EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Also my nephew Steven Inukshuk.
I would like to recognise in the gallery the delegation from Saskatchewan, a beautiful province that I lived in for many years.
I would like to welcome in the gallery here with the Honourable Myron Kowalski from the Saskatchewan Legislature.
Mr. Speaker just to add on to comments that were echoed in here a few moments ago from Mr. McLean and Mr. Iqaqrialu that Saskatchewan is a jurisdiction that has very flat barren land so they should be experienced in maintaining roads in these types of conditions.
Mr. Speaker: Thank you Mr. Tootoo.
Once again I would like to recognise the Honourable Speaker Myron Kowalski, and your delegation.
Also to thank the Speaker and his delegation, as each member will note that there is a small gift at the front of their table from the Province of Saskatchewan.
Question 380 - 1(5): Igloolik Recreation Centre
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier in my Member's Statement, the Igloolik recreation facility is too small.
The minister is aware of this recreation facility I am referring to.
He saw it I think about two years ago, when he was doing a community visit.
He was able to see how small this recreational facility is and he has received a request from the Hamlet Council about the status of planning to replace this facility.
I would like to ask him the same question.
What are your plans for a new recreational facility.
With respect to the recreational facility in Igloolik, yes, it is a very small facility.
I think it was built around 1970, I was first there in 1978.
Today the population has increased and it is a very small facility for the number of people.
With respect to the funding under capital projects our priorities are in the areas of safety and health, so recreational facilities have not been given as much capital funding as other areas.
But in 2006-2007, we do plan to build new gym facilities and we will be working closely with the Hamlet of Igloolik on this.
If they want to defer something planned or advance the recreation facility plan, we may be able to do it.
We would like to plan this with the Hamlet of Igloolik and negotiate it with them.
But at this time, 2006-2007 is the plan for the new recreational facility to be built there.
Oral Questions. Supplementary.
I'd like to thank the minister for his response.
I understand they are planning to build this recreational facility.
I also know that they worked closely with the Hamlet Council on this.
I would like to find out if the Hamlet Council will be given funding and the authority to set their own priorities for the community.
Yes, the Hamlets Act amendments are not yet approved, but in the new Act we are working to allow the Hamlets to be able to prioritise their own programs.
As long as health and safety issues are given priority, we are in support of this.
Yes we are working closely with the Hamlet Councils on the amendments to the Act.
Speaker: Questions.
I would like to ask this supplementary about the planned changes to the Hamlets Act.
There are some Acts that are being reviewed, I understand that, but if you went to Igloolik today and saw for yourself the recreational facility and how small it is, perhaps it is not too run down but there are safety issues involved.
Would he be able to find some funding in his department to work on this and give it priority.
Last year, or two years ago, I went to the gym in Igloolik and yes it seemed very small.
I understand the safety issues the member is raising.
It is very, very small, but as we are planning the five year capital plan if there are no other buildings that could be used as a community hall we will work with the Hamlet of Igloolik and see if we can advance this project and try to do it before 2006/2007.
We would have to negotiate with the Hamlet Council and after the Hamlets Act amendments are approved we would work with them and negotiate an agreement to see if we can give this project priority.
As the minister mentioned the municipal funding and that his department may be able to assist, if they are able to provide funding such as 500 thousand to be used for the community hall, would the community have to match that.
Would it have to be cost shared 50-50.
If we were to have a surplus in our department, and if the community wanted to proceed with this, they could start the planning before the actual year of construction.
If they want to start on their own then the government would plan to help at a later date.
I am sorry if I was not that clear.
As well with respect to the Hamlets Act it would be easier to deal with this activity after the Hamlets Act amendments have been approved.
We are not expecting communities to provide the funding on their own, we will be providing the funding from our department.
Question 381 - 1(5): Community Consultations on Heritage Centre Site
My question today is to the Minister of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth.
Mr. Speaker, in the media monitoring this morning there was an article regarding heritage centres and community consultations in Nunavut.
There was a community consultation done here on a heritage centre for Nunavut about three weeks ago and then today the study team was in Rankin Inlet on Friday and they are in Baker Lake and Arviat this week.
Can the minister tell me what other communities are going to be consulted.
With respect to the member’s question, I think it was about three weeks ago that this consultation started.
They started with the stakeholders and they are continuing this study.
We would like to involve as many communities as we possibly can. At this time we are trying to find out where the locations will be.
They study is trying to find out where the location of this museum will be.
After this study and plan has been completed and the community visits, they’ll have a report by March 31, 2002.
I am glad the minister is doing community consultations.
I want to ask the question again.
