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Member’s Statement 288 – 4(3): The Ayalik Foundation (Peterson)
I rise today to inform the House and the listening public about a worthy initiative that helps our youth.
Mr. Speaker, the Ayalik Fund was established just over a year ago to honour the memory of Eric Ayalik Okalitana Pelly, originally from Cambridge Bay, who died suddenly and unexpectedly of heart failure at age 19 in December of 2014.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the foundation is to provide opportunities to Inuit youth of the sort that Eric’s parents felt made a great contribution to the development of his self-confidence.
Mr. Speaker, the Ayalik Fund targets youth who would not otherwise have access to such opportunities and stand to benefit from a boost in life.
By the summer of 2015, the foundation had already provided the funding for two youths from Cambridge Bay to attend an Outward Bound experience in the Rocky Mountains, pushing them to meet new challenges.
In February this year, the Ayalik Fund sent three more young people from Cambridge Bay to the Encounters With Canada program in Ottawa and now has an additional four youth registered for Outward Bound trips this July.
The foundation is supported by a long list of donors and continues to grow.
There are plans in the works to include youth from other Kitikmeot communities and with the aim of providing these opportunities for youth over many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me in expressing our appreciation to the Ayalik Fund founders, donors, and administrators for establishing this fund.
Also, at the community level, please join me in thanking all the people, including Ms. Christine A., who work with the youth to access this fund.
Member’s Statement 289 – 4(3): Isaac Malliki, Winner of Igloolik’s 2016 Fishing Derby (Quassa)
I rise today to share in expressing my pride with my colleagues.
I spoke earlier about an upcoming fishing derby that will occur in Igloolik, with prizes for several categories.
The fishing derby commenced on June 3, with participants trying to catch the biggest fish, which lasted until June 6.
The results were finally released yesterday naming the winners of the fishing derby, which is held on the mainland that Igloolik residents call “Canada,” as that is where people go to fish during the spring.
I am quite happy that the winner was an elder and he got first prize in the derby.
This elder is amongst the oldest people in our community.
His name is Isaac Dennis Malliki. The locals know him as Malikissaaq.
This man is quite aged now, around 80 years of age, and he is a very adept fisherman.
Further, within our community, this elder works non-stop through the year. In the winter, he volunteers to shovel the church landing and steps and is always seen shovelling.
He rarely drives a ski-doo or a four-wheeler as he is continuously walking in town.
He has never stopped working, so I am quite proud of his success.
I share in the pride Igloolik residents have for this elder, and I ask my colleagues to share in congratulating one of our esteemed elders who won first prize in the derby. Malikissaaq’s prize winning was $10,000.
Member’s Statement 290 – 4(3): Summer Festivities and Inuit Games (Qirngnuq)
Today, as spring season starts to show itself in our territory of Nunavut, many Inuit are turning their thoughts to a family outing or camping with their children to enjoy the nice weather.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because (interpretation ends) we often talk about the importance of preserving our culture and the hard work that is involved in an ever-changing modern world.
I believe that community celebrations provide each of us with the opportunity to participate in traditional practices and to celebrate in the company of family and friends, combining work with play.
Mr. Speaker, I have always specifically enjoyed participating and watching Inuit games at the community level.
I believe that Inuit games allow everyone to help revive parts of our historic culture through fun, physical activity.
I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to go out and enjoy some Inuit games during their community’s upcoming summer festivals.
Mr. Speaker, I would take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of supporting and encouraging all residents, specifically our youth, as they practise these games.
Participation in sport and recreation activities are not only healthy and fun, but can also provide young people with the opportunity to travel to competitions and develop a greater sense of confidence through participation in team building and leadership activities.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions concerning sport, recreation, and Inuit games for the appropriate minister at the appropriate time.
Member’s Statement 291 – 4(3): Appreciation of Son-in-law (Shooyook)
I also thank my colleagues, ministers, and Nunavummiut, especially in my constituency of Quttiktuq.
I rise today to express my sense of pride in my community.
In listening to my colleague’s statement about the fishing derby winner, I am very familiar with the elder, as we have a common ancestor.
Mr. Speaker, I am exceptionally proud to speak about the students in our community whose school year has ended and many families are preparing to spend spring on the land.
What a beautiful thought!
This is quite good to hear about and the spring is starting to warm up the land.
The other reason why I wanted to express my pride relates to one of my sons-in-law, actually the spouse of our youngest daughter whom we adopted. She is my daughter as well as my father’s namesake and she has two young children.
Our son-in-law is very responsible and takes very good care of his children and you can see his love for them.
Furthermore, he is one of my primary assistants in our family. He has a job at Mary River and due to his employment there, his income has eased the challenges our family faces and makes it easier for us.
As an elderly man and with my wife also being an elder, it really helps.
However, what I want to express as the reason for being proud of him is that he was recently off for his two-week break and within a couple days of leaving for the floe edge, he caught two narwhals.
