTPC is still facing many of the same cost pressures as other Canadian utilities.

Many of these utilities have applied for rate increases because of similar inflationary cost pressures as to what we are seeing here in the Northwest Territories. The GRA is seeking a rate increase that is the same across all three rate zones:

• the Snare
• the Taltson, and
• the Thermal Zone.

While this is not the normal approach, NTPC has laid out its rationale in the application. It will be up to the PUB to determine if the approach is reasonable. The NTPC's GRA seeks a rate increase equivalent to 17.7 percent over 2022-2023 rates. This is in addition to a 7.1 interim rate increase that was already approved by the PUB in July 2024 resulting in an overall increase of 24.8 percent. NTPC is forecasting the rate increases will be phased in over the next year, but the timing and final rate increase will ultimately be determined by the PUB after the public rate review process is concluded.

There are four primary categories, again, driving the need for rate increases:

• Extraordinary events, such as extreme low water in the Snare River system;
• Fuel prices;
• Capital projects, such as the Taltson overhaul; and,
• Normal operations, which includes inflationary pressures while sales remain flat.

NTPC is working very hard to keep rates as low as possible while providing reliable service and investing in new and refurbished assets such as hydro units, local power plants, transmission lines, and power poles. Many of its assets are beyond their serviceable life and require investment now and in the coming years to avoid risks associated with catastrophic failure. While progress has been made in upgrading the required electricity infrastructure, there is still work to be done and costs to be incurred.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT will continue to help offset higher residential electricity rates across the Northwest Territories through the territorial power support program. This program ensures that all NWT households can, with modest energy saving efforts, pay the same power rate as Yellowknife. The GNWT subsidizes the difference between local rates and Yellowknife rates up to 1000 kilowatt hours in the winter and up to 600 kilowatt hours the rest of the year. This program represents a cost to the GNWT of several million dollars annually.

NTPC will continue to work with the GNWT and the private sector to increase its industrial customer base and as well as identify operating efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities within the corporation to help stabilize the cost of electricity moving forward while ensuring our grid remains reliable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for NWT Power Corp. Ministers' statements. Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the participants who represented Team NT at the 2024 Canada 55+ Games. They were held in Quebec City from August 27th to 30th, 2024. The Canada 55+ Games provide an opportunity for Team NT to engage and compete with other athletes from across Canada. In addition to being an athletic competition, these games also provide an opportunity for participants to engage in other forms of competition and social activities with their peers.

Mr. Speaker, sports, recreation, and active living play a crucial role in promoting healthy individuals; a stronger, more connected community by addressing physical, mental, social, and an economic aspect of well-being. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to support all residents, including seniors, by providing assistance to attend events like this in Canada 55+.

In August, Team NT was represented by 58 participants from five communities across the territories. Representation included three participants from Fort Simpson, 13 from Fort Smith, 8 from Hay River, 1 from Inuvik, and 36 from Yellowknife.

Team NT participants competed in various events, including ice hockey, pickle ball, table tennis, Scrabble, swimming, curling, cribbage, bowling, bridge, tennis, golf, 8-ball, and track and field. In total, Team NT brought home 14 medals, including five gold, four silver, and five bronze.

I would like to give special recognition to Wayne Guy of Yellowknife who won three medals in track and field including gold in long jump, a silver in the 50-meter race, another silver in the 100-meter race. I would also like to recognize Mike Pickles of Yellowknife who won gold and bronze in table tennis. And Joan and Dennis Bevington, a couple from Fort Smith, who brought home a bronze in tennis.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the various sports organizations who played such an important role in selecting and managing the teams who represented the territory. I would also like to extend a special gratitude to Team NT coordinator, Joan Hirons, for her outstanding efforts in organizing and supporting the team throughout the Games.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to sincerely thank the many volunteers and sponsors for their time and dedication in supporting this event. Whether you are a volunteer, an organizer, or someone who helped Team NT in any way, please know that your contribution to the team is greatly appreciated. I truly hope that everyone who participated in this event enjoyed themselves. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the staff for fixing my microphone.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to speak today about an event here held in the Great Hall last night. Equal Voice NWT chapter had its first event - a meet-and-greet. Spearheaded by the City of Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty, over 50 women and nonbinary folks, and a few men -- thank you to the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake -- gathered to meet and learn more about running for public office.

Mr. Speaker, a diversity of backgrounds, genders, and experience is a strength in every elected leadership role. School boards, municipal councils, the House of Commons, and, of course, this House. I am grateful to the previous Members for Yellowknife Centre and Range Lake who, as a part of the 18th Assembly's special committee on increasing the representation of women in the Legislative Assembly, decided to hold a series of workshops they called Women on the Ballot. Over several months of Sundays in early 2019, both I and many other women came together to learn more about how to run or support a campaign from many subject-experts and people who had already walked the walk. I was honoured to volunteer on a campaign of one of those women in 2019. After that experience, I realized that with some hard work and dedication, it could be a possibility for anyone, including me.

