Please be seated. Colleagues, before we get going, I'd like to welcome the students from NJ McPherson, the grade 5 glass. So we're going to be on our best behaviour, right, colleagues, for our amazing students. So welcome to our Assembly.

Ministers' statements. Minister for ECC.

Mr. Speaker, the territory's 2025 wildfire season was a challenging one. With 201 wildfires and nearly 1.4 million hectares burned, this was one of the most active wildfire seasons in Northwest Territories' history.

I want to acknowledge the tireless dedication, personal sacrifice, and incredible teamwork of our staff. Wildfire crews showed up day after day to protect our territory. These efforts deserve the recognition and appreciation of this House. Fire seasons in the NWT used to last 8 to 10 weeks each summer. But with climate change in recent years, we have seen crews and fire personnel actively responding to fires for five straight months, from May until October.

Mr. Speaker, this season marked the fourth in a row with prolonged drought conditions, creating extreme fire behaviour, causing some fires to burn nearly a meter underground. Our air crews, ground personnel, and support teams held, brought under control, or put out more than 100 fires this year. And most importantly, no one was hurt, and no homes were lost in our communities thanks to the hard work of wildfire responders. Carefully planned ignition operations in communities like Gameti, Whati, and Fort Providence successfully stopped wildfire spread.

Mr. Speaker, after the 2023 wildfire season, the government made changes to improve how we fight fires based on the recommendations from operational review. In response to that review, we began using new fire behaviour tools to provide timely, accurate forecasts and to support safer, more effective wildfire operations across the territory. We are continuing to send more staff to complete advanced fire behaviour training, which will strengthen our forecasting and modeling capacity to meet the challenges ahead.

Mr. Speaker, building Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI preparedness, was also a key theme in last year's review, and this year, we saw those investments pay off. We launched new basic WUI response training for smaller fire departments to increase capacity with sprinkler setup and structure triage. We also developed interim deployment guidelines for municipal fire departments supporting wildfire events.

In Whati and Fort Providence, local fire departments put this training into action working side-by-side with wildfire professionals to successfully defend their communities.

And the communities of Fort Smith, Hay River, and Fort Simpson used resources to support wildfire response, applying lessons learned from past wildfire experiences, and through GNWT training to help residents in neighboring communities.

Structure protection trailers supported efforts in Wrigley, Fort Liard, Jean Marie River, and areas along the Liard Highway. Two new trailers added this year have the capacity to protect nearly 200 homes and buildings across the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, these improvements will be the foundation of a more resilient wildfire program in the years ahead. This 2025 season was shorter and less severe than 2023, but it was not without hardship. As the Premier has said, residents came together to support one another through these challenges.

Mr. Speaker, this has been a difficult wildfire year across the country. While the severity of next year's season is uncertain, the GNWT remains focused on investing in readiness and resilience to help ensure our communities are safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, the 2025 emergency season once again tested the strength and resilience of our territory. It showed the courage and dedication of those who step forward in times of crisis to protect residents and communities. It also reinforced that the changes and improvements we have made since 2023 are making a real difference in how we respond and recover.

I want to begin by recognizing and thanking everyone who worked on the frontlines over this past emergency season. Our wildfire crews, community firefighters and first responders, often put themselves in situations where there was great risk, working to contain and suppress fires threatening communities. Their skill and determination helped keep people safe, slowed advancing wildfires, and gave residents time to evacuate safely.

This year, again, several communities faced significant challenges. Jean Marie River faced multiple evacuation alerts and residents in Whati and Fort Providence had to leave their homes in order to ensure their safety. The task of hosting evacuated communities is a complex responsibility. Hay River, Behchoko, and Yellowknife stepped up to host and care for evacuees. In collaboration of leadership, including Indigenous and community governments, non-government organizations, volunteers and local businesses in supporting evacuees was impressive and inspiring.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the United Way and Salvation Army and all the local emergency management organizations, their staff, and volunteers, for once again stepping up to help. These organizations are instrumental in assuring where urgent responses are needed. I also thank all the residents who demonstrate compassion and resilience in helping the evacuees during this challenging time. You are the example of what we mean when we say better together.

Mr. Speaker, since the 2023 Emergency Response After-Action Review, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made measurable progress. The after-action review process provided clear direction on how to improve coordination, strengthen communication, and better support communities before, during, and after emergencies.

Of the 35 recommendations, only one was disagreed with. The Government of the Northwest Territories has established an integrated emergency management system that is both flexible and responsive. This system now includes improved guidance and accountability, regional emergency coordinators, and strengthened capacity and strategic support.

These recommendations have many actions already underway. We have implemented new processes for information sharing between departments and communities, enhanced training for staff and partners, clarifying roles and responsibilities for all levels of government and agencies, committed to the review of the Emergency Management Act in partnership with Indigenous and community governments, increased our surge capacity to support large-scale response. The GNWT has also expanded use of the Incident Command System to ensure consistent coordination across all levels of government.

While the Government of the Northwest Territories will not create a standalone emergency management agency, we will commit to enhancing our training, protocols, and governance structures. A standalone agency is not feasible for the NWT given the NWT's small population, limited fiscal and human resources, and the infrequency of large-scale emergencies requiring sustained territorial-level response. A separate agency would be costly, duplicative, and difficult to staff.

Looking ahead, we know that emergencies will continue to challenge our territory. Climate change is making wildfire seasons longer and more intense, and we must be ready. Of the lessons this government has learned, perhaps one of the most important is this: To respond effectively and efficiently to the unique needs of all our communities, big or small, emergency response in the North cannot be a one size fits all. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to create opportunities for engagement and collaboration with local leadership who know their communities best.

Our focus remains on building stronger partnerships, improving communication, and ensuring that residents feel supported and confident when emergencies occur. A key part of this work is supporting community governments in developing and testing their community emergency plans. The work continues to strengthen community preparedness through workshops and tabletop exercises so that everyone is ready for emergencies when crises arise.

The Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to invest in surge capacity training, including Incident Command System training, to ensure a robust foundation of support. In addition, we continue to work with partners through exercises like Operation Nanook, which allows us to test our systems in real-world scenario and improve coordination across all levels of government. By taking these steps, we are building an emergency management system that is stronger, more inclusive, and better prepared for the challenges ahead.

Mr. Speaker, the people of the Northwest Territories have once again shown their resilience, resourcefulness, and caring. Since 2021, we have faced five consecutive years of major emergency events, three of which resulted in disasters that affected thousands of residents and businesses and caused significant damage to communities. The progress we have made through the Be Ready campaign in planning and preparedness is paying off.

We have come a long way to strengthen our emergency management system. We see collectively involved across all phases planning, preparedness, and response. There have been improvements on how wildfires are fought, and we support those with enhanced approaches with the wildland urban interface structure protection firefighting.

While we know that there is always more to learn, it is important to recognize how far we have come. The lessons of the past five years strengthen our collective knowledge, and we continue to improve how we will respond in emergencies. The GNWT will continue to stand with communities before, during, and after emergencies, ensuring we are building on what we have learned to be even stronger in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Ministers' statements. Minister for Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring residents across the Northwest Territories continue to have access to health care that is safe, reliable and equitable is a top priority for me, and for this government, and for the Northwest Territories health and social services system. Today, I am pleased to share an update about the work we are doing within that system to improve care in small community health centres and health cabins.

Just like every jurisdiction in Canada, our healthcare system is strained by staffing shortages. As a country, we simply are not graduating enough doctors, nurses, and allied professionals to meet the demand. This has contributed to the most competitive recruitment environment we have ever seen in the Northwest Territories. That pressure is compounded by the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff to work in the many small and remote communities across our territory.

The department is working closely with the health and social services authority to lessen the impact of ongoing staffing shortages, make service delivery more efficient, and protect equitable access to care across the territory while we recruit to fill vacancies. Our work is focused on making care in small communities more sustainable, adopting smarter practices and new technologies to improve efficiency and getting results, getting the right mix of health professionals in our health centres and health cabins, and above all ensuring every resident has equitable access to care, no matter where they live.

This work focuses on finding more sustainable ways to deliver healthcare service in small communities, identifying methods, practices, or technologies that make those services more efficient and effective, balancing the right mix of healthcare professionals in health centres and health cabins, and ensuring that everyone has equitable access to care regardless of where they live.

To support this work, we have established a working group with members from all three health and social services authorities. To date, this group has reviewed and assessed the current state of the system, performed a gap analysis to identify areas needing improvement, gathered input from frontline staff to explore new approaches and evaluate promising practices, and conducted a jurisdictional scan that included targeted engagement with similar jurisdictions and with Indigenous Services Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this work resulted in five recommendations, each intended to support and strengthen the existing community health nurse-led model of care rather than replace it by making better, more integrated use of other care providers and building a more consistent and resilient delivery system of care.

The first two recommendations focus on how licensed practical nurses and paramedics can become a part of the care model in small communities. This review will include a comprehensive examination of how they are currently used, funded, trained and supported within the system.

The third recommendation involves identifying programs and services that licensed practical nurses and paramedics can immediately support and whether additional training can safely expand their roles and enhance service delivery.

Fourth, the Department of Health and Social Services is creating new standards to oversee the administrative functions of health centres and health cabins. This will ensure compliance with legislative requirements and support consistent care across communities while including ways to monitor and track progress.

The final recommendation is to continue to recruit and, importantly, to retain community health nurses by identifying, implementing, and supporting fatigue-reduction strategies.

Mr. Speaker, the department and the three health authorities have developed a work plan to act on these recommendations. Improving the model of care takes time and requires careful planning. It is essential that any solution we provide are flexible, adaptable and, above all, sustainable. While this work is not formally a part of primary health care reform, it is closely aligned. Together, these initiatives will improve access to health care across the Northwest Territories ensuring Northerners receive consistent high-quality health and social services.

Mr. Speaker, before I conclude, I want to take a moment to sincerely acknowledge and thank our dedicated frontline staff. Their commitment, resilience, and compassion are the foundation of our health and social services system. Every day, they rise to the challenge, often in difficult and demanding circumstances, to provide essential care to residents across the Northwest Territories. This work is not only about improving the system; it's about supporting the people who make it work. By strengthening the model of care, we are also ensuring that our frontline teams have the tools, resources, and support they need to continue delivering high-quality care to every community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Members' statements. Member from Monfwi.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past summer, our communities faced another period of unprecedented threat from wildfires resulting in multiple evacuation that disrupted lives, strained resources, and highlighted the vulnerabilities in the GNWT wildfires management.

In a span of three days this past summer, the communities of Whati and Fort Providence were forced to evacuate due to rapidly advancing wildfires. The fire was burning out of control in Gameti as well. It came close to their golf course. These evacuations are not isolated, Mr. Speaker. They are part of a growing, growing pattern of climate-driven emergencies that demand a shift from reactive to proactive wildfire strategies.

Since the mass evacuation of the 2023 wildfire season, I have heard countless times from many frustrated residents, former NWT MLA and MP have said it as well, that when the federal government oversaw the forest fire program, they would extinguish the fire at the outset. Now that the territory government is in charge, they let the land burn, to let the fire burn itself out, and that action is only taken when a fire is near a community as we have seen this past summer.

Mr. Speaker, hearing this repeatedly tells me that the GNWT wildfire management program is failing. Climate change and its effect can no longer be ignored by government policy. Wildfires, regardless of their proximity to communities, must be fought at the earliest possible stage when they are small and manageable.

I want to take this time to thank and support the Whati and Fort Providence evacuees. Thank you for your generosity and kindness. I also want to thank our firefighters and community government workers for the work that they do in keeping our people and communities safe. They are to be commended.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before in my comments, my frustration is not directed at them --

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

(audio)

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Member for Monfwi is asking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Seeing none, Member from Monfwi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have said, they are to be commended, the workers.

