EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
If the member sent correspondence to our department requesting information on this issue, then that would be my preference.
The CG&S officials would be involved, especially if there is any maintenance or renovation work required at the centre.
Our department does not do the actual work, so I can’t state that our department will resolve this issue, as we can only resolve the issue with the collaboration of the CG&S department.
That is the way government operations work with respect to our territorial facilities.
The time for question period has expired.
Item 7. (interpretation ends) Written Questions.
Hon. Minister, Mr. Quassa.
Tabled Document 024 – 4(1): 2007-2012 Early Childhood Development (ECD) Report (Quassa)
Hon. Paul Quassa: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am pleased to table the 2007-2012 Early Childhood Development Report.
Tabled Document 025 – 4(1): Student Loan Fund 2011-2012 (Quassa)
Tabled Document 026 – 4(1): Student Loan Fund 2012-2013 (Quassa)
I am very pleased to table Student Loan Fund Report for the years 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Motion 011 – 4(1): Recognition of Inuit Societal Values and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit – Notice (Shooyook)
I give notice that on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, I will move the following motion:
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Hon. Member for South Baffin, that this House express its strong support for the integration of Inuit societal values and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into the laws, policies, and activities of the Government of Nunavut.
Bill 03 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2013-2014 – First Reading
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Netsilik, that the following bill, Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2013-2014, be read for the first time.
Bill 04 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 4, 2013-2014 – First Reading
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Netsilik, that the following bill, Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 4, 2013-2014, be read for the first time.
Bill 05 – Interim Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, April 1, 2014 to July 31, 2014 – First Reading
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Netsilik, that Bill 5, Interim Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, April 1, 2014 to July 31, 2014, be read for the first time.
Bill 03 – Supplementary Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2013-2014 – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Netsilik, that Bill 3, Supplementary Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, No. 3, 2013-2014, be read for the second time.
To the principle of Bill 3.
The motion has passed and Bill 3 is referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Bill 04 – Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 4, 2013-2014 – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Netsilik, that Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation (Capital) Act, No. 4, 2013-2014, be read for the second time.
To the principle of Bill 4.
The motion has been passed and Bill 4 is referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Bill 05 – Interim Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, April 1, 2014 to July 31, 2014 – Second Reading
I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Netsilik, that Bill 5, Interim Appropriation (Operations and Maintenance) Act, April 1, 2014 to July 31, 2014, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the Government of Nunavut to make interim operations and maintenance expenditures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015.
To the principle of Bill 5.
The motion has passed and Bill 5 is referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Committee of the Whole Bills and Other Matters. (interpretation) Bills 2, 3, 4, (interpretation ends) and 5 with Mr. Mikkungwak in the Chair.
>>House recessed at 15:23 and Committee resumed at 15:49
Chairman (Mr. Mikkungwak) (interpretation): I would now like to call the committee meeting to order. (interpretation ends) In Committee of the Whole, we have the following items to deal with: Bill 2, Bill 3, Bill 4, and Bill 5.
We wish to continue the review of the capital main estimates for the Department of Health, followed by Nunavut Arctic College and the Department of Environment.
Does the committee agree that we deal with the capital estimates of the Department of Health?
Minister Ell, do you have witnesses that you would like to bring to the table?
Hon. Monica Ell (interpretation): Yes.
Chairman: Does the committee agree to having the witnesses?
(interpretation ends) Minister Ell, for the record, please introduce your staff.
Hon. Monica Ell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to introduce to my right Rosemary Keenainak, Acting Deputy Minister, and to my left, Bill Neish, Acting Executive Director for Corporate Services.
My colleagues, (interpretation ends) please turn to page H-3. Corporate Services for the Department of Health. Health.
Branch Summary. Directorate. H-3.
Total Capital Expenditures. $12,423,000.
The floor is now open for questions.
I believe I left off questioning on Friday, so I just thought I would finish off.
I would like to ask the minister if there are any plans on the horizon to build a continuing care facility in Nunavut, in which communities, if so.
Our plans right now for the current future are to start including some beds that would do some continuing care right in the health centres.
I just want to further clarify whether or not that would involve more staff. How would that all work?
The way I understand it now, nurses have a really hard time dealing with what they have to deal with now, providing 24-hour care to residents of the communities.
I’m just wondering what kind of impact that would have on the nurses.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Health, Ms. Ell.
Hon. Monica Ell: Thank you, Itsivautaaq. (interpretation) We’re now in preparations.
If you don’t mind, through you, Mr. Chairman, I would like to have Ms. Keenainak respond to that question.
