Colleagues, I'd like to thank Annie Inuktalik for opening guiding words. Ministers' statements. Minister for ECC.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the 2023 wildfire season was the most challenging ever experienced in the Northwest Territories, and the largest and most impactful in Canada. Driven by severe drought conditions, record-breaking temperatures and periods of extreme wind conditions, both the fire behaviour and fire environment were unlike anything our most experienced firefighters have ever seen before.

To date, forecasts of another challenging fire season in 2024 have been accurate, with a very early start to the season and a number of significant fires near communities and highways in the Deh Cho and South Slave regions.

The NWT is experiencing its third consecutive year of severe drought, which is fueling this fire risk. We only need to look at our lakes and rivers to see how this drought is impacting the environment. Until significant rain is experienced, the job firefighters face in trying to contain wildfires will remain very difficult.

Mr. Speaker, despite these challenges, the Department of Environment and Climate Change has worked hard over the past winter to be ready for the 2024 wildfire season. Over the past several months, meetings with local community and Indigenous governments occurred in all forested communities in the NWT to discuss the 2023 wildfire season, community wildfire protection plans and local planning for the 2024 season. We assisted the NWT Association of Communities in their successful application for federal funding to support community-led wildfire prevention and mitigation work, including FireSmart initiatives. Communication and notification processes for wildfire events have been strengthened in collaboration with the departments of Municipal and Community Affairs and Executive and Indigenous Affairs resulting in an enhanced approach to provide direct and timely information to Indigenous governments about fires that have the potential to impact their communities.

Training has also been top of mind over the past several months. Additional fire crews and aircraft were added to our normal complement and brought on much earlier than normal to complete their annual training and be ready for an early start to the season. Home ignition zone training was offered to Environment and Climate Change staff and local fire departments. Furthermore, to help address fires at the wildland-urban interface, cross-training is underway for local fire departments, with some events recently held in May.

A new wildfire prevention and mitigation unit has been established with a number of wildfire prevention activities already conducted across the NWT. Information guides were developed to provide people with detailed advice on best practices and procedures to FireSmart their property, and information events were held with communities, neighborhood groups, schools, and other parties to increase public awareness.

New structural protection trailers with sprinklers, pumps and hose are being deployed to each region which will increase the number of homes and cabins that can be protected should the need arise. As soon as the snow was gone, a specialized thermal detection aircraft was used to scan for hotspots near communities from last year's fires.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that these preparations were very helpful as we faced an early start to the 2024 wildfire season. The early season scanning for hotspots found eight fires that burned through the winter, and crews were brought on early to address them. All but two of the fires were extinguished right away however extreme drought conditions and strong winds made it very difficult to contain two of the fires.

One of these fires posed a threat to Liard for a number of weeks but the hard work and commitment of our firefighters resulted in containing the fire in the end and avoiding the need for an evacuation, like what happened in nearby Fort Nelson.

Environment and Climate Change put fire restrictions in place in the Deh Cho and South Slave regions early in May based on the wildfire forecasts, current wildfire environment, and potential threat to communities. These restrictions are an important tool to help prevent human-caused fires and allow firefighters to focus on the fires they are dealing with and reduce the worry about new fires starting close to communities.

Mr. Speaker, I know there is a lot of interest in seeing the 2023 Wildfire Response Review. A final report is close to being released publicly, and it will include recommendations and suggestions for improvement. This report will also include a What We Heard report, which reflects the input of GNWT operational staff, local community and Indigenous governments, as well as members of the public who were involved in last year's fire response. The review covered all of the 2023 wildfire season but also included a deep dive on the wildfires that impacted Enterprise, Hay River, and K'atlodeeche First Nation, as well as the fires that threatened Behchoko and Yellowknife. I look forward to using this review to further enhance our wildfire management program, including during the 2024 season.

Looking ahead, I am also happy to announce that Environment and Climate Change has developed its own Wildfire Prevention and Resilience Strategy which will complement a new national wildfire prevention and mitigation strategy. The NWT's strategy will guide a number of targeted new activities to protect our communities, including establishing territorial and regional FireSmart committees, delivering cross-training for wildfire and structural firefighters, expanding the prescribed fire program to reduce risks at community and landscape levels, and supporting Indigenous-led cultural burning initiatives to return traditional fire to the landscape. The strategy will also include enhanced public education and communication efforts, increased wildfire emergency planning, and improved legislation through regulation development with the new Forest Act.

