Debates of May 22nd, 2025

Thank you very much, George Suluk, for opening guiding words.

Ministers' statements. Minister for ECE.

Mr. Speaker, in January 2025 Aurora College announced its plans to close community learning centres as part of its efforts to resolve low enrolment and adjust the way academic upgrading is delivered. Following that news, I heard loud and clear from Indigenous governments, communities, non-profit organizations and my colleagues in this House, that hands-on community-based learning is essential. I want to express my gratitude to all those who brought forward their concerns and their visions for the future of these centres, and for community-based education more broadly.

Mr. Speaker, Aurora College is implementing a modernized approach to the delivery of adult learning and basic education through campuses and online, including hiring instructors and technical support staff to facilitate and support distance learning across all communities. The approach will focus on flexibility, engagement and support while using technology to create effective learning environments. While the Aurora College board of governors is responsible for the operational decisions of the college, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is responsible for providing residents with access to quality programs and supports that enhance education and employment opportunities. The Department will continue to deliver high school equivalency tests, now called the Canadian Adult Education Credential, which can help open new doors to employment, advance careers and support access to other learning or training opportunities, including apprenticeships.

In addition, the department is building on past employment readiness successes. Over a two-year period, which concluded in 2024, the department provided funding to the NWT Literacy Council to help fund employment readiness programs. This training included four weeks of classroom-style programming followed by two weeks supported employment model. Learners were supported with a training allowance, childcare funding, and wraparound supports like transportation, counselling and clothing needed for jobs. This training was delivered in Behchoko, Gameti, Wekweeti, Whati, Fort Simpson, Aklavik, and Fort McPherson, and 75 percent of participants either gained employment or went on to further education. This program was a clear success, and the department is working closely with the NWT Literacy Council to discuss future community deliveries. I look forward to keeping Members updated on that work.

Mr. Speaker, later this year we will begin to receive data resulting from the Post-Secondary Education Accountability Framework. The framework gives post-secondary institutions direction on what must be reported each year and supports the monitoring and evaluation of our post-secondary education system. This will increase our understanding of the types of programs our residents are accessing, including those learners accessing adult literacy and basic education through Aurora College campuses or online.

Mr. Speaker, every community is unique, and their needs, objectives and plans are distinct. Similarly, each facility that has been used as a community learning centre is unique. Some are standalone buildings while others access space through sharing agreements with other facilities. Each of these factors add complexity and nuance to the equation, but it also gives us an incredible opportunity to collaborate with Indigenous governments and community partners on their future use.

Last session, I made a commitment to engage Indigenous governments and communities on the future of community learning centres, and I am pleased to share that engagement is well underway. We have reached out to partners, including Indigenous and local community governments, and offered one-on-one discussions centered specifically around the facilities in their communities and focused on their needs. I have also heard from partners who have a direct interest in seeing these facilities continue to deliver programs and services that support adult learners. In addition, a commitment was made to develop a critical path and timeline toward ensuring residents have access to quality programs that enhance education and employment opportunities going forward. Building from the steps I have highlighted, I look forward to sharing further details with my colleagues prior to the end of this sitting.

Mr. Speaker, alongside the steps Aurora College has taken to extend the reach of adult literacy and basic education, I see this as an opportunity to ensure the vision and voice of communities are captured as we reshape the way adult learning is delivered in the NWT. I applaud all the Northerners who are pursuing adult education, literacy and skill building, and I want to provide assurance that the GNWT is working hard to remove barriers and improve access to education for all residents. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a complex issue that affects all of our communities. The rising cost of living, addictions, and climate emergencies have disproportionately affected our most vulnerable residents. The GNWT is committed to finding solutions that provides more homes for Northerners.

The GNWT continues to focus on a whole-of-government approach to address homelessness, following the development of A Way Home: A Comprehensive Strategy to Address Homelessness in the Northwest Territories.

A Way Home highlights the need for collaboration among government agencies, community organizations, and Indigenous governments and organizations. These solutions need to be culturally appropriate and respect the unique needs and strengths of our Indigenous communities. It is a challenge I am committed to addressing by enhancing supports, improving access to services, and making meaningful progress.

Non-governmental organizations play a critical role in the service delivery continuum to address and prevent homelessness, and we are committed to fostering these relationships to ensure that NGOs remain resilient and provide sustainable services.

Earlier this spring, I was able to tour the Hay River Homeless Shelter and witnessed the positive work that is being done to support residents experiencing homelessness. I was happy to see how GNWT's investment with the Hay River Metis Local 51 is strengthening these vital services. We are making a real difference by investing in community-led solutions and work towards a more inclusive Northwest Territories.

Part of our focus is increasing transitional and supportive housing options which are crucial for helping people stabilize their lives. Moving directly from shelters to independent housing is often challenging, so housing with wraparound support is essential. The Transitional Housing for After Addictions Recovery Program in Yellowknife is one example of the GNWT and an NGO partnering to provide housing for those who have completed addictions treatment. A similar site is being developed in Inuvik.

Transitional housing is a step toward a healthier and more compassionate community, and I look forward to developing additional transitional housing projects across the North.

Homelessness remains one of the most pressing issues facing our territory, and it is something I deeply care about. I am committed to continually work towards everyone having a safe, stable place to call home. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NT. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, making health care accessible to every Northwest Territories resident is a core mandate priority of this government. People across the Northwest Territories access our medical travel program, whether they are travelling to access health services in a regional centre, in the capital, or in the south. This means that a reliable medical travel program is vital to the Northwest Territories residents and to achieving this mandate priority.

