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?

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?