The current drought, warm temperatures and elevated fire risk are expected to continue throughout much of the summer, and everyone needs to do their part to prevent human-caused fires. We need to work together to help protect NWT residents, communities, critical infrastructure, and values. We ask that people only use fire on the land if needed for cooking or heat. If you need to make a fire, make sure it is as small as possible and ensure that you have the tools needed to contain it and put it out.

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to respond to another challenging wildfire season, I would like to thank all the people, communities, and organizations that have stepped up to do what they can to help prevent or mitigate the risk of wildfire. I also want to extend my heartfelt thank yous to our amazing fire crews and wildfire management teams who are working tirelessly to keep you all safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, this Legislative Assembly was clear in its desire to work together to build a strong economic foundation. Establishing a sustainable and truly strong foundation needs to be an all of territory effort, supporting the growth and evolution of all education and skill development sectors from early learning to post-secondary learning and trades economy to care economy. But Mr. Speaker, we know that our economic vision is bigger than just us. Like many jurisdictions across the country, attracting new skilled residents is part of building a strong economic foundation.

Earlier this year, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment engaged with the public, employers, and stakeholders on the Northwest Territories Immigration Strategy. This feedback highlighted immigration growth and trends that will help shape our next steps.

We heard that residents feel immigration is an important economic tool that has many benefits for the Northwest Territories. For example, immigration allows employers to hire qualified staff when there are labour shortages that can lead to consistency, retention and, ultimately, business growth.

The Northwest Territories Nominee Program is the immigration program delivered collaboratively by the GNWT and the Government of Canada that helps fill these labour shortages by attracting a skilled workforce while supporting foreign nationals with a pathway to becoming permanent residents of Canada through valuable work experience. This program also serves to empower eligible foreign nationals who want to invest in a business in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, for the first time ever, we are on track to potentially reach the NWT's federal allocation of 300 nominees this calendar year, exceeding previous annual numbers. Our target, Mr. Speaker, is to increase overall program usage and to hit our maximum allocation in the territory every year.

With immigration, we will continue to attract a skilled workforce and reap the additional benefits that come with immigration, including a vibrant and diversified population. This will help ensure our economy remains competitive with enhanced immigration being a key component to overall population growth and long-term economic development and prosperity.
This is great news, Mr. Speaker, but the engagements also highlighted areas where we can do better.

We want to continually improve accessibility and ease of use of the Northwest Territories Nominee Program. As part of our mandate, this government committed to making GNWT programs and services more accessible to NWT residents through person-centered approaches that prioritizes ease of access for residents over ease of administration. As Minister, I have given direction to both the departments I am responsible for to work together to consolidate immigration services as a single-service window through Education, Culture and Employment. By administering these programs under one roof, we will streamline services, consolidate our human resource capacity, and provide better supports to nominees and business owners alike.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that there is a need for expanded supports and resources to help newcomers settle and integrate into life in the Northwest Territories. This will require a collaborative effort between the Government of Canada, GNWT departments, community organizations, settlement service providers, and employers to ensure that comprehensive support networks are in place to ensure we are not only attracting new residents to the NWT but supporting them to plant roots that make the NWT home for a long time to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak to an environmental and community issue. The lack of plastic waste recycling and the influx of plastics in our landfills in the NWT.

Plastic is present in everything in our society, but the management of plastic waste remains a problem. Only 9 percent of the plastic waste that is created in our country is recycled. Plastics continue to be buried in landfills across the territory, including in Yellowknife, as reported this past April by the CBC. 60 tonnes of plastic waste was collected in the blue bins across the city, and they are now in the landfill as of 2023.

