EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The first step in that process, indeed, is for the student to have individual meetings with instructors and campus staff. If the problem can’t be rectified and there are other issues going on, then at some point, there would be a formal response in writing to that student, then if the student has been suspended, the student has the right of appeal, an appeals board is formed at the college, and then that appeal goes forward.
So there is a whole process, it’s not something that happens because of an incident or what have you, there is a whole process outlined. Students are kept informed of that process, and indeed, play a major role in being available for the appeals process as well as the disciplinary action that’s being taken whether it’s a verbal or a written appeal and so on.
Question 430 – 2(4): Medical Travel Destinations for Kugluktuk Residents (Evyagotailak)
Mr. Evyagotailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month a number of my constituents travelled from Kugluktuk to receive dental care.
I would like to assure the minister that there were no complaints whatsoever on the level of service received or on the travel and boarding arrangements.
However, my question for the minister is: why would these patients be sent to Churchill, Manitoba, for dental services? That is a very long way away from home.
It’s nice that there were no complaints for a change.
The whole issue around the waiting list relating to dental has been one that we have been trying to address for the last four years. The member will recall that in the Kitikmeot, I believe we had two or three charters. The charter was from the Kitikmeot to Iqaluit with I think 30-something people on each flight.
That was to address the whole issue around the waiting list of the number of people that required dental care.
In the Kitikmeot region, for instance, Yellowknife and Hay River are the closest points.  What we have tried to do is to address and reduce the waiting list, look to Iqaluit and other areas that provide services to the Government of Nunavut for people in Nunavut that require that treatment.
One of the biggest costs for this government is in the area of medical travel. To travel from Kugluktuk to Churchill, Manitoba, is very long and very expensive.
Can the minister explain why such an expensive option was chosen to fly those dental patients all the way to Churchill from Kugluktuk?
It’s no secret how much money we spend on medical travel; it was the topic of discussion yesterday.
We have a choice: either not address it or address it. The whole issue is we have to send patients out to get the treatment they need and not sending them out is not an option.
If a person requires dental care or medical care, the reality in Nunavut is we have to send them out. We can either charter, or send them by scheduled airfare, or medevac them out. That’s the nature of the business in Nunavut when it comes to treating sick people.
We have contracts in place in Ottawa, here, Winnipeg, Churchill, and Yellowknife for a number of services and one of them is dental.
So what we’re trying to do within the Department of Health is trying to address the waiting list of people that require treatment, such as dental, and using our existing contracts and looking outside Yellowknife when we have to respond to the patients’ needs.
So putting money aside, you have to weigh the balance: do we treat the person or not? And, not treating a patient is not an option in my opinion.
We have to respond when a person requires treatment in Nunavut. One of the ways we’re trying to address that is to cut costs by chartering a number of people and chartering them back as soon as the treatment is done.
So that’s the procedure that’s in place in Nunavut.
Studies have shown that it is much more cost effective to send a specialist or dental professional into a community to provide services instead of sending patients and their escorts out of the territory to see specialists or dental professionals.
Can the minister explain why dental professionals were not contracted to visit Kugluktuk to provide these services?
Studies have also shown that prevention is the best medicine. The initiative that we’re trying to do is prevent tooth decay through our prevention program through Public Health and so on.
In terms of why a specialist was not sent, in cases where it requires a surgical procedure, we have to send them to the facility that provides that service.
The Kugluktuk Health Centre Dental Office is not set up to do surgical work.
So we have to charter people out or send them to an area like Hay River or here that performs that service within a hospital setting.
Question 431 – 2(4): Update on Rankin Inlet Medical Boarding Home (Simailak)
When the brand new hospital in Rankin Inlet opened, people in the Kivalliq region were very happy and even went to see the opening ceremony.
Since the opening ceremony, it has not been fully functioning at its full capacity.
We have heard from many patients from Baker Lake that they leave at eight o’clock in the morning and they’re supposed to make it back that same evening.
When they go to Rankin Inlet, they’re told that there’s no place for them to board and they don’t even know where they’re going to stay during the day while they stay in Rankin Inlet.
Do you have a place where the patients can wait when there is no boarding home in Rankin Inlet? What plans do you have to place patients while they’re waiting in Rankin Inlet prior to the boarding home being built?
I’m not aware of what arrangements are in place for people that travel to Rankin Inlet for the day for a doctor’s appointment and to travel back in the evening.
As to what happens after the appointment and before the flight, whether we have arrangements for the patient to be in a place where they wait for their flight, I’m not aware of any arrangements that have been made in those instances.
