EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We hope to be in the position in the next two weeks, to be able to make a decision on either an RFP or go forward with the development of this facility as a group home through the government or as private employees.
I wish the minister would assure me that, I know the staff is under capacity and they are all energetic and things like that.
By the time you sit down and decide whether it is going to go to RFP or it is going to be run by the government, or whatever.
My question to the minister is where are we putting these children that have to be in homes like this.
Mr. Speaker, the member has brought up something that has been in discussion with the facility in Chesterfield, and that is if we went forward and were not able to operate the facility in Chesterfield, then more than likely we would have to send these children outside of Nunavut.
So the idea, Mr. Speaker, is to keep those children within Nunavut and to hopefully repatriate some of the patients that are now being held in the south.
Mr. Speaker, that's one of the exciting things about the Chesterfield project.
I can tell the member Mr. Speaker, that the Executive Director for the Keewatin region will be in Baker Lake in, I believe the next week and a half.
He will be meeting with the mayor and council as well as the health committee to discuss the options with the Baker Lake council on the next directions for the group home in Baker Lake.
Mr. Speaker, this is Nunavut and according to the Bathurst Mandate, building healthier, stronger communities, the issue of the Baker Lake Group Home is an issue in itself.
A multi-million dollar facility that is sitting empty when we have no treatment centres in Nunavut, and other centres in Nunavut and we are sending children south for treatment.
Is this going to be the focus of the Department of Health and Social Services, to move our issues into southern Canada and not try to deal with them in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, a huge categorical no, for that answer.
The whole idea here with the Baker Lake facility as the member knows, what we are doing in Chesterfield Inlet right now, Mr. Speaker, is to hopefully and bring back, I said repatriate, bring back our patients that are right now in the south.
To do that we need the proper facilities and that will happen with the completion of this facility in Baker.
That's why the Executive Director is going into the Keewatin, going into Baker Lake, within two weeks, to discuss with the hamlet some of the options.
If I am going to put the facility back into Baker Lake, Mr. Speaker, and make sure that it is run appropriately and make sure that the training is there, I want to be able to be able to train people from Baker Lake to be able to work in that facility.
Because maybe we are going to look at, and Mr. Speaker, I don't want to jump ahead before the Executive Director goes and talks to the mayor and council, but maybe the opportunity here Mr. Speaker, is to bring back some of the severely mentally and physically handicapped people. Right now we don't have the opportunity to take care of them in Nunavut.
If I am going to do that in Baker Lake, I need a plan in place, like we are doing in Chesterfield.
Mr. Speaker, that's what we are trying to do.
I want to emphasize again, we are not trying to pawn off our patients to the south.
Mr. Speaker, we need to develop that capacity here, but we need to do it right.
So I am not going to rush projects, unless I am sure that when the facility is up, I have the trained staff and so on in place to be able to take the best care of our people from Nunavut, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary. Final supplementary. Mr. McLean.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the minister is starting to recognize that we have to train people in Nunavut to take care of people in Nunavut.
I think that's following what the territory was created for.
But the fact of the matter is, that facility has been empty for a year and there was no training program put in place while that facility was empty.
If the Honourable Minister had some vision, he would have sent some kind of training program in there so that group home wouldn't have been closed for this long.
Will the minister responsible, in fact, assure my community that he will set up a training program to train the people that have been out of work for a year.
Mr. Speaker, I am not going to get into a large debate on the dates and so on.
My information, and if it's wrong, then I will apologize to the member.
My understanding is the renovations to the facility were not completed until last month in October.
Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the last child was taken out of that facility in August 2001, three months ago.
So, Mr. Speaker, what I am saying is that next month in two weeks the Executive Director for the Keewatin will go into Baker Lake.
We will meet with the mayor and council.
The member is correct. I will confirm with him that I would want to put a training program on the ground to make sure the people in Baker Lake are able to work in that facility. Based on what the people of Baker Lake believe as well as the Department of Health and Social Services believe the facility can be best used for.
And the member is correct. It shouldn't be sitting there idle when we have needs.
We also want to make sure Mr. Speaker, that we are not going to fill the facility for the sake of filling it.
We want to make sure that the facility matches the constituents, the clients, the patients that are best suited for that type of facility with the training and so on.
By the way Mr. Speaker, we have trained people in Baker Lake already because they have worked at the facility before. So I think that is something that we can accomplish.
Oral Questions. Mr. Arvaluk.
Question 323 - 1(5): RFP for Chesterfield Inlet Facility
I'd like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that we need a group home in Baker Lake.