Is there going to be more than Baker Lake, Arviat, Rankin and Iqaluit involved in the community consultation. Are there going to be more communities in Nunavut invited for their participation in this important issue.
Are there going to be more communities involved.
There will be more communities that will be involved with the consultations.
I want to go back to the media monitoring information.
Mr. Hicks says they are looking at two options, one main facility for the whole territory or a network of smaller centres across Nunavut.
On the media monitoring he says there is one community has a good argument to have the facility and the feasibility study will be completed by the end of March and the new Heritage Centre should be open in five years.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know if the media monitoring has quoted Mr. Hicks wrong, but it seems to me that they have decided to build one facility already.
Is that correct, or are they looking at other smaller facilities.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. McLean. Minister Kattuk.
What you heard through the media was that what we have proposed in my department for the community consultations, we don't know whether there will be one or two main facilities.
But consultations at this time are trying to find out from Nunavummiut what the best location for the heritage centre would be, its size and so on.
We want to hear from the communities and once we hear from them we can do better planning.
They can give my department, through the consultation process, the results.
I can't really give you a definite response as I will have to hear from the working group that are doing the consultations at this time before I can respond.
But it would be constructed in five years.
I want the minister to commit that he will look at the two options that these consultants are working on.
The one option is a large cultural centre, one for all of Nunavut, but also, which is more and probably equally as important, is smaller heritage centres around Nunavut.
That's why I was pressing the minister to do more community consultation because I am sure there are other communities in Nunavut that would like to have a smaller cultural centre in their community.
So I am urging the minister to commit to this House that he will do more community consultations and look at both options and not just decide on one cultural centre in Nunavut.
Yes the member makes a good point and it is true that it should be looked at that way and I will give it consideration.
Question 382 - 1(5): Jet Service to Pond Inlet
I am shortening the name to the Department of Transportation instead of the other areas that are also included.
I received correspondence from the Hamlet about the jet services they would like to see in their community.
I tabled it in this House last week.
Has the minister looked at the transportation strategy plans that came from my community.
I would like to thank the member and the people of Pond Inlet for doing their transportation strategy planning.
When I was the Interim Commissioner this was raised numerous times.
When I was a Member of Parliament in Ottawa this was expressed by the people of Pond Inlet as well.
At this time what we are doing, and we just gave the information to the members on the Nunavut Transportation Strategy, as the member said, some of the strategic planning for transportation that we received from his community is also included in the transportation strategy that we are putting in place.
The transportation strategy I am speaking about from Pond Inlet, they have requested jet service for their community.
The minister said he would look at the correspondence that we received.
Can we expect a response from the department about this.
We are working on the transportation strategy and will have our plans in place when we already received that correspondence.
We have to speak with the airlines that provide services to those communities.
After we discuss it in the House perhaps the member's concerns will be addressed.
When you are Inuk it seems like there are always plans and studies being done for communities needs, and I am trying to say that this strategy that we have in place will be discussed by the Members of this House and if it is agreed to by the members, then his concerns will be addressed.
The Hamlet has a plan to create better air transportation services.
It is better for the communities to do their planning.
Would the minister commit to going to my community to look at the infrastructure that is in place at this time.
I am sorry I won't be able to make it to Pond Inlet before Christmas.
I have said I would visit the Quttiktuq riding, perhaps this coming summer I would be able to make it to his riding.
The minister said he already agreed to go to the Quttiktuq riding. It seems to me that Pond Inlet would be the transportation hub for the High Arctic areas and all the Mayors of the Quttiktuq riding have agreed to support each other in this regard.
Yes, I thank the member for his question.
When we go to his riding we can have those discussions and perhaps we can also meet with the Nanisivik people as well.
Question 383 - 1(5): Sanikiluaq Environmental Concerns Over Hydro Dams
Mr. Speaker, I am not really sure which minister I should direct my question to because there are quite a few ministers that may be responsible.
Perhaps to the Minister of Department of Sustainable Development or Community Government & Transportation or the Deputy Premier.
It is about the concerns of the Sanikiluaq residents on the planned hydro dams that will have an affect on the environment and wildlife that they depend on.
I just wondered which minister would be able to respond to that hydro project that is being proposed in Northern Quebec.
What can we do as Nunavummiut to protect our environment.
Mr. Speaker, in the case of what is a major development proposal and its impacts on the people that we represent, the Government of Nunavut would put together their formal position, and articulate that through a formal hearing process.
If there were to be any detrimental impact obviously that would be part of the position.
But first of all we would formulate a formal Government of Nunavut position prior to entering into any formal discussions.
