Please be seated. Colleagues, I'd like to thank Marc Casaway for his opening guiding words.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Premier.

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

Mr. Speaker, under the 1997 social housing agreement with the federal government, Housing NWT assumed responsibility for the ongoing operations and maintenance of the territory's public housing units. Many of these units remain in service and need significant renovation or replacement. Housing NWT continues to invest in maintenance and renovation on an annual basis to keep assets in good working condition. I would like to speak today on how Housing NWT manages its assets and the ways we are finding efficiencies and partnerships to improve the state of our units.

Housing NWT plans to invest over $12 million in major repairs and upgrades on over 245 units this year. Plans also include various minor unit repairs, such as repairs to heating and plumbing systems, across the Northwest Territories. Through partnership agreements with local housing organizations, an additional $13 million is invested annually in maintenance activities for both general repairs and preventative maintenance.

Housing NWT is committed to the health and safety of our tenants through completing preventative and on-demand maintenance activities. Preventative maintenance is scheduled and performed to prevent unexpected failure of building systems, such as servicing a heating system. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, it is about fixing things before they break.

On-demand maintenance involves repairing something that has already been broken, such as repairing a leaky tap. Both preventative and on-demand maintenance ensures that housing remains healthy and safe for tenants and plays a key role in extending the life of housing in our harsh climate.

Housing NWT, through its local housing organizations, regularly conducts maintenance on all its housing and facilities. To illustrate the scope of this annual activity, in 2023-2024 our 23 local housing organizations completed approximately 30,000 work orders. Approximately one-third of those involved health and safety preventative maintenance work orders.

Housing NWT regularly completes assessments on housing units with a unit condition rating system, commonly referred to as a UCR. A unit condition rating assesses the condition, repair priority, and planned replacement activity for the building components and systems for each housing unit. These assessments report on the overall condition of the unit and provide the basis for capital investment and maintenance programming. Housing NWT considers a housing unit with a rating of 70 percent, or higher, is in fair condition, and does not typically require major investment. Units under 70 percent are a priority for renovations. 92 percent of public housing units, owned and operated by Housing NWT, have a unit condition rating above 70 percent. Assessment training is provided by Housing NWT to all local housing organization maintenance staff and district staff.

Following the Residential Tenancies Act, Housing NWT is responsible for maintenance and repairs on our buildings. Tenants are responsible for paying for damages that they, or their visitors, cause. Housing NWT encourages public housing tenants to contact their local housing organization if there are any maintenance issues in their public housing unit. The local housing organizations have staff available to respond to maintenance issues and if required, they can hire contractors to assist in repairs.

Housing NWT is in the process of upgrading our asset management program to document and guide the process to improve assessments for capital planning and maintenance. Repairs are prioritized with a health and safety focus, considering the available budget. A fuel leak or lack of heat are priority work orders that receive a response as quickly as possible, not only for the health and safety of the tenant but also to protect the asset from damage. Housing NWT works with local contractors to deliver services as quickly as possible in emergencies but can sometimes experience delays due to contractor availability.

Typically, contracted repair and renovation work on public housing units is completed by local or northern companies. This renovation and repair work provides opportunities for smaller companies in the North to gain and build experience and capacity in the residential construction sector. This is why Housing NWT is committed to building capacity in communities and continues to support local housing organizations in their role of delivering suitable, affordable housing. Supply-chain disruptions and labour shortages have impacted contractor capacity in the Northwest Territories. Despite this, Housing NWT continues to plan to maximize and build capacity.

Housing NWT also provides support for residents who own their own homes and who meet some of the basic program eligibility requirements. Funding up to $10,000 is available to support emergency repairs, like freeze-ups and furnace failures, and $5,000 a year is available for preventative maintenance activities. Last year, Housing NWT supported 441 homeowners across the NWT through the preventative maintenance program with the aim of reducing core housing need indicators. Homeowners can contact their local district office to apply for this program.

Housing NWT will continue to support maintenance and repairs on its units across the NWT to improve the suitability and extend the life of housing units. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Ministers' statements. Minister for Education, Culture and Employment.

[Translation] [Translation Ends]. Mahsi.

Today, I am proud to share our progress in addressing these recommendations. To make the support assistant role more effective and supported, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment updated both job descriptions and the Inclusive Schooling Handbook. The Government of the Northwest Territories also forged a partnership with Douglas College to pilot an Education Assistance and Inclusion Certificate.

This virtually-delivered program was tailored to the needs of NWT support assistants in several ways. Participants followed a cohort-based model that fostered a collaborative learning environment to share learning and experiences. Program material was customized for our NWT context, ensuring relevant and practical learning. While participants undertook course work, they continued their important work in schools where they could apply what they learned in real-time. The courses and practicums equipped NWT support assistants with specialized skills to promote student well-being, development, and educational success. They also grew as leaders in inclusive education.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that the Government of the Northwest Territories covered the costs of tuition, fees, and materials, helping to remove financial barriers for our support assistants to access this program.

