EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
A committee formed of equal representation from Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Nunavut’s Languages Commissioner, and the Government of Nunavut had the challenging task to review a large number of nominations received from the general public and organizations.
The newly appointed board members all excel in their fluency, knowledge, and expertise about the Inuit language.
In the coming weeks, the board members will receive an orientation session on the legislated powers and duties of Taiguusiliuqtiit, and identify a chair and vice-chairperson among themselves.
Mr. Speaker, my cabinet colleagues and I are committed to work with Taiguusiliuqtiit to develop and strengthen the use of the Inuit language in all sectors of Nunavut society.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) Hon. Tagak Curley.
Minister’s Statement 039 – 3(2): Boarding Home Update (Curley)
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased that everybody made it here safely.
Mr. Speaker, boarding homes are an integral part of Nunavut’s medical travel system and provide a home away from home for eligible Inuit through the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB) in Nunavut.
I am pleased to update you today on three of these homes.
While hospitals provide excellent medical care to Nunavutmiut, whether in Iqaluit, Ottawa, Yellowknife, or Winnipeg, there are often times when a patient is not admitted to hospital and they or their medical escort need a place to call home during their stay in a strange city.
The Department of Health and Social Services, through our partners, is committed to provide consistent and high-quality care for its medical travel patients and we have recently been working with our partners to construct new and larger medical boarding homes in Iqaluit, Ottawa, and Yellowknife.
I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, to announce the opening of Larga Boarding Home in Ottawa.
Construction began a year ago after we outgrew the old facility and this new 81-bed facility opened for occupancy in April.
They reported full occupancy, and we are very pleased that they’re open and friendly to their patients. It is a beautiful building and will serve our patients well.
The Lena Pedersen Boarding Home in Yellowknife has served the people of the Kitikmeot for many years, but our needs expanded over time and it became apparent that we required a more suitable building.
We anticipate that the new Lena Pedersen Boarding Home currently under construction in Yellowknife will be ready for occupancy by early December, Mr. Speaker.
And finally, Mr. Speaker, there is a new boarding home currently under construction in Iqaluit. This new facility will ensure Baffin residents continue to receive quality care and services while staying outside the hospital.
This 90-bed boarding home is located directly across the street from the hospital and, Mr. Speaker, is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by April 2010.
Our commitment to those who require these facilities is to make them as comfortable and safe as possible by providing culturally relevant programs, services, traditional foods from Nunavut, and decorations. It is the next best thing to providing the medical care in every Nunavut community and having patients stay in their homes.
Mr. Paul Okalik.
Member’s Statement 059 – 3(2): Arrival of New Grandchild (Okalik)
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome you all to our beautiful city of Iqaluit as most of you have travelled in from your constituencies and I celebrate with all of you as we are now meeting again in the Legislative Assembly.
I am very pleased to be here as well.
I also have a good news item that I wanted to share with you all.
First of all, although I do not feel that I am getting any older, it is apparent that we reach new plateaus even when we are adults.
I would like to share this good news with you.
Last week, my daughter made me a grandfather. My daughter gave birth to my first granddaughter, so now I am a grandfather. My first granddaughter is doing fine, along with her mother.
My grandchild’s name is Bena. I am very pleased and ecstatic.
I had not made any preparations for this event as I do not know how to act as a grandfather, but I imagine that I will be learning this as I progress.
I will most likely be asking my colleagues, who are more experienced grandparents than I am, so that I can act as a proper grandfather.
Member’s Statement 060 – 3(2): Successful H1N1 Vaccination Clinic in Arctic Bay (Elliott)
I rise today to express my thanks and appreciation to the hard-working health professionals and volunteers in Arctic Bay who delivered a very successful H1N1 vaccination clinic.
Mr. Speaker, under the leadership and organizational skills of our extremely dedicated Nurse in Charge, Ms. Gail Redpath, over 90 percent of Arctic Bay’s residents received this vaccination earlier this month.
Mr. Speaker, health care delivery in our communities is supported by the regional and territorial managers.
It is important to acknowledge the care and planning undertaken by the staff at the Department of Health and Social Services, such as our Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sobol, to address the spread of the H1N1 virus.
There are still a number of unanswered questions out there and some of which I will be asking later today, but it is clear that considerable effort has gone into preparing Nunavut for the next wave of the H1N1 pandemic.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge our own Member of Parliament, the Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, for her ongoing dedication and attention to this issue, especially as it relates to the delivery of the services in our territory.
As a former Minister of Health and Social Services for Nunavut, she has a unique perspective on the challenges we face, from communicating in many languages to coordinating health service delivery across remote locations.