We are looking at doing an assessment of long-term elder needs in Nunavut and that would be one of the ones that we need to take a look at.
Right now, Health only manages the two facilities in Gjoa Haven and Igloolik. We are looking at altering some designs to look at expanding for long-term care facilities, but right now, we don’t have anything in our current capital plan at this moment.
What criteria does your department use to determine whether or not a community requires a new health centre?
Hon. Monica Ell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) Indeed, if we are going to speak to some of these facilities, the first step is to conduct inspections on the building, determine the date of construction, and any deficiencies or building design flaws are reviewed. This includes the population growth of the community, which determines need and is part of the criteria.
Perhaps I can ask that my deputy minister provide more details on this issue.
Yes, the minister’s response was accurate and true. Also, regarding maintenance and how maintenance is undertaken was part of that review.
The other matter we have to consider is the building (interpretation ends) codes. (interpretation) This is a major concern when changes have to be made to abide by these building codes, especially when we look at new health centres.
These form part of the deliberations when the department considers new health centres, however, CG&S is the department we have to work with to assess each facility, and this includes our priority listing of which facility would be the first to be built.
Ms. Angnakak: After you identify a need in a community for a new health centre, for example, Arctic Bay, how long does it take from the time that you did the assessment to the time that a building actually has a plan and that it’s implemented and that you have a new health centre?
What’s the timeframe there?
From the consideration stage, it takes approximately five to seven years to complete a project.
Ms. Angnakak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Thank you for that answer.
What plans does the Department of Health have to provide a standalone addiction facility in Nunavut, Nunavut’s own addiction facility where we can treat addictions?
Currently, we have the Cambridge Bay facility that is in operation right now as a pilot project. Moving forward, we’re hoping to go ahead with the Rankin Inlet mental health facility and it would be called a mental health transition house.
It was an old children’s group home and we’re working to renovate that to become a mental health facility.
Just for clarification, so there’s a standalone facility for addictions treatment.
Hon. Monica Ell: Those facilities are for mental health and addictions.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. Mr. Hickes.
I didn’t expect my name to be called so promptly.
I just have a couple of questions for the minister today.
During the recent campaign, I had the pleasure of going to a number of doors in the constituency that I ran and successfully won. Some of the doors that I went to were transient housing for the Department of Health.
I actually had some concerns brought to me by the people who were staying in there. They felt that they were over-housed.
Some of these transient workers who come up are single individuals and they’re being placed in two-bedroom units.
I’m just wondering if the department has taken it into consideration.
I totally empathize and realize that any access to housing is a challenge, especially for staff housing, but I’m just wondering, with the housing shortage that we have in Iqaluit and all over Nunavut, if it could be looked at to properly house transient workers.
Although transient units are not in the capital plan, the transient centre is just for temporary use.
Mr. Hickes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do agree with the minister and appreciate the comment. I guess it was along the lines with staff housing to make sure that all staff are being able to be housed in appropriate accommodations.
I’ll leave it at that. I’ll go on to my next question.
Recently, I’ve had some discussions with your department on the status of Building 1079 here in Iqaluit and the impending lapse of lease. From what I understand, it has been assured that the lease will not be renewed.
Can the minister update me on the status of how the services that are being provided in that building will be transitioning to a new facility or facilities across the city?
I feel like I’m in oral question period.
This is not a capital plan, but if you would like, my deputy minister can answer that question, as I left my briefing binder over there.
We do have issues with Building 1079. We have been working with CGS and alternate office space has been allocated.
We are working towards moving our staff from that facility.
The lease is expiring and we are working with CGS on the lease. It’s supposed to expire at the end of March, but we are working with CGS and we have acquired alternate space for the staff there.
Mr. Hickes: Thank you very much for that response, Ms. Keenainak.
I guess the reason I was asking that is I haven’t seen anything on the capital plan for additional office space or facilities to do with the hearing section, the speech therapy, but I understand that physiotherapy has already been moved out of there, the Home Care Division of Health.
So I guess that’s where I was getting at. I don’t see anything in the long-term capital plan for a facility. Is it safe to assume that you will be utilizing leased space?
Hon. Monica Ell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) As this is more of an administration issue, I would like my deputy minister to respond.
Yes, the 1079, a lot of the offices in Iqaluit, and that can be verified with CGS, are leased, so it is on the O&M side.
The cost of the lease for 1079 is going to be carried over to the other new building, so it is, hopefully, cost neutral.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. Mr. Sammurtok.
