Debates of Feb. 6th, 2026

Please be seated. I'd like to thank Mary Jane Cazon for the beautiful prayer and reflection this morning. Ministers' statements. Minister for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT continues to repair, retrofit, and construct housing across the Northwest Territories at a rapid pace, establishing a strong economic foundation in the North and more homes for Northerners, two of this government's top priorities.

In the two years of this government, 81 new homes have been built, many of them for seniors and singles in communities outside regional centres. Singles and seniors are two priority groups susceptible to core housing need and vulnerable to forms of homelessness as determined in the preliminary findings of Housing NWT's recent territorial housing needs assessment.

An additional 219 housing units are in the planning, procurement, and construction stages, demonstrating the results of historic investments being made in housing by this government and Canada.

Alongside new construction activity, Housing NWT continues to invest in retrofits, repairs, and maintenance of existing housing to improve conditions. With the additional funding support of the Government of the Northwest Territories over the next three years, we will spend more than $30 million to repair over 600 homes.

These repair projects support local employment and trades training opportunities across the Northwest Territories, including the development of apprentices working through a decentralized Housing NWT trades team pilot and with local housing organizations and NWT contractors.

Mr. Speaker, over 95 percent of Housing NWT contracts are with local and NWT businesses, providing a range of economic opportunities in communities across the Northwest Territories.

For example, this fall, Housing NWT signed a contract for 84 homes to be manufactured by METCAN Building Solutions, a majority Indigenous-owned modular manufacturer based in Hay River. This contract will support sustained local work as these modular homes are produced, transported, and set up in communities across the territory over the coming two and a half years.

Housing NWT has also signed contracts with Indigenous governments, including a contract which will support the K'ahsho Got'ine trades centre, a local modular manufacturing and trades training centre in Fort Good Hope. Through this contract, the trades centre will manufacture four homes for the social housing program, with materials arriving on the winter road. Over the next two and a half years, eight local work assignments will be supported through this project, helping build skills, capacity and long-term benefit for residents of Fort Good Hope.

In Fort Smith, the business arm of the Fort Smith Metis Council is constructing a duplex, with work continuing through the winter. This contract demonstrates Housing NWT's commitment to partnership and economic opportunities through its capital delivery.

Housing NWT also continues to engage with Tlicho businesses through the GNWT and Tlicho Infrastructure Cooperation Agreement. Currently, five modular homes are in production and another ten are in the planning phase. In addition to these construction projects, Tlicho businesses are involved in Housing NWT's repair and maintenance projects. This work, taken together, provides regional opportunity for capacity building and economic benefit.

In addition to these modular manufacturing initiatives, Housing NWT has developed a hybrid method of construction that optimizes the potential of modular manufacturing for a compact service core with onsite work to complete the full home. Two proof-of-concept duplexes using this method are in the final stages of commissioning in Deline.

Housing NWT continues to work in partnership with industry and Canada's National Research Council to refine the concept in preparation for future scalability.

Housing NWT continues to demonstrate innovation in housing delivery by using modern methods of construction. An example of this is the 50-unit mixed-use building in Yellowknife, where off-site production of mass-timber and building envelope elements are proceeding during the winter months, and will allow for rapid assembly of the structure in the spring.

Mr. Speaker, the projects underway represent an enormous effort by this government to prioritize housing. We are building more, and we are moving towards delivering services in person-centered, data-driven ways to improve social outcomes. This is a result of strong collaboration by Members of this House and reflects a strength in government that I am proud to be a part of. This collaboration and funding continues to bring us towards improving the suitability, accessibility, and affordability of housing in the Northwest Territories.

I want to emphasize that these investments reflect only a portion of the work that is underway. Housing NWT continues to actively leverage existing capital funding to expand the capital program. I look forward to sharing plans for further housing developments in the near future, and will continue to share progress as we deliver more homes for Northerners. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, across the Northwest Territories, residents want better access to primary and community care that feels safe, respectful, and connected to culture and community. Indigenous residents have been clear about the harm, discrimination, and inequities that they continue to experience in the health and social services system. These experiences affect trust, access, and health outcomes in ways that cannot be ignored. This is why our government is working in partnership with Indigenous governments to transform how health care is designed and delivered in the Northwest Territories.

One of the steps in this work was Following the North Star: Primary Health Care Reimagined Together, a summit held in Yellowknife from January 20th to 22nd. The summit brought together Indigenous governments, leaders in health and social services, and partners from across the Northwest Territories and other northern, rural, and remote regions of Canada.