I feel that this is a very important thing because when the water levels start to change it could hurt the marine mammal patterns.
So with that Mr. Speaker, will the people of Sanikiluaq be involved in the proposed hydro electricity planning process.
Mr. Speaker, our government would obviously consult with the people that are directly impacted prior to finalizing a formal Government of Nunavut position.
By the same token the Municipality of Sanikiluaq, their representatives, their people there would be given an opportunity to participate in any formal hearings from their own perspective as well.
Your response is good to hear because the municipal council wants to be involved.
As Canadians and since the northern oceans are part of our sovereignty, I understand that the Hamlet Council will be involved.
Once the Government of Nunavut starts dealing with this issue, would you be providing funding to work on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, it depends what process the Honourable Member speaks of.
There are some processes that allow for funding for intervenor status for the larger developments.
Moreover, of course if that wasn't available certainly our government would look at whatever assistance may be required for municipalities or individuals that might be affected.
Question 384 - 1(5): Temperature Compensation Meters
Mr. Speaker, my first question is for the Minister of Petroleum Products.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of October the minister and the department made a press release announcing there would be a decrease in fuel prices by 7 cents a litre.
Part of the rationale behind that was the fact they purchased a re-supply at lower prices than they were expecting.
Also Mr. Speaker, it indicated in there that the lower prices combined with the success of efforts put in place for tighter expenditure controls made it possible to make that decrease.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend I had an opportunity to talk to a fuel contractor from Nunavut and he informed me that one of the things that they are doing now is putting temperature compensation gauges on the fuel trucks.
I'd like to ask the minister if that is a result of putting those compensation measures on a result of savings to the department or in the sale of petroleum products.
During my budget address for Petroleum Products we indicated that we will be putting compensation meters in our contractors' facilities.
This will, I am told by my officials, reduce the costs for maintaining the fuel and apparently the fuel evaporates in the cold and when it is warm weather it expands and so on.
So we need these meters on our tanks to better monitor how much we have in our tanks before we fill them up again.
So I am told by my officials that this will help us with our expenditures.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify my question for the minister.
I indicated that these meters, I heard that these meters are going on the trucks that are delivering fuel in the communities throughout Nunavut.
She said, I would assume that she indicated that when it is cold the fuel shrinks.
So when you are buying a tank of gas that is at 40 below you are getting a full 250 litres of fuel if it is a 250 gallon tank.
That is 40 degrees.
This compensation meter is going in, I understand that it'll be compensated.
You'll get 250 litres of fuel at 40 below.
But when you get your bill it'll be compensated to a warmer temperature.
So in actual fact you are going to be paying for more fuel than what you have in your tank.
I am just wondering if the minister could indicate whether that is accurate or not.
The shrinkage is so small, the percentage is so small that we've been doing it for years since we’ve been delivering fuel in our communities in the Northwest Territories.
It does not affect the price of fuel at all but we need to update our monitors on those trucks, some of them don’t have any way of monitoring, except for how much is being poured out.
We are just putting updated meters on our trucks and on our tanks, to better manage our fuel supply in the communities.
It's not just because the fuel is expanding so much or shrinking so much that we are losing a lot or we are charging more to the customers, evaporation is a very small percentage.
Oral Questions. Supplementary. Mr. Tootoo
Mr. Tootoo: Mr. Speaker I guess I need to clarify.
She indicated that compensation meters, temperature compensation meters, were on the trucks before. Is that what she is indicating or is this something that is new that is being put on the fuel delivery trucks. I understand that they were on the tanks before.
My understanding from what I heard is that they are now installing them on the fuel trucks. The minister indicated it was something that they did before. Is this in fact something new that they are doing by putting these temperature compensation meters on the delivery trucks not just the tanks.
Across the board there have been some put in already in some communities on the trucks or the tanks. I can get more detail on where we’re putting compensation meters in the communities or on the trucks.
I do know it is staggered across the board.
I’ll take it as notice so I can give the member a more detailed response.
It is quite technical and he may want more technical information than I can give him at this table.
Question 385 - 1(5): 4.9 Million for Public Housing
Mr. Speaker, it was with great delight that I heard the Minister of Housing on the radio this morning talking about the additional funds that she managed to secure from the federal government.
It’s not very often that a minister goes down to Ottawa, like herself, and comes back with a good news story.
So I would like to compliment the minister on her hard work in Ottawa securing additional funds for the ever growing need for housing in Nunavut.
Can the minister tell me if she is going to put that 4.9 million dollars into public housing units this year.
Ms Thompson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We will be building more social housing units with the money that was allocated to us from the federal government.