Since launching in January 2022, the program has had admirable results. This month, we celebrate 24 graduates. This achievement is a personal milestone for each participant, and it promises enhanced support to our students.

I want to share the inspiring words of Tena Blake, a support assistant at Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson. She described the program as "life changing" and saying it has "given me the confidence to look at furthering my education and taking more post-secondary courses that will benefit the work that I do with students."

Mr. Speaker, stories like Tena's fuel our commitment to build on this success. I want to express my pride in each participant of the School Support Assistant Pilot Program. Their hard work and commitment to professional growth are commendable. I offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes for the future. To the NWT's valued support assistants, we are grateful for the work you do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently, all outpatient laboratory services in Yellowknife have been moved to the Stanton Hospital. Along with this change, came a new protocol for accessing lab work. Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine visited the hospital to try this new process and didn't have the most positive experience.

They first tried the method of just showing up at the lab as suggested on the website. They were told that this was not actually an option, and they had to call to book an appointment or come back the next day for a same-day appointment. They called and were told the next available appointment was three and a half weeks from now. They couldn't wait that long, so they asked for the same-day appointment process and heeded that advice. They accordingly showed up at Stanton Hospital at 6:30 a.m. in the morning to ensure they got a spot. At 7:00 a.m., the front reception desk opened up, and they registered. By 7:30 a.m. when the lab opened, there were already 18 people in line for the 20 available same-day appointments. After getting their appointment time, they left to return later on and thankfully did eventually get the blood work done that they needed.

However, Mr. Speaker, I cannot imagine many people having the time or ability to engage in the process I just detailed whenever they have lab work to be done. My constituent had to wait for their partner to come back from work travel to be able to go to the early morning lineup because they can't leave their kids alone for the entire morning in advance of school. I am concerned this new process is going to be a barrier for a single mother, elderly person, someone with ability challenges, or any other person with vulnerabilities or life demands that are going to override their capacity to engage in this process. I suspect there were a number of people who were already struggling to go directly to the labs after the medical appointment. This additional barrier is going to make things more challenging for them.

Mr. Speaker, MLAs often make statements fighting for change in our health care system but in this case, I think we have an example where change has caused new problems rather than solving one. I hope we can quickly work through the growing pains on this one and get to a place where people are receiving medical service in a reasonable and, most importantly, accessible way. That is one of our priorities after all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister later today.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the world is coming North. Global interest in experiencing all the Northwest Territories has to offer continues to skyrocket. Year after year, we welcome tourists at a record-breaking pace who come to experience the beauty of this land to the inspiration of its people. Prior to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, annual visitor spending has soared past the $200 million mark, and since then the industry has little trouble roaring back to life. However, we cannot expect to take advantage of this massive increase in demand if we do not have the capacity.

We've known for some time that hotels across the North often operate at their maximum, especially during peak tourist seasons. We also expect this demand to continue to grow. If the industry does not increase its own infrastructure and welcome new businesses, particularly those operated by Indigenous entrepreneurs that showcase traditional culture and knowledge. The territorial government has a big role to play here to signal to investors that the NWT hospitality industry is open for business.

In recent years, we have also witnessed climate crisis after climate crisis, the effects of which have created new problems for the tourism industry. As water levels dropped to historic lows, this impacts businesses who own remote lodges which rely on access by boats and float planes. Many docks and piers are sitting high and dry, while rivers and streams are too shallow for canoe trips. Worsening wildfire seasons also increase the importance of communication between the government and businesses to ensure tourism is part of the conversation when precautionary actions are taken to protect lives and property. The GNWT is responsible for the well-being of visitors too.

Mr. Speaker, we need a Minister that partners with this industry to ensure its capacity continues to meet demand. This industry is key to both diversifying our economy and promoting traditional knowledge and Indigenous culture. Let's have a government that ensures as many tourists from around the world visit the North, as many of them as possible, and make the NWT the top tourist destination in Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to use my Member's statement time today for gratitude, Mr. Speaker. First and foremost, to our staff and their families. We've put some serious hours in here these past few weeks, and I know it's -- you know, the time that requires staff to be in here, it's a stress on their families. I know we all appreciate it but often it goes unsaid.

I'd also like to thank our tireless interpreters who, again, you know, we put some serious hours in. They always have a smile. And I know that, again, thank them and their families for the work they do.

And I would just like to say to everyone I'd like to thank my colleagues at AOC of course, my colleagues across the House in Cabinet for the hard work we've done these past few weeks. I say to everyone have a great summer, take a breath, hug your families, get some rest, and then get cracking on the issues for your constituents because, after all, they are the people who put us here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie Valley Highway has been in the plans for decades. With today's low water levels and the inability to transport goods using the barge services into the Sahtu, the highway is the only climate change adaptation solution.