Mr. Speaker, while the success of the H1N1 vaccination clinics across Nunavut may offer a certain amount of protection for the next wave of the virus, it is still important that we all continue to use our common sense to help prevent its spread:
Keeping your hands clean with soap and sanitizer;
Coughing or sneezing into your arm, not into your hand; and
Staying home if you are sick with flu-like symptoms.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, and for the benefit of the listening public, I shall ask some questions on the current status of H1N1 preparedness planning across Nunavut.
Member’s Statement 061 – 3(2): Passing of Jimmy Mukpah (Shewchuk)
I rise today to acknowledge one of my very well-known constituents.
Recently, Jimmy Mukpah, a well-known and respected individual from Arviat, passed away due to illness.
I wish to send my most sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Jimmy.
There is much to remember and much to be thankful for as I remember Jimmy and the way he shared his life with those around him.
Jimmy Mukpah had strong ideals and a commitment to help his fellow Arviarmiut and Nunavutmiut.
He will be remembered for supporting the people of his community.
He served as an Anglican minister for several years and served Arviat well.
We are forever grateful for all of the teachings he has passed on to Nunavutmiut.
His strong commitment to teaching Inuit societal values, his passion for hunting, trapping, and running his dog team will not be forgotten.
He has left all of us with something that is unique that will forever be treasured in our hearts.
Jimmy Mukpah was a great man who devoted his life to serving the people of Arviat and Nunavut.
To the family, friends, and Nunavutmiut, you are in our thoughts and prayers today, and in this difficult time, may you find comfort in the members of your loved ones.
Member’s Statement 062 – 3(2): Tribute to Dr. Otto Schaefer (Komoartok)
I am very pleased to see the members here. My wife lives here now, so I came in last week and her being here makes it easier to stay for extended periods.
I would like to notify my cousin, Mr. Okalik, that I have numerous grandchildren now and he can call me anytime for advice on how to be a grandfather.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to Luuttaaralaaq, Dr. Otto Schaefer, a well-known arctic doctor and medical researcher who conducted many experiments on treating the many ailments of the human body in our community.
Just when the month of November arrived, he passed away at his home in Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, Luuttaaralaaq played an important role in the history of Pangnirtung. In the early 1950s, when a new influenza strain arrived north, he worked out of St. Luke’s Mission Hospital, which was the only such facility in the region at the time.
He and his family lived alongside the Inuit, mostly from the area around Pangnirtung but also outpost camps near Qikiqtarjuaq and Iqaluit, and travelled around the region by dog team to visit the many outpost camps in the area.
Mr. Speaker, Luuttaaralaaq’s relationship with many Inuit of our community, especially with the elder Etuangat, who helped him with his work and was more or less the equivalent of an ambulance driver, gave him a great appreciation of Inuit health issues.
Over the years, he spent a lot of time studying the health effects of a changing nutritional lifestyle as the modern world slowly affected the traditional Inuit country food diet.
Mr. Speaker, Luuttaaralaaq was a supporter of traditional knowledge and midwifery. He believed strongly in the healthy benefits of a traditional diet… .
Mr. Komoartok (interpretation): Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Komoartok.
As I stated earlier, he spent a lot of time studying the health effects of a changing nutritional lifestyle as the modern world slowly affected the traditional Inuit country food diet. He conducted quite a few experiments on the nutritional value of the traditional Inuit diet.
He was a supporter of traditional midwifery. He believed strongly in the healthy benefits of a traditional diet.
As a matter of fact, he partook regularly in eating country foods. Even many years after he moved away from the Arctic, he worked tirelessly to promote good health care planning in the north.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in paying respects to the memory of an individual who played an important role in our modern history in Pangnirtung, the Baffin region, and southerly Nunavut communities and to offer our condolences to his family in their loss.
Member’s Statement 063 – 3(2): Arrival of Grandson Howard (Kusugak)
I had planned on making this statement when we were on Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery, but they unfortunately had to leave.
However, like my colleague, Mr. Okalik, I am also getting older as I, too, had my first grandchild just recently. He was here, but they had to leave. I am quite proud of my daughter, who gave birth in September to our grandson whose name is Howard Ootuq.
I would like to mark this occasion during his visit here as I am quite proud of our new grandson and I especially adore him.
Perhaps Okalik and I will be the benefactors of the advice provided to us by our older colleagues in the art of grand-parenting.
I am sure it will be a learning experience.
Member’s Statement 064 – 3(2): Congratulations to Iqaluit City Council (Tootoo)
Welcome back and I welcome all of my colleagues back. Some of you just got off the plane and got here, but I’m glad that everyone has been able to make it here.