Mr. Speaker, my frustration and comments were not directed at them. It was towards the GNWT government policy that needs to change before a community is destroyed as we have seen in fire 2023, and people's lives are put in jeopardy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week, we continue our call for a red alert on the economy and for the -- primarily focused on the revitalization of our mining industry, starting with modernized regulations, expanded incentive programs, and an independent review of this sector's decline to drive the exploration needed to reignite the NWT economy. However, a world-class mining sector needs more than just incentives and policy changes; it also needs robust infrastructure.

Recently, newly proposed projects are emerging to better connect the North with global markets. Chief among these is the proposed Arctic Security and Economic Corridor, a transformed initiative to link the mineral riches of the Slave Geological Province to a deepwater port in Nunavut positioned along the historic Northwest Passage. This project would be a game changer for both territories, Mr. Speaker, and also for Canada, but at the other end of that corridor is at the one end is Nunavut port, at the other end is our airport here in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, which is a huge strategic resource for the territory. However, the task of scaling up YZF must move forward regardless of the proposed corridor. For an airport its size, YZF experiences an exceptional level of traffic, not only in support of mining operations but also of our expanding tourism sector and essential transportation services to communities across the North.

Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife is a destination city, and that airport is the gateway not only to Yellowknife but to the whole Northwest Territories.

Furthermore, as part of our commitment to NATO spending targets, airports are now recognized as strategic infrastructure central to our defence posture, opening the door for major investments in YZF from both NORAD and the Department of National Defence. When you consider the expansion of our armed forces, growing our mining industry, increasing our tourism and expanding our tourism product, and adding to the transportation needs across northern communities, the case for major investment in YZF becomes clear as does its inclusion as a major project in our strategic priorities, well equal to Taltson, MVH, and ASEC.

Nunavut has its strategic port at Grace Bay, and we have ours at Yellowknife Airport. If this expansion of YZF isn't treated as a strategic priority on its own right, then it must be integrated into a comprehensive plan for the Arctic Security and Economic Corridor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Similar to my colleague, I want to speak about the economy. The Arctic economic security corridor is a red alert, and it needs to be heard loud and clear. I doubt it would have even made the second-tier list of major projects if it wasn't for the West Kitikmeot Resources Group, Mr. Speaker. And I'm very thankful for their work. Currently, it's on the maybe list, but that's pretty good, Mr. Speaker; better than the not list. But if you look closely, it's being sold as a north-to-south list by the West Kitikmeot group.

The Arctic security corridor is sold as an all-weather road land and port-to-port-to-port, Mr. Speaker, infrastructure. It's going north-to-south, not south-to-north, Mr. Speaker. I would remind this would-have, should-have, could-have government that we need to seize the day now before the economy ceases to operate, Mr. Speaker. If this isn't a red alert, I don't know what is, Mr. Speaker. I'm hopeful, but I do worry that the hubris of what's happening now is just to assume that the government is just going to step in and solve our problems without bold action taken by us. So you can hire all the envoys of the world, we need collective action. And that includes Regular Members, Mr. Speaker; I'm sorry to remind the Premier. But as I look forward, Mr. Speaker, the overconfidence so far that has been fueling the 706 days of this current government, I'm not sure there's enough in the tank to fuel it the next 714 days.

Mr. Speaker, there are some dark days ahead if we don't see some action. Mr. Speaker, again, this major project is important to the economy of the Northwest Territories. I could speak at lengths to the benefits it can create, but we've all heard of them repeatedly. But more importantly I should not forget the sovereignty. You know, the call to invest in NATO funding is so critical. Why are we falling asleep on this opportunity? Call to action: Mr. Premier, step up with some bold vision. Work with the Tlicho and the YKDFN to bring together an organization group that can build in partnership, Indigenous partnership, territorial partnership, and federal partnership, to have our road go from south to North, Mr. Speaker. Again, bold action.

Mr. Speaker, let us understand this: Hope will not feed the bellies of the North, Mr. Speaker. We need determination from this Premier. Ring that fire bell of red alert, Mr. Speaker, because if he doesn't ring it, there will be no economy to save, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, our primary healthcare system has the potential to get better over time. We have access to newer technologies, including around virtual care, more programs than ever to recruit and train local practitioners, and a team working to improve Indigenous patient experiences. So how is it possible that people's access to primary care in so many of our communities has gotten worse over the past five years?

I am tired of the explanation that health care across Canada is struggling and that we're somehow powerless to stop this decline. Not long ago, if you called for a primary care appointment in Yellowknife, you had a chance of someone answering the phone. You had a chance of getting an appointment rather than being told the schedule is full and to call back in two weeks when the next round of locums' schedules opened up. You didn't have to line up outside at 7 a.m. in the cold with your crutches or your sick children competing with all the other sick people as if you were in some kind of reality TV survival show.

Remember in 2019 when expanded same-day access was launched, and you could go to a walk-in clinic during mornings and evenings? What happened to that? If you go to the Stanton emergency room now, you used to be able to get lab results while you were there. Now, lab samples are being sent down to Alberta, creating the need to book a follow-up primary care visit, which is nearly impossible in a system with a three-month waiting list and no ability for patients to check their own lab results online.

If you live in a small community, you at least have a better chance of someone answering the health centre phone, but community health nurses struggle with little support. Five years ago, there were pilot projects in Behchoko and Fort Good Hope building on successes in the Beaufort Delta where the community health nurses had a designated physician on call to support them seven days a week so they could get advice before someone's health problem got worse and became an emergency. These pilot projects received little support and lost traction.

Despite available technologies, most community health nurses still don't have videoconference ability when they're receiving real-time support from emergency physicians, so they're apparently expected to be holding a phone under their arm or something while treating someone in an emergency. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent for the last sentence of my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, we have done better, and we so obviously can do better in giving people across this territory the most basic access to care in all our communities. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak today on serious concerns about the timing of the evacuation of Fort Providence during the recent recent wildfire threat this past summer.

On August 31st, Fort Providence announced an evacuation order with a wildfire less than 2 kilometres north of the community - 900 metres to be precise. This evacuation order came far too late when the fire was already dangerously close to the community. This delay put residents at risk and created unnecessary panic and hardship.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Environment and Climate Change is responsible for wildfire detection, assessment, and operational response. It is the department that monitors fire behaviour, models risks, and advises on evacuation timing. In the case of Fort Providence, the warning signs were there yet the response lagged. This begs the question why did it take so long for the evacuation to occur?