Mr. Speaker, October 2023, the Government of the Northwest Territories released the developer's assessment report for the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway. This comprehensive report assesses the potential environmental, socio-economic impacts of constructing an all-season highway. Mr. Speaker, this report triggers the environmental assessment, a 16-month schedule by legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Sahtu Secretariat signed an MOU dated back April 2019 to work in collaboration to address adverse environmental socioeconomic impacts through the regulatory process. The MOU creates a steering committee with the Minister of Infrastructure, the Sahtu MLA, the SSI chair. Several meetings went by. Progress continues.

Mr. Speaker, the 20th Assembly has developed priorities in its mandate to strengthen Indigenous relations through meaningful alliances and partnerships for economic reconciliation integral to the Sahtu initiative. Mr. Speaker, critical to any project large or small is funding. Mr. Speaker, as we all depart for the summer and invitations to gatherings, assemblies, Sahtu will continue exploring the necessary options on assurances of funding sources. This includes the development of the business case.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, a significant amount of capital investments has already been made on this project, cost of many studies, 2011 PDR publication at a cost of $8 million, prior in-place materials, bridges, and the 2018 $140 million announcement.

Member from the Sahtu, your time...

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ensure this government's mandate and the SSI MOU maintains the Mackenzie Valley Highway as a priority for the current and future generations. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2013 a Ministers' forum on addictions and community wellness conducted four months of consultations in communities across the territory and produced a report with recommendations that I have been reflecting on personally this week.

It's encouraging to see that some of the recommendations from that forum are finally coming to life. The top priority identified then was community-based and operated on the land programming, and now it's a key priority in this government's mandate. The forum recommended that those coming back from residential treatment get proper aftercare, and now we finally see in this budget money for transitional housing. The forum recommended more cultural awareness and antiracism training for health care providers, and now we see that as part of the way we work.

Now some of the recommendations are ongoing, and we need to continue to return and advocate for these things, such as better recreation and arts programs and on-the-land programs for youth, multi-year core funding for community level programming.

The forum's final recommendation was to turn negative conversations around substance abuse into positive celebrations of individuals who break free from addictions. I want to quote at length from the introductory message by the forum's chair Paul Andrew, who is a wise Shuta Got'ine elder, and I'm very fortunate to have him as a Yellowknife North constituent. Quote: An older man reminded the forum we come from strong people, and we need to return to traditional values that make us strong. Many people, young and old, agreed far too often we in the North keep doing the same things over and over again hoping things will change. More than one community said sending people to jail has not helped the individual, and communities want to be involved in the justice system. Others said trying to sober up a person in isolation is not working, so if a community has addictions issues all should be involved in recovery. People say addictions are everyone's problem, and we must all do our part. They want elders to speak out more often. They want young people to learn about addictions in schools. They are demanding more sober events and want more opportunities to share the beauty of working on healing and wellness. If there's one hope I have, it's that we will never stop talking about healing. We must continue to share, to cry, and to give each other hope. Success belongs to those who dare.

Member from Yellowknife North, your time is up.

I ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to conclude by saying mahsi cho to Paul for his work and his inspiration and thank you to everyone here. Mahsi cho for everyone's work during this session. I hope we will continue to strive and to dare to make the North a better place. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleague from Inuvik Boot Lake, I would also like to thank all of the interpreters, pages, and staff who have put up with us very well for the last three and a half weeks, or however long it's been; I'm not quite sure anymore. And I would also like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, for coming out to the Taste of Palestine last weekend. Over 200 Yellowknifers took part in a community dinner for over 200 people.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, limited resources are available for the children and families of Gaza, and Yellowknife raised $11,115 at that dinner and auction on last weekend. And I believe there are plans again for another event in the future and, of course, I will invite yourself and all Members to that next event. It's good that we do not forget the families in the NWT who are affected by this ongoing tragedy. And thank you for participating, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mahsi. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] [Translation Ends].

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has jurisdiction over educating all students in the NWT. The GNWT must provide access to the same quality of education regardless of the location or size of their communities.

Mr. Speaker, we have an excellent student financial assistance program. It is among the best in the country. Yet, Indigenous students are grossly underrepresented in education outcome. Mr. Speaker, there is a privilege in the education system. The results show who is succeeding and who is struggling.

Recent statistics show 6.1 percent of Indigenous students complete a university degree compared to 36.6 percent of non-Indigenous students. The improvement to the SFA program in the last Assembly supported Indigenous students by removing the semester limit. Now Indigenous students can access SFA for as long as they need to pursue post-secondary education. This is positive.

Mr. Speaker, if we are raising the student loan limit, how many students from small communities will benefit from this? How many Indigenous students in the NWT are even near the $60,000 loan limit? Mr. Speaker, who will benefit from this increase student loan limit? And how will we pay for this?