I joined the participants and toured the interactive learning exhibit supported by the department's community, culture and innovation team. I want to acknowledge the elders, organizers, partners, and artists whose leadership grounded the event and strengthened relationships.

Mr. Speaker, the cultural safety and antiracism exhibit was emotional and powerful. For many participants, it reflected truths their families and communities have carried for generations. It showed how colonial policies and systemic racism still shape Indigenous peoples' experiences in health and social services. It also affirmed the strength of Indigenous cultures, languages, and ways of knowing as central to healing and wellness.

The summit created space for honest conversations and new thinking about primary and community care that reflects northern realities and Indigenous priorities. Participants learned from promising models of care in other jurisdictions and discussed how they could be adapted to our communities. What we heard will help shape the primary and community health care framework scheduled for release this spring.

This work continues through the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders health and social services working group. The working group supports a partnership between Indigenous governments and the GNWT that honours Indigenous authority and community priorities. It recognizes that sustainable solutions must be rooted in Indigenous knowledge, strengths, and lived experience.

I also want to acknowledge the Health Care Excellence Canada for their support of the summit and their commitment to Indigenous-led, equity-focused improvements to care.

Mr. Speaker, Indigenous approaches to health and wellness were described as our North Star. They set the direction for change and they remind us that there must be accountability for cultural safety and equity across the system. For residents, this means working towards care that feels safer, more connected, and closer to home.

Throughout the summit, Indigenous governments spoke with honesty about moments when they did not feel heard in past processes or did not experience collaboration as balanced. Their guidance is essential. The future of primary and community care must be shaped through Indigenous leadership and shared decision-making. Our government reaffirms its commitment to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and supporting Indigenous self-determination in health.

Mr. Speaker, the summit is one step in a long journey, transforming primary and community care that will take time and continued partnership. Our goal is healthy people and communities, where Indigenous residents, and all residents, experience care that is culturally safe, community centered, and responsive to their needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about opportunity - opportunity that strengthens communities, creates pathways to employment and entrepreneurship, and positions Northerners to capitalize on the heightened national and international interest in the North. As the Minister of Finance said in yesterday's budget address, a strong Northwest Territories builds a stronger Canada, and that strength begins with our people and the opportunities before them.

Across the Northwest Territories, people are looking for practical ways to build their careers, grow their skills, or start a business. They want to contribute to the future of the territory and to be part of the economic shifts underway. Our government is committed to clearing the path and ensuring that Northerners can seize the opportunities that Budget 2026 describes - opportunities tied to a changing global landscape, new economic pressures, and increasing national attention on the North's strategic importance.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses are central to this work. They create jobs, deliver services, and bring forward ideas that keep communities vibrant and resilient. When local businesses succeed, they help ensure that Northerners, not outside forces, shape the story of the North.

As the budget address underscored, sovereignty is expressed through our people, and supporting northern businesses is one of the most direct ways to strengthen both our economy and our role in Canada's future.

Mr. Speaker, advancing these pathways requires strong collaboration across government. That is why the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment; Industry, Tourism and Investment; and Prosper NWT are working together to support employment readiness, business development, and long-term economic growth. Today, I am pleased to highlight two initiatives that reflect this integrated approach and align directly with the momentum described in the territorial budget.

First, Prosper NWT has increased its lending and investment limit from $2 million to $5 million per business enterprise in the priority areas of housing, critical minerals, large-scale infrastructure, and emerging technologies.

This increase is a major step forward; one that opens the door to bigger ideas, larger projects, and economic transformation. It responds directly to what businesses have told us for years: The North needs more capital to grow.

Second, Prosper NWT has secured $2.3 million over three years from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency to establish the AI Driven Entrepreneurship and Business Support Centre. This centre will help northern businesses adopt new tools, streamline operations, and access emerging economic opportunities. It also supports the budget's focus on supporting a diversified economy and ensuring Northerners can participate fully in sectors that are rapidly evolving.

Mr. Speaker, these initiatives are not about programs alone. They demonstrate our government's shared commitment, across departments and alongside partners, to build the conditions that allow Northerners to thrive. This work is about making practical changes that help people and businesses move forward together. It means we step back to look at how we do business and step up to celebrate our neighbours.

