EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The strength of the partnership formed around the Arnait Nipingit: Women’s Leadership Summit is apparent by the presence of the organizations represented here today to witness the tabling of the report.
Mr. Speaker, today, in the presence of our partners, I am honoured to be able to share the Arnait Nipingit: Women’s Leadership Summit Report with you, the public, and the women of Nunavut.
Minister responsible for Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, Minister Arreak.
Minister’s Statement 050 – 3(3): Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit (Arreak)
I rise today to acknowledge the members of the third Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
These members are serving as an advisory on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to departments of this government.
I would like to take a moment to read the names of the members who will help to shape our programs, polices, and legislation.
Selected co-chairs of the third Katimajiit are Arnaoyok Alookee of Taloyoak and Qabaroak Qatsiya of Cape Dorset.
Jacopie Iqalukjuaq, Clyde River
Liza Ningiuk, Grise Fiord
Qabaroak Qatsiya, Cape Dorset
Ragalee Angnakok, Qikiqtarjuaq
Simeonie Aqpik, Kimmirut
Topics to be reviewed during the current meeting of IQK members include: counselling related to couples, children, and adults; Inuit family styles and how to carry them into today’s world; and discussions on healthy lifestyles, teamwork, adult training, and how to be productive in life.
The IQK will revisit the GN’s eight guiding principles and make a new set of recommendations on how they should be used in the government.
Members will also hear presentations on developing GN programs and be able to provide their feedback to staff.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the advice and support from the new Katimajiit. Their work will continue to help improve the Government of Nunavut and its programs and services.
I ask members to join me in recognizing and acknowledging the members who are here at the Legislative Assembly.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Arreak.
Member’s Statement 076 – 3(3): The Need for a New Airport in Baker Lake (Aupaluktuq)
I rise today to address the importance of investing in the future.
Mr. Speaker, as members will recall, I have tabled two important documents in the House concerning the issue of a new airport for Baker Lake.
In 2009, representatives from Baker Lake appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance to make a presentation on the subject of economic development in our region.
As members will have noted from the transcripts of these hearings that I tabled in the House, the presenters told the committee, and I quote, “Following consultation with Transport Canada, the territorial government, the industry, and operators, the recommended option was the relocation of the airport to a site northeast of the hamlet and the construction of a new 1,525-metre runway, along with other facilities.
This location meets all of Transport Canada’s standards and offers full unrestricted use for a Boeing 737 aircraft, with ideal wind orientation and flexibility for future expansion.
The cost is estimated at $20 million.
The current financing proposal seeks contributions from the governments of Nunavut and Canada and from industry.
It can make Baker Lake a new air transportation hub for mining, exploration, and development in the region…”
Mr. Speaker, last year’s capital estimates for the Department of Economic Development and Transportation included $250,000 in funding for improvements to the Baker Lake Airport.
Although I strongly support any capital investments in our community, Baker Lake continues to push for a new airport and I will continue to push our territorial government to step up to the plate.
Mr. Speaker, I will have detailed questions on this issue for the Minister of Economic Development and Transportation at tomorrow’s sitting of the House.
Member’s Statement 077 – 3(3): Dental Services for Nunavut (Elliott)
I would like to begin my Member’s Statement today by thanking and paying tribute to Claudette Qamanirq, a dental therapist who has been providing dental services to the community of Arctic Bay for over 25 years.
Mr. Speaker, Arctic Bay is a very lucky community to have Charlotte working in our school and you can really see the difference that she makes in the smiles on the faces of the people of Arctic Bay.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to hear the statement by the Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College last Friday in which he described the good work recently done in Cambridge Bay by students from the School of Dental Therapy of the First Nations University.
Mr. Speaker, the recently published Inuit Oral Health Survey Report noted that more Inuit reported poor oral health and oral pain, more dental disease, and more extractions when compared to other Canadian jurisdictions.
Mr. Speaker, having dental therapy services available in each and every community in Nunavut would be a key measure to improve oral health conditions across Nunavut.
As the oral health survey report states, having community-based primary preventative care, backed up by early detection and prompt basic treatment, could really make a difference. In addition, Mr. Speaker, preventative dental efforts could go a long way towards reducing the government’s costs related to dental care.
Currently millions of dollars are spent on travel costs for dental patients and their escorts on top of the basic costs for dental treatment for conditions which become serious when immediate dental care is not available.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the government to step up its efforts to hire dental therapists for each and every Nunavut community and to promote improved oral health for everyone.
Member’s Statement 078 – 3(3): Passing of Mark Kalluak (Shewchuk)
I rise today as the MLA for Arviat to acknowledge a very distinguished constituent and elder who passed away recently, Mr. Mark Kalluak.