The 2023 public accounts show the GNWT is running a $2.7 million operating deficit from granting more student loans than is available in the revolving loan limit, and now we have a bill to provide larger loans.

The 2020 Auditor General report on education in the NWT highlighted the gap in graduation rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. The gap in support for students in small communities and that the department is unable to confirm equitable access to education programs and services in small communities and whether students' outcome were improving. Mr. Speaker, this bill will mostly improve access to --

-- Member from Monfwi, your time is up. Your time is up.

Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

The role of the GNWT is to close the gap in education outcome. We know students in small communities need more support to succeed in post-secondary education. We need focus and attention on improving the education outcomes from students in small communities. They should remain the focus for the student finance assistance program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi.

Before we get on to the next Member's statement, I'd like to recognize Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty back to this Chamber. Mr. Lafferty was a Member of the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Assembly. He is a former Minister, Member, and Speaker of the House. Welcome back to your House, Mr. Lafferty.

Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to take this opportunity as my Member's statement to thank the Members, my colleagues around the table here. It's been a busy almost four weeks. I also wanted to thank, Mr. Speaker, your staff. Also the ledge staff as well that work behind the scenes for us. I know there's a lot of work that happens behind the scenes that people don't see. I want to say thank you to my CA, Taylor Pagotto, and also Warren Delorme of Fort Resolution. Also, I want to thank all the translators that are here. I want to say mahsi. If it wasn't for you that we wouldn't be able to get these messages back home to our communities. Also, we got to say thank you to the technical people that provide all the sound equipment and translation, everything else. I just want to say a big mahsi cho to everybody.

Mr. Speaker, while all the MLAs come here, we leave our home communities. You know, we have to come here and do the work to hold this government to account. But while we're here, our families are back home taking care of the family. Like, my wife in my case. And I got a daughter that just got honors at Sir John Franklin High School and I just found out, so I just want to mention that.

But, Mr. Speaker, the reason why we're here is that we represent the people in our small communities and throughout the Northwest Territories, and we bring their issues here. And by working together collectively, we look for solutions. So I just want to say thank you to everybody and enjoy your summer, and let's have a safe summer as well. Mahsi.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] [Translation Ends].

Mr. Speaker, for my Member's statement today, I want to speak about the motion that I gave notice on two days ago regarding federal top-up funding for Enterprise. Mr. Speaker, the motion in question will be voted on later today and it's all about getting more support for the people of Enterprise who lost everything during last summer's wildfire. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, the displaced residents of Enterprise need practical and viable solutions right now as soon as possible. We all have known the devastating loss that the community sustained, which was 80 percent of all structures, including many homes. These residents need help. As the MLA representing this community, I am willing and prepared to take all the help we can to provide further assistance to them during this difficult time.

That is why, Mr. Speaker, I brought this motion forward, because right now the federal government is prepared to offer a significant aid package to the community in the form of several temporary housing units for displaced residents. However, for this to occur our territorial government must work with the federal government on the cost sharing aspect of this assistance. Our government must be willing to pay for 10 percent of the cost of these temporary housing units.

Mr. Speaker, I know that temporary housing units may not sound like a perfect solution to this situation, but it's much better than nothing at all. It would be a huge mistake for our government not to accept this offer from the federal government. This solution is better than no solution. The alternative would be to do nothing and provide no temporary housing to the displaced residents of Enterprise. And I cannot stand for that, Mr. Speaker.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I'm urging all my colleagues on both sides of the House to vote in favour of this motion later today. As a government, let's work together and give some hope to these residents for a brighter tomorrow. Let's do the right thing. Action this immediately and move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member from Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to congratulate Hay River residents and a couple from my riding. They are newlyweds, after 47 years of living together, two children, four grandchildren, one great grandchild - David Gauthier and Sheryl Maurice decided to tie the knot yesterday, and I would like to wish them all the best as the newlywed married couple. And for their honeymoon, they spent it at the ballpark involved in a slowpitch game.

I'd also like to take the time to wish all the Members here in the House, all the Legislative Assembly staff, all the staff that we don't normally see hiding in the background, including the interpreters, a safe summer and looking forward to seeing everybody back here again in the fall. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Hay River South. Members' statements. Member from Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know I don't have to tell you this, but coaches play a vital role in our communities. Good coaching isn't only about enhanced sport performance, it's about something much more important.

Eighty percent of people who received coaching report increased self-confidence. They establish and take action towards achieving goals, become more self-reliant, gain more job and life satisfaction, contribute more effectively to their teams on and off the court, take greater responsibility and accountability for their actions and commitments, and work more easily and productively with others by being team players and communicate more effectively. Essentially, Mr. Speaker, good coaches help build good humans.