During one of my statements I talked about the Chesterfield Inlet facility.
There are patients that need to be in Nunavut that are outside of Nunavut.
With that I'd like to ask the minister about the proposed 20 bed facility.
Is the size that is planned adequate.
Mr. Speaker, I don't want to talk about the specifics of the RFP.
What I can say Mr. Speaker, is the proposal that has been presented is an excellent proposal.
But it has gone a little bit further ahead on what we have asked for in the RFP. And that is the evaluation that is going on right now.
We had looked at 8-10 patients, which are currently housed in Chesterfield.
The RFP went a bit further on that.
And that is Mr. Speaker, that is the discussion that is occurring with the private sector and with the Development Corporation in Chesterfield.
I don't want to get into the details of the RFP.
I appreciate that he doesn't want a discussion on the details of the RFP.
But, recognizing Mr. McLean's concern in Baker Lake, recognizing that there are already 8-10 patients in Chesterfield Inlet, and recognizing that there are over 20 in southern institutions, isn't the minister recognizing that the facility has to be foresighted to repatriate those patients from the south and both in Baker and Chesterfield Inlet.
Mr. Speaker, in some cases we are not able to bring back patients because of a severe mental and physical handicap.
We don't have the facilities in place.
So, with the patients that we have outside some of them may, because of the opportunities that other health facilities might have in place, receive better care.
Where we have the ability and the facilities and there’s staffing available we want to bring back patients that are currently housed in the south.
And to get to the point, Mr. Speaker, when we get the other facilities up and running and so on then we will be able to repatriate them.
So that’s the direction that the department is moving in.
It’s based on the abilities of the department to be able to take of that patient group.
Question 324 - 1(5): Financing Request Rent to Own
Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister Responsible for Housing on her announcement yesterday and her statement about the rent to own project.
People living in public housing will be able to purchase their unit.
Mr. Speaker, I had some phone calls about that program from happy constituents wishing to get involved in this program.
Mr. Speaker, my question is and the statement yesterday was a good statement but it was vague.
If somebody living in a public housing unit wishes to purchase it who do they contact, the Housing Corporation, the Department of Finance or their private banking institution.
Minister Responsible for Housing.
I haven’t gotten into that much detail yet in terms of financing for buying the units.
But I can say that my staff is always available to assist an individual in terms of buying a house or if they’re having problems with the banks or need to get oriented into getting a mortgage for buying a home.
We haven’t really worked out the details yet Mr. Speaker.
Like I said, Mr. Speaker, I have constituents who are very interested in this program and I know she announced it yesterday and people watch this show nightly.
When they hear things they get excited about programs that are announced by the government.
I’m sure we’re going to get a lot of feedback on the Health Minister’s announcement on the funding for community health committees.
So can I direct the people that call me about the rent to own program to contact the Housing Corporation in Arviat to talk to people about how to finance these units they wish to purchase or the banks.
As I said my staff is always available to answer any questions from the anyone's constituents.
And they can be directed to ask my staff and if my staff does not have the finalized policy on any of these programs we’re working on they won’t have the answer but they can certainly get some comments and get the feedback from the people on how to make the program better before it’s finally developed.
We will try to finish this program as soon as possible because we have had quite a few interested people already and we’ve had a lot of positive comments from the public about this program.
The minister has been very co-operative in working with my constituents in the past and I’m sure she’ll be very cooperative in the future.
Could she be more explicit on a date that this program will be available so I can instruct my constituents that the full program will be available on a certain date.
Can the minister advise me on what dates that I can start telling my constituents to deal with this because if they call the regional office in Arviat they may not be fully up to speed on the program and all the details.
Could the minister be more detailed on when this program will be available.
We should have the program ready in April.
That's as soon as we can get it.
Question 325 - 1(5): Polar Bear Management Agreement with HTOs
Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister Responsible for Sustainable Development.
In the three communities that I represent, there is a large population of polar bears.
They are concerned about the management MOU that hasn't been implemented yet.
So I would like to ask the minister when this MOU might be expected.
Good morning colleagues. (interpretation) To respond to the member's question, on her concern regarding the population of polar bears in her constituency. The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and my department are working together and we could look into what we can do for those communities.
Ms. Williams: Yes, Mr. Speaker, my question was that there was a polar bear management agreement between Department of Sustainable Development and the Hunters' and Trappers' Organizations.
This agreement is about five or six years old and the communities are waiting for the renewal of this agreement.
As the minister knows, my communities have a large polar bear issue in their communities.
Can the minister tell me when he will be starting this process.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Yes, that is a good question. Thank you for the question.