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to take this opportunity on our first day of sitting to formally congratulate… . As you know, we had municipal elections here in Iqaluit and much like our territorial elections, there was a recount.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the returning Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik to her position as Mayor for the City of Iqaluit. Also, all of the returning and new council members who were selected during the election, I have every faith that they, like us, will do their best to do their jobs in representing the people who put their trust in them to represent them.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to say I know that it was a record number of individuals running for city council.
And I always say that it’s good when there are more people running; you get more views and ideas on the table and give people choices.
I think that is what the whole democratic process is all about.
I would like to thank everyone who ran and I congratulate all of the ones who were successful in their campaigns. Again, I acknowledge all of them because it’s not an easy thing to do, to put your name forward to run for public office. I think it takes a lot of courage for anyone to do that.
So I congratulate all of them and wish them the best in the coming years.
Member’s Statement 065 – 3(2): Welcome to Iqaluit and a New Session (Aariak)
I would like to welcome everybody for making it to Iqaluit. I’m sure that we will have interesting discussions and deliberations for the betterment of the people of Nunavut.
I would also like to welcome the people in my riding.
For your information, there is a study going on for Iqaluit East and I’m sure that there is going to be some phone calls coming to your house shortly.
Welcome all during this sitting of the Legislative Assembly in the coming weeks.
I would like to recognize my daughter and, as I said earlier, my grandson. I welcome my daughter and my grandson.
Mr. Komoartok (interpretation): Oh no, the person left!
Oral Questions. (interpretation ends) If there are none… . (interpretation ends) Member for Iqaluit West, Mr. Okalik.
Question 089 – 3(2): Update on Iqaluit International Airport (Okalik)
First of all, I would like to ask a question to the Minister of Transportation.
In regard to our airport here and its status, we have heard that it needs to be enlarged.
That is my first question to the Minister of Transportation.
Hon. Peter Taptuna (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Good afternoon.
We have been working on a master plan for the Iqaluit airport.
At this time, we are fairly close to making an announcement on the design of the new terminal.
That way, we have more room that covers the safety factors that are of concern with the small terminal and apron. We are in a position to release that information within a week.
Oral Questions. (interpretation ends) Member for Quttiktuq, Mr. Elliott.
Question 090 – 3(2): Status of H1N1 Pandemic Preparedness (Elliott)
Mr. Speaker, the threat of a second wave of the H1N1 virus has many people anxious about what to expect and how to prepare for it.
For the sake of the listening public, I would like to ask the minister to provide some additional information on the current status of H1N1 preparedness across Nunavut.
The Department of Health and Social Services certainly takes the pandemic issue quite seriously and critically, that we have appropriate plans and plans that do work for Nunavutmiut.
At the moment, Mr. Speaker, all I can say to you is that the department continues to review the pandemic plan.
We are updating all of our current plans so that they are, in effect, community oriented.
I think we have learned a great deal about the initial pandemic plans that were tabled and established about three years ago that really had to be updated and so on.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member that the department is nearing completion of updating our territorial pandemic plan.
The updated plan is a more comprehensive, up-to-date, and user-friendly version that is consistent with the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector.
I can say, Mr. Speaker, three communities in the Kivalliq, including Sanikiluaq, Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet, and Iqaluit, are in the process of completing their plans.
Other communities certainly will follow.
When we say it’s a user-friendly community pandemic plan, we want to include not only the health facility but also the communities and hamlet councils as well in terms of having adequate and up-to-date information.
With the number of people who have been vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccination, there were reports and whatnot that there might be some adverse reactions to the vaccination.
I’m just wondering: across Nunavut, have there been any reported reactions to that and, if so, how many?
I also would like to acknowledge the successful, I believe, participation of Nunavutmiut in responding to the vaccination program that was carried out by the vaccination teams that were travelling throughout Nunavut.
We have not seen any serious adverse effects.
I think that initially, in this community, there was a bit more of a shock with the needle and that kind of stuff. Briefly, one youngster was taken to the hospital for a while but came back.
There were no negative or serious impacts that we have heard and if there are any, I will be prepared to make sure that information is announced in the House.
For my next question, I’m just curious to find out in terms of the Government of Nunavut’s budget for the delivery of the vaccination.
How much has it actually cost the Government of Nunavut to do the vaccinations?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. Mr. Speaker, there are two parts to this issue.
One is that the cost of vaccine, the arrangement throughout the federal, provincial, and territorial is the exact same formula, which is the 60-40 deal that we have with the federal government in delivering the vaccine to acquire it, so we are paying 40 percent.
The cost of vaccination was just roughly over $200,000, and we pay 40 percent out of that and the federal government pays 60 percent.
