EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I’m unfortunately unable to ask questions and only by meeting with my colleagues am I able to deal with their concerns.
It was very gratifying this summer while I was there as I was able to visit this elder.
He had worked for many years in the hamlet at Whale Cove and he has not retired.
He was given a set of nets, so he must be really enjoying his fall and he is no longer worried about going to work.
I hope he enjoys his retirement, Mr. Ikualaaq.
As I stated, he worked for many years at the Hamlet of Whale Cove.
During this session, I am unable to attend, but I have asked my Constituent Assistant, David Kritterdlik, to be available to all of the constituents and they can convey any concerns, news, or issues that they want raised.
In addition, they can call my office here in Iqaluit and the same applies to Rankin Inlet South constituents.
They can go to Johnny One to speak to or convey their concerns.
Have a very pleasant day.
Member’s Statement 321 – 3(2): Appreciation for Ancestors from Nattilik and Kinngait (Ugyuk)
I will be celebrating our past.
I wish to begin by mentioning Rudy Alaaq Angutittauruq of Gjoa Haven. I am very proud of that individual.
Even though he is very young, he named his daughter after a relative.
The reason why I want to be a proud of our ancestors is because this was a very important aspect of our history.
Our parents’ parents or grandparents… it goes back a couple of generations.
In Taloyoak, we seem to have two types of Inuit; half of whom are from Nattilik and the other half from Cape Dorset.
The Inuit from Nattilik are traditional people from there and the people who came from Cape Dorset were dropped off by ship in the 1940s, when they couldn’t land at the place they had chosen. They ended up in Taloyoak, where they have stayed since then.
I am very proud of our parents. My father was from Cape Dorset and my mother was from Nattilik.
If you look at the map, Cape Dorset is quite far away to the east. If you look at Taloyoak, it is quite a fair distance from Taloyoak.
The people who moved from Cape Dorset merged with the Nattilingmiut and they became one group.
My grandfather, Qavavau, and his wife, Uvilu, their many sisters, the late Joanne and Uttuqikuluk, Pauloosie Itigattaaqtak Muluktoarjuk, I believe they are related, Inuusiq Napatsikallak and his wife, Susie, Simeonie, and the late Kublu have all passed away, but they brought their children to those lands when they were shipped up by that ship.
There were quite a few people who were dropped off, but they have a lot of descendants now living in Taloyoak.
However, there are still two survivors of the original people who were shipped to Taloyoak.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Ms. Ugyuk is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, my colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
With regard to the people who were shipped to Taloyoak by ship, there are still two elderly survivors living in our community, Quujuk Pudlat and Pitikooti Taqtu, who is the person who now goes on CBC news. These two elders are the last survivors of people who were transported to Taloyoak by ship.
Although there are many descendants of the others, since there are now only two elders from that trip, I am very proud of them. They were originally supposed to be dropped off in Creswell Bay from Cape Dorset, but they ended up in Taloyoak.
I don’t really recall Qavavau, my great-grandfather, because I was born when he was getting old and he passed away shortly thereafter.
However, I want to express my pride since he was able to survive after being shipped over to Taloyoak.
He volunteered to go on that trip and ended up here.
He got on the ship and I am proud that they survived the journey to Creswell Bay, although they ended up here.
My father used to tell stories about that era that if our ancestors hadn’t worked hard to survive or to go to new places, many of us modern Inuit would not be here. If our parents had not survived, neither would we be able to be here.
My parents came from those families and I am very proud of my great-grandfather.
Secondly, I am very thankful to the people originally from Nattilik because they embraced these Cape Dorset Inuit into their arms.
My maternal great-grandmother, Uquqtuuq and Arnangujaq, Kuvalaaq, Unalirjuaq, Qimmitsiaq, Arnaqquq, Matniq, Niviuvak, Uhuliq, Haqittaaq, Anaijjaq, Qaunnuaq, Iglujjuaq, Kakkiarniut, Hallarina, Arnatsiaq, one of her children was one of the pages here in the House, Uqutturnuaq, Nalijjuk, Nalijjuk had a husband whose name was Inugalurjuk, there was also Kajuqtuq, Aapituuq, Ugyuk, Tagvik, my in-law’s parents, Hivuraq, Kajjurjuk, Ivraq, Aggiaq, Itinnguaq, and Agguaq.
There are names of many people I haven’t mentioned, but these were the main families from the Nattilik area, and they are both my grandmothers and grandfathers relatives.
I have provided a quick list and there are a lot of people I haven’t mentioned, but I am proud of each and every one of them because a lot of their descendants now comprise the population in Taloyoak.
