EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
154 - 1(5): June Pangon – Female Hockey Championship (Havioyak) 4
155 - 1(5): Germaine Arnataujuk (Anawak) 4
179 – 1(5): DMs and ADMs Decentralized to Communities (McLean) 4
180 - 1(5): Update on Housing Issues (Iqaqrialu) 4
181 – 1(5): Additional Teachers for Overcrowded Classrooms (Nutarak) 4
182 - 1(5): Inuktitut Teachers and Computers (Iqaqrialu) 4
183 – 1(5): Classroom Assistants for Kugluktuk (Havioyak) 4
184 – 1(5): CLEY Grants to Two Communities (Iqaqrialu) 4
185 – 1(5): Gambling Consultations (Williams) 4
186 - 1(5): Bingo Licences (Nutarak) 4
187 – 1(5): Kitikmeot Boarding Home Contracts (Havioyak) 4
188 – 1(5): Dental Visits To Baker Lake (McLean) 4
189 - 1(5): Federal Government Funding for Telehealth (Iqaqrialu) 4
Report 003 – 1(5): Bill 4 – An Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, Time Zones – Committee Report 4
Bill 6 – Nunavut Power Corporation Utilities Assets Transfer Confirmation Act – First Reading (Picco) 4
Bill 6 – Nunavut Power Corporation Utilities Assets Transfer Confirmation Act – Second Reading (Picco) 4
Monday March 26, 2001  Nunavut Hansard
Honourable Olayuk Akesuk, Mr. Ovide Alakannuark, Honourable Jack Anawak, Mr. James Arvaluk, Mr. Donald Havioyak, Mr. David Iqaqrialu, Honourable Peter Kattuk, Honourable Peter Kilabuk, Mr. Glenn McLean, Honourable Kelvin Ng, Mr. Jobie Nutarak, Honourable Paul Okalik, Honourable Ed Picco, Honourable Manitok Thompson, Mr. Hunter Tootoo, Mr. Uriash Puqiqnak, Ms. Rebekah Williams.
Deputy Speaker (Mr. Puqiqnak) (interpretation): I would like to ask Ms. Williams to say the opening prayer.
Good afternoon, Mr. Premier, Members of the Legislative Assembly, interpreters, pages and the people in the gallery.
Starting with the Orders of the Day.
I am pleased to be back in the House.
Last week our Speaker, Mr. O’Brien and myself were unable to be in the House because of family matters.
I would like to thank the Member for Kugluktuk and congratulate you on a job well done as Acting Speaker.
Minister’s Statement 050 – 1(5): Ikajuruti Inungnik Ungasiktumi – Federal Funding Approved
Hon. Ed Picco: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker, and welcome back to the House, we missed you last week.
I would also like to thank Member Havioyak for an excellent job as Speaker.
Mr. Speaker and assembled media personages, I rise to make an exciting announcement today.
Mr. Speaker, today our Member of Parliament, Ms. Nancy Karetak-Lindell and our good friend the Federal Minister of Health, who we hope is recovering well, Mr. Allan Rock, will be announcing the Federal Government’s, the Government of Canada’s approval of up to 3.7 million dollars for the expansion of Nunavut’s IIU Network, that’s the Telehealth Network, Mr. Speaker.
Last summer, the Department of Health and Social Services…
Mr. Speaker, last summer the Department of Health & Social Services submitted a large proposal to the Canada Health Infrastructure Partnerships Program (or CHIPP).
Mr. Speaker, this is an 80 million dollar, cost-shared federal program.
It is intended to support information and communications technology used to improve health care delivery in Canada.
As you know, Mr. Speaker, Nunavut is part of a growing movement across Canada and around the world to use Telehealth technology as a tool for improving health care services in our communities.
Mr. Speaker, this approval means that Nunavut can receive matching funds of up to 3.7 million dollars towards our efforts to expand the IIU Network across Nunavut.
With the help of these additional funds Mr. Speaker, my department will be able to take on a series of initiatives such as, connecting more communities to the IIU Network and developing a telehealth training program in partnership with our own Arctic College.
Mr. Speaker, as you know from my previous statements about this issue, I believe the IIU Network is a promising tool for us to make health care and social services more accessible and more effective for the people of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be working with our federal partners at Health Canada on this important initiative and I commend the staff in my department for making Nunavut’s CHIPP proposal a resounding success.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Picco.
Minister’s Statement 051 – 1(5): Nunavut Education Week
Hon. Peter Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to welcome you back to the House.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the first ever Nunavut Education Week for March 26 - 30.
Education Week is an opportunity for schools and the College and their students to focus on and celebrate a Nunavut wide theme.
