I'd like to thank Bertha Catholique for the opening prayer and reflections. Ministers' statements. Minister for ECC.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to sound environmental stewardship and the sustainable development of natural resources in the North. As part of this commitment, and in accordance with the federal Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and several land claim agreements, the government is responsible for facilitating and publicly releasing an environmental audit every five years.

An independent contractor completed the 2025 NWT environmental audit earlier this year. It reviews how our environmental rules work, the reliability of the information we use to make decisions, how we monitor the effects of development, and how the government has responded to past audit suggestions. An audit steering committee, made up of Indigenous, territorial, and federal representatives, helped guide the process. They worked together to set the goals for the Audit and provided advice along the way.

Earlier this week, I tabled the 2025 NWT Environmental Audit, and I am pleased to report that the audit found the NWT's regulatory system continues to improve. No significant new concerns were identified and reported progress on many of the previous issues related to the last review. However, it also pointed out some challenges.

We need better data to track barren-ground caribou. We also need to make cumulative impact monitoring information more readily available in areas where there is development, as well as continuing to work on land use planning, settling land claims, and involving communities.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT will track its progress in response to the recommendations made in the 2025 Environmental Audit through internal reporting and by coordinating across departments. We will ensure transparency and accountability, and we plan to implement recommendations using existing resources whenever possible. This work strengthens our regulatory system and helps build public confidence that the GNWT and our partners are making informed, balanced, and evidence-based decisions to protect the land, water, and wildlife of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, these efforts bring us closer to fulfilling our mandate to ensure safe communities, healthy ecosystems, through collaborative partnerships with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the progress the Government of the Northwest Territories has made in addressing homelessness, and to acknowledge the ongoing needs ahead. We have taken important steps to remain committed to continuing this work with empathy, focus, and collaboration.

Homelessness is a complex issue that intersects with all areas of the 20th Legislative Assembly's priorities. It is influenced by the suitability, accessibility, and affordability of housing, a strong economic foundation, access to health care and addressing the effects of trauma and ensuring safe residents and communities. Recognizing these connections is essential to developing effective, long-term solutions.

Teams across the GNWT have worked together to transition leadership and ensure a smooth operational handover of A Way Home: A Comprehensive Strategy to Address Homelessness in the Northwest Territories from the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs to Housing NWT. The Strategy guides our work and identifies areas of action to address homelessness. This includes enhancing support for those at risk of becoming homeless and improving person-centered services for those experiencing chronic homelessness.

One of the most pressing needs identified in the strategy is to increase transitional and supportive housing across the NWT. I am committed to improving these services for our most vulnerable residents.

Housing NWT and health and social services have collaborated with the Salvation Army in Yellowknife and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in Inuvik to develop a transitional housing model tailored to the needs of residents returning from addictions treatment. One five-bedroom home in each community has been renovated and will operate as transitional housing for addiction recovery programs. This program provides a safe, substance-free, and supportive living environment where residents can maintain their recovery, rebuild daily life skills and work towards recovery within their community.

The GNWT recognizes that some residents face various barriers that prevent them from accessing shelters. As a result, some residents establish encampments. We acknowledge the reason residents may choose to sleep rough rather than access shelter space. While this remains an individual choice, we will continue to extend shelter supports and work to reduce barriers for those in need. In response, we have been working to ensure that shelter spaces remain accessible and are equipped to meet basic needs and to increase transitional housing facilities to help people move out of homelessness.

A new transitional housing facility, developed through collaboration between Housing NWT and executive and Indigenous affairs, is set to open on Highway No. 3 in Yellowknife. Offering 24 bedrooms, the facility is expected to begin operations before Christmas. The addition of transitional housing facilities is especially important for residents who are ready to transition out of emergency shelters, but not quite ready for independent housing.

Since January 2024, Housing NWT has helped 18 shelter users in Inuvik transition to more stable housing with the help of our programs, such as the homelessness assistance fund or public housing. In 2025-2026, $4.4 million in contributions are being provided through Housing NWT's six homelessness:

• Housing First;
• Emergency Overnight Homeless Shelters;
• Homelessness Assistance Fund;
• Small Community Homelessness Fund;
• Shelter Enhancement Fund; and,
• Northern Pathways Program.

This funding supports expenses such as one-time financial support for individuals facing homelessness, community-led projects to reduce homelessness and loans to improve existing shelters. Our homelessness programs were developed to reflect the diverse needs of all NWT communities, which is why Housing NWT collaborates with local and Indigenous governments, non-governmental organizations, and community partners to implement solutions tailored to each community.

As we continue to work towards preventing and reducing homelessness in the NWTj, I want to emphasize that our progress would not be possible without the collaboration and guidance of local and Indigenous governments, non-government organizations, individuals with lived experience, and community partners. We deeply value these partnerships and are committed to strengthening them as we work together to deliver housing solutions that reflect the realities and needs of all NWT communities. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this summer I received a request from a constituent to deal with an issue that seemed to pretty clearly fall under municipal jurisdiction. Someone was illegally dumping domestic garbage in a small wooded area about 10 metres off of one of Yellowknife's most densely populated neighbourhoods in my riding. MLAs often receive issues which fall under municipal purview, and I make sure to forward these issues on to city Council to handle. But we looked it up and, sure enough, this piece of land in question is untenured Commissioner's land. So despite being deep within a municipal boundary, this land is actually ECC's responsibility. So that resulted in some back and forth between my office and the Minister's office, and in the end, to the Minister's credit, the Department did come and deal with the trash. Thank you to the ECC public servants who performed that unsavoury task.

But, Mr. Speaker, this statement isn't really about municipal waste. What I want to talk about is that I don't think this should have been a territorial responsibility to deal with in the first place. The city of Yellowknife is better equipped to deal with domestic littering within its boundaries, and a territorial department like ECC needs to focus its energy on matters of territorial significance. Technically right now that means issues outside and within municipal boundaries.

Mr. Speaker, we established different levels of government for good reason. The current duplication of responsibility leads to confusion and inefficiency, and it is high time we resolve this issue. Yesterday, a few metres away from this Assembly, tragedy struck as a canvas tent pitched on Commissioner's land was engulfed in flames. My colleague from Yellowknife Centre questioned the Minister of ECC about this, and as he was explaining his department's responsibility regarding encampments on Commissioner's land, the Minister said the encampments within the boundaries of the city are also partially a responsibility of the city, and there are certain bylaws that happen within the city that are relevant to the city that would need to also be adhered to. I think this comment highlights the dual jurisdictional issue well. It's confusing and difficult to administer as a result. We need to follow the lead of every other jurisdiction in Canada and ensure there are clear lines between territorial and municipal responsibility. It's time we put an end to the confusion, Mr. Speaker, and give our municipalities jurisdiction over the land within their boundaries. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu region stands at a critical juncture with the Norman Wells oil field. Canada's longest operational on shore oil field operating well beyond over a hundred years. This legacy is approaching the phase end of life and moving on to remediation and reclamation.

Mr. Speaker, in preparation for this huge tsunami, this economic tsunami, the remediation economy in the Northwest Territories is valued at $4.8 billion over the next 30 years, with as many as 500 sites requiring remediation. This represents an unprecedented economic opportunity for our territory, and in particularly for the Sahtu region. However, we are not taking measures adequate in preparatory positions.

Mr. Speaker, education is security. The federal government currently holds $180 million in financial security for the oil field. However, the cost for cleanup is expected to be much, much more. The training plan and preparation must recognize domestic trade demands. Mr. Speaker, this is why I'm championing NORTRAN, a design readiness trades training program for remediation and reclamation. NORTRAN could partner with the Aurora College and other NWT accredited agencies together as collaboration. Mr. Speaker, the infrastructure exists in Norman Wells support this. We have vacant commercial office spaces, student residential units, and the unoccupied Aurora College classroom. The time to act is now, Mr. Speaker. We must ensure that when the Norman Wells oil field closes, Sahtu residents/youth are not watching from the sidelines but credentially ready. I will later have questions to the appropriate Minister. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to bring forward an emergency measure that I feel requires immediate attention. In smaller communities throughout the Northwest Territories, when the community residents are faced with unexpected emergencies, the uncertainty of how long the problem will last puts a strain on the whole community.

On Friday, October 17th, the power in Fort McPherson unexpectedly went out around 10 o'clock am and was not restored until 2 o'clock p.m. The power outage shut the whole community down. Also, there was no communication between NTPC personnel and anyone from the community as to why the power went out and the expected timeframe of the power outage.

Mr. Speaker, in most communities, if not all, have safety measures in place to protect the residents, especially the most vulnerable with a muster point somewhere in their respective communities. While in Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic, the muster point is in their local schools, both schools are not adequately equipped to house their residents if the emergency happens for a long period of time. The schools in both communities do not have backup generators.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of Fort McPherson were fortunate that this power outage happened during the day, and it was relatively still warm outside. Imagine the panic if this happened at 2 o'clock a.m. and it was minus 30 degrees Celsius weather.

