EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
A little over two years have passed since that doctor was transferred and yet, we have not seen a replacement for her.
I was reviewing your funding allocations in this year’s appropriations, but I did not see any funds to get a replacement of that position in our community of Pond Inlet.
My question to the minister is: has the doctor’s position for the High Arctic region been cut?
I can understand where the member is coming from.
Unfortunately, my deputy minister gave me a briefing that the position was transferred to Iqaluit. This position is currently situated in Iqaluit.
However, in my discussions with the deputy minister, we noted that we will keep the matter open for reconsideration because we want to continue this service for the North Baffin region and in particular, the High Arctic communities.
This issue is still under consideration at this time.
We need to consider how to move forward on this since your community is not the only one impacted by this decision.
There are three other communities in the High Arctic that needs this service.
Due to these factors, we are still reviewing the situation to see how we can best resolve this issue, but at this time, I cannot state with certainty when or if this position would be reinstated.
There are five High Arctic communities, Mr. Speaker.
It is unfortunate that the hamlets were never informed that this position had already been transferred.
I’m sure that there were compelling reasons for the doctor’s position to be transferred, but I know she personally did not want to leave. Her ultimate decision was that she wanted to be closer to her family, so her position was transferred.
Nevertheless, we were led to believe that she would be replaced right away.
Why did this not happen?
If we look to the other regions of Nunavut, such as Kivalliq and the Kitikmeot, these two regions have hospitals serving their regions.
In the High Arctic, there are five communities with comparable population of both the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot combined.
This doctor’s position served five communities: Igloolik, Clyde River, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay, Resolute Bay, and Grise Fiord.
These communities comprise the High Arctic region.
It is an extremely expensive proposition to send patients out to Iqaluit just to see a doctor, but there is currently no other alternative.
The prohibitive cost of medical travel was one of the reasons why this position was originally created. I would like the minister commit to reinstating the doctor’s position for the High Arctic as soon as humanly possible.
I can tell the member that we will do our best to try and reinstate that position.
As stated earlier, we are still reviewing the position that was transferred to Iqaluit and how best to serve the more remote parts of the Baffin region. The doctor was in your community for quite a number of years and my hope is that we will be able to find such a replacement for her.
I want to announce that I will be touring some of the northern communities where this issue will definitely be raised again. I commit to informing the member when we have finalized the schedule for our tour.
The deputy minister and I have discussed that we have to visit the High Arctic communities.
I can assure the minister that our communities will be hospitable and welcoming.
We look forward to his visit to our region and our community leaders will definitely want to have a meeting regarding this matter.
We want to keep the communities informed about any changes regarding nurses that are stationed in the communities.
Unfortunately, most of them do not have the training of physicians and doctors, especially in diagnostics.
As it now stands, medical issues that ought to have been diagnosed much earlier, such as diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, etcetera, are missed because only doctors are qualified to make such diagnoses. Some patients are misdiagnosed and neglected unnecessarily, sometimes only seeing a doctor when it is too late to save the patient.
The High Arctic communities want a doctor closer at hand so that he/she can make regular community visits and be able to refer patients for further diagnoses or treatment.
I urge the minister to consider this matter properly.
When he comes to visit our communities, will the minister be open to discuss this meaningfully with the residents?
If he agrees with their needs, will he then commit to an immediate reinstatement as the matter warrants it?
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you. I also thank my colleague.
I cannot give an affirmative answer right this minute, but I realize where you’re coming from.
There are 11 medical staff in the Qikiqtaaluk region currently on contract.
We have been told by our physicians that this helps shorten waiting times for appointments.
We are also looking into using the telehealth system to do diagnoses and such.
I will make sure that I get properly briefed on the issues before I visit the High Arctic communities. I will keep the MLA for Quttiktuq informed of the dates as they are established.
We will take note of your questions and keep them in mind.
Question 333 – 3(2): High Arctic Community Consultations (Elliott)
My question is for the Minister of Community and Government Services, the Hon. Lorne Kusugak.
Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of getting home to my constituency over the weekend. It was a short visit but afforded me the time to be given an update by many of my constituents.
Mr. Speaker, in regard to the Nunavut Community Infrastructure Sustainability Plan that the minister’s department is responsible for, I was shocked to find out that in my communities of Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, and Arctic Bay, the consultants only spent one day in each community doing their workshop.
In Committee of the Whole, when asking questions to the minister about this, he said that the consultants would spend adequate time in the communities, whether it is two weeks, one week, or three days.
Mr. Speaker, can the minister assure the House today that the consultants have spent enough time in all communities to document the current infrastructure in every community and assess the needs of every community?