In every community I have visited, residents tell me how difficult it is to navigate medical travel. This process can be confusing and frustrating, and it is the subject of a great many questions that come to my office from MLAs and constituents.

Medical travel staff work tirelessly to meet the needs of every traveler, but the program is inherently complex and each day they struggle by juggling patient referrals, coordinate with health care providers, and arrange flights and accommodations for dozens of travelers, all at the same time, often on short notice.

During my first year as Minister, it became very clear that this program needs a thorough overhaul so it can better serve Northwest Territories residents and be simpler for staff to manage.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to share some of the work that is underway to modernize this program. When complete, the modernized medical travel program will give residents better support and make the steps for arranging medical travel clearer and easier to follow.

In recent months we have drafted the detailed work plan to improve how medical travel services are delivered in the Northwest Territories. The plan maps current program operations, sets clearer and more consistent processes, and will give residents simpler and more useful information. A dedicated project team is leading this work, and we have already presented the plan to the Standing Committee on Social Development for feedback.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: This work will not cut or scale back medical travel services. Residents who must leave their community for care will continue to receive the support that they rely on. Our aim is to make the program more consistent, simpler to navigate, and truly centered on the client's needs.

This work is also supported by the broader efforts being led by the public administrator of the NTHSSA. Through engagement with staff and leadership and presentations to standing committees, we are identifying gaps in client experience and improving how care is coordinated. The goal is to make medical travel smoother for those who need it, and to reduce the need for travel over time by strengthening access to quality care within communities.

Over the next six months, we will focus on examining each step of the program and introducing improvements so residents can understand and access medical travel with greater ease.

The newly modernized medical travel program is expected to come into effect on September 1, 2026. Until that time, we will continue to work with Indigenous governments, staff, and Members of this Legislative Assembly to ensure that we are on the right path. This is part of our broader commitment to improve access to care and build a stronger and more sustainable health and social services system in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Ministers' statements. Deputy Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Member for Hay River North, the Premier, will be absent from the House today to host the western Premiers' conference here in Yellowknife.

Thank you, Deputy Premier. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I shared with my colleagues the story of 5-year-old Alma who passed away in residential school in Fort Resolution. Alma was buried in Fort Resolution, but her sister promised her mother that she would bring Alma home back to Fort Smith to be laid to rest along with her. The children who died at St. Joseph's School were buried in Fort Resolution, not in their home communities. The death of these children needs to be properly investigated by the coroner's office as there are serious reasons to doubt her cause of death was TB as stated by the Indian agent on her death certificate.

Unfortunately, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is adamant in stepping outside their jurisdiction and demanding that the repatriation of these children requires an application for an archaeological permit. The circumstances of this investigation falls outside the scope and requirement of the Archaeological Site Act. These are marked graves in an active cemetery. There's burials of 11 children have been discovered without crosses rotting in the grass. ECE does not investigate crimes, and the remains of the children are not artifacts.

The Minister's mandate letter directs her to advance the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, insisting that the remains of the Indigenous children are subject to Archaeological Sites Act review is the same colonial mindset that led to the creation of the residential school to begin with. This stands in direct contradiction to both the spirit and intent of Minister Cleveland's mandate letter from the Premier.

Canada is at the age of reconciliation, and Northerners expect more from this government to talk without action, yet in front of us, the rights of Indigenous peoples are being reduced to a mere privilege dependent on this Minister's discretion alone. This afternoon, I will give this government another opportunity to commit to this investigation proceeding without delay so that Alma's sister has the chance to find the closure she deserves within her lifetime as she is now 87 years old.

I would reiterate the Deninu Kue First Nation wants the coroner's office to assist in the investigation in the death of these children. By honouring this request, we're honouring the children that have passed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, if we work together for a common good, we stand. And if we're divided, we fall. I believe this is true now more than ever in the context of our NWT healthcare system. I've been concerned at some of the public messaging coming from the health authority and the Minister that could pit our residents and communities against one another.

The messaging seems to imply that we have to choose between community health centres or cabins and regional hospitals, which deserve more of our attention and resources; that we have to choose whether we work on health promotion and prevention, or whether we put more resources into emergency care; that we need to choose who we should listen to more, Indigenous residents in small communities or the frontline doctors and nurses serving the territory.

I understand that resources are always constrained, but health care can never become a competition for which of our residents deserve better care. All of our residents deserve good care and good access, no one should be suffering, either because there's no emergency responder to come help you if you've fallen down in your home, there's no one at the end of the phone line at the health centre, or the primary care phone system in Yellowknife doesn't work at all. All these situations are unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, as soon as we start having debates about health cabins versus hospitals, health promotion versus emergency care, we are in trouble. It's like having a debate about which is more important, your left hand or your right hand, your heart or your liver. If any of the pieces in our system are missing or broken, the system falls apart, and the whole territory suffers.

Health authority management may struggle to deal with the course of concerns and suggestions coming from frontline nurses and doctors, but the answer is not to brush them aside and say, well, we've been listening to you all complaining for too long, it's time we listened to Indigenous community members instead. Real solutions need all of these voices, frontline providers and community members, talking to each other, not having all their input filtered separately through a dozen layers of management and packaged into a sterile plan that few actually read. We need to stop setting up residents and communities in competition against each other, stop taking staff for granted and instead value everyone's contribution. We need to build a healthcare system that lifts everyone up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to read my youth parliamentarian statement by Mr. Jack Penny. I have modified it slightly for accuracy but as of current -- currently as of today, but it's a pleasure to read these each year.

I would like to speak about the importance of preserving Tin Can Hill in Yellowknife by designating it as a territorial park, an area for scientific study.