Mr. Speaker, I believe in paying it forward. I do not gatekeep. I want to make sure that folks of all underrepresented demographics have the tools and encouragement they need to run for office and assist those who they support. I'm thrilled by last night's turnout and keen interests from so many Northerners, including some as far away as from Ulukhaktok. It was lovely to see folks from the gender equity unit of the GNWT attend as well. Hopefully, we can increase networking opportunities as a result.

I would like to thank Her Worship Mayor Alty for pulling the chapter together, and I look foward to supporting many events, including possible future campaign schools into the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, critical to ensuring project fruition is planning. Mr. Speaker, as we recall, the announcement for the summer 2024 sailing season was cancelled. This placed projects on hold for deliveries. Now that the Sahtu region is preparing for the winter road season, planning to ensure deliveries is a priority.

Mr. Speaker, I am told by a trucking company that some 700 truckloads are destined for the communities. Preparations and planning are underway, with the Department of Infrastructure, to put more resources to ensure road construction and maintenance road stability. I'm confident on those discussions between the departments right away and the contractors. Think about it this way, Mr. Speaker: 700 trucks in 700 trucks out with tire chains.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to the high volumes of traffic, public safety is paramount. Again, I'm confident the Department of Infrastructure has mentioned in their preparations in addition to adding additions to patrol staffing, signage, etcetera.

Mr. Speaker, during our last spring sitting and February Hansard, the Minister of Housing NWT highlighted the housing allocation for the Sahtu region is 20 units. This is a large volume of materials.

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of a one-window season approach to the Sahtu mobilization, planning is fundamental to ensure homes on the ground for 2025 summer construction season, a unique approach to community economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, as you can see project planning is essential for the Sahtu region and the Sahtu region cannot afford additional costs associated with nondeliveries or delays of any nature. We can only look at the Tulita health centre building materials that is being air transported and fuel products. Later, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again, it's that time of year to start cranking up our heaters and plugging in our vehicles as the temperatures increasingly drop overnight. Yes, we are all accustomed to winter seasons, but what many of us are unprepared for is ba winter season in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

Keeping homes warm is increasingly becoming a struggle for too many -- far too many Northerners who can't afford the rising costs of heating fuel. And this can only get worse as economic opportunities dry up. An unsurprising consequence of this drop in a standard of living is the sad fact that our communities will see a rise in house fires. Just ask our firefighters what happens when more homeowners resort to leaving multiple space heaters running, open up their ovens, or tap into their neighbour's electricity. Even worse, couple these factors with our deepening housing crisis where many housing units are over capacity, and the result is a recipe for disaster.

This exponential increase in risk puts enormous pressure on fire departments across the North. But, unfortunately, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs has been more interested in downloading the responsibility of services onto communities without ensuring that these communities have the resources to train and certify firefighters. The consequences are major gaps in training and qualifications for firefighters, exacerbated by the fact that without agreements with training institutions and certifying bodies, training firefighters is far more expensive.

How can communities train the firefighters they need to protect their communities when it costs thousands of dollars to do so without the legislation, certifying bodies, or agreements in place? The Fire Prevention Act makes it clear that the Office of the Fire Marshal is responsible for programs relating to fire and para-medicine, including training, but it's not clear how much of these funds go directly into the delivery of training programs. This is unacceptable to our fire departments in every community in the Northwest Territories who regularly make clear they do not have the resources to train, equip, or ensure a minimum level of qualification for their first responders.

Lutsulke, for example, has gone years without a fire truck and when they had a severe fire, the truck pulled up and the water pressure on the hose failed. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister has experience with this file and I know he cares about this, and I know he'll do the right thing when I put questions to him about properly funding our fire departments.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on this Halloween Day, I'm a little bit spooked. I'm scared of a big beast that's out of control and wreaking havoc across GNWT departments. Mr. Speaker, what I'm afraid of is major capital projects cost overruns.

Like any NWT resident, I am concerned by the Auditor general report on Stanton Hospital published this week. Mr. Speaker, $1.2 billion is a lot of money in any case but, most importantly, it is a huge departure from what was originally estimated. Over the last few years, we have seen major cost overruns in many of our large-scale projects. The non-profit Open NWT maintains a list of contracts awarded by the GNWT that end up costing more than 30 percent of their original estimated price. Mr. Speaker, there are more than 2,000 items on that list.

The Inuvik wind turbine project, which my colleague from Inuvik Boot Lake loves so much, that was supposed to cost around $40 million ballooned to an estimated $70 million last year. And the Taltson repair project that was supposed to cost $70 million is now estimated at almost $100 million.

