EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I want to express my pride in these students, as they put it upon themselves to demonstrate their beliefs especially related to the seal issue, and to showcase their Inuit cultural attachment to seals.
I wish to express a heartfelt thank you to the students and I urge my colleagues to share in expressing our thanks to the students.
Item 4. (interpretation ends) Returns to Oral Questions. Mr. Kuksuk.
Return to Oral Question 039 – 4(1): Kivalliq-Manitoba Hydroelectric Development (Kuksuk)
Hon. George Kuksuk (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I say “good day” to everyone in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, on March 11, 2014, my colleague had a question, the Member for Arviat North, Joe Savikataaq. His question was: (interpretation ends) “Can the Minister of Energy update the House today on what has been accomplished to date in the areas of developing power connections between Manitoba and the Kivalliq?”
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to provide a response today to the question asked by the Member for Arviat South on what has been accomplished to date in the area of developing power connections between Manitoba and the Kivalliq region.
In 1999, Manitoba Hydro completed a “Churchill to Kivalliq Region Transmission Pre-Feasibility Study.”
More recently, the “Nunavut-Manitoba All-Weather Road Business Case” completed in 2010 included consideration of possible synergies between road and hydroelectric development.
As the member indicated, the memorandum of understanding between Nunavut and Manitoba signed in 2010 contains a commitment to share “best practices and technology” aimed at new energy solutions and improved energy services.
On this, I can update the member that Manitoba Hydro issued a request for information in September 2013 for “technology solutions to reduce or replace diesel fuel for electricity generation and for heat applications in Manitoba off-grid communities.”
Currently, Manitoba Hydro is finalizing the review of these submissions and once complete will share that information with my department.
Regarding the progress made to date on the potential transmission of power between Manitoba and Nunavut, I would like to emphasize that work on this issue is at a pre-feasibility or conceptual stage; there are currently no concrete plans to develop such power connections.
Progress has been made slower than anticipated, in part due to the number of stakeholders involved in these discussions.
However, the member will be happy to know that the government will be seeking clarification and support for next steps during the upcoming Hudson Bay Neighbours Regional Round Table being held next month in Churchill, Manitoba.
Returns to Oral Questions. (interpretation ends) Minister Ell.
Return to Oral Question 045 – 4(1): Medical Travel for Unilingual Clients (Ell)
This question was raised by Joe Enook, MLA for Tununiq, No. 45, dated March 11, 2014, and the subject is medical travel.
(interpretation ends) My question today is sometimes the plane doesn’t arrive at its final destination due to the weather.
My question is regarding a situation where there may be a unilingual elder on board travelling for medical reasons, if she or he doesn’t make it to their destination, they will have to overnight in different communities.
Who would be taking care of this individual?”
In response to the member’s question, the answer would depend on a number of circumstances and would be treated on a case-by-case basis. For example, we would respond based on:
Where the flight originated
What was the scheduled destination
What is the reason for the interrupted travel, for example, is the airline going to look after the passengers because of the change
Depending on the individual, what is the reason for the medical travel
Where is the plane going to instead of its original destination, for example, a major centre or a small community
What facilities/services does Health have in that community
Health provides clients with emergency contact numbers in the form of an information folder. Once the client notifies the Medical Travel Office and based on the particular circumstances, Health would make every effort to ensure the individual was looked after due to the interruption of travel.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Members, please note that the Member for Quttiktuq is absent from the House for now due to a medical appointment.
Oral Questions. (interpretation) Member for Iqaluit-Tasiluk, Mr. Hickes.
Question 096 – 4(1): Steps to Reduce Medical Travel Costs (Hickes)
Mr. Speaker, it is quite clear that the cost of medical travel is a heavy financial burden on our government and we need to take steps to reduce the need for travel.
Far too often, I have heard of medical clients being sent south for follow-up appointments that don’t take place or are sent to a series of appointments, travelling back and forth, over and over, to get all their tests done.
Can the minister clarify what steps her department is taking to improve communications and coordination with out-of-territory health care providers to ensure that appointments are scheduled with minimal changes and maximum efficiency?
Hon. Monica Ell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) As it is, in order to reduce the number of patients who are sent outside Nunavut, which is an ongoing goal, we continually look at ways to bring more doctors to the territory.
To cite this example where members spoke about (interpretation ends) specialists, (interpretation) doctors such as orthopaedic knee specialists or optometrists, and others who are brought into our territory, we want to increase the number of specialists to decrease the number of extra-territorial patients.
Nonetheless, patients who see specialists who also require surgical appointments or special medical treatment requiring medical travel south will continue. If any patient required eye surgery or other types of specialized surgeries, we don’t have those types of specialized treatment options here, so unfortunately, in the foreseeable future, some patients will continue to get sent outside for medical reasons.