The North is full of talent, drive, and creativity. By working together across governments, business, and communities, we can support that potential and turn it into real opportunities for Northerners and when we do, we build a stronger North and a stronger Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I live on a street in Yellowknife that's become locally famous for festive Christmas lights displays. At the height of December, you'd be filled with Christmas cheer driving by all the twinkling lights, and many folks cheerfully kept them up through the beginning of January, at least until the December power bills showed up. Just like that, Mr. Speaker, Christmas was over on 57th Street, and the reality of our rising cost of living landed with a dull thud, like a sack of coal.

Residents are struggling to make ends meet and are asking what we can do to help. Power rates in the NWT are the highest in the country so are naturally top of mind in this conversation.

Mr. Speaker, I intended to speak mostly about our power rates today, but by strange coincidence we also suffered a long mid-winter power outage last night which has brought the challenges our system is facing to the top of mind for an even more troubling reason. Our infrastructure is aging and desperately in need of upgrades, and our Minister has been working tirelessly on moving the Taltson hydro expansion forward, but I wonder if we've been neglecting some more basic actions we could take to stabilize our system in the near term. Some ideas which have been floated to me are expanding the capacity of the Bluefish reservoir, expand uptake of renewables, do a policy review on rate regulation, switch from a public utilities board to a rate review council, or make changes to the Public Utilities Act for regulatory efficiency, to name a few.

What I want to emphasize is we should approach this issue with urgency and creativity and not let smaller solutions fall by the wayside as we strive for a panacea.

Mr. Speaker, the recent announcement of military investment in our communities is a major opportunity to turn our power narrative around. The military are going to want to ensure there's reliable power available and have been clear with us they want to move these projects forward in a way that benefits our communities and doesn't add burden to our strained systems. I have to give the Minister credit, Mr. Speaker. When we were going back and forth on housing funding last budget, she said to me we really need to be focusing on our aging power infrastructure as well. I agree. So let's get to work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I want to highlight a good-news story about community-led affordable housing, something that has been going so well for so long that we hardly pay any attention. It's Northern United Place in Yellowknife which was established in 1976. It provides 125 low-cost housing units for independent people earning less than $60,000 a year, and rent is geared to a tenant's income. The building includes another 41 student housing units that are leased by Aurora College. All of this is run by a non-profit called the NWT Community Services Corporation. They've been able to operate these non-market affordable housing units for 50 years without relying on the government for operating funding. Imagine that. So how have they managed it?

Back in 1976, the Community Services Corporation arranged to have five lots amalgamated. They bought two lots from the United Church and acquired the other three lots from the GNWT for a small sum. The non-profit has leased out the commercial parts of the building to pay for the operation and maintenance of the residential units. Various agencies have been anchor tenants on the commercial side. First, GNWT departments used it as office space and since 1997, Aurora College has been the anchor tenant. Most recently, the non-profit has secured $17 million in federal loans in order to upgrade the building envelope and improve energy efficiency to help extend the life of the building for another 40 years, and these renovations will begin in the summer of 2026.

Tenants of NUP report that they feel safe and secure. The building experiences very little damage, and there are few evictions. And this is in the heart of our downtown. Tenants come from across NWT communities and the world. Everyone from college students to seniors become good neighbours and help each other out.

The risk is that we take this affordable housing for granted. I mean, it's easy to forget about them because they're not in crisis, and they don't ask the GNWT for subsidies. But this model could collapse if they lose their anchor tenant. Aurora College is considering moving out of NUP when their current lease ends in 2032.

Mr. Speaker, we need to appreciate the success of this non-profit affordable housing model. In order to protect those 166 tenants, we need to ensure they continue to have a stable anchor tenant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Members' statements. Member from Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have risen in this House on numerous occasions to speak about the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Today I want to shift my focus from engineering and logistics to something equally important - the profound social improvement and economic prosperity this project will deliver to our communities and the Northwest Territories, keeping in mind, Mr. Speaker, the best social program is a job.

Mr. Speaker, let us envision that project funding has been secured and construction is underway. By taking a strategic sectional approach, building the highway infrastructure in phases from south to north or vice versa, we immediately unlock the substantial business and employment opportunities across the Mackenzie Valley region.

This sectional approach is an economic development strategy. As each section breaks ground, local contractors can bid on this earth works and site preparations and developments. Regional suppliers will provide resources, fuel, and equipment, and personnel staff. Service providers will find new contracts.

This is not a single construction site, Mr. Speaker. This is a corridor of economic activity stretching hundreds of kilometers down the Mackenzie Valley. Mr. Speaker, civil engineering projects of this magnitude typically allocate 30 percent of total sales for labour. Hundreds of millions of dollars flowing directly to the northern workers in good paying jobs: equipment operators, surveyors, environmental analysts, monitors, skilled tradespeople. These are careers that will support families and create pathways to prosperity thus creating a disposable economy.

