Thank you. I'd like to thank Marc Casaway for the prayer this morning.

Ministers' statements. Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the athletes, coaches, and mission staff who are representing Team NT at the 2024 Arctic Winter Games in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska from March 10 to 16, 2024. The Arctic Winter Games provide an opportunity for Team NT to engage and compete with other athletes from the circumpolar region. Not only are the games an athletic competition for athletes, it also provides an opportunity to promote cultural and social exchange among youth from all parts of the North. These games help with the development of sport in the NWT and the quality of life for youth through the leadership opportunities that are provided. These experiences also leave a lasting impact on host communities and the other groups that attend. In March, Team NT will be represented by approximately 350 participants including athletes, coaches, chaperones, and mission staff from 19 communities from every region of the territory.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Team NT's chef de missions who are leading the delegation: Ms. Rita Mercredi, who will be chef de mission; Mr. Damon Crossman and Ms. Lexie Letzing, who will be assistant chef de missions.

In addition to Team NT, the Government of the Northwest Territories is once again pleased to support the NWT Youth Ambassadors Program at these games. This program continues to offer a wonderful volunteer experience for youth at major territorial, national, and international events, where they can develop life and job skills. A total of 12 youth volunteers are expected to participate in the NWT Youth Ambassador Program with the 2024 Arctic Winter Games Host Society. These volunteers are between the ages of 15 to 22 and come from various communities across the Northwest Territories.

As role models and leaders of tomorrow, I want to recognize our youth ambassadors for taking this opportunity to learn and grow by participating in this exciting volunteer experience.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Sport North Federation and all the territorial sport organizations who are responsible for selecting and managing their representative teams. They play a critical role in preparing Team NT at these games.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the many volunteers and sponsors who have selflessly offered their time and donations. Whether you are a coach, an organizer, or someone who provided meals, all of your contributions to Team NT are very much appreciated. I sincerely hope that all participants enjoy this truly wonderful experience. Good luck, play fair, and have fun. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide an update on implementing the draft Northwest Territories' curriculum for junior kindergarten to Grade 12 students. As a mother of three school-aged children and one who values innovation and critical and creative thinking, this is an exciting time for our students. The British Columbia Curriculum is renowned for its high education standards and is uniquely designed to offer students a balanced and informative approach to learning. It allows youth to learn through multiple pathways to encourage them to find their interests and learn various skills by exploring concepts practically rather than passively. Ultimately, it is designed to connect learning with the real world.

Introducing a new curriculum is no small task, and we have made significant progress. This year, we started trialing an adapted version of British Columbia's curriculum in Grades 4, 5, and 6, as well as in some Grade 9 classrooms. The new curriculum provides more opportunities for teachers to promote deeper learning. In this trialing stage, NWT teachers are encouraged to try aspects of the new curriculum, explore new teaching approaches with their students, and provide feedback to the department about what works and what could be improved. We are on track with our five key implementation areas, which include releasing a timeline for trialing and finalizing the curriculum in each grade. It includes determining Grade 12 graduation requirements and providing professional learning for teachers through in-person training workshops and online courses.

Mr. Speaker, we recently launched an online tool and forum for teachers trialing the adapted curriculum. This site allows teachers to discuss, network, submit questions, review materials, and find other helpful resources. We have also set up working groups of NWT teachers and subject matter experts for each school subject to ensure they fit our territory's context. We want to ensure Indigenous world views, knowledge, and perspectives are reflected in the curriculum. We are also publishing drafts for each subject online as they are ready, which anyone can review and provide feedback on.

Mr. Speaker, this fall, we started changing our student assessment tools and practices to align with the new curriculum. These include an interim report introducing students and families to a new marking system. This year, students in grades trialing the new curriculum will be assessed using the proficiency scale. Instead of seeing marks like 100 percent or A-plus on their report cards, students will receive a level on the scale and written comments that clearly explain how they are doing, areas they need to work on, and a plan for moving forward. When students receive a mark on their report card, like a percentage or a letter grade, there is often an emphasis on the mark itself and comparing it to others instead of focusing on how, or if, students are learning.

Mr. Speaker, focusing on student learning will allow for more meaningful conversations about student progress. The scale views learning as an ongoing rather than signaling that learning is done once you receive a certain grade. The three key elements of this new curriculum design are:

• The content, what students know;
• Competencies, what students can do; and,
• Big ideas, so what students understand.

Mr. Speaker, this curriculum aspires to prepare students for the future by centering the learner with flexible learning focused on literacy and numeracy while supporting deeper learning through concept-based and competency-driven approaches. Our economic foundation relies on a solid education, and I am happy that students across the territory have the opportunity to benefit from this new, more modern way of learning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Ministers' statements. Minister for Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, last week the Department of Health and Social Services hosted the second ever Weaving our Wisdom gathering for which 350 leaders, elders, and knowledge-holders from across the Northwest Territories came together to celebrate and share Indigenous community-driven wellness knowledge. The gathering featured inspiring guest speakers, workshops, facilitated discussions on important topics such as:

• Frameworks for total health optimization;
• The impact of colonization and systemic racism on Indigenous people's health;
• Practical strategies to heal the wounds of intergenerational trauma;
• Indigenous models for suicide prevention;
• Climate change's impacts on wellness;
• New ideas to develop trauma healing programs for families; and finally,
• Innovation around the future of Indigenous health, community wellness, and land-based healing.