They were so hospitable and welcoming to my great-grandparents, Qavavau, so I thank you for that.
Question 463 – 3(2): Support for Social Workers (Elliott)
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Social Services.
Earlier today, I spoke of the need for adequate support for social services in our communities. The High Arctic communities in my constituency have been without a full-time social worker for a very long time.
Can the minister provide an update on what is being done to address this critical need and when he anticipates filling the social workers positions for Quttiktuq communities?
I thank you for continually raising that question.
I was just up there earlier this spring in April. I did invite the MLA and the community to hear what the issue was about.
Unfortunately the MLA I invited could not be there and I don’t know why.
I just met with Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord communities and the health committees within those communities.
They explained the issues in that riding and they said that they are trying to get space. There are 46 Inuit positions, 45 indeterminate positions, and 10 casual positions.
I know that they are in need of a social worker in their communities, but since last summer to this summer, we have been trying to get a social worker in that position.
I know it is a slow process, but we are not getting positions filled as fast as we would like to.
I’ll be able to provide an update on which community would be going first once I get more information about the situation.
I think I heard the minister say that he was taking it as notice, just for clarification.
I don’t believe I heard the minister taking it as notice, so if you can you clarify that, minister.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Mr. Speaker, I know it’s a translation difficulty.
What I said in my Inuktitut language is if I have more information, I will be prepared to provide more information that is specific to communities because there are number of communities involved.
One may be at a High Arctic community. Earlier this year, when I went up, early in springtime, there was one social worker who was visiting from Arctic Bay.
So I need to check upon exact progress and provide more information as to which community is now slated for a next appointment.
I thank the minister for coming up to the High Arctic to visit and I was unfortunately not able to go.
I think, as the minister starts coming to visit the High Arctic a bit more, he will come to realize the hardship we have in terms of travelling because I was told by his department on Friday that if I had made it to Pond Inlet by Sunday, I could travel with him.
Realistically, I need at least a week to travel to Pond Inlet. So I’m sure, as he travels more in the High Arctic communities, he will realize how hard it is, the mobility for the people within my communities, and I know that is one thing we continue to keep pushing for.
So my next question is: can the minister describe what is currently being done to ensure that social services are being provided to the three communities in my constituency of Quttiktuq?
I just wanted to thank the member for updating me on the hardships of travel. I have been travelling around the Arctic for the last 40 years; I know quite well how difficult it is.
I think, from when I started many years ago, it has improved quite a bit, but still we need to do a bit more to make it particularly affordable for Nunavutmiut to move around.
We are committed to fully staffing all of the positions that we have, but it takes time, particularly in Nunavut, to fill these positions.
We don’t actually have a degree program at the moment in Arctic College, but we do have some other programs that enable them to get experienced enough to lead them into a degree program with the help of our partners outside the territory. We are doing as much as we can in advertising positions.
I will be happy to provide the member with more information as we make progress towards a number of communities that are served. (interpretation) Thank you.
Again, I tend to disagree with the minister. In Quttiktuq, with the closing of the Polaris mine and the Nanisivik mine, I think we have gone backwards in terms of mobility and travel.
We have lost airline service and jetliner service, so I’ll continue to push for more mobility for people in my communities.
As the minister is aware, we do not have a probation officer in Quttiktuq as there are no social workers currently assigned to the communities of Quttiktuq.
Can the minister provide an update on what steps are being taken to ensure that probation services are being provided in these communities?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Mr. Speaker, I am not sure whether I am the right person to answer that question or not.
I have made a tentative, at least a gentleman’s agreement with my colleague from the Department of Justice to start moving some of the positions to where they belong.
Actually they have been carrying on the load of probation officers in some communities.
Due to some of the tremendous cost pressures the government faced early in the year, we had to delay some of the transfer of positions and whatnot.
But once again, if I have more information, I’ll be prepared to respond.
One area of that particular role is, hopefully, that we will not see any increase in people’s lives so that we don’t have to make continual use of probation officers but, where it is needed, we will have to utilize the social service workers, particularly from Pond Inlet, and so on. (interpretation) Thank you.
In each of my three previous questions, the minister said that he would be getting back to me.
I was wondering if he could tell me how and when he will be getting back to me, whether it will be in a letter or a reply in the House.
Mr. Speaker, I will be prepared to do all of the venues that we have. So one is that I’ll send a copy of my response to the Clerk and I will certainly make use of the electronic communications system.
I am accessible through the email system, but for more formal departmental issues, I would rather sign a letter. So it will likely be a letter when I deal with the personnel issues.
Question 464 – 3(2): Community Health Committees (Ningark)
As I stated earlier during Members’ Statements about cancer that affects our people and when the minister was in Rankin Inlet, I spoke a bit about the Kivalliq region and the committees under the hamlets.
