EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
If the Department of Family Services was approached for those kinds of services, then we would approach the Department of Health.
Usually, it’s a referral to the other department outlining the types of services that are requested.
The Department of Health is responsible for counselling and treatment services. We can work with them regarding treatment programs and services. We know that anyone who requests these types of services is not under direct control of our department.
That’s kind of the point that I’m getting at. There seems to be such a crossover in responsibilities from the Department of Family Services and the Department of Health.
In lots of programming, there is a direct relationship. In others, those lines seem to be very blurred.
I personally find it quite confusing and I can only imagine the confusion that is out for the general public.
The point I’m trying to make is when the decision was made in the previous legislature to split the two departments into one, there was a three-year study on the transition plan. Now that the department has been in force for two years, one, I don’t see any growth in the capital plan to increase the level of service provided to Nunavummiut.
Two, I still see a lot of confusion stemming from the transition plan that I think confuses probably more people than one, myself, I hope anyway.
Maybe I’m just not understanding some of the relationship boundaries.
I guess my question would be: when is there going to be a capital analysis to be able to meet the ongoing needs in elder care and other services; shelters, addictions counselling?
Our chairman mentioned in his opening comments that there has been an ongoing concern on the lack of activity in a number of group homes, shelters, rehab facilities, substance abuse, lack of attention and communication, elder population.
When are we going to see some growth in meeting the demand of our residents so that we can stop sending them south away from their families, away from their support groups, away from Nunavut, and treat our populace here in Nunavut to the best of our abilities?
Yes, at that time when Family Services split from the parent department, the one thing I have really noted is the lack of personnel to provide these services.
We continue to face shortfalls in human resources ever since the positions were opened. Currently, the vacancies are dwindling and we expect in the upcoming years that this number will continue to grow.
As the Department of Family Services, we know we have to explore ways to improve any and all services related to social services.
The one thing providing direction was the (interpretation ends) Stantec report (interpretation) that we had been waiting for and once we received the report, it was being reviewed to see how we can enact changes in the upcoming months to improve the situation.
This relates to office spaces and areas of need in our communities in Nunavut related to our workers.
Since we have this report, we will be deliberating on these issues.
When the split occurred from the Department of Health, it resulted in a seeming restart of the department and that is what we face today compared to older departments. We also require vehicles to service our elders’ homes that also require upgrades or renovations and for which we have submitted funding requests.
Yes, we are moving forward and social services digitalized systems as well as the new Income Support Case Management System are now just coming into use.
Related to social services, they are currently secondary improvements we will now turn to. That is what I can say that to the member.
We’re on capital estimates.
Following the names on my list, Mr. Keeyootak.
Mr. Keeyootak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I refer to the opening comments in relation to my constituency community of Clyde River where plans have been made for about $100,000 stated to be for renovations to the office.
Does the office exist in another location? There is an elders centre currently in Clyde River.
This renovation funding isn’t for that centre, is it?
Minister of Family Services, Ms Ugyuk.
It is for the income support office.
In Clyde River, there’s an elders facility and I have seen it. When I got elected, I looked into the elders facility.
Is this elders centre under the Department of Family Services or not?
We don’t have anything here for the elders facility in Clyde River.
Maybe it’s not through the Department of Family Services.
There is an elders facility in Clyde River.
I was invited to look at the building and they also told me to ask this government for some new furniture. The facility has furniture that was donated to them.
It’s something that we don’t want to see.
I didn’t hear a question; it was just a comment.
We are on (interpretation ends) Family Services.
Corporate Management. D-3.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing me.
I don’t know if anyone asked this question regarding the 2015-16 draft capital estimates and they included $600,000 for small capital projects.
Were you able to purchase all the items under this and, if not, how did you prioritize the projects?
We had to make an additional request for funds because we were short under this line item.
What was your shortfall? I would like to ask that question to the minister.
I’ll have Sol Vardy respond to that question.
The small capital for 2015-16, the $600,000, the plan is to spend all the money this year and that’s for the purchase of vehicles, the renovation of office spaces, and paying for servers.
The plan is to spend the whole amount this year.
If you can acknowledge the Chair when you’re done speaking, it will assist the technicians.
So you’re not going to go over budget, you’re not going to go over the $600,000, are you?
Sol Vardy will respond to that question.
We’re monitoring this small capital this year.
We’re now in middle of the year. We have spent already two-thirds of the capital plan. Of that, we are closely looking at prioritizing other expenses we might pay for, for this year.
The plan is to adjust our spending, pay for more furniture if needed, buy for more computers, and be able to manage that $600,000 this year.