Mr. Speaker, Nunavut accesses health care service providers from other jurisdictions, but sometimes it feels as if health care providers in those other jurisdictions are the ones determining who travels out of territory for appointments and treatment.
Can the minister explain why our Nunavut-based medical professionals are not communicating better with out-of-territory professionals to provide direct service to medical clients and eliminate the need for out-of-territory travel whenever possible?
We continue to search for ways to improve these services, but again, we have to work with outside jurisdictions providing their services to Nunavut, such as the example of the Ottawa specialist group called OHSNI, and we have to collaborate with them. They set the appointments, including any follow-up visits if patients have undergone surgery.
We continue to negotiate with various jurisdictions to try to make improvements in every area.
I thank the minister for that answer as well. Mr. Speaker, all of Nunavut’s health centres have been equipped with telehealth technology.
Can the minister provide an update on how often the telehealth technology at our health centres and our regional centres is used to communicate with healthcare professionals outside of the territory to resolve health issues or make diagnoses and reduce the need for medical travel.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Hon. Minister of Health, Ms. Ell.
I don’t have the specifics on the member’s question, but I can tell you telehealth it is operating in all 25 communities and provided over 4,000 hours of telehealth services just last year.
Oral Questions. Member for Arviat South, Mr. Savikataaq.
Question 097 – 4(1): Western Hudson Bay Polar Bear Quota (Savikataaq)
The minister stated earlier that the polar bear management plan is being made and he is doing consultation with the communities.
I believe that each polar bear sub-population will be managed little bit different, because each polar bear population is different, it’s not one big polar bear population in Nunavut.
Factors such as environmental conditions, media pressure, recoupment rate, or food source, outside pressures from Nunavut will influence how the management plan works out.
This has been happening to the western Hudson Bay polar bear population.
Outside pressures have been and are having on the TAH (total allowable harvest), that’s the polar bear population the people I represent, Arviat, hunt from.
It is important for them to continue hunting bears.
Back in 2006-07, the TAH, the total allowable harvest, was at 56.
Without the Department of Environment doing any of their own studies, the TAH was cut down slowly and then eventually to eight.
It was eight for three years, Mr. Speaker.
There was no huntable quota with a TAH of eight.
All eight bears were always used for problem bears, defence of life and property, defence of problem bears being shot.
For three years, there was absolutely no hunting by the communities that hunt the western Hudson Bay population.
I stated that I believe that there are outside influences.
Here is my reasoning for believing that. The Department of Environment has done a population estimate survey, their numbers state that it’s roughly over a thousand bears in the western Hudson Bay.
The south Hudson Bay polar bear population has also a little over one thousand bears in it too.
The TAH for the thousand bears in western Hudson Bay is 24. The TAH for the thousand bears in southern Hudson Bay is 25 from Sanikiluaq and 60 from Quebec, which is a voluntary quota, which they may abide by it and they may not.
One population has a thousand bears and you can harvest 24 bears, the other population with the same number and the same general geographic area you can hunt 85 polar bears.
In western Hudson Bay, the harvest level is at 2.4 percent, which is low, and I believe which is for growth of the polar bear population.
The total TAH for southern Hudson Bay is 85 bears. That’s 8.5 percent.
There’s a substantial difference in the two for the same bears in the same general area.
Mr. Speaker, Arviat has learned to live with an abundance of bears. Every fall, they damage property, kill dogs and some folks are scared to go out at night when it’s dark, especially elders.
I commend the minister’s staff for working hard every fall to keep the bears out of town, the hamlet by-law officers for helping to keep the bears out of town, and for the night watchmen who work every night from 12:00 midnight to eight o’clock in the morning for two and a half months, seven days a week, every night to keep the bears out of town.
But the bears do come into town all the time. They are in town.
Mr. Speaker, some of these bears have lost their fear of humans and they wilfully damage cabins and property.
I have been told and have seen the damage to cabins that have no food or no attractant in or around them.
Mr. Speaker, last fall, two people were mauled in Churchill.
These are the same bears that come to Arviat once they leave Churchill.
Mr. Speaker, will the minister make a submission to the NWMB to increase the TAH of the western Hudson Bay polar bear population from the current TAH of 24 to a reasonable amount of 48, which would be 4.8 percent of the estimated polar bear population? At a harvest level of 4.8 percent, it’s well below the 8.5 percent that is currently harvested in south Hudson Bay.
Please be respectful of the other members and keep your preambles short and go straight to your question. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Environment, Mr. Mike.
I heard three different issues he raised in his question. One is the entire polar bear management system for Nunavut, which is currently under development which he mentioned.