The second narwhal had a tusk and I was very proud to hear the news, as he is quite young.
He is very respectful to us and I am even more proud for that.
As we are in the last day, I wanted to express my immense pride in his accomplishments.
Member’s Statement 292 – 4(3): Appreciation of Father and Mother-in-law (Mike)
Hon. Johnny Mike (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon.
I also have a joyous occasion to mention and a reason for expressing my pride today. In particular, it revolves around my in-laws, Petoosie and Leah Taukie.
They are the reason why I rise today to express my gratitude to my in-laws and obviously on behalf of the others who have married into their family and call them their in-laws, particularly my older brother-in-law. I want to share in expressing our appreciation and the reason for my rising today.
My in-laws’ grandchildren are all quite adept in cultural skills.
If they are female, they are skilled in sewing skins and furs as they were taught these skills.
It fills me with pride when I see that.
In particular, my father-in-law was heavily involved when Pangnirtung was being established as a community.
He was amongst the leaders in the early days, as many people have served in that role in Pangnirtung, but my in-law, Petoosie Qaapik, was quite involved in the early days of the community.
Many of the services provided today in Pangnirtung were a result of the hard work he and others did and today, residents can use them to stand on their own. They have assisted many Inuit.
He also served on the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board when the land claims agreement was finalized and approved.
He was involved in many initiatives, including the establishment of NWMB as well as the provisions contained in Article 5.
He was one of the Inuit who provided expertise and this is what I have found.
The other reason why I have so much pride in my in-laws is because they are not very vocal or loud and although they are not very outspoken, it is very clear that those of us who are married into that family are very appreciative and that includes all of us.
Member’s Statement 293 – 4(3): Lancaster Sound (Enook)
Good afternoon, people of Pond Inlet and our fellow Nunavummiut. In particular, my wife, Mary, I wish you a good day.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make a brief statement about this morning’s announcement regarding Lancaster Sound.
Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the Nature Conservancy of Canada announced that Shell Canada has, and I quote, “voluntarily contributed offshore rights to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to support the establishment of a national marine conservation area off the coast of Nunavut.
Shell has presented the Nature Conservancy of Canada with more than 8,625 square kilometres of offshore exploratory permits in the waters of Baffin Bay, near Lancaster Sound.
This represents an area larger than Banff National Park.”
Mr. Speaker, this is a very positive development towards the establishment of the Lancaster Sound Marine Conservation Area.
I want to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate the parties involved in this announcement, and I ask all members to join me in recognizing this step forward.
Member’s Statement 294 – 4(3): Granddaughter’s First Seal (Keyootak)
I rise today to also express my feelings of pride.
Mr. Speaker, just recently while I have been at session, my family has remained out on the land with my wife, daughter, and granddaughters, the children of my daughter in the camp.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my deep pride in my daughter’s daughter, who is a precocious girl. When school is over for the day, she really tries to work hard, even though she is a girl, but she has no father today as he committed suicide, which was regrettable.
However, my granddaughter wanted to go camping and my wife informed me that she had agreed to let her go out alone on a hunting trip by snowmobile.
My wife relayed the fact that she had left on the snowmobile and when she returned, she had a seal on the sled and she was all alone.
I am extremely proud of her accomplishment, as she is my granddaughter.
Although she is a young girl, she is quite skilled in Inuit cultural practices.
I take great pride in the first seal that she caught while out hunting alone, which she accomplished all in her first trip.
My wife stated that she returned with a seal on the sled.
Member’s Statement 295 – 4(3): 2016 High School Graduates of Arviat (Savikataaq)
I rise today to congratulate the 2016 grade 12 graduation class of John Arnalukjuak High School.
Their graduation ceremony will be on June 25, and I will be attending and I’m looking forward to it.
It’s always good when students graduate and it’s a joint effort.
The student has to want to graduate, the parents have to help the student graduate, and the teachers have to help.
I see it as a team effort to get a student to graduate.
I have attended graduation classes many times in Arviat and I have always told the graduating class, “When you graduate from grade 12, that’s not the end; that’s just the beginning.
It’s the next step that opens the door for more schooling and more education. It’s a fact of life. The more educated you are, doesn’t matter what field it is in, the better the odds that you will get employment and valuable employment.”
Just for record, I would like to mention the names. As I said earlier, there are 33 students graduating and I would like to say all of their names. They are:
Shelby Angalik
Terri Angalik
Marika Arloo
Amalea Gibbons
Arsene Gibbons
Claude Illungiayok
Troy Illungiayok
Lucy Issumatarjuak
Kesha Karetak
Alvin Illungiayok
Gabriel Issakiark
Willie Malla Issakiark
Jillian Kaviok
Ruth Kaviok
Juliette Kopak
Hayley Locke
Derek Nateela
Lazarus Nungnik
Esther Nutarasungnik
Hattie Pameolik
Samuel Pauppa
Amber Kadjuk
Amanda Pingushat
Jenny Pingushat
Marlene Shamee
Malena Sheetoga
Elaine Suluk
Adrienne Ubluriak
Larry Ussak
On a side note, I would like to congratulate Shelby Angalik. She was in the news that she has a $70,000 scholarship from TD. Thank you, TD, for the scholarship.
