I'd like to thank Ms. Cleary for opening prayer. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Mr. Speaker, the lack of adequate housing remains one of the most significant challenges facing the Northwest Territories today. Across our territory, too many residents face barriers to safe, suitable, and affordable housing.

The findings of the territorial housing needs assessment confirm what we are hearing in our communities: That elders, seniors, singles, and vulnerable residents, are disproportionately affected by core housing need and are at increased risk of homelessness.

These challenges are compounded by aging housing stock, where many units are approaching or exceeding their intended service life, and by the unique realities of building and maintaining housing in the North. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, the need is urgent, and the scale of the challenge requires sustained, coordinated action.

Mr. Speaker, this government is taking that action. Through a strategic multi-year investment of $150 million dollars, this government is transforming how housing is delivered across the Northwest Territories. This investment is focused not only on building new homes but on protecting and modernizing our existing housing supply so it continues to serve Northerners for years to come.

Over the life of this Legislative Assembly, Housing NWT is on track to deliver hundreds of new housing units while also advancing repairs and retrofits to extend the life of hundreds more. In the first two years of this government, 96 new homes have already been completed with an additional 264 units at various stages of planning, procurement, and construction.

Mr. Speaker, a central part of this work is a territory-wide modular housing program that is now moving from planning and procurement into full production and delivery. Across nine communities, from Ulukhaktok to Fort Smith, 98 social housing units are being manufactured in the NWT. These homes are designed primarily for single persons, a group that has been identified at the high risk of homelessness. These new homes demonstrate immediate action to address a growing need identified through our housing needs assessment and the pressures we see on singles waiting for social housing in communities across the territory.

Eighty-four of these new modular units are being constructed in Hay River by METCAN Building Solutions with an additional ten units for Behchoko to be manufactured at a Tlicho-owned facility. Four will be manufactured at the new K'ahsho Got'ine Trades Centre in Fort Good Hope. Construction is already well underway on the first of these units expected to be delivered to Fort Simpson later this year. Ten new units for Ulukhaktok are expected to be shipped North from Hay River this season. These deliveries mark a clear shift from planning to visible on-the-ground progress.

Mr. Speaker, this modular approach is helping us deliver housing more efficiently and at greater scale while ensuring homes are built to meet the standards of northern climates. Just as importantly, these homes are being built in the Northwest Territories, supporting local industry, Indigenous partnerships, and jobs in communities across the North.

At the same time, we continue to invest significantly in repair and modernization of our existing housing portfolio. Through this government's three year $150 million investment, more than $30 million will be used to improve the condition of more than 800 homes, helping to improve safety, energy efficiency, and overall living conditions for the families who depend on them.

Mr. Speaker, these efforts are about more than numbers. They are about supporting healthy communities, strengthening our economy, and addressing one of the most pressing social challenges we face. While we know there is more work ahead, we are making meaningful progress. We are turning plans into action for more safe places for Northerners to call home. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Ministers' statements. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples establishes the minimum standard for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous peoples worldwide. First voted on by the UN general assembly in 2007, this vital human rights instrument affirms the rights of Indigenous peoples to self-determination and authority to manage their own affairs. Its implementation in Canada has been a long time coming.

In 2023, the 19th Legislative Assembly made history by passing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Implementation Act creating a clear framework for the Government of the Northwest Territories to advance this work in partnership with Indigenous governments.

Mr. Speaker, this was a landmark moment for the Northwest Territories and for Canada. The NWT became only the third jurisdiction in the country to legislate implementation of the UN declaration, following the federal government and British Columbia. But what sets the Northwest Territories apart is not only that we acted; it is how we acted.

Our legislation was developed collaboratively between the Government of the Northwest Territories, Indigenous governments and organizations, and Members of the Legislative Assembly. That cooperative approach is groundbreaking in Canada and reflects the unique government-to-government relationships that exist here in the territory. We are demonstrating that meaningful partnership is how to advance legislation in a good way.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will table the first action plan developed under the Act, another significant milestone. The action plan was co-developed through a special committee that brings together the GNWT and participating Indigenous governments to identify the first concrete steps towards aligning the GNWT laws, policies, programs and practices, with the principles and rights affirmed in the UN declaration. This work affirms the Northwest Territories place at the forefront of reconciliation and Indigenous rights implementation in Canada.

The action plan identifies priority areas where this work will advance, including decision-making, lands and resources, and social and economic well-being. It establishes a clear and practical path for implementation while recognizing that this work will evolve over time.

Mr. Speaker, implementing the UN declaration is transformative work. It requires governments to examine how decisions are made, how relationships are built, and how Indigenous rights are reflected in laws, policies, and institutions.

This work will happen in phases. In some areas, the focus will be on immediate improvements to engagement, collaboration, transparency, and information sharing. In others, the work will involve longer-term efforts to review and modernize legislation, policies, and systems.

This action plan also reflects a commitment to accountability and transparency, outlining what work has already begun, what is planned, and how progress will be tracked and publicly reported.

Last month, the draft action plan was released for public comment to help residents better understand this work and how implementation will proceed. Residents raised important questions about timelines, engagement, and what implementation will mean in practice. That feedback reinforced the importance of clear and consistent communication as this work moves forward.

Mr. Speaker, the implementation of the UN declaration in the Northwest Territories will not happen overnight. It will require a long-term commitment from all of us. But today's tabling of the first action plan marks an important step forward, demonstrating leadership not only within the Northwest Territories and across Canada but also in the broader global efforts to advance the rights of Indigenous peoples.

I want to thank the Indigenous governments and organizations that have contributed their knowledge, leadership, and partnership to this work. The progress we are making together reflects the strength of collaboration and a shared commitment to a future grounded in respect for rights, recognition of Indigenous knowledge, and meaningful partnership.Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Ministers' Statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, oral health is an important part of overall health. Yet for too many residents of the Northwest Territories, especially in small and remote communities, getting dental care has meant long waits, cancelled clinics, or costly travel outside their home.

Today, I am pleased to update Members on the concrete steps I have taken as Minister to fix the long-standing barriers and bring dental care back into communities where people want and deserve to receive care.