The local health centre staff immediately offered to use their facility as a muster point to take in any elders who may be old within their homes. Mr. Speaker, we must bring assurance to the communities that we are, indeed, looking out for their immediate safety and make measures to equip each community with backup generators in the event of a power outage. Having a facility used as a muster point while they are not equipped to house their residents is pointless. We need to upgrade the infrastructure to meet the needs of our community residents in the event of an unexpected emergency. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point in session, many of us start to feel that we're losing our minds, so I thought it would be a good day to speak about mental health with a focus on our young people.

We hear from our education authorities, teachers and parents, that the mental health needs of youth have never been more challenging, both the severity of the problems and the types of issues:

• Self-harm,
• Depression,
• Eating disorders,
• Those struggling with loneliness and bullying and trauma.

Just over two years ago, the number of child and youth counsellors was reduced by about half and moved out of schools with funding redirected towards mental health programs determined and led by the schools themselves. We need to keep an eye on how successful this newer approach is in both meeting the needs of students and helping teachers to cope. Some parents are still unclear as to what might happen if their child had some kind of mental health crisis at school, what school-based services remain available, and what exactly the ongoing wellness programs include.

Mr. Speaker, it is a serious problem that the NWT has no pediatric psychiatry unit at Stanton. That means that kids with suicidal thoughts may often be sent home. It is not safe for them in the adult psychiatric ward and if they're sent to the pediatric ward, there's no psychiatric programming there.

Earlier this year, the Standing Committee on Social Development made a recommendation in our Mental Health Act Review to address this gap. It's good news that there are plans to reopen the Children's territorial treatment centre, but I would urge the department to find an operator as soon as possible since that's often the critical make-or-break factor, as we've seen with the day shelter and transitional housing.

Finally, I'm concerned reading in the news about the reduction this year in mental health support services at the Inuvik hospital on weekends. The on-call medical social worker used to provide suicide risk screening and assessments as well as in-person counselling act but the weekend service was cut as it apparently wasn't considered part of the core job responsibility. As the health care sustainability unit sorts through what services are core or non-core, I think we can all agree that services to support people in mental health crises should be core, especially for our children and youth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, like the Member from Yellowknife North just said, I think that everyone can struggle with their mental health, which is just as crucial as their physical health. For me, an excellent way to make sure I'm taking care of myself, both mentally and physically, is to go outside and touch dirt and then dig that dirt. I love to garden, and it provides me not only with nourishing food but a great deal of peace.

Mr. Speaker, with both session and surgery, I had several interruptions into my favourite summer hobby this year, but after I took some time to heal, I'm pleased to report that I was able to grow many different vegetables, including potatoes, Mr. Speaker.

Back in March, I challenged the Minister of ITI to a friendly competition. She in turn challenged her Cabinet colleagues. The rules were simple. Everyone gets a box of potatoes from Kam Lake's own bush order provisions, and we see who wins by weight of harvest. With your indulgence, Mr. Speaker, here are the total yields by Member.

• The Member for Thebacha, 7.3 pounds.
• The Member for Yellowknife South, 8.5 pounds.
• The Member for Hay River South, 9.6 pounds.
• The Member for Kam Lake, 10.6 pounds, though it could not be independently verified if that included the container, Mr. Speaker.
• The Member for Great Slave, 16.5 pounds.

Honourable mentions go to the Member for Yellowknife South's radish harvest and the Member for Thebacha's tomato harvest, Mr. Speaker, which I'm told were both extremely abundant. And I have also been told that the Hay River North spent a lot of time shovelling dredge dirt, which wasn't the assignment, but I'm sure benefitted his health as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. I think Cabinet needs to work with the Great Slave Member to learn how to grow, especially for those people south of the lake which you got all that fertile ground. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a father, the health and safety of my kids is my foremost responsibility. So when I learned, along with other members of our community and this House, that high levels of led were found in Yellowknife's schools, I was shocked. It was hard to believe that somehow staff and students of William MacDonald and Range Lake school -- the Range Lake North School were unknowingly consuming potentially dangerous high levels of led for an unknown period of time. This was relayed to me by many of my constituents and staff and faculty at those schools. During these revelations, a third school, MJ McPherson, was initially reported to have only minor, unresolved issues, which gave parents and staff a sense of reassurance that the school was not at risk. But, as we later learned, that confidence was based on flawed assumptions.

Months later, when the Minister released an independent report on the elevated led levels, it became clear that concerns about school drinking water that had been first flagged as early as January and that the initial testing had been flawed, as a result, testing at William MacDonald and Range Lake north continued well into April, long-before parents and staff were informed in May.

Concerns about the methodology of the drinking water tests prompted another round of testing this summer, and it was only then that we finally learned about elevated levels of lead at MJ McPherson were, indeed, above the Health Canada guidelines, directly contradicting early assurances that the high readings were false positives.

Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, the parent downplaying of the concerns at MJ McPherson and delaying of that retesting until the summer postponed the necessary measures to protect students and staff longer than they should have. In the -- because we had those measures, the mitigation measures -- remediation measures public health orders at Range Lake north and William MacDonald during the same period of time. Parents must be able to trust that their children are safe at school. It's a fundamental principle of the education system. When the Minister released a report and accept the responsibility in July, the scale of the mismanagement on such a critical issue, the health of children, needs more reassurance from this government. We know remediation processes have been put in place. Now we need to know how serious this Minister is that this never happens again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring attention to an event that's happening here in Yellowknife this week. It's been happening this week. Mr. Speaker, it's the Housing NWT maintenance conference.

This event, Mr. Speaker, brings together LHO maintenance foremen and the district technical staff for a week to get together to discuss, of course, ongoing maintenance and the importance of preventative maintenance, Mr. Speaker. There was about, I think, close to 50 participants here. They're all at the Explorer Hotel where the conference is taking place. And especially, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to give a shout-out to the Beaufort Delta district office. Last year, they, Mr. Speaker, completed 100 percent of their preventative maintenance, which is a huge accomplishment. It's the first time it's ever been done. And, Mr. Speaker, that Beaufort Delta district office includes Inuvik, Tuk, Aklavik, Tsiigehtchic, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, Sachs Harbour, and Fort McPherson, Mr. Speaker.

So, again, a big congratulations to our staff up there. I know how hard they work. It's a small community, so obviously we all know each other, and I know how proud they were of that accomplishment, Mr. Speaker, so a big shout-out to them. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this year, the Dene Nation hosted a public safety forum here in Yellowknife to address the growing challenges our small communities face from violent crimes and drug trafficking. Across the North, our communities are hurting. Families are being torn apart as drugs spread deeper into our territory and into our homes of our people. Local leadership knows what's best for their communities.

And this forum was an important chance to come together and find real solutions to keep our people safe. Our communities have s strong Indigenous leadership on crime, but we also need a government that listens, partners with us, and ensure new strategies are put into action with real, right resources in place.

In this era of reconciliation, our right to self-determination must guide policies and decisions that affect our future, and one of the biggest threats to our future are drugs and violence and suffering they bring.

At the forum, the Dene Nation passed several comprehensive resolution on crime, mental health, and addictions. From this work, they will engage with their communities to provide feedback on Indigenous justice system and strategies. Study on Dene led policy programs and a call on government to consult Dene communities on RCMP contracts. I know that the RCMP are working with Indigenous government and small communities to keep people safe, but it's up to the Minister to make the structural changes needed to deepen those ties and ensure local leadership is at the table.

The Minister must also work with Indigenous leaders to urge the federal government to address chronic understaffing and high turnover in our communities. Later this afternoon, I will have questions for the Minister of Justice on how we can bring more RCMP to the North and ensure that Indigenous communities have meaningful authority over how the communities are kept safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the encampment again today, but I also want to talk about it from the perspective of the impacts on the community. And what I mean by that is the residents have to live next to them, businesses, and even in situations like such as yesterday, the museum, government, and other types of organizations, and private businesses in that. They have to be silenced. You can't have the museum director over here yelling do something here. No, government can't get away with that. But residents, let's start with that, Mr. Speaker. They have to listen to the noise. They have to deal with the mess. And, of course, as I said yesterday, liberated items that seem to go missing from their yard but mysteriously are found in the encampments. Businesses are saying the same thing: Noise, mess, personal items, even watching extension cords running from their buildings that they're paying the power in all the way across the road into the encampments. Where is the housing Minister on responsible policy that takes care of the bigger issue. Oh, well just dump it there, and everyone, you absorb all the problems without support, Mr. Speaker.

Imagine this: You're a tour operator in Yellowknife -- and this has been called upon me many times, Mr. Speaker -- tour operators are complaining. They pull up to show the jewel of the NWT, our Northern Arts Centre, and sure enough, the encampment's right where it says bus parking, Mr. Speaker. Shame on this situation. They have to show our guests we roll out the red carpet, they spend thousands and thousands of dollars to come here and they see this. And they feel the pinch and strain, Mr. Speaker, about the disappointment. We're all feeling this, Mr. Speaker.