The gathering showcased the resilience of Indigenous peoples spotlighting their interconnected knowledge systems that have been sustained and developed across generations. Community wellness participants explored the gathering's themes of:

• Culture and care;
• Self-recognition and healing;
• Community care and wellness; and,
• Land-based healing.

In addition to the main agenda, three specialized programs were crafted for participants who identified as Indigenous youth, Indigenous men, and elders. The Indigenous Youth Wellness Program encouraged youth to develop skills and access resources and teachings that will help them take control of their wellness. The Indigenous Men's Wellness Program began a conversation which effectively lays out the issues northern Indigenous men face in accessing health care, wellness programming, and healing. The Indigenous Elders' Wellness Program uncovered ways to better honour elders so that they can be happy, healthy, and living well in their communities.

The priorities for the Indigenous health and wellness identified through this gathering, and through in-depth public engagements in all 33 NWT communities, will form the foundation for the community wellness initiatives and northern wellness agreement with Indigenous Services Canada. The identified priorities will inform the future work of our health and social services system and will also assist a whole-of-government understanding of how the determinants of wellness such as housing, climate change, poverty, early childhood development, education, and self-determination can impact Indigenous people.

Mr. Speaker, to help achieve these goals for the health and well-being of Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories, the Government of the Northwest Territories must innovate and design systems directly addressing long-standing systemic racism.

I want to thank the Indigenous women and their teams who hosted and organized the Weaving our Wisdom gathering, for their work in leading this important system assessment and in aiding the development of anti-racism initiatives.

Much of the heavy lifting was done by the community, culture and innovation division and the cultural safety and anti-racism division of the Department of Health and Social Services, who work at the forefront of equity, cultural safety, and anti-racism. They are primarily staffed with Indigenous employees and people of colour and are located not only in Yellowknife but also in Inuvik, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Fort Simpson, and Fort Smith.

I encourage everyone listening today to check out some of the videos, and images from this wonderful event will be on my Facebook page. It truly was a week to remember.

Mr. Speaker, I am compelled to share the profound impact of attending the feast and drum dance at the end of the Weaving our Wisdom gathering. Witnessing the vibrance and the unity of over 350 wellness leaders, elders, and knowledge-holders from across the Northwest Territories was a powerful and prideful experience for me. I think for everyone in attendance. The celebration not only showcased the resilience of Indigenous people but also highlighted the interconnected knowledge system that has sustained us across generations. It was inspiring to see so many individuals come together to celebrate and to share Indigenous wellness, weaving traditional practices into our health care system. This gathering has not only set the foundation for future initiatives, but it also reinforced the importance of cultural engagement in pursuit of a holistic health for NWT residents.

Mr. Speaker, later today at the appropriate time I will recognize this outstanding team for their incredible work on the planning and organization of this amazing gathering. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of health and social services. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am a proud supporter of the arts. I was thrilled to take the Member for Kam Lake and the Member for Frame Lake to the Bloody Valentine Burlesque last weekend. This weekend, I encourage all Members to attend the Black in History art exhibition this Saturday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Yellowknife Racquet Club. Inemesit Graham's portraits are a celebration of black leaders, thinkers, authors, activists, and poets throughout world history celebrating Black History Month. Admission is free.

Additionally, the Black Advocacy Coalition upNorth, BACupNorth, is having their Black History Month gala tomorrow night that celebrates black music and culture, and I believe tickets are still available.

Mr. Speaker, on the topic of boosting NWT arts, I was also heartened to see that the department of ECE recently restructured arts funding grants towards a visionary purpose - the building up of or strengthening of existing arts organizations throughout the territory. I hope this vision helps propel artists into new markets and new venues when they want to grow and expand. It appears that ECE's vision will allow organizations to scale up and capacity-build to get more federal dollars. A new arts officer position has been created to assist across our regions if I understand correctly.

Mr. Speaker, this is great news because, indeed, the more our arts organizations can apply, the more they will get.

Mr. Speaker, this works really well for large organizations like the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre or Western Arctic Moving Pictures; however, for small or medium organizations this is a brave new world. Mr. Speaker, I have heard concerns in the arts community that this brave new vision has not been properly communicated to them. I will have questions for the Minister of ECE at the appropriate time.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Mr. Speaker, after several constituency meetings across my riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, I rise to share that I views and experience with last year's wildfire season. They are still feeling the impacts of the evacuation and have a lot to say about how differently things could have been. I also want to recognize the hard work of many constituents put in to ensure that their friends and neighbours were all taken care of.

I have many people come to me during my constituency meeting with a list of receipts and expenses, hundreds and then thousands of dollars as expenses, and they don't know if they will ever get their money back. With inflation driving up the cost of living, I feel it very important to reimburse my constituents who have stepped up to spend a fortune just so they could get to safety.

I want to point out that we have a Language Act but little to none of the vital communication regarding the wildfire evacuation were available to Indigenous people in their languages. This is an absolute breach of the government's responsibilities. Many of our elders did not know what was going on. There is not how we treat our elders, and this is not how we respect local Indigenous culture.