Last term, through multiple community engagements, the Standing Committee on Social Development heard repetitively the powerful impact sport and recreation has on community wellness, especially youth and families. Sport and recreation was attributed to keeping families healthy and together and our youth feeling valued, fulfilled, and alive because physical health is a key component of mental health. Efforts like this rely on the selfless dedication of coaches who show up, lead by example, and are consistent bright lights in the lives of so many youths.

This past month, two Kam Lake coaches have been recognized for their incredible coaching contributions to youth sport, changing the lives of NWT children and teens through their endless volunteer hours. Shakita Jensen was named Yellowknife minor hockey coach of the year, and Shakita is a Canadian trailblazer changing the face of Canadian hockey. She gives so much of her time to coaching, including teams in Yellowknife minor hockey, and as the coach for Canada Winter Games as well as Arctic Winter Games.

Erin Wells was named Sport North NWT coach of the year and has coached youth basketball for decades, including Arctic Winter Games, Canada Games, and the NWT's high-performance teams. This past March, Erin coached Team NWT's Arctic Winter Games basketball team to a historic gold medal, first for the NWT female basketball team.

Mr. Speaker, neither of these people are coaches because they have children in the game. They have dedicated themselves to coaching through exemplary leadership for the love of the sport and commitment to the future of NWT youth. A huge thank you to Erin and Shakita for your dedication, time, and leadership, and congratulations on your very well-deserved recognition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Kam Lake; I couldn't agree with you more.

Members' statements. Member from Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to honour the class of 2024 from the Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith. This year, I am proud to announce there were 24 graduates from the regular school program and the Phoenix program. I would like to thank all of the teachers, the staff at PWK, and the South Slave Divisional Education Council, the parents, guardians, and all of those who have supported their success.

To the students, as you navigate through the existing journey ahead, Mr. Speaker, passion will fuel their pursuits, integrity will guide their decisions, and resilience will help them overcome any obstacles they encounter. Their future is brimming with possibilities, and I wish them all the success, growth, and opportunities this holds. Best wishes on your journey. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Thebacha. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take this opportunity to bring attention to a very accomplished athlete from Yellowknife South.

Mr. Speaker, last summer Chelsey Makaro travelled to Berlin, Germany, as part of Team Canada at the Special Olympics World Summer Games and came home with not one, but two gold medals - one for the 25-meter backstroke and the other as part of the 4 by 50 meter freestyle team relay. These medals also made Chelsey the first Northwest Territories female athlete to win gold at the Special Olympics World Games. And with this accomplishment, together with all of her hard work that she puts in to promoting the Special Olympics within the Northwest Territories, Chelsey was awarded the 2024 Mary Beth Miller Memorial Senior Female Athlete of the Year from Sport North on May 25th.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Chelsey on this hard earned honour. I look forward to hearing more about her continued dedication to sport, her hard work, and the inspiration that she brings to all of those around her. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Colleagues, I would like to close this session with the opportunity to celebrate some amazing things that recently happened in the Nahendeh riding. Usually, I would have Member statements about each of these exciting moments but as this is our last sitting day until October, I would like to celebrate here today.

Leanne Niziol was born and raised in the community of Wrigley, NWT. Growing up in a remote community, with limited access to health care, pushed her to pursue a career in medicine. However, more importantly, her grandfather was her main inspiration to go into medicine. He was a medicine man, but his life and way of being was something that impacted her significantly. She recently graduated from the University of Manitoba's Doctor of Medicine program, a career she says has been a dream of hers since she was little. A large amount of her family travelled to Winnipeg from Ontario, Alberta, Yukon and NWT to watch her graduate. In speaking with her auntie, the family is looking at hosting a huge celebration on June 22nd in Wrigley to celebrate her accomplishment. Congratulations, Dr. Niziol.

Yesterday, I spoke about graduation and the importance of that moment. I would like to congratulate Ms. Betty Elizabeth Hardisty on graduating from the bible studies program on June 8th, 2024 and obtaining her Bachelor of Theology. I can tell you she is truly a positive role model and an example for others.

The U19 team, a mixture of young ladies ranging from 13 to 19, from Liidii Kue Regional High School, won gold in the tier 2 division at Super Soccer. I can tell you I had the opportunity to witness this team play, and I can say the athletes were respectful, kind, and hardworking. They made their coaches, family, community, and school very proud. Some of the athletes played three days of soccer the previous weekend, then spent three days snowboarding in Banff before playing four more days of soccer. Well done, ladies.

The last shout out goes to the basketball program in Fort Liard. This school year, the community decided to offer a new sport to the youth. They attended two tournaments and had a three-game competition with the first responders from the Community. They won the competition 2 to 1. As well, they attended the tryout with NWT Basketball, and one of the athletes was selected first alternate for the national team.

I would like to congratulate them all and have a good summer. Thank you.

Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, we have a group of young people here from Hearst University from northern Ontario. I'm going to apologize now; I am not going to say your names because I'm going to mispronounce them so I'm just going to deem them as read. And thank you very much for being here.