Mr. Speaker, Tin Can Hill is currently under the jurisdiction of the city of Yellowknife. City council has designated it as a parks and recreations area in its zoning bylaw. In 2022, the Government of the Northwest Territories, in partnership with Aurora College, proposed development of a new polytechnic university campus on a portion of Tin Can Hill. This proposal led to the signing of an MOU between the GNWT and the city of Yellowknife indicating the city's willingness to consider transferring land for the campus development; however, Yellowknife city of Yellowknife ended this agreement in March when the mayor and city manager said that there is currently no plan to develop any part of the area.

Mr. Speaker, the authority to establish a territorial park falls under the jurisdiction of the Minister of ITI under the Territorial Parks Act. I call on this government to enter a new agreement with the city to complete a transfer of land and establish Tin Can Hill Territorial Park.

Mr. Speaker, it's crucial that we protect the network of trails and geological features of Tin Can Hill for future generations. Designating this area as a territorial park would ensure long-term environmental stewardship while respecting Indigenous history and providing opportunities for education and sustainable tourism.

Mr. Speaker, residents have spoken clearly. They want Tin Can Hill preserved. By creating a territorial park, we not only protect the land but we invest in our community. I urge the department of ITI to work collaboratively with the city of Yellowknife and Indigenous governments to make this vision a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave.

Colleagues, before we continue with our Members' statement, I'd like to recognize visitors from the College Nordique and their guests from college, and I apologize if I said it wrong. I do not speak French, so I apologize. So welcome to our Assembly.

Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Just over two months ago, a shooting occurred in the community of Fort Providence. This violence tragically resulted in one person being killed and two others injured. Shortly after their investigation began, the RCMP linked the shooting to the drug trade. Two days ago, media reported that the RCMP made an arrest in Kelowna, BC, and an individual be brought back to the Northwest Territories to face charges. I want to acknowledge the efforts of the RCMP in this investigation. The RCMP's hard work and unwavering dedication to our communities is very much appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, if making residents in communities safe is a priority of this Assembly, then we must do more. We need new legislation. People are worried about their safety and well-being. Youth are being coaxed into the drug scene. Homes that used to have open doors are now locked and shuttered due to drug violence. Conditions placed on offenders or repeat offenders are not working or are not being followed. Violence connected to the drug trade is becoming more and more common not only in the Deh Cho but across the territory.

Safe communities and neighbourhoods legislation will, without a doubt, provide authorities with additional tools to combat the onslaught of drugs and violence affecting our communities. Our communities need help, and they need it now. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice at the appropriate time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had hoped not to have to make this Member's statement once again in this House; I think I've made it a couple of times. Mr. Speaker, it's dealing with the issue of Nova Apartments in the community of Inuvik in my riding.

Mr. Speaker, I still get weekly emails, messages, and calls regarding the standard of living in the building. Messages are often accompanied by photos, sometimes videos, showing the often horrendous living conditions and the common areas of this building. Often there are videos of altercations within the building, violence, doors being destroyed, and other illegal activities taking place in the common areas. Exterior doors are often damaged to the point that the building is no longer secure.

Mr. Speaker, there have been several drug busts in this building over the past several months, likely over the past couple of years, and I applaud the local RCMP for their diligence in getting that work done but, Mr. Speaker, it seems to never end. Once one bad actor is removed, another seems to take their place.

There are families with young children in this building; there are elders in this building, often living in fear. I understand, Mr. Speaker, that this space is leased from a private landlord; however, our housing corporation does occupy the majority of units in the building. If the existing lease agreement does not provide options for proper security and management of the building, then we must act quickly to make the appropriate changes. If not, then, for heaven's sake let's finds a safe place for our residents to live where they're not having to live, life, daily, in fear.

Mr. Speaker, this has been ongoing for months, as I've said, even years. I implore the Minister, for the safety of the residents, for the quality of life of the residents, let's get this issue dealt with once and for all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Fort Simpson on the request of their district education authority. Obviously, this is somewhat expectational but nonetheless, when Northerners anywhere need this Assembly's help, I'm happy to play my part, and I know you would do the same for my Range Lake constituents.

Mr. Speaker, it became clear to me from these discussions that a common theme was emerging: the lack of support from the education system. It is heartbreaking to see duly elected community representatives and hard-working parents not getting the help they deserve to address very serious concerns that include:

• Mishandling of a critical incident;
• Leadership failures and inaction;
• Misinformation and inconsistent communication;
• Alleged retaliation and abuse of authority;
• Lack of transparent communication with staff and families;
• Failure to facilitate restorative practices or community healing; and,
• Blocking student participation in school activities due to interpersonal conflicts.

The effects of these actions have reportedly led to high staff turnover and multiple stress leaves, a loss of trust among educators, families, and the broader community, and a sense of unsafety within the school environment. The broad administrative response has been brought into question as well. When the DEA tried to fix these problems that they were elected to fix, they were met with perceived favouritism and a lack of fairness from supervisory officials and inadequate responses to serious complaints and no real community engagement.

Mr. Speaker, some of these issues have already been reported in the media, and I suspect more will follow. I should stress that the concerns raised here are alleged and not proven, but the voices of the community are loud and united in purpose to solve a problem that has slowly grown worse over time. Now the Minister has a choice: Listen to the voices of the small communities or continue to support a colonial system that is failing to protect students, staff, and families. I hope she will make the right choice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Legal outreach.

Mr. Speaker, small communities need a wide range of legal services, not just criminal matters. We have elders who need to commission oath or need advice on property, wills, and other issues. Mr. Speaker, the Legal Aid Commission offers a free outreach program to residents to provide limited legal advice. How can people in small communities access this service?