Wildfires are becoming more aggressive and unpredictable. Climate change is accelerating these threats, and our communities are increasingly vulnerable. We need a broader safety margin, one that accounts for the speed and volatility of modern wildfires and the logistical realities of evacuating remote communities.

Mr. Speaker, I am calling on the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to review wildfire response protocols. We need earlier action, clearer communication, and stronger safeguards. Better communication both internally and within the GNWT and with community governments is a critical step towards ensuring that communities like Fort Providence are not left scrambling when danger is already at their doorstep. Our residents deserve better. They deserve a system that prioritizes safety and acts decisively. We need to learn from this experience and ensure that future wildfire responses are timely, proactive, and rooted in the realities of climate change. I am going to ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, colleagues. And I, too, would like to thank the community of Hay River for hosting the evacuees from Fort Providence, the K'atlodeeche First Nations for help assisting take care of the elders, and all the firefighters that came from far and from in the territory during this wildfire season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On May 30th of this year, NTHSSA released a report that has yet to be discussed in this House. Today I want to talk about this report entitled Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples. It is the product of two years of collaborative work of the Cultural Safety Design Collective with representation from NTHSSA, Indigenous patient advocates, Hay River HSSA, Tlicho Community Services Agency, and HSS.

The scope started with a review of Stanton's Indigenous wellness program but while listening to the lived experience of Indigenous folks, this scope grew to receive insights across the entire NWT health system. This report sets out 13 crucial actions for change to improve health care outcomes for Indigenous residents. It shares the voices and experiences of Indigenous patients and advocates and lays bare the system supports for Indigenous patients are under-resourced at best and, at worst, that the system is blatantly racist.

I want to commend everyone who worked on this report, and I urge all residents to read it. It is the first government report I have ever read that not only calls the lack of adequate educational and training supports for Indigenous patient liaison staff preposterous, it is also brave and unflinching in how it describes racism and white supremacy baked into the health system and insists that government must expedite work on the actions for change, citing the responsibility of leadership to address long-standing systemic harms.

An excerpt from the NTHSSA news release from May reads, quote, by embracing the 13 actions for change, health and social service authorities and the Department of Health and Social Services can honour the voices of Indigenous residents across the Northwest Territories and can address systemic barriers to provide equitable care, end quote.

So far, there is no public information as to whether HSS and various health authorities are actually implementing these actions or studying them to start to think about what implementation will look like. It is imperative that this government fully implement the 13 actions for change. I will have questions for the Minister of health at the appropriate time.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from the Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to NWT bureau of statistics, the employment rate in the NWT dropped from 66.3 percent in August to 65.2 percent in September. Based on a labour force activity report released on August 8th, 2025, the annual rate of employment in the NWT dropped 2.6 percent since July 2024.

Mr. Speaker, on the other hand Stats NWT states that the total cases of income support rose from 1,005 in May of 2025 to 1,097 in June, a difference of 92 more cases in one month. With this recent drop in employment, I can only assume that the rate of income support will rise.

Mr. Speaker, this is concerning to me because, as we all know in smaller communities, income support is often abused. Without proper criteria and productivity planned, it is easy for members of the community to get access to these funds and avoid working. This is often what keep bootleggers and drug dealers in business and contributes to the housing crisis.

Mr. Speaker, there needs to be more done about this process of income support because it teaches our community members that this money is free, and they don't have to work. It is a human right to have our basic needs met but there needs to be a standard set for people who are able to find work instead of depending on these funds to make a living. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this summer a constituent reached out to my office, and their story left a lasting impression on me. Their child, like one in five Canadians, has dyslexia, which creates challenges in learning to read. The child was not diagnosed until grade 5 however, when their family took the initiative to get them assessed in the private sector. This family was lucky enough to have insurance through their employer which covered the assessment, but this is not the case for all NWT kids. The assessment report was forwarded to the school who developed the learning plan, which is a good step. But, Mr. Speaker, this disability should have been detected sooner, and I am concerned about how many kids in the territory with learning impediments like dyslexia are going undiagnosed.

Literacy is foundational to learning, Mr. Speaker, but we have very little data on our progress on literacy in the NWT. The last time a comprehensive study of adult literacy was done was over 20 years ago in 2003. These data indicated that at the time, roughly 43 percent of working NWT adults performed at literacy levels 1 and 2, which are considered below the level needed to function in modern society. The NWT has not taken part in more recent global literacy surveys, such as the OECD 2024 program for the international assessment of adult competencies. Meanwhile, our last territorial literacy strategy covered the period 2008 to 2018 and, to my knowledge, it has been not renewed or updated since.

Other jurisdictions are well ahead of the territory on this issue, Mr. Speaker. In Alberta, in 2022, literacy and numeracy screening assessments became mandatory for students in grade 1 to 3, ensuring that students are receiving essential foundational learning in the critical early years of their education. BC and Saskatchewan are also rolling out mandatory early screening intervention and outreach in their provinces' schools. Mr. Speaker, the Yukon presented their renewed literacy strategy in 2023. It is the result of working group recommendations for culturally responsive teaching methods based on the latest research, and it includes early screening done in the territory's schools.

Making sure our children are given every opportunity to develop their literacy skills shouldn't be an afterthought, Mr. Speaker. We need to make sure early literacy screening and assessments are done in our schools and that schools are equipped with trained staff and proven instructional methods to ensure our students are not falling behind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake.

Colleagues, I'd like to recognize newly elected grand chief for the Tlicho, former Member of the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th Assembly. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Jackson Lafferty in the 18th and 19th. So welcome to our Assembly.

Member's statements.

Colleagues, on March 16th, 2025, Reginald Bellefontaine, also known as Reg, passed away in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Reg was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend, known for his boundless generosity and his knack for turning life into an adventure. A master of laughter and magic, Reg had an extraordinary ability to bring joy to those around him, whether through his memorable treasure hunts for his children and grandchildren, his quick wit, or the countless projects he took on.

