Please be seated. Colleagues, I'd like to thank Evelyn Parry for the opening guiding words.

Colleagues, before we get going, I'd just like to reiterate that during question and answer period, if we could be succinct with our questions and succinct with our answers that would be greatly appreciated moving forward. Thank you.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. The landing at Normandy was a turning point of the Second World War. As Premier, and as a Canadian, I honour the sacrifice of all those who served in this war, the ultimate sacrifice of all those who lost their lives in the conflict, and the memory of the veterans who have passed on in the years since. While I was not able to join the Canadian delegation for the commemoration ceremony taking place at Juno Beach today, I am grateful for the efforts of all participating nations to ensure the lessons learned through the last Great War, and through the individual sacrifice of so many, are never forgotten.

NWT residents have long served in similar capacities, through times of peace and conflict, and today I wish to honour our own veterans, as well as our friends and neighbours who are currently serving, including those stationed at Joint Task Force North and with the Canadian Rangers. While many veterans are no longer with us, the memory of their service and sacrifice echoes through generations. May that remembrance continue to guide us. Lest we forget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Ministers' statements. Minister of ITI.

Thank you, Minister of ITI.

Colleagues, before we get into the next Minister's statement, I'd like to recognize Major Karen Hoft and her husband Allan Hoft and welcome to our Assembly here. Thank you very much for being here.

Ministers' statements. Minister for Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to address the Northwest Territories Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists at their annual professional development symposium. The theme for this year's symposium was Building a Resilient North, which underscores a collective commitment to overcoming challenges and fostering innovative solutions for a sustainable future for residents. Today, I want to highlight the pivotal role that strategic infrastructure plays in securing the future prosperity of the Northwest Territories.

The strength of our economy and our future prosperity depend on reliable supply chains supported by critical infrastructure. This includes roads, rail lines, ports, ferries, pipelines, airports, and electricity transmission infrastructure, all essential for transporting goods, services, and materials to both domestic and international markets. As we build for tomorrow, it is crucial that we leverage the best standards, tools, and technologies to create infrastructure that meets both present and future needs.

With this in mind, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to maximizing federal funding to help close the infrastructure gap with investments in green power generation and transmission, transportation and communications networks. Transformative infrastructure projects such as the all-season Mackenzie Valley Highway, the expansion of the Taltson hydroelectric facility and airport updates and expansions are significant contributors to the stability of the NWT's economy.

Enhancing our all-season highway system remains a top priority. The Department of Infrastructure currently maintains 3,856 kilometers of highways, with nearly 2,500 of those kilometers being all-season roads half gravel and half chip seal or asphalt. Our road network includes 115 bridges, 247 bridge culverts, and more than 3,000 smaller culverts, as well as four ferry crossings. This summer, Infrastructure staff will be busy with over 20 roadway projects in various stages of completion, including access road construction, multiple highway development projects and bridge and culvert expansion and construction.

We are nearing the completion of phase one of the Prohibition Creek Access Road near Norman Wells, which will further strengthen our transportation system in additional to providing employment and training opportunities for Sahtu residents. During peak construction, the contractor hired 95 workers - 61 from the Sahtu and 12 from other Northwest Territories regions.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to advance strategic infrastructure projects such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway and the Slave Geological Province Corridor. Strong relationships with Indigenous governments and organizations are central to the success of these transformative projects, and we continue to work together on their advancement. The analytical phase of the Mackenzie Valley Highway environmental assessment is currently underway with technical and community information sessions anticipated this summer and fall. We remain on pace for a final report of an environmental assessment in 2025, and we also have extensive fieldwork and engagement planned for this summer, which will inform future regulatory applications for the Lockhart All-Season Road, the first phase of the Slave Geological Province Corridor project.

In addition to new roads, we are undertaking necessary repairs to cables on the Deh Cho Bridge and progressing the planning and design of highways, bridges and culverts including Dehk'e Frank Channel bridge replacement.

Mr. Speaker, waterways, like the Mackenzie River and Great Slave Lake, have long been vital for transporting people and goods. Despite challenges such as low water levels, Marine Transportation Services and the fuel services division are adapting and planning to ensure essential resupply to northern communities. The ongoing Hay River harbour restoration project is a testament to our commitment to maintain these crucial transportation routes. I am pleased to share that dredging operations began as scheduled on June 3rd, and approximately 80,000 cubic metres of sediment are expected to be removed from the harbour by mid-September.

Extreme weather events linked to climate change, including wildfires, floods, low water levels, volatile wind, wave action, and changing Arctic Ocean ice pack have interrupted the supply of fuel to communities in the Northwest Territories. In an effort to minimize the impacts of these supply interruptions, the GNWT continues to explore funding opportunities with Canada to increase bulk fuel storage capacity of diesel, aviation and gasoline fuels in Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Paulatuk. These projects will be critical to modernize, improve, and expand fuel storage facilities and to mitigate risks to the environment and achieve code compliance and when completed, would allow for the storage of two years of normal fuel consumption in each community.