For example, community health committees require quite a bit more assistance and they should be given a larger mandate under the Hamlets Act.
As we hear now, people who suffer from breast cancer do not have enough information.
There should be more educational programs geared towards this sickness.
Sometimes it’s very difficult to talk about illnesses, especially in the House, because there is a lot of confidentiality involved. When we talk about the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, it’s hard to speak about specific individuals.
Perhaps if the community health committees were given a larger role or mandate within their hamlets, then it could be dealt with at the local level.
With education being an important part of health, I wanted to talk about this.
My question to the minister is: what is the minimum age for when women should be checking themselves for breast cancer?
What is the minimum age or what is the recommended age when women should be checking for breast cancer?
I know my colleague is very well informed about this issue.
I believe he is speaking about two issues.
One deals with health committees which, I believe, were created in 1999. That is when the regional health boards were extinguished and they created the community heath committees.
To date, we still provide funding for them, which we have increased slightly since it was only $10,000 per annum and was way too small.
What I can tell the member is that we should be working on health issues and education programs and we have been continuing to work on it, but we haven’t completed that educational program yet.
As I stated last winter, I forget where, but I informed the member that we will want to consult more with the communities as to how best we can deal with health initiatives, especially health education, to ensure that we deal with this issue before it becomes an epidemic and to look at ways to inform our Inuit.
If we can look at a solution and provide a strategy, we still would have to go through the cabinet.
We are still working on all of those details.
With respect to cancer, I don’t think there’s a minimum age.
However, if anybody feels that they may have cancer or they suspect they may be sick, then they should be going to the health centre sooner rather than later.
Even if they cannot do actual breast cancer checkups, they may have to travel to Iqaluit.
What we have to do is inform the people that anyone who is concerned they may have breast cancer ought to go to the health centre as soon as possible to ensure that their illness is dealt with.
Perhaps due to the lack of funding, we may not be able to deal with that.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the minister can research with the health official or professional because it’s obvious we have a very capable medical professional who is advising the minister.
I would like to know what the recommended age is for when women should be checking themselves for cancer, such as certain cancers they identify at a certain age.
That’s what I am trying to get at.
Perhaps as a secondary question: here in Nunavut, is there a breast cancer scanning machine or do they have to go elsewhere outside of Nunavut?
I cannot state what age they should be checking, especially in the House, because that sickness can strike anybody, even a very young or very old woman. There is always scanning.
Sometimes there are local clinics in the communities and they have women wellness clinics that deal with the women’s issues, and then they tour the communities to speak to the women who may be at risk and they have to be able to speak to people who want to get checked up.
That program can be utilized a bit more.
However, anybody who suspects they may be sick due to any kind of cancer may have to leave their community, but they would have to be screened.
Here, with respect to the cancer screening or best screening machines, there is one here in Iqaluit that looks primarily after the Baffin region and really assist the patients.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minster.
My supplementary question: I believe, in Kitikmeot, which is a region where I am, I would want to see a machine such as that.
I hear from all over Nunavut and, Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure whether this applies, but I hear so many stories of people who have become sick from cancer and the diagnosis is usually too slow and it’s usually too late for the cancer to be dealt with at that time.
I would like to see the minister encourage his officials to publish these educational programs, especially as it relates to this cancer, and to speak about the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The purpose is to raise awareness amongst the people, so I further urge the minister and his officials to inform Nunavummiut about breast cancer and who it could affect.
It was more of a comment, but if you would like to respond, Minister Curley.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you. I totally understand where the member is coming from.
If this were the case, it would really assist them.
I will urge my officials, which I do every year, to work harder to deal with this issue. Perhaps, around the time of that month, there could be a tour to look after that. So I will further urge my officials to see how they can best deal with these issues when we’re meeting with the medical team.
I know I have to put my emphasis on pre-emptive checking and again, as many people have heard, there are too many cases of people who have started suffering from cancer and they are usually not diagnosed until it is way too late.
We don’t want the numbers to increase, so, yes, we will try that.
Member for Iqaluit West, Mr. Curley… oh, Mr. Okalik.
Question 465 – 3(2): Tourism Deposit Assurance Program (Okalik)
I didn’t know that. I have been branded a number of names and that’s now the newest one.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation.
Last Thursday, I asked the minister on a question about the Tourist Deposit Assurance Program. At that time, I pointed out that the Nunavut Tourism’s website contained the information about this program. Nunavut Tourism’s website told potential visitors that they are “protected under this program.”
The day after I raised this issue, the information disappeared from the Nunavut Tourism’s website.
