Last session I asked and got a written question asking for buildings in three of the northern communities, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells and Inuvik. I only received the one for Inuvik and that is a start for this government to move forward to look at these three buildings that can be used as a treatment centre, as the Minister of Health is willing to look at these buildings in Inuvik and look at creating some type of programs. The people in our region – the Beaufort-Delta region, the Sahtu region – that need the treatment have some place to go, that they are comfortable in the environment and that they will have the support of family and friends. Is the Minister committed to looking at those buildings as a possible treatment centre for the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to have a question for the Minister of Health today. In our Caucus priorities, we mentioned enhancing addiction treatment programs using existing infrastructure. Last year during the Forging the Future Youth Conference, they recognized as the number one recommendation was regional treatment centres, with the end goal of creating a full treatment centre for people of the Northwest Territories.

On March 26th I read an editorial that says, the

Minister of Health says that a new addiction treatment centre might not be the best option. It raised a little bit of concern for me and a few other constituents that I have. We are not looking at creating a new treatment centre. We want to provide a service, using what we have right now in the Northwest Territories for the people that need it.

What is the Minister’s plan in looking at creating these treatment centres in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the mayor of Inuvik, Denny Rodgers, and Chief Jim Antoine, who both have been strong role models for leaders across the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to do my Member’s statement on a critical situation that we find ourselves in in Inuvik. It’s the gas situation. I’ve had conversations with certain Ministers over this and we are working hard to find a solution in Inuvik and we’re looking at trying to get support from this government.

During our most current business planning sessions that we had last month and part of this month, all

the departments recognize the gas situation as something that we’ve got to take into consideration when they’re planning the business plans, how it’s going to affect them. What some don’t realize is that in Inuvik where we’re going through this situation and the cost of living is already high, what I’m concerned about is we’re going to start losing professionals from the community. We’re going to lose teachers; we’re going to lose nurses; we’re going to lose caregivers and people who run programs and services, because they can’t afford to pay those prices. Businesses are going to be affected very hard. They’re going to have to accrue their costs somehow, which means they’re going to increase the goods and services that they provide to the residents of Inuvik and it’s going to put those residents into a poverty situation, which will impact income support.

The situation doesn’t only affect Inuvik, but it’s going to have a rippling effect right across the Northwest Territories. You will see it, and if this government doesn’t make the commitments to address the issue and look at how we can mitigate them, I know where we are making some of our buildings and turning them over to diesel, but the money that’s going into mitigating the effects of this situation could be better spent by investing it into a long-term solution for Inuvik so that later on we don’t have to pay the price. Invest now and we won’t have to pay later.

Throughout this government, throughout this session I will continue to speak on the situation. In Inuvik right now we see a lot of homes up for sale since the announcement of the gas situation in Inuvik. It’s something that we need to address, something that we’d like to get some support on from this government that the residents of Inuvik don’t have to go through some hard times here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, stand here in favour of the motion that my colleague Mr. Yakeleya has presented before us. Language is the foundation of our traditions and cultures. It’s the starting point where we start moving forward, and to continue to keep our traditions and cultures thriving and growing in our communities.

Right now the data shows that our languages are depleting, near extinction for some of the languages, and those need to be addressed. Furthermore, there are other languages that are on the borderline. Those are the ones that we need to take notice of now, before they come into those areas of concern, which we don’t want to happen.

I’m in favour of this motion, and I hope that government proceeds and we can start taking action so that, like I said, one day some of the Members in here can do a Member’s statement in their own language, and same with the Ministers.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do want to continue to see these encouraging results going into the next fiscal year and beyond. Just in regard to the zero driving and boating fatalities, I’d like to ask the Minister how the new proposed legislation on hand-held devices with driving has been going and have there been any infractions on that.

Further to that I just wanted to ask the Minister of Transportation if he’s done any work with our five sport and rec organizations in the NWT who do provide kayak programs, canoe programs, skiing, on-the-land programs that do transportation. Has the Department of Transportation done any work with these sport and rec organizations to provide safety to people who enjoy going out on the land?

We’re in the middle of February here and we’re getting ready for our summer breakup and the ice melting away. That’s a lot of time, plenty of time from now until people get onto the waterways. It’s a good opportunity, as well, for the department to start looking into a possible program like a lifejacket borrowing program, like I said, in all the communities that do sit on waterways. Would the Minister commit to look at such a program and putting funds away so that we can ensure that our residents who travel the Mackenzie River, that our modes of transportation are safe? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Transportation in regard to his Minister’s statement that he made earlier today. It just goes to show that prevention, promotion and education works, and that he’s doing a great job with the Department of Transportation. It’s something that all departments should look into doing, to cut down on the costs in the Northwest Territories.

With the programs that he mentioned, we have a lot of communities up and down the Mackenzie River and I just wanted to ask the Minister of Transportation, has he or his department done any work on doing a lifejacket borrowing program between the communities that sit on the Mackenzie River, seeing as a lot of people do travel that river as a mode of transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.