We have heard in the Kivalliq region that they will be establishing a room at the hospital in Rankin Inlet so that it could be used for outpatients where they can rest and wait.
It’s evident that when you’re physically ill that that’s the only time when you go to the hospital to see a doctor.
When you’re feeling physically ill and there’s no place for you to rest, it is very uncomfortable.
So therefore, could the minister tell me if they had already established the room for the patients to wait?
The implementation plan for the Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, and the hospital here has just been finalized and it’s a three-year implementation plan.
In that plan we have outlined at which year what procedures would be provided in each of those centres; what does it need in terms of staff required to address those procedures and extending facilities that may be required to support that service.
As it is right now, we’re at the early stages of that process.
For patients that require overnight stays in either Cambridge Bay or Rankin Inlet, presently, the arrangements are made through commercial establishments in the community as we do not have long-term boarding home arrangements in those communities.
Right now, as it is in this stage of the implementation plan, it’s too early to say when that will be established.
We know that the patients are usually left with a hotel to stay at. I’m talking about the patients that have to stay in Rankin Inlet just for a day.
Although they may have relatives in Rankin Inlet, when the relatives are at work, they have no place to go during the day while they’re waiting to see a doctor.
So that’s what I’m talking about; there is no transportation provided for them and there is no place for them to go have meals.
In Winnipeg and Churchill, there is a driver to drive them.
Perhaps, we should see if they could go to Churchill instead.
Do you have staff employed already in Rankin Inlet to help the patients and assist the patients that are going to Rankin Inlet just for a day for services?
In my earlier response, I said I was not aware; I will look into that.
I just got a note that there had been something arranged but I’m not familiar or aware of any arrangement made so patients can wait for their flight in a facility arranged by health.
So I will look into that and I will report back to the member.
At this time, can the minister indicate to me when the Baker Lake residents can stay at the boarding home in Rankin Inlet? I don’t know how you will be naming that boarding home, but when will that boarding home be completed?
Yes, I have committed to that and I will not communicate with Baker Lake alone but with all of the communities in the Kivalliq what arrangements are made, and as soon as I have that information, I’ll get it to the members.
Question 432 – 2(4): Nunavut Housing Corporation Contracting Practices (Curley)
I read the article not long ago on the local Nunatsiaq News on February 8, 2008, with the following headline: “Ex-clown Juggles Shipping Logistics.”
Mr. Speaker, I wish our Nunavut citizens have a choice to play or work like this clown.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the minister announced that the NHC has entered into a contract with an Ontario-based company for the marshalling and delivering of housing materials.
Can the minister clearly outline for the House today the process by which the NHC issued its new marshalling contract and explain exactly why this Ontario company and former clown was chosen?
He had the best costume.
Mr. Speaker, my apologies.
Mr. Speaker, the tender was out for the marshalling contract for Nunavut Housing $200 million Trust Fund and there was an evaluation done by our staff and the best proponent was picked in that, and in this case, it was the Illamar Marshalling Incorporated out of Chesterville, Ontario.
Nunavummiut are very serious about trying to get into a contract or entering into contracting arrangements to serve a number of services the government offers but I don’t think they have to stoop that low to be successful in getting a contract by acting as a clown.
Mr. Speaker, I noted that the Minister’s Statement was very, very careful to avoid the subject of jobs. According to one news report, Illamar Marshalling is expected to employ between 70 and 90 people.
Can the minister indicate to this House how many of these jobs will actually go to Inuit?
As for Inuit being hired at this marshalling area, I do not have the figures but they committed to hiring Inuit people from Ottawa and we will monitor the situation.
I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the NNI Policy applies to the contracting activities of all of our Crown corporations and agencies, as they are part of the contracting regulations and the management of policies.
Can the minister indicate to the House today whether the NHC considered awarding the marshalling contract to an Inuit-owned company, and if not, why not?
We base the awarding of the contract on the best possible scenario for the benefit of Nunavummiut and that’s how we base our awarding of the contract.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Nester.
Mr. Curley: Mr. Speaker, I believe that they were other bidders that had an Inuit-owned component when they actually bid for the tenders that were issued last fall.
I believe, Mr. Speaker, that our economy will not grow in the long-term unless we make efforts now to build capacity.
What plans does the minister have to work with Nunavut companies so that they can take on the responsibility of providing major services which are crucial to the NHC?
Hon. Patterk Netser (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) With the Nunavut Housing Trust Fund, we employ up to 60 percent local Inuit on this project and we will continue to make sure that Inuit are involved.
With this project, we are very proud that we are going to produce up to 40 journeypersons when the program is over.