The consultants have assured us that they would be spending all of the time required in the communities in order to be able to do a full assessment of the communities’ needs.
As I told my colleague in the Committee of the Whole, they were going to do that and to the best of my understanding, that that is what they’re doing.
I can only assure him that much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question, Mr. Speaker, is if he could explain a little bit more in detail what the exact purpose of these plans are for.
It is exactly the same question he asked when we were in COW. I thought at the time that we gave him pretty detailed information of what they were. It’s exactly what it outlines, it’s to get as much information in the community as we can get so that we could find out what the community has, what the community’s needs are, and so on.
I don’t know exactly how much more detail he wants than the details we have given him in COW and in other question periods.
I thank the minister for that answer because that’s exactly what I want to hear. I know my communities are excited about getting these documents to be able to find out and I’m curious too.
With having three communities, it is hard to know what GN assets are in the communities, knowing what hamlet assets are in the communities, what mobile equipment is there, and stuff like that. So to have a document in my hand to be able to read, understand, and learn what my community have, that is what I’m looking for.
With that being said, could the minister commit to sending me an electronic copy of the Nunavut Community Infrastructure Sustainability Plan for each of my three communities of Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, and Arctic Bay as soon as it is finished?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Thank you. I am glad my colleague is excited.
You can imagine the kind of excitement we have if the departments and the government needs that information.
So I’m glad he’s excited because I am quite excited about it also and so are many of the people in our departments and throughout the Government of Nunavut.
It’s going to take some time, of course, to get all of the documents done; there are many communities to go through.
At such time when the document is complete and accessible, I’m sure we will make it available to those that need the information that is within the document or documents that will be available once this whole process is done.
I imagine the rest of my colleagues are as excited as I am.
My last question is: will the minister commit to tabling all of the Nunavut community infrastructure sustainability plans on the first day of June when we sit?
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Elliott. Minister Kusugak.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: No, I can’t commit to that, Mr. Speaker.
His colleagues do look a lot more excited than he is though about the documents which are forthcoming.
But no, I can’t commit to something like that, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think we can commit to that kind of deadline only to be come back at on June 1 saying, “Where’s the stuff?”
So no, I can’t commit to that right now.
Question 334 – 3(2): Pedestrian Bridge for Iqaluit (Okalik)
On February 24, the minister took part in an announcement that was made regarding access road and bridge projects that will be undertaken in Nunavut.
I was glad to hear that Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay, Arviat, Coral Harbour, and Resolute Bay will have bridges built.
The minister is aware that Iqaluit has been asking for the construction of a bridge for a while now. Why wasn’t my community included in that federal program?
I can’t recall that far back, but I will double-check.
I believe that Iqaluit is in the process of getting a bridge through the parks program.
As you know, Economic Development and Transportation has many priorities.
We’re working on a number of different infrastructure needs and a bridge is further down the list of priorities, but I do believe that there is a bridge that has been considered through the Department of Environment’s operations on parks.
With respect to the issues identified by the minister, he speaks of the benefits for the users, such as traditional activities, including harvesting and berry picking trips.
The long-term residents of Iqaluit have waited a long time for a bridge over the Sylvia Grinnell River so that they can access other areas of their traditional land use areas, either for hunting or berry picking purposes on the other side of the river.
They are still waiting today for the bridge to be built.
With respect to the bridge that the minister referred to, hunters will not be able to utilize that bridge.
How will Iqaluit residents be included in the discussions on construction of bridges when his department identifies bridges in Nunavut the next time?
The majority of priorities that were identified for the Department of Economic Development and Transportation weren’t necessarily a bridge for Iqaluit.
I know that was discussed in the past, but my understanding and in the past, it was about the bridge that the Department of Environment was going to be putting in for the parks program.
I believe that there were adjustments and modifications made to the bridge where ATVs can pass through there, but I don’t have that information.
At this time, the department hasn’t identified Iqaluit as a priority for building a bridge.
I recall that we were told that we should try and build a bridge in a different location. I assumed that once another location had been identified, a bridge was going to be built in Iqaluit. The original residents of Iqaluit are just left to eye the other communities with envy.
I would like to ask the minister when they are going to put the bridge in the capital plans.
Again I’ve got to say that there are a lot of infrastructure priorities that the department deals with.
I indicated last year that there may be a possibility of putting that into the system where we can look at it. I believe that one of the issues that were brought up was a different location, but we haven’t followed up with that and the reason being that there are so many infrastructure priorities.
I believe that there are some other possible modifications to the bridge that was approved for the Sylvia Grinnell River, but prioritizing and selecting a location for a different bridge altogether hasn’t been done yet.