The future prosperity of the Northwest Territories hinges on our commitment to building and maintaining strategic infrastructure. Last year's evacuations and re-entries across the territory highlight the paramount importance of access and transport by air, road, and water. The GNWT's ongoing investment in transportation infrastructure aims to improve residents' peace of mind and quality of life, lower living costs, and support economic expansion and diversification. Thank you, Mr. Speaker you.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when a person learns they have cancer, their world turns upside down. In just one moment, they find themselves in the fight of their lives. Thankfully in Canada, we have a universal public health care system that is always there to connect cancer patients with the medical professionals they need. Unfortunately, in the North, that connection of doctor to patient is a bit more complicated. We can't offer every specialized treatment that southern Canadians take for granted and when that's not ideal, the added travel for medical care is a fact of life for Northerners.

However, there's a growing trend of health and social services becoming too reliant on southern-based medical services instead of working to keep as many of those services available here as possible. This burdens more patients with medical travel, increases service delivery costs, and adds pressure on the cooperation between northern and southern medical systems. This is a recipe for disaster, Mr. Speaker, diminishing the quality of care and increasing stress on patients.

It should be no surprise, then, we have ended up in a dire situation that we are faced with regarding hematology oncology services. With apparently little notice, the services were suddenly relocated to Alberta effective May 1st forcing blood cancer patients to travel constantly in and out of the Northwest Territories for blood work and chemotherapy. I have been in contact with Range Lake constituents, including one suffering from multiple myeloma, who expressed the anxiety and strain that this has caused on her and her family. Apparently, this is because medical service providers in Alberta have grown concerned and frustrated with challenges to obtaining timely and accurate blood work from Yellowknife, coupled with an inability to access these results through the patient network. There are at least seven other Northerners suffering from multiple myeloma, and they have received no timeline as to when these services will be repatriated.

What are these patients left to do, Mr. Speaker, besides move out of their homes to be closer to the lifesaving treatment they need? Situations like these are urgent and require not only an immediate fix but also a serious review of the circumstances that have brought us to this place. I hope the Minister has a plan to support the well-being of cancer patients across the North. I'll be asking her that later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to congratulate the 2024 High School Graduating Class of the Inuvik East Three Secondary School. Mr. Speaker, this year's ceremony is extra special for me as my son will be among the graduating class.

I would like to thank the incredible staff at East Three Secondary School, and I would like to congratulate the families and mentors who have helped the grade 12 students accomplish this milestone in their lives. Mr. Speaker, there are 27 students graduating this year, and they are:

• Andy Albert
• Livia Amos
• Kira Bretana
• Kaycee Campbell
• Jared Day
• Mila Eldridge
• Isabel Firth-Gruben
• Sienna Gordon
• Hope Gordon-Thrasher
• William Inglangasuk
• Tamara Kaglik
• Kaylyn Kayotuk
• Derek Lennie-Ipana
• Zaiden Maring
• Symantha McCarthy Adams
• Rowan McInnes
• Tatum Mistaken-Chief
• Dreydan Natsie
• Chase Nogasak
• Sami Rahman
• Will Rodgers
• Bianca Rogers
• Alexandria Ruben
• Charlie Snowshoe
• Connor VanLoon
• Race Vittrekwa-Blake
• Rylan Wainman

Mr. Speaker, I, again would like to congratulate all these students. I'd like to let the Speaker know and the House that I will be absent from the House tomorrow to travel home to Inuvik to attend the ceremony and give an address to the students on Saturday, June 8th. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Members' statements. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am concerned about the cost of food in my riding. Access to healthy nutritious food is essential for everyone. Nutrition North is a program of the Government of Canada in 2011 and replaced the food mail program. The Nutrition North program provides subsidy to retailers and wholesalers for the overall cost of food which is transferred to the customer when they purchase eligible items. It does not subsidize the transportation of food yet, Mr. Speaker. We know the transportation of food is a significant cost to stocking grocery store shelves in the NWT.

In my riding, Aklavik is eligible year-round for subsidization under Nutrition North; however, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic are eligible only during periods of seasonal isolation. Yet, Mr. Speaker, in order to supply food to the grocery stores in my communities, it first has to travel 3,200 kilometers from Edmonton to Inuvik. This is the longest food supply road network anywhere in Canada. And from Inuvik, it still has to get to the Mackenzie Delta communities.

Food is expensive, and yet many residents in my region are on income support. The average family in my riding earns $50,000 less than the average NWT family. Paying for nutritious, healthy food is essential to our well-being, and this is something that many families can't afford in my region.

In the mandate of the 19th Assembly, the government said that it will work with the Indigenous and community governments to make recommendations for improvement to the Nutrition North program. The Legislative Assembly also approved a motion for the GNWT to create a food security strategy. I will have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll do this in Tlicho for the intro.