Mr. Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The Mental Health Transition House project in Rankin Inlet proposed to re-profile a children’s group home.
Many children with mental or behavioural difficulties are sent to facilities outside of Nunavut. Why was the decision made to reduce services for children within Nunavut and focus on providing mental health services instead?
Chairman (Mr. Akoak): Thank you.
That question should be directed to the Minister of Family Services, it is under her department.
That question should be directed to her instead, with regard to the children’s group home.
Mr. Sammurtok: Going to a different topic.
If the community health centre vehicles are not used to transport medical clients, for example to the airport or the health centre, how does the department establish transportation contracts with the local businesses to provide that service?
Going to the health centres in the communities, there is no funding available for that purpose. That is not the intention for the health centre vehicles. People are supposed to go to the health centres on their own.
Although some communities setup with the hamlets’ bylaw officers to do something like that, from what we hear.
Baker Lake’s health centre has been around 25 years and our population is 2,400 plus and an additional 400 to 600 people that are working at the Agnico-Eagle mine site at Meadowbank.
Presently, at the local health centre we have two full-time nurses and the rest are casuals.
As we are slotted to have six full-time nurses, at present, our health centre has a public health, mental health, three proper clinic rooms, telehealth, labour clinic, emergency clinic.
Age of facility, overcrowded programs and forced growth from population and mine… .
When will Baker Lake be considered for a new health centre?
That is a good question originating from MLA for Baker Lake about their local health centre, which was built back in 1985.
At this time, that is still under consideration as we are trying to agree on the priority listing.
Also, Sanikiluaq and Cape Dorset are the first priority communities so when their centres are completed, then the next three communities on that list are discussed in that process and Baker Lake is included in that group along with Kugluktuk and Qikiqtarjuaq.
A decision will have to be made as to which of these communities would advance up the priority list in the immediate future, after the other centres identified as priorities have been completed.
What factors are taken into consideration for building a new health centre?
That question was already asked by one of the members, but I’ll respond to it again.
There are several factors that determine the assessment process, including population growth, the age of the health centre, and age isn’t the only criterion as we also have to look at the way the facility was used.
It includes the building design, as well as the other issues Ms. Keenainak spoke to in her response.
An example was whether our facilities are in step with the newest building codes and we have to review these (interpretation ends) building codes. (interpretation) And this includes the other factors we must consider in these types of assessments.
Baker Lake really needs a new health centre. (interpretation ends) Will the minister commit to putting it on the capital plan?
This issue was discussed in the past for the situation that exists in Baker Lake; however, there are several communities ahead in the priority list. As I stated earlier, several health centres are in poorer condition with numerous deficiencies based on the usage of the facility.
So facilities that are in poorer condition must be higher on the priority list, and as I stated earlier, after the completion of the facilities ahead on the priority list, Baker Lake and the other two communities will be next in line.
The decision will have to be made as to which of these facilities would be the next priority, as we still have quite a number of facilities on that list to ponder.
Is Baker Lake in the long-term plan for a health centre replacement?
Hon. Monica Ell: Yes.
Switching onto small capital, does the department have an overall plan to upgrade all the office equipment and medical equipment at the health centres across Nunavut instead of piece-by-piece band-aid solutions?
These funds are allocated to the department with different categories and amounts. When looking at priorities, we have to ensure that the most urgent cases are reviewed firstly.
Additionally, part of process includes local health centres providing a list of their requirements to our department, and they first have to identify them to our department whenever any type of equipment if required and we occasionally have emergency situations where the equipment earmarked for one health centre is set aside to re-equip the health centre in that emergency situation.. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to the minister for the response.
Earlier, the minister indicated about a common design.
What I would like to know is: when did that come into force?
The common design was developed in 2008 to deal with the Repulse Bay Community Health Centre and two other health centres that we’re currently starting to develop.
I would like to once again thank the minister for the response.
My question in addition to that is: with the common design being put into force in 2008, how is this beneficial to all communities across Nunavut?
Hon. Monica Ell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) Actually, at this moment, the health centres would fall under a common design with roughly the same design.
Perhaps, as we stated earlier, in our future the need for extra beds are needed for the 24-hour intensive care patients so that room is available for this type of care.
It is slowly changing in this manner, however, the ultimate beneficiaries will be the nurses who are either replacing a nurse, or are temporarily replacements from an outlying community so that they are familiar with the health centre as the designs would be similar from where they came from and this forms part of our decision making in this area.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome to Minister Ell’s officials.