I hope Shelby the best for her furthering her career.
Again, congratulations to the graduating class of Arviat 2016.
Return to Oral Question 317 – 4(3): Status of Hospital Board of Management (Ell-Kanayuk)
Return to oral question asked by Pat Angnakak, MLA for Niaqunnguu, asked of Hon. Ell-Kanayuk Minister of Health, No. 317 – 4(3) on June 1, 2016 on the subject of the status of hospital board of management.
The question:
“Mr. Speaker, I am sure the minister will recall the motion which was passed in this House in November of 2014 calling on the government to review the merits and benefits as well as the logistic, administrative, and financial aspects of a board of management for the Qikiqtani General Hospital.
In fact, it was the minister herself who [proposed] an amendment to the motion indicating that the government would report back to the House in the fall of 2015 on its review.
Can the minister provide an update on the status of the review and what specific steps, if any, have been taken as a result of its findings?”
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health has received the approval to move forward with the development of a Qikiqtani General Hospital Advisory Board.
The draft terms of reference and by-laws are currently being reviewed. Following the review process, the by-laws will be submitted for cabinet approval with the aim by winter 2017.
The advisory board will provide a voice for the community and encourage accountability and transparency for the Qikiqtani General Hospital.
Return to Oral Question 372 – 4(3): Status of the Tenant to Owner Program (Hickes)
I would like to provide this return to oral question asked by Mr. Enook, MLA for Tununiq, yesterday, Question No. 372 – 4(3). The subject was the status of the Tenant to Owner Program.
The member asked me:
“A number of my constituents in Pond Inlet who live in public housing have expressed interest in purchasing their units and becoming homeowners.” And in his humble opinion, he feels that “the housing corporation should be encouraging and helping our residents to become homeowners.”
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s previous Tenant to Owner Program enabled tenants slowly to buy their units, and he quoted, “‘Allows tenants who are able to assume the costs and responsibility of homeownership to purchase their current public housing unit.’
However, it is my understanding that this program is ‘suspended pending further review.’
Can the minister explain today why the Tenant to Owner Program is not currently being offered to Nunavut as it used to be?
Why has it been stopped? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”
I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the response provided to the member from Tununiq in the legislature yesterday regarding his question about the Tenant to Owner Program (TOP) run by the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Yesterday, the member stated during question period that the TOP program was “suspended pending further review.”
In my response to him, I had asked the member where he had found that quote, as it was my understanding that the program is still in effect.
Upon speaking with the member after question period, he mentioned that he had found this information on the NHC website.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite was correct.
This quote did appear on the Nunavut Housing Corporation website in a description for the TOP program.
However, this has since been removed from the website as the TOP program is in full operation.
I encourage any residents listening to visit the website if they have any questions about this or any other programs and services that NHC provides.
I would like to thank the member opposite for his questions and the opportunity to clarify my response.
I don’t have any names on my list. Moving on.
Question 376 – 4(3): Baffin Island Caribou Management (Okalik)
During yesterday’s question period, the Minister of Environment responded to a question about the caribou quota on Baffin Island. Apparently, some of the harvested caribou were not all male caribou.
As he responded to the question, I did not quite understand the response, so I would like some more information.
As my colleagues have stated previously, some Inuit do not fancy bull caribou meat, although personally I can eat bull caribou meat any time of day, as I enjoy caribou meat.
Nonetheless, some Inuit, especially elders, do not like eating the tough meat while I have no problem with tough meat, as I grew up hunting caribou every summer.
With experience, it is quite easy to determine which caribou is a male, irrespective of whether it is two-year-old male, young bull male, or an adult bull caribou.
It is quite easy to see the difference when they are male caribou and one could harvest all the different kinds of male caribou, even a two-year-old, as long as it is a male caribou.
This is why I wanted the Minister of Environment to provide a bit more detail and I wonder if his office can provide more details to our constituents since many Inuit rarely see caribou anymore and perhaps the distinctive features of a male caribou allowed, whether it is a two-year old, a young bull, or an adult bull caribou.
I wondered if information on male caribou could be shared broadly. It is quite clear to me that many Inuit no longer see caribou, so they may no longer know the difference between a male and female.
I also thank my colleague for requesting information about that.
Indeed, caribou cows and bulls are different.
The adult bull caribou, at least based on our local knowledge base, are best harvested when they have back fat in the autumn and that is when we call them “pangniq” during late summer.
