EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The status of the government offices in my riding in Grise Fiord is another example of the government ignoring infrastructure needs in Nunavut’s smallest community.
The building was once condemned for use; however, the government workers still occupy the space.
I have discussed this issue many times at length with the Minister of Community and Government Services.
Once again, I urge the government to give adequate consideration to the needs of the residents in Nunavut’s non-decentralized communities.
Member’s Statement 122 – 2(3): Medical Travel in Sanikiluaq (Kattuk)
I rise today to raise a long-standing issue of concern in my constituency.
Medical travel is necessary for the residents of Sanikiluaq to receive medical services and treatment.
Generally, patients travel from Sanikiluaq to Winnipeg for services and treatment.
This medical travel is with a small, single engine aircraft.
Often, flights are longer than three hours and there is no washroom.
It is a small plane; it can only take so many passengers. People are often left behind and told to wait for the next charter.
This level of service is unacceptable.
The government procurement and contracting report tabled on November 28, 2005 indicates that in 2004-05, the government spent well over $4 million on scheduled medical air charters from Sanikiluaq to Winnipeg.
On the most recent population statistics for Sanikiluaq, that works out to more than $5,700 for every single person in Sanikiluaq to travel by medical charter to Winnipeg.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the government to carefully consider the type of service being offered when negotiating contracts such as medical travel contracts.
Our government must be particularly responsible for ensuring that we are receiving adequate and appropriate benefits for our money.
Member’s Statement 123 – 2(3): Support for Pangnirtung Fishery (Kilabuk)
Although you have heard many times about the actual fishing zones, I just want to remind everyone that there’s a Pangnirtung fishery in the offshore.
If you could look at international countries, if you look at the community of Pangnirtung, we are very proud that we have a deep-sea fishery.
And also, the owners of the fishery need support from our government.
For that reason, the residents of Pangnirtung...the whole community’s goal is to have a viable fishing industry and it creates employment opportunities at the fishing plant.
We requested assistance from the Federal Government’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans Minister by way of correspondence, and I just recently wrote a letter to the Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in support of the Nunavut Government Minister for Wildlife who also had concerns.
Mr. Speaker, we are requesting funding to develop the fisheries in Pangnirtung so that we could be treated equally. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, this quota we are seeking assistance for is allocated by the federal government, not this Nunavut Government.
We need this government’s support by way of commitment to support Cumberland Sound Fishery’s lobby for its fair share of a quota from Area 0A that it helped to build with a lot of its own limited resources in the latter part of the 90s.
I’m afraid that if this government does not step up to the plate and support this community in getting back their rightful share of the quota from Area 0A, this Nunavut-based, Nunavut and community owned company will face a future controlled by outside interests or groups rather than Pangnirtung and its residents.
There are no nays, Mr. Kilabuk, please proceed to conclude your statement.
Mr. Kilabuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) I was trying to rush, but I had no time; I’m still learning the process, Mr. Speaker, you will have to excuse me.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, there is a real concern from Pangnirtung and the fishery’s interests in Pangnirtung that if the community does not get the support it needs to get back its rightful share of the quota from Area 0A it helped to build with its limited resources.
We are afraid that our future is bleak and may end up being controlled by outside interests or groups rather than Pangnirtung itself and its residents; besides this government, since 1999, day one has promoted different groups and individuals to be independent.
So Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow this to happen; to be controlled by outsiders.
And Mr. Speaker, the future is here, and more regrettably, it’s passing already.
So, today, I seek the support of this government to stand up and voice its support to Cumberland Sound Fisheries who is dependent on this resource from Area 0A to exist and operate as a community business.
Member’s Statement 124 – 2(3): Poor Arena Ice in Kugluktuk (Evyagotailak)
Mr. Evyagotailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today and I’m sure that members saw the recent newspaper article showing the state of our ice.
I call it ice, but it is more like slush.
(interpretation ends) As members know, arenas are one of the main resources for organized healthy activities in our communities. Bad ice means that community skates and hockey practices have been cancelled.
Young people from my community will be participating in the Arctic Winter Games in Alaska next month having skated very few times this winter.
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the hamlet has been unable to access funding to complete the artificial ice system in our arena.
The hamlet has been hard at work getting quotes and companies to complete the artificial ice system.
Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that $230,000 is required.
This does not seem like much money considering our government is making commitments to our young people. Making this investment will ensure that my constituents can use the ice all winter long.
Mr. Speaker, many Canadian mining and exploration companies support the communities close to the sites.
After our current sitting, I will be traveling from Yellowknife to Kugluktuk by snowmobile and I hope to visit the operating mining sites on my way. I hope that those community-minded corporations will assist me in promoting support in my communities through donations towards getting artificial ice in our arena.