Mr. Speaker, while these individual projects are all concerning in their own right, what concerns me most is the trend I am seeing that when we plan a major capital project, we do not seem to be able to accurately project what the cost is going to be. This fundamentally impacts our ability to make informed decisions. Mr. Speaker, it is not yet clear to me what exactly the specific problem is. Is it our budgeting? Is it project management? I would guess the answer involves a combination of issues. What is clear to me is that we have a systemic problem that we need to gain control of. We need to review this problem not only on a project-by-project basis, but we also need to turn a lens on our systems to determine why is this happening to so many of our projects. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Finance. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The municipal funding gap has been an issue for our communities for quite some time. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs conducted a review of its policies in 2014 which reveals significant disparity between funding levels across community governments. Mr. Speaker, ten years later, they are now working to fix this.

The department is rolling out a three-year phase plan, and the changes in allocation are expected to be implemented in the next fiscal year. But I'm worried the government's plan will not work. By their own admission, our smallest communities will be most impacted and will receive less funding through this allocation - small communities with populations of less than 500 people. Well, Mr. Speaker, nearly half of the communities in the territory are small communities with under 500 people.

Earlier this week, the Minister of MACA said communities can charge fees to make up the shortfall in their funding. But I know residents who cannot afford service fees with the increasingly high cost of living in small communities. These small communities are most vulnerable and need all the help they can get. Mr. Speaker, taking money away from them and diverting it to larger centres is not the answer. Large municipalities have options when it comes to operating essential services that small communities like Tsiigehtchic and Aklavik do not have. I will have questions for the Minister of MACA at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I learned that the price of bottled beer in Inuvik went up by 28 percent, the price of canned coolers in Inuvik went up 20 percent, and liquor went up 6 percent, Mr. Speaker. This is a significant increase for those purchasing recreational alcohol from the liquor store or those who attend the bars and restaurants in Inuvik. The prices obviously will also go up there as well, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, where was the communication on this? I learned this from Facebook, and I learned it from constituents reaching out to me saying what's happening. It's concerning, Mr. Speaker, because it's only happening in Inuvik. And, again, you know, how did this happen? And I think, you know, typically, when we have significant increases like this, that, you know, we would get a heads up and certainly we would be able to relay that through a communications effort and in this case, from what I could see, there was no communications put out whatsoever and now, once again, the residents are the ones that are bearing the brunt of this cost, Mr. Speaker. So I will have questions for the Minister of Finance today. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the condition of the Mezi Community School in Whati. It is one of the older schools in our region.

So, Mr. Speaker, this school is no longer adequate to meet the needs of the community, and I would like to see something done about that. The Mezi School in Whati was originally built to serve elementary school children. It was not built to accommodate high school students however that is what it is doing now. So the school is even home to Aurora College programming which is taking up needed classroom space. Currently, the school is already too small to accommodate the number of students attending. The population of Whati has increased over the years which means there are even more students that will need to attend Mezi School.

Mr. Speaker, a safe, modern, and proper learning environment is essential for our students. Schools are also central pieces of infrastructure for community activities. Everyone benefits from having a healthy and adequate school. This school -- Mr. Speaker, this school is in dire need of retrofitting, and the cost of this work will continue to increase the longer this is put off. I would like to draw this to the attention of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and I will have questions later on today. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Colleagues, I would like to recognize the presence of Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, a Member of the Assembly from 2005 to 2021, former Minister, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in the 18th Assembly, personal confidante, friend and advisor. Welcome to the House, Mr. Jackson.

As well sometimes we get some special guests that come back that used to work for us and come back to be here today. So Danalee Mager, her daughter Poppy, come to see her son Ben who is one of our pages. So welcome back home, young lady. We can't wait to have you come back, and we miss you. Thank you.

Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about public housing in the NWT. For the past 30 years, the federal government has been trying to get people across the country to move out of public housing and, at the same time, they've been reducing funding with the expectation that they're plan will work, that the need for public housing will disappear. There have been a long list of programs designed to incentivize homeownership and funds to dramatically increase market housing.

But this approach, this theory of how things are supposed to work, simply hasn't worked in the NWT. A big reason is that most of our communities do not have functioning housing markets. It cost many times more to build a new home in a small community than a homeowner could ever resell the house for. So the moment it's built, a home becomes more of a liability than an asset.

Another reality is that the median personal income of people in our small communities is significantly lower than the cost of just maintaining and living in a home, never mind the cost of acquiring that home in the first place.

It's a myth that there's a huge number of people currently in public housing who will be just fine on their own, if someone, maybe just Indigenous governments, just built them a home. In a case study in one small community, about 40 percent of households could afford to maintain their own homes. We absolutely need more homeownership opportunities, but there are real limits on how many people can afford to take on the cost of homeownership.