• Diane Gaulin,
• Ndery Dione,
• Jeremy Bouchard,
• Kayla Laurin,
• Chantal Pelletier,
• Else St-Onge,
• Daniella Musangu,
• Ruth Esther Kouame,
• Elothy Ngoie Kisula Kasunka,
• Saoudiatou Ba, and
• Sara Sabti.

As well, now I get to embarrass a young lady of mine. The coach of Arctic Winter Games gold medal in Fort McMurray, a coach of the silver medal in Alaska, my middle child who has moved on to McPherson to be a social worker there. So welcome, my daughter.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are very grateful for our pages, and I am very pleased to say that Yellowknife South is represented this week by Mya Polpufa Baird.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife South. Member for the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to also recognize Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty. We had the privilege of serving and working together during the 18th Assembly. And also as we depart for the summer, I'd like to say my sincere thanks and recognition to the support staff that we have in this House here from the cooks, to the pages, to the clerical staff that we have. We wouldn't be as efficient without their support, so they should be recognized also for the many hours. And everybody in this Assembly here on the spirit of collaboration of working together. Have a safe summer. Thank you. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two of my constituents, Ms. Zoe Guille and Ms. Gabby LaMarsh, they're up here. They are both student midwives who some of the Members have met in the past few weeks. They've worked hard in these past weeks to advocate for midwifery. They're student midwives. They're committed to continuing the work in the coming years to plant roots in Yellowknife so we can see midwifery care grow throughout the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a page from Range Lake, Eva Gordon. Thank you so much for your work during this last week of the sitting. And I'd also like to recognize my friend Grand Chief Lafferty. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Monfwi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [Translation] [Translation Ends]

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you. I too, like my colleagues, would like to welcome Mr. Jackson Lafferty, grand chief, former MLA for Monfwi. And also to my friend Lousia Mackenzie and her family up there, welcome. And I too would also like to say thank you to you, Mr. Speaker, and all the wonderful staff here as well as the translators and everyone here, and I hope everybody has a good summer. Look forward to seeing everybody in the fall. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize my former colleague and current grand chief of the Tlicho, Mr. Jackson Lafferty. It was an honour serving with him as his deputy Speaker, and as the only Lafferty I'm allowed to recognize today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to join the chorus of MLAs thanking all of our staff here in the Assembly, thanking the interpreters, the clerks, and all the staff supporting us for the long hours that they put in over the past number of weeks. It's definitely been a lot of work, and we really appreciate your contributions. And I wanted to just acknowledge one of our many unsung heros behind the scenes in the ledge, Mr. John Gon, who operates our microphones and is a constituent of mine. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to recognize the grand chief of the Tlicho region, Mr. Jackson Lafferty. Mahsi for being here. I also want to recognize Louise Mackenzie and June Mackenzie as well. Mahsi for being here.

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

If we've missed anybody, we would like to thank you for much for being here and thank you very much for allowing us to be your representative in your House. Thank you very much for everybody being here.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased today to acknowledge the incredible career and upcoming retirement of Theresa Bonnetrouge. After an incredible 42-year career as an educator in Fort Providence, I thank her for her dedication and impact on the community. Theresa Bonnetrouge is a remarkable educator who has taught at Deh Gah Elementary and Secondary School for 41 years,11 months and 19 days. She has had an impact on education in our community, and I'd like to honour her dedication and effort to support our youth. Theresa has been instrumental in teaching Dene Zhatie to our students. Her tireless efforts have contributed to language revitalization, ensuring that the rich cultural heritage of the Dene people is passed down to the next generation. I thank Theresa for her years of hard work and dedication to education in our community, to preserving and promoting our language, and to educating generations of our students. I wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement. Talk.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Acknowledgements. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to congratulate all of the students who are graduating from kindergarten to grade 12 in the Tlicho region. Graduation is a milestone achievement and a stepping-stone to new opportunities. I am proud of all the students for staying in school and putting in the hard work. Thank you to all the parents for supporting their children through school. And thank you to all the teachers and educators for their guidance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I spoke about the challenges the tourism industry is facing in the Northwest Territories. How is the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment going to partner with tourism operators who are struggling to provide access to remote lodges and campsites that are only accessible by boat or float plane now that water levels are historically low and rendering docks and piers useless? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of ITI.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by thanking the Member for raising this. We have a very beautiful tourism industry to match our very beautiful landscape here in the Northwest Territories. We're certainly very aware of the challenges that the low water levels pose on our remote lodges across the territory, and ITI continues to work closely with NWT Chamber of Commerce and NWT Tourism as well to make sure that we're understanding the specific needs of lodges and who is in that situation, and until we know more information about what that looks like for everybody independently, we won't really be able to identify kind of what is needed. But I'm certainly committed to finding creative ways to address this with businesses and seeing how we can support one another. But at this time, I don't have a concrete solution or response for the Member until we know more. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister missed a chance to say Spectacular Northwest Territories, so I will do it for her. We have a spectacular industry, a spectacular, pristine environment, but climate change is definitely impacting it. So what are we doing to ensure that the industry is part of the conversation when it comes to wildfires and making sure that tourists are well-informed of the dangers wildfires present and that operators aren't liable for issues that happen due to evacuations and things like that? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the North is definitely spectacular, so thank you to the Member for that.