We’re not likely going to go over budget.
Do you set priorities for that budget?
I know that you’re trying to spend the entire $600,000. How do you prioritize your expenditures, like what you’re going to buy first or pay for first? I hope I make sense.
The regional directors make special requests to headquarters and then the people at headquarters review the special requests.
Thank you for the responses. Let me move on to your opening comments. There’s a reference to $145,000 to set up the Income Assistance Database System and you stated that it’s for the communities of Resolute Bay, Taloyoak, Sanikiluaq, Clyde River, Arctic Bay, and Naujaat.
As this work progresses, do you have a plan to do that for the rest of the communities in Nunavut in the coming years so that all of the communities can be under the database system?
For the income assistant database improvements, the cables need to be installed in those communities that you have mentioned.
The computers are there, but we can’t use them until they’re connected.
After everything is set up, the other communities that are not under the system will be worked on and some communities are sort of behind when it comes to Internet connectivity and all of that.
We would like all the communities to come under the Income Assistance Database System and it will be easier for us to keep track of the expenditures once it’s under the database.
In the 2016-17 fiscal year, those six communities will get the Income Assistance Database System put up. In the next year, are you planning to do this for six more communities?
Thank you for requesting that information.
CGS does the installing and they tell us how much it’s going to cost to help us.
We rely on CGS a lot to put the system up for us.
Our future plan is to get every community under the database system.
In March 2016, we want to add three more communities to the database list.
This will be my final question. Can the minister or her staff indicate when all the communities in Nunavut will fall under the Income Assistance Database System?
Hon. Jeannie Ugyuk (interpretation): I don’t really understand the question. Is he asking when they will be completed in the communities?
Maybe you can rephrase your question, Mr. Joanasie.
I’m asking when all the communities in Nunavut will be under the Income Assistance Database System. This is for all the communities. When do you think they will all be installed?
I believe that makes a lot more sense.
I completely understand the question now.
I would like to indicate to my colleague that, as I stated earlier, we rely on CGS to install them for us and once they install them into the communities, we will know.
However, we do have a future plan to ensure all the communities are put under the database system.
I understand that you don’t know. However, we will know in the future. I don’t want to ask this again in the future, but I would like a letter sent to me indicating when all the communities will fall under the Income Assistance Database System.
I’ll stop my questioning here for now.
I can’t give a definitive answer right now because CGS is responsible for installing the communication system, but we work with all the communities.
We want to work with all the communities to make sure that they go under the Income Assistance Database System.
The database system is expensive to install.
Chairman: Are you agreed that the Department of Family Services is concluded?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. I thank Minister Ugyuk. You can make your closing remarks, Ms. Ugyuk.
I thank my colleagues for approving our capital estimates. That will be used.
Bill 03 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2016-2017 – Culture and Heritage – Consideration in Committee
(interpretation ends) The next department is Culture and Heritage on page F-3.
I would now like to ask the Minister of Culture and Heritage if he has officials that he would like to appear before the committee.
Good evening, my colleagues.
With me this evening (interpretation ends) to my right is my Deputy Minister, Joe Kunuk, to my left, Regilee Adla, Director of Corporate Services.
You may proceed with your opening comments. Mr. Kuksuk.
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman (interpretation ends) and members of the committee. (interpretation) I am pleased to have this opportunity to present the Department of Culture and Heritage’s 2016-17 capital plan.
(interpretation ends) The department holds a leadership role within the Government of Nunavut for the preservation, development, and enhancement of Nunavut’s culture, heritage, and languages for Nunavummiut.
Mr. Chairman, the capital estimate for the Department of Culture and Heritage for the 2016-17 fiscal year is $560,000.
$60,000 of the capital budget is for new office furniture and equipment for the Elders and Youth Division, the Heritage Division, and the Official Languages Division at the Igloolik, Baker Lake, and Kugluktuk offices.
(interpretation) Mr. Chairman, those are my opening comments. (interpretation ends) I will be pleased to respond to any questions that members may have.
I am pleased to provide opening comments on behalf of the Standing Committee on Social Wellness concerning its review of the proposed 2016-17 Capital Estimates of the Department of Culture and Heritage.
Members note that the department’s proposed capital budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year is $560,000.
The department’s capital budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year was also $560,000.
Members note that the department’s proposed 2016-17 capital estimates include $500,000 for a minor project that will allow the department to repatriate Nunavut’s cultural artefacts from facilities in the Northwest Territories and Ottawa.