Mr. Speaker, the ideal situation would be for us to leave the land and water clean, free from plastic wastes and all contaminants as long as this land shall last. Plastic takes centuries to decompose, and plastic recycling infrastructure across the country is limited. As of 2018, countries like China, that used to take and process North American waste, refused to take any more plastic and so it piles higher here at home. But, Mr. Speaker, we do have levers to pull at our disposal in this Assembly. Extended producer responsibility is now a tool available to us as legislators in the the NWT under the New Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Act.

New regulations, legislation, and policies can help jurisdictions, including ours, to shift responsibility from governments to recycle plastics back to the manufacturers who create plastic waste in the first place. I would like to see clear direction from this Cabinet on how we can help lead the change in this country to push back the endless waves of plastic packaging from growing in our community landfills. I am keen to see what action this government will take on plastic waste, and how we will help support the Government of Canada's zero plastic waste agenda. I will have questions for the Minister of ECC at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the impacts on the residents for the cancellation of the 2024 barging season. As I spoke in the House previously, the business and residents of the Sahtu region are facing insurmountable challenges right now to get supplies delivered to the community.

Mr. Speaker, it is construction season. It's the time of year when roads, bridges, sheds, buildings, and other construction projects are advancing. It's a very short window but it's a critical season; businesses have projects, people are working, and money circulates throughout the community. When businesses do well, the residents benefit but, Mr. Speaker, when businesses suffer, residents suffer.

Mr. Speaker, right now, businesses in the Sahtu region are in a crisis situation. We are already seeing employees being laid off. We are on the slippery slope. Businesses are scrambling to bring in supplies at outrageous prices. They are struggling to stay open. Projects are being delayed or cancelled all together. Without swift intervention to support the business sector at this point in time, the local economy faces risk of collapse all together. On May the 23rd, 2024, without any preparation, the business community of the Sahtu was left on their own to arrange transportation of food, goods, and supplies needed for the construction season.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of the Sahtu region will inevitably bear the burden of air shipping costs. In fact, the residents in the Sahtu are already feeling this situation. Groceries are expected to increase five times in the coming weeks. In one case of diesel exhaust fuel, which normally sells for $75 a case, is now increased to $400 a case. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The business community is in dire need of support. I look to the Minister of ITI to find ways to support Sahtu businesses to keep the region from economic recession and to protect the residents from absorbing the financial shock. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I represent four small communities, and some of my communities are entirely Indigenous. The size of my communities range from 45 to 736 or 50 people. Mr. Speaker, we are small communities but so unique and so rich in culture and tradition.

Mr. Speaker, the communities in the Deh Cho region do not have a major economic driver. There are trees everywhere, and the forest industry is a natural sector to develop but the forest industry has not yet become a regional economic driver for my communities.

Mr. Speaker, we are on the road system. We have abundant natural resources. We can ship goods in and out of community then. We can bring tourists in. We can develop a local economy. But, Mr. Speaker, we need entrepreneurs. We need people to have a vision and take a risk.

We have a successful example of Dene Fur Clouds in Fort Providence. Through Prosper NWT, we have a locally owned and operated high quality fur garment retail store. These furs are sewn by local seamstresses and shipped all over the world.

Enterprise was the home to designer Darcy Moses. Mr. Moses is an outstanding artist that has combined traditional Dene art from high-end fashion. He is a leader in the art sector. He has sold to high-end brands and retailers internationally. However, due to wildfires last year, he lost his home and has now relocated to Wrigley and is working at restarting up his business.

Another business we have in our community is Cameron Sapp as CMMS Mechanical Services that started up, and Cameron is really getting going so I have to wish Cameron all the success as he navigates through stuff that businesses -- small businesses go through.

Our communities are uniquely and authentically Indigenous. This is a major asset in tourism. Our communities just as they are can provide tourism experiences that people across the world are looking for. We are remote northern Indigenous communities. Mr. Speaker, I'm seeking unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you. And thank you to my colleagues. Our communities just as they are can provide tourism experience that people across the world are looking for. We are remote northern Indigenous communities, and tourists want this authentic experience.

Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho may be a riding with small communities but we have large potential for economic growth. I will have questions for the Minister of ITI later today. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, frustration continues to grow among my constituents who are stuck in the process of finalizing their recreational land leases years after the department indicated their applications were moving ahead. I've been working with several constituents over the last six months -- the Minister knows who they are -- to figure out how to move forward and along the way to progress. And what I have seen so far has been incredibly disappointing.