First, I am proud to say that our government has secured a new agreement with Health Canada through the Oral Health Access Fund. This agreement brings approximately $3 million over three years into the Northwest Territories to repair, replace, and modernize dental equipment in community health centres across the territory.

This is a significant achievement. For years, outdated and broken dental equipment has been one of the biggest reasons dental services could not be delivered consistently in small communities. Even when dental professionals were ready and willing to travel, there was no dedicated funding to maintain or replace this equipment and as a result residents could not receive dental care close to home. By negotiating this agreement with Health Canada, we are fixing the foundation that dental services depend on.

In the first year of the agreement, funding will be used to hire a technology planner to assess the condition of dental rooms and equipment in community health centres and develop standard, safe dental room layouts, and put standing agreements in place to support installation, training, and the removal of old equipment. In year two and three, the focus will be to shift and getting equipment repaired or replaced in communities, starting in the Beaufort Delta and Sahtu regions, and then expanding to the Deh Cho, Fort Smith, and Yellowknife regions. This work will be carried out with the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, which manages our community health centres where dental services are delivered.

Mr. Speaker, this agreement is a key step toward our government's mandate priority of providing care closer to home. When dental spaces are safe and reliable, fewer residents will need to travel for routine dental care reducing stress for families and lowering travel pressures on the health system.

Second, I am also pleased to confirm that we have signed a contract with Adam Dental Clinic to restore visiting dental services in communities where equipment has already been assessed as safe for use. Dental services are expected to resume this summer in Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, and Norman Wells, with additional communities coming online as readiness work is completed.

Mr. Speaker, while dental treatment is not an insured under the Northwest Territories health care plan, it is often delivered through federal programs such as non-insured health benefits. Our government remains committed to ensuring residents can access timely, reliable dental care as close to home as possible. This work is about removing barriers, improving safety, and restoring quality service where people live. For residents, this means more reliable dental clinics, fewer cancelled appointments due to equipment failures, and fewer trips out of the community for basic dental care.

There is still more work ahead but these actions represent a real, measurable progress. By securing new federal funding and rebuilding the infrastructure that dental services rely on, we are bringing care back into communities and improving access for residents across the Northwest Territories, especially in small and remote communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Ministers' Statements. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Member for Thebacha, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Canadian Council of Ministers of Forestry in Langford, British Columbia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh constituent Juanita Sangris who last month retired after an extraordinary 5-year career serving the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Who knew back then that what began as an opportunity to work in her home community would become a 45-year career of outstanding services. But it was a natural fit. Juanita's skills and dedication meant she quickly became an essential part of the building of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation government into what it is today. That is no overstatement. This is the true magnitude of her 45-year service.

When Juanita first started, she was essentially a one-person operation in a small band office in Dettah, with very little structure and just a few colleagues along her side. But what the Yellowknives Dene First Nation did have was a vision at the time when the relationship between Indigenous governments and First Nations was evolving, and they had Juanita who dutifully managed the band office, the financial day-to-day operation day in and day out. As well, we all know vision alone is not enough. It has to be matched with sound financial management to build something that lasts. I am sure all Members in this House can appreciate just how important sound financial management are to the long-term success of any government or institution.

But beyond organization and administration, Juanita's dedication to her work with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation was deeply personal. As the YKDFN grew in capacity, she trained and mentored the staff and over time helped build a culture of diligence and professionalism and steady service.

I would also like to recognize that Juanita is here today in the gallery, joined by her husband former Chief Jonas Sangris who served 12 years, who also has dedicated much of his life to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation as well. As well, their children Derek Sangris, Lisa Pellissey, Sheena Green, and they have a huge family and a lot of grandchildren that I can't mention here right now, but I just want to mention that.

This Assembly thanks her for her extraordinary services. There are so many who look to her example, who hope to contribute as much as she has. I wish her and her family all the best in the new chapter in their retirement. And I want to say thank you for your services, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing them in the gallery here today. Thank you.

Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we conclude our spring sitting and releasing information to our constituents, it is as critical as home security. Mr. Speaker, a stable home environment is the pillar of family growth, security, stability, and environment to eliminate mental health stress.

Mr. Speaker, the community of Tulita has allocated ten homes during this upcoming seasons. I say seasons, Mr. Speaker, because we rely on two seasons. Hopefully there's a barging season and a dependable shortening winter road season. So later I will have questions there to the appropriate Minister.

But focusing on the home itself, Mr. Speaker, is just as important as community growth. A stable home really provides security for the children. The children can focus on their studies after having come out of their nice home. And we have the abilities here in the North in recognizing the emerging industry in the community of Fort Good Hope with the NDL, or Ne'rahten Developments Limited facility. Now we can design our own home to the applications of our climate change. So we have all the resources here. And I am glad to hear the Minister's statement earlier. It really emphasizes the need, and it really tells the audience that we are drafting solutions. And I am in total confidence if we have more homes going to our communities, we'll have healthy communities. People are secure, people are happy, and the children can focus, as said, on their studies.

So I look forward to supporting this initiative and, as I mentioned, I will have questions to the appropriate Minister later on. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Members' statements. Member from Great Slave.

Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Health and Social Services is well aware, I have a strong interest in what health data we can and should collect to make better informed decisions, as well as the interoperability of health records between our jurisdictions and ones residents must go to for medical travel.

Much of that dialogue has focused on the upcoming planned electronic health records system replacement. It's of little wonder, then, that I have been reviewing some of the RFP documents for said replacements records system. The RFP package is quite extensive and detailed. I don't pretend to be a proponent that would be able to accurately assess the requirements and provide a financial estimate. I think, however, that this is a key topic that the Assembly should keep tabs on as this process moves forward to modernizing our system and ideally reaching the end of limping along and modifying our current one with endless customizations that have made it unwieldy, Mr. Speaker.

There's one line that stood out to me in the RFP. Quote, ultimately the goal of the EHR project is a single comprehensive electronic health record which is accessible by NWT residents and authorized custodians to health information collected across NWT's entire health continuum of care. End quote.