According to the Department of Justice website, outreach lawyers can provide individuals with an hour of free confidential advice, and the program is intended to help with housing and tenants dispute, income support claims and appeals, employment, wills and estate, child protection, elder abuse, civil claims, and other matters.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good program, and I am glad we have it. But, do we have lawyers visiting our communities for outreach?

I had heard that resources for clinics have been reduced. Residents of small communities currently pay their own travel expenses to access legal aid in Yellowknife. This does not factor in co-pay. My constituents rely on legal aid and have few other options for legal services. Mr. Speaker, their financial eligibility table has not been updated since February 2019. It should reflect our high cost of living.

This table states it is assumed the cost of a lawyer increases across zones. But, Mr. Speaker, there is really only one zone where legal services are available. All three legal aid clinics are in Yellowknife. Of the nearly 40 panel lawyers of the commission, only 11 are residents - 10 in Yellowknife and 1 in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Justice. Thank you.

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

No trespassing, Mr. Speaker. I'm referring to a no trespassing Act. Mr. Speaker, it's almost impossible to remove someone who is unwanted on a particular property, business, or even in a private situation.

Mr. Speaker, individuals can hold property owners hostage on their own property because they are exercising their rights to be there. Where is the fairness in this, Mr. Speaker? Where is the rule of law? Where is the basic reason of understanding, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, where is the fairness when you empower an encampment to be on your property? Where is the process to ban them, to make them move along? The citizens believe the law is broken with no law.

Mr. Speaker, when you have a grocery store that can't stop people from entering who are known for stealing from it or causing disruption with staff and patrons, what are you left to do other than complain to your politicians who he looks and won't do anything.

Mr. Speaker, I've come to learn that moving at the speed of government has become a trend here, if not a fact, and moving at the speed means is slow, if not backwards, as possible. I know they want to do the right thing, but in my experience that's after trying the wrong thing ten times.

Mr. Speaker, when citizens try to go home -- Northern Heights is a good example -- you have a cluster of people, 20 people, blocking the entrance of their home. They intimidate them. They block them. They demand things. They scare people. It leads to lower quality of life. And I guarantee you, I can't imagine that improves property value. There's no law on the books, but it's a slippery slope. When you start tolerating this, it emboldens them. You give them food, it entrenches them. You fence them in to protect them, you empower them. You provide toilets, you've given them a reason to be there. And of course, all through this process you end up acquiescing them by giving them, by your reluctance, to address the problem. This gives them rights over your rights, over owner rights. No court will remove them once you've emboldened them, protected them, tolerated them, and now provided for them, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I only took trespass laws packages from four jurisdictions, and there are more. I've got Alberta, BC, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia. They are less than six pages each. I'll be speaking to the government today during question period. Because if they don't want to do this, maybe a Private Member's bill is time to address this issue. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to workforce development, we have had some success in the NWT with individual companies developing a project-specific workforce through training and development programs. This has worked well for long-term projects like mines which have lifespans of a decade or more; however, our economy is increasingly shifting towards more project-based employment for which this kind of workforce development model does not work as well. Projects are more time limited, sometimes involve seasonal work, and are spread across the territory. Any individual project, be it mine remediation, housing construction, or large scale construction projects like the Stanton hospital, often aren't long-term or large enough to develop their own workforce, nor can they take on the responsibility of lining up future work for people as their project winds down. I think unless there is better coordination and planning around workforce development and deployment, we may see local employment numbers drop even further than what we are already seeing. I would like the government to be proactive about addressing this challenge, and I think the GNWT is best positioned to take on the role of workforce planning and coordination.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of workforce availability in this the NWT is an increasingly urgent and pressing issue. The president of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Construction Association raised concern in the media recently that shortage of labour is one of their top concerns. When I was meeting with individuals involved in managing workforce for large remediation projects in the NWT, similar concern was expressed, and it was noted that the lack of centralized workforce coordination in the NWT makes it difficult to identify and link workers with and across projects to ensure continuity of employment through apprenticeships and steady employment after trade certificates are obtained. While GNWT does do some of this work and has prioritized workforce development, I think there is room for the government to step further and more effectively into not only training and development but also workforce coordination.

I am imagining a government agency or division which would act as a matchmaker of sorts which could coordinate with individuals, Indigenous governments, and others to help connect projects with skilled labour. This would help projects maximize northern employment and employment continuity for skilled workers. It could also strengthen our ability to help plan for workforce development and training with post-secondary institutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll have questions for the Minister of ITI at the appropriate time.

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

Colleagues, on May 1st I had the opportunity to preside over the 2025 Youth Parliament. I have to say it was a great to witness these young people be MLAs. Today, I have the pleasure of sharing the Member from the Nahendeh, Payton Bennet, statement.

I am speaking to you today about the inadequacies I have seen regarding facilities, access to training, and insufficient space in our smaller communities compared to the bigger centers like Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik, and Fort Smith.

Today I'm speaking for youth athletes. I've done a variety of sports that are available throughout the different seasons in Fort Simpson, including speed skating, soccer, snowboarding, and basketball. I've witnessed and experienced different issues associated with sports in northern communities firsthand. After participating and competing in sport while growing up in small communities, I've grown up understanding that the larger towns will always have advantages that leads to be more successful. I have coached children from the ages of 3 to 10 in speed skating. I love watching them grow in the sport, and have fun with it, although I want more for them. They have already accomplished so much; I want them to continue making achievements. They deserve to continue to feel proud and have the pride in their sport. All kids across the Northwest Territories deserve that but especially in the smaller communities.