In terms of the mass vaccination team, because there are charters involved with the five teams throughout Nunavut, we are estimating at this moment until all the costs have been tabulated and so on. Our estimated cost is at $1.6 million for the mass vaccination rollout in Nunavut.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister. (interpretation) Are you finished?
Question 091 – 3(2): Cost of GN Report Card (Okalik)
Perhaps we will take turns asking questions. I would like to direct my question to the Premier.
First of all, I would like to know how much the study cost for our GN. That’s my first question.
When we first started consulting with the communities, we went to visit all 25 communities.
However, due to bad weather and due to loss of family members, they didn’t want the consultation group to come into their community until later on. They visited those communities that weren’t visited previously. It cost $1 million because they had to go back to those communities.
The terms of reference had said that they would be treated annually, like the school report card, where the good parts are and where the challenges are going to be. That’s what I understood it to be.
It seems like it was totally different with the rating of the government.
Did they just pay for it even though the study wasn’t completed?
First of all, I would like to thank the people who responded to our questions. Over 2,000 people responded to our questionnaire.
We wanted to hear from the public as to what areas of the government programs and services are operating well or need improvement.
That’s what they responded to and that’s how the report card was during our meeting.
The criteria or the terms of reference the government had announced through the media were that they will acknowledge the strengths of the government and look where they need to be improved.
The report that was tabled seemed to be incomplete.
If we had worked on it, we would have been fired.
Although they had a goal and an objective, the consultation group didn’t follow the terms of reference.
Will they be reimbursing the money because they did an incomplete study?
No, they completed their work and we held a meeting here all together so that we can start planning for the future.
Everything was completed and in the areas where we wanted to see and review again. I hear from the public that they are very appreciative of the fact that they have been asked questions and that we would like to get their input.
No matter who is working or where you’re working in Nunavut, we have to follow our goals and objectives.
It seems like the objectives or the terms of reference were not followed through.
They were supposed to report on the strengths of the government, what challenges the government faces, and where there is room for improvement.
Those were not included and what we saw was just negative issues rather than positive ones.
I want to see the strengths of the government.
The objectives of the report card were not followed through.
Were they just following the report from the report card?
It seems that they were paid to do work, yet they didn’t finalize their work.
They were very beneficial. All of the points were identified from the public and they were very proud of the fact that the Government of Nunavut had the 10-year anniversary.
They didn’t just report on the negative issues of our previous government; they also reported on the areas that need improvement.
They also pointed out where there are positive things happening with the government and identified what programs and services the government needs to improve.
Reading the report is self-explanatory.
Question 092 – 3(2): Public Housing Construction in Pangnirtung (Komoartok)
As the minister is aware, many communities in Nunavut are currently constructing multiplex apartments and some are at the inspection stages.
In our community, they are working on two apartment complexes and there are quite a few local residents employed.
There are about 18 local people working on this project, along with one or two supervisors who are not local residents.
I would like to direct my question to the minister because I was informed that these apartments are walled in, with the roof completed, and they are able to heat the buildings as they work on the inside to finish the interiors. They are using temporary heating to do this.
However, according to my source of information, they were told that they would stop the construction on November 24 and would only be able to return in March or May.
This means that for the winter season, the project will sit idle just when the people in our community need to earn more income and there are not many opportunities.
The apartment buildings are currently heated with temporary heating. Are they going to enclose these units from now until March or May? Today was to be their last day, this being November 24.
Mr. Speaker, the five-plexes that the member is talking about have been contracted or are being constructed by the Local Housing Organization of Pangnirtung.
My understanding is that they started in May and they’re planning to be done in June of 2010.
As far as exactly how the housing organization scheduled when the different crews or what’s going to be done, it’s something that’s up to the local housing organization, our contractor in this case, and not the corporation.
I can inform the member that I have asked my staff to look into that situation there as he did [express] his concerns to me in writing recently and I have been waiting to get a response back for him.
Speaker: Thank you. (interpretation) Your first supplementary, Mr. Komoartok.
I completely understand the minister’s response.
However, according to my sources, the Nunavut Housing Corporation office in Cape Dorset had advised the local housing organization in Pangnirtung to stop construction.
I would like to know if this is indeed the case and I would like the minister to look into it.
The residents in Pangnirtung would like to see construction continued throughout the winter due to lack of employment opportunities, and these people are capable of working during the winter season.
As I had indicated, the member did send me a letter and that was one of the issues that were identified in there. I have forwarded it on to the departmental staff and I’m waiting for a response back from them as far as the expedition.
I’m sure that they would have to get a hold of the housing organization in Pangnirtung to get all of the details.
Mr. Speaker, as far as I’m aware, they’re both planned to be done.
One of the five-plexes is 72 percent complete and I think that that one is just a mechanical and electrical rough-in that’s required on that one.