I don’t have to let the minister know that the last allocation of housing was, on this year's housing, a bit controversial.
Could the minister advise this House if she is going to be more liberal in her allocation of units to the communities that never got any on the last go around.
We will be more liberal in allocating those units.
I think when we were discussing the allocation of new units, the Iqaluit member was the only person that asked for units and I said if I get more money we would certainly put some in Iqaluit.
Yes, we will do that.
I hope she doesn't forget about us lowly people over in Qamanittuaq because we do have a large population and we do need housing also.
But the next part of my question is in regards to housing, I know it is a little off track.
The minister ran a very successful housing program with the Downpayment Assistance Program where there was 15 thousand dollars allocated to people to buy an existing unit in the community.
Has the minister considered raising this sum at all for next year.
I will allow you to rephrase your question rather than taking it away from you.
That's a new question.
So try it again.
On the allocated 4.9 million dollars this year for housing, that is allocated for public housing, there is the ever increasing issue of private homeowners and people living in public housing that have to get out of public housing to get into homeownership.
So I am hoping the question is not out of order.
Would the minister consider funnelling some money into the homeownership programs to increase the Downpayment from 15 thousand to maybe 20 thousand or 25 thousand.
The member knows now to play the games in this House.
He knows really well the rules of the House and has been able to come back on the same question.
My priority is to build social housing in the territory and this money that we had allocated from the Federal Government is going towards new social housing programs.
But Mr. Speaker, I can consider expanding that program in NDAP.
This would have to go through the Standing Committee anyways so I can consider that option, but not using this money that we just received from the Federal Government.
Question 386 - 1(5): Timing of New Housing Construction
I heard her on the news this morning speaking about her department finding close to 5 million dollars, 4.9 million dollars for Nunavut Housing.
Also in her Minister's Statement she said that we would build 52 units and this money is on top of that.
Will these units be built this coming summer.
We will have to break for a moment or two for a quorum.
I thought something happened and I wouldn't be allowed to respond to the question.
I am sorry I misunderstood.
Mr. Speaker, the funding we will be getting from the Federal Government, I wanted to sign the agreement prior to Christmas, so we will be able to build these units this summer from this funding.
As you mentioned in your Minister's Statement, we still don't know where the units will be built.
When would you be able to determine the communities.
Will you be able to do this by the February session.
I apologize if I made you misunderstand.
What I was trying to say is that the 52 units that we will be building this summer were approved in the House when we were dealing with the Capital Estimates.
In addition to the 52 units we will be able to build additional units with this new funding from the Federal Government.
Perhaps from 75 to 77 additional units will be built.
It is evident that we will be able to build additional units this coming summer.
Question 387 - 1(5): Savings Due to Compensation Meters
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister Responsible for Petroleum Products.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know municipalities within the territory and the government itself are the largest consumers of petroleum products and home heating fuel in the territory.
I would like to ask the minister if she has an idea of how much impact the installation of temperature compensation meters on their vehicles will have on the cost of fuel over a year to the government and to the municipalities.
Mr. Speaker, I don't have that information in front of me, it's a very detailed question and I will have to take that as notice and that will be part of the return that I will do on the previous question if that is possible.
Speaker: Minister, are you taking this question as notice also.
The minister is taking the question as notice.
Question 388 - 1(5): Cost of APTN Anti-Smoking Campaign
Earlier today he was talking about his anti-smoking campaign in Nunavut and I think he got the message across to people in Nunavut.
Can the minister advise me how much he spent on advertising on APTN television.
Mr. Speaker, that was a question that was asked of me a couple of weeks ago by some of the members.
We have been putting together a briefing for later in the week for the standing committee members, including Mr. McLean.
To date Mr. Speaker, just for this year I believe we have spent several hundred thousand dollars on direct public advertising in the media, over 300 thousand dollars to date.
Mr. Speaker, the point I am trying to get here that it is nice to advertise on APTN and support the network.
The posters that I see in my community and the school and stuff like that were very effective.
We had some of the nurses talking about anti-smoking to the students, and patches and paraphernalia, to keep people from smoking.
Does the minister think he is getting value from advertising on APTN and wouldn't that money be better spent on direct frontline workers rather than on a TV channel that maybe I don't know when the ads are on.
I watch it and I never see it.
So does the minister agree that the money would be better spent directly in the communities with the people.
Mr. Speaker, as the members know one of the ads features Mr. Zach Kunuk who has gone on and won several awards for the film Atarnajuat, a famous producer that is in one of our ads for anti-smoking.
Mr. Speaker, I guess when we looked at the program itself for advertising for everything.
We brought forward several plans.