It was very -- it is also very difficult to know where our community members were ending up as they flew south. I saw a lot of social media looking for their family and friends worried that they could be missing. How could any of us feel -- sorry, feel if our mothers and grandfathers were missing in places they may have never been before?

And then there are the supply chain disruptions. Yellowknife is the most important supply hub for food for distribution across the North. The evacuation put the supply chain into chaos. I know my people were not -- I know my people were not the only ones affected by this situation. We need to plan ahead and prepare better so that our supply chains can withstand major disruption caused by this kind of disaster.

I could go on, but finally, I want to mention that this is -- the evacuation affected the communication that stayed in place while I know Fort Resolution, YKDFN, and Lutselk'e incurred a lot of cost preparing these communities for the fire. It took on a lot of evacuees, and they haven't seen any compensation. We need to ensure that every community gets the right compensation for the work they did to protect themselves and their neighbours. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker [Translation unavailable]. Youth needs a positive outlook in their lives. A sportsplex is where kids socialize. It's a place to burn off steam. They learn to challenge themselves, to work as a team, learn new skills, have friendly competition and, most importantly, to have fun. These are life skills. We know the wins and losses kids have on the ice or on the court are the wins and losses that prepare them for life. And none of this would be possible, Mr. Speaker, without the volunteers.

I want to take the time to acknowledge the amazing volunteers that are stepping forward in our communities to support children and youth. There are staffs from both Chief Jimmy Bruneau School and Elizabeth MacKenzie Elementary School, staff from the local RCMP detachment, and recreation department in Behchoko. Now there are parents stepping forward to also volunteer. I want to acknowledge these people, to thank them for their time.

Mr. Speaker, from 2007 to 2016, there were no sports facility in Behchoko. For almost ten years, the children and youth had no place where they could play sports and be active. However, Mr. Speaker, some of these kids who didn't have a sportsplex are now giving back to the youth. The recreation department is run by youth. They are all youth under 30 years of age. These young adults are taking the lead. They have lots of energy, and they are giving back to the youth with programs and activities.

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the RCMP. We know the RCMP have difficult jobs. They see all of the challenges and struggles in our community that we don't. They have hard jobs, and yet they show up at the sportsplex to volunteer their time with kids. Not only are they supporting them to be active but they are also building healthy relationships with the kids so our children and youth know the RCMP are here to protect us and to serve us. I want to thank them for their dedication to our community. Mr. Speaker, can I have a unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, we all know time is precious. It is people like this that give their time that truly makes a difference in the world. Mr. Speaker, it takes a community to raise a child, and it is volunteers like this that make our community a better place to live. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we had a federal Minister here to celebrate the NWT achieving an average cost of $10-a-day child care. Unfortunately, this drive to lower fees has pushed this sector to the brink, especially in regional centres of the NWT such as Yellowknife and Inuvik.

The feds and the GNWT seem to have gone about this backwards based on a poor understanding of the struggles and challenges within the child care sector. By treating staff wages and organizational viability as an afterthought, it implies that the problem that we're trying to solve is that these daycares are gouging parents so we just have to force them to charge less. But this couldn't be further from the truth. Our child care providers are usually non-profits or else small family-based day homes. It doesn't matter how affordable spaces are, if the spaces don't exist.

What we hear from child care providers, which have formed a joint advocacy organization called the Early Childhood Association in response to these threats, is that the number one concern is attracting and retaining staff. Staff are paid significantly less than comparable positions in our communities in early childhood learning, whether that's in the schools or in the government, and those providers that have been trying to increase staff wages are now being penalized and losing money, and they're faced with the choice of either shutting down or renouncing all government funding.

Now we're seeing in other provinces revolving closures of daycares, providers walking away from the funding, and parents suffering the consequences with even higher fees than ever. Now, GNWT has responded to some of these challenges by saying okay, we'll give you top-ups for staff wages but now we have to dictate how much you can pay each of your staff. So we're increasingly trying to micromanage these operations and saying well, we've worked out the finances for each provider to ensure, don't worry, you're going to be financially viable and sustainable. We just haven't shared those numbers with them yet. So providers could be forgiven for wondering well, why doesn't ECE just take over these programs if they're the ones that know best? Why don't they just show the sector how these programs can be run so cheaply and efficiently according to the GNWT's formulas that haven't been shared with us yet? Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So at the root of this problem is that we've negotiated an agreement with the federal government in a rush based on incomplete numbers and not to mention that it doesn't take inflation into account, we're locked into this $10 a day, because it's a round number, but we have a limited pool of money from the feds that is not enough to spread around to keep daycares afloat. So I understand that a new agreement's being negotiated with the feds, so I see this as an opportunity to fully include the Early Childhood Association --

Member from Yellowknife North, your time is up. Members' statements. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have residents within our communities who want nothing but to better their lives for themselves and their families. I am referring to residents of our communities who want to return back to school in hopes of finding a secure career path for their immediate future. Their hopes and dreams are soon diminished upon returning to their home communities to find that they do not have a home to go to.