Member’s Statement 125 – 2(3): Anglican Church Fundraising (Picco)
I would like to update the House on the status of the fundraising for our new Anglican Church Cathedral here in Iqaluit.
Mr. Speaker, as members know, as a result of arson, our church will have to be torn down. The insurance coverage will not cover all the costs of our new building and new church, and we will have to raise funds both here locally and in the south.
Locally we have fundraised over $5,600 for the new church during our games at the Parish Hall at Christmas time.
We will be holding other events locally, like a silent auction, suppers, and various other local initiatives.
On the national front, we have hired a national fundraiser, and that person is in place. Mr. Speaker, the loss of our beloved cathedral has been felt across Iqaluit and Nunavut. We have put a construction committee in place and will re-build.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the kind donations already made to our construction project by Iqaluit local businesses, and also, special thanks to the Catholic Mission for hosting a fundraising lunch, and the many Iqaluit residents, local groups, and people who have sent donations from across Nunavut, Canada, and indeed Mr. Speaker, the world.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to note that Captain Ron McLean, and his wife Carol have taken up new responsibilities in Yellowknife. We want to thank them for their excellent service during their time here, and we wish them the very best in Yellowknife.
I would also like to welcome the Reverend John and Carol Turrel to Iqaluit, formerly of Dawson City, Yukon.
Member’s Statement 126 – 2(3): Cape Dorset Most Artistic Canadian Community (Akesuk)
On February 13, 2006, Cape Dorset was recognized as Canada’s most artistic community in the National Survey conducted by Hill Strategies Research Incorporated.
As you know, and I know, art is a very important component of our economy.
The survey’s key finding recognizes that art contributes to quality of life and the social and economic vitality of many small and rural communities in Canada.
In Cape Dorset, almost 25 percent of labour force participates in art; this is almost thirty times the national average of 0.8 percent.
Cape Dorset is home to many internationally acclaimed artists including Kenuajuak Ashevak, Axangajuk Shaw, Keogak Ashoona, Kananginak Pootoogook, and upcoming artists like Timothy Pee, Ashevak Adla, and so on.
I would like to congratulate my constituents who have dedicated their lives to art and thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Member’s Statement 127 – 2(3): Thanks to Nunavut Volunteers (Curley)
I rise today to speak about the important contribution made by Nunavut Volunteers for our communities.
There are too many, in fact, to list the valuable service commitment and dedication provided by many individuals.
Many individuals spend long hours feeding the homeless, and looking for shelters, for instance and some of them often come in the line of danger to save lives.
Here are some of them; volunteer firefighters in the communities, community search and rescue groups, homeless workers, elders providing counselling services to many young couples, and school children and mothers and fathers, volunteering to help and support many community kids and youth.
This list is incomplete Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, Inuit men and women for centuries depended on volunteers for providing survivor skills and preparation of travel required for our families and friends specific to the seasons and the environment and geography they lived in.
Mr. Speaker, we are still living in a harsh environment. I would like to thank the individuals, to all the men and women who volunteer and participate in providing essential and important services or survival skills throughout Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, the survival of the Inuit culture, as it did throughout the generations, needs more men and women volunteers.
Every year, Inuit lives are lost for a number of reasons and perhaps no one taught them about survival skills they need in our land.
There are no nays. Mr. Curley, please proceed.
As I stated I’m sure that a lot of these Nunavut lives are lost due to not being taught about survival skills they need out on the land. On behalf of our youth, I’m asking more Nunavummiut to help our youth learn about survival skills and teach them how to make traditional clothing, and about the seasonal traditional clothing that is required to survive because, of course, we live in a harsh environment.
I, for one, will commit myself to do so and teach youth about snow and how to build a shelter for survival.
We have no shortage of snow, which in many cases can protect our youth from hypothermia.
I also urge all Members of this House to volunteer their time and energy in this urgent need in order for our youth to survive.
Member’s Statement 128 – 2(3): Cambridge Bay Runway Paving (Peterson)
I rise today on the issue of economic development and transportation.
I find it appropriate that both economic development and transportation are combined into one Government of Nunavut department.
I have consistently stressed the importance of transportation in the development of our resources in the Kitikmeot.
In January, the Tahera Corporation announced that the first Jericho diamonds have been produced. Resource development will continue, regardless of whether or not we in the territory are ready for it.
Companies will work with Nunavummiut to the best of their ability, but in the long run, if infrastructure is not here to facilitate growth, our economy may be stunted.
The participation of Nunavummiut in the mining sector depends, to a degree, on the reliability of transportation into and out of Cambridge Bay.