A 2019 survey showed that almost a quarter of NWT households are in core need, meaning the household income is below the core need threshold. So that's over 3500 households. Currently, we have about 2400 households in NWT public housing. We also have a waiting list of almost 900 people. So those numbers show us that a large part of our NWT population will continue to depend on public housing for the foreseeable future, and it's important to remember that that is not due to the choices or the personal failings of those public housing residents. It is the system that has made homeownership and wage employment unattainable for such a large part of our population. It's not the fault of those people.

We cannot continue to deny that there's a need to increase the number of public housing units, and denying this reality is only costing us more money. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to just conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So denying this reality is costing us more money as we scramble to deal with increasing homelessness, poor education, poor health, and low employment, that are all rooted in poor housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, fixing up our housing crisis is the reason why I and many of my colleagues were elected to find solutions to accomplish. I have done some great work with the Minister of Housing NWT already, such as our fund agreement for home inspections, and my constituents are very thankful. Unfortunately, there is just so much work remaining, especially regarding the systematic faults in the GNWT housing policies.

The GNWT housing policies do not work for my communities, and the sprawling administration of our housing system is hard to navigate. This is why I've also been working with the Housing NWT Minister on a case-by-case basis as well to help individual constituents when the policies fail. Sometimes we achieve a lot greater together but now a year into our term, we still have some specific problems to solve.

Our biggest issue is eviction. Some of my constituents in public housing have some arrears that is regrettable. The Minister has made it very clear that a new process for arrears forgiveness is on the way next year. I was really pleased to hear this, but some of my constituents are still facing eviction before they can work their arrears out. It may be their duty to work out with local housing officials, but sometimes there's a lot of confusion and intervention needed to help fund them -- sorry, help them find the solution they need.

For example, one of my constituents in Fort Resolution had their home inspect improperly. Due to some exceptional circumstances, I was told to work with the district authority, but the district authority sent us to the Minister. After all the runaround, now they are being evicted because they did not solve their problem fast enough.

Another constituent in Lutselk'e, she has had a perfectly good private home besides from the fact that her sewage is backed up. We have been working on this since 2022. The previous Minister made promises that remain undeliverable. Replacing her sewage tank and pipes will cost far more than what the Housing NWT can provide her with -- with her support caught up in the policy and regulations. We try to get her family into public housing, but that only resulted in more confusion. Now, years later, she has to bring 17 buckets of raw sewage out of her bathtub every day, living with a rotting smell in her home that cause her home and many health issues and already resulting in headaches and sickness. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, colleagues. There are just a few examples of what -- where housing is still failing Indigenous families. This government needs and should to -- oh, sorry, should not be putting people on the streets or into other overcrowded homes when the Assembly is trying to do the opposite. We are struggling with a housing crisis so there are a few vacancies even to send families up through the Jordan Principles. Mr. Speaker, I would have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

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

Mr. Spooker, in recognizing it's All Hallows Eve, from time to time, as you know, I attempt to bring a little levity to this House. Mr. Speaker, it's important that we help keep our job interesting and engaging, not to mention laugh at ourselves, as we try to keep grounded. So today, strictly in jest, I've elected to make my All Hallows Eve statement in the theme of Adams Family or, rather, the Simpson Cabinet family. I do apologize in advance for the singing trauma I intend to inflict. It may be a trick, but it may be truly a treat. And, of course, I welcome Members to join in with me during the chorus or the snapping of the fingers. So, Mr. Spooker, shall we begin.

[Musical snapping of fingers and verbal melody]

Our Cabinet's kind of spooky. Their policies are often whooky. Their vision's quite mysterious. The Simpson Cabinet family.

[Musical snapping of fingers and verbal melody]

Most days I dread to see them. Their plans have Members screaming. Their decision can be cryptic. The Simpson Cabinet family.

[Musical snapping of fingers and verbal melody]

The Members are here a' working. We're not here to scare 'em. We're bringing solutions to them. To the Simpson Cabinet family.

[Musical snapping of fingers and verbal melody].

So the budget's leave us a scratching. But beware of their distractions. The Cabinet may be icky because they are the Simpson Cabinet family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[Musical snapping of fingers and verbal melody]

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Bring little humour. I'll have to thank you very much. It was quite enjoyable. Members' statements.

Colleagues, a resident of Fort Simpson, David Berman, has a family heirloom being donated to the children of Liidli Kue Elementary School. David's mother, Carole Berman, purchased a 1974 Yamaha grand piano nearly 45 years ago. She always enjoyed playing the piano and recounting that her and her four sisters studied music from a very young age in Winnipeg, as her parents believed that creative arts were just as important as academics.