Information provided by the department indicates that the Government of Northwest Territories is seeking to remove the 145,000 artefacts that the Government of Nunavut is currently storing at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife and that the Canadian Museum of Nature is not seeking to remove any of Nunavut’s artefacts from its facility at this time.
Information provided by the department also indicates that funding for this project may be allocated to non-profit, community-based organizations and municipal corporations for the development or renovation of heritage facilities under the department’s Heritage Facilities Contribution Policy.
Members are concerned that this contribution policy does not provide specific requirements for the development or acquisition of infrastructure and equipment that can safely display artefacts.
During his recent appearance before the standing committee, the minister stated that his department is working with the territory’s regional Inuit organizations to explore options for identifying facilities that may receive and display artefacts.
Members look forward to ongoing updates on this work.
During the minister’s recent appearance, members were informed that a single organization has requested funding under this project to date.
Members encourage the minister to work closely with organizations and municipal corporations in Nunavut to develop a strategy by which artefacts will be distributed fairly throughout Nunavut.
Members also encourage the department to develop a timeframe for repatriating all artefacts, which will allow the department to evaluate its progress in completing this important project.
During the minister’s recent appearance, members were informed that the department is currently working with the Winnipeg Art Gallery to store and display Nunavut’s artefacts in its facility until such a time as the heritage facilities in Nunavut are equipped to store the territory’s artefacts.
Members look forward to ongoing updates on the department’s work with the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the proposed 2016-17 Capital Estimates of the Department of Culture and Heritage.
There are no names for general comments. We will move on to the review of the Department of Culture and Heritage. Page F-3.
Culture and Heritage (interpretation ends) Branch Summary.
I don’t have a lot of questions, but I do have a question to clarify this aspect of the report. Let me start with welcoming you, minister.
This was noted in your opening comments, which I can’t seem to find, but the chair of the standing committee stated that “the Government of Northwest Territories is seeking to remove the 145,000 artefacts” from their heritage centre, perhaps pertaining to artefacts from Nunavut.
Obviously this was a concern that led to this budget since they want to repatriate the artefacts from that facility without commenting where it would go, as it isn’t written down.
Would you be aware of the details on where these artefacts would be housed if the facility no longer wished to store the Nunavut artefacts?
I also thank the member for raising that relevant question.
Mr. Chairman, yes, we are well aware of the issues related to the Yellowknife facility housing the artefacts where they are stored currently and have been for many years. The cost to store them is something we are keeping an eye on as we value them.
Due to these reasons, we have commenced discussions with various facilities about storing Nunavut’s artefacts.
Currently, the Winnipeg Art Gallery is one organization we have continued our dialogue with.
It has been 10 months that we have been discussing this matter to see if we can move the artefacts from the Northwest Territories to Winnipeg to house them at a cheaper price.
Do I understand the minister to say that his department has not considered providing a facility to house the artefacts in Nunavut?
I’m sorry you didn’t quite understand.
Your question was: have we never considered housing the artefacts in Nunavut?
We even opened an RFP to house the artefacts, but nobody applied to that RFP.
When we looked at it, we discussed it to see if we can send out the RFP again in January 2016.
The way I understand it, I know that there will be more than one museum. You’re looking for more than one museum to house the artefacts.
I believe there’s confusion because we’re talking about two different things.
We’re looking at the Nunavut Heritage Centre and what I’m talking about is a storage facility, which is different from the Nunavut Heritage Centre.
We opened an RFP to store the artefacts.
We’re not talking about the Nunavut Heritage Centre; we’re talking about artefacts to be housed from Yellowknife because it’s very expensive to house the artefacts.
We have been in discussions with the Winnipeg Art Gallery for 10 months now and it would be cheaper to house the artefacts down there.
For Nunavut, we opened an RFP for the companies to bid on and it wasn’t successful, so we decided to open this RFP in the new year.
It would just be for the storage facility.
The RFP will be open again in January.
Indeed, we are talking about two issues due to our misunderstanding, so we ended up talking about two separate issues.
I was asking about the (interpretation ends) Nunavut Heritage Centre (interpretation) in my questions.
As I recall, since I used to see it in my first term as an MLA, due to its importance, it would have been a great thing to realize.
However, since he has clarified the matter, I thank the minister.
On this other matter where it talks about his department being responsible for elders and youth, and as part of the department’s role, it has dealt with facilities.
I would like to ask about youth facilities and the process to try to create one. The same applies to elders centres, perhaps to incorporate them into one building.
In order to try to develop or create a facility, does that go through your department? Does it go through your department because it’s a capital expense when you’re putting up a building or is it another department that takes care of that?