I commend this vision. In short, I am pro-EHRS replacement; however, I am still curious about how we got here and how the replacement system will be steered into the future. As such, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to formally invite my colleagues of this Assembly to attend the upcoming Gwich'in Gathering in Fort McPherson. The dates for the Gwich'in Gathering is scheduled for July 17th to the 21st, 2026.

The Gwich'in Gathering represents an important occasion for communities, families, and visitors to come together in recognition and celebration of Gwich'in culture. It serves as an opportunity to honour the knowledge of elders, acknowledge the role of the youth, and strengthen the cultural connection that continues to sustain our communities.

Mr. Speaker, events such as this are significant not only to the Gwich'in people but to Northwest Territories as a whole. They contribute to the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages and traditions while fostering understanding and collaboration among people and communities. The community of Fort McPherson is pleased to host this important gathering and look forward to welcoming participants from across the territory and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to consider attending this gathering as an opportunity to demonstrate support for Indigenous culture and the ongoing work of cultural preservation and revitalization in the Northwest Territories.

I would also like to acknowledge and commend the organizers, volunteers, and community members whose efforts and commitment will make this gathering possible. Delegates from Alaska, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories will be among the thousands of people gathering in Fort McPherson during this time.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to welcoming colleagues to Fort McPherson for this important event. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again today I'd like to talk about the long-term care program review that was completed in 2015 for the Northwest Territories. And at the time, it was said that there was 115 beds per 1,000 people aged 70 or older required.

Mr. Speaker, I know I've done Members' statements on this in the past, we went through that; that equated for Inuvik at the time 43 beds. There was then a proposal brought forward to this government for a 48-bed long-term care facility built and designed -- either built and owned by, built and operated by, a partnership between both the Indigenous development corps in my community.

At the time, Mr. Speaker, in addition the operational plan had been developed based on best practices in long-term residential care and created an alignment with key GNWT documents, including the integrated service delivery model, continuing care framework, and action plan Our Elders, Our Community.

So having said all that, Mr. Speaker, I know those plans have changed. I know that was then, this is now. I know the plan -- and I know the Minister and her department have been working on an updated long-term care projections for Inuvik, for the territory. I know some of that work was done. I can see some of that work has happened in Inuvik as well. What residents of Inuvik now would like to know, Mr. Speaker, is the current status of that work that's been done, the results of the current work on what the needs are, the current status of the expansion, and certainly when they can expect to see this long awaited construction of this facility in the community of Inuvik so we can continue to care for our folks that require long-term care for peace of mind for them and their families, Mr. Speaker. So I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Behchoko is one of the fastest growing communities in the Northwest Territories and the regional centre for all Tlicho communities. As the population grows, regional services must keep pace. This includes accessible Class 5 drivers testing.

Access to Class 5 testing matters for everyday life, but it is also crucial for economic development. Many entry level positions, especially in transportation, require a full license before our residents can even apply.

When residents must travel to Yellowknife to obtain that license, Mr. Speaker, Behchoko is left with a service gap that affects both workers and local employers. The rationale for this gap has been that Behchoko is lacking some of the road test condition needed for unrestricted testing. But if certain features are missing from the local road test route, then the route should be improved. We are talking about modest improvement: A designated parking area for manoeuvres, crosswalks, stop lines, and selected lanes marking where the route requires them. As for higher speed testing conditions, Mr. Speaker, Behchoko is located directly off Highway No. 3. There should be no reason that part of the road test cannot be covered through the use of the highway.

Mr. Speaker, for comparison, both Fort Simpson and Behchoko are regional centres. Fort Simpson's population is smaller than Behchoko. The road conditions and transportation infrastructure are comparable yet one community has access to unrestricted testing while the other does not.

Behchoko's proximity to Yellowknife should not become a reason to provide reduced services. The GNWT should establish a designated road test route, make the modest improvements required, and provide unrestricted classified driver testing in Behchoko. I will have questions from the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Member's Statements. Member from Range Lake.

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Mr. Speaker, the auditor general's devastating report on child and family services is behind many of the failures identified is a growing staffing crisis fueled by frontline worker burnout and turnover leaving vulnerable children to fall through the cracks which widen with each vacancy which is as high as 34 percent. That crisis has been raised in audit after audit, and it points to an inescapable truth. The government's focus on financial incentives as a fix-all for recruitment continues to miss the mark. Three-quarters of frontline staff would not be operating above the department's 11 case cap, and nearly a quarter would not be carrying more than 30 cases if those solutions were working.

This is not just an administrative failure. It is a human resource crisis that has already led to staff missing mandatory monthly wellness checks for 91 percent of children in care.

Last week I raised these concerns, and consistent with the approach of her predecessors, the Minister's response did not address excessive caseloads or workloads standards. Instead, she returned to housing shortages and national recruitment pressures failing to engage with the fact that her department can't even retain workers in the first place.

We know we can address the needs of social workers. In the United Kingdom and Australia, governments are moving beyond rhetoric and taking concrete action with mandatory 20 percent caseload reductions for early career social workers and automated workload tracking introduced to signal when a regional office reaches unsafe capacity. Yet here in the NWT, health and social services has never actually assessed the financial and human resources required to deliver these services despite being called to do so since 2010.

My question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Speaker, is clear: When will she stand up for social workers and the families who depend on them and commit to codified caseload caps and structured workload protections for frontline workers? When will she stand up for the social workers? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife school boards continue to experience significant pressures under the current GNWT education funding formula and have been advocating to MLAs for change. The current funding formula is intended to provide equitable funding across education authorities; however, in practice, it does not fully reflect the real and escalating costs associated with inclusive schooling, staffing pressures and operating schools. Several of our school boards face unique cost drivers that are not adequately recognized in the formula.

Unlike most other education authorities in the territory, Yellowknife education districts directly manage their own human resources, facilities maintenance, and operational services. These responsibilities create additional fixed and variable costs.

The current formula does not respond to changes in student complexity or mobility. When schools welcome students with complex learning, behavioural or medical needs, funding does not adjust to reflect the additional staffing, supports, and resources required to ensure those students can be safely and meaningfully included in school communities.

Similarly, when students transfer into schools during the school year, there is no corresponding adjustment to operating or instructional funding despite immediate impacts on class composition, staffing pressures, and space.