My condolences go out to all of Mark’s family and friends, and co-workers in Arviat and Nunavut.
Mark will be remembered as a language specialist, as a gifted teacher, and a master storyteller whose stories will continue to live on in our hearts and minds.
Mark was also the recipient of the Order of Canada and many other awards.
Mark was a leader in Nunavut who taught by example and always with dignity and respect.
The community of Arviat and the Government of Nunavut were fortunate that Mark used his talent and knowledge to give back to one of our most vital departments, Education, where he worked to ensure Inuit traditional knowledge plays a vital role in the academic curriculum.
To the family, our thoughts and prayers are with all of you during this difficult time, and may you find strength peace in Mark’s important and lasting contributions to our territory.
Member’s Statement 079 – 3(3): Congratulations to Grandchildren for Completing Head-Start (Tapardjuk)
I rise today to commemorate an event in the House.
At this current time, most schools in Nunavut are wrapping up their school year and furthermore, I really want to acknowledge these two graduates. Last week, students graduated in a ceremony from the pre-school program. The program is called “Head Start.”
Two of the graduates were my grandchildren, actually siblings, brother and sister. They completed the program and I want to mention their names as I was told that they watch the proceedings at home.
Ellia Bryce and Chloe Tapardjuk are my two grandchildren. One of them is named after Evaloarjuk as his namesake and I wanted to celebrate with my colleagues their accomplishment.
I have expectations that when he completes his education past grade 12, he will eventually become a Member of the Legislative Assembly, as per his namesake. I would like to congratulate them, Mr. Speaker.
I wish them well in their future endeavours.
Member’s Statement 080 – 3(3): The Need for a Nunavut Addictions Treatment Facility (Ugyuk)
First off, I say “good day” to my mother, my family, and my husband.
I also say “good day” to Nattilingmiut.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly encourage the government to fulfill its Tamapta commitment to open a culturally relevant substance abuse treatment facility in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to talk about treatment facilities directly. I want to talk about some of the reasons why we desperately need one.
Mr. Speaker, suicide has been discussed a number of times in this House in this sitting.
Of the 14 suicides since January of this year, I know for a fact that more than one of them was committed while the person was suffering from substance abuse. Who knows how many suicides could be avoided if people were better able to deal with their use of drugs or alcohol.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, the breakdown of relationships often leads people to seek an escape. Too often they see alcohol or drugs as a way to bury their grief or suffering.
It is not only the partners in a relationship but also their children who suffer that grief.
We need to learn better ways of dealing with emotional stress.
Mr. Speaker, it is a sad fact that one of the effects of alcohol abuse can be violence and the loss of control. Many victims of abuse from their spouses or their family members feel suicidal at some point in their lives.
Substance abuse can lead to many other forms of abuse.
(interpretation) Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Mr. Speaker, it is well known that in our population, we have many young parents. Many of these youth are faced with heavy adult responsibilities when they haven’t had the time to grow out of their own childhood.
Again, they turn to something to hide their confusion.
They are too young to know the damage it can cause.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that there is a great deal of commitment to addressing our social problems.
The government and organizations like Nunavut Tunngavik have shown that they want to work together, but very little is coming forward by way of concrete action to address this tragic situation.
We need a substance abuse treatment centre here in Nunavut that can address this serious problem. (interpretation ends) To be successful, it needs to be close to home, (interpretation) close to our families and the support they can offer.
Member’s Statement 081 – 3(3): Support for Devolution (Ningark)
Mr. Ningark: Thank you and good afternoon, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to express my support for devolution.
Mr. Speaker, when I served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories prior to division, the concept of devolution appeared to be very remote. Since that time, we have seen significant progress being made in our sister territories of the Yukon and the NWT, and I applaud the efforts that have been made in those jurisdictions.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that every Member of this House agrees that we need to reduce our dependence on federal transfer payments. Increased self-reliance for our territory depends on being able to identify new sources of revenue to fund our programs and services.
These issues are closely linked to such goals as improving our educational outcomes so that more of our own people have the necessary skills and training to take on the responsibilities that would accompany devolution.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage our Premier to provide more frequent updates to the House on the status of the government’s devolution initiative, and I encourage her to ensure that these updates are clear, comprehensive, and candid.
Member’s Statement 082 – 3(3): Sheila Watt-Cloutier on a Postage Stamp (Aariak)
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I say “good afternoon” to my constituents in Iqaluit.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to mention someone who is well known in Nunavut, Canada, and elsewhere, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, who is a resident of Iqaluit and a former resident of Nunavik.
Sheila has done a lot of work and has put a lot of effort into her work in areas related to global warming or regarding pollutants that affect the world, especially the Arctic. She has been involved in very important issues and has been recognized. She was once nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and this is something we can be very proud of as she is a resident.