Ensuring the safety of tourists and residents during forest fire emergencies is certainly a top priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories. It's important, though, for tourism operators to have robust business continuity plans and also appropriate insurance coverage in place to manage such situations. As far as communication, we do have our public safety page on the GNWT website, we have things like Cabin Radio who has always been very active in making sure they're informing residents. And so it's bit of a partnership that needs to happen there, Mr. Speaker, where we do what we can to get the message out, and we also rely on people to know where to go as well. And so I can definitely loop back in with NWT Tourism to see if we are communicating this information to our tourism operators as well so that they can pass the message on to their guests too. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. Will the Minister -- another issue is hotel capacity. We're often over -- sorry, often overcapacity -- we're nearly always overcapacity with our hotel command, and it's increasing year after year. So what is the Minister doing working with her Cabinet colleagues to ensure there are incentives for hospitality -- for the hospitality industry to grow? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from within the ITI umbrella, we do have a support for product development enhancement through the well established tourism product diversification and marketing program. This is specifically funding to reinvent, improve, and expand tourism products across the Northwest Territories. And we also have funding for business planning for product packages for marketing efforts. Within ECE, we have wage subsidies. And then if you head over to some of our other departments, there are opportunities to build business in the Northwest Territories for sure. I can say as far as the Member's question in regards specifically to tourism offerings, I've recently met with a number of our Indigenous development corporations in the territory here and had the opportunity to also speak about tourism with each of them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, this is important to my riding. I've got many fine tourism operators, and I'm glad to hear the Minister is talking with them.

Finally, one of the things that's come to my attention is the need for more RV turnaround stations and campsites in the Northwest Territories. Does the Minister have a plan to address that need? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ITI does maintain a number of territorial parks across the Northwest Territories which do have turnarounds for RVs. That being said, we also did just increase our fees within ITI in order to create space for privately-owned campgrounds as well. Historically our rates were quite low, and we needed to raise those to make sure that they were both competitive and doing a better job of keeping up what it actually cost us to operate our parks, which I will say are still subsidized within the territory.