Mr. Speaker, I was contacted by a constituent from my riding who stated that she wanted to go back to school for this very reason. Before leaving her community with her family of four, she was assured by the local housing authority that her housing unit would be available once she finishes school. Today she is on a lengthy waiting list and sharing a home with a family of five. In total, there are nine people staying in the home.

Mr. Speaker, completing an accredited course should be a time of celebration, not one where you start to worry about how you are going to house your family. This young lady has informed me that the local housing authority and Housing NWT should revisit their policies and procedures into how housing units are allocated. Mr. Speaker, this disappointed young lady stated that there are small families living in units where bigger families can be better accommodated. The allocation of housing units needs to be strategized where the size of the family is considered. I know this is a problem in every community, and if the department can get feedback from the community members on where and how some of these ongoing issues might be resolved then that is a good start.

Mr. Speaker, I will always refer back to when we were strong and independent before Housing NWT intervened and tried to make our lives better. Today this is a national crisis, and the residents of 33 communities want to be involved in how Housing NWT should accommodate its residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Mr. Speaker, if there's one thing Northerners love, it's a good bingo. Gaming has been part of northern culture since the earliest times and continues to be enjoyed in communities large and small. Whether it's bingo, hand games Chase the Ace, or a simple 50/50, we all love playing games and the chance at winning prices. Gaming brings our communities together. Unfortunately, though, we are preventing this industry from seeing its full potential. When Northerners want an occasional stop at a casino, they have to wait until they take a trip down south.

Mr. Speaker, licensed gaming is a big industry and is encouraged across the country. Casinos, VLTs, and online betting are billion-dollar opportunities. Gaming creates wealth for communities, enhances tourism, and is a major source of prosperity for many Indigenous governments and communities in Canada. It's a shame that our own policies and legislation are only scratching the surface of what a real gaming industry could look like in the NWT. We need to cut the red tape and regulations that hold us back from joining the rest of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, close your eyes and imagine the vast revenue opportunities made possible by expanding our small but incredibly popular gambling and gaming industries. Imagine a hotel and resort sitting on the shores of the big lakes raking in cold hard cash from eager tourists enriching the coffers of Indigenous and public governments. We could transform our economy with an open mind and a willingness to embrace this important industry. The industry and opportunity are there, Mr. Speaker. We just need the reforms and willingness from the Minister responsible to chart a safe path forward to a fruitful gaming industry in the Northwest Territories. Let's not shy away from this cornerstone of our northern culture and instead find a way to work with Indigenous governments to make new economic opportunities out of these traditions. We are always seeking new ways to generate revenue and increase our tourism product, so let's get to work modernizing our Acts and regulations and encourage private enterprise by opening up the gaming industry in the Northwest Territories for Northerners and tourists from all over the world. A thriving gaming industry can only enhance our status as a world class destination for tourists and solve much needed revenue challenges for this government. I look forward to asking the Minister responsible later on how we can partner with Indigenous governments to finally the Northwest Territories' gaming industry a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few weeks ago, I asked the Premier questions about the recommendations of the strengthening the non-profit and charitable sector external advisory committee final report. The Premier's office provided a reply by e-mail, and I would like to highlight that reply and respond to it on the record. The reply reads as follows:

Currently work is underway to strengthen the non-profit and charitable sectors in the Northwest Territories. The first two recommendations from the external advisory committee's report focus on updating the Government of the Northwest Territories program managers guide for funding NGOs. Collaboration between the Departments of Executive and Indigenous Affairs and Finance is ongoing to review and revise the program managers guide. The work will be completed in the next 12 months. The public will be informed, and the guide will be widely available.

I appreciate this answer, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to reviewing the updated guide as I'm sure my colleagues do as well. The response went on to read:

The third recommendation involves the analysis and development of options for consideration by the 20th Assembly. This includes exploring additional support, particularly financial assistance to enhance the capacity and stability of the non-profit and charitable sectors in their operations. Work on this third recommendation has not yet started.

I appreciate the Premier providing this response, Mr. Speaker, and I respectfully suggest that the answer is somewhat underwhelming but I do trust that as the new Minister for this file, it is the Premier's intention to ensure that staff act upon the recommendations of the strengthening the non-profit and charitable sector report.

Mr. Speaker, many of our longstanding non-profits play a significant role in helping us achieve several of our newly stated priorities and, considering this, I strongly advocate that implementing all of the recommendations from this report form part of the executive and Indigenous affairs department's mandate for the 20th Assembly. In particular I want to emphasize, as my colleague did earlier this week, the importance of long-term and stable funding for longstanding NGOs who work to implement program directly -- work to implement programming directly related to GNWT responsibilities. I look forward to discussing this further with my colleagues on both sides of the House as a mandate is developed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about the impacts of diabetes on our residents, particularly on Indigenous people and communities in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, according to a March 2023 article from the US National Institute of Health, diabetes among Indigenous people in Canada is at epidemic levels. The Canadian Medical Association Journal has said that inequities in the social, cultural, historical, economic, and political determinants of health, lack of access to nutritionally adequate food, and barriers to proper health care, played major roles in the diabetes epidemic in Indigenous populations. Moreover, Mr. Speaker, according to Diabetes Canada, the rates of individuals with diabetes includes 12.7 percent of First Nations living off reserve, 9.9 percent of Metis people, and 4.7 of Inuit people compared to 5 percent of the general population.