She is a visiting scholar now in Brunswick, Maine.
We just recently heard that her picture will be included on a Canadian postage stamp in recognition of her work. She is one of the distinguished people recognized around the world.
For this reason and many of the other works she has done for arctic peoples, I am very proud of Sheila Watt-Cloutier.
Speaker: Thank you, Madam Aariak.
Moving on in the Orders of the Day, Item 4.
Return to Oral Question 090 – 3(3): Financial Situation at Local Housing Association (Curley)
This is in response to an oral question asked (interpretation ends) by Mr. Schell. (interpretation) My response is quite lengthy and to make it more coherent for the members, I would like to ask that the return to oral question be entered into the record as read.
The pages will be able to provide copies of my response immediately.
In its response to the 2008 Report of the Auditor General on the Nunavut Housing Corporation, NHC indicated that it has plans to initiate six or seven LHO assessments which should be completed by the fall of 2008.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that the LHO assessments initiated in response to the 2008 OAG audit of the Nunavut Housing Corporation were completed for the communities of Arctic Bay, Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Repulse Bay, and Arviat.
Mr. Speaker, LHO assessments are part of the regular ongoing support provided by the NHC’s district offices to its community partners.
These assessments cover all areas of the LHOs’ operations and are designed to provide LHOs with a development tool that describes the state of their management, administrative, financial, board and maintenance affairs.
The assessments also provide recommendations on how to improve performance in these areas.
The corporation also benefits from LHO assessments by having clearly defined descriptions of an LHO’s strengths and weaknesses, and any remedies required by LHOs to adequately carry out their obligations as set out in their management agreements, Mr. Speaker.
The NHC has taken a number of measures to enhance its monitoring of LHO performance in order to improve their ability to identify any emerging problems so as to address them as quickly as possible.
Monthly conference calls are held between NHC’s directorate and district finance staff, which help identify LHO operational concerns and allows resources to be made available to provide support.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, district offices are now responsible for providing to the directorate office on a regular basis a new reporting package which includes information, such as date of last financial statement received from the LHO, date of last bank reconciliation, as well as their actual financial information to compare against their budgets.
A number of LHOs have been converted to a standardized financial system and the NHC is in the process of developing related training documents.
In the fall of 2010, the NHC obtained approval for the creation of an additional LHO financial support position for the Kivalliq region and has also engaged an accountant to assist LHOs.
LHOs that find themselves in a deficit situation get additional support in the development of a deficit recovery plan and assistance in implementing and then monitoring the plan’s progress.
Do members agree that the return to oral question be entered into the record as read?
Speaker: Agreed, and so it shall.
We will be serviced by new pages this week and I want to take this opportunity to recognize the pages from Igloolik, Paul Silas Uyarak and Emily Qattalik, who is over there. Apparently, when she participated in the Youth Parliament, she represented me. They will be servicing us this week.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to welcome to the Gallery my assistant, John Illupalik, who is sitting just behind me and who is the chaperone for the pages. I would like to recognize them here.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Tapardjuk. (interpretation ends) Welcome to the Gallery.
When the appropriate time comes, I will be tabling the Arnait Nipingit: Women’s Leadership Summit Report today in the Legislative Assembly.
In the meantime, I would like to recognize the Arnait Nipingit project partners in the Gallery today.
From the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, George Eckalook, (interpretation) please stand up, (interpretation ends) and Lucy Burke.
From the Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council, Trista Mercer (interpretation) and Sheila Pokiak.
Also, a Nunavut Tunngavik representative, Emily Joanasie, (interpretation ends) Women’s Summit Coordinator. (interpretation) Also from the Government of Nunavut, Tanya Campbell, Rian van Bruggen, and Shylah Elliott.
These are the people I would like to acknowledge.
It’s not too often that I get to stand here and recognize folks from my community.
I want to recognize Alice Ayalik, who has been around for quite a while. She is no stranger to Iqalummiut.
She sits on the elders’ board and other committees and boards that relate to the betterment of both young Inuit and older folks.
I, too, don’t get to recognize too many people too much here.
I would really like to welcome a long-standing citizen from Arviat and a retired Northern store manager, Mr. Gordon Maine.
He has presently served us our report here today on the new Electoral Boundaries Commission report, so that’s his latest accomplishment with the Government of Nunavut.
Welcome to the Gallery, Mr. Maine.
I would like to recognize Arnaoyok Alookee from Taloyoak.
I thank you for the tremendous work that you do for Taloyoak and Nunavut residents, especially in areas related to kinship relations as it can be a rocky road, and she provides a big service.
As Nattilik residents, we are very grateful to her and we would like Nunavut residents to know that.