As a result of these gaps, Mr. Speaker, boards are required to dig into surplus savings, which should be used for facilities maintenance, to supplement core GNWT funding to meet student needs often reallocating resources away from other priorities to maintain effective learning environments. This approach is not sustainable and a solution is needed which recognizes the unique circumstances facing these school boards. We need a review and refinement of the education funding formula to ensure it more accurately reflects actual costs faced by the school boards facing these unique circumstances including

The full cost of inclusive schooling,

Staffing recruitment and retention pressures,

Student mobility and mid-year enrolment changes, and

The additional operational responsibilities carried by the boards who manage their own facilities and staffing.

Addressing these issues is critical to ensuring the funding model supports both equity and adequacy, and that our education authorities can meet the needs of all students without continued reliance on board level supplementation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the safety and well-being of children is one of the most important responsibilities we hold. When concerns are raised, they must be met with honesty and accountability. Policies and programs matter, but the hefty lifting is done by the people who show up for our children every day. That work deserves recognition.

Today I want to show my gratitude to our community workers, along with our teachers, mentors, first responders, and everyone who helps to care for and protect children in our communities. I also want to recognize two people, one of which has been awarded for the work he did in our community of Fort Providence. Both are greatly appreciated and honoured for their contributions to the community.

First, I want to recognize Constable Andrew Nunez. Andrew was recently honoured with the 2026 recipient of the IOD RCMP Community Relations Award for his contributions to the community engagement in Fort Providence. He is a former child protection worker, which speaks to his longstanding commitment to children and community safety. Congratulations to Constable Andrew Nunez.

I also want to recognize Thursten Gohl. Thursten has been honoured for his dedication as a coach and mentor for the positive example he sets for young people. His service reminds us how powerful it can be when a young person has someone steady in their corner. A big mahsi to Thursten.

Mr. Speaker, children and community members remember the adults who made them feel safe and cared for. They remember the person who believed in their future. In small communities, that kind of presence can change a life.

To all the community workers who continue to carry the weight of a community system, to Andrew and Thursten and to everyone who cares for and protects children, thank you. Your work matters deeply, and our communities are stronger because of you. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Members' statement. Member from Yellowknife North.

Mr. Speaker, we need to get our act together with our apprenticeship and trades program. It's not serving apprentices or employers the way it should be, and now more than ever this territory needs skilled tradespeople. If we're going to build and maintain the new housing we need, if we're to ensure upcoming major projects actually use northern labour, if we are to boost employment numbers in smaller communities, all of these need a well-functioning apprenticeship program.

First, we need to seize every opportunity and be more flexible to offer trades programs closer to people's home communities. That way, they can maintain more continuity with their employers while literally building up their own communities.

Now, we have an ATOC board that is set up to be a bridge between industry and government and advise the Minister but ATOC seems to have no role in directing or advising Aurora College which is, of course, our only trades training provider. That's a problem because the college is arm's length from the Minister and a lot of the valuable feedback from employers relates to problems with implementation.

For example, the college often doesn't offer courses every single year so unless an apprentice is given special permission to go down south to continue their training, they have to wait a year or two which stalls their progress and momentum. Sometimes college trades courses are even cancelled at the very last minute, leaving students high and dry.

There's no formal system to connect employers with apprentices whereas an employer could call up an Alberta Trades Institute and get a list of, say, second-year electrician apprentices they could reach out to. But ECE or Aurora College can't offer that information so an employer has to wait for students to come to them.

We have heard a major bottleneck is a shortage of Red Seal journeypersons. One strategy might be to assess whether there are cases where a journeyperson might be able to safely supervise more than two apprentices at a time, which is currently the limit in our regulation.

Mr. Speaker, these are just a few ideas to help draw attention to the need to improve our apprenticeship and trades program to ensure the success of our apprentices, our northern businesses, and ultimately our territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to continue, like my colleagues, on the auditor general's report with respect to the child and family services. Mr. Speaker, it's not that just things are getting worse. It's the fact that we can't seem to realize or recognize how much worse they're getting.

Mr. Speaker, if I was, in theory, to provide an armchair diagnosis on this government, I would say it's somewhere between the Frank Sinatra stubbornness of doing it my way or the ODD, that's the oppositional defiant disorder, Mr. Speaker, because the government doesn't seem to want to take advice and realize the concerns we're raising.

Mr. Speaker, if the 2026 Auditor General's Report wasn't just bad enough, again I quote the former Minister in 2028, it was gut-wrenching, that report. Sorry, I said 2028, my apologies, I meant 2018. And the 2014 report was an abysmal failure. That in itself should have been a call to action to the facts, if anything the baseline. One would stand to wonder, repeatedly, doesn't the auditor general have more important files to go to? No, apparently this is the file they keep coming back to and saying things aren't getting better and no one seems to be changing that.

Mr. Speaker, you know when things go wrong when the government spends more time defending how great they are and the Minister, and I think they've lost focus. And the focus is this:

The razor focus we have, along this side of the room, at least most of us I should say, is the kids that are the victims of this process. And while we hear things like oh, everything's fine, we got modest improvements. Well, the auditor general is the gold standard of reports. This is an abysmal failure, Mr. Speaker. So let us get on the vanguard of solutions and let's turn inaction to action, Mr. Speaker.

Now, I personally am going to say they haven't failed me; they've disappointed me. But they failed the children that are intended to be in the custody. And when I look to the Minister, Mr. Speaker, and say she's disappointed me, again I say she was doing a heroic job in the four years she was a Member. So what happened that turned the lights out on this issue? So the Minister has been in charge of this issue for 909 days. I say to this, if you're not interested in making things improvement, ask for a shuffle, Mr. Speaker. And I want to finish by sincerely saying I thank the Minister for joining us today so we can deal with this issue face to face.

Member from Range Lake, can you please withdraw that last comment.

Withdrawn.

Members' statements. Member's statement. Member from Hay River South.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an incredible but unique milestone, the 56th Anniversary of a legendary northern institution, Buffalo Airways. Talking to Mikey McBride the other day and I asked him why 56 years was a time to celebrate? In his usual comical tone, why not? We kept forgetting about all the other years.