As she matured and started a family of her own, she purchased her prized possession and began teaching piano. This gave her a chance to earn a little money while still looking after her three young children. On top of this, it helped keep her grounded and surrounded with the beauty of music whenever she wanted. Dave and his brothers had very fond memories of waking up in the morning to their mother playing classical music.

Carole played with several different ensembles and symphonies within Edmonton but her real passion was teaching others to play. She spent over 20 years teaching young youth to play the piano, and she spent her life creating music and helping others learn the craft. Once her children were old enough, Carole went back to University of Alberta to earn a law degree. Although she spent the rest of her working career within the law field, she continued to make time to perform and help others learn to play.

When David moved to Fort Simpson in 2022 and began to work at the elementary school, Carole would come to visit him and fell in love with the community and its children. She loved to spend time at the school, and it was because of the children's spirit and joy.

Suddenly and very recently, Carole fell ill with cancer and her plans to retire soon and move to Fort Simpson had to change. She is currently undergoing treatment to help extend her life and has been told she has not much longer to live. She is now moving to an assisted living home within Calgary to be closer to her other two sons. As she has been assisting her children to find homes for her worldly possessions, she requested that her beloved piano be donated to the children in the North, as she referred to them affectionately.

David began working with the principal and the DDEC to get the piano North. I am happy to say the piano is currently on its way to its new home. She and her family hope that this beautiful instrument will bring joy to the musical hearts of the Fort Simpson children. I am happy to say that I got to know her, whether it was on flights to Fort Simpson or when I met her in the community. She is an amazing individual and with a golden heart. Thank you very much. Thank you, Carole.

Members' statements. Colleagues, before we get into the next part, I'd like to recognize Dottie Tetso, a former resident of Fort Simpson. She moved here just recently. We sadly miss her but welcome to our Assembly.

Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Monfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to -- no, I'll do it in my language. Mr. Speaker, [Translation] INSERT [Translation Ends]

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Major Tony Brushett from the Salvation Army, a partner with Housing NWT and with this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member from Nunakput. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also like to recognize Major Tony Brushett, our executive director from the Salvation Army, and also current Yellowknife North resident Dottie Tetso. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty. We had the privilege of working together during the 18th Assembly. Mahsi.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Grand Chief Lafferty and Dottie Tetso in the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Thebacha. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize our former colleague and current Grand Chief Mr. Jackson Lafferty as well as Major Tony Brushett with the Salvation Army, who is one of those NGO partners that I spoke about earlier today. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Hay River North. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chamber. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to see people in the gallery.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake -- or sorry, Member of Yellowknife Centre.

Again, thank you, Mr. Spooker. So Mr. Spooker, yesterday in my Member's statement I talked about autism. And we know that there are professionals, family members are leaving the North because of the lack of ability to either get diagnosed or services for autism, Mr. Speaker. So my questions will be targeted to the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Now, the Canadian average says 2 percent of the population has autism, or I should say has been diagnosed. And if you use a standard deviation, that's 900 people in the Northwest Territories. My question is, does the health department know how many people in the NWT region by region are identified as having a diagnosis of autism? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have that level of detail here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Health and Social Services have an idea as to how many assessments are done on young people to, again, diagnose them as officially having autism? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, that level of detail, you know, if there are -- information at that level of detail, I can get the information for the Member and get back to him on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister -- I'll accept the Minister's offer.