Now, yesterday the Minister said when I called her to seize action on writing a policy over the weekend and do something, she said, hey, I've only got two people in the policy shop. I listened. Now, with that said, I verified. I went to the NWT Housing web page, and under the policy and planning shelf there's actually not two, not three, not four. All the way to 12 people work in that particular shop. Not two, but 12, Mr. Speaker. So there is talent there, and I believe in them.

Mr. Speaker, as I work towards a close, as I'm running out of time, someone even sent me a picture today that we have permanent structures that are being built behind the Chateau Nova hotel. There's one structure, Mr. Speaker, it looks like a tree House, a watch tower. So when building materials are going missing from the yards, how are they showing up at these semi/non-permanent but turns out to be absolutely permanent encampments, Mr. Speaker? We need the housing Minister not only to have compassion for those who need help; we need the housing Minister through the homelessness to have compassion for the residents who have to absorb the garbage and the mess here, Mr. Speaker.

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

Colleagues, yesterday I had the pleasure of watching part of the Premier's Awards celebration. There were residents from Fort Simpson on the Team for Excellence - Fuel Resupply via Mackenzie Valley Winter Road.

The team faced with unprecedented logistical challenges due to consecutive years of cancelled barge deliveries, this multi-disciplinary team from the Department of Infrastructure successfully coordinated the largest winter fuel resupply in recent memory. Over 230 truckloads, more than four times the usual volume, were delivered to Sahtu communities. This complex operation required real-time tracking, strategic scheduling, and on-the-ground coordination in extreme temperatures. The team leveraged strong partnerships with fuel suppliers, contractors, Indigenous governments, and community leaders to ensure timely and safe delivery of essential fuel for heating, electricity, and transportation.

Drawing on traditional knowledge to maintain and reinforce the winter road system, the team adapted to erratic weather and road conditions, demonstrating resilience, innovation, and leadership. Their efforts ensured uninterrupted fuel supply to remote communities, safeguarding health, safety, and connectivity across the region.

I would like to have the names of the team deemed as read and printed in the Hansard:

• • Lorne Browne
  • Claudio Ardiles
  • Paul Webber
  • Jim Biggs
  • Clara Allen
  • Eric Cockney
  • Harvey Pierrot
  • Dustin Dewar (Fort Simpson)
  • Michael Hempler (Fort Simpson)
  • Travis Hanna (Fort Simpson)
  • Wyatt Antoine (Fort Simpson)
  • Mike Squirrel (Fort Simpson)

The Kristine McLeod - Emerging Indigenous Leader Award which was Kisten Tanche.

I have known Kristen for a long time. Kristen is a visionary leader whose work in Indigenous health and wellness reflects the spirit of the Kristine McLeod Emerging Indigenous Leader Award. As Regional health and wellness director with Deh Cho First Nations, Kristen brings empathy, innovation, and cultural integrity to every initiative she leads.

Kristen's leadership is rooted in both academic excellence and community service. She is a graduate with a bachelor of social work and has been accepted into the master of social work program at the University of Victoria, demonstrating her commitment to long learning and Indigenous-centered practices. Her work is trauma-informed and strength-based and grounded in traditional knowledge.

Being aware of the time, I would like to have the rest of this speech deemed as read and printed in the Hansard.

Please join me in congratulating the award winners.

Kristen Tanche

Kristen fosters safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue and healing, building strong relationships across generations and organizations. She uplifts youth and community leaders, encouraging bold ideas and collaborative action. Her dedication to cultural revitalization is evident in her support for land-based learning. Elder engagement, and the integration of Indigenous teachings into wellness programming.

Kristen leads with integrity, humility, and purpose. Her contributions are shaping a future where Indigenous knowledge and values guide health and wellness systems. She is a powerful role model and a deeply deserving recipient of this award.

As well, there was a business and an artist from the Nahendeh riding, who's artwork was gifted to the award winners. They were:

Acho Dene Native Crafts

Acho Dene Native Crafts Ltd. Produces traditional arts and crafts for wholesale and retail. The primary product is birch bark baskets featuring porcupine quillwork. The people of the area make these traditional products as they have for centuries. The business also retails leather accessories, including traditional mittens, gauntlets, moccasins and mukluks, and smaller souvenir items. Acho Dene Native Crafts Ltd. Began operations in 1976 in Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, as a project of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. In 1992, the NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation assumed ownership and responsibility for the store in its operations.

Shawna McLeod

This Tufted and beaded cuff is handcrafted by Shawna McLeod, a Dene and Metis artist from the Deh Gah Got'ine First Nation (Fort Providence), now living in Lidlli Kue First Nation (Fort Simpson). Drawing on traditional materials and techniques passed down through generations, Shawna incorporates moose hair tufting, beadwork, and cultural knowledge into each piece. Her work through From the Land Creations reflects a commitment to land-based art, healing, and the preservation of Indigenous teachings.

Members' statements. Motions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS public safety is a key priority of the 20th Legislative Assembly established through "safe and healthy communities";

AND WHEREAS climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of flooding, wildfires and other natural disasters;

AND WHEREAS the 2023 wildfire evacuations of two-thirds of the population of the Northwest Territories, and subsequent evacuations due to severe climate events, have resulted in continuing trauma and negative mental health impacts;

AND WHEREAS, on June 13, 2024, the Government of the Northwest Territories contracted Transitional Solutions Inc. to review its management of the 2023 wildfire crisis through the production of a Northwest Territories 2023 Wildfire Season After-Action Review Report;

AND WHEREAS the After-Action Review Report was conducted and overseen by certified experts in emergency management and bore a cost to taxpayers of the Northwest Territories in the approximate amount of $330,000;

AND WHEREAS the After-Action Review Report completed by Transitional Solutions Inc. was released on May 14, 2025, and made 35 recommendations, including the creation of a dedicated Emergency Management Agency;

AND WHEREAS this recommendation is consistent with previous recommendations to strengthen the Northwest Territories emergency management organization with dedicated resources and authorities, including the 2022 Spring Flooding After-Action Review and the Government of the Northwest Territories Search and Rescue System Review Final Report;

And WHEREAS, on October 2, 2025, the Government of the Northwest Territories provided its response to the After-Action Review Report rejecting the recommendation to create a dedicated Emergency Management Agency;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories did not conduct a thorough cost analysis for identifying a suite of options using existing human and financial resources to implement the recommendation;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Government of the Northwest Territories accept the After-Action Review Report recommendation to "Create one dedicated territorial Emergency Management Agency for the NWT, providing coordination support to local authorities leading the emergency response(s)";

AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories implement the recommendation to create one territorial Emergency Management Agency for the Northwest Territories within the recommended timeframe of 0 to 12 months;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories bring forward the necessary policy changes and resources to implement the recommendation by May 2026, as recommended by Transitional Solutions Inc.;

AND FURTHERMORE, that in accepting the recommendation, the Government of the Northwest Territories consider repositioning existing resources within the public service in addition to new investments, including establishing new mandates for existing, new, or amalgamated line departments;

AND FURTHERMORE, that a dedicated Emergency Management Agency so established will work to implement the remaining recommendations of the After-Action Review Report, including ensuring that the care of children, elders, and persons with disabilities are better supported by public safety policies and programs;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories respond to this motion in 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is not unknown to legislatures or to government systems in Canada that independent reviews will contain recommendations that governments disagree with. Often when they agree with recommendations, there will be so many caveats that it might as well be a disagreement. In this case, there are 35 recommendations. One recommendation was not agreed with, and that is the recommendation to create a dedicated emergency management agency.

Many times in our parliamentary procedures here in the House, we will disagree with the government's disagreement and encourage them to accept the recommendation. We have a standing committee of public accounts. Before that, we had standing -- we had various standing committees that would review independent reports or reports of the auditor general and say the exact same thing - we disagree with your disagreement, we encourage you to accept that. The purpose of this motion is to do the same thing here, but it arises to a special attenuation in the minds of the public because it was the one recommendation that was rejected, and this wildfire evacuation review was so important to our constituents.

The findings of the report were very clear, and for me the most concerning one is the lack of trust that Northerners place in their government after that event. Trust is very slow to rebuild from governments or from anyone in a position of authority. It's easy to lose and very hard to get back. We need to do everything we can as an Assembly to ensure that the government is working to restore trust with the public. And rejecting this crucial recommendation, one of the most urgently -- one of the ones that was urged to be recommended with the same class of immediate recommendations in the report just shows how crucial this was. And reading from the report -- which I won't do at length, Mr. Speaker -- but the independent experts that we retained for this work said establishing a dedicated wraparound emergency management model, such as an agency, rather than relying on the current as-needed linear EMO, emergency management organization, approach is essential for enhancing resilience and preparedness in the Northwest Territories. Agency models effectively oversee all phases of emergency management. This fosters a culture of preparedness and ensures a nimble and coordinated response to emergencies and disasters.

