Debates of May 27th, 2026

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct that this is currently a permitted quarry. But beyond that, Mr. Speaker, what we have done is put in -- again, on invitation -- a request for funding for the Great Bear River bridge to come back as a full project. Once we have that funding, we'll be proceeding with the planning phases on that project. The design and planning now are a few years old. With that in hand, we'd be in a better position to go back, and it may be that we'd be renewing the permit and then proceeding to get it fully ready for production. But to do so in advance, Mr. Speaker, we'd be putting it out of sync in terms of wanting to make sure we have the planning and design done and updated on the Great Bear River bridge prior to proceeding with the rock quarry permit. So again, Mr. Speaker, it is permitted for now, I acknowledge that, but we would have to simply bring that back, and I would not anticipate any difficulty in that regard. We are doing a lot of work right now to make sure that Mackenzie Valley Highway actually has a speedy and thorough and smooth procurement -- or sorry, permitting process for its entirety, including this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks for that information and response from the Minister here. That leads me to the structural Great Bear River bridge that once was designed and procured in 2006. So if the design was completed at that time, it's similar in location, the colour is the same. So given those specs here that do exist, when is this government going to apply for the land-use permit and the water permits necessary for that structural bridge? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have the land-use permit and water license applications drafted and ready to roll for the Great Bear River bridge. As I mentioned, we've put the application in on invitation to the Arctic infrastructure fund which would be a significant, significant boost of funding to be able to get some of that work going to bring it back up to speed. It's several years old now. It does need to come back up and make sure we have a cost estimate that is well advanced, not Class D or Class 4, but bring it up so that it's well advanced and we know exactly the cost so we can then move forward with a plan to move out and to get to construction. But we do need to be at that point where we have that initial funding to get to the construction estimate and then at that point move forward. But that is exactly the work that's happening now. And as the Member said, Mr. Speaker, we have the design -- we have a base design, we have a land-use permit, we have a water license. They're historic, they need to be reviewed, they need to be updated, but that's much faster than starting from scratch. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

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

As I had said in my Member's statement, Mr. Speakber, there is much anxiety amongst the parents and students in my community right now given the recent announcements. So my first question is fairly simple, Mr. Speaker. My community wants answers, parents and students want answers, answers that can only be given by the authority in charge of education in this territory, Mr. Speaker. My question is simple: What do I tell my constituents we are doing as a government to resolve this issue?

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start by reiterating to the Member that I am absolutely deeply committed to ensuring that NWT students have access to quality education, and that includes education in our official languages.

Mr. Speaker, I understand and acknowledge the plight of both students, families, teachers, across this territory that the needs of students have changed over the course of the last decade dramatically. And for that reason, we are taking action to stabilize the education system. While these changes certainly are made at the local level, we do have a role to play here at education, culture and employment and at the Government of the Northwest Territories, and we are taking action to help stabilize our education system in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So apart from telling my constituents that we are taking action, I understand that, and I understand that the Minister is well aware of what's happening across the territory and that she's certainly passionate about education in this territory, but what I want is what is that action going to be, Mr. Speaker. Is that action going to be in the form of a supplemental appropriation that we can actually approve during this sitting if we'd like to ensure that French immersion is, indeed, still in Inuvik where it's certainly been there for many, many years? So what specific action am I going to go back to my constituents and say this is what this government is going to do to ensure that we don't lose one quarter of our teachers in a community of 3,300 people, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Listen, and I appreciate that, that there's a supplemental appropriation coming. But, again, the answer I am looking for is will that supplemental appropriation either through -- I don't know if it's going to be through a ministerial directive or if it's going to be -- is that supplemental appropriation going to ensure that the French immersion continues in Inuvik and it doesn't get cut as was announced last month? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, under the Education Act, no, I do not have the authority to direct a district education council to have a specific school program like French immersion that they deliver within their schools. So while we set the curriculum, the actual programming that is delivered, that decision is made at the local level. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Member's statement, when someone is allocated a unit they sign a tenancy rental agreement, and one of the clauses is on evictions if they're engaging in any illegal activities within the housing unit.

What is the Minister -- can the Minister outline what steps her department, in collaboration with the local housing authority, are taking to reduce and prevent illegal activity in public housing units across the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is something that Housing NWT and our territories facing over the last number of years is the rise in illegal activities across the North, specifically in public housing units. But I will tell you this: I don't have much patience for illegal activities in public housing units, and I encourage the local housing organizations to proceed with any type of rental office order and termination notice for leases and evictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's really good news to hear, some implementation on some of these policies.

How does the Minister measure the effectiveness of current responses to illegal activities in public housing, and does she believe those measures are producing meaningful results? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is again a community issue, a territory-wide issue, and it's something that Housing NWT and our local housing organizations are facing on a daily basis. So the effectiveness is within the community itself. It's working with the staff, it's working with the tenants, it's working with the organizations, and it's working with leadership. We all have to be speaking the same language, especially in a community when we're facing immense illegal activity. We're facing public housing units where tenants are, you know, harbouring drug dealers, and this is really concerning, especially the effects of trauma and the effects with children across the North. So it's something, again, that I work with the local housing organizations and Housing NWT to encourage them, to counsel them, to provide them supports because they're the ones working with the tenants on a daily basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Education and implementation of these policies is important and working with the local leadership, working with the housing authorities to ensure that everybody is aware that these measures may be impacting themselves and their families. A lot of them have small children but, you know, they're killing our own people.

So what assurances can the Minister provide to residents who feel unsafe and believe illegal activity in public housing has become normalized in our communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is not normal, and that's the message that everybody needs to lend across the North, that this is not normal, and people need to vocalize their concerns to the local housing, to leadership, to community council, to the RCMP. They need to be vocal, and we can't stay silent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, there remain a number of milestones for the polytechnic transition which are behind schedule. Can the Minister detail for the House how she is working with the board to get the college back on track? I know we have some new board members. I am sure they're excited to meet with the Minister. Thank you.