What started as a small, ambitious business in Hay River, like others Kingland Ford, Wesclean Queen, and Igloo Building Supplies, Buffalo has grown to a world famous aviation icon. Founded by Buffalo Joe McBryan himself, this family-operated company has spent over half a century providing hard northern work and mastering the skies of the North with any weather.

Mr. Speaker, Buffalo Airways is the definition of a northern success story. From its humble beginnings flying under-serviced routes, it has expanded to reach far beyond the borders of the Northwest Territories. Today, it is recognized globally. Millions of people from around the world know their name, their vintage aircraft, the northern spirit and through the television show they had, merchandise and a numerous global fan base. I will also mention Mikey's YouTube channel.

But their fame has never changed their local humble heart. Buffalo always remained deeply committed to the communities that built them. They are a lifeline for the north. They deliver critical cargo, transport passengers with their charters, and provide essential firefighting services to help protect our North during wildfire seasons. During the 2023 wildfire in the Hay River area, Buffalo Airways soared high and transported many of our needs. They worked nonstop for us in the area and transported many people with the wildland urban interface program from Alberta, but they also transported essential cargo to Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, Buffalo Airways brings the spirit of the Northwest Territories to the global stage. I want to congratulate the McBryan family on the success of Buffalo Airways. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Hay River South.

Colleagues, I had the opportunity to witness Enbridge Line 21 full-scale emergency response exercise last year at N'dulee Crossing, Fort Simpson and Fort McMurray, underscoring the critical importance of robust emergency preparedness on the Norman Wells Line 21 pipeline system and demonstrated the high standard of training delivered by private industry in partnership with northern and Indigenous communities. This multi-day exercise showed how detailed planning, realistic field deployment, and genuine collaboration can reduce risk to land, water, and communities along the pipeline corridor.

At its core, the full-scale exercise was designed to test how Enbridge and its partners could respond to a potential incident on Line 21 from early notification and command decision-making through on-the-ground containment and recovery actions. By the activity and evaluation, evaluating the company's emergency response plan in real time, the exercise provided an opportunity to verify that internal procedures, communication, and logistics are not only complementary with regulatory expectations but also practical and effective in the unique condition of the Deh Cho and Sahtu region.

This kind of scenario-based training is essential to ensuring that if an incident occurred, responders are acting from practical experience rather than theory.

Equally important, the exercise highlighted the growing role of Indigenous governments and local leadership in shaping and delivering emergency response. Collaboration with Liiklii Kue First Nation, the communities of Wrigley, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie, Sambaa K'e, Norman Wells, Tulita, and one Alberta community, was not a symbolic gesture but a recognition that these who live along the line bring critical knowledge of the land, river system, and community needs. Their participation helped ensure that response strategies respected community priorities, traditional use areas, and culture value while also building mutual confidence that local perspectives are embedded in emergency planning. This approach reflected a broader shift towards partnership-based emergency management and that support reconciliation and shared partnership.

The Deh Cho focused activities during the FSE showcased the scale and professionalism of the private sector response capabilities. Establishing an incident command centre in Fort McMurray to oversee field operations at N'dulee Crossing and Fort Simpson demonstrated Enbridge is prepared to coordinate complex multi-site responses using recognized incident command structures and integrated planning.

Recognizing the time, I would like the rest of the statement be deemed as read and printed in Hansard.

In closing, I would like to thank Enbridge for including me in the exercise. It was an eye-opener, and I feel comfortable they are prepared for the future.

The participation of representatives from Norman Wells, Tulita, Wrigley, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Sambaa K'e, and Chateh ensured that decision-makers could see first-hand how an incident would be managed and how information would flow between the IMC, field teams, and affected communities.

On the ground, the exercise mobilized approximately 111 Enbridge personnel, 34 local contractors, 8 on-site observers, 14 observers at the IMC, and 4 regulatory representatives, supported by 3 helicopters and 6 Enbridge boats. This level of deployment reflects a significant private-sector investment in equipment, training, and logistics capacity dedicated to environmental protection and public safety. Involving local contractors not only builds regional economic benefits but also ensures that people with direct knowledge of local rivers, currents, and access routes are fully integrated into response teams.

The Emergency Response (ER) Day and community feast in Fort Simpson, which drew an estimated 200300 community members, were equally important components of the exercise. By making response equipment visible and explaining how it would be used during a real incident, Enbridge and its partners helped demystify emergency operations and provided residents with a clearer sense of what to expect and how to engage if something goes wrong. Public-facing events like this build transparency and trust, giving community members a chance to ask questions, share concerns, and see that safety is supported by real, tested capability rather than assurances alone.

Taken together, the 2025 Line 21 Full-Scale Exercise demonstrates that high-quality training led by private industry, when done in partnership with Indigenous governments, local contractors, and regulators, is a cornerstone of responsible resource development in the North. It strengthens technical readiness, deepens relationships with communities along the pipeline, and helps ensure that, if an emergency occurs, responders are equipped both professionally and culturally to protect people, lands, and waters.

Members' statements. Member from Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Member for Nunakput, I'd like to offer my condolences to the many families whose loved ones have passed on in the last number of months.

Condolences to the family of Miss Lucy Wolki with her recent passing - one of our matriarchs of Tuktoyaktuk, an elder, a sister, a mother, and annannak. A kind and gentle soul.

Condolences to the family with the recent passing of Ms. Violet Kikoak I saw Violet grow up from a young girl in our community and take care of her parents and raise her family, a mother, annanak and sister. Violet was kind and a friend to many.

Condolences to the family with the recent passing of Mr. James Adam - a young man, a husband, father and son to Sandy and Sarah. Another tough loss for the family with so many young children.

Condolences to the family of Mr. David Noksana Sr. with his recent passing - an elder, a father, attatak, and brother. A good friend to many. David had many talents and was a confident person.

Ms. Louisa Gruben. Condolences to the family of Louisa with her recent passing. Louisa is a mother, annanak, sister, and good friend to many in the community. Louisa always let others stay in her House when they had no place to stay at home.