Additionally, he raised an issue regarding the management zone adjacent to his constituency community, and he also mentioned a different polar bear management zone offshore of Sanikiluaq and Northern Quebec.
These three issues, as I understood them, were contained in his question as part of his commentary.
The newest iteration of the Polar Bear Management Plan for Nunavut we are consulting on currently includes our departmental officials, along with my ministerial office to develop this new plan. What I can say is that during this process, let us work together to resolve many of these issues by using Inuit Qaujimajangit, and further, any applicable scientific knowledge.
As well, this new Polar Bear Management Plan will be based on what we have learned to date and our experiences.
Additionally for the western Hudson Bay polar bear management zone my colleague spoke of, and he also highlighted some of the human-bear conflicts and dealing with nuisance bears as part of the conservation officers’ responsibilities.
I want to take this opportunity to personally thank the member as he spent many years undertaking that exact duty in his community of Arviat.
I know you were involved in the monitoring of the bear situation there, and your dedication in providing public safety speaks for itself as nothing untoward happened to the residents of Arviat and I am happy the residents are carefully protected.
Yes, with respect to your question on the western Hudson Bay area, specifically the western Hudson Bay management zone for polar bears, my office and officials are committed to work with the communities. The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board is also committed, and that seems obvious to me. Based on the development process of these plans, the quota or total allowable harvest will also be reviewed.
The management plans have a term of three years, and this current fiscal year we are in, 2013-14, is the final year as it leads into the process for developing the new management plan.
We have expectations that we will also be able to review the survey results from the area near Arviat, or during the southern Kivalliq polar bear management planning process.
All I can tell you is that only the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board has the authority to initiate the process, and that is when we would begin and our department is committed to this process.
Additionally, the member mentioned a number of 1,000 bears for the south or the (interpretation ends) southern Hudson Bay polar bear management plan (interpretation) will be quite complex for both the Nunavut Government as well as my department.
The reason is overlapping jurisdictions for the management of those bears, it is being dealt with now, but we have to consult the Nunavik Marine Regional Wildlife Board as it is being reviewed by them at this time, and we have had past meetings on that population.
What I can tell you is that a meeting was held in February regarding polar bear management issues related to Nunavik.
The Nunavik board held a meeting, and what I can provide, since it was released by my department, the Department of Environment in Nunavut, the results of the last population survey conducted in 2012 estimated a population of 1,000 bears from which hunters can take bears from.
Our position, one which we have already provided, in order to ensure the successful continuation of polar bear management in the southern Hudson Bay is to have a total allowable harvest of 45 bears from that particular zone.
The Sanikiluaq HTO, with careful management of their harvest has been able to harvest 25 bears. I am not suggesting changing this amount; however, our position is that the total allowable harvest in that zone should be set at 45 bears. That is what we have released thus far.
I’m sorry for making my preamble too long, but I just wanted to paint the whole picture.
I think I understand that the minister stated that if the Kivalliq Regional Wildlife Board request for a TAH increase and using their population estimates which is in their published documents on May 14, 2012, the minister would put a submission in to the NWMB to increase the TAH of western Hudson Bay.
Actually, I had stated that the polar bear management process is just starting.
The consulting group will be travelling to the Kivalliq region to talk about polar bear issues.
The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, and our department, as well as the organization you named, will all be able to make presentations as part of our review.
The zone in the (interpretation ends) western Hudson’s Bay (interpretation) will be the subject of these meetings.
As per my earlier response, this zone is included as part of the review and it will be reviewed soon. I believe the identified time is in the fall, but it will become clearer once the subject of your question is dealt with.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Your final supplementary, Mr. Savikataaq.
Will the Minister of Environment put a submission in to increase the TAH of western Hudson Bay once the polar bear management plan is done?
Actually, we need to review the latest survey results before we can identify the figure for the total allowable harvest, those groups involved in the polar bear management plan.
The survey results, including Inuit Qaujimajangit, as I know for a fact that is based on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and current Inuit knowledge for the area around Arviat, in the southern Kivalliq region, it has become obvious the number of bears have changed.
Many Inuit are stating that the population has increased, and this seems fairly obvious. That is what I can tell you.
The recommendations, however, will be subject to review especially the facts that determine that decision, will need to be very clear to my ministerial office as well as to the NWMB. Once the NWMB has made their decision, then we will be able to look at that matter.
Another matter I wish to speak to, which formed part of his question earlier relates to (interpretation ends) southern Hudson Bay (interpretation) adjacent to Sanikiluaq, who would be affected as this includes the Nunavik hunters. The Quebec government and the federal government have environmental work in that area. As Nunavummiut, we work together on polar bear management issues and carefully monitor our harvests.