When their antlers have shed their velvet, bull caribou are very distinguishable as their antlers lose the red colouration and become brown. This occurs when their antlers have already shed the velvet for several weeks and they are called “hardened antlers,” which Inuit would categorize as an adult bull caribou.
That is what they are called and that actual nomenclature does not apply throughout the year, just for everyone’s information.
We can call them male caribou as long as you can see their reproductive sex organs, as you can spot them even in a two-year-old or a young bull, as long as it is not a calf of the year, at the point where cows are almost calving that they are then called a yearling, but their growth is continuing.
It is obvious to an experienced hunter, but perhaps people who did not grow up observing caribou have difficulty and people who rarely see caribou would find it hard.
The Department of Environment is trying to ensure that all the information is available on what categories of caribou are and there is information on caribou as well.
If members feel that it needs more dissemination, then we can provide the information based on the voiced concerns.
Yes, indeed, I do not want any further erroneous harvests of caribou as I want this harvesting rule to be adhered to.
We all know that the strongest bull caribou impregnates the most cows in the fall rutting season and the bulls will mate with numerous cows as that is a characteristic trait.
Now this rule was drafted because cows are considered more important to grow the population, primarily due to their ability to calve and to replenish the population.
I want this rule complied with properly.
Can the department provide information that is more descriptive to hunters who cannot determine the sex?
I would also ask that a recommendation be sent out that if the hunter cannot determine the gender, they should not harvest the caribou. Only when the sex is completely discernable, they can try to harvest the caribou males, even if they are not adult bull caribou, as one can usually determine the gender.
As per my colleague’s suggestion, we can try that initiative, as the work is ongoing.
However, we can request that the information on caribou gender be sent out again particularly to the Baffin Island communities.
Yes, we are aware of the issues revolving around trying to have our hunters harvest only male caribou based on the concerns voiced throughout the region, with problematic periods.
As the Minister of Environment, I have closely reviewed the issues and it is obvious that trying to harvest only male caribou has created concerns.
The Department of Environment will report back to the NWMB and we will resend the male only harvest rules by outlining some of the problems we have found.
Question 377 – 4(3): Grise Fiord Airport (Shooyook)
I am directing my question to the Minister of Transportation regarding Grise Fiord’s airstrip.
During periods of strong winds, pilots loathe landing in Grise Fiord due to the rough air currents, and passengers are scared to land there as well.
Mr. Speaker, I have asked the minister previously about Grise Fiord and whether improvements to the airplane schedules could be considered.
Past responses from the minister indicate that her officials and the airline companies would conduct a review.
Has the department completed this review and whether improvements can be made, either in the number of weekly trips or scheduled days within the week?
Can the minister provide some clarification on this matter?
I don’t have any documentation on the airstrip in Grise Fiord, so I’ll (interpretation ends) take it as notice.
I’ll go on to the next member. (interpretation) Oral Questions.
Question 378 – 4(3): Green Energy (Angnakak)
Mr. Speaker, as the minister will most definitely recall, he moved a motion at our sitting of November 5, 2015 concerning the issue of green energy in Nunavut.
I was pleased to have supported that motion when it was moved, and I am pleased today to ask some questions about the issue.
The section in QEC’s most recent annual report concerning alternative energy and renewable energy indicates that one of its objectives is to, and I quote, “decrease the Corporation’s reliance on imported diesel fuel, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions...”
Can the minister describe some of the specific actions that QEC is taking to reduce its importation and consumption of diesel fuel?
I sincerely thank the member for asking me that question.
Since I took over the Qulliq Energy Corporation, it has been right in the forefront of a lot of my discussions that I’ve had with senior staff on identifying further ways to reduce fossil fuel use and increase efficiencies.
That being said, the corporation has been working on a number of initiatives:
As recently announced, the LED street lighting here in Iqaluit;
We’re testing out the net metering technology using solar panels up at the power plant that was installed in March with some very promising results that have been coming from that, even better than what I had expected;
We’re also looking at installing LED lighting in one of our corporate offices to be able to measure the cost benefit of it.
I do have to add that monies that are invested in exploring alternative energy solutions aren’t technically under the mandate of the Qulliq Energy Corporation.
We are here to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy to Nunavummiut.
There are people on staff at Qulliq Energy that are taking this initiative very seriously and I think maybe even more so since I have been named minister. It has been a very active file within the Qulliq Energy Corporation. The board has actually created an alternative energy committee on the QEC board.
It just shows that we are doing and will continue to do everything we can when we are talking about reducing greenhouse gases.
We want to make sure that we are putting the latest technologies in our power plants to increase reliability and efficiency of those generators.
We are taking a number of steps on many different fronts to play our part in this interdepartmental duty of the government.
It is very good to hear about the positive developments when it comes to alternative energy, and I look forward for you to be tabling the benefits in the House so we can all see.