Mr. Speaker, Indigenous people did not always have such a high rate of individuals with diabetes as there are today. It was only within the last 100 years that the Indigenous population have become significantly and disproportionately affected by diabetes and experience higher rates of mortality, hospitalizations, and complications compared to non-Indigenous people in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this epidemic is a result of multiple compounding factors from Canada's colonial history, which included residential schools, the 60s Scoop, and Indian hospital. These factors have created long-lasting physical, social, mental, emotional harms for our communities. Or, as one board member from the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association put it, diabetes has become now multigenerational.

Overall, Mr. Speaker, the small communities we see -- in the small communities we see it all the time, pop, chips, and Canadian, junk food is readily available, whereas healthier food is less accessible and more expensive. Nutrition is taking a back seat within our food system --

Member from the Deh Cho, your time is up.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to my colleagues. Nutrition is taking a back seat with our food system, and that is just not right. It is literally killing our people. It is sending our residents to an early grave, and it must change. Our government, at every level government for that matter, must work to reverse the diabetes epidemic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And good day, colleagues. I'm going to tell you a sad story about a young person, a lifelong Northerner and a resident of Yellowknife, who recently talked to me and brought forward their concern, deep disappointment about their experience of working through the NWT Health and Social Services Bursary Program.

Now this young person, I was really inspired -- and now I'm not going to table it because it's a -- they're even a published author, Mr. Speaker. They work with groups like Home Base, the Tree of Peace, and many other wonderful organizations, even Dechinta, about trying to find healthy lifestyles for people, Mr. Speaker. And it's a shame to see this potential and excitement wasted.

So she's been trying to find work here in the Northwest Territories in her health background and found it was a dead end so very disappointing without getting the inspiration and opportunity she was really craving. And so she thought well, why don't I pursue my masters degree in food security. So she applied and she's been doing it over the last couple of years and she's been making great strides, and to be honest I was really excited when she told me about the work she's doing. She's even worked in the community of Tuktoyaktuk, visiting the community freezer, again talking about sustainable communities, Indigenous health by eating better, working better, working collaboratively.

Mr. Speaker, she applied last summer to get a bursary of $6,000 and being a smart person, maybe that's her fault, she was too smart. She asked where would I see myself in this return of service for my bursary? By asking that simple question, the department realized oh, wait a minute, we shouldn't have given her a bursary because we don't know -- we don't have a vision of where she would fit in the system helping Northerners; a homegrown Northerners who the carpet's been pulled from her, Mr. Speaker. So they sent her a little Dear John letter of saying, sorry, but -- you know, sorry but not sorry, we're gonna take it away. $6,000, Mr. Speaker. Exactly. Shame. It's pittance.

Mr. Speaker, in a public service of over 6,482 employees with the annual vacancy of a thousand people, no one had the imagination in the department of health where to find someone who has such important skills to help Northerners. So whether you live in Lutselk'e, you live in Tuktoyaktuk, you live in the Mackenzie Delta, these skills and homegrown inspirational stories are important to all our youth as we try to lead them towards opportunities that build and strengthen our future. Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions with the Minister of Finance about fixing this deep and grave wrong. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Colleagues, when you think about snowboarding, you think about mountain, ski resorts, but it is a sport that has taking hold in the Northwest Territories. It is a great opportunity to observe youth being youth - vulnerable, risky, daring, adventurous, and being silly. It is amazing watching youth making memories and, more importantly, with friends. Beyond the warm clothes and wintery ambience lies a culture that you need to see to appreciate.

In the North, you must find a creative way to get the participants on top of the hill. Sometimes it takes hiking up the hill to go down. Other times, it's jumping into a sled and pulled up by a snowmobile.

After a gap in programming of some years, the community of Fort Liard saw snowboarding being restarted on January 18th, 2024. This was after the community and local businesses fixed up their sliding hill. As in the past their program was strong. It attracted up to 30 young people ranging in ages 12 to 18, and four Fort Liard youth attended two separate Arctic Winter Games as members of the snowboarding team. With financial support from municipal and community affairs' Local Sport Leaders and Sport and Recreation Program and the Mackenzie Recreation Association, they hosted a four-day coaching and skills development event facilitated by Arctic Winter Games coach Scott Stirling and certified coach Liam Upton. Attendance was excellent, especially by females who made up two-thirds of the participants. The hamlet is planning to rebuild the program to the point where their youth will be selected and qualified to participate in Arctic Winter Games trials and eventually outside the community.

The youth are excited about the upcoming events being held in Fort Simpson this March, sponsored by NWT Snowboard. The youth are very excited to be attending.

In closing, I have been told you can never get bored snowboarding. Once you've learnt a trick, you can learn it with style. It's a social sport; you kind of play together. There is always more to learn, different places to try things, different features to experience with and different people to snowboard with. I wish the Fort Liard snowboarding group all the best in future adventures. Thank you.

Members' statements. Member from Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to offer condolences to the recent passings in the Nunakput riding over the last month. First, the loss of Joseph Haluksit in Ulukhaktok, a respected elder and community leader who I had the distinction of sitting with on the Inuvialuit Communications Society. Condolences to Elsie and family in Ulukhaktok.