This year I have chosen “Working Together for Education, Using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit as a Foundation.”
Mr. Speaker, this theme is key to what we believe Nunavut Education to be about.
We hope the people across Nunavut, our children in schools, young people in Nunavut Arctic College, our parents, our elders will take this theme and discuss it around their kitchen tables, and in their classrooms generating ideas of what they hope education in Nunavut will become.
Mr. Speaker, discussion creates ideas, ideas create plans and plans can be put into action.
It is my hope that discussing education and how to incorporate those ideas that truly reflect Nunavut, will help us create an Education system that everyone can be proud of.
Mr. Speaker, we will be posting various community activities that will be occurring across Nunavut on our website; www.edu.nu.ca.
This will allow us to share with people across Nunavut activities occurring in communities.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Kilabuk.
Back to the Orders of the Day. Ministers’ Statements.
Minister’s Statement 052 – 1(5): Funding for Language Preservation
Hon. Peter Kattuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the members about the community-based grants and contribution funding that is available in the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
(interpretation) Although we provide grants and contribution funding in many program areas, I would like to specifically mention funding that is available for activities that foster the promotion, development, retention, preservation and use of Inuktitut.
Mr. Speaker, we provide 702 thousand dollars in community-based grants and contribution funding from our Vote 1 budget, and an additional 1.1 million dollars in funding that is provided by the Federal Government Department of Canadian Heritage.
All of this funding is for community-based organizations or individuals that wish to promote and protect Inuktitut.
I would like to mention two examples of projects that were approved during the past year:
Funding was provided to the Inumariit Committee in Pangnirtung…
…in the amount of 5 thousand 740 dollars.
Their proposal was for a community-based traditional language course that would discuss the following topics: names of family members, names of traditional clothing and names of the land.
Two elders in the community are conducting the course.
Another proposal that was funded was for the Ilisaqsivik Family Resource Centre in Clyde River…
…in the amount of 28 thousand 965 dollars.
This proposal was for the translation of self-help books about healing into Inuktitut.
For the 2001-02 fiscal year our priority will be smaller projects in the communities like the two I have mentioned.
We are currently advertising for proposals with a closing date of March 31, 2001 for the Canadian Heritage funding, and April 23rd for departmental funding.
We have staff available in the department that can assist your constituents by phone with the preparation of proposals.
We hope to receive a significant number of proposals and I encourage you to pass this information on to your communities.
Ministers’ Statements. Minister Anawak.
Minister’s Statement 053 – 1(5): Community Consultation on Gambling
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to tell you that my department has acted on a Cabinet directive to work with the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Education, to raise public awareness about gambling.
My department was further directed to survey Municipalities and Nunavummiut to gather opinions about current regulations on fund-raising lotteries and concerns about gambling in Nunavut and report back to Cabinet.
The three departments have already collaborated on an advertisement about the effects of addictive gambling that ran during Addictions Awareness Week.
They have also worked together with a representative from the Nunavut Social Development Committee to develop a questionnaire for public consultation on gambling, which will provide information useful to my own and other government departments.
Once Cabinet has approved the consultation plan, my Consumer Affairs Division will work with other departmental staff throughout Nunavut to meet with communities and gather the information needed to review current lottery regulations.
I encourage all members of the Legislative Assembly to participate in this process.
My staff anticipates results will be analyzed by July of this year.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister. Ministers' Statements.
Member’s Statement 153 - 1(5): Recognition of Elders’ Contributions
As you know we recognize people who have done an excellent job for us.
It is the same all around.
It makes us feel good and it is encouraging for workers to do their best.
I am sure this will be apart of our daily lives and I will always support this type of encouragement for our workers.
Mr. Speaker, our elders too have worked very hard all their lives and should be recognized for it.
They worked hard without pay mostly all summer and winter.
They never had holidays as we know it today.
For example, our present Sergeant-At-Arms even though he is a senior he still is a very capable worker.
Mr. Speaker, before I finish I would like to say our elders between the ages of 70-80 years old should be recognized for their contributions before they leave us.
They have worked very hard for us so that we could have Nunavut.
Now that they are leaving it to us we should thank them.
Member for Kugluktuk, Mr. Havioyak.
Member’s Statement 154 - 1(5): June Pangon – Female Hockey Championship
Mr. Speaker, it is good to see you here today.
I want to mention a lady from Kugluktuk.
I mentioned this last year in October.
The lady's name is June Pangon.
She will appear in the spotlight again as a hockey player.
She will be one of the eight young women selected across Nunavut to play in the Western Shield Female Hockey championships.