They further state the agency organization would be responsible for facilitating collaboration between federal, territorial, and local governments, along with public and private organizations, to ensure a unified approach to emergency management while ensuring the local authority maintain ownership and authority for the emergency, implement strategies to reduce the risk of disasters through proactive planning, develop and maintain comprehensive territorial emergency plans, and provide clear guidelines to communities for their local plans, conduct regular training and exercises to ensure all relevant parties are aware of these plans and how they complement one another, rather than replace or hand off to one another, provide emergency management in unincorporated and special areas, and support communities to recover from disaster by providing resources, guidance, and assistance as a wraparound service.

Now, Mr. Speaker, we have heard that the concerns from the Minister are that such an agency would be seasonal. They would only work for the warm summer months and then, you know, sit around for the rest of the year doing nothing. I think just the bullet points I read out show how that could be a year-round job, you know, ensuring training is ongoing, especially in the off-season so you can be prepared for the next season; ensuring that reports and plans are well documented, well vetted; ensuring that disaster recovery efforts -- these take years to facilitate. We have multiple members in this chamber, Mr. Speaker, who have communities who are still recovering. And notably the member for Deh Cho, who had another community over the summer evacuated, and it was not a smooth evacuation. We saw that very clearly, you know.

And I said this at the time when queried by the media, I'll stop complaining about, you know, the lack of -- seemingly, the lack of care towards public safety and emergency management when the public stops complaining. Because when these evacuations are going on yes, there's people -- there's always two sides to a story, but we are hearing loudly from the community that alerts are coming too late or not at all, that firefighting activities are not listening to local community concerns, and these are all the things that a broader mandate on public safety would allow us to accomplish that we're currently not achieving as a government. And the recommendation is very clear about an agency, and it cites the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Plan, and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency as best practices. I don't think government needs to, again, take every -- just do everything the recommendations say. They're to be interpreted, to be massaged, let's figure out a way to do this. In this case, I do think we have a lot of expertise in the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. I don't think it's structured as effectively or efficiently as it could be to manage public safety. But we do have experts. We do have a strong volunteer contingent across the Northwest Territories that many members, including the Minister, who were a part of during the 2023 wildfires. So it's not that we lack the expertise, and certainly any criticism of how we manage public safety is not a criticism of the volunteers who are doing it, but it is the systems they are doing it in, which we have 165 pages to show how they were insufficient and were tested to the limit and broke under pressure. And now we are trying to fix that so it never happens again and so the public knows they can trust that their government takes their lives and their property seriously. And the fact that that's a question at all should have made it a number one priority for this government. But I would argue it's a number one priority for all governments, whether you write it down or not.

So when we look to how we can make this work, we drafted -- this motion was drafted to allow government, or to encourage rather, not just allow but to encourage government to look towards its own resources and be flexible and creative about how to meet these recommendations. If an agency isn't appropriate, a new departmental mandate might be, or maybe you could do both. Maybe there's other means to do it. But the EMO, the ad hoc, as and when, incident-based EMO, is not fit for purpose in an era where climate change is causing these disasters each and every year. We hear this all the time - it's only going to get worse from here. We get that reaffirmed every year when it happens. And recently there was reporting from experts saying it's going to happen again and increasing severity and as especially our most vulnerable communities, rural and remote communities that are very small, are impacted by these events. If the emergencies are not managed well, people are unprepared, if communities aren't prepared, we will get to a place where there is a significant loss. And I don't want to be in that place. This is preventative management of emergencies to ensure that they don't happen. And there are plenty of governments in Canada and the world that have departments of public safety and emergency preparedness.

You know, there's a way -- we've amalgamated departments in the past as well. Infrastructure is an amalgamation of transportation and public works and services. Finance is finance and human resources, maybe a few other things I've forgotten about. You know, there's a number of amalgamations that we've done to save costs so let's do that now. Sharpen the mandate of MACA, call it the Department of Public Safety; move it into justice, and now we have all of our community safety programs and our public safety programs and our emergency management in one place.

Mr. Speaker, the motion in its preamble mentioned the search and rescue report which I've raised and raised on the House as well, and the government's response to that report that was federally funded was basically we don't have an EMO that does the stuff you want or you're recommending so we can strengthen search and rescue in the territory so we're not going to do it. Not oh, we should make changes so we have better search and rescue. Because that recommendation speaks to that. It's a vast territory, Mr. Speaker. You know this. We all know this. And when people go missing, it's a real concern to the community, and there are not a lot of resources. Again, they're ad hoc, volunteer-driven resources supported by RCMP and coast guard and other officials. But the people doing the work are volunteers, and there's only one volunteer search and rescue organization in the Northwest Territories that is organized, and that's here in Yellowknife. And that's not enough. You know, when people go missing in, again, rural and remote communities in the middle of the Arctic, that's when you need to have the support of a dedicated emergency management agency that can coordinate search and rescue activities, that can coordinate resources to ensure that volunteers are trained, that resources are marshaled effectively, and that communities are prepared when people go missing. That's just one example of the ongoing work that a dedicated public safety agency could do. And there are many, many more. They're enumerated in this report.

So it just shocked me that this recommendation was rejected in the first place, that the costing, the options, the approach to how could we make this recommendation work was not taken, seemingly. I mean, I'm prepared to accept that that fact might be untrue, and there could be something we haven't considered. But at this point, questions have been asked, and the answer have been we didn't -- we dismissed it, we didn't try to make it work. And Northerners expect their government to at least try before dismissing it when the stakes are so great. And that's why this motion is here today, you know, to encourage the government to reconsider this decision that they've made and to make the right decision, which is to invest in public safety like we would invest in a major infrastructure project, like we would invest in cost savings by amalgamating departments.

We make strategic investments all the time. We know things are going to get worse, not better. And even if we do have an off-season that defies predictions and there's no evacuations, there's no disasters, that doesn't mean we don't need this because we need to be prepared when it does happen. And not just one agency, not just one department, not one division, not one community. The entire government needs to be prepared.

We saw what happened when there weren't business continuity plans, when the government was caught flat-footed, when people left the territory on planes, what that did to the organizational structure of the government. We can't afford to see these things happen again. Many steps have been taken. Yes, we acknowledge that. The government has agreed to all the other recommendations. Not fully; there are some that are only partial or general agreement. And I take issue with some of those as well, but we'll address those at another time. They're not subject to this motion. But we need to see a government that walks the talk -- or sorry, that talks the talk and walks the walk on public safety. And until we have dedicated resources to make that happen, there will be a doubt in my mind and a doubt in the minds of the people we represent. And that needs to change, and it could be changed very easily by reconsidering this decision and doing the work. And at the very least, do the work and prove to us, the MLAs, your first audience, that this can't work in the Northwest Territories when it works so well everywhere else. If you can convince us, then we're going to explain that to our constituents. But as long as we're unconvinced, we need to do more. We need to do more as a government. And the rejection of this one recommendation broke through the acceptance of the others. And that's very true in the conversations I had with my constituents, in the conversations I hear in the community, and that's why it's here on the floor today.

So I urge this House to support this motion and to tell the government a strong message that this House cares about public safety, and we care about the great expense and the time and effort that went into the report that produced this recommendation, and we want to see it implemented, all recommendations fully so we have a territory that we know is safe and secure come what may in the future as we live in increasingly uncertain times.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And at the appropriate time, I will request a recorded vote.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion. Member from Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the motion brought forward and the continued focus on strengthening emergency management in the Northwest Territories. Although it might be strange to have a Minister who is trained and then has the background in emergency services for over the past 30 years, but the government of the Northwest Territories remains committed to improving our emergency preparedness and response system.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by clarifying the structure and responsibilities of emergency management organizations, or EMO, as it currently operates in the NWT.

The EMO is a fully staffed office that operates year-round within the Department of Municipal Community Affairs. It is responsible for coordinating territorial emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery. This includes leading the territorial emergency response plan, supporting local authorities in their emergency response planning, and coordinating multi-agency response through the Territorial Emergency Operations Centre.

Mr. Speaker, the current EMO structure is consistent on how emergency management organizations in other jurisdictions across Canada operate.

For example, the Yukon EMO is also located within the department of community services. Like the NWT, the Yukon EMO provides coordination training and supports communities. Communities lead emergency response first, and then the territorial supports scaled in as needed.

The Alberta Emergency Management Agency functions under the ministry of public safety. While Alberta uses the term agency, it is not a standalone body but part of a larger ministry. It performs coordination, planning, capacity building for municipalities who are responsible for leading emergency response with provincial support coordination as needed.

Emergency Management BC is located within the ministry of emergency management and climate readiness. It operates through regional offices and coordinates with local governments like NWT, BC, and emphasizes local response with provincial supports as needed.

PEI and Newfoundland also embedded their EMOs within the Department of Justice and public safety.