That is the co-management system in play, but what becomes concerning is the way the zone in (interpretation ends) southern Hudson Bay (interpretation) polar bear management system.
The marine area isn’t entirely under the jurisdiction of the Nunavut government even though the population is one and the same. This population includes Quebec and Ontario interests, and due to that reason, this zone is particularly cumbersome to manage or to try to deliberate on a total allowable harvest amount for that area.
However, what I can tell you is that polar bear management issues are ongoing, Mr. Speaker, and Nunavummiut have the opportunity to be involved, and this includes the people of the Kivalliq, as they also have that opportunity to voice their concerns.
Question 098 – 4(1): The Need for Medical Transportation in Baker Lake (Mikkungwak)
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member’s Statement, the Hamlet of Baker Lake recently passed a resolution requesting 24/7 transportation for those people requiring stretcher service to the nursing station.
Can the minister confirm whether or not she has received a copy of this resolution by way of correspondence from the Hamlet of Baker Lake?
At this time, I have not received the letter or resolution that the member is referring to and I will be patiently waiting for it.
I would like to thank the Minister responsible for Health for the answer.
Can the minister describe what steps must be taken in order to establish a contract to provide 24/7 stretcher service in the Hamlet of Baker Lake?
The hamlet initiated the process and the first submission from the hamlet to our department and my colleague from CG&S of that resolution will start it as the CG&S department works closely with local hamlets on the (interpretation ends) ambulance service (interpretation) as the hamlet would have to negotiate the transfer. This would lead to a common understanding on how we can move this forward.
I would like to indicate, in my first supplementary I mentioned stretcher service, not an ambulance.
Will the minister commit to reviewing the issue of medical transportation in Baker Lake and finding a solution to this pressing need?
Stretcher service is part of an ambulance service.
I would expect the hamlet to work with the Department of Health, my officials and also with CGS to resolve their wants.
Question 099 – 4(1): Status of Suicide Prevention Strategy (Joanasie)
Mr. Speaker, the issue of suicide is a serious concern across Nunavut.
Too many Nunavummiut appear to be losing hope.
The previous government, working with partners such as NTI and the RCMP, introduced the Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Can the minister confirm whether this strategy is still a priority for this government or has it been abandoned?
The Suicide Prevention Strategy Action Plan, as we all know, is set to sunset at March 31, 2014.
We are working with several partners, some of which the member mentioned: The Embrace Life Council, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the RCMP and other GN departments such as Justice, Family Services and others.
We are at discussions to move forward with that action plan and hoping to extend it another year.
That will give us an opportunity to see where we have been with our eight action items so we can move forward.
If the Suicide Prevention Strategy is still a priority for our government, when will there be an evaluation of the strategy’s implementation to date and will that evaluation be tabled in the House?
The implementation of the action plan was delayed so that it covers a period from September 1, 2011 to March 31, 2014. Extending the implementation would allow all partners to continue to work towards achieving the objectives laid out in the document.
Those are the eight action items. A lot of progress has been made in those eight action items. We are still working towards implementing them.
We could see where we are at in each of our action items, so all the participating members can discuss how to move forward.
Can the minister describe how often meetings occur between the GN, NTI, the RCMP and the Embrace Life Council to discuss the implementation of the Suicide Prevention Strategy, and when will the next meeting be held?
These meetings occur frequently and there is another meeting scheduled soon on how to move forward.
I can’t recall the exact days that are set aside as I don’t have the information with me, but what I do know is that regular meetings are held where they deliberate on the (interpretation ends) commitment (interpretation) that are listed in the document called (interpretation ends) the Action Plan. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 100 – 4(1): Closure of Iqaluit Children’s Group Home (Angnakak)
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member’s Statement, I am really disappointed with the decision to close the children’s group home in Iqaluit.
Can the minister specify what plans are in place to continue providing care and services to the medically fragile children who, until now, lived in the Iqaluit children’s home?
I also thank the member for Niaqunnguu for asking that question about the Ilagiittut Children’s Group Home here in Iqaluit.
My deputy minister and I were there visiting recently and now understand the reasoning behind these changes. It is quite clear.
The children, aged three months are brought to that home, housed and taken care of in the group home.
The children are not subject to (interpretation ends) residential care (interpretation) and when they are cared for in an institution, as social workers quite well know, they are treated just as if they were growing up in a home as if they didn’t have physical disabilities, unlike institutional care.
Social workers use the legislation, and yes, the children are being transferred to another facility here in Iqaluit and we are happy to see them get a new home, however, those who have physical disabilities or with continuing medical conditions are still housed there. Nonetheless, I believe that the transfer will be completed by this spring.
We know that the caretakers aren’t too pleased to see their long term wards no longer in their care. This is part of the emotional attachment humans get and this is completely understandable.