On November 28, 2005, the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation tabled a document entitled, ‘Airports for Nunavummiut and Their Economy.’ This Airport Investment Strategy includes four specific projects.
One of those projects, the implementation of Iqaluit master plan, received funding under the Federal Airport Capital Assistance Program.
The Cambridge Bay priority to pave the runway and rehabilitate the graded areas does not even appear in Nunavut’s Five-Year Capital Plan.
I understand that the strategy cannot be implemented without the participation of the federal government.
However, this requirement is not stated plainly until the last page of the document. Our northern newspapers would never intentionally mislead the public, but articles appeared shortly after this document was tabled and implied that these projects were definitely going ahead on the indicated timeline.
My constituents were extremely pleased to see that article in the paper.
Improvements at the airport will:
Increase the usable length of the runway;
Allow air carriers to operate into the airport with full payload weight; and
Ensure that the newer generation of jet aircraft requiring paved runways will be able to serve our regional centre.
I understand that the Government of Nunavut’s capital budget is limited and that there are many important infrastructure needs that must be addressed. The Department of Economic Development and Transportation’s 2006-2011 Five-Year Capital Plan includes five projects to rehabilitate runways.
A total of $4,989,000 is budgeted for this type of project over the next five years. Some of this funding has been allocated to the Cambridge Bay Airport.
Please go ahead, Mr. Peterson.
The Government of Nunavut’s 2001 Transportation Strategy states, “An opportunity to facilitate air service improvements exists if a greater number of runways were paved, especially at the hub airports like in Cambridge Bay.”
An improvement of air service to and from Cambridge Bay will benefit the development of the region as a whole.
Hearing the results of the recent federal election, I understand that our government will be forging new partnerships with the federal government.
I’ll be asking questions on this issue at the appropriate time.
Member’s Statement 129 – 2(3): Conservative Deep Sea Port Commitment (Tootoo)
Today I would like to talk about something that our Minister of Finance mentioned in his budget address yesterday, and that is hope; and the fact that, as we all know, last month, we received a new federal government - Mr. Harper and his Conservative Government.
There were a lot of words like “hope” used in the Minister’s Statement yesterday. And also, Mr. Speaker, I know that Mr. Harper’s party has made a lot of commitments to Iqaluit and the north in general.
As the Minister of Finance mentioned yesterday, hopefully, we won’t be in for another rerun of idle promises that we’ve had in the past, and if he can follow through on those commitments that were made.
I’m speaking specifically for Iqaluit. Mr. Speaker, I know myself and my two colleagues, Mr. Picco, and Mr. Okalik, along with the city were very pleased to hear the Prime Minister promise to build a deep sea port here in Iqaluit, and I would urge the minister responsible to convey and remind the Prime Minister of that commitment to do what they can to work with the city to help expedite that process so that we can see not just another idle promise, but see a promise followed through with, for the north, for the City of Iqaluit.
I know that a deep sea port here regardless of whether it’s for a military purpose will not only provide a positive economic impact to this community, but also for the entire region, for re-supply purposes, all the goods that flow through here going to all the other communities in the Baffin.
It would be a tremendous positive impact, and it should help lower operating costs, costs of construction and everything like that throughout the region.
So I just want to congratulate Mr. Harper, and remind him that we won’t forget about the promises that he made, and I urge the minister responsible to work with the city and help Mr. Harper follow through with that promise.
I would like to recognize Joseph Qaviuq who is from Arviat and he is sitting over there.
Question 139 – 2(3): $2.3 Million Budget for Health & Social Services (Tootoo)
My question is for the Minister responsible for Finance, and it’s in follow-up to a question that I raised yesterday.
After reviewing the Hansard, and I’ll quote it; it reads that $2.3 million would be in this coming budget.
I guess my question for the minister is; we know that there is budget confidentiality and that has always been a priority of this government in the past. And I’m just wondering: is there something that has changed now, that we can just go ahead and put out information that is in a budget that we haven’t even approved yet.
I know the Auditor General in her latest report that was tabled the other day has an entire chapter. On page 17, Chapter 3, the government has a history of spending money without approval. I’d like to just ask the minister to clarify this for the members of this House.
Yes, that is the case. The $2.3 million is for the 2006-07 main estimates and it will proceed like that.
I would like to ask the minister how and why that information was released prior the budget being released here in the House.
The budget that was identified by health, that was released because it had to be released for safety reasons and for the patients who go to the regional hospital, and that was why it was put out by the Department of Health.
I know that. Still, that was an amount that this Assembly has yet to approve and was even to be aware of until yesterday; that money being in the budget.
I know that the Department of Health went to great lengths to indicate that nothing is going to change at the hospital because of the loss of the accreditation aside from practitioner placements, training placements, and things like that.