Mr. Speaker, these examples show how emergency management does not require a standalone agency to be effective. Coordination, scalability, intergovernmental collaboration are the key success factors.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT's position is that the core responsibilities recommended in the after-action review are already being carried out in the current EMO structure. During emergencies, the EMO coordinates the territorial response, supports communities that have activated their emergency plan, facilitates communications along with local and territorial partners, and activates the territorial EOC when large-scale or complex events occur. Outside of high-risk season, the EMO delivers training and exercises, helps community development, and validates emergency plans. We maintain templates and guidance material and advance planning and risk assessment activities to strengthen preparedness. We recognize that the improvements were and are still needed, particularly on how we communicate, coordinate, and integrate with Indigenous governments and the local communities. And we are acting on those priorities.

The EMO operates under the Incident Command System, or ICS, which provides a clear, nationally-recognized structure for managing emergency response. This system allows operational decisions to be made by trained experts based on real-time conditions while keeping elected officials informed and engaged in appropriate ways. MACA offers executive training to help leadership understand their roles in this structure, supporting effective governance, and avoiding well-intentioned political actions that could disrupt the response and operations.

Mr. Speaker, the after-action review looked at the events from two years ago. It is looking backwards while we are looking forward and moving forward.

Following the 2023 wildfire season, MACA undertook the following actions to improve our EMO operations:

• The NWT Emergency Plan was updated to clarify roles and responsibilities;
• Communication protocols and aids for communities were put into place;
• Surge capacity was increased and more training.
• New regional emergency coordinator positions in all regions were staffed, and a trainer to support communities in updating their emergency plans was hired;
• MACA also hired an additional communications officer to provide better support to communities during emergencies.
• All GNWT departments have developed business continuity plans that have been used to ensure core programs and services are delivered in the times of emergencies.

We have seen real improvements in emergency response coordination and communication, and this was especially evident during the 2025 wildfire season. The coordination between community governments and Indigenous governments to stand up local EMOs and coordinate with a regional EMO reflects on the strength of our improved collaboration on the ground. While the circumstances were extremely challenging, there were also clear successes, and we will continue to learn from each event, strengthening our system, and improve with every response.

Mr. Speaker, rather than restructure, our focus is on strengthening what already exists:

• debriefing recent emergencies,
• enhancing local training and tabletop exercises,
• improving interdepartmental and intergovernmental coordination and response readiness.

These are tangible, immediate actions that can build resilience.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, we share the Members' goal of improving emergency management. We believe the current structure, when supported with clear authority, community engagement and interagency coordination, can meet the needs of the people of Northwest Territories. For this reason, the GNWT does not support creating a standalone EMO agency.

That said, Mr. Speaker, as this motion makes a recommendation to the government, the Cabinet will be abstaining from the vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Hay River South. To the motion. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Where do I begin my disagreement? There are so many spots. But I have to pick one; I'll start with the last one.

Shame on the government saying that they're going to vote -- you know, take this recommendation, abstain from it. At least be on the record that you're voting it down. It's a shame. Politicians are meant to make decisions, and often I see the -- when people abstain, such as the Cabinet, the citizens see it as a very sincere disappointment. At least stand somewhere on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, the decision made by -- or I should rather coin it as the recommendation made by TSI, I think was a very clear argument of saying this is why I'm doing -- or they're making this recommendation based on -- it just not sounds good, it's a reality. We need a coordinated approach. We need a territorial emergency management agency. And this is why.

If you listen to the Minister, it was clearly a justification why we're not doing something. And back to justification in on itself, to my questions earlier in the session, Mr. Speaker, I was actually quite shocked, not necessarily shocked and appalled, but quite shocked that they had not analyzed the cost of this position out or this directorate concept out. I often think that they get this idea that we're going to create a new finance department, MACA department, whatever. It's not necessary to create something -- a new mega list within the government to achieve the goals that the report is pointing out.

TSI is just not some willy-nilly group on the street that said hey, can you give us a snapshot over a coffee and a long weekend and tell us what happened here. They are the gold standard of their industry. They're called upon many governments and agencies to ask what to do. And they offer fantastic advice.

So the government will stand here and say well, we accepted 34 out of 35 decisions. Mr. Speaker, the one they ignored or shot down probably, in some ways, was probably the most important one.

I view it this way, Mr. Speaker: That decision is almost akin to say, for example, a conductor in an orchestra, they pull all the beautiful music together, EMOs, LMOs, yadda, yadda, communities, Indigenous governments, they are getting them all together, singing and coordinating them. That's why that position of an orchestra is so important, a conductor, and that's exactly why this position would be so important in this situation, Mr. Speaker. So to justify it and say well, we did 34 out of 35, let's call it a weekend, is not asking what are you doing right. I think in some ways it's abdicating the responsibility, what's so key to ensure that we're safe.

Mr. Speaker, let's just follow that note for a second. Well, duplication. Well, not busy enough. I think the answer, their justification in their response is, well, small population, limited fiscal and human resources. Well, I look forward to the government saying -- and I don't agree with this statement just to be clear -- well, we don't need a CEO of elections. I mean, they don't do anything for three, three and a half years, right? I think we're all in agreement there's an election typically once every four years. So, I mean, you know, a couple weeks, a couple months before the lead-up, a couple months after that, what a waste. Well, wait a minute, Mr. Speaker. There's oodles of policy, process, and planning, and organization, and coordination, and technology changes. They're busy all the time. I would never stand for that. But you would turn around and say well, just because others are doing it is a reason for us not to do it. Wake up. I mean, the trends are there. And the trends aren't just because they're fancy. The trends are there based on a necessity.

I mean, I've heard this government repeatedly, and I'm sure I could spend a lot of time, come up with hundreds of examples, where we constantly talk about the changes and impacts of climate change on the Northwest Territories. All the time we hear the phrase about how it impacts us here, our weather is changing, our forests are changing, they're dryer, there's more -- the floods are coming in different ways. Sometimes there's no floods of water coming down the gate of Alberta through BC to us to make sure we can get our freight up the Mackenzie. So the world is changing before us, and this type of position is exactly what it is intended to be, to help coordinate communities, help support assets, to be there for policy, to help test those community emergency plans, to organize them, make sure they're published publicly so people know in the communities and the territory at large that they not only exist, we know what they are, and we know that they're planned, and they will be executed if need be to the best of their ability. All of those things would come from this, Mr. Speaker.

This is not a trend, again, of fancy shoes. This is a trend of people have realized the bell of emergencies has been ringing, and it's time to jump on board before that clanger bell falls off. Mr. Speaker, it's ringing loud and clear.

So the government to provide, in my opinion, a contradiction about saying, well, this is what we're doing I think it's -- I think, yes, it's true that they're doing things, and I think that that's fair. And I think it's fair. And I think it's also true that we have talented individuals that will come together and work their best. And I believe that wholeheartedly. But what the keystone of all of this stuff is is this type of management agency within the government. And you know, when I hear well, fiscal is a problem, you know, I say, boy, we sure seem to have all these, you know, assistant deputy ministers, and Ministers and envoys popping up, all these dollar amounts. But this position, think about it. It helps us save millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars we put at risk every year. I mean, when have we had a cheap fire? I mean, every year this government goes into the 10s and 10s of millions of dollars to cover for the -- through the appropriations to pay for the fire season and other types of things. How many times have we talked about Enterprise and the impacts of that fire and how difficult it is for them to move ahead?

Recently, we heard about Fort Providence or we're well aware of the Whati, and it's every year, Mr. Speaker. And whether it's -- you know, professionals in the system have told me that the current system, even just, you know, it's not -- doesn't facilitate the need. And so it facilitates the need -- where they're pointing out is, yeah, they're there Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, but these systems need to run 24 hours a day and make sure they're available. There are no weekends off when it's summer emergencies, Mr. Speaker, emergency season.

Mr. Speaker, I'm very concerned about when the government feels that they -- you know, this is a bad idea, but they haven't cost it, they haven't even imagined it, what it could look like. They haven't even tried. So, Mr. Speaker, I'm just going to finish by saying that good policy would ask ourselves the question of are we doing the best we can, and by rejecting this recommendation would be a demonstration of they're not. And that's key. And I think as my colleague from Range Lake had pointed, you know, these questions will keep coming as long as they keep coming from the community to us, wondering why the government is doing what they do.

So, Mr. Speaker, I'll be supporting this motion. I'm pleased to second it. And I certainly hope that our collective will will cause the government to revisit this issue because it is a critical one to be the foundation and the base of every year when we're confronted with these situations. Because by the time an emergency happens, it's already too late. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. To the motion. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it's important that both we and officials within municipal and community affairs take the time to better understand the detailed rationale behind this recommendation in the after-action review, and reflect on how we can accomplish the intent of the recommendation in the most cost effective way.

What I'm hearing so far from municipal and community affairs is good news, our internal system is working great, and all it took was some additional training and better efforts at communication. And, anyways, 2023 was a long time ago and we went ahead and fixed everything before we even received the after-action review.