Next is the loss of Sandy Wolki, a respected elder, harvester and musician, who was also one of our few Inuvialuktun language leaders left, someone who we all turned to when we needed support in advancing an Inuvialuktun language initiative, a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Third is Mrs. Elizabeth Panaktalok, a respected elder in Tuktoyaktuk who was of humble character and lived her life taking care of her children and grandchildren. Elizabeth was a quiet, gentle person, but active in community events.

Fourth was Mr. Robert A. Gruben. Robert was an avid hunter and harvester who shared his traditional food to many in the community. I can remember last summer we needed muktuk for the youth northern games [Translation unavailable] and immediately he went out hunting and him and his partner Chanisse, my niece, harvested a whale so we could feed people during the games. That kind of expertise and generosity is few and far between. His death is tragic as he was so young, but we have lost so many over the last number of months including Mr. Robert Lundrigan, a mentor to many youth, a father, and grandfather; and Mr. Wayne Chicksi, a young father and husband but also one of our home care professionals.

This is a reminder to all of us to treat people well and live your best life. I hold them all in prayer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Our prayers and condolences go out to the families. It's sad we lose too many people over time.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to say that joining us today in the gallery are the dedicated public servants responsible for the planning and organization of the Weaving Our Wisdom gathering that was held here in Yellowknife last week. So please join me in recognizing them and congratulating them for their excellent work in hosting a very successful and very impactful gathering. Lena Larson, the director of community, culture, and innovation, and her team Jasmine Vogt, Kyla Wright, Jessica Dutton, Chris Stipdonk, Desiree Munro, Erika Doehring-Lafferty, Inamesit Graham, Marcus Ilesami, Miranda Yeo, Tarilee Wedzin, as well as Karen Blondin Hall director of cultural safety and anti-racism, alongside with her team Janelle Bruneau, Morgan Ranseth, Anneka Westergreen, Courtney Vital, and Tisha Heron. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have some pretty cool people that live in Kam Lake, and I'd like to welcome to the gallery today. Inemesit Graham, Lena Larson and Caroline Blondin Hall.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd just like to recognize a friend and also his friends are with him, Dean Myer. I see you here, welcome. And to your friends and colleagues. Mahsi.

Visitors in the gallery. I believe the Member from Twin Lakes may have missed somebody.

Mr. Speaker, I also too want to recognize Dean Myer from Yellowknife. My family and his will forever be connected. Thank you for coming today.

Thank you, Member from Twin Lakes. Recognition of visitors in in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oh sorry, I guess I forgot something too.

If we missed anybody in the gallery today, welcome to your Chambers. I hope you enjoy the proceedings. It is always nice to see people in the gallery.

Now that I can go on to the next one, acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to build on my Member's statement with my questions specific to the Minister of health. Mr. Speaker, when you get a health bursary, it either comes with a return to service agreement or you have to pay it back. It's that simple, Mr. Speaker. But the department of health pulled the carpet out from the dreams of this young person who was inspired to do service Northerners.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health and Social Services do the honourable thing and reinstate that $6,000 grant to help inspire this young person to help Northerners? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have -- I am familiar with the circumstances that the Member is speaking to, but I don't have the level of detail to make any decision in the House here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member, can you please wait. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

I'm that excited, Mr. Speaker. I'm that excited. Mr. Speaker, the Minister is well within her purview, her authority, to say yes to this young person to reinstate this grant bursary which was offered to her earlier this fall that is. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please, would she do that?

Was that a question, Mr. Speaker? I didn't really hear the Member.

Thank you. Member from Yellowknife Centre, can you please --

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be willing to revisit this decision to give a yes?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned to the Member, I will -- you know, I'm familiar with this situation in a small -- in a small amount. I don't know how many bursaries there are. I don't have the level of detail. I will not make that decision here in the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Ministers want the questions in advance. They got the question in advance by me asking it. It should be pretty straightforward. Will they revisit this decision, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, I will get back to the Member on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm curious with respect to this question is there a yes or a no in the vocabulary of the Minister to confirm she will revisit this decision? Thank you.

I've asked and -- I've answered the Member. I will get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for our big money Minister, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Our gaming regime is actually quite liberal, and I wonder if the reforms we need are actually to put some -- a finer point to it so we can capture some revenues. So, first of all, I'll ask is the Minister willing to amend the Lotteries Act to include the VLTs or virtual lottery terminals? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware of the Lotteries Act and how outdated it is along with many of our legislation, and I'm willing to have a look at the legislation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister bring forward gaming corporation legislation to allow for casinos, land-based casinos to operate in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is something I think we'd have to go and consult with the local Aboriginal groups and the Council of Leaders to start doing work and see what we can do to update our Lotteries Act. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. Is the Minister -- will the Minister bring forward reasonable regulation for online gambling to capture potential revenue leakage? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I think that's something that we have to bring forward and look with our legislation and something that we'd have to consult with all the local Aboriginal groups along with the government agencies to see what we can do. Thank you.