Mr. Speaker, of that 30 percent labour allowance, approximately 45 percent will be seen by governance through taxes. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker; thank you, colleagues. Income taxes, payrolls, consumption taxes, corporate taxes, fuel revenues, those are all realized benefits from projects like this. Beyond construction, there's the prosperity of maintenance. The highway becomes a permanent economic corridor providing dual access, reducing transportation costs. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I will deem my others as read.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The community of Tsiigehtchic and its residents should not be treated any differently from those who live in regional centres or the city of Yellowknife because of the population. The residents from Tsiigehtchic pay taxes and therefore should be provided the essential services like those who live in large communities.

Mr. Speaker, the community and its residents have been requesting police services to be provided to their communities for decades. The status quo from this government and past government is no longer acceptable. With the high rate of crime throughout the NWT, especially in communities where the police presence is nowhere to be seen, the ongoing high rate of hard drugs entering our communities, police presence is more prevalent now than ever before.

Mr. Speaker, the First Nations and Inuit policing program that was initiated in other parts of the NWT would be a great starting point and bring security to the concerned residents of Tsiigehtchic. Fighting crime by civilians is no longer an option because of weapons and placing yourself in immediate danger or your life. It is time for this government and the Department of Justice to look at innovative solutions to bring relief to the community of Tsiigehtchic and its residents. We no longer need a band-aid solution. We need permanent policing in the community of Tsiigehtchic and other small communities throughout the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, I have stated numerous times before, echoing the concerns of my predecessors, Richard Nerysoo, David Krutko, more recently Fred Blake Junior. The time for action has passed. Let this government make the right decision and provide the much-needed services that the community of Tsiigehtchic and its residents fairly deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During this Assembly and the 19th Assembly, Regular Members have been highlighting the need for fertility treatment supports for NWT residents. In the 19th, the idea of adding fertility treatments as an insured service was flatly denied. I have asked about this particular decision on insured services on the floor and done research behind the scenes. I have brought forward a petition with 368 signatures asking for the GNWT to investigate increased demand for fertility treatments and a tax credit to individuals pursuing those treatments. I've asked the Minister of Finance about why the GNWT doesn't offer these supports for their employees. And earlier this week, I tabled a jurisdictional scan of fertility supports offered by public governments across Canada.

Ultimately, the decision on insured services rests with the health Minister and her department. I recognize that the NWT health system is under fiscal strain, and so I am looking to find solutions that are fiscally prudent but still offer residents who are seeking fertility treatments some form of support.

The thing that baffles me most, Mr. Speaker, is the lack of data on how many residents need that support. I know there are many diagnoses that patients can get that explain their infertility, and tracking every single one in granular detail is not where I see the need. What we should be doing is tracking voluntary data from residents who are trying to conceive and cannot. Right now, it's word of mouth.

Advocates and residents come and speak to me about myriad reasons why the GNWT should support folks trying to start a family. Some of these reasons include preservation of fertility when you have a cancer diagnosis. Sometimes, a person with a uterus wants to start a family and finds out that they are struggling with fertility problems as well as finding donor sperm. I don't think the reason is key to track but rather the demand. Voluntary data can and should be collected from patients struggling to conceive for over a year so that the health system can make informed choices about fiscally prudent supports.

In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the Minister look to the Yukon, as my colleague from Frame Lake has suggested previously, and support our residents in medical travel as interventions for fertility take place only south of 60. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.

That would be me. That was such a good statement from my colleagues, thank you; I was wrapped in awe.

Last night a nearly four-hour power outage during temperatures as low as minus 25 occurred occurring our proceedings in this chamber, Mr. Speaker, interrupting families just as they were sitting down to dinner and affecting restaurants and businesses just as they began serving their customers at peak hours.

I want to thank the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation for providing timely updates which were greatly appreciated by my constituents. I also want to thank NTPC and Naka Power technicians for working hard to bring our power grid back online, and the City of Yellowknife for operating emergency warming shelters and providing traffic control. But most of all, I want to thank residents of Yellowknife, Dettah, and N'dilo for their patience during yet another frustrating outage.