I feel that the territorial sports organizations, school districts and school boards must engage in meaningful discussions on how to approach the idea of giving equal access, along with attention to sports, in the smaller communities. This includes addressing barriers such as limited access to proper facilities, inadequate funding, insufficient training for community coaches, and beneficial camps for young athletes. I have observed, and experienced athletes have shorter seasons in training due to weather conditions affecting their facilities.

I have seen many youths in the North use sports as a constructive outlet. It provides them with an activity, a place to go to cope, and get away with their personal challenges. I've seen my peers grow together as individuals.

I want to advocate for all the youth across the North that would like to be involved in sport. I will continue to bring attention to these ongoing issues. I encourage others to understand the unique circumstances small communities deal with.

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully urge the Government of the Northwest Territories to look at the way the smaller community sport is funded and supported. I feel that the smaller community athletes have a good chance at making teams more often if they are given the attention they deserve. This is done by recognizing the community athletes as strong and equal to the larger-centered athletes.

Along with consistent learning and growing opportunities and frequent access to the facilities that do exist through training trips. Ultimately these youth deserve the resources to achieve. Thank you, Ms. Payton Bennet.

Members' statements. Motions. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Sarah-Jayne Dempster, the president of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour who is here today with her son Corbin Dempster. Welcome to your House; really glad you could be here.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery.

If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chamber. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to see people in the gallery and allow us to represent you in the Northwest Territories.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to take this time to acknowledge two graduating students from Ecole St. Patrick High School, which is in my riding. I want to Congratulate Audrey Debogorski and Stella Fairman on their achievements. Along with the accomplishment of graduating from Ecole St. Patrick High School, Ms. Debogoski and Ms. Fairman are both receiving the Loran Award from the Loran Scholars Foundation. These students were selected, from amongst 6,000 applicants nation-wide, to become two of the 36 Loran Scholars for 2025. The award includes a four-year post-secondary scholarship, leadership-enrichment program and a mentorship program.

Congratulations and all the best to Ms. Debogorski and Ms. Fairman, and I want to say how proud our entire community is of you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand why people do encampments. There are a variety of reasons, whether they're exercising their freedoms, they're demonstrating political statements, affordability and, of course, addictions and other types. It's not meant to be an all-inclusive list, but there's reasons why.

Mr. Speaker, knowing that the government isn't moving forward on the Trespass Act any time in the foreseeable future, it may be on a list for one day in the fulsome of time, but the truth be told is we need to act now.

So the question to the Minister of Justice is would he be supportive of accelerating the Trespass Act within this next sitting -- upcoming sitting. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question. Totally agree. I think that, you know, the three pieces of legislation that we've been targeting from the Department of Justice, the SCAN legislation, the Trespass Act, and the Civil Forfeiture Act, are certainly high on a priority list since I've become Minister of Justice and continue to have conversations with the department about moving these forward. And we've already accelerated the timeline from where it was originally proposed and, you know, we'll continue to work toward trying to bring that quickly to the House as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the spirit of collaboration, that was the nicest no I've heard all week.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier yesterday -- I'm not going to quote him in specifics because I don't have it in front of me, but he said it's the time to do things. So less talk, a lot more engagement and walk.

Mr. Speaker, would the government be supportive if a Private Member, such as myself, brought forward a Private Member's bill noting that most of these examples, whether they're Alberta and Nova Scotia, Manitoba, BC, are less than six pages? Would the government be open to a proposal from a private Member? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a considerable amount of work is already underway toward the Trespass Act. An LP is being currently developed. A lot of research has already started to address the fact that, you know, all the provinces within Canada have a Trespass Act. Unfortunately, the three territories, as of today, do not. It's certainly a priority of mine, as I said, to push this forward as quickly as possible and I am happy to, you know, continue in that direction. Certainly, you know, respect the private Members -- or the Member's right to move forward with a private Member's bill if he so chooses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, I'm always happy to do the government's work for them so anything they want to share with me, I'd be pleased. And that's not the question, but certainly I hope that's embedded in there somewhere.

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out and finish with families are feeling emotionally hostage, their personal safety, financial costs, and it's impacting their general daily lives. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be willing to share what they have prepared today on this initiative? Because I'll push to move forward on a draft bill this coming fall so we can actually see some action in this Assembly with some new meaningful legislation that affects the day-to-day lives of citizens. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I previously said, a lot of work is already started on this initiative and just prior to coming into the sitting today, I did have my staff reach out to the Department of Justice and ask them to provide me with an update on how quickly we could advance these three pieces of legislations quicker than the planned accelerated timeline that I spoke to yesterday. So happy to share that information with the House as soon as it's available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member's statement, there's very serious concerns in Fort Simpson and in the Deh Cho education region. Mr. Speaker, the district educational authority, the district educational council, have all made recommendation along the following lines: Immediate administrative action to remove or reassign the individuals in question pending investigation, an independent review of the incidents of leaderships practices, trauma-informed support for affected staff and students, and inclusive leadership that reflects community values, fosters trust, and prioritizes safety and accountability.