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

I think it might be too specific, Mr. Speaker, but I appreciate what the Minister is saying. So will the Minister bring forward these items that I brought up today and a revenue sharing model with Indigenous governments at the next Council of Leaders meeting? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the agendas are decided collaboratively so we'd have to bring that forward again. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of sweat equity that needs to be put in to apply for federal funding. The requirements and forms can be quite complex. Can the Minister of ECE explain how her department envisions helping organizations to grow capacity to take advantage of ECE's new vision for small and medium arts organizations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ECE has been distributing just under half a million dollars to approximately 17 organizations across the territory and ECE also, in October of the previous -- of this previous year entered into an agreement with the Canada Council for the Arts, and this was an agreement for $750,000 of funding to help support arts organizations in the Northwest Territories. And part of that funding, ECE was able to hire an arts officer, and this person is currently working on a work plan and funding program guidelines to help organizations develop as the Member is speaking about -- in her statement and in her questions today. So this person will also be connecting local arts organizations to local funding and also national funding opportunities, and I'm really excited to be able to share more details in the new fiscal year. Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure I heard a clear answer today, but that's okay. If it's for the next fiscal year, I appreciate that. I'm glad the new arts officer position was created, but can the Minister explain why there have been no public information nights up to this point about all these big changes or at least none that folks I have spoken to have heard about? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while changes are currently rolling out in real time, there's also more changes to come, and so the intent is that with this new position and the work that they're doing, that ECE will be in a position to communicate some of these changes in the next fiscal year and to be able to meet with existing and developing artists and to find out what their goals are and how different funding that's available can support that. And so I hear what the Member is saying, and I think the Member is one step ahead of ECE but ECE is happily working to catch up to where the Member is at and what the Member is asking for and is really excited to be able to work with arts organizations across the territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for the compliment that I'm speedy.

Will the Minister of ECE commit to providing Pathfinder services as and when needed by small or medium arts organizations to reduce barriers to access for our northern artists to funding? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I'm very happy to be able to say yes to the Member on that one. ECE and ITI are committed to providing pathfinding services for artists and organizations across the territory. This work is underway and is expected to be launched this summer. And so I'll make sure that I share those new happenings with Members so that they're able to share that with artists in their community the across the territory. In the meantime, there are arts funding available through ECE and through ITI, and there's staff members eager to support people to direct them where to go for what best suits their goals. Thank you.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Great Slave.

Member from Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my questions on the Fort Good Hope arena status. The community of the Dene organization is leading the project and actively working on it. The Department of MACA has assisted where possible, including funding and developing the scope of work and estimated costs to have this building and facility completed. Can the Minister provide an operational update on the progress of this facility and the construction scheduling? Thank you.

Member from the Sahtu. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When it comes down to the local governments, they are the lead on such projects with the support of MACA to get through the projects and assistance and guidance. Ultimately, the local community government is responsible for the projects and completing them. Thank you.

Are you done, Minister? Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Member from the Sahtu.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for the response here. One of the issues that are really lacking in the smaller communities is trades and skills. Will the Minister promise to recruit and supply a project manager for this project through the community local government? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated the responsibility of the project lies with the community government; however, I will commit that the department will continue to work with the community government to try to assist them in that project as we already have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that reply here. On the continuation of my question, my last one, is that will the Minister provide a report on a spreadsheet format on the schedule for renovations in this project so I can have something to share with my constituent community? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will reach to my department and see what we can do. I know, like I said earlier, the local government is lead on the project, so we'll see what we can do for the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. So the other day in the House I spoke to the fact that in the past the government has had to step in when non-profits collapse and they're providing essential social services. So if the largest non-profit daycares in our regional centres are forced to shut down because they're no longer financially viable, is the government prepared to take over the operation of these daycares? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, the GNWT does not intend to take over operation of licensed programs and nor do I think it's really needed at this point. ECE is committed to providing sustainable funding, and I am committed to the relationship with child care providers and finding out what it is that they need and how we can support one another. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for making that clear. So can the Minister recommend ways that child care providers can successfully attract and retain staff given that the government's proposed wage grid is well below salaries for comparable positions in early learning in NWT communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it's worth noting that between 2021 and -- sorry, Mr. Speaker, I want to be able to provide a little bit of extra information for this response.

Between 2021-2022 and 2025-2026, ECE, along with the Government of Canada, is investing just over $112 million into the child care sector. I heard the Member during her Member's statement speak about current negotiations. Current negotiations are in regards to infrastructure funding in the 2024-2025 year. Funding changes will happen where all programs will receive an increase in total funding compared to the current fiscal year. And it's also worth noting that effective April 1st, existing licensed program operators that charge fees below the maximum fee for newly licensed facilities will be able to increase their fees between 0 and 6 percent up to the prescribed monthly maximum.