Reg moved to Fort Simpson in 1996 with his wife Lois who was a nurse at the Fort Simpson Health Centre for many years. Reg was a businessman and started Rightway Coatings and Energy Efficient Technologies Incorporated. Later when he retired, he had a vision to open a bed and breakfast. Lois and Reg spent a few years renovating their home, which used to be the old RCMP barracks, and turned it into the Mackenzie Rest Inn. The Inn overlooks the Mackenzie River where guests could sit and watch planes take off like the red DeHavilland Beaver that his son Troy Rennie used to fly for Simpson Air. They hosted guests from all around the world and even some notable Canadians like former Prime Minister Paul Martin and singer John Landry. Reg also loved animals and established a dog pound to ensure stray and unwanted dogs could be cared for and transferred to no-kill shelters in Yellowknife and cities in Alberta rather than being destroyed in the community.

When Reg first moved to Fort Simpson, he was involved with the Lions Club and helped run community dances. This is where I got to meet him, through his volunteerism. He did magic shows for children at community events and was even asked to be Santa at the Northern store a few times.

As an unofficial greeter and ambassador, Reg could be found at the Pandaville or Nahanni Inn welcoming visitors to the community. He would often delight them with a magic trick or a joke. He had the ability to tell stories and keep people captivated.

Reg returned home to Nova Scotia to build a home on the site of his parents' homestead. He dedicated a lot of his time to landscaping the property, building a foundation in the front yard, and developing a pond. He was sad the day his health prevented him from ever being able to return to the NWT. He was a proud Acadian who became a true Northerner.

Above all, Reg's greatest love was his family. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Lois; his sons Troy, Kris, and Josh, and his stepson Troy Rennie. He cherished his time with his family and grandchildren, creating memories that will live on for generations. His legacy of kindness, adventures, and unwavering devotion will forever be held in the hearts of his family and friends. He will be sadly missed.

Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like many in here, I've spent countless hours in recreation facilities in our territory, either as a coach or a volunteer or an enthusiastic fan, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in 1969, the Arctic Winter Games were created in part by leadership from Commissioner Stewart Hodgson. At the time athletes be able to participate that may not otherwise have that opportunity, Mr. Speaker. I was saddened to hear that snowshoeing will not be an Arctic Winter Games sport.

Mr. Speaker, Arctic Winter Games represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for kids from the regions, from smaller communities, and certainly from our capital in Yellowknife. So, Mr. Speaker, is it time that we kind of ask ourselves is the Arctic Winter Games about medals, or is it about participation, Mr. Speaker? Is it about getting everyone involved in the Arctic Winter Games?

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the physical activity support and recreation fund has had some challenges. Our lottery funds have been reducing. We haven't put any additional funding into it through GNWT. We have had conversations around here. My colleague, the Member for Yellowknife Range Lake, Mr. Speaker, has brought forward a proposal for iGaming where we can actually look at increasing that fund and get that funding necessary to continue to grow that sport and to make the sport available that opens up doors for kids rather than have sports based on where facilities are located, Mr. Speaker, and I think that's very important.

So, Mr. Speaker, going forward, I would hope, and I will be supporting certainly the Minister -- and I know the Minister is keen on this, the Minister of MACA -- of what's happening around Arctic Winter Games. I am hoping to see, Mr. Speaker, regardless of what we have in our lottery fund, going forward with this year's budget that we do properly allocate this funding. Given what's happening in our territory right now, Mr. Speaker, with addictions and with all the bad things that our youth can get involved in, it's so important that we continue to support sport, to continue to provide opportunities for people in our capital, for people in our regions, and certainly for people in our smaller communities that may not have those opportunities, Mr. Speaker. We can hold trials in the regions. We can get outside of Yellowknife as well and ensure that everybody, the intent, the spirit of Arctic Winter Games, remains intact and what it should be, that kids get an opportunity to do things, a once in a lifetime opportunity, Mr. Speaker, for these children, to get out, to see parts of the country they haven't seen before, participate, to share their culture and their values, and, Mr. Speaker, I will be advocating, as I said, for funding for Arctic Winter Games as we move forward and for Sport North. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also wanted to recognize former Member and former Speaker who I worked with as deputy Speaker and current grand chief of the Tlicho government, Mr. Jackson Lafferty. Great partner to the GNWT and has been great to work with him to help advance some of these projects that the territory desperately needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize my supervisor, constituency assistant from Hay River South, Myrtle Graham, who is in the gallery today. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Hay River South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just had a meeting with a very passionate 10-year-old student advocate, Ms. Sadie Begg, who is in the gallery today, from Ecole St. Joseph School. I just wanted to thank her for her time and her passion.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to join the Premier in welcoming Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty here to the chamber. I had the honour of serving with him in the 18th Legislative Assembly, and I consider him a very good friend. So thanks for being here today, Grand Chief.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Monfwi.

Mr. Speaker, [Translation] *insert [Translation Ends]. Masi for being here.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

