We have a concern here. We've got a strategy out there. Nobody is really adhering to it, especially the power companies, and, like I said, the watchdog group is not there. We thought the Public Utilities Board would have been, but apparently they have other duties to regulate them, that they don't ask the power companies to come up with any type of a strategy. I think I am going to have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to touch on the topic that the Government of the Northwest Territories has been initiating climate change strategies to combat the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. Nowhere in any of the documents says that we will accept only 10 percent moving forward, and I assume with this climate change strategy we are going to go in 100 percent.

My concern is because I know in our communities for the past 10 years, we have been putting wood pellet boilers into our schools and our health centres on the new builds, so we have been going that route for quite some time. The only company in my community that does not adhere to any climate change strategies to combat greenhouse gas emissions is probably the power provider in my community, which is Northland Utilities, and they are not the only ones. There is NTPC that is in other communities that are burning only diesel generation plants, and, when you drive by them, you just see a puff of smoke coming out of their plants. They are not in any way trying to help the residents of the Northwest Territories lower their costs of power, especially for electrical power. We don't see that. We don't have a voice anywhere. There is no watchdog in our government to really tell these guys, "Hey, we want you to look at alternative initiatives."

Getting back to my statement, there was a document in 2014 that discussed or stated that they were planning on running the transmission line to Fort Providence. Since that time, as I was looking around, I didn't see any further discussion or statements or reports in this regard, so I assume it just went by the wayside; it was put aside. Especially that initiative at that time, there was no notices or letters or anything given to the Hamlet of Fort Providence that there was an initiative, and currently there isn't. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the residents of the Northwest Territories are faced with many challenges in everyday life. People are faced with low to no employment, evictions from housing, soaring grocery prices, and the ever-increasing costs of living. People have to pay rent, power, and utility bills. The introduction of the carbon tax certainly did not quell the ever-increasing costs of living but is a major contributor to the problem.

Mr. Speaker, heating fuel may not be taxed, but this does not stop the fuel suppliers from raising their prices as they see fit. Mr. Speaker, when I look at my power bill, I note that a fuel charge is levied along with the power supply charge. When the price of fuel goes up, so does my power bill.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

The Minister must remember I said lots of nice things about her today. My question is: can the Minister provide a timeline as to tasks undertaken to enable this service coming into being in the very near future?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement was on extending the cellphone range outside of the municipalities. It was appropriate that the MACA Minister updated us on the 911 service to the Northwest Territories. My reference to the Minister of Ho-Ho-Ho, it is appropriate that the Minister is wearing a Christmas-themed sweater. Also, the fact that with the housing questions, she did answer "yes" a couple of times. I believe that the Minister is on a roll.

The cellphone range service is a concern to our communities. I think it goes right across the whole territory, too, because we are only allowed the service within the municipality. The range is not very far there. We have lots of highway travel. We have from Providence to Yellowknife and Hay River to Fort Smith, and both of those have a large bison population that traverse the highway system. We have had accidents on those highways many times. Also, too, to cover the Dempster Highway, which is a long, forlorn highway that comes up from the Yukon, if people are stuck or get into accidents or anything, they will have some way to communicate with someone along the highway.

And I believe 911 service, you had a partner. I don't know if it was Northwestel. You had a partner, anyways, who delivered the program. I believe the NWT would be pleased with the increased range. My question to the Minister is: does the department have an initiative in the works to see if that cellphone service range is extended beyond municipal boundaries? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to remind everyone: 'tis the season to be jolly. Many amongst us may have teenaged children, nephews, and nieces, and we all know what they will want for Christmas.

There are many hunters and trappers eking out a living out on the traplines. This is tough and, most times, dangerous work setting Conibear traps.

There are commercial fishermen out on the frozen lakes, whether by snowmobiles or Bombardiers, to provide fish to the people or restaurants.

We have infrastructure highways employees out on the highways on a daily basis, keeping the roads cleared and safe for the travelling public.

We can't forget about the main person, good, old, jolly St. Nick, better known as Santa Claus, riding with his reindeer and sleigh full of gifts, going from one community to the next and on. Even Santa has company in the skies if the airplanes may be circling his sleigh to have a better look.

This past October, the GNWT rolled out 911 service for our vast territory. This stemmed from the diligent work of the past Assemblies, and for this, the territory is forever grateful.

The range of coverage for cellphone service is limited to the immediate area of the municipalities. When you travel out of the municipal cellphone range, one may get lucky and find a hot spot and may get one bar for a signal on their cellphone, but those are few and far between.

We have to be mindful of the many people who are out on the land, highways, or, in Santa's case, up in the air. They all face dangers related to their profession and do require an avenue to call for help.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Ho-Ho-Ho related to the cellphone range outside of the municipal boundaries. Mahsi.

Mahsi to the Minister for his answers. Most if not all the small communities are quite possibly facing more teacher layoffs in the near future. My community of Fort Providence has lost four teacher positions this past June. This is creating increasing workloads for the existing teachers as they are teaching more than one grade and quite possibly increasing the stress levels for the teachers. Shouldn't a situation like this raise red flags in the education system, and what is the GNWT Department of ECE going to do about these situations in the small, outlying communities?

Will the Minister commit to delivering on the education renewal plan and have the department staff go into all the small communities to discuss the state of education with grass-roots people?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment as my Member's statement on the GNWT's education renewal document and the state of education in the small communities. Can the Minister advice if the education renewal document was presented to the education councils or divisional education boards in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.