So one of my recommendations, right now, ECE is working on the wage grid. They did consultations and engagement with the sector last year and also in the beginning of this year, they came back with what they've done so far. And a wage grid is a huge part of this, Mr. Speaker. There is still a gap, and that is acknowledged for sure in this sector between early childhood educators and the junior kindergarten and kindergarten educators as well and education assistants in the school. But wage grid and the new funding mechanism are really going to be those key pieces, and I look forward to continuing to work with the sector to see what we can do together to meet in the middle there. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So given that three large child care providers are considering opting out of the funding formula, does the Minister have concerns that this could leave us with a segregated system where some parents are forced to pay much more than they currently do? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can say that I'm definitely concerned, which is why I'm putting effort into creating a relationship and sustaining a relationship with the NWT Early Childhood Association. I really want to make sure that we're hearing their concerns, that we are doing our best to respond to them within the budget that we do have. And we do have a fixed budget within this program. ECE is a major funding source for licensed programs. So I really hope that we can keep everybody together and working together in order to rebuild -- or to build a robust system because I think that at the end of the day, we are stronger working together and that we do share common goals, and I think that's really important. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So thank you, Mr. Speaker. So given that fixed amount that the Minister referred to, will the Minister commit to including the NWT Early Childhood Association or child care providers in any future negotiations with the federal government about child care funding agreements? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our funding agreements are agreements that are reflective of what generally other jurisdictions are also receiving. They're an agreement that happened between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada. I think that communicating those agreements, once they are set, is really important which is why I really want to continue to work with all stakeholders in this sector, and I'm absolutely committed to those relationships. And I'm also committed to ensuring that our childhood -- or child care sector is sustainable because I truly believe that we as an Assembly have set this as a priority in that it -- building a strong economic foundation is absolutely reliant on child care, and so I'm committed to seeing this be successful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the severe shortcoming of the government's response to the 2023 wildfire crisis and evacuation, my question probably would be more to the Minister of environment is going to the next 2024 fire season, in my riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh last year, we had issues with food securities and supply chain, and we also had issues with the airlines couldn't fly into Lutselk'e. My question to the Minister would be what are they doing this -- in the 2024 fire season to help correct these problems? Thank you.

Mr. Premier.

I'd like to redirect that to the Minister of MACA. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we're all aware that there was a lot of several unintended supply chain issues that we had last year in regards to the evacuations, you know, due to the Yellowknife airport being closed and other airports and other infrastructure like roads being closed. All the departments are working -- have worked together to understand these issues, and we're continually working to improve what happened. The Department of ITI has provided their information to the Department of MACA, and we'll be looking at those. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. My next question, probably adding to that as well, is we had issues with communication in our riding where we had no communication for five days. Going into the 2024 fire season, can you maybe elaborate a little bit more about how we're going to improve the communication into our communities of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh and also in the official languages? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT is working with the Council of Leaders to find ways of communicating with the communities in regards to emergency management. Also, we're well aware of the communication issues that happened. To be honest, I was one of the ones running around stealing StarLink so that we could have communication. So I hear what the Member is saying. The departments are working on these concerns. However, local community governments are responsible for local emergency measurement, EMO organizations. Part of that EMO organization is being prepared themselves. And they're the ones that know the area. They're the ones that know the resources. And the local EMOs, I encourage them to keep working on what-if scenarios and having those readily available for their local communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister, for your reply.

My next question is that we -- in my constituency meeting the other day in Dettah, we have members in our community that paid expenses into the fire season last year, and they haven't been refunded. Is there a way we could go back and revisit that so that our members and our communities can get refunded for the monies that paid during the fire evacuation of 2023? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm aware of the GNWT program that assists people through evacuation; however, I'm not fully confident or fully aware of how that is -- where it's at, so I'd have to get back to the Member on the date, the deadlines, and everything else like that. However, just be aware that, you know, some residents may have had insurance they could have tapped into also for being evacuated. So there's a few options out there. Unfortunately, through the federal disaster assistance program, we have to follow their guidelines in reimbursements and stuff. Thank you.

Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Just so you know that the majority of people are in my four communities, a lot of them homeowners don't have home insurance, just so you know. Also, I just want to point out that, you know, the Indigenous governments in my riding have accrued a lot of costs as a result of the fire of last year. So we're looking at what can we do as a government to reimburse these Aboriginal governments for the monies they incurred for the 2023 fire season. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I encourage the Member to reach out to their local government to also reach out to MACA. Maybe there's something that could be done there. However, most recently we did learn of CIRNAC releasing some funds. So there is an opportunity for the local government to also reach out to them to assist. Thank you.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from the Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has policies and that these policies are determined on -- seemed to be determined open a waitlist. Policies should be based on family needs. A family of four should have precedent over a smaller family. Will the Minister look at revisiting its current policies in terms of housing allocations to meet the needs of these families? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Minister of Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. We do have policies in place. It depends on waitlists, housing availability, the size of the household itself, the application itself. So we review these things. I don't know if we need to change these policies, but this is something that we can consider and have a conversation with the Member. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think more of these consultations should be taken out to the residents of the Northwest Territories. Will the department look at meeting with the residents of the Northwest Territories to get feedback on its policies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, housing in the communities is operated through the local housing associations. So we have housing associations in most of our communities. We also hold annual general meetings with the associations annually. So this is an opportunity for residents, if they do have concerns with housing, to attend the AGMs to have this conversation with the local housing associations so they can talk to district, and they can also talk to the Ministers and deputy ministers about these policies so that message is carried on. If there is concerns, they also can speak to you as MLA and also speak to the tenant relations officer. So there's many opportunities for residents to speak about concerns that they have with certain housing policies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.