Do I hear correctly that the bridge that was to be built by Environment Canada has been approved so that hunters will be able use that bridge?
Did I hear that correctly?
I can’t say that for a fact, but I understand that there is some safety features put in there so ATVs can actually go across for emergency situations, but I’m not sure about the full extent of the usage.
I’ll have to get back to the member on that once I get all of the details.
Question 335 – 3(2): RFP Process for NHC Initiatives (Schell)
My question is for the Minister of Housing and it’s going back to that he had always mentioned that there was an RFP process done for the SIP panels, etcetera. My first question is that I would like to know what papers it was advertised in.
I’m not exactly sure, but I would assume, for sure, that it would have been advertised in all of the local northern papers and quite possibly, it might have been advertised in some local southern newspapers as well. I know for sure that it would have been advertised in the northern papers, but I’m not sure if it was actually advertised in the southern papers or not.
I would also like to know how many RFPs were sent directly to suppliers on the initiative of the Housing Corporation.
I know that the corporation received 12 proposals from different proponents.
I’m not sure if they gave out more packages and that or not, but I know that there were at least 12 proposals received from different proponents on that specific RFP.
I don’t think he answered my question. I wanted to know how many were sent out directly to suppliers as an initiative from the Housing Corporation, apart from those that were advertised in the paper.
As far as I’m aware, the process is if an RFP is put out there and there’s a request for proposals, then whoever is requesting it will get a copy of the proposal that has been put forward.
As I indicated, I don’t know how many were sent out, but I know that 12 were received.
If the member wishes, I will find out how many were actually sent out versus how many were received.
Yes, I would like to know how many responses you received from the ads that were in the paper and how many responses you received from the direct invitation from the Housing Corporation.
As I had indicated, there was an RFP that was put out and I believe it was put out in June of 2009. It advertised an RFP for SIP panel, or structural insulated panel, constructed single family dwelling units.
As I had indicated, I know that there were 12 proposals received.
I will confirm with my staff at the corporation how many actual proposals were sent out if it is different than the 12 that were received.
I would like to inform the members that I have no more names on my list. I said I have no more names, Mr. Elliott.
Question 336 – 3(2): Completion of Community Consultations (Elliott)
I wanted to go back to my line of questioning before to the Minister of Community Services… Community and Government… CGS. It feels like Friday, Mr. Speaker. I just want to add that I hope that the minister appreciates my line of questioning.
The government and the Premier are pushing for self-reliance.
To me, these plans are going to be instrumental in having our communities come to this.
I want my communities to have all of the tools and resources possible to get what is needed.
I feel that it is my role to work towards using these plans to leverage the funding needed for infrastructure needs in my communities.
That’s why I keep asking these questions, Mr. Speaker.
I can appreciate why the minister did not want to commit. He knows I would stay on top of it and be asking him on the first day if they weren’t.
At the same time, I’m a little confused because originally, they were supposed to be done on March 31.
What my question is a consultant was told after April 1, 2009 and contracted to do this for the year of 2009-2010. The work gets done as of March 31, 2010 and payment is received.
You would think that the documentation and everything would be done by March 31, 2010. Is this not the case in this situation?
I really appreciate the line of questioning.
I think we all have the best interests of Nunavummiut in mind. I think the whole idea behind this work that is being done is so that we, as a government, can best prepare and deal with the needs of every community in Nunavut.
I’m hoping that this work that is being done is going to be a benefit to everybody and I hope this isn’t one that will collect dust at the end of the day.
But to commit to tabling it in June is something that I just can’t do because if it’s not ready, then I will have failed in that commitment.
It may very well be ready, but if it’s not ready at that time, then I will not have fulfilled my commitment.
So because of that, I can’t commit to that deadline.
I will assure him that when it is available for discussion or to be seen, when the document or documents, whatever they may turn out to be, are ready, then they will be. I just can’t make that commitment.
Okay, then again, I guess the question is getting towards: in terms of the consultant that was contracted to do it, have they asked for an extension to provide the services to you then?
I’m sure there was a contractual obligation to get the work done in a certain time period.
Hon. Lorne Kusugak: Not that I’m aware of, Mr. Speaker.
Question 337 – 3(2): Rent Control Legislation (Okalik)
Mr. Okalik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I’m having a good day so far.
I would like to ask the Minister for Housing.
At this point, I understand we are challenged in a lot of ways in dealing with housing issues and one of them is public housing. At the same time, we’re trying to facilitate ways to get more opportunities for Nunavut residents.