Does the Minister know or is aware of what services are provided to people who have autism in the context of physio, speech, etcetera? Does she know -- is she aware of the resources and what is available to those parents? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, autism has a wide range of needs, and so every case would be assessed and identified as to what their needs are and then they would be, you know, referred to those appropriate services within the health authority to do further assessments. However, a lot of the services in those areas, we have a lot of vacancies and so there are -- there might be wait times for those services to be assessed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Properly assessing young people with -- or diagnosing, I'll say it that way, my apologies, properly assessing the diagnosis of autism is a very specialized field, and families have told me they struggle to get a diagnosis and then therefore they do not get the supports and treatments, which early intervention would make the world of difference. Does the Minister know what the average wait time is for diagnosis of autism using a specialist? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I don't have that level of details here in the House, so I will have to get back to the Member with that information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today I talked about the increase in Inuvik, and I know when I get back next week, Mr. Speaker, as they say, I'm gonna have some 'splainin' to do. So I'd like the Minister to explain why there was an increase in Inuvik and only Inuvik for the liquor increases? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have recently concluded an agreement with the local contractor in Inuvik to extend the contract that we had there. That -- and it's been extended only for the rest of this calendar year. I can say, Mr. Speaker, that the pricing system is fairly simple in a way. There's the landed costs of alcohol arriving in the Northwest Territories, there's an NTLCC markup which has not changed. We have an administrative fee NTLCC has not changed. And then there's whatever rate is applied through the commission from our various sales agents. So, again, Mr. Speaker, I can't necessarily speak to, you know, here what that choice might have been on the part of them, but there was recently an extension concluded with the local company in Inuvik. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I assume that with the extension, there was some increases obviously. I know that the liquor in the liquor store is sold by volume and not by -- and the prices are certainly set by the liquor commission, by this government. I guess my question is does the Minister -- obviously if the contract's expired, when is the current RFP scheduled to close?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is right now a request for proposals out. That closes on November the 8th, Mr. Speaker. There's also a separate procurement process in place looking to actually have a new lease for the space where we would be able to sell -- or where a proponent would be able to sell alcohol in the North -- in Inuvik, the hope being that by splitting up the contract a little more it brings on, perhaps, a bit of competition and an opportunity to try to keep some costs a little bit lower, understanding that it's getting more expensive to do just about everything in the North. So hopefully by doing it that way, we're hoping to get a little more competition going. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in typical situations like this, would we not have the RFP concluded and of course awarded prior to the existing contract being finalized? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've also been hearing from residents in Inuvik asking why alcohol prices, liquor prices are going up. Again, at this point, Mr. Speaker, the prices on our end haven't changed. Why there needed to be an extension, I've made that inquiry as well. It does seem like there was a delay -- that the last contract was coming due, there was a delay in getting this one out, so there's now an extension in place and so that there can be sales available for residents in Inuvik. And as I said, the new RFP is now out looking for a permanent proponent. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Finance. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the Minister says the prices on our end haven't changed, we set the prices, so the contract states that the sale of liquor, sale of beer, sale of coolers, sale of liquor in the liquor store, is based on the prices set by the liquor commission, by GNWT. So ipso facto I guess our prices must have changed. Now, whether they changed through negotiation or not, but they would have had to have changed, Mr. Speaker. Has the price, previous to the end of this contract and now the price of the extension, has our price per liter changed, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the only element in that formula that I read out earlier that's changed is the commission that we're paying to the contractor in Inuvik, and that commission that we're paying to the contractor in Inuvik is the negotiations that would go on with any proponent. And that was when we had to extend -- or sought to extend the contract that they had previously. During that negotiation, the commission that they negotiated for themselves went up, and so the prices have gone up. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my Member's statement, and in speaking with firefighters in Yellowknife, there is a huge cost to firefighter training in the Northwest Territories because we don't have agreements with certification bodies that exist in larger jurisdictions. Now, Nunavut, a couple of years ago, entered into one of these agreements. Their costs have gone from, you know, $700 a training session to $75. This is something our fire marshal can do. Can the Minister commit to lowering the cost of fire training -- of training for firefighters in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm unaware of any costs for the training that they had in Nunavut; however, conveniently, I was actually just speaking to the department this morning regarding fire training and our ability to try to make some changes in it and training that will better serve the communities in the Northwest Territories, larger centres. Conveniently enough, I've been involved in the fire service for 30 years in the territories and larger centres have the benefit of having resources for training and the ability to do more training; however, it comes down to a level of service throughout the communities and we need to look at different ways of doing things for the communities. I've gone through three or four different cycles of training challenges and changes, and I think there's a time now to change and benefit the communities throughout the territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I knew this was the right Minister to talk to, not only because it's his portfolio but it's his passion. So after 30 years, I'm glad he's going to bring that energy to the role, Mr. Speaker. What fire service training is currently offered through the Office of the Fire Marshal? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, right now there isn't a whole bunch of offered training; however, what it is is we do support regional centres to do training and they invite other communities, if they want, and the Department of MACA reimburses the training that they provide. However, some of the smaller communities were offered defensive level training in a program that was done quite some time ago. The department is currently looking at a new way of offering this training to the community. So there is different standards based on the level of service to the community. So there is work to get the training out there for the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister know what the mandatory cost for -- or the mandatory certification for firefighters, how much it costs, and who covers that cost? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, right now a lot of the communities can apply to MACA to get that cost covered. However, again, depending on the level of service, so for an example the city of Yellowknife was raised -- you know, you'll have a base level of service of having an FP1001 it's called, which is a base level training for career firefighters. In a small community, that would be really excessive for them and that's a very expensive cost, so you'd probably end up with something like a defensive level. So depending on the community is what the cost is going to be. It's hard to actually put down a whole -- an actual pinpointed value to take in the training. It's all depending on what they're taking in for the communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister work with or make a commitment to follow up with the Yellowknife fire department and work with them to improve access and costs to training? They're the real experts in this area. They brought these concerns to me and they can speak to this far better than I can. So will the Minister commit to working with our local fire chief here in the capital? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am more than willing to work with the Member and definitely, you know, the interested -- I'm interested in working with the Yellowknife fire department also in order to see what their requests or wants are. But at the end of the day, we have 33 communities to look after and we have to do something that covers them all, and sometimes when we do training in a regional centre, it takes a lot of the budget and it takes away from the smaller centres, so we have to be careful with that. So I will look forward to working with the Member and see what we can do there. Thank you.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us what is the current demand versus the capacity of the Mezi School? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the capacity of Mezi School is 170, and the current student head count is 142 students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Thank you for that information. So, Mr. Speaker, are projections for the demand for classroom space tracked by the department?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we look at how many students are in all grades. We have enrolment figures that come in from education bodies every year, and we also track that compared to the capacity of each school across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister commit to looking at the condition of the Mezi School in Whati?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was very happy to accept an invitation from the Member to the community, to come see the school, when it works for community leadership, and I very much look forward to that. I can also confirm for the Member that there are currently six small capital projects in the 20-year capital plan for this particular school that will be completed between 2025 and 2030. Thank you.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister commit to ensuring the school receives the retrofitting that it requires? Thank you?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I committed, there are currently six small capital projects on the books for this school that will be completed between 2025 and 2030. And in addition to that, I can also confirm for the Member that there are currently planning funding approved in addition to the two that we're looking at in capital estimates right now, but for four additional schools in the territory. And those four that are getting large capital planning right now are Deninu School in Fort Resolution, Moose Kerr School in Aklavik, Alexis Arrowmaker School in Wekweeti, and MJ McPherson school here in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister of MACA explain how MACA is communicating with community governments and Indigenous governments through regional superintendents?