So that response, first, does not seem very credible to the public who felt badly burnt, pardon the pun, by the 2023 evacuations and wildfire response. And, secondly, if you look at the text of the report and the rationale for this recommendation, the government hasn't accomplished everything that was intended.

The review says that a proper structure must have its own defined governance to ensure operational independence while still maintaining accountability. The review documents cases of political interference, delays in decision-making, and it's not enough to say, well, don't worry, those days are behind us. The after-action review emphasizes that the current structure is too fragmented, and quote, is not agile enough for large scale, multiple concurrent, or long duration emergencies".

Now the government argues that we do not have the resources to staff an entirely new agency. And I agree, but we don't need to start from scratch. I want to point out also that this is not the only recommendation in the after-action review where there are problems with the government's response. In numerous cases, the government said it agreed or partly agreed but then went on to explain how it doesn't really need to do the recommended action, or it explains what's already happening, but that explanation doesn't actually match what's being recommended.

So, Mr. Speaker, for those reasons, I will be supporting this motion in the hopes that it will lead the government to reflect further on cost effective ways to achieve the functions of a standalone emergency management agency. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. To the motion. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am happy to speak to this motion today. Mr. Speaker, I was perplexed when I both -- I guess from a political perspective and from an operational perspective when the GNWT flatly just rejected this recommendation.

Mr. Speaker, I don't know what the exact answer is. I do know that given the amount of hours we put in as Regular Members and Cabinet on determining how to go about this review, how to move it from an inquiry to an after-action, we collaborated on it, Mr. Speaker, we all had representatives to give us information back as this process went on. So, Mr. Speaker, again, I'm perplexed to say, to just flat out say no. What I would have hoped, you know, as a government and certainly is to come back and say, listen, at least we're going to take this away. We understand what they're saying. We're going to look at staffing, we're going to look at costing, we're going to look at whether or not we can amalgamate some departments as my colleague from Range Lake had said. So, Mr. Speaker, and, again, the proponents that did this review, I mean, they're aware of what we have. And I'm certainly not taking away from the hardworking people that we have throughout this government. And I know a lot of them, and Members in here know a lot of them. And that's not the point. The point is there was a recommendation here that at least needs to be considered, and it needs to be considered, as I said, through costing, through staffing, or how we want to do that, Mr. Speaker.

So I'm not going to reiterate for all the reasons because obviously the Members who spoke previously had already done that. But certainly I would recommend this motion. And, again, I would recommend that the government look at this recommendation a little closer and, indeed, look at how we can make this work for everyone. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. To the motion. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the experiences that I accumulated over the number of years fighting fire there way back when I can't remember, it's been so long here; we had rubber boots in those days. And to see the climate change and the very likelihood of having forest fires in our territory every summer is very likely to happen. So in short, I'll be supporting this motion on the spirit of management, efficiencies, and responses to protect our homes. We only got to look at the community of Enterprise, Mr. Speaker, the losses there and the effects and the costly effects for that matter, Mr. Speaker, of forest fires in our territory. Yes, I'm glad to see that we're making reference to other jurisdictions. We take those into account, what other jurisdictions are doing. But in the spirit of efficiencies on fire management, it's really the responsibility of the Members sitting around this chamber. We got to keep in mind that we learn from our experiences. And, Mr. Speaker, from those experiences, we have the responsibility to do what we think is best, not only for the communities in the south but the communities in the north.

I quote my brother-in-law during the evacuations of these communities in the southern territory. He had mentioned to the community in Fort Good Hope that we should be doing a feed the water ceremony, not a feed the fire ceremony, on the spirit and intent our family and friends and neighbours in the south need water. I never forgot that, Mr. Speaker. I think that was very commendable from Lawrence Manuel.

So I see a lot of value in the demand, the need, adjustments, reflections, on efficiencies to manage our territory. And on those bases and the recommendations, and the people that developed those recommendations. It's not somebody, as the previous Speaker mentioned, where didn't just hire somebody off the street that needed some consulting employment. So that by itself gives me faith that we hired and did the review and accreditation on hiring somebody, a firm, that would produce quality recommendations in the report. So in closing, I'll be supporting the motion, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, Mr. Speaker, we all come to the House, we all try to work together, look for solutions and, you know, we talk about consensus government and we're trying to make it work. And I was here when we voted on a motion not long after the fire season ended three years ago, and a couple years ago we put a motion in the House here to ask for a public inquiry, and it was defeated in this House. So I was a little taken aback for the fact that the people in our riding had some serious concerns about what happened. To this day, you know, we're really -- I guess the angels must be watching over us because this could have been really worse. There could have been a lot of fatalities.

So when I came here to vote and try to make consensus government work, the motion passed, but not long after that it was brought out that we're going to do our own internal investigation, totally dismissing the motion that we brought forward that was brought to our attention by our constituents. And so now here we are today talking about this motion, and for me, I'm trying to make this thing work, and to make sure that our people have a voice, and if we couldn't get a public inquiry and we now here we got an independent report and what's missing, though, is the human side of it. What I hear is that we got a report here, we got a motion here, but whenever I go back to my constituency, there are people saying, jeez, you know, I really would have wished they had a committee that kind of went around the communities and to listen to their issues and concerns.

I was there in Fort Resolution when Yellowknife was evacuated, Behchoko, they're all heading south, there was a fire in Hay River, Fort Smith, the community of Fort Resolution was on the verge of evacuation but good thing the leadership got together and said, no, where we going to go. There's still a lot of trauma that people have concerns with. And the human factor that is missing here. And I'm a little disappointed that we're totally just regarding the whole thing, and we're going to say this is the way it's going to be. So we got to figure a way where we could build trust again with the people in the communities. And I'm telling you this time the fatalities, we're really fortunate we didn't have any major fatalities. But going forward, the voices of people in the community need to be heard through a process, and right now, I don't -- right now, we're only doing an internal investigation, process here and recommendations were brought forward. Again, why do we make motions in the House if the other side of the House are going to totally dismiss it? Then why am I here?

When we pass that motion to ask for a public inquiry, that's when this government should have stood up and did that work. But that didn't happen. So, Mr. Speaker, it hits home that the trauma that's hitting our communities is still alive and well, and we got to restore that trust. And this motion that's been brought forward here today is a start. So, Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting this motion. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Colleagues, I must remind you we shouldn't be talking about previous Assemblies and their motions. So, please, focus on what we are talking about here.

To the motion. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke to some of my main concerns in the government response to the after-action review on our first day of this sitting, which is whether we're doing enough as a government to adequately ensure the safety of elders and folks with disabilities. The Minister of MACA said that he's hopeful and pretty certain a lot of my concerns will be addressed.

I will support this motion as a vote for the GNWT to adequately resource behind-the-scenes work, the important policy work, the demos and tabletop exercises, the communities, and all levels of civil society that need support to ensure the safety of residents who have the least capacity to grab a go-bag and evacuate.

We were not fully prepared to appropriately support these folks with the evacuation of Fort Providence this past summer as evidenced by their stories and mutual aid requests. The Minister has said that the staff of MACA will deal with this work. But I know as a past policy analyst that dedicated resources for a high priority topical issue, any issue, are thin. Topics such as emergency response planning and business continuity planning require year-round emphasis and dedicated staff. We all have different lenses on this topic, and I appreciate that the Minister may have more insights than we have fully discussed today or during this sitting, and I would encourage residents to attend or tune in to a public briefing we will have on this matter on Monday night. I know we're not as awesome as the Blue Jays, Mr. Speaker, but I'm very pleased we will dig into this issue deeper and examine complexities together. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. To the motion. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that there's a desire among certain Members to respond swiftly to things like a report like this, and certainly there can be merit in doing that, but I also want to note that it's important to me to take the time to understand an issue fully, give appropriate weight to a decision as impactful as departmental restructuring or establishment of a new agency altogether. We have limited resources, and we need to take the time necessary to be responsible stewards of those resources. For these reasons, I have advocated for and I'm looking forward to a hearing with the department we can dig further into this, develop a better understanding of the department's rationale for rejecting this recommendation, and ensure that the response which is put in place is an appropriate and effective response to the findings of the after-action review.

I want to be clear that at this time, similar to a few of my colleagues who have spoken, I don't think the government's response to this recommendation is comprehensive enough or gives me confidence that the government have fully accepted the gravity of the report's findings in this area. That said, similar to a few of the colleagues that have spoken already, I'm not necessarily convinced that the best course of action at this time is necessarily to establish a standalone organization. I'm not going to pretend to know more about structuring an emergency management organization than our departmental experts, but that is exactly why we commissioned an outside entity to conduct an after-action review. So when the government rejects recommendations such as this, it certainly gives me pause, and so I can understand the sentiment behind this motion coming forward.

Mr. Speaker, the motion is not binding. If it were, I think I'd have to speak a bit differently on it, but I am going to lend my support insofar as it provides weight behind the point that I'd like to see the government fully acknowledge the various issues raised in the after-action review which led to the recommendation to establish a standalone agency.