Question 433 – 2(4): Medical Travel Contract Including Sanikiluaq (Kattuk)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services concerning the contract that has been awarded and the three airlines have contracts up to now.
Is Sanikiluaq included in the contract portfolio?
The contract that we’re dealing with for medical travel is for the entire territory of Nunavut and it includes Sanikiluaq.
Can the minister tell me which airlines have been contracted for Sanikiluaq for services?
We are just about to finish the paperwork and once we finish working together, we will be submitting it to the House.
We’re still working on it and we want to produce a report that is in full context.
Will the Premier be able to give us a report while we are still in session?
We’ll try and get it done while we are still in session because it affects everyone in the public.
Question 434 – 2(4): $200,000 Approved for Arctic Bay Road (Barnabas)
Last year we approved $200,000 for the highway to Nanisivik. They were following the Financial Administration Act when they wrote a letter that I received stating that the $200,000 was transferred to the Iqaluit Airport for retrofits.
Mr. Speaker, my question for the minister: was the $200,000 tendered out after we approved it?
Sometimes we allow transfers within our finances.
That $200,000 was a purse and there’s also a policy stating that if it’s over $500,000, then it would have to be approved and I’m sure that was visible during that time and I can ask my employees to give me some clarification.
This was not brought up at the House and it was not even requested to my knowledge that it was transferred.
Sometimes we transfer when there is a lack of funding for other projects and when there is not enough funding for other projects, we look for it and then we would return it back to the pocket.
I will get some clarification and I will get back to the member as soon as possible.
Question 435 – 2(4): Support for Literacy Programs (Peterson)
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the national Council of Ministers of Education met in Toronto.
I noted that the announcement from this meeting indicated that a National Forum on improving Canada’s literacy rates will be held simultaneously in cities across Canada from April 14 to 15 of this year.
My question for the minister: can the minister indicate to the House today what events his department will be sponsoring here in Nunavut?
The Canadian Ministers of Education Council, or CMAC, which Nunavut is a member of, we’re quite excited about the opportunity for literacy and bringing literacy to the forefront in the New Year. Yes, Nunavut is playing a great role in this indeed.
This morning, Mr. Speaker, I actually taped a video message that would be played during the National PAN Literacy Forum.
The focus for us is going to be in Arviat, we are hosting this PAN Literacy Forum, and indeed, we’re going to have Susan Aglukark do a keynote address from Arviat during the forum.
I thank the minister for that information and I look forward to seeing how it all turns out.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Nunavut suffers from some of the lowest literacy rates in Canada. This is the reality. Strong literacy skills are necessary for employment in the modern economy.
Mr. Speaker, in Nunavut, I believe that our residents must have strong literacy skills in both the Inuit language and English. The Department of Education’s Business Plan indicates that the budget for literacy programs will increase only slightly from $375,000 in 2007-08 to $450,000 in 2008-09.
My question for the minister: can the minister tell us how this funding will be used?
I’m in agreement with the member when it comes to issues around literacy.
We know that the federal government arbitrarily cut money to literacy programs two years ago in their federal budget, and at that time, Mr. Speaker, the Members of the House joined with me in stating our concern with that.
The Government of Nunavut stepped up to the plate, and last year, we actually appointed for the first time ever in Nunavut a Literacy Coordinator which that position was filled in August of 2007, and that person is working through a whole range of different processes for adult literacy and literacy programs across Nunavut to coordinate or work with the GN and different GN departments, Arctic College, as well as NGOs throughout Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, some of the things we’re doing, including the Nunavut Adult Learning Strategy that we put in place, partly funded through our literacy money, some of the funding for literacy also goes in the community-based projects and programs.
Again, through the literacy coordinator, that’s continuing in this fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, the Nunavut Literacy Council does excellent work in Nunavut. The council’s head office is located in my community of Cambridge Bay.
As the minister indicated, there were budget cuts last year by the federal government. I was shocked, Mr. Speaker, when they announced cuts to literacy when they took office. I was hopeful this week that they would reinstate some of the funds, but of course, they didn’t do that and that doesn’t give us much hope for the future and that government.
My question for the minister: can the minister tell the House today what support his department currently provides to the Nunavut Literacy Council and indicate how he has assisted the council to make up for lost federal funding?
Again, I want to thank the member for raising the issue around literacy, and indeed, the funding for literacy.
We have been very supportive of the office in Cambridge Bay. I want to take this opportunity to say that the director in Cambridge Bay has done an excellent job. When those cuts were announced, as an example, we went out, she contacted different organizations throughout Nunavut, and indeed, businesses to help support and make up that shortfall.
We were able to come forward with some extra dollars also at that time.