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So this review of the formula funding has been going on for a while. Before my time, it's been reviewed a few times. In 2014, it was part of the NWTAC who brought in all the community governments, did a review. They had representations from communities across the North as part of their review. That review was done. It was then decided that changes needed to start happening in order to make the funding more fair and equitable. And since August of this year, our regional superintendents have been meeting and offering to meet with community governments to explain the process and how we're starting to implement this. It's not final. It's to get feedback and to find out what the impacts and feelings are from the communities. So the regional superintendents have reached out to the community governments. Last I heard, I think it's 26 of 33 governments have been communicated to. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's good news to hear that they've been communicating with the Indigenous governments. Can the Minister say whether MACA and its staff have held any other public meetings to engage the public prior to implementing their new funding policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The funding that goes to the communities is managed by the community governments. So the regional superintendents have been meeting with the community governments that have been receiving the funding. We have not had any public meetings. We send the funding to the community so that's who we've been meeting with. We are planning more engagements. As you are aware, we're going to meet with the committees here next week to go over it. So it is still an ongoing process. Hopefully, the rest of the communities get reached here soon. So we're still out there communicating and trying to get the information across. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question, can the Minister identify which communities were overfunded using the old funding model? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I don't want to throw any communities under the bus here, but I will say that we have roughly about six communities -- I think a little bit more -- that are overfunded by -- by over 100 percent they're overfunded. And, again, the goal is not to impact the communities, but the goal is to distribute the funding fairly and equitably based on services provided, equipment being used, infrastructure within the community. So there is a little bit behind it. Again, we're trying to get the information out there, work with the communities, but it is over six communities that are overfunded. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to see if I'm going to follow in my colleague from Inuvik Boot Lake's footsteps of one question.

My question today is for the Minister of ECC. It's really good that we recognize that we're in -- the territory and the world is facing a climate crisis. I am curious, however, about the unfunded actions in the draft climate action plan, specifically those that address changing wildfire conditions, protecting communities, adapting housing assets, transportation, and increasing petroleum storage in our remote communities. Can the Minister explain what work is being done to secure funding for those crucial actions that will keep our residents safe and secure? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. I think it's very clear that climate change has had a significant impact on the Northwest Territories over the last number of years, and certainly the rate at which climate change is happening at three to four times the national average.

The Government of the Northwest Territories Department of ECC is the lead on climate change action in the Northwest Territories, but we certainly can't do this alone. And I think the approach that we've taken as a government are using a coordinated interdepartmental approach so that we're working with all of the departments in addressing these concerns is the one way that we're collaborating and working on finding funding solutions to address these issues. Certainly, our work together in accessing funds through the federal government is key to the success of addressing the funding gaps within some of these items. So some of these items also would fall more directly on the Minister of Infrastructure and have, you know, certainly climate implications but I do have a little bit of information I can happily share with the Member.

So currently, the Department of Infrastructure is having discussions with Transport Canada and is undertaking an assessment there to see what can help to inform the transportation planning study and risks of resilience to the NWT's transportation infrastructure. So I think that's really a key area.