I want to read a bit from the after-action review itself to highlight some of the concerns that were raised. The review noted that our current emergency response structures often lead to confusion, blurred lines of authority, and fragmented communication. The lack of a cohesive and coordinated system appeared to hamper the effectiveness of the emergency management during the 2023 wildfires. Structural weaknesses within the governance framework became apparent as wildfire events began compounding. The local EMO, regional EMO, and territorial EMO system, while designed to provide accountability and oversight, proved ineffective during a large scale disaster. Competing layers of authority created delays in decision-making and confusion about jurisdictional boundaries and roles throughout the 2023 wildfire season. There was confusion from communities and GNWT staff in understanding how the territorial EMO operates internally and its interoperability with local EMOs. This fragmentation highlighted the need for a more unified command structure and an emergency governance model that prioritizes speed, clarity, and collaboration during crises. A lack of cohesion and preparedness planning left smaller, remote communities particularly vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, these findings of the after-action review accurately capture the issues with our current structures, and I am not confident right now that if we end up in a situation as serious as 2023 again, the outcome will be significantly different.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the improvements MACA has already made, and the city of Yellowknife did their own after-action review, which they're implementing. So we have made some progress towards necessary change, and I applaud that. But when I think of all the different pieces that were in play during the evacuation, all the various departments, agencies, NGOs, and governments involved, I think we still have a long way to go in getting ourselves to a position of being fully prepared. That's a real problem, and we have to address it in a timely manner. To that point, I also note that the government has noted in response to a number of other recommendations in the report the timeline of five years to get legislative changes in place. I think we need to take another look at that and see if we can respond within the timeframe recommended in the report, which I think is reasonable.

Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I'm looking forward to discussing this further in the briefing and the hearing that we've organized. Mr. Speaker, I want to note that if the model that we land on, as the Minister is advocating for is to draw on resources from other organizations versus the suggested recommendation of the after-action review of having excess capacity waiting in the wings, then the coordination between organizations and understanding the triggers and who does what are the areas that we can improve on most from a practical response and a structural legislative policy standpoint. This needs to include details like what staff are essential, what role they shift to in an emergency, and an agreement that their responsibilities go on hold during an emergency. Some of this exists, but I think everyone needs to have a better shared understanding of how it all works and recognize that government capacity is limited.

So, Mr. Speaker, those are all the comments I had written down. I think that I've captured my thoughts well here. I really do want to emphasize I'm looking forward to the briefing that we have scheduled with the Minister. What's important to me is that we take the time to fully unpack this, to understand why the rejection of the recommendation, but most importantly understand that whatever solution is put in place, it responds to all the issues raised in the after-action review appropriately. So, regardless of whether we have a standalone agency, whether we have functions within the department act like a standalone agency, we just need to ensure that everybody understands fully exactly what happens when an emergency strikes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. To the motion. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are living in a totally different world with uncertainty today. Low water levels, forest fires, erosions, permafrost melting that's impacting our buildings, roads, and highways. You know, this bill will benefit all the communities throughout the NWT. They need to contact somebody during the day or during the night, they'll have a number and an answer for their inquiries.

The government is dismissing yet another motion that will give the residents of the NWT some much needed assurance. With so much emergencies going on throughout the NWT, the general public will be assured that there is someone looking out for them. So it's sad to see that this government is dismissing yet another motion for security of the residents of the Northwest Territories. For this reason, I will be supporting this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Mackenzie Delta. To the motion.

Question has been called. The mover, do you wish to conclude debate? Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I do, and I shall.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much to the Members who spoke in support of the bill. You know, I do want to reflect as Members -- the bill, the motion. The motion; it's not a bill. Thank you for the correction. Not a full Point of Order but technically important.

So this all started -- Members have alluded to this, but one of the first substantive motions that we debated in this chamber of this Assembly was for a public inquiry, and the reason it is related to the motion is this report emerged from that. So we wouldn't have this report without that motion. And Members did speak to this directly.

Now, Mr. Speaker, if this was to replace a public process, I don't think it's done a good job. And we hear the concerns from Members, in particular Members from outside of regional centres. Mr. Speaker, I won't quote from the report again. Members have done that. It's very clear that the findings were significant.

And another concern I suppose I have over the course of this conversation in this chamber is publicly reported rationale for not accepting the recommendation was largely around fiscal capacity, the fact that it would be an offseason agency, that it's not really necessary because of those reasons. Today we're hearing a different story where it is we're doing it all already from the sounds of it. We have an EMO office. It does all the things that the recommendation made. But it does beg the question, as raised by the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, if TSI knew this coming in, the structure hasn't drastically changed in two years. So the structure is not novel. The structure has not undergone major reform. There's been improvements. Absolutely, the Minister spoke to those improvements. But it's the underlying structure that was recommended for change. And that's what we're talking about here. You know, we're not saying progress hasn't been made. But we're saying progress on this fundamental recommendation, the skeleton of our entire system of how we manage emergencies, that's unaffected. And until that changes, until we deal with what you could call root causes of a lack of emergency preparedness, we will continue to experience them.

Mr. Speaker, governments in Canada are all moving towards dedicated public safety ministries and agencies. The Minister's list of where agencies work similarly to ours apparently, even though some of the best practiced standards are similar models, you know, there are departments of public safety, there are departments of justice in public safety. And emergency -- EMO management is part of those operations. So, again, if a ministry -- a ministry can do this work as well, and it's something that Northerners need, you know. It's something Northerners need. Not just wildfire management but public safety generally, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things I'm also concerned about, the report at large, is it speaks frequently to the need for a culture of safety throughout the government, not just in one office, but throughout the government, and numerous recommendations made, including recommendations around incident command management system training and usage are -- only speak to what's happening in the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and not across the whole government. We'd like to have whole of government approaches, at least we like to talk about it. So if we're going to have a culture of safety and we need to do -- we need to have structural institutions of safety. That is what they're getting at when they're making these recommendations. It's not that we're not doing stuff; it's that we're not doing -- again, we're not changing the underlying culture of the GNWT as it relates to this important priority.

Mr. Speaker, okay, I think we've -- I sense that we should move on. We have other business to attend to. But, Mr. Speaker, I do also agree that I don't want to see a recommendation 120 days that says we already told you we weren't going to do it, we're not going to do it now. So this is very unusual. I've never done this before, but I'm going to urge the Members opposite who seek to abstain to vote against this because I'd rather have a vote against on the record if they're not going to respond to this in a meaningful way. Because that's the antithesis of what this motion is supposed to do. It's supposed to consider the clauses, evaluate them, and respond with an open mind, not a mind already made up. So if they're going to vote against, I encourage them to vote against it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Thank you, Member from Range Lake. The Member has asked for a recorded vote. For all those in favour, please stand.

All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

Colleagues, 9 in favour. Zero opposed. 6 abstaining. The motion has been carried.

---Carried

Motions. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome Ms. Christina Gaudet to the House here. Christina has been a friend to the family here for many decades, and she's the regional superintendent of MACA for the Sahtu region. Welcome.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to try to recognize each session -- or, you know, to the best of my ability, one of the interpreters, one of my friends, Ms. Sarah Cleary. She puts in an enormous amount of work keeping up with us. Sometimes when we get going too fast, I do worry about the hard work she has to do, but I'm very grateful that Sarah here is representing her language and the spirit of her community, and she's a Sahtu constituent in Yellowknife. So anyway, I'm always grateful to see her. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize two pages from the Nunakput riding. Nita Lucas and Emery Keogak are from the Inualthuyak School in Sachs Harbour. And just to add, I just want to recognize Nita because she's harvested two polar bears. So that's a pretty amazing individual. Powerful woman in the territory, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To add to the Members, her first polar bear was when she was 11 years old.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize a resident of Hay River, Ms. Bette Lyons, who somehow has managed to sit through much of this week's proceedings, so I commend her for that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Hay River North. I kind of asked the question if you were going to recognize anybody this session there.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would also like to recognize Christine Gaudet in the gallery. She's a dedicated MACA employee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Hay River South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chamber. I'd like to thank you very much for allowing us 19 to represent the people of the Northwest Territories. I hope you're enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to have people in the gallery.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Colleagues, being respectful of the time, and I know how long we're going to be going, we're going to have to call a break for our translators. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I can request on returning to the number 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mahsi.