My question today is, will the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment honour the recommendations of these duly elected boards and implement them immediately? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is due process that needs to take place with anything that has to do with public servants in this territory. While we do have an Education Act, the Education Act also has clauses that points to the Public Service Act, and we do have a Northwest Territories Teachers' Association who has a collective agreement. We need to make sure that we are operating with due process in the territory while respecting the residents of the territory as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hear what the Minister is saying but what about the due process of parents? Of students? Of the elected board, so the people who ran to solve problems and are being told they're not allowed; what does the Minister have to say to them? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a responsibility on all of us to ensure that we have healthy relationships across this territory. We are a small territory, and we are all very intimately connected and we all, I would like to believe, at the end of the day have the common goal of the success and prosperity of Northerners and our northern children at heart. I am using the tools that I have at my disposable, Mr. Speaker. I am listening to many of those DEA members who are also parents, listening to DEC members, and have never been in a position to not have those conversations. These conversations are incredibly important and finding a path forward is my focus. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, talk is not what these individuals are asking for, that these elected officials are asking for; it's action. So let's put the staffing issues aside. Will the Minister commit to the other things that they've raised, an independent review of these incidents, trauma-informed support for the affected parties, and to instill inclusive leadership within the region? If she doesn't want to talk about one issue, can she talk about the other three because talk is cheap, and this is -- the community has run out of patience for this. They need to see real action. The divisions are deep. It's time to heal them. We need action from this Minister now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hear the Member as far as, you know, talk is cheap, and action is crucial, and we are taking action. There's due process underway right now, and we are honouring those processes. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government is currently working on safer communities and neighbourhoods legislation. Can the Minister say what stage of development this legislation is in and when residents can expect the bill to be introduced? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so the current status of the SCAN legislation is -- you know, the plan is to have it, along with the Trespass Act and a Civil Forfeiture Act, go out to have the LP ready in the summer of 2025 and go out to public engagement in the fall of 2025, have the What We Heard report completed and with the current plan to advance the bill in the summer of 2026.

Now, having said that, as I indicated with the question from the other Member regarding the Trespass Act, I did reach out to the department and ask for the opportunities to see what the potential escalated or advanced timeline could be on this piece of legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've heard that one aspect of SCAN would allow for evicting people suspected of drug dealing from homes. A recent Yukon Supreme Court decision struck down this section of the SCAN Act as unconstitutional. How has this affected the government's work on SCAN legislation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this really does -- this question really speaks to the complexity of SCAN. You know, SCAN did come to this House previously, and I think, you know, as we looked at going through and redoing the SCAN legislation, a big part of that was ensuring that, you know, there was a detailed policy and legal analysis done to ensure that, you know, what was brought forward is appropriate for the NWT, it was sound legally, and in line with our jurisdictional best practices, you know. And certainly looking at the Yukon Supreme Court decision on how that would potentially impact SCAN legislation in the Northwest Territories is a big part of the work that goes on within the department to, again, ensure that what we put forward is, you know, sound from a legal perspective. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister commit to ensuring consultation on this legislation is done as soon as possible and introduced as quickly as possible for the safety of the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly have, you know, a very similar sentiment to all of the Members in this House in that we really do realize the impact that drugs and crime are having on communities across the NWT. And since becoming the Minister, it's certainly been my priority to work diligently with all involved communities, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, and members of the public, to ensure that we are moving this as quickly as possible. So right now, the community consultation is scheduled for the fall but similar to my earlier answer, I am waiting for a response back from the department to see if there's an opportunity to escalate that, provided we have adequate resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Justice. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of ITI. So I am fairly certain she has already met with him, but will the Minister of ITI reach out to our new Yellowknife mayor about this specific topic as to whether to discuss a new agreement that could be reached to create a territorial park on Tin Can Hill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of ITI.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have met with Yellowknife's new mayor, and at this time I can say that ITI has no plans to pursue the establishment of a territorial park on Tin Can Hill. Our North Slave region does have numerous territorial parks and that piece of legislation -- or sorry, that piece of property is currently owned by the municipality. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And yeah, I respect that answer. But if the city does desire to make a change in future, through engagement and discussion with public and Indigenous partners, would the Minister consider formalizing an agreement once more to transfer land to form a territorial park for generations to come? And perhaps she could speak about what roadblocks might be in her way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, always happy to talk about this and always happy to sit down and talk about the goals of any organization or resident. So should the city of Yellowknife wish to pursue a territorial park on Tin Can Hill, first and foremost they would need to have that as part of their city plan. They would need to then transfer the land over to the GNWT. The GNWT would then need to add that park to their regulations. But before that would happen, we would first need to decide if that was an area where we wanted to spend our budget within the GNWT to put another territorial park within the North Slave region and, specifically, within the municipality of Yellowknife. It would come with it, Mr. Speaker, financial obligations as well as certain markers we would have to meet for it to meet the requirements as a territorial park. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, having had this discussion for a long time with the Minister over -- since the time I was elected a year and a half ago, I can say that there are provisions within legislation and regulation that allow for community engagement, Mr. Speaker. So if that would be a cost saving measure for the GNWT to have a community group manage that space, provide clean up of that space, would that be something the Minister would be interested in? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, work like this could be done without the GNWT. The community could work with the city of Yellowknife, and the city of Yellowknife would have the ability to deem that space a recreational park and that wouldn't need GNWT involvement in order to pursue that work. So that's always an option as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all I want to do is bring baby Alma home as soon as possible. The Archaeological Sites Act defines an archaeological site as any location where an artifact typically is over 50 years old with no continuous chain of possession. If found, if the Minister maintains that the marked graves of children in an active cemetery are not archaeological artifacts, then why is she invoking this legislation to classify their remains as such? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our current legislation was drafted some time ago. It needs to be updated to reflect human remains, especially unmarked graves and especially in regards to our residential school legacy across Canada.

I can advise the Member, and confirm for this House, that that piece of legislation is due to be updated, and that is work that we are undertaking over the course of this Assembly. It's something that will happen under our Intergovernmental Council protocols because that's a piece of legislation that will be co-drafted, and that work has been jump-started by myself already. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Minister is creating precedence where remains are over 50 years old can be designated as archaeological artifacts regardless of being marked and located in an active cemetery, does that clarification now extend to all remains in Lakeview Cemetery here in Yellowknife that meets this criteria as well, or is this elective interpretation being applied only to the remains of Indigenous children? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the piece of legislation, it is defined as anything that is over 50 years old.

