Mahsi, Madam Chair. Yeah, I don't have a lot of questions on there that other Members haven't touched upon. So I'll pass this time, and I will take it up hopefully in the next sitting. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. And mahsi to the Minister for that answer. I had hoped the Minister of ECC would have answered my question related -- it's budget related, whether we're still going to count on the satellite systems or we're going to get people back on the towers to give advance warnings. Somebody from the tower would have seen that fire, you know, really moving. Why didn't we fight it ASAP? So I'm just hoping the Minister of ECC could answer that. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I'd first like to sympathize with all the residents of the Northwest Territories that were uprooted from their communities, their homes, and their communities and who are all down south, and many who are still struggling because of the lack of supports, financial supports from our government. And it's fair enough that, you know, we're hearing that we don't have the financial resources to cover everyone. My colleague from Hay River South, you know, mentioned, you know, some significant amounts, and I feel that it's only fair for our residents for the, you know, amount of time that they have been evacuated.

I also want to express my deepest sympathies to the community in my riding, Enterprise, for the devastation that they faced and the loss of homes and businesses. I think my big concern there is the lead time leading up to the fire because they were in the middle of a festival that weekend, Friday, Saturday, and then Sunday they were -- they were out. I believe the department had advance knowledge of that fire and it wasn't relayed to anyone, not even to me, not even to the residents of Enterprise. I know it was the high winds that escalated the fires towards the community. I don't believe there were any fire crews there, I'm just assuming and from what I'm hearing, and they weren't very noticeable in the community even after because of the flare-ups that were happening within and there was some residents taking it upon themselves to fight those flare-ups in the community. You know, I feel for those people that lost, you know, their homes, their businesses, they -- oh my God, it's devastating. And that's a big concern, is it was known and I'm pretty sure, you know, I would really like the Enterprise fire situation really looked at, investigated. You know, how did we let that happen?

In the past, we had people that manned the fire towers. And ENR at that time, they did away with them saying that well, we got satellites. So I'm just wondering if you with see stuff like that on cloudy days and, you know, would a tower person have helped before the fire even got to Enterprise? I think that'll haunt me for, you know, for the rest of my life, what happened. Where were the crews? Why was no advance warning given? Madam Chair, this is relevant to the budget because I just wonder if the Minister of ECC could possibly answer that question. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when one takes a chain saw safety training course, you learn the safety aspects surrounding the use of the chain saw. You learn to fall the tree safely, when to use emergency chain lock, using Teflon chaps, safety glasses, and a helmet. So the next time you take the course three years later, it is all the same. The same thing with taking fall arrest training, elevated work platform training, confined spaces training, and first aid.

Can the Minister engage WSCC to look into removing the expiry dates for all safety tickets? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain if it is possible for an individual to have the expiry date for their safety certificates extended beyond the expiry date without having to retake a course? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is what role does Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission have in ensuring that safety certification expiry dates reflect the unique context of the NWT, including small communities? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are related to my Member's statement on the trades' safety tickets and their expiry dates.

Can the Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission explain what organization or regulating bodies determine how long a certification is valid for and is there a rationale provided for that length of time? As a hypothetical example, why would chain saw safety be valid for three years, and another safety certificate be valid for five years? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak about skilled trades safety certifications. This is a topic I hear about frequently from my constituents and employers. The skilled trades and construction work come under a number of safety hazards that could be seriously harmful. Employers like local construction companies look for and often require specific safety certifications to hire employees. Generally, training for safety certifications provides knowledge of basic procedures and processes to ensure that an individual can competently and safely perform a work duty or activity. For example, fall protection training teaches proper use of equipment to keep a person safe while working at heights. This is important in my region as more and more communities are building homes and have construction projects they are working on. I understand why employees need safety certifications. I do not understand why safety certificates need to be renewed as quickly as one, two, or three years.

Mr. Speaker, in small communities, safety training and employment opportunities are few and far between. The lack of safety training available either through Aurora College or employer training is a barrier to residents in the small communities from becoming certified or renewing certification. This means that people cannot access training and therefore do not have the safety certification requirements for employment.

Mr. Speaker, I know that different safety certifications are directed in different ways, including by legislation, regulation, sometimes by industry, or even by company. What role does the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission have in ensuring that these safety certification expiry dates reflect the unique northern context that I just outlined, that people in small communities do not have the same access to training through Aurora College or other training institutes or employee training and many people do not have the financial resources to travel and enroll in a program on their own.

Mr. Speaker, people want to retain their safety certificates and be employed. WSCC needs to review safety certifications within the unique context of the Northwest Territories and the small communities and use its discretion to increase the length of time that a safety certificate is valid. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for that answer. Numerous times I've asked the department to send their expertise, their staff into the communities and, you know, to get out of Yellowknife, not just sitting on their thrones here. And you know, they really need to get out there because we get changeover in rec directors in our small communities and they've got limited training and everything. So they really need that extra assistance.

Mr. Speaker, the Yukon seems to host large events such as the Canada Winter Games, the world men's fastball and world junior men's fastball tournaments. Of course, they may have engaged many major sponsors, including the Yukon government. I understand it takes a lot of effort to host a major event, gather and organize the volunteer base. Hay River and Fort Smith co-hosted in 2018 so it can be done by putting on the thinking caps.

Mr. Speaker, I understand Yellowknife turned down the offer to host the next Arctic Winter Games. Can the Minister provide some details as to why and what could the department have done to entice the offer? Mahsi.