Power outages are no longer inconveniences, Mr. Speaker. They are occurring more frequently, up 30 percent on a five-year average, and are both serious financial drains on the economy while simultaneously posing a direct threat to the safety of homeowners. I've previously told this House about a family in my riding who suffered a catastrophic house fire due to a blackout and that a year later still have no home to call their own. Businesses have reported single incidents where power surges are or brownouts have caused thousands of dollars in damage to specialized kitchen equipment and POS systems. The Yellowknife chamber estimates that a full day outage affecting both power and communication lines results in the GDP loss of $4.75 million. And another example in the South Slave region, a hand games tournament lost $5,000 of food due to a prolonged outage with no backup refrigeration. And last year, a NACC performance meticulously planned was cancelled when the lights went out just before the doors opened.

While this Assembly had backup power, most homes and businesses do not. While we as Members were in a heated building with the lights on eating our catered meal, many families did not have the power to cook food for their children.

Northerners want answers but more than that, they want meaningful solutions that reduce these outages and give confidence in our power system. They want to see a real plan, and they want to see it now. An hour's long power outage from the NWT capital on budget day, if this is not a fitting metaphor for how we're doing as a territory I don't know what is. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When is enough enough? Last night the capital plunged into darkness for three and a half hours at minus 25. In the North, where would you ever deem power a luxury? It's the difference between a safe home and a public health emergency.

Mr. Speaker, when the lights go out at these temperatures, the clock isn't just ticking; it's counting down to a potential catastrophe. Yellowknifers are demanding explanation, reasons, why such failure happened. Mr. Speaker, was it an unforeseeable failure? Was it human error? Or was it just simply the system is buckling because of the weight of inefficiencies and the process and programs and equipment is just too old?

Mr. Speaker, I don't doubt for a moment that the crews on the ground were working as hard as they can, but I do doubt the plan, or lack thereof. It took nearly four hours to restore the power in this city, Mr. Speaker, life-threatening cold evening. Our contingency plans shouldn't be prayers. They should be printed on paper, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this is well beyond an inconvenience. Failure has carried hidden costs, Mr. Speaker, we should speak about. You know, it doesn't show up on your utility bills, Mr. Speaker. It's a smack in the face of things like businesses who have to struggle day-to-day to get ahead. Fried equipment fries their POS and surges their power equipment, Mr. Speaker. Lost revenue and labour, as pointed out by my colleague from Range Lake, that the Yellowknife chamber has pointed out. Insurance nightmares of covering these things.

Mr. Speaker, if they're all deemed an act of God, what do we do? I call it a failure of service by the power corporation, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we're all tired of the northern premium we pay for the highest power rates in the country, Mr. Speaker. But this situation is like we have a dialup on a fibre optics world.

Mr. Speaker, these inefficiencies need to be revisited. I am calling that the government create a business management and recovery fund. Mr. Speaker, it's a no hassle equipment replacement process, direct reimbursement for surge damage, Mr. Speaker. And I am also saying that we should have operation credits for losses created by these things over two hours during extreme weather, Mr. Speaker. The power corporation needs to take true responsibility because they are seriously mandated with our trusted responsibility and safety of Northerners. There's hybrid energy management solutions out there, Mr. Speaker, and as such we will talk more about that later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this House has heard me talk many times about what I call the good ol' days, and I refer back about 20 years ago in 2003 when the thought of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline was alive and well led by the aboriginal pipeline group which made up of 30 Indigenous community leaders. They've got a one third stake in that project. Inuvik was bustling. We had a petroleum show with seven, 800 members showing up there, and participants. And then alas, as I've said before, we took five years and our regulatory regime slowly choked the life out of that project, and it died. And in 2017, ABG was no more. But there is some hope, Mr. Speaker. We have seen the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation now developing their own natural gas well up there and will be providing energy to our region.

And, Mr. Speaker, I talked about the economy earlier on this week and how we need an economic engine. We do need drivers to keep our economy going. And I still think one of those drivers is the production and export of natural gas in the region. As we know, in 2021 there was a pre-feasibility study done by this government that said it was technically and financially feasible to do this work. So now I think we have a new leadership at IRC, they are doing their own work. I would hope that the Minister is now reaching out to the new chair to now plan for a real and robust feasibility study around natural gas and it's production in the Beaufort Delta so we can truly see some economic stability in our territory. And I do believe that that could be the economic engine that pushes us forward as we see other industries obviously declining in our territory, Mr. Speaker. So I will have questions for the Minister of ITI later today on what we're doing to move this important project forward, whether we're seeking funding to get the robust feasibility study done, and where we are today with our natural gas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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