It is my understanding as well, Mr. Speaker, that if a community can confirm for certain that human remains are of a certain person and have a firm belief that it is clear that this -- the remains are of that person, that the Archaeological Sites Act does not apply in that case.

I think it is also important here, Mr. Speaker, in regards to this conversation, the Member has referenced the oath that we all took as Members where we swore to honour and respect all treaties in the territory. And many of our modern treaties in this territory speak to the remains of their members, and also confirm and compel the government to make sure that we are doing engagement and notification of all Indigenous governments, not just in the Northwest Territories but Nunavut as well, given that children from across the Northwest Territories and Nunavut attended residential schools in multiple different areas and not just their traditional territory. So it's really important that we're able to honour those treaties as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have an issue here that, you know, we have a mandate letter from the Premier to the Minister. All we got to do is implement that. And why do we have to wait years to bring baby Alma home? My question is the Minister mandate includes implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the TRC Calls to Action, and the MMIWG Calls to Justice. How does interfering with residential school investigations into the death of these children align with those commitments? If the Minister cannot even allow such an investigation to proceed into the death of these children, is there any genuine intent to uphold Indigenous rights during her term? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is something that is incredibly important to me and something that I definitely intend to uphold. Mr. Speaker, within this legislation -- sorry. Can we come back to this question, Mr. Speaker, please. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on my Member's statement regarding the conditions in the Nova Apartment building, I'd like to ask the Minister of housing what housing has been doing and what they plan to do to ensure that the security of the building, first and foremost, has been managed and the conditions are improved. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Nova Apartments in Inuvik has been an ongoing issue over the last ten years. Both you and I know it, MLA Rodgers. Like, this is really important because these families that are living in these conditions are seeing ongoing violence and trauma every day. And the work that Housing NWT is doing is we're working with the landlord, the private landlord, to improve the conditions within Nova. It's difficult times, difficult conditions. We're see a lot of illegal activity. We're seeing drug busts on an ongoing basis. We're seeing crack being smoked in the hallways, and we're seeing tenants having to live through that. So Housing NWT is on this. They're aware of this. They're having these discussions with the landlord. And these are serious things that we push every day, and I push as Minister. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that. And I know the Minister is well aware of what's happening up there. I know she has very close ties to Inuvik and is very respected in Inuvik.

Would the Minister consider in the short-term, you know, if possible, relocating some of -- at least the families and the elders out of that building until such time as that their work's been completed to get this building to where it needs to be? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have asked the same question to Housing NWT, how can we relocate these families to get them out of Nova, to get them away from that situation. The problem is that we don't have any other units available in Inuvik at this time. We continue to push it. We try to move them out and move them to other locations that are safer within the community. We're looking at different security measures within Nova to beef that up. We are talking to the landlord. But at this time, we do have a lack of available public housing in Inuvik. That's the crux of the problem, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hopefully with our spanking new budget and our $50 million, we can get some of these boarded up units in Inuvik ready for some of these families to go in and enjoy life the way they should.

My final question, Mr. Speaker, is that would the department or has the department considered looking at -- and I'm not sure where the landlord is on this -- but, you know, purchasing this building, taking 100 percent ownership of this building, taking 100 percent responsibility to get this building up to where it needs to be? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, again, we are so fortunate that this Assembly approved $150 million over the next three years for housing and public housing replacements across the North. Inuvik is one of the communities that will see public housing replacements, considering many of their housing units are 50 plus years old and families are still staying in those units and struggling in those units. But I talked to Housing NWT about the opportunity to look at purchasing -- perhaps purchasing Nova. They're having ongoing discussions with the landlord to see what's possible and, hopefully, we'll get some good news soon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today is follow-up from my statement to the Minister of ECC. My first question, what did the ECC do to prepare for the 2025 wildfire season? Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question.

You know, I'd like to start off by saying that, you know, it's early days in the season for 2025 and to date, one thing that our ECC staff did is they've already responded to ten fires in the Northwest Territories. And, unfortunately, of those ten fires, nine were human caused. I'm happy to report that all ten have been declared out.

ECC has also done a lot of work in -- that we scanned for holdover fires to ensure that we're able to properly and proactively address those. We have brought our firefighters on earlier and done larger training engagements across the Northwest Territories with more centralized groups interacting from multiple regions. We've done cross-training between structural and ECC firefighters. And this has started and will continue through the summer to ensure that our -- we have a coordinated effort when we're -- if we run into instances of wildland/urban interface fires. We've worked with the NWT Association of Communities and held wildfire preparedness workshop in Yellowknife in April 23rd to 25th. We had participants from all across the NWT, Mr. Speaker, senior staff, community governments, fire chiefs, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, structural firefighters, and from all accounts it was a very successful endeavour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that reply. In conjunction, I'm hoping that the Minister is also in communication with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

My second question is how is the Department of ECC implementing the recommendations from the external 2023 wildfire response review? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the MNP report that came out last year, you know, had a number of recommendations for the department, and we've agreed in principle with all of the recommendations that were put forward and we've already started planning or implementing many of them. You know, our crews and aircraft were brought on earlier to complete training. That was one of the recommendations. We've gone through and started to -- to the Member's point, you know, a collaborative effort with MACA and the rest of the GNWT to built capacity within the incident command system. We've recently implemented a qualification and certification standard across the territory. We have installed backup communications in most locations. We brought on a safety officer to help deal with health as well as mental health concerns after our staff and our members. And we've been successful in obtaining significant federal funding that will assist in implementing a wide range of wildfire prevention and mitigation and response actions. And we will continue to work with all other departments and agencies, local communities, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, and the people of the NWT to ensure that our communities are fire resilient in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that response there. If I can make a suggestion: The safety officer could be -- he or she's duties expanded for community audits.