(interpretation ends) The Western Shield Hockey Championship is for teams across Western Canada and it showcases the highest level of Canadian female hockey for teams below the Triple A level of hockey.
They will be playing in Regina, Saskatchewan from April 6th-8th of this year.
I want to wish her well during her tournament in Regina and also express my admiration and dedication for her hard work.
Member’s Statement 155 - 1(5): Germaine Arnataujuk
We used to attend boarding school in Chesterfield Inlet and there were students from all over the Kivalliq region, Whale Cove, Arviat, Pelly Bay.
There were students from different communities in that surrounding area.
Some of those former students have been really helpful in helping Nunavut come into being, but they have never been recognized for the effort that they have made.
Perhaps they should be recognized for the fact that they are Inuit or for the efforts they have put into the Nunavut land claims.
There is some artwork here that was drawn by Germaine Arnataujuk.
How long has Germaine Arnataujuk been an artist now.
Even back then when I went to school with her in Chesterfield Inlet she was already a promising artist back then.
When Nunavut came into being, the globe has become more knowledgeable of Nunavut and the Inuit.
But before that, there were artists and other noted persons who worked for a long time who have never been recognized for their talents.
They have been essential for putting Inuit on the map.
I would like to recognize Germaine Arnataujuk, a former classmate and colleague in Chesterfield Inlet and Churchill.
When we hear about her art and when her art is recognized one can feel proud of her.
One of her sisters is one of the interpreters working in the session today.
I am sure everyone knows Blandina who a lot of us have a chance to converse with.
Her sister's artwork is hanging on our walls.
I am sure she was very instrumental in working on the Nunavut land claims.
Item 5: Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to welcome to the gallery a focus of a member’s statement that I made a week and a half ago concerning a young youth, a young person from Iqaluit who I think is a great role model for people in Nunavut. Ms. Miali Coley.
As you know Mr. Speaker, Miali had been in Ecuador and she did also a work term and life skills workshop and training in Ontario.
She is with us today in the gallery.
The pride of Iqaluit and her mother Elisapee Davidee.
Ms. Miali Coley.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Welcome to the gallery.
I want to recognize somebody else’s son.
When Nunavut came into being on April 1, 1999 there were many people that came to Iqaluit.
There was a drum dancer that came from Mittimatalik, from Pond Inlet, and his wife, and their son is here.
One of my constituents, the son of the drum dancer and his wife.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, and welcome to the Legislative Assembly.
Member from Baker Lake.
Question 179 – 1(5): DMs and ADMs Decentralized to Communities
Mr. Speaker, as the second anniversary of Nunavut draws near, there was a great hype when we were all running for MLAs and wanting to be in the First Legislative Assembly.
One of the themes was that we were going to do things differently.
To date, there have been a lot of up sides and positives.
We have decentralization, we are up to 70% capacity in our communities in the civil service.
But there is one issue that seems to have been forgotten or fallen off to the side.
So my question today is to the Premier.
There was talk about Deputy Ministers and Assistant Deputy Ministers moving into the smaller communities to see what life in Nunavut was all about.
So at this point can the Premier update me if there is going to be a movement of Deputy Ministers and Assistant Deputy Ministers out in the communities to live like the rest of us Nunavummiut.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. McLean. Mr. Premier.
We intended to have some of the Deputy Ministers a majority of which to work in the decentralized communities.
We have a few Assistant Deputy Ministers located in some of the decentralized communities.
That’s very good news.
Can the Premier confirm that he is going to try to get those Deputy Ministers that are entrenched in the bowels of the bureaucracy in Iqaluit out to visit the smaller communities, and can he give me a brief outline of who, and when they are going and where they are going.
I don’t have an exact list right now but I can provide it to the member, the leader of the opposition.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. McLean.
I am glad that he called me the leader of the opposition, but he should realize that we outnumber them, so they are the opposition today.
On the other part, I would be very glad if the Premier would let me know when I can be waiting in Baker Lake for that Deputy Minister or Assistant Deputy Minister to come and visit my community and spend a month or so there, so I can show them what living in Nunavut is like.
I don’t know if there are any plans right now to go to Baker, but there are some other communities.
So I will apologize to the member, but I will check again, a couple of the Deputies haven’t turned up yet, so hopefully I will persuade them to go to Baker and the member will help us in that way.
We are a minority government, so that’s why we are outnumbered.
I am very happy that the Premier has committed to sending someone to Baker Lake and I am very happy that he has committed that he would work with me.
I have someone at the tip of my tongue that I am willing to send him over a note today and tell that person that he should visit Baker Lake for at least a month.
We will provide the member with a list of who is going and when that can take place.
Member for Uqqumiut. Mr. Iqaqrialu.