Condolences to the family of Mr. Freddie Voudrach. Freddie is a husband, father, attatak and a friend to many in the community. He would stop me in the Northern store and ask how his MLA was doing and make sure you take good care of us.

Condolences to Millie and the family of Mr. John Russell with his recent passing. John was a local businessman and a hardworking individual that took care of his family - a husband, a father, and attatak.

Condolences to the family of Ms. Maria Pokiak. A very young lady who left behind young children, a difficult loss - a mother, a sister, and a daughter. She will be missed.

Condolences to the family of Mrs. Linda Thrasher. Linda was a quiet individual in the community but always had a ready smile. She will be missed. A mother, annanak, and sister.

We lost another elder in our community, Mrs. Dora Raddi. Dora was a mother, annanak, and a sister. She struggled in the last few years but was so strong. Condolences to the family.

Mr. Fred Emaghok passed away in Whitehorse where he had lived for a number of years but was brought home to his family for burial. Condolences to the Emaghok family.

There has so much loss throughout the region. It's difficult especially in the smaller communities as it is much more apparent, and I want to provide my condolences as many times as MLA I am not able to the service. Quyananni Mr. Speaker.

Our condolences to all the families. And thank you for the recognition in this House today.

Members' statements. Members' statements. Return to oral questions. Return to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to recognize two of my neighbours from the Range Lake riding, Hannah and Elise Neudorf. Elise is five months old so I am excited that she's getting her first look at democracy in action. I'd also like to recognize Fiona Ray. Fiona is an Indigenous social worker. She also happens to be the daughter of Gordon Ray who was a former Member and Minister of this Assembly. Thank you all for being here today and observing our proceedings.

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

I wish to follow in the same vein as my colleague for Range Lake. I'd also like to recognize Fiona Ray, a social worker, a warrior for the cause to keep machinery running. And we don't have enough Fionas up there, and I really wish we do. And I've known her for a long time. But I also want to say, a shout out to the memory of her father. He was a good friend of mine. I knew him in his post-political career but I also remember him when I was a page here, and that he was always such a wonderful man to get to know. And when you crossed his -- when you crossed his way, point of view of the world, he made sure he told you. He had an opinion, and it was usually quite sharp. But I miss him because he was a great guy.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chambers. You've allowed us, the 19, to be present and represent the people of Northwest Territories. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings, and it is always nice to see people in the gallery.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge the graduation of Christina Johnston from the Aurora College school of health and human services with a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. Christina was born and raised in Yellowknife's Range Lake riding, and her family has a history of working in the medical field. She continues a journey now in nursing as a registered nurse in the Northwest Territories. Congratulations on this milestone, Christina. I am looking forward to your promising career in northern nursing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Health and Social Services explain what parties within the GNWT provided the extensive requirements for a new electronic health records system RFP; that is, if the oversight included end users such as healthcare professionals, both medical and administrative, as well as technical or subject experts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the requirements that were developed through a structured collaborative process led by the department working closely with three health and social services authorities. There were nearly 500 people across the GNWT health system who provided input. This included frontline users such as physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative staff who use the electronic records every day. Their involvement ensured that the requirements reflect the real practical needs in the healthcare setting. It also included technical and subject-matter experts who were involved, including IT specialists, health informatic professionals, privacy and security experts, and procurement advisors. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When a proponent is selected for the new health records system, is there an anticipated prototype testing period; that is, will NTHSSA or the other authorities staff and/or technical GNWT staff test that and will the proponent be able to identify and squash bugs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, after a proponent is selected, the project will include several testing stages such as configuration, user acceptance testing, health authority staff, including clinical administrative users as well as GNWT technical staff will take part in this testing. This testing will help confirm that the system works properly in real world NWT health care environments. The procurement process also includes proof of concept stage to confirm the system will function within the GNWT's technical environment. And under the control of the proponent, it will be responsible for fixing any problem found during testing, including software bugs, performance issues, and other deficiencies before the system is fully rolled out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me who will be responsible for day-to-day governance decisions that will steer the management of this new record system, especially if it's found at a later date to be deficient in key areas such as technical, privacy, operational usability, or any other key concerns. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a formal governance structure will oversee the day-to-day management of the new electronic health record system. Governance committees will include representatives from all three health authorities including physicians, clinical staff, health leadership, department officials, technical experts, and these bodies will be responsible for guiding decisions and addressing the system if it's found to have technical, privacy, usable, or operational concerns. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given that 75 percent of frontline social workers exceed the 11 case cap and nearly carry half -- sorry, nearly double and sometimes triple the workload, which I consider unsafe working conditions, can the Minister of Health and Social Services explain why the department has never done an assessment of their total resourcing needs required to support their operations in the social services space. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the child and family services department, within NTHSSA, they -- I believe that the assessments that have been done and then they do the -- you know, when they do the business process and put forward for additional positions, that within 2018 until 2026, they did put forward a number of positions forward because of the assessments that were done. I believe that there was 56 additional positions put into child and family services to support the system. However, with the shortages and the vacancies right now, I believe that there is ongoing work internally to analyze internally and also they're going to be doing an assessment and working with and reaching out to staff right now before December. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And even with -- I was around for those 56 positions. You know, even with those 56 positions, the assessment was never done. So now we're hearing it will come in December. I hope the Minister will -- well, I hope we will see those numbers because we need to see them. Mr. Speaker, I talked about a number of initiatives other jurisdictions have taken. So let's talk about mandatory caseload caps on new social workers to ease them into the job. This is done in many other jurisdictions to great success. Why has the Minister not looked at practical solutions like that that support social workers, keep them from being burnt out, and keep them from immediately being saddled with caseloads that are unsafe, as I said earlier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that the department right now is currently in the process of doing this jurisdictional scan and it should be available for -- it's going to be completed by October 2026. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, don't do the scan. Just get it in place. That's what we're asking for today. We're asking for some immediate action. That's the question, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister make that commitment today to put safeguards and safe -- safety guards around social workers who are coming into the profession so we can keep them from burning out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in discussions that I've been just having with the department of child and family services at the department level, there is a proposed float team approach right now to try and relieve some pressures in areas where there's larger vacancies. They're initiating some peer support and debriefing teams. We're looking right now at mentorships and part of onboarding training processes as this has been identified by staff, and all of this will be, you know -- and clinical and supervisor training for this summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My concerns are really about systematic deterioration. Well, at least my first question is about that.