I'd like to recognize my favourite pilot, who seems to be my pilot that every time I get to fly to Yellowknife, Mr. Oweden, and I guess better half or less-better half, of the Member from Kam Lake. So welcome to our Assembly.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chambers. As I've said numerous times, we like to thank you very much for allowing us, the 19 of us, to represent the people of the Northwest Territories for four years. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It is always nice to have people in the gallery.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a great pleasure to ask the first question. I'll be asking the health Minister today some questions about the lab clinic that's downtown.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain why there's such lengthy line-up there in the walk-up portion of the clinic every single day wherein in the old days there wasn't that type of backlog. What has significantly changed that things either get deferred, delayed, or denied completely? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the exact details of the overall wait times or anything. But what I do know is that the amount of staff that's allocated through our budgeting process is full, and they have been increasing the amount -- like, the amounts of referrals for blood work have been increasing and therefore there is work to be looking on -- you know, I mean, through our business process on this area as a prioritized area for access to care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the staff are unable to meet the demand, what's the solution? Is it to hire more staff, or is it to send samples of the lab techs, what they take, to Edmonton? Can the Minister reveal the solution to this particular problem; because I've got them. I want to hear what the Minister's doing about it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the solution is that the demand is higher, so we are working through the business process that would look at the right amount of staff for the right amount of tests that we have to decrease the amount of tests that we have to send out. We need more lab technicians. We need more lab, you know, assistants. We need different hours. So what has happened -- and just to be more clear -- is the service providing downtown clinic is the same staffing that has always been the allocation for the Stanton lab. So now they're just kind of spread out in two different locations, which is not working. And so I will say that this area is what we've been kind of working on so that hopefully that, you know, in the new year we'll be able to have a better solution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, the next comment is no reflection of the staff, but it seems like the staff are unable to keep up with the pace and the demand that's there, which is sometimes reality, Mr. Speaker. And the constituents -- last point I'll make -- is they show up there, unlike the DMV they can't take a ticket, some of them can't stand because they're elderly, they're waiting for 35 people for 32 spots. It's quite a depressing experience, Mr. Speaker. So in short, Mr. Speaker, if Stanton has an addiction to deficits, as we all know -- and I have a lot of experience around this -- why doesn't the Minister take some bold action to go out of her way and say, we're hiring new staff for these clinics and we're going to make this service equal, fair, and accessible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has said, that the health authority has a history of doing that process but not being able to do it in a way where we need to ensure that it's done in the proper process, and that is what we are doing right now. We are ensuring that the proper process is being followed and that we are going to look at the correct amount of staff to staff -- to look at what the staffing needs is for the Stanton Territorial Hospital to support. As the Stanton Territorial Hospital supports the rest of the territory, we need to make sure that when we do go forward, it's going to be the one size that's going to target everybody right across the territory. We're going to be able to run those tests that we need. We're going to be able to service the emergency departments. We're going to be able to open up those clinics so that, you know, that the appointments are being -- there is enough staff to do them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has three major projects that it's identified as priorities: The Taltson hydroelectric expansion and submarine line, the Arctic Security and Economic Corridor, and the Mackenzie Valley Highway. We know the Mackenzie Valley Highway is well advanced. But all these projects are very important to the future of our economy. Today I want to ask the Premier if he views the Yellowknife Airport as a strategic asset worthy of that list. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I understand the question to be is it my opinion that the Yellowknife Airport, as a project, is of the same, I guess, importance as the Mackenzie Valley Highway or the Slave Geological Province or the Taltson Hydro Expansion? So I'd have to say that, you know, the airport's very important obviously. I'm in there -- Mr. Speaker, you're in there quite often. It gets used by people around the territory. No doubt that it is a very important asset. If you're looking at the Mackenzie Valley Highway, that's a multi-billion dollar asset that will be constructed over a number of years. If you look at the Slave Geological Province, it's a multi-billion dollar road that would unlock untold mineral potential. And we look at the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and that is actually really a key part of that economic corridor. So the Yellowknife Airport, it's doing its job right now. Could it be expanded to do a better job? Absolutely. But the other projects are nation building. They are of a different scale all together. And so while every piece of that Arctic corridor, whether it's the highway coming into the territory, the rail line up to the support in Hay River, or the Yellowknife Airport, they're all important pieces. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reason I brought it up is the theme of the corridor is one of corridors, not any one project as the Premier alluded to, but also the defence aspects of it. We have DND and NORAD funding that's waiting to be unlocked. So will the Premier join the calls from Yellowknife's city hall to the Yellowknife chamber and encourage the investment in the Yellowknife Airport as part, wrap it in, the Arctic Security and Economic Corridor because it fits in with the mandate and it's a vital asset that's not -- that's currently underutilized, and we're sitting on potentially tonnes of potential to invest in this asset. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we're trying to keep things simple. When we're talking about going to the feds to look for funding to build a road, that's what we're looking for. The larger idea of the corridor, which involves different modes of transportation, different pieces of infrastructure, it's something that we're also live to and we do have discussions with the federal government about it. Myself and the deputy Premier met with the Minister of National Defence, and we discussed a number of different pieces of infrastructure in the territory and different needs we have, including the Yellowknife Airport. I know the Minister has spoken with the finance. The deputy Premier's spoken with the federal finance Minister about this. We have multiple departments engaged in this. So this is not something that is being ignored. But that said, when we want -- when we're looking for funding to build a certain project, we try to keep things to that project. So we don't want to confuse anyone. We want to be clear about what we're asking for. But there's no doubt that there are more needs in the territory than just a couple roads and a hydro expansion, and we do keep that on the fed's radar as well, and we discuss that with them at every opportunity. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier if he can direct the federal envoy to begin discussions with the federal government on a clear plan to advance the asset -- or the asset potential and resource needs of the Yellowknife Airport. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a number of departments and Ministers working on advancing the Yellowknife Airport project in terms of upgrades and looking at the future potential, and we'll continue to do that and take a whole-of-government approach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