I spoke with I believe it was First Air at the time and we were able to get an arrangement from their President’s Banquet where money was donated to the Literacy Council through that type of advocacy.
I just want to say that that’s how we supported the Literacy Council and the office in Cambridge Bay, whether through financial, logistic, as well as administrative support to that office.
I thank the minister for answer.
It’s indeed very gratifying that there are people around Canada that support literacy issues in Nunavut even if the federal government doesn’t.
Mr. Speaker, parents and the public have the right to know how well our school system is doing in teaching literacy skills to our children.
Can the minister indicate to the House what kinds of standardized literacy tests are given in schools and will he commit to ensuring that the department does not suppress the results of these important evaluations?
Earlier, the member asked about the literacy coordinator, and one of the major roles of the Literacy Coordinator for Nunavut is her task is ensuring the standardization of our curriculum and testing of the Adult Basic Education Program that we have in place.
At the same time, the literacy coordinator is setting up a Literacy Framework for Nunavut, and that’s to meet the goals of the Nunavut Learning Strategy that we tabled in the House and also what’s been agreed to through CMEC, which is the Canadian Ministers of Education Council on Education. That was agreed to at our February 2007 meeting when the issue of literacy was raised.
Question 436 – 2(4): Security Measures at Old Residence in Iqaluit (Tootoo)
My question is for the Minister responsible for Education and the Nunavut Arctic College.
Mr. Speaker, we all know that Iqaluit is the home of the main campus and they also have a single residence down at what they call the “Old Res” here.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister: what kind of security measures do they have in place to ensure the safety of the students that are staying down at that residence?
What we used to refer to as Ukiivik, or the Old Student Residence, accommodates single students, and indeed, accommodate students that may come in for short-term course work and so on from across Nunavut to Iqaluit.
The Ukiivik Residence at the part where the students are also consists of classrooms, so from nine to five, there are classrooms, instructors, teachers, and students moving about; there’s a cafeteria there.
After hours, I think specifically with what the member is talking about, there is a security desk in the foyer of that residence which is staffed for security reasons and also for support to the students.
Mr. Speaker, I’m sure the minister knows all too well that in that residence, there are separate areas for female students and separate areas for male students.
What measures are in place to ensure the safety in the female part of the residence, the floors that are for females to prevent... in some cases, I know there have been reports of intoxicated male residents roaming around in the female residence.
What steps are taken to ensure that that doesn’t happen?
Previously, when the residence was a student accommodation for the high school students, there was a very strict segregation of the female and the male students.
Right now, when we’re talking about the residence, they aren’t actually adult students, and when we say adults, they can range in age from 18 to 70.
There are, like I said, measures taken by the staff at the college to ensure that if people are inebriated, if we have people who are drunk and they’re bothering other students, then that’s dealt with through the auspices of the college; we do have a disciplinary policy in place.
I’m not aware of, Mr. Speaker, where there have been incidents raised recently in the last few days or few weeks.
In the past, there have been some issues where students have gone back to the residence where they’re staying that have been inebriated, and indeed, have been dealt with because of that.
Say, for example, if there were some allegations of a sexual assault by someone that was staying in the residence to another person that was staying in the residence, what measures would be taken by the department?
Although I know, again, you’re presumed innocent until found guilty, but that could cause a lot of anxiety to students staying in the residence if that individual involved was still within that residence.
Could the minister outline, in a case like that, what kind of steps would they take to try and ensure the safety and comfort of the students at the residence?
There is a process in place that all of the students are aware of when they take residence at the Ukiivik concerning if they had violent behaviour and other types of issues. In this case, what the member is talking about, people who would go to the residence who were drunk, who would be interfering or causing some issues, then those processes and those steps are outlined.
If, for example, something that occurred where the RCMP were involved, and the RCMP would be involved and they would take care of those legalities, for example, if there was an assault or something. In the cases where somebody is coming back to the residence and they have been drinking and they cause noise or problems, interfering or bothering other students, then there is a process and the policies in place.
It is quite well spelled out by the college for those students, and in that case, then the students could be subject to disciplinary measures by the college, and indeed, including suspension and expulsion from the residence.
Like I said in my earlier comment, one is presumed innocent until found guilty. In cases like that where there are charges, is there any protocol in place to relocate an individual in question?
In cases like that, is there some type of mechanism or protocol that they have to cover that off?
When you put in place guidelines and rules, and everyone knows those rules and guidelines, and I go back to the residence as an example, and I’m drunk and I cause problems for other people, and we expel you, then you know the rules.
You’re an adult student and the college doesn’t then try to access or find other accommodations for you. You’ve put yourself in that situation.