Given that the Minister has held the health portfolio for 909 days and during the Minister's tenure, her department's failure rate regarding children in care has actively worsened from the already catastrophic 88 percent to 91. Mr. Speaker, the question really is, is does the Minister finally accept statutory responsibility for this decline, or will she continue to blame the systematic failure remains the fault of her predecessors or even just the process? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've already stood up, I've already said that we accept -- I accept, and I accept that there is still work to do. I understand that I've been here for 909 days, as the Member has stated, but the system that was developed, that is where we're currently sitting now, didn't happen in 909 days and I, as the Minister, am continuing to work in this department and continuing to show improvements. As the OAG has stated, there has been improvement since the 2018 report. There are things that were highlighted that, you know, that we've had 79 percent improvement with supervision of workers out of territory placement. We've had increased improvements of more consistent of key foster caregiver documents. The previous reports were with an 81 -- like a 70 percent increase. So where we were and where we are now, yeah, it's not done. The work is not done. I still have lots of work to do, and the Minister after me will continue to have this work to do because the system was set up. It wasn't set up with Indigenous people. It is -- you know, it is Indigenous kids in the system. It hasn't had -- until we had Bill C-92, that's why we have the legislation moving forward so that we can work with Indigenous governments because it will be in our legislation to say that this is what you have to do to make care plans to care for these children, to move them into a better place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It sure sounds like it's the system's fault, if you listen carefully, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Minister is the sole corporate trustee and legal guardian of these children under the territorial law. She has possessed the clear documentation and the knowledge and experience, Mr. Speaker, on this challenge so the question really comes down to is, because you continue to operate at 14 to 34 percent frontline vacancies of social workers to be our champions and heroes of this job, with three-quarters of a billion dollar budget, Mr. Speaker, why do you continue to fail this industry when we need to entice them to stay and bring new ones in? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, any Indigenous or any non-Indigenous or any social workers that are, you know, wanting to come into this work, you know, this is where we are. We have the advertisements. You know, we have recruitment going out this summer to the universities. You know, Aurora College is transitioning into having the social work diploma program graduates within the next, you know, two years or three years. And so there is still work that we need to do to improve the recruitment of, you know, Indigenous social workers and all social workers within the system. However, you know, in the last year we've increased, you know, where social workers were able to get the market labour supplement because, you know, they were left out the first round and that was negotiated in for them to be able to try and recruit more because of the cost of living in some of these communities. And we will continue to do the work that we need to do. That's why staff has said they need support, they need training. We are creating those pieces, and there is some restructuring going on. And there is also duplication of paperwork where we know that we can streamline some of that. And we're also utilizing some of our other staff that can do some of the work that are not needed by the social workers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, it's clearly not money is the issue here and certainly cancelling the social worker program wasn't the solution either. But thankfully bringing it back. So, Mr. Speaker, by law, the department of health must assess children within 24 hours yet the files prove that some wait as late as 16 days.

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister accept that allowing her department, her system, her system that she has fought against, to violate their statutory regulations and deadlines? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that within that -- you know, it's not acceptable, and that's why we currently have put in place since -- the audit was done between a certain time period and since that, since I became Minister, there has been things put in place that the department is screening the quarterly audits and providing those to managers to make sure that everybody's -- you know, making sure that everybody's meeting the standard statutory obligations within this. And we're also reviewing many of these things across jurisdictional to see where -- you know, where all of our standards meet to make sure that, you know, we are making sure that our standards are able to meet the Canadian standards and in the territory that how do we create the system that we're going to be able to action those things within that time frame. And so that work is currently going on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will go a little slow to give my colleague, the Minister of health, a chance to catch her breath. Seems like she's the only one answering questions today.

Mr. Speaker, following up on my Member's statement regarding the long-term care facility in Inuvik, you know, I went back to the history of what's been happening. So I understand the Department of Health and Social Services has been anticipating updated long-term care bed projections. Can the Minister please tell us what we can expect to hear about those projections and what they will mean for long-term care in our community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services has been updating the long-term care projections to ensure that we're planning appropriately for the needs of our aging population. Those updated projections are expected to be released later this summer. I've just recently been briefed on them, and they'll be released this summer. Once released, the projections will inform how we work with communities to ensure seniors can access the care that they need as close to home as possible and will support ongoing discussions about infrastructure, staffing, and service delivery in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister update the House then on the current status of the expansion in Inuvik and how those bed projections will be factored into the project once they are completed this summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently the process of issuing the RFP for design, we're currently in the process of issuing this. I believe it's in the infrastructure ready to -- going through that procurement process to go out for design services. The bed projections will provide important territory-wide data and then for our -- like, for each long-term care, it will show where we have planning in place if that's enough beds once we build them. So in Inuvik, you know, the numbers will remain the same. I believe there's additional 18 beds. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and yes, if it ends up being 18 beds, 20 beds, or 15 beds, certainly that will be appreciated.

I know I've had conversations with the Minister both publicly and in our constituency meetings in our hometown regarding the design stage, and we're anticipating construction starting in 2027. Can the Minister speak to when she is now anticipating construction to begin, and are we still looking at 2027 for shovels in the ground, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe we have a schematic design cost estimate completion anticipated for March 31st, 2027. And then we have a construction completion date by 2032. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure.