So it's hard to believe that in this day and age we can't seem to create either an online system or even a phone system that works to book a primary care appointment in Yellowknife. So the first question is what is being done to ensure that people in Yellowknife can actually book a primary care appointment in a timely way for issues that cannot wait several weeks or several months to be addressed but may not qualify as an emergency that would necessitate an emergency room visit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as this has been an ongoing discussion, I have been in contact with -- especially here in Yellowknife as an ongoing basis as to how improvements are being put into place and what can be put into place. I know that we have -- you know, people can call in. To improve appointment accessibility, several other measures have been used. These include same-day access to provide appointments. There's online call-back system to streamline booking requests. And from my understanding, people who can -- they are getting callbacks right away in a timely manner. An active process for filling cancellation to ensure no appointment slots are lost. And together, these initiatives enhance efficiency and ensure patients can ensure appointments more easily. I do know that as I have briefings with the NTHSSA, and I do question how is the improvements happening within -- especially within the Liwegoati and the primary care clinic, and they are saying that the numbers are increasing and their frontline staff are being trained more to, you know, offer more appointments as -- when people call in, in general, they used to be, I would like to book a doctor's appointment, and now they're doing more -- when they are able to get through, they are able to triage them and to say, like, we can't get you into a physician on your team this time, but we can get you into this health care provider or this health care provider. And that would speed up the process, which those health care providers work as a team, they can also consult with a physician on the patient's behalf. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I was a little bit unclear whether the Minister was talking about improvements to come or improvements already in place. But the example of creating a system of same-day bookings where if a physician or locum knows they have an opening the next day that they can contact people, for example, on a waiting list or a cancellation list and fill those slots on the same day, is that mechanism currently in place, or is it being worked on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is waitlists, and within the callback or the online, it is active right now. And from my understanding, any time that there is a gap or an opening or a physician or any of the health providers, it is filled with those lists that they have currently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So private clinics, private walk-in clinics in the NWT not only have systems where you can check your lab results online, which sometimes means you can avoid the need to book a follow-up appointment, but they have online systems for booking appointments. So it's unclear what's preventing the public primary care system from using an online system. Is this being explored or developed, or what are the barriers here? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while private clinics in Yellowknife may use online booking, the implementing a similar system in the public care system is significantly more complex. The public system is subject to stricter regulations, including procurement rules, enhanced privacy, security requirements that do not apply to private clinics. In addition to that, the booking system must be able to coordinate appointments across multiple provider types, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, specialists, integrate with large complex health information system in contrast with private clinics typically manage bookings for a single provider or a small team. And before introducing any new technology, it's important to fully understand the underlying challenges to ensure the solutions.

And so one of the things that we are trying to look towards is the current system that we book appointments in has no -- we cannot do anything more with it, and that's why the new system that we're looking to move towards will have all of those pieces incorporated; however, it is challenging in a smaller jurisdiction to try to incorporate that, you know, with everything and with all of our technology being, like, there's multiple different systems that also need to be fed into that one system, and not all of them are compatible. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me her takeaways from reading the Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples Report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. I would assume you're asking the Minister of Health and Social Services. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I have read the report, and I have -- I actually met with Indigenous patient advocates before the report came out and which was -- we had a -- we spent almost half a day together, and we talked about their -- what they have in their job as tools and what they're hearing from and how can they move these things forward, and this was part of their way of moving forward some of the words of the residents in the Northwest Territories that are going through their system. And so I think it's a good report that it highlights everything that anybody in this House that continuously says we have challenge with this, and so now that we have it all data and tracked and now we can actually work towards, you know, looking at how to make improvements. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the health Minister tell me what steps she's taking to create a robust time-bound and evaluative approach to implement the 13 actions for change that can be found in this report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, you know, I think there was some timing from NTHSSA and myself. I stood in this House and did a statement on systemic -- with cultural and safety and anti-racism in this House, and then within the day, they were releasing this report right at the end of our session. So we weren't able to kind of combine the two. However, now we are first day back, and I followed up with the NTHSSA and they have drafted the implementation plan. They've created that, and this plan is being reviewed by their executive. And once that is done, I can share an update with the Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm really glad to hear the Minister spoke with the Indigenous patient advocates and had a good half day session. That's really positive to hear. And that she's taken the time to review the report herself. Can the Minister tell me if there are any actions in the report that she sees that are not going to be implemented and, if so, why? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a report from their internal division to their executive as they are through the authority. So this report is actually going to -- once they get it to the executive, the NTHSSA, then that's where they will define on where and what their implementation plan is. I haven't seen the implementation. I haven't seen what they're accepting and not accepting or what they're going to continue to work on or where they may need more information. That's usually how those types of plans come. I haven't seen it yet, so I can't speak to any of that yet. However, when I do have the information, you know, I'll be more than willing to have a conversation or share that with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our people deserve to feel safe in their homes and not live in fear every summer. With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, in 2005 Tlicho Agreement was ratified and came into effect. Since that time, numerous wildfires have burned over Tlicho lands and threatened Tlicho communities. I would like to ask the Minister how many hectares of land -- he might not have the answer, but I'm going to ask him. How many hectares of land have burned within the Tlicho region since 2005? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of ECC.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question. Not data that I have off the top of my head, but I'm happy to collect that and return a response to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, readiness and preparedness are critical to wildfire management; however, the evacuation that occurred this summer suggests that the government's wildfire operations are still too reactive in nature. What specific steps is the government taking to improve early detection and response measures so communities are not forced to evacuate at the last minute? Thank you.

Member from Monfwi, that there is a new line of questioning so I will move you on -- that's going to a different Minister. So I will put you on the list so you're back on right away. Thank you.

Oral questions. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ECC.

What criteria does the Department of Environment and Climate Change use to determine when a wildfire poses sufficient risk to warrant evacuation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Minister of ECC.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the wildfire management policy, there's a number of criteria that are looked at and every fire that is detected, a new fire gets some form of action. So there's -- some of the factors that come into play are location of the fire, available resources, proximity to values, proximities to communities. So as these fires start on the landscape, the fire experts within the department take a look at the current situation. They go out, a fire assessment is done. That information is then taken and put into an initial action plan which is used to determine whether or not that fire receives an initial response, a sustained action response. And that really depends on, like I said, many of the factors that I recently raised. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, how did the department work with the Department of MACA and the community of Fort Providence to determine when to issue the community evacuation order? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, environment and climate change does daily assessments of all fires and specifically ones that are a threat to values or communities. Those daily assessments, that information is gathered. There are multiple joint agency meetings that take place daily where that information is relayed to all invested parties. MACA would work closely with the community in deciding when the actual evacuation event would take place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Final supplementary. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that information, what improvements is the department making to its wildfire detection assessment and response protocols to prevent delays in evacuation orders and to better protect communities from imminent wildfire threats? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, after the 2023 after-action review, there was 25 recommendations that were received by the department, all of which were accepted in principle. So some of the major points I'd like to raise here, work that's ongoing has increased:

• We've increased the number of fire crews, aircraft equipment available across the NWT.
• We're mobilizing crews and aircraft earlier in the season to complete training ahead of the earlier start to the wildfire season.
• We're conducting aerial surveys and thermal imaging to detect and address holdover fires at the beginning of the season to ensure we're ahead of those;
• Hiring a dedicated safety officer to ensure that the physical and mental health of our staff is top of mind;
• Installing backup communication networks to ensure that we have operational capability and if we run into a similar incident like we did in 2023 when our internet cable went down.
• We established new qualification and certification standards for wildfire response.
• We're expanding the GNWT's internal capacity to deliver the Incident Command System.
• We're cross-training between structural and ECC firefighters to enhance coordination of the wildland urban interface; and,
• We've significantly improved our communication with community leadership and with other departments within our government and others.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on my Member's statement, I have questions for the Minister of MACA.