My question for the minister is: who ordered Nunavut Tourism to remove this information from its website and is the Nunavut Tourism Deposit Assurance Program actually in existence, yes or no?
Yes, I recall the question the member raised on Thursday.
The site he had indicated was an old site and it goes back to the NWT days, the Northwest Territories.
No, this department does not have an adjustment program that the member has seen previously on the old website.
Thank you, Minister. (interpretation ends) I will, I guess, table the contents of that website which say Nunavut.
I have also visited the minister’s own departmental website in light of what I have discovered and I was surprised to find that his department has produced the Nunavut Tourism Sector Development Strategy, a document that the minister has not yet tabled in our Assembly. According to the minister’s own strategy, one of the government’s priorities is to “work with the industry association to establish an assurance program for tourists.”
Will the minister also be removing this document from his own website?
The tourism strategy has indicated that we do have a lot of partners within that tourism strategy, the plan that we do have for the department and, in fact, we created a division within our department just for dealing with tourism and reorganizing the structure of tourism within our department to build a foundation.
As you know, Nunavut has a great potential for tourism activity.
Getting back to the member’s question, yes, the old website did indicate that there is an assurance program within that site, but the website also goes back into the NWT days and some of the subfolders of the website that was missed.
So I did indicate to my officials to have that subfolder removed from the old website.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) When we welcome visitors to our territory, we want to assure them that their money is well spent and that they will get value for their money that they choose to spend in our territory.
The minister’s press release of October 12 announced that they had revoked a licence for an operator in our territory and that those tourists who had made plans with that outfitter were out of luck in terms of their deposit.
Will the minister reconsider the issue of returning the dollars for these tourists who had no idea that there were complaints outstanding with this outfitter and that they were trying to spend their dollars in our territory but, through the minister’s and the department’s actions, these tourists lost their deposit?
Will the minister reconsider compensating or returning the amounts spent for the tourist operator at the earliest opportunity?
In tourism, for the most part, tourists do actually provide their own insurance to cover any situations like that and other potential incidents that may arise during their travels, whether it is within the nation or internationally.
As far as I know, the assurance program that the Northwest Territories had, there have been some issues that we’re looking into. We don’t want to fall into the same situation where it becomes a liability rather than a program that benefits both the territory and tourism people.
Now, I will definitely be getting more information on this and how that program works, although it existed in the past during the Northwest Territories’ days.
But for the most part, times have changed and the tourists who do come up here do actually get their own insurance for such cases like this.
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) Up until last Friday, tourists who came to our territory thought that they were assured that their dollars were safe.
So probably most tourists did not buy insurance, knowing that there was an advertisement on a website which said that Nunavut had said they were assured.
Those tourists were misled.
Perhaps the minister should compensate these people who have been basically burned because they made plans to travel to our territory and spend their money in Nunavut. Will the minister reconsider his decision or the department’s decision and compensate these people who have been left high and dry because of the department’s decision?
There’s no specific indication to me that the tourists were left high and dry.
Once I get the full details of the situation, I will re-evaluate and consider whether the assurance program would benefit the tourism operators and Nunavummiut.
At this time, I have no reason to believe that the tourists were left high and dry.
Question 466 – 3(2): Trichinella Testing in Coral Harbour (Ningeongan)
Mr. Ningeongan (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to raise a question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, last month, we heard on the news and I believe I read a portion there in the Member’s Statement about walruses that were harvested in Sanikiluaq that had trichinosis.
A number of residents got sick from eating from these animals. From what I understood, the Department of Health and Social Services spoke about how they are supposed to be responsible for sampling these animals.
Mr. Speaker, I know that a lot of walruses are consumed by the people of Coral Harbour because there are a lot of walruses around the vicinity.
Based on what we have been led to understand for Coral Harbour, I believe the wildlife officer will be hired next year. I was also led to understand that there are sampling kits available in Coral Harbour and that there are trained individuals in Coral Harbour who can sample the walruses.
Based on this concern, I would like to ask the minister whether they could consider having the sampling proceed once the wildlife officer has been hired in Coral Harbour.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I totally understand what he is referring to.
We are aware that over the summer, they also wanted more sampling in Sanikiluaq, especially after the incident with the hunters this summer who got sick.
It seems that we are witnessing more cases of sick animals or ones with transferable diseases and it seems to be occurring with more frequency.
I wish to inform our colleague who raised that issue that I have been discussing these issues with my fellow minister and we debated on the best course of action to mitigate these concerns and to ensure the safety of our residents.
Most of the samples that are sent down to laboratories usually go via the wildlife offices.
We wish to work towards establishing a sampling laboratory here in Nunavut.