Given that licensing numbers for the Tlicho region are overshadowed by Yellowknife under the broader North Slave region, will the Minister provide the most recent numbers for how many restricted class 5 driver's licenses were issued in Behchoko? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That level of detail, I'd have to go to the department to find out the amount of restricted driver's licenses that have been issued in Behchoko or the Tlicho region. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Fort Simpson provides unrestricted class 5 testing when it is a smaller regional centre with comparable road conditions and infrastructure while Behchoko continues to receive limited service. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to lifting the restricted driver's license status for NWT small communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would love to lift the restricted licenses across the territories however restricted driver's licenses do apply. Actually in just a quick little Google search, I found that they still exist in many provinces across Canada and territory. You know, usually what happens is because we follow a Canadian standard, there is infrastructure that is missing within communities. You know, some of the things that Behchoko may not have compared to Fort Simpson is street markings, street crosswalks painted on, stuff like that, and also maybe curbside -- or curbs. However, I am committed to work with the Member for her community to see what infrastructure is required for the community of Behchoko and if we can work with the community government to see how we can improve the infrastructure there and work on getting the restricted driver's licenses lifted for Behchoko. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. Thank you for that response. So will the Minister commit to establishing a designated road test route, making the modest improvements required, and providing unrestricted class 5 driver testing in Behchoko? Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, this is a lot to do with the Canadian standards and national standards of what we follow for testing. And like I said earlier, we'll have a look at it and see what we can do in the community of Behchoko to work with the community governments and the ability to improve the infrastructure and if it's something simple that we can do, like line painting, that's something we could probably look at doing with our regular seasonal contracts of line painting. But, again, we'll look at what we can do in Behchoko to improve the driver's testing and hopefully get rid of the restricted driver's license in Behchoko. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up to my statement on housing, my questions are to the Minister of Housing NWT.

The first question, Mr. Speaker, can the community of Tulita expect materials during this barging season given the fact that it's allocated ten units to that community? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the Tulita housing delivery, the modular units for Tulita are being provided by two contractual agreements, each with NWT-based manufacturers. Four units, again, we talked about this earlier in session, are manufactured in Fort Good Hope with the K'ahsho Got'ine Trade Centre with units -- with plans to bring the units to the community on the 2028 winter road. The remaining six units will be manufactured in Hay River by Metcan Building Solutions, an Indigenous-owned business. These units will be delivered to Tulita on the 2027 winter road with the 2027 barge as a contingency plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister. We're not only growing the community home needs, but we're growing the NWT economy. That's very grateful to see.

My next question, what benefits can the region expect? It's a project, it's a contract, is there training plans within the procurement system of these developments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier, I think it's important to recognize that four of the units are being built in Fort Good Hope, a small, remote community in the Northwest Territories. So much benefits to the community, especially around local labour component and a workforce component as well as an apprenticeship and training component. And the units with Metcan in Hay River, again training and employment, local labour workforce. So many benefits across both communities adding to our housing stock. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I share this inspiration for trades. Locally, we have a young fellow that has his journeyman as an electrician. So that adds to -- is there a capacity on trades from these projects and for the other customer builds in Good Hope, some kind of trades component to be shared with the young people and the high school students as well? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the MLA for sharing that. It's really important to recognize that we need tradespeople locally in our communities, in the workforce, every day, and also apprenticing like others. Because I think right now in the Northwest Territories we're seeing a lower level of tradespeople compared to perhaps the last generation, and we need to boost up that capacity, like the Member has indicated, especially with major projects and Build Canada Homes. The potential in Northwest Territories is great. It's just that we've got to get the local workforce engaged. And that's why Housing NWT is placing that in their contractual agreements that there is that apprenticeship makeup in the agreement itself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. I emailed the Minister responsible for the airports within the NWT. The concern is with the community of Aklavik and the airport. There are many deficiencies surrounding the airport. There are willows that are growing at a rapid rate, and the fencing is laying on the ground, more than half of the fencing. There are wildlife crossing the airport coming out of the willows, and it's posing a threat to both aircraft and human life.

What will the Minister instruct his department to do to rectify the severity of this problem at the Aklavik community airport which is adjacent to the community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Mackenzie Delta. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, we were notified from the Member about the concerns. I immediately sent them to the department, and there's work being done to assess what the hazards are. Obviously, if the -- you know, the fencing's down, that's something we have to look at and get it fixed. We'll confirm that time and date with the Member in the response to him. And also, if there's any other concerns, we'll get those addressed. So this is something that's being looked at as we speak. So once I get the information on what's going to be done, I will share that with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that response. These concerns are coming to me from members of the community, Mr. Speaker. How is the department given reports on deficiencies surrounding NWT airports before they pose a threat to human life and aircrafts? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many communities have contractors that work in them for the airports or their staff. You know, if there's any concerns they're usually brought up that way. However, this is my first time hearing about this. I don't know if it's been addressed before but my first time hearing about it through the Member and other individuals. So immediately, as soon as I received it I shared it with the department. Safety concerns are always a top priority, and we want to get them looked at right away. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Final supplementary. Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister provide a timeframe as to when the remediation work will commence and be completed before there's an accident being reported? I've worked at the airport before and, you know, these are very important. Can the Minister provide a timeframe for completion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I am waiting from the department to hear what's going to be happening. And I know the Member is concerned about safety. Again, you know, the contractors and whoever else is working there is required to do, you know, facility and grounds checks essentially to make sure that everything is safe, runway checks. You know, if there's concern and one of the issues is wildlife, if there's concerns about wildlife, you know, the pilots usually do fly passes or can see them on their approach so, you know, we're always aware of that. And hopefully the fence, when it goes up, it's going to restrict some of that or stop some of that. So once I get more information about it, I will share it with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So similar to my colleague from the Sahtu, I am also passionate about skilled trades, and I'd like to ask questions to the Minister of ECE, education, culture and employment, about our apprenticeship, trades, and occupation certification board, or ATOC. So ATOC reviews appeals and provides advice to the Minister of ECE; however, there appears to be no public record of the board's work, such as meeting minutes or reports on what advice they've offered or what the Minister's responses have been. Can the Minister commit to making the work of ATOC public, including meeting minutes and reports. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have used the ATOC board numerous times in my time as Minister. I share the Members' interest in trades and seeing them grow. I certainly would want to have a conversation with the ATOC board themselves to see if they have any concerns about that. Certainly, I am very happy to find a way to log my letters to them with education, culture and employment but would want to make sure that I am closing the loop with ATOC first. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do believe that transparency would benefit everyone in this case. Secondly, now that the college is arm's length, Aurora College, does the Minister believe it's sufficient for ATOC to provide advice only to the ECE Minister given that the Minister doesn't necessarily have direct control over operations at the college? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.