I want to now ask this question about the Cape Dorset facility, as the community needs a new health centre and it is identified as one of the communities on the list. Prior to CG&S undertaking the design plan, they will require an assessment of the existing facility to determine if Cape Dorset needs a new health centre.
It is noted within the documentation provided to the membership that this health centre was built in 1983, and I was actually born in 1983 so we are the same age.
I just wanted to ask this question about the common design plans. This facility will be built based on that plan and I assume it would include staff housing or rooms. If there are going to be staff rooms, how many staff would be accommodated in the health centre based on that common design?
Chairman (Mr. Mikkungwak) (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Health, Ms. Ell.
The facility for Cape Dorset that is being planned would house five nurses and it would also staff visiting specialists and have adequate work space to deliver the existing and new programs that have been introduced over the year.
This is one of two facilities that we are proposing to put three or four beds for clients requiring long-term care.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank Ms. Ell for her response. Our community is extremely grateful for the future plans to replace the health centre in Cape Dorset, to hear that news is good.
Based on your explanation, would you require more staff for (interpretation ends) specialized or new additional programs (interpretation) if that were to be the case?
Hon. Monica Ell (interpretation): The specialists would just come in and then leave. They wouldn’t live there permanently.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you.
Yes, based on the documentation provided to us, it outlines that this common design will proceed in 2015-16 fiscal year. It also explains the health centre construction will begin in fiscal year 2016-17 and it is scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2018-19.
Is the timeline identified here still on schedule?
The pre-planning for the Cape Dorset Community Health Centre is scheduled to start in 2014-15, the capital plan for construction, we’re hoping, is for 2016-17, and the anticipated completion date would be March 2018.
I also thank Ms. Ell.
Again, what about the current health centre? Once the new health centre is built, what are you going to be using the old building for?
I hope you understood my question.
Hon. Monica Ell (interpretation): At this time, we are currently having discussions with CGS and other departments, as well as the hamlet councils.
It’s still in the planning stages.
On a different matter, I now have a question about this matter that was spoken to briefly. It is regarding transportation vehicles for the health centres.
I would like clarification on transportation issues, as vehicles are required in the communities to transport patients.
To use Cape Dorset as an example, the elders have their own van used solely for the elders and this includes local transportation of elders to medical appointments.
Has your department ever considered whether or not an MOU could be struck to resolve the use of local vehicles during emergencies?
Thank you, that is provided my question is clear.
As I said previously, Health does not provide transportation just for patients to go to the hospital, but there are emergency cases where ambulance could be provided.
With your permission, Chairman, I would like Ms. Keenainak to further that question.
When an individual has to go to the health centre for an appointment, transportation is not provided either by any of the health care programs that we currently have either within the GN or even under non-insured health benefits insurance.
If there’s an emergency or ambulance, let’s say, in Iqaluit, that component is covered.
At this point, discussion will need to occur with the Department of Health as well as CGS because they deal with hamlets. We are aware that in some communities, by-law vehicles have been used to transport particular elders.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. (interpretation ends) Are there any further questions to Health? Branch Summary.
Directorate. Total Capital Expenditures. $12,423,000.
We will now go back to page H-2.
Department Summary. Health.
Are you agreed that Department of Health is concluded?
Thank you very much to the Hon. Minister of Health and the officials.
I would now like to ask the Hon. Minister of Health, Ms. Ell, for closing comments.
I would like to thank the members and my colleague for approving the Department of Health capital estimates and also my officials.
With regards to your questions and the recommendations that were made, I will make sure that my department will look into them and see what we can integrate.
Sergeant-at-arms, if you could escort the witnesses out please?
Thank you. (interpretation ends) We will take a short break, come back when the bell rings.
>>Committee recessed at 16:27 and resumed at 16:42
We will proceed with other items. (interpretation ends) I would now like to ask Minister Quassa, responsible for Nunavut Arctic College, to proceed with his opening comments.
Bill 02 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2014-2015 – Nunavut Arctic College – Consideration in Committee
I am pleased to be here today to present and discuss the proposed 2014-15 capital plan for Nunavut Arctic College.
Nunavut Arctic College has taken on the responsibility of their capital planning- linking facility development and delivery strategy. They continue to develop their internal capital planning capacity to build a firm infrastructure for Nunavummiut.
As the only post-secondary institution in the territory, Nunavut Arctic College plays a central role in providing Nunavummiut with adult learning programs and services. Our core business is training for employment. Building self-reliance through training and employment is our goal.