I’ll first ask for information on that.
I’ll make my answer short.
If there was such a facility for elders and youth that needed to be set up or if it needed to be renovated, we can have funding set aside, but if we’re going to be looking at a larger new facility, then it’s not within our department.
It can be clarified if I’m mistaken. It would have to fall under federal funding and new funds would have to be requested, but if it was for an existing renovation of an existing facility, then we could provide assistance in that department.
You can provide assistance for renovations if there is an existing facility, but if it has to be a new facility for elders and youth, it would have to be under another department.
That’s what I understood.
Yes, I think you understand that.
If it was a community initiative, it would be the municipality or the hamlet that would apply for the funding under a federal program. If it was a renovation, then it would be under our department.
That $500,000 that you’re requesting for a heritage facility, I have read your substantiation sheet and I can’t figure out what the money is going to be spent on, even when I read between the lines.
Can you just explain how the money is going to spent?
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleague for asking that good question.
I’ll ask my deputy minister to clarify the details, Mr. Chairman, if that’s okay with you. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
For the request that was put in by Cape Dorset, they have done some fundraising in the community and they have a non-profit organization.
The money for the planning on storage of prints, the survey of the land, and how the foundation would be laid out, some of that funding has been applied towards that project.
The only project that I heard was the Cape Dorset project.
Is the whole $500,000 going to one project in Cape Dorset?
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Up to now, yes. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Then it should have been written in the substantiation sheet, I believe, so that we wouldn’t have to ask those questions.
To go on a different matter here, in the opening comments, it says at the very last page there, “…$500,000 is to inject funding into current and future heritage infrastructure across Nunavut.”
How much current heritage infrastructure do we have in Nunavut?
I apologize to my colleague. I had my earpiece off. I just caught (interpretation ends) the last couple of words.
Sorry. (interpretation) I would like him to ask his question again. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
Can you repeat your question? Mr. Savikataaq.
I sure can.
On the second page of his opening comments, the last paragraph, it says, “An additional $500,000 is to inject funding into current and future heritage infrastructure across Nunavut.” I would just like to ask the minister: how much current heritage infrastructure do we have in Nunavut?
There are only a few in Nunavut. (interpretation ends) Myself, I’m not quite sure of the total number off of my head, but if my deputy minister can add on to that question.
To answer that question, we have here… .
(interpretation) I just got the information. Heritage infrastructure is in Baker Lake, Gjoa Haven, and Kugluktuk.
We have such infrastructure in those communities.
Following my list of names on heritage capital items, Mr. Enook.
Good evening, Mr. Minister and your officials.
I would like clarification on Mr. Mapsalak’s question. I think many communities expect and wish to see elders and youth facilities at the same time.
Also, we want to see such facilities in Pond Inlet.
To use Pond Inlet as an example, I believe there is a government building that was used before. If that building was renovated, it would make an excellent facility for elders and youth to hold activities.
I think that building is still owned by the government. I’ll just use that as an example. If the hamlet ever thought of renovating that facility for elders and youth, I’ll understand it might not fall under your department.
Who has to surplus that building first? Because it’s a government building, who would get the right of first refusal in our community before any funding is applied for renovation?
If you can respond to that question and if you cannot answer it, the Minister of Community and Government Services is here and perhaps he can answer that question. I’ll ask my question that way.
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I thank the member for the question.
I cannot answer that question, but buildings that are owned by the government are controlled by different departments, and there is a committee within the Department of CGS that write off buildings that need to be written off.
It is under the Department of Community and Government Services. If they have government assets, then it’s up to the department responsible.
If the minister doesn’t mind, I can ask him to clarify your question.
Chairman (interpretation): If you can respond to the question, (interpretation ends) Minister of Community and Government Services, Mr. Mike.
Can he recite that question? I was in conversation with Mr. Quassa.
Mr. Enook, if you can restate your question.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Only if he wants to respond to it, I’ll ask it again.
I was trying to ask about buildings that are owned by the government that are controlled by Community and Government Services and only can be written off through that department.
I was trying to ask the minister about a building in Pond Inlet that is a known government office building that hasn’t been used for a long time. I think that if it was renovated, it would be an excellent facility for elders and youth.
I was trying to ask the minister: would it have to be written off by Community and Government Services before the building can be renovated by the hamlet?
I think the question is clear. (interpretation ends) Minister of Community and Government Services, Mr. Mike.
The Department of Culture and Heritage, who are responsible for youth, would have to be the department to make a request to CGS on what they want.
If the building is owned by the government, that would be the case and if it’s not being used, “This is what we want to use it for.”