Thank you. Member from the Sahtu is asking unanimous consent to return to recognition of visitors in the gallery. Seeing no nays, you may return. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues there. We can't forget about our youth. I'd like to recognize two pages there, Alex Aviugana from the community of Colville Lake. And Nevaeh Jackson from Fort Good Hope. Welcome to the House there, young people. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too want to recognize a young page from my riding, Matthew Unka. Mahsi.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I'm going to jump on the boat from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh and recognize Matthew Unka who used to be from Fort Simpson and was taught by my daughter who had to say make sure I send her a picture of him. So welcome here. Thank you.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my communities urgently need more RCMP members. Up to 40 percent of positions in the North are unfilled, and a higher turnover disrupts relationships with the local law enforcement partners. With the federal government recently announcing 1,000 new RCMP hires nationwide, my question is to the justice Minister what are you doing with the federal colleagues to bring more RCMP north to the Northwest Territories and to the small communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member stated, you know, vacancy rate in the Northwest Territories in the RCMP, we are unfortunately number one in the country with the 22.9 percent unfilled position rate currently. And, you know, this has certainly posed a huge challenge for many of our detachments across the NWT. Fortunately, we have been able to address this challenge through the -- we've managed to get 18 relief members from across Canada have been brought in to provide temporary support to our communities, which has been very much appreciated, and we are working on the recruitment and retention as one of our key priorities, and the department continues to work closely with the RCMP to support solutions for sustainability and service delivery. And we have dedicated $200,000 in funding toward recruitment in the upcoming budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our communities are in the best position to identify how to enhance public safety with the RCMP. Will the Minister work with the RCMP and federal Government of Canada to ensure consultation with Indigenous leadership before renewing or modifying any RCMP contracts? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we currently -- G-division and the commander currently has an Indigenous advisory committee that he meets with twice annually and part of that meeting and consultation process is to receive advice from those Indigenous leaders and participants from across the territory which are recommended and appointed by regional Indigenous governments and organizations across the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Justice. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The TRC and MMIWG Calls for Justice call for Indigenous people to have greater authority over policing in their communities, and these principles are reinforced by UNDRIP. Can the Minister update this House on what steps the GNWT's taking to integrate these rights and Calls to Action into policing, especially when Indigenous governments pointed out gaps in the public safety? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this question is a little bit more involved and detailed and will require some additional work. So what I am prepared to do today is commit to the Member that I will reach out to the other departments, EIA and other departments, etcetera, have my department do that, and provide a response back to the Member on this question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Justice. Oral questions. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be directed to MACA, Minister of MACA. Can the Minister inform this House as to how many of our schools within the NWT have backup generators to serve as muster points within our smaller communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I think that question may go to ECE. I think that's -- if we're talking about schools and backup generators, so Minister of ECE.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd have to go and look and see which schools are designated as muster points and which one of those have backup generators. But I can confirm that two of the schools the Member was discussing in his Member's statement do not have backup generators. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister look at equipping the schools that are not equipped with backup generators to have them installed within the schools? With the recent power outage in Fort McPherson, it shut the whole community down, even the schools and recent years before the school burnt down, we were able to attend the school because they had a backup generator but the new school doesn't. So will the Minister look at equipping schools within the NWT with backup generators in the future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can look at the capital standards to see if new school builds that are designated as muster points in the community for emergency purposes do have the requirement that they have backup generators. And then I can also commit to getting a comprehensive list of the status of existing school infrastructure for the Member as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. They have these sea cans now that can be adjusted to fit these buildings. Will the Minister look at consulting with the two communities in my riding to look at the process of obtaining backup generators for these schools in the immediate future so they could be utilized as muster points? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, any kind of investment of that size would have to go through our capital planning process, and so I can certainly look into what the cost would be and make sure that the Member is aware and commit to bringing that back to the Member. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my first set of questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

So since the child and youth counsellors from HSS were shifted out of schools just over two years ago, ECE has given funds directly to the schools and education authorities for in-school mental health and wellness programs; however, many parents are still not clear what specific programs or activities are now available for their children. I understand the Minister has given considerable leeway to the schools to decide how the mental health and wellness funding is spent. Can she commit, though, to ensuring that the schools publish information and inform parents as to what programs and activities are now being offered in terms of mental health? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, just to acknowledge the Member is correct. So while health and social services provides services that are clinically based, education, culture and employment acquired funding to focus more on the prevention side. And I can confirm for the Member, yes, I agree with the Member, there needs to be a transparency and public awareness component to this. And as it exists right now education bodies are expected to report annually on the school-based mental health and wellness programming through their planning and accountability frameworks. This information is tabled annually, which is used to inform the public, but also to inform policy changes going forward to inform funding requirements, etcetera. And I can also commit to the Member that I can bring this forward as well as far as making this information potentially more digestible for parents from an education -- by education body // case. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd appreciate if the Minister could also direct us to where those annual reports are found. I'm wondering does ECE have any requirements in terms of what the school-based programs must include in terms of parameters? For example, does it need to include some service to be able to respond to a mental health crisis by a student or options for one-on-one support in addition to group activities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, there are guidelines for this program and also policy direction on how education bodies provide access to mental wellness services, and that's divided up by a whole-school approach, classroom-based approach, small group, and also one on one. It's important to note that it is not expected by the school-based mental health and wellness program from the education side that educators also be clinicians or that the peer support workers be clinicians. And so what they've identified is through a tiered-approach to supporting students at the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, so that there is both a proactive and prevention focus on the mental health supports that schools are providing. And it's incredibly important that this program can be flexible to the needs of the school itself because our educators are best placed to understand the needs of the students, what they're going through. Our kids are talking to one another. They're talking to the adults in the school. And that is how educators are able to be responsive to what students need. That doesn't replace, though, the clinician approach from health and social services. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So just finally can the Minister tell us how she's monitoring the success of these programs to make sure it's accomplishing what it's meant to accomplish? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I meet twice a year with our education body leaders, and we do that in the spring and then again in the fall. That meeting is happening in mid November. And that's an opportunity to have really candid frank conversations with all the leaders, superintendents, and chairs, about how the program is going, and I'm very clear at every single meeting that I expect and ask for updates on everybody's programs and how it's rolling out because the mental health of our students is incredibly important.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, we also have our education accountability framework. This includes annual operating plans, budgets, performance measures, and monthly data submissions from education bodies.

We also have our early development instrument and middle years development instrument, and this is success monitoring over time.

And then we also have that data that I spoke to earlier with the Member that informs policy development, funding decisions, and service improvements. But that, again, is over time. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask questions to the Minister of ECC about encampments.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has designated Commissioner's land as a place to go, so in other words they're actually sanctioning encampments on Commissioner's land. And by directing them in that particular area, there must be some responsibility that is taken. So knowing for a fact there are propane tanks, jerry cans stored properly -- improperly to be clear, open fires, and there's waste that's spilling on to private property that the private property owners have to be now responsible for, what are the inspectors of ECC doing to, say, mitigate or address these types of problems? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of ECC.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our staff from environment and climate change and the lands division have been visiting sites throughout the city over the last number of months, and also have responded to some requests from citizens and some of those that came through other Members of this House, you know, on garbage and different things like that that have been out and around the city and some of these areas and have engaged with local NGOs to do some work in cleaning different areas as well as our staff have also gone out and participated in some of that activity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If someone went out on the Ingraham Trail and built a permanent structure, and one example I'll give is the tree house tower of some sort, out of building material and other types of things -- who knows what it's made out of; it doesn't look safe -- the Department of ECC would be instructing that that had to be cleaned up, torn down, etcetera. So why are these structures being allowed on Commissioner's land because they're downtown Yellowknife but if it was on the Ingraham Trail, they'd be posting an order to clean up? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unauthorized occupancy is certainly an area of concern. Within the Commissioner's land and public land, the ability for any resident of the Northwest Territories to occupy that land in a tent, you know, for in a camping situation, is within the allowable activities. Of course, they are responsible for following all of the associated rules and things that apply to that.

As far as the unauthorized structures, that is not allowed obviously. And as our officers go around and we attempt to engage with the individuals that we may or may not know who's created that structure and have that conversation to try and resolve that situation. And then there's a step process that would escalate it up to the posting and often to the court system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ECC. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Mr. Speaker, I raise it again because it's so important. If there are propane tanks there, open fires, jerry cans, all within reach, Mr. Speaker, and garbage spewing everywhere and, in my opinion, some difficult living conditions, can the Minister provide this House, if not verbally today, some statistics and data on how often these sites are all individually inspected and what have been the results from each individual inspection with some dates? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, obviously, that is not information that I would have with me here today but I'm certainly willing to -- I will commit to go back to the department and see what we keep in statistics, in data, around those specific items that the Member has raised and be happy to get back to the Member with a response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we last sat, the drinking water situation at Yellowknife schools was just starting to break. The priority then was getting information out to the public about the safety of children and staff, and then we saw the entire situation play out over the summer.

Mr. Speaker, why did it take until August for drinking water measures to be taken at NJ McPherson when measures were taken at two other schools in May? And that's a question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, as we know, there was 42 out of 44 schools that were tested originally. The original test that came back for NJ McPherson school was right on the cusp, and so the GNWT retested that school and it was found to be significantly lower than required MAC level. And then out of an abundance of caution, following the testing protocol that was established, it was identified that the GNWT would retest NJ McPherson School based on the original test result that was received. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's a relief, then, that the new protocol does seem to be working, and it's being done properly. Are there any other schools that were initially tested that were -- now need to be retested based on the new protocol? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, from the original test numbers, it was isolated to those three schools that had the high numbers. Thank you.