Question 180 - 1(5): Update on Housing Issues
I want to direct my question to the Minister of the Housing Corporation.
The minister stated that on October 31, 2000 that she was pleased because they had the direction for the Housing Corporation and that they were right up to date in the communities.
Can the minister give us an update on what the Housing Corporation is doing in regards to homeownership and housing units in the Nunavut communities.
I would like to get an update.
Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
There are different programs and projects that we have started with the Nunavut Housing Corporation and the 15 recommendations that were made by the Nunavut Housing Task Force.
Are you directing your question to the homeownership program or to the public housing units.
I would like the member to let me know which type of program that he is talking about.
Speaker (interpretation): Could you rephrase your question please.
Mr. Speaker, the Housing Task Force made some recommendations that were to be considered by your department.
Could you give us an update on the recommendations that were made by the Task Force.
The 15 recommendations that were tabled by the Housing Task Force have been considered and integrated into part of the departmental Business Plan.
The local housing authorities have all been given authority to operate and run the units in the respective communities, with direction from our department.
The local housing authorities have that authority and the recommendations that were tabled are in the works.
They just had a meeting in Rankin Inlet with all the Chairpersons there to implement the 15 recommendations that were made.
Just a short supplementary.
You mentioned the meeting that was held in Rankin Inlet.
Did they make any firm decisions during that conference.
We sent the information prior to the Chairpeople going to Rankin Inlet to have the conference on housing.
They responded to some of the questions already.
They had a good idea of what they were going to be talking about when they went to that meeting in Rankin Inlet.
Speaker (interpretation): Item 6.
Question 181 – 1(5): Additional Teachers for Overcrowded Classrooms
This question will be for the Minister of Education.
This is a question I brought up last year regarding the teacher/student ratio.
The minister said that there were a certain number of students required for one teacher.
If there were too many students in the classroom, what would happen.
We usually have a meeting with the communities to decide what's going to be happening for them for the year.
The DEA and the school principals usually get together to make plans.
If it is anticipated that there will be too many students for a teacher, for example, if there's a gym teacher, they could use him as one of the teachers.
The DEAs usually have a meeting in the beginning of the year and they assess how many students will be in a school in a community.
My question is, when would the employees be able to work where they wanted to.
Would that be at the beginning of the year or in April.
The DEAs, if they have prepared, it's all set for the year.
But usually what they do is have their planning session before the beginning of the school year so that they'll have enough employees.
There are some government employees that are moving to other communities and they usually have children.
For example, if there was a relocation from one community to another in January, what would happen in that case because they had missed being counted at the beginning of the year.
If there were an increase of say 20 additional students in the middle of the year, what would happen.
Would you get another teacher for these students.
If the students were counted already, for example grade four.
If there were additional grade four students in the year, during that year they’re not going to be turned away because they weren't counted at the beginning of the year or if it is going to create a problem.
They would be accommodated.
Question 182 - 1(5): Inuktitut Teachers and Computers
If I had half an hour I would be spending most of my time asking questions.
I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education. It is about the Minister’s Statement that you made.
You said that you were going to have the first ever Nunavut Education Week from March 26-30 and if I read your statement correctly, you gave us an e-mail address, which was www.edu.nu.ca.
I would like to say that web sites and computers are not Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Since that is the case how are the Inuit out there going to be able to include their Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
If I was to make it simpler.
There are some communities that don't have Inuit teachers.
How are you going to accommodate those people without access to computers or websites.
It is not even Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
If we look through it.
Computers are quite new.
It doesn't create a problem for the unilingual Inuit.
But what we are trying to do here is to have it accessible.
To create ideas and so on.
We are going to like I said Mr. Speaker, they will be able to access this website to get some ideas and to incorporate their ideas.
What the communities’ members can do is talk to the teachers and to the school employees so they can get an idea of what they would like to see integrated into the school system.
That is why we made this website with an access address.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you for that information.
But I would like to get further clarification on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
If I was to use myself as an example, I am a unilingual Inuk and the person that I want to talk to is unilingual English.
How are these two going to communicate with each other.
How are they going to be able to talk to one another about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Are we going to be getting casual employees in order to have those people communicate with one another.
We are currently working on it and on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
We are fully supportive and we know that the community employees, teachers and more Inuit are bilingual.
It will show a closer working relationship between the two.
We don't want this to become a barrier.
We hope to keep working on it, so that there would be closer working relationship among the community as a whole.
I thank you for that response.
I fully support this idea but I feel that with this week, this is going to be the first ever Nunavut education week and a lot of the community residents will be out on the land because it is going to be spring.
How are you going to do this.
We would find out right away if that wasn't the right time