So they were quite firm in reassuring Nunavummiut that the services at the hospital had not changed and nothing would change as a result of that loss of accreditation.
I really fail to see why it was urgent that this had to go out there right now and why the government had to announce already some funding that had not been brought before the House for approval by all Members of the House, which is the practice that we follow. So I would like it if the minister can explain that.
In the release, it stated that the Department of Health indicated that it was. It didn’t indicate that it was approved by the FMB.
So this had to be released as soon as possible, and if it’s not approved it might not go ahead, but if the Department of Health can identify some funding from their own department then they will be able to.
Mr. Speaker, I know in the Minister of Health’s response yesterday, and I read it from Hansard, they said the $2.3 million will be coming, will be in this coming budget, but from the fiscal year January to March 31.
I would assume that is this fiscal year, an additional $300,000 is identified.
So it would make it very clear that the $2.3 million is in the upcoming budget. The Minister also indicated that is approved by the Department of Health, they indicating a budgeted amount and it’s in the press release here. It reads that the department has approved $2.3 million in new funding and was that funding just approved by the Department of Health or was it approved through the FMB process of which the minister is the chair.
Yes, FMB approved the $2.3 million this past January.
Question 140 – 2(3): Economic Development for the Smaller Communities (Mapsalak)
During the last session, I asked this question, but I would like to follow up on the question.
The smaller communities are way behind in regard to economic development, especially with employment opportunities, and nothing has changed very much even after the creation of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, my question to the minister is: have they identified the $5 million that was to be invested in community economic development with an emphasis on supporting non-decentralized communities? So I would like to ask the minister how the $5 million for community economic development would be used.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister for Economic Development and Transportation, Mr. Akesuk.
Yes, we have been working on this and we will be reviewing it further.
As the first government, what we thought was that we didn’t want the non-decentralized to be far behind. So at this time we are still presently working on how we can help those non-decentralized communities.
The funding that is to be used for economic development, they were able to get quite a bit of funding, especially for those businesses in the smaller communities. I wonder if that $5 million will be made available to those potential business owners to assist them in starting up their own business. Will it be used for that?
We are making that funding available for any economic development opportunities and we will continue helping the communities as to how they can benefit from economic development.
There are 25 communities, they have made proposals as to what they wish to do in the future called, ‘The Community Economic Plan,’ and 21 out of 25 have completed that and there are only about four communities that haven’t completed it.
So what we will have to do is review them closely, come up with how we can best utilize the funding that is available, and also look at the future.
So the way I understand his response is that the 25 communities will use the $5 million. There are 25 communities in Nunavut; for those non-decentralized communities, then I understand that it is for all the communities in Nunavut.
What I stated was that the community economic plan for the communities the smaller, the non-decentralized communities, it will be given more toward the non-decentralized communities.
Mr. Mapsalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the minister for his response.
Then when will the minister make an announcement on this $5 million, and when will he inform the non-decentralized communities of that plan?
I will check as to what stage we’re at and if they have been allocated to the communities and I will be able to inform the member of our plan and also the other communities hopefully next week.
Question 141 – 2(3): Infrastructure for Non-Decentralized Communities (Barnabas)
Mr. Barnabas: I would like to address my question to the Minister of Community and Government Services.
Mr. Speaker, earlier today I spoke of the need for infrastructure in Nunavut’s smaller non-decentralized communities.
Can the minister provide an update on what consideration has been given to replacing old and inadequate facilities in Grise Fiord and Arctic Bay?
Speaker (interpretation): Minister for Community and Government Services, Ms. Brown.
We have to be flexible to the members because we have so many items to deal with as a government and I would like to thank the member for asking the question and to thank him for the welcome that he gave us when we went to Arctic Bay and Grise Fiord or Resolute Bay.
I know that there’s, the member showed me the building, infrastructure that is very old in his community especially in Arctic Bay and Grise Fiord.
I’m not really exactly sure what our plans are at this time, as a department, but I know that the Nunavut Advisory Committee is meeting here this week and they are doing the planning on the capital money that will be spent on those communities to do renovations and they’re meeting with Nunavut Association of Municipalities.
I don’t know everybody, but I do know Lootie Toomasie, and I feel they will come up with something; some plans for the member’s questions.
Recently, Arctic Bay’s multi-purpose hall was inspected for fire and electrical safety. Can the minister clarify, for this House, when the inspection report will be completed and made available?
As soon as I receive the report, I will be able to send it or produce it in the House, from the inspection that was done in the member’s constituency and as soon as that report is completed, we will be able to distribute it to the members.
The issue of overcrowding is a concern, especially during community events such as Christmas celebrations.