Yes, I will deal with this carefully and I would like to start the process.
I apologize that sometimes it takes a long time to draw up polar bear management agreements, and I will discuss this matter with my officials to find out when the renewal process can start.
Ms. Williams: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
It would mean the department visiting all the communities, just to work out the agreement with HTOs.
How much will this cost, Mr. Speaker.
I could not estimate how much it would cost, but once the communities are done with their MOUs we will know how much was expended at the local level.
So therefore I can't tell you how much it will cost to visit the communities.
Once this process is completed, we will know how much it cost.
My supplementary question is, let's say there was 300 thousand dollars to do this visiting of the communities and coming up with agreements between Department of Sustainable Development and the HTOs, would the minister commit to doing this and putting funding in to make sure all the communities are visited.
Yes, we will work with the communities that are impacted.
Question 326 - 1(5): Polar Bear Management Authority
Mr. Speaker, I think we need to amend our rules.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Sustainable Development. Regarding the polar bear management agreement with the communities, the residents were opposed to the MOUs, but the biologists really wanted to see the MOUs go ahead.
They were urging the Inuit, even though they didn't want to sign the MOUs, they had to sign them. Because I took part in that process before, so that's why I am saying that.
My question is whether it is the NWMB or Government of Nunavut's Department of Sustainable Development that has more authority and responsibility in regards to polar bear management.
The government has more authority because we are the government.
Also, we are the elected officials.
The MOUs for polar bear management vary from community to community.
In the High Arctic they have a Lancaster Sound Polar Bear Management Agreement.
So we have various polar bear management agreements, and we have to review all of those various MOUs.
I understand his response. My supplementary question is, since you are reviewing the MOUs, how many years will this take. Because if they don't want to change the MOUs, if they are not going to be amended, it won't change.
We do have HTOs in all the communities, why don't you consult them instead of just relying on biologists.
We should get some input at the local level because they know the local issues.
If you try to just review these, no concrete truth will come out. So please use the HTOs.
During my campaign to become minister I committed that we will use the HTOs when doing the wildlife surveys.
I also said that I would like to look into this further.
I will do so.
Since we became the new Nunavut Government, I know that it will take some time to amend some of the Acts, legislation and MOUs.
So therefore we would like to request more assistance from the communities.
As the Minister of the Department of Sustainable Development, I would like to use the local entities more.
We want to ensure they are proper plans so that we can properly manage our wildlife.
But the same words are being used over and over.
When are we actually going to start planning to have a better future.
We are not sure when we are going to be doing this.
Perhaps you can put a time frame on this and expedite this process.
It is evident that we need to put a time frame on that so that we can properly represent the communities.
Perhaps using Gjoa Haven as an example, they are starting to use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and we could use Gjoa Haven as an example for polar bear management.
We are now starting to use our plans at this time and they are being implemented.
But we would like to see more done in the communities in the future so that we could use the communities during the wildlife surveys.
We have to start using the communities that have completed these, and we need co-operation when we are doing the wildlife surveys.
We have already started this process.
We are looking for ways to use the local entities more and improve the relationship after the results have come out.
I understand his response.
But I would also like to rebut, although I don't want to just debate in the House, according to my knowledge I would like to respond to his answer.
According to my understanding, back in the 1970's we started the process of polar bear management MOUs, just the same as what is happening with Gjoa Haven.
Because that community is the last community to have MOUs and we were the first ones to sign these MOUs and we have serious polar bear problems in the community and sometimes we have to stay up all night because we have to watch out for polar bears.
It means just when you are trying to resolve the MOU in Gjoa Haven, once you run into a stumbling block the rest of the communities are going to follow and it will set a precedent.
We are looking for Inuit economic opportunities, so by using that other communities outside of Gjoa Haven, you should look into the other communities other than Gjoa Haven to see what has happened in the past.
So I was wondering if you could commit to me to start the process right there.
Yes, I have been working on that for some time.
Perhaps you did not understand my response or my response was not clear enough.
As I said before I would like to review the polar bear management agreements and do this carefully.
I wanted to be clear in my response as I stated before that yes we will utilize the Inuit people and the entities and this process has already started.
And I know that it’s going to take some time to amend the polar bear management memoranda of understanding.
But we have to work together so some time in the future we can have a closer working relationship.
Question 327 - 1(5): Study on Bowhead Whales
There was a study done on bowhead whales in and around my community. I would like to ask the minister what the results of the study have produced.
The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board did the study and I don’t know what the results are because I have not seen them.