For turnaround stations that are outside of our territorial parks, that would need to be done in collaboration with the Department of Infrastructure as it would be a highway asset. And if this is deemed to be a priority of the Assembly, I would certainly be more than happy to follow up with the Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today is to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The Sahtu regional office plays a major role in assisting cabin owners, title owners on lands within that region. How many vacancies are there in that regional office? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Sahtu. Minister of ECC.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been a high rate of turnover in staff in the Sahtu over the last year post merger. Currently, there are six vacancies within the department, and one that will be filled shortly with a casual in the short term. And there's active recruiting going on to fill the other positions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that information here. What are the department plans for recruitment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, there's been high turnover and the department is actively recruiting staff for these positions. Part of that has been advertising the positions multiple times in some instances and working to ensure that we are trying to engage with people within the area, the local area, to attempt to fill those positions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister looking at temporary transfers from other jurisdictions or other regional office, say at the Inuvik office, to bring personnel down to help with the services required by various residents of the Sahtu? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we pursue filling these vacant positions, we have been using the staff from -- the regional staff from the -- my apologies, sorry. There are ECC staff in the region that have the capacity to assist with the work on the lands files. As well as the staff are getting support from regional staff in other locations to assist with that work. Some of the work is also being supported by staff from headquarters in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, earlier I shared my constituent's experience getting lab work. Seconds after delivering that statement, the text messages started rolling in. Mr. Speaker, it's clear the new process is not working well for people. Can the Minister commit to reviewing this new process and bringing forward solutions which will improve access to this essential service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with any new process that rolls out, I think in any department, there are always some difficulties. The process right now currently and the concern is that there are slots available for booked appointments. There's a number of people that they can do as same-day appointments, and then what happens is is that if you arrive earlier enough on time they'll let you know that they've only got enough space for walk-ins and they don't want you to -- like, they'll tell you that. And so it's not that there isn't walk-ins. And so we're not going to review the program. We are implementing the program. Yes, there are some struggles along the way so there will be some public communique going out on this later on this week or early next week. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that there's going to be some communication. I was hoping for a commitment to maybe review this. Mr. Speaker, why was this change made? I haven't been receiving any complaints about this service in the past and now all of a sudden, we're receiving a lot of complaints. We seem to have broken something by trying to fix it, Mr. Speaker. What was it that brought about this change? How have we gotten to the point where we've reduced access to a service when our priority is to improve it?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, you know, this is a new program, so we've gone out publicly saying this is a new program. What this program has done is over the past month that it's been rolled out, we have seen 200 more patients this last month than we normally do in the lab in Yellowknife and so because there's changes, because, you know, there's certain things -- before we were getting a lot more complaints that there wasn't some structure, there wasn't time to book appointments, there wasn't same-day appointments in the lab, so right now what they're working on is ensuring that there's going to be some changes and so that there's more options and ways to book online and things like that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems like there's been an attempt to increase access to service, as I said before, and it seems like it has created a backlog or something's going on here. Mr. Speaker, is there a reason we can't simply return to the process we were already using and appear to be working for people? Is there, maybe, an explanation as to why there's suddenly been this surge in people requiring the service? If the Minister can give any information to the public to help us understand what's going on here, it would be appreciated. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the process is going to continue the way it is. I hear the Member. I know constituents when things are changing and when they're not able to access something immediately that there might be -- but we have heard lots of other positives as well. And so not very many reach out to their MLAs when things are positive. So, you know, so that's the issue here. And so we are monitoring it. We are increasing -- the numbers have been increasing in Yellowknife for access. So like I said, there are 200 more in the last month than there is normally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say I don't think that it's simply requiring people to wait in line, clammer for availability for a few available spots, it just doesn't seem to be working. Mr. Speaker, I would like to -- I haven't gotten a commitment from the Minister. I would like the Minister to commit to at least have a look at this. Is there anything that we can do differently as opposed to doubling down on something that clearly isn't working right now. Maybe it's growing pains. But can we have a look at this, make sure that we're doing everything we can to ensure that access to health care, which is our priority, is actually taking place in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, the program is ongoing. There are small changes that are being implemented as we move along. You know, we'll continue to hear from the Members and the constituents but from the other side too is that people are grateful that they're able to have appointments, they can preschedule them, they're triaging those that are going in early in the morning that are fasting. You know, there's different things that are going on. They're working with their -- you know, within the authority to make sure that prioritizing blood work gets booked in. So there are a lot of things that are changing as they're hearing from the residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke today about the recommendations from the Ministers' forum on addictions and wellness and community wellness from 2013. And there were certain ideas in there that I wondered if the Minister of health could provide us insights whether the government has looked at them and addressed them.

So one was recommendation number 11, review and revise existing processes within the health and social services system for referring youth to treatment in order to ensure that addictions treatment is accessible for all youth.

I should also say that these weren't sort of official actions that were taken up by the government, but they were recommendations that were made. So I'm wondering if this has been looked at by the government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I don't have the level of that detail here as per each recommendation. You know, that is going to take some time to compile any of that data. And so I will take the question on notice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of health and social services. The Minister has taken your set of questions on notice. Oral questions. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of MACA. Can the Minister explain why the GNWT does not want to accept assistance from the federal government under the disaster assistance administration to support housing units in Enterprise? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the thing to remember here is the disaster assistance program is a federal program. And just to be clear, it clearly states in the policy, for the disaster assistance policy, that it is not an insurance program. Residents who have no insurance that have been affected by the wildfire are being taken care of. They are being housed by the program. So they are being housed until -- I believe right now until the end of August pending some more communication with the DFAA.

I will add, though, Mr. Speaker, that we have to remember that the wildfire -- fire insurance is readily available and overland flood insurance is not readily available. And that sometimes confuses people on why some assistance might be coming or not. So to the question, I guess, for the most part, that DFAA does not supply housing for rebuild homes for uninsured properties. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain the considerations and discussions that have occurred with the federal Minister for Public Safety regarding support for Enterprise? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've had lots of discussion with the department. MACA had lots of communications with the department and the public safety staff. I've personally spoke to the public safety Minister. And I think we've exhausted all avenues in regards to assisting uninsured properties in Enterprise. Just keep in mind that they are being housed through disaster assistance support. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. Has the Minister discussed the long-term options for temporary housing units constructed in Enterprise with the federal Minister? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I have. And currently, as I stated, they are being housed through the disaster assistance program. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Final supplementary. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi. Can the Minister explain the role of the pathfinder assigned to assist displaced residents. What does the pathfinder do to help displaced residents? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The pathfinders are the GNWT resources people on the ground to assist residents who may be involved in an emergency like flooding and fires. Their goal is to help the residents navigate the GNWT system and assist them in finding resources to help them during the time in need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to the Commissioner's address. Petitions. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Tabling of documents. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Mandate Letters for the Executive Council of the 20th Legislative Assembly; and, GNWT Search and Rescue System Review Final Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Tabling of documents. Minister for ECC.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee report 62-19(2), Report on the Review of Bill 74: Forest Act; and, NWT Surface Rights Board 2024-2025 Operating Budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.