As I mentioned in my Member's statement, Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague, the Member from Range Lake, had brought to the House many times the issue of iGaming and the potential for revenue around that. I'd like to ask the Minister, can we get an update on the status of the work on the legislative framework around iGaming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're in continued talks about the iGaming topic. I think there's more to the iGaming than just iGaming. I think we have a lot of things going on with even land-based gaming type stuff. So there's a lot going on with that. We haven't reached the legislative proposal stuff yet, but there is a lot of internal workings right now on how to pursue and move this concept forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So from what I'm hearing is we're not super close to that, having that work prepared yet. Something, certainly, we'd like to see in this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, then if the Minister doesn't feel that we may get iGaming and get that revenue stream flowing, does he have a proposal, or will he be bringing forward other opportunities to ensure that we're funding the physical activity, sport, and recreation fund appropriately? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a few plans bringing forward to cover that fund off. One of them is obviously submitting to the government for more funding to help support that. However, we also need to fine tune what we're doing, you know, looking at expenses, looking at what we're paying for in order to contribute to the actual fund itself to make sure that the funds are actually getting to the athletes and their abilities to participate in sports and games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And certainly, yes, I mean, that is the goal is to ensure that funding gets to the athletes, particularly the athletes in the smaller communities. And I spoke in my Member's statement about the spirit of the Arctic Winter Games. I appreciate we have a lot of high-level athletes in this territory. They do have other venues to go through and other options if they want to pursue a career or pursue, you know, that avenue for their sport. But participation is important, Mr. Speaker. So I know we have a seat on the international committee, the Arctic Winter Games international committee. Would the Minister commit to ensuring that that spirit and that we are creating sports that open up doors for athletes in all our communities so they can participate and take advantage of this oftentimes once in a lifetime opportunity for those youth. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, rest assured to the Member I've been echoing his statement quite a bit to the international games committee. Most recently in Alaska when I was there during a meeting, you know, I've requested -- or I encouraged them to look at how we do the Arctic Winter Games, participation-wise, how often the games are held. You know, these are important things to help ensure that the Arctic Winter Games are -- first of all, the ability to afford them is there but that we're able to hold them in other communities throughout the Northwest Territories. You know, it's not only us as a territorial government; it's also the International Games Committee that has to make some tough decisions and I hope that these decisions, you know, reflect the need of getting communities and small communities to the Arctic Winter Games to participate. I myself have been very passionate about having small communities participate in the Arctic Winter Games. I know there's been some question about it, but rest assured that when I'm talking about Arctic Winter Games and participation, I do that with the communities in mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ECE. Mr. Speaker, what is ECE doing to ensure early literacy screening is available at the public school level in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, while Education, Culture and Employment does not mandate specific programs of any type in NWT schools. Because of our decentralized system, we certainly do work to coordinate with our education bodies as we can. So education bodies are responsible to confirm and implement programs that support the delivery of curriculum within the schools, and sometimes this might include referrals to the diagnostic assessments that do happen through the school funding framework, Mr. Speaker. There's also the flexibility to accommodate local decision-making and sometimes that includes, you know, bringing in different specialty items to work with teachers, like -- sorry, different specialty professional development opportunities to work with teachers so that they can really focus on the needs that they have in their classroom. But through the school funding framework, our education bodies take on the role of supporting their teachers with extra supports in classrooms. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I noted in my statement that our last literacy strategy framework ended in 2018. Mr. Speaker, when is a renewed literacy strategy going to be introduced? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I heard the Member's comment in his Member's statement. And currently, there is no intent to update the literacy strategy in the Northwest Territories that expired in 2018. We do have, however, have our 2030 early learning and childcare strategy as well as our early learning framework which emphasizes literacy within both of those documents. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I noted in my statement that most other jurisdictions in Canada are implementing programs to ensure early literacy screening is happening in schools. Can the Minister commit to following suit in the NWT and get early screening for literacy done in NWT schools? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, within our shift to an NWT-adapted BC curriculum, the broader curriculum does have an assessment framework, an early literacy assessment tool, that teachers can use that's built into it. So assessments will be happening and will be -- the tools will be afforded to teachers to do some of those assessments in classrooms to be able to catch some of these challenges and concerns earlier on. It's important to note this is not a diagnostic assessment, and it's also important to note that there are the well child clinics that parents do have available to them before their child starts school.

In direct response to the Member's question, absolutely, within my ability and our decentralized education system, I would absolutely be happy to look at other models and commit to reviewing the screening and assessment tools that other jurisdictions are using and find out how we can potentially look at how those might work within our jurisdiction and our model. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

All right, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that. I want to return to the topic of walk-in clinics and, of course, this is not an extensive list of the people that work there, but there are people who take the samples and there are people who review the samples, and that's pretty much it. But, Mr. Speaker, when people arrive at 7:30 in the morning, there's long lines, you can't make phone calls because no one answers the phone, there's no chairs so people with mobility issues are standing there and struggling, and there's way more people there than the slots available for doing that. What can the Minister do to address that type of problem with this lab clinic situation? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, as this is brought up in the House, I will bring this back to NTHSSA and follow up as to how things are going in the lab and the walk-in clinic there, and if there's improvements that -- what recommendations that -- you know, what do they -- you know, to be able to carry out some of these things. However, at this time, there's not many things that I can say on the floor of this House, that I'd have to go back to NTHSSA as that falls under their authority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the willingness of the Minister. If she wants some simple suggestions, chairs, the little tags at the DMV --

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