The Department of Infrastructure also is having conversations with Canada on financial supports for a high energy -- high Arctic fuel storage, an increased fuel storage project as part of the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund project, along with Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada. And discussions are ongoing to consider the scope -- the revised scope, as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my questions -- or my statement to the Minister of Housing NWT on ensuring that our products get delivered for home construction and home occupancy, my first question to the Minister: What planning is underway to ensure home materials are in preparation for trucking during this winter road season? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Sahtu. Minister of Infrastructure -- oh, sorry, my fault. Minister of housing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It must be Halloween because we're -- there's a lot of trip ups today, but that's okay. Thank you to the Member for the question.

It's important that we prepare for our housing projects over this next little while considering the low water levels. On the Mackenzie has presented many challenges for transportation. What we're planning to do with Housing NWT is work towards the winter road and be prepared for winter road transportation for housing materials and housing modular units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that reply.

My next question is the arrivals of materials to the final destination, is the Minister -- will be working with the local LHOs to ensure that the waybills and the product is being delivered? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, again, much of this work is ongoing. We have an infrastructure team within Housing NWT that works on design and also the rollout of housing infrastructure projects within the communities. So a lot of this work is ongoing. There's a lot of internal work and a lot of discussions with local housing associations to make sure that these projects are delivered on time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is that we have a one season annual approach to resupplying our communities, and earlier, we are hit -- we, the Sahtu, is hit with another increase in costs. Now we're going to see our power bills increase by 25 points over and above starting soon after the GRA is in the process. So viewing the additional costs and viewing the wood stove subsidies and the program offered to reduce costs on energy by Arctic Alliance, will the Minister work with my office to see if there's additional trucking loads that could supply wood stoves from southern suppliers to the Sahtu? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Something that Housing NWT does internally is work with communities on the loads going into the communities. I can have this discussion with the MLA, also with Housing NWT, to make sure that these loads going in are full loads and that we're utilizing all resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister for Housing NWT. Colleagues, before we get to continue with oral questions, we have lots of beautiful guests here. I'm going to turn to the Premier for -- since it's under his portfolio. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for using your prerogative to allow me to introduce to the House the government service officers from around the Northwest Territories who are here in town for training. These are the people at the frontline of integrated service delivery in the Northwest Territories. So we have with us today:

• George Morin
• Celine Proctor - Fort Good Hope
• Patricia Voudrach - Tuktoyaktuk
• Connie Villenuve - Jean Marie River
• Tina Apples - Gameti
• Cassandra Paul-Greenland - Aklavik
• Elizabeth Romie - Whati
• Irene Kodakin - Deline
• Sharon Pekok - Hay River Reserve
• Eddy McKay - Fort Resolution
• Kimberly Stewart - Tulita
• Ann Kochon-Orlias - Colville Lake
• Albert Ruben - Paulatuk
• Alayna Krutko - Fort Providence
• Sarah Kallak - Ulukahtoak
• Shandel McLeod - Aklavik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome.

I would like to welcome GSOs here. You guys do an amazing job. We're very fortunate, one of my former members, constituent -- well, I guess you're still my constituent, Connie Villeneuve and her better half -- or not her better half, Jonas Sanques for being here. I'm going to get in trouble now. Welcome. Thank you very much for the work that you do. You guys are a great asset by the government, and you got a good leader there, so thank you very much for being here today.

Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs.

The review and recommendations on the city of Yellowknife Street Outreach program has been released this week, and the review noted that the program is currently being operated on a month to month basis on an annual deficit of $50,000 while the homeless population in Yellowknife is growing. So my question for the Minister is what are the next steps, now that this review has been released and with the recommendations -- what are the next steps for EIA in terms of engaging with the city of Yellowknife and figuring out the best role for the GNWT in supporting the Street Outreach program moving forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm sure the Member can appreciate that we've been busy this week. I haven't had a chance to read the report myself. But I know that staff are reviewing it, and staff from EIA did contribute to the report as well. So after that review is done, I look forward to speaking with the department to figure out what the next steps are going forward. Because as I've said many times in this House, the Street Outreach is a valuable service, and when I'm in Yellowknife, I stay downtown and so I see their work on a regular basis, and I very much appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Premier -- or the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs commit to meeting with the city of Yellowknife on a priority basis to go over the recommendations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to follow up to see what the plan is. We want to build good relationships and partnerships with the city and with the local NGOs. And so I'm sure at the staff level, those conversations are happening, but I will ensure that those conversations do happen if that's not the case. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So one recommendation that came out of the review was to increase the kinds of outreach services that can be offered because 90 percent of the clients, it turns out, are from communities outside Yellowknife, and there's a need to link people with supportive contacts, people, and services from those other communities outside Yellowknife. Is this an area where EIA might be able to help coordinate and assist the Street Outreach program in making those connections to connect people with the people and resources back home? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.