Debates of Feb. 10th, 2026

This is page numbers of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was know.

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer Or Reflection

Winter Road and Ice Crossing Implementation

Minister Absesnt from the House

Arctic Economic and Security Corridor Memorandum of Understanding

Mackenzie Valley Highway Community Sessions

Compassionate Accommodation for Medical Travel

Cultural Safety in the Health Care System

Black History Month Events in Yellowknife

Opening Comments

Abandoned Vehicles Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act

Mandate and Priorities of the Legislative Assembly

Economic Future of the Northwest Territories

Celebration of Life of Dolphus “Duffy” Cazon

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Community Engagement on Makenzie Valley Highway

Cultural Safety and Stabilizing Workforce in Healthcare System

Accelerating Resource Development in the Northwest Territories

Land Tenure and Land Transfers

Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act Concerning Abandoned Vehicles

Long-term Benefits of Resource Development in the Tlicho Region

Diamond Mine Socioeconomic Agreements

Implementation of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Persons Concerning Healthcare

Fire Safety in Encampments

Cost of Living Subsidies for Power Rates

Air Ambulance Contracts

Taltson Hydro Expansion

Arctic Economic Security Corridor

Fire Marshall's Office and Encampments

Aspen Apartments

Tabled Document 459-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-20(1): Report on the Statutory Review of the Legal Aid Act Tabled Document 460-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 30-20(1): Report on the Review of the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Northwest Territories Information and Privacy Commissioner Tabled Document 461-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 32-20(1): Report on the Review of the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission

Bill 40: An Act to Amend the Vital Statistics Act, Deemed Read

Bill 41: An Act to Amend the Real Estate Agents Licensing Act, Deemed Read

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 453-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2025-2026

Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Point Of Order

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 138-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 454-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

February 10th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Okay. I guess we will stay tuned in terms of the results of those consultations. I do think it is quite urgent that we really look hard at whether what we've been doing so far has been working or not. And, clearly, the barren-ground caribou herds are still suffering so we need to do something different. So I am looking forward to seeing some outcomes in terms of what are we going to do different going forward.

I also wanted to touch upon community-based monitoring. I don't know if there's a specific line for it, but certainly in the business plan it talks about goals in terms of jobs for community-based monitoring programs. And obviously this is important not just for employment and the economy, but just overall stewardship of the land and the environment. And so over the last few years, have we been seeing increases in the amount of community-based monitors or decreases? What has participation rates been like in the community-based monitoring program? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

February 10th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the Minister.

February 10th

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, I think the uptake in the community-based monitoring over the last number of years has been improving and certainly from a department perspective, we have had a lot of engagement talking to our Indigenous partners and communities in looking at ways to interact with the guardian programs and how we can have the guardians work with our officers on the land to ensure that we're coming forward with a unified message. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.

February 11th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am curious to know with the uptick in guardian programs, are we seeing decreases in the amount of community-based monitors being hired for GNWT-specific programs? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the Minister.

February 11th

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I will speak briefly, and then I will pass it to the deputy minister. But Our Land for the Future funding will provide an opportunity to hire more community-based monitoring. That's part of the overall work plan. So that's, I think, a positive going forward. But I will pass to the deputy minister.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the deputy minister.

February 11th

Robert Jenkins

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, you know, it's very community-specific. You know, we have some community-based monitors that have been going out and doing the sampling for a long time, and we're seeing some areas where that's changing. So it's a bit fluid. We are expecting, as the Minister mentioned, with the OLF and, you know, third party funding for Indigenous guardians programs, that we will see more monitoring out on the land and, you know, want to work together on how we can incorporate all the information that's collected through those different programs. So we expect that the presence will grow, and with the dollars through the OLF that more information will be collected. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.

February 11th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So looking at the business plan, it lists that we're trying to measure the number of residents being hired for these kinds of community-based monitoring programs, but we don't have any specific targets there. We're just saying, just increase community capacity or provide jobs. And so then when it lists progress to date, we just kind of state what we're doing, but we don't know if it's getting better, it's getting worse, are we meeting targets, because we don't really have specific targets. Does ECC plan to establish specific targets? I understand it might be challenging if things are fluid, especially with other programs like the guardian program starting up. But when can we expect to actually set sort of meaningful or realistic targets to know whether we're on track for community-based monitoring programs or not? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I will go to the Minister.

February 11th

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will pass to the deputy minister.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

I will go to the deputy minister.

February 11th

Robert Jenkins

Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. You know, in the business plan, you know, it speaks to the action that we want to do to meet the mandate commitment of increasing community capacity and training and hiring residents. So, you know, our measure is the number, and that's what we've put in the plan. And, you know, the progress to date in terms of the community-based monitoring program has been a total of 32 monitors. So that is sort of the gauge on which we hope to increase and grow moving forward. And, again, this could be met either through our own programs, or it could be new programs and working together. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.

February 11th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Great, thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that, and I will keep an eye going forward on how that program is doing because I did formerly do some work with some community-based monitors and it was, I think, inspiring for everyone involved in terms of people gaining the skills to gain new employment but also feel more confident in doing that kind of work, being on the land, taking care of the land, and working with both traditional knowledge experts and scientists. And so I think it's a really promising area going forward for jobs in our communities and hope that we can continue to expand. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. Colleagues, we're going to take a 30-minute break, and we'll resume in 30 minutes. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Welcome back, everybody. We're ready to go again. I am going to continue on to page 86. Is there any further questions from Members? Seeing none, please turn to page 86.

Environment and Climate Change, environmental management, monitoring, and climate change, $21,877,000. Does the committee agree?

February 11th

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. Moving on to the policy and strategic planning, beginning on page 89 with information items on page 191 and to 93 -- sorry, 91 to 93. I am going to go to the Member from Great Slave.

February 11th

Kate Reid Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I believe that ECC is projecting aN approximately $462,000 decrease for policy legislation, evaluation, and communications. Can the Minister speak to the substantiation behind that reduction? Thank you.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.

February 11th

Jay MacDonald Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will pass to the director.

February 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. I will go to the director.

Debates of Feb. 10th, 2026

Topics

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