When I last spoke on the floor, the Minister responsible, he assured me that this process was consistent and transparent, and he would work to improve communications with applicants. Since that time, my advocacy on this issue to ensure those commitments were followed through have only taken me in circles. The department has placed the final decision on the First Nation, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation in this case, but the First Nation officials there have directed me back to the department. This should come as no surprise. The department created this land lease process and began accepting applications, not the First Nation. They cannot shrug off the responsibility and claim that criticizing their application process means questioning Indigenous sovereignty. I know of Indigenous families who applied for these leases as well, and they have been told by the department that they don't trust them to respect the environment and wildlife on the sites they were looking to build cabins on.

Now, these are -- I'm seeing I'm going too fast, so I'll slow down. I'm passionate, Mr. Speaker. I'm very passionate.

Mr. Speaker, the department didn't flat out tell them that but that's how they feel. They feel that their concerns are not being heard. They feel like they're being made to run in circles, and I see no reason to disagree with them. The land lease application process is clearly not consistent and transparent when they are picking and choosing which applicants can build cabins and which applicants can't, and not giving them proper communication to those decisions for years at a time.

The department can't put the responsibility on Indigenous governments when it's their process and they are the ones denying, in some cases Indigenous rights, to people to build cabins on public land. If the department can't improve land leases consistently, they need to stop this process or else more applicants will be stuck in an indefinite loop without any progress. We've made exceptions before based on promises made by ADMs to people who own a lot of property in certain areas of unsettled claims, why can't we make the same adjustments for law-abiding citizens following the process? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my constituency meeting in Tsiigehtchic, Peter Ross, an elder from the community, stated that he seems to be forgotten by the government after elections are completed. He stated that once he votes for his MLA, he does not see them for another four years. I do not want to be that elected official. I want to be visible and work for the constituency of my riding. But I require the assistance of this government because you too have been elected as Ministers to sit on Cabinet by your peers.

Mr. Speaker, Peter Ross is a well-known elder throughout the region and the NWT and is very knowledgeable about the government process. Peter's primary concern is about the condition of his house now and for the foreseeable future. Mr. Ross is a homeowner, and his house is over 30 years old and needs some upgrades and repairs. But being on a fixed income restricts one from living a comfortable life let alone trying to finance his own upgrades and repairs.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Ross is speaking for all the elderly homeowners in Tsiigehtchic and the rest of the NWT. And I know there are elders within my riding who have similar concerns, but they do not know where to go for assistance. Why should our elderly population have to look for assistance? There should be a program in place where the government actually approaches them and offers this assistance. Imagine, if Peter Ross hears a knock on his door and when he answers the door, a government representative is standing there and offering to inspect his house for deficiencies. But in reality, this is very unlikely to happen.

Mr. Speaker, my friend Peter Ross calls me on occasion, sometimes to provide me with his concerns or just talk, and there are times he just calls to check in on my well-being, and I am very appreciative of this.

Mr. Speaker, I am aware that the local housing authorities conduct annual inspections on their public housing units throughout the NWT so that they can save money on any repairs that are needed before they become major ones. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. If the government can provide housing inspections for the elderly homeowners to find deficiencies and notify the elders that there is, indeed, something that requires their attention right away, they will save a lot of financial burdens in the future for the elders. Looking out for the benefit of our elders now will enable them to live a comfortable life knowing that someone really does care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2018, Yellowknife composer Carmen Braden had an idea for a music event in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, that celebrates music on the edges. The Longshadow Music Festival celebrates music that is wild, weird, and wonderful. Each event explores music made in the contemporary world yet with a connection to the music that has shaped our world in the past. Northern and Canadian music are the features of the festival.

Alongside special guests and featured concerts, the festival explores ideas about improvisation, composition, performance, and collaboration. Multi-genre at its core, there has been a mix of old, classical, contemporary classical, jazz, songwriter, improvised, electronic, sound scape, fiddle, and Indigenous music at the Longshadow festival.