One area that has been raised to me from fellow Nunavummiut is that perhaps we could look at rent control legislation to try and regulate rents so that we can encourage more tenants to move to private housing, for example.  Can the minister see if he can examine rent control legislation for Nunavut?
I think I have heard that question before.
In the previous Assembly, I think it came from me.
Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure if I’m the appropriate minister to look at that or whether it would be the Minister of Justice or not, but I will commit to the member to sit down with my colleague, the Minister of Justice, and determine if this is something that we would look at or not.
Mr. Speaker, I know, as far as the Housing Corporation is concerned right now, we just deal with public housing and the rent control that the member is talking about is more of a private sector, non-government thing that we don’t have control over.
Hopefully that satisfies the member.
Question 338 – 3(2): RFP for SIP Panels (Schell)
I’m going to go back to the RFP that was put out for these SIP panels.
I would like to know what the criteria were for it. Was it listed as an RFP document and if it was, was it altered?
I am very happy that the member asked me another question on this because after further reviewing the information, I do have the number of proposals that were sent out. There were 31 proposals that were requested by the different proponents.
However, only 12 were received.
Mr. Speaker, my understanding of the process is it was in a request for proposals that was sent out. I don’t know if there were any amendments made to that, but if there were any amendments made to that proposal, they would have been sent out.
According to the process, it would have been sent out to all of the people who requested proposals so that they’re all looking at the same thing.
It would have been done in a timely way to make sure that they all could take any possible changes, if there were any, into consideration before submitting their proposal.
My next question is: was the lowest bidder accepted on the proposal?
I don’t know what the numbers were from all of the 12 that were received, but a request for proposals, even with a tender, doesn’t necessarily mean and I think it says in the bottom of it that the lowest is not necessarily received.
Mr. Speaker, I know that this is something that the corporation wanted to make sure was done properly.
So as a result, after receiving the 12 proposals, they were reviewed by our design team and they had narrowed it down from the 12 to five proposals.
Once they had narrowed it down to the five proposals, I believe in July of 2009, the team actually went to each of the sites of those five proponents to evaluate the capacity of each one in order to be able to deliver the product that was being requested.
My issue here is if the lowest tender was not accepted, was cabinet involved in making the decision?
The member said the lowest tender. I just want to clarify that it wasn’t a tender; they were proposals that were received.
When they did the site visit, if they went or looked at the lowest one thoroughly, they could have said that they had no possibility of being able to deliver the product that was being requested.
The design team, after evaluating all of the proposals, not looking at the price, was more looking at the product that was being requested, being the structural insulated panel single family dwelling units, and which proposal had the best opportunity to be able to provide the best product.
So I’m assuming by what the minister is saying that all of the 12 that had put in proposals had the same structure that they were bidding on. It was the same panels, there weren’t different panels, and it was all the same type that had a fair assessment as to what they were looking at.
I can’t speak to what each of those proposals contained.
However, Mr. Speaker, what I can speak to is the fact that what the proposal that was put out specified is what we were looking for.
Some of those proposals may have come back not complying with what the corporation was looking for in their design, so I can’t speak to what each of the proposals contained.
Quite possibly, it could have been some proponents or some of the proposals that said, “Well, instead of this product and instead of making it like this, maybe we can try something else like this.” I don’t have that information. I don’t know.
I didn’t go through each of those proposals myself.
But I can say, Mr. Speaker, that the design team thoroughly evaluated all 12 proposals that were received, narrowed it down to five, and then went forward from there in picking what they felt was the best proposal to provide the product that was requested.
Question 339 – 3(2): Grise Fiord Power Plant (Elliott)
I hope the minister hasn’t gotten too comfortable in his chair.
My question is for the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation, the Hon. Hunter Tootoo.
I have questions regarding the power plant in Grise Fiord. Last spring, with the annual runoff of melting snow, it saw water flow through the power plant. I am wondering if his department is aware of this situation.
Mr. Speaker, the corporation is aware of that situation and in fact, Mr. Speaker, when I had the pleasure of attending the Baffin mayors’ meeting here in Iqaluit, the mayor from his community raised that exact same issue to find out if we were aware of it.
My next question is: has anything been initiated to rectify this situation?
I would like to inform the member, as I informed the mayor at the time too, that there have been steps taken to hopefully eliminate that problem.
However, given the fact of the actual location of the plant right in the middle of a rut in the middle of town, if you want to call it that, steps have been taken to try and eliminate that from happening again on a temporary basis.
In the future when it comes time for looking at a replacement plant for that community, they will be looking at an alternate location so that we won’t run into that problem.
Question 340 – 3(2): $5 Million Funding for New Generators (Schell)
My question is for the Minister of Qulliq Energy.