Speaker: Thank you and welcome to the Gallery.
I also want to take this opportunity to recognize a resident of Chesterfield Inlet, Andre Tautu, although he was mentioned previously.
First of all, behind me here, I would like to recognize Joe Sageatook. He’s the ex-employee of Qulliq Energy. He has worked there for 15 years.
Chris Cousins is here. Again, he has worked for Qulliq Energy for 16 years and his wife, Maanasi Cousins, is beside him there. I also would like to recognize Qabaroak Qatsiya from Cape Dorset, one of the IQK team, and Simeonie Aqpik from Kimmirut.
Question 110 – 3(3): Emergency Preparedness (Elliott)
Mr. Speaker, my questions are based around community preparedness in an emergency situation.
In recent months, I’m sure all members have been aware that individuals from your department have been going around to all communities to work on community emergency plans and providing training to assist communities in planning for different potential threats.
Mr. Speaker, I’m sure that this is one instance where the hypothetical is seen as useful. Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for updating the House on this program today during his Minister’s Statement.
In preparing for this sitting, Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of exchanging a conversation with the mayor of Resolute Bay. In this conversation, she had asked if I could bring forward the issue of Resolute Bay not having a backup emergency generator in the community. I was wondering if the minister could explain how his department is working with the community to assist them in solving this problem.
Minister responsible for Community and Government Services, Minister Kusugak.
With respect to the requirement of communities to be prepared for emergencies, our department has been administering this for quite a while.
Communities are required to have emergency plans, including contingency plans for various types of emergencies. Some of these plans are not comprehensive and it is obvious that some communities don’t have all of these plans or resources
Some communities have emergency generators and some communities don’t have them.
Some communities lack fire equipment and the list goes on. We know that all communities lack one thing or another. Once we have an inventory of the missing equipment in all of the communities, we will then have to face the challenge of trying to complete their emergency equipment.
Some community emergency preparedness plans will require more work than others, but they have to be completed and they are being dealt with as we speak.
In Arctic Bay, we are lucky enough to have a backup emergency generator in the school. I was lucky enough to be invited to the training sessions that the minister was speaking about.
In Arctic Bay, the community emergency plan in case of an emergency where the community is without power, for example, this location serves as a safe place for residents to go.
As I pointed out in my first question, Resolute Bay does not have this.
Could the minister indicate if there are any other communities across Nunavut in the same situation as Resolute Bay and do not have a backup emergency generator?
As per my previous statement, the communities don’t have complete inventories for their emergency preparedness plans.
The requirement for updating their plans was sent to all communities and many are updating their plans. The plans basically outline where they would go in the event of an emergency, which facility in the case of a power failure would be the place to house residents, and these are details included in the emergency plans.
It is obvious that the day will come when we are able to identify which community doesn’t have an emergency generator or which community lacks certain resources.
Once we have the information, we will be able to conduct a review, but we have yet to reach that day. I don’t know which communities are lacking equipment, materials, or other resources. Once we have this information, we will inform the members.
It’s my understanding that Resolute Bay is the only community that doesn’t have this type of a backup generator and a place in which the community could go to.
Specifically I’m thinking more in the winter when it’s cold and dark. I know that when power outages happened, they’ve had to close the school and send students home.
So I’m just wondering: how long do you think it will take your department to remedy the situation as to provide a safe location for the residents of my community in case of such an emergency?
We are collaborating with every community primarily. If an emergency arises, then these plans are put into action and it outlines the action items during an emergency. Hamlet councils have to approve these plans and pass them into by-laws by way of a resolution.
With the passage of the by-law in Resolute Bay, we can move towards that goal.
This is indeed a critical priority, but there are regulations we have to follow. Once they have completed the by-law, we will work with the hamlet council and deliberate on what is required to see how we can resolve some of the challenges in the member’s constituency communities via their hamlet councils.
I guess I’ll pass that information on to the mayor of Resolute Bay.
For my final question, I’m just wondering in terms of the emergency preparedness. A lot of what you have given me in your answers is it’s based around getting those plans completed. I’m just wondering: is there a deadline on which the hamlets actually have to submit these plans to your department?
Hon. Lorne Kusugak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do have a vision, as I stated previously, as some communities have completed their emergency plans. The local councils have reviewed these plans and passed them into by-laws.
I believe that there are not too many, perhaps just nine communities, that have completed this task. However, our expectations are to try to have this completed before the end of the calendar year. We hope to have them all completed by the month of December.
Oral Questions. Member for Nattilik, Ms. Ugyuk.
Question 111 – 3(3): Nunavut-Based Addictions Treatment Centres (Ugyuk)
(interpretation ends) As we all know, addictions and substance abuse lie at the root of many of the social problems we face in Nunavut.