Because you have not yet seen the results of the study, after you see them would you be able to say that there would be bowhead whaling around the Pelly Bay area.
I have to find out from the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board what they want to do.
Whether they will allow whaling at Pelly Bay.
Perhaps I will find out from the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and I will respond to the member.
Question 328 - 1(5): Polar Bear Quota Increase - Coral Harbour
It’s in regards to part of Mr. Iqaqrialu’s question.
I went to Coral Harbour fifteen years ago and I have lived in Coral Harbour for thirteen years.
We were able to go caribou hunting, two per household.
But later on we noticed that there were more caribou around Coral Harbour.
After the people were allowed to go caribou hunting on Coates Islands before the caribou started starving because of the lack of food.
When I was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the NWT, we wanted to harvest six thousand caribou for commercial purposes.
Mr. Iqaqrialu stated that if we’re going to listen to the biologists only and not the communities we’re going to be too late.
For instance it happened in Coral Harbour at that time because it was overpopulated with caribou.
Even though we started hunting them, we couldn’t keep up with the population because there were too many of them.
My question, Mr. Speaker is, recently 21 polar bears were spotted right in Coral Harbour, will we be getting an increase in the polar bear quota so that we will not have the same thing happening like the overpopulation of caribou in that area.
They are lucky that they can get 32 polar bears in the Coral Harbour area.
The polar bear hunting quotas are very important, I know that the boundaries will not make everyone happy.
We will find out what boundaries we have in the study that is going to be done, we will do that first and then we will find out what the quota should be for each community.
For instance, in the Lancaster area, the polar bear population, the Americans have recently been allowed to hunt in that area. Whenever the Americans can go hunting within the polar bear boundaries, then it is good money for the people.
I think there is another boundary in Foxe Basin that is used for the Coral Harbour and Hall Beach area.
After we find out the results from the study of those areas, because we usually do a fifteen to twenty year review before we can change the boundaries.
After the study is done then we will find out whether Coral Harbour can get a higher quota.
Just before you ask your supplementary Mr. Arvaluk, I want to caution members on the length of the preamble and ministers on the length of their answers.
We had three minutes for the question to be asked and we had three minutes and ten seconds for the answer.
That takes question time away from other members and it also takes answer time away from the other ministers.
I am sure they want all the time they can get.
The boundary that you are talking about Mr. Minister, extends to Quebec and they don't want to follow the quota.
I am not sure, I thought they knew the polar bear population.
This area is probably the most unstudied area by DFO.
Will you be working with DFO to find out what problems there are for the people of Nunavut as well as Nunavik.
I am sorry for the long response, because sometimes you tend to speak Inuktitut for a long time.
The polar bear population is very important and we have spoken to the people of Nunavik about the polar bear population.
We have agreed with each other that better study is required with them to make an estimate on the population and the harvesting.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What the minister is talking about when will the minister commit to doing that.
The boundary study and how it extends to the provinces will be for another two years, which is the count of the polar bear population within the provinces and the Nunavut Territory.
I feel that this is an urgent matter.
Every summer or every year we harvest polar bears in Coral Harbour.
Whenever there is a danger to the public then we shoot them.
Perhaps I can urge the minister to do this more urgently before the population of the polar bears increases even more.
Mr. Speaker, can the minister expedite this matter.
Yes, I know that this is an urgent matter.
But our polar bear biologists are doing other studies at this time.
I will be able to speak to the polar bear biologists to do this as soon as they can.
Question 329 - 1(5): Culture, Language, Elders & Youth Staff Numbers
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): This question is to the Minister of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth.
How many staff do you have.
I don't have the information with me off hand so I cannot respond to him right now.
So I will take the question as notice and I will get back to him.
The minister has taken the question as Notice.
Question 330 - 1(5): Regional Chamber of Commerce
I will make my preamble quick and the questions quick also.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted and happy about the recent announcement about the caribou products in the Kivalliq being sold in Europe.
This is a good news story and I am glad the government is recognizing the traditional economy. Finally. I have been bringing it up over the last two and half years about the traditional economy and the Premier is heading off to Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles on a Team Canada Trade Mission that I have been suggesting they do for a number of years.
And it is nice to see the private sector is finally being recognized and the traditional economy.
My question today is to the Minister of Sustainable Development about funding for regional chambers of commerce.
I wonder if the Premier could answer this question for me.
Would the Premier direct his minister to start looking at the regional chambers of commerce and maybe look at giving them base funding for staff.
What we are doing, as you may have heard, is that we are looking at an overall strategy for the economy and looking at doing the best job in promoting our products and we will look at any suggestions from anyone.