The Longshadow Music Festival returns for the fourth time in 2024. This year's festival celebrates songs, songwriters, and string quartets. Feature performers include Cassandra Blondin-Bourke, Rob Elo, LJJ, Ryan McCord, the Garenau String Quartet, Kay Sibbeston, Kathryn Oraas, and Andrew Ball.

Mr. Speaker, this year's Longshadow festival kicked off last night at the Sundog Trading Post and continues this evening in this very building with a performance in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly. The Garneau String Quartet will be playing in the Great Hall at 7:30 p.m. And thanks to contributions from a number of MLAs, including myself, I am happy to note that the concert is free for anyone to attend.

The Garneau Quartet is the ensemble in residence at the MacEwan University Conservatory of Music in Edmonton. The quartet is comprised of members of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, so I expect this will be a world-class performance. I would also note that for classical diehards, there will be an open rehearsal in the Great Hall from 5:15 to 5:45. Bring your kids.

A third concert featuring a exciting group of performers will occur this Saturday night at the Top Knight, and there will be a workshop hosted by the Canadian New Music Network at Carmen Braden's studio on Sunday, June 9th. Details are available on the Longshadow website.

Mr. Speaker, thank you to Carmen Braden for her vision in bringing this exciting festival to fruition in our community. I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the performances this weekend. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Mr. Speaker, last year I brought forward the issue of issue of cultural sites and unmarked graves in the path of the Taltson Hydro Project. I spoke about how the community of Roche River was abandoned to provide a clear path for this hydro project, but it was never made clear how the territorial government would go about identifying cultural sites and burial sacred grounds that could be disturbed by this project.

Mr. Speaker, the burial sites in this location is 60 feet under water. There are cultural sites like all over the North, dating back into time immemorial, and we need to ensure that they are treated with respect. So analyzing what impacts infrastructure projects have on the environment and culture in any region of the North is extremely important if you want to move on from the history of colonialism and systemic racism.

When I spoke on this last year, I was given a clear commitment from the territorial government that they would respect the Indigenous communities around Taltson Hydro Project but since then, I have not heard no updates, neither have the Akaitcho or Metis governments, as this project moves ahead. My constituents and the Indigenous natives of the riding are once again seeking clarity before it's too late. We need to progress on this issue so history and culture and land is respected.

The territorial government needs to show Canada that here in the North we do development differently, in partnership with Indigenous governments and with the upmost respect for the history of the land and its people. I look forward to asking the Minister for clarity on this project today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak about an issue that has been years in the making, and it's still happening now. So Mr. Speaker, the issue I am referring to is the final settlement agreement related to compensation for those harmed by discriminatory underfunding of First Nations child and family services.

On January 4th, 2022, the government announced that an agreement-in-principle in the sum of $20 billion in compensation for First Nations children would be provided to children who were removed from their homes between April 1st, 1991, and March 31st, 2022, as well as for their parents and caregivers. The agreement also includes compensation for those impacted by the federal government's narrow definition of Jordan's Principle, as well as for children who did not receive or were delayed receiving an essential public service or product.

Mr. Speaker, the parties to this case, which includes the Assembly of First Nations and other plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit, reached a final settlement agreement on compensation in April 2023. However, the issue at hand here, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that the NWT and Nunavut were excluded from this compensation agreement. The federal government says the reason for this is because funding for child and family services in the NWT and Nunavut is provided by the federal Department of Finance through transfer payments with both territorial governments, which make up part of our annual budget, therefore both NWT and Nunavut governments decide how and where to spend those funds within the general revenue. But Yukon was eligible, so this makes no sense as we have the same status.

Well, Mr. Speaker, the problem with this situation lies with the fact that the NWT was excluded from this agreement entirely. In my view, it does not, whether it is the GNWT or the federal government who used public funds to carry out the child welfare system over the last 30 plus years. Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, the fact remains that Indigenous children within the NWT also endured pain, trauma, and hardship within the child welfare system alongside other children in other provinces and territories in this country. The parents, the grandparents, also endured this pain as well. So there is no good reason why the NWT is excluded from that final settlement. I will have questions for the Premier. Thank you.