[Translation] 62@9:30

[Translation Ends]

Mr. Speaker, June is the month of high school graduations. On behalf of the Tlicho region, I want to congratulate all students graduating high school, especially those graduating from Chief Jimmy Bruneau school in Edzo, Mezi Community School in Whati, and Jean Wetrade School in Gameti.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that in general, all youth who graduate high school likely had good attendance throughout their schooling. It is sad that our territorial budget for some schools is decreasing due to low attendance rate. We had this attendance issue before COVID. We know that many families are still dealing with the trauma from residential school. Some hesitate to send their children to school. To overcome this fear, our government and school system must break free in colonialism and move forward. We were forced; now it is our choice.

Mr. Speaker, the only job for young people is to be in school, learn new things every day, and work hard to pass and move to the next level. With good attendance, there are many opportunities for people. With good attendance, a child can learn to read by grade 2 or earlier. But in the NWT, especially small communities, the literacy statistics are not good. This is at least partially due to poor attendance.

Mr. Speaker, we have good schools and staff in the NWT who work hard for students to achieve. Teachers are invaluable with special skills to teach youth every day. Elementary school gets young people ready for junior high. Junior high gets them ready for high school. And after high school, it's about growing and experiencing --

Member from Monfwi, your time is up.

Can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement? Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Life after high school is a choice young people must make, whether to pursue higher education, training, work, living life off the grid, or to travel, but travelling requires money to pay for the trips.

Mr. Speaker, according to the statistics, between 2017 to 2021, small community attendance rates for grade 9 dropped by 10 point from 79 to 69, an even bigger decline is between 2012 to 2021 where small community attendance rate for grade 6 dropped by 21 points from 89 to 68 percent. That is an alarming rate. These are extremely trouble --

Member from Monfwi, your time is up.

I will have questions for the Minister of ECE.

Thank you. Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. In my absence in the last couple of days there, I had the privilege and wonderful opportunity of attending the youth workshop in Tulita sponsored by the Sahtu Secretariat. Life promotion and harm reduction was the theme of the conference, and to listen to the youth, or the future of our territory. Developing our self-independence is fundamentally critical as defining the cultural values and beliefs.

Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories living this reality is visiting and spending time in reference to the small communities. The reality of cost of living far outweigh the recreational and economic opportunities in remote areas of our Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the last two days I attended the youth workshop and experienced many discussions of those small communities and the challenge facing them in particular in today's society where there's so many addictions and temptations. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu Secretariat took the lead in addressing the drug addictions by sponsoring this regional leadership addictions gathering in Fort Good Hope in early May last month. In recognition that there's a missing gap, leaders sponsored the youth workshop in Tulita so the audience and the gathering and the population is all attributing to the developments of the regional strategy.

Mr. Speaker, integral to addressing the drug addictions crisis we're experiencing, support and resources to implement the development strategy is one that's going to really make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, as quoted by Winston Churchill, we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. This institution, with the design of this room as a healing circle, stands for a model to support today's society, in particular investment in our youth, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho for sharing the time for me to address. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak about renewable diesel, which is a very promising clean energy technology that could be a game changer in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and in helping us keep up with the global shift away from fossil fuel technologies.

Roughly 80 percent of NWT emissions come from the use of diesel. Transportation, particularly transport trucks and mining equipment, account for almost half of our emissions. And it's just not realistic to think that we could ever electrify all transportation routes across our remote communities and remote mines in the North.

The GNWT commissioned a modelling study last year which found that if the NWT wants to set a goal of net zero, biofuels will be absolutely necessary to get us there. So what is renewable diesel?

To be clear, it's not the same as bio diesel. Renewable diesel is diesel made from vegetable oils and fats. It can be used in any existing diesel engine, furnace, or boiler; you simply drop it in. No retrofits, no need to buy new equipment or vehicles. You can also blend it in any proportion with conventional diesel fuel. So you can start gradually mix in small amounts and every little bit helps to reduce emissions.

It was first developed in the 1990s in Finland, and an Arctic grade has already been for sale in Finland since 2016 that can be stored down to minus 40. Global mining companies are also looking to this technology. De Beers is committed to be carbon neutral across all of its operations by 2030, and it has specifically committed to explore renewable diesel.

Renewable diesel does cost more than conventional diesel but if we compare it to other renewable energy projects we've already undertaken, the cost per ton of reduced emissions is two to eight times lower than solar, LNG, wind, or hydro grid expansion. The cost has been high because there's been very little production and little demand but in early of this year, in early 2024, Canada's first renewable diesel refinery opened in Prince George, BC, and another is planned for Strathcona, Alberta. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement; I'm almost finished.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Yukon government is already planning pilot projects to evaluate renewable diesel for transport, heating, and power generation by 2025. If we joined with them and other partners, such as large mines, we could create enough demand to start the renewable diesel energy revolution in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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