My last question there, Mr. Speaker, is how does the Department of Environment and Natural Resources protect communities from wildfires? I understand there's a FireSmart program, for example. Those types of protection proactive measures. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the department has done a fabulous job of committing to, you know, improving our wildfire preparedness across the NWT.

We've increased human and financial investment. We have the community wildfire resilience contribution program that was launched this year and is offering just under $2 million of additional investment in FireSmart implementation for communities and organizations across the territory. We're actively working with communities to provide preparedness and mitigation training.

Additionally, we've been working closely with the NWT Association of Communities to fulfill vegetation management projects within communities, community wildfire protection plans. And we assisted in having them leverage $20 million in 2022 that will support these activities through 2030.

ECC has provided recommendations and advice to communities, individuals, and other organizations on hazard assessment and risk mitigation, which can certainly assist with the emergency planning. And we've worked in 29 forested communities in the NWT to update their community wildfire protections plans, provide advice in areas to help them reduce the risk from wildfires. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. So the Minister has been holding town hall sessions with staff for the past few months and in the joint press release with the Minister of Finance on May 5th, the Minister stated that she's heard that more support is needed for frontline workers. She acknowledged that one of the consistent priorities she's heard is the need for greater leadership responsiveness and workplace culture improvements, along with the need to enhance workplace safety.

So, can the Minister give any examples of what is being done to ensure greater leadership responsiveness and improved workplace culture that would actually be seen and felt by frontline workers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those town halls are internal meetings with staff. Those are considered staff meetings. We did highlight in the -- so that way that they could freely speak to leadership. We have highlighted in the letter, and we have shared with committee, you know, the highlights of these and we will continue to work with staff through the public administrator as this is the operation of this arm. And right now, some of the things that he's doing is -- you know, as soon as he got off the ground, he and the CEO have travelled into the Deh Cho and they are looking at mapping through the Deh Cho the client experience. They also have had multiple, multiple meetings, and they continue to have multiple meetings with the NWT MA and with the CEO with the public administrator, and those meetings have -- you know, the PA has stated publicly that he's committed to continuing that work with the physicians. Right now, they have spent the last couple of days looking and meeting with regional wellness councils, the public, the community, the staff in Fort Smith, and I think we're -- they're planning -- their next region is the Sahtu and they will be -- you know, they'll be meeting in Sahtu to meet with the regional wellness council, the public, with staff. And then, you know, they'll -- they're continuing on that mapping journey of the client experience and so that way, not only are they doing that in their regions and the communities, but they are continuingly working with what's going on with the regional -- you know, Yellowknife region. You know, we've heard many of the things that have happened, and they continue to work with the staff at Stanton.

So the implementation of new things, most of the new implementation dollars for staffing in the last year have all gone into Stanton. All of the new initiatives that are going on that have been rolling out have been improving the services and funding the services in the capital to ensure that, you know, that there are funded services that we need to ensure that the capital is stable so that way we can continue to work, you know, in the regions and in the small communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And certainly, I'm not looking for, you know, confidential information but in the Minister's press release, she did state that she had heard from frontline workers about the need to enhance workplace safety as another example. So can the Minister explain what actions are underway to try to address any common workplace safety challenges that she's hearing about? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we did the town halls throughout the territory, one of the themes was safety. You know, the safety of the frontline staff in all of our regions, our small communities, you know, they're -- in the health centres, you know, they go and the nurses have to go in. Sometimes they're there; they have to call in an extra staff member to be with them at night. We've heard from Hay River the concerns from the Hay River region. We've heard from the Tlicho. We've heard from the Stanton. And I would like to let the Members know -- and I can follow up with further -- but Stanton is actually getting recognized for some of the work that they've been doing on safety within the hospital there. That's working with the COO and with the staff and the improvements. We've had -- I had a lot of emails from constituents on safety, you know, and I've even had an email most recently that said they actually checked -- they went and they made sure that they checked that all of the things that I said that were happening at Stanton are happening, and then they responded and said thank you, because that's the feedback that they got.

So there is a lot of work going on throughout the territory but there's still -- there was still concerns raised, and I think we're taking a territorial approach to work with each and every individual. And I know, like within Hay River, one of the areas there is they have their own work plan on -- and they've even had -- they have recommendations, and they're looking forward to moving those recommendations forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Minister mentioned just now that Stanton is being recognized for some of the work that it's doing on workplace safety. So I'm not aware of that. I wonder if the Minister could explain what is the recognition that's happening, what are the improvements or steps forward that's being done at Stanton, if it's something that can be publicly sort of recognized; can you explain more so we understand more about it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will get the full details of that, and I will be glad to share that with the Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, on court day in small communities, the one that I've seen -- and I'm sure it's the same in other communities as well -- you know, we see a lot of young people, and it's mostly young boys, they are lining up to see legal counsel to seek legal advice. And this is on court day, okay? So it's not just happening in my region; it's happening in all the small communities. And it's a very busy day at that time. So with that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister how many designated outreach lawyers does legal aid currently employ? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the outreach office currently has one lawyer and one court worker on staff. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That's good; that's good to know. We do need more than that; we know that, so.

Do outreach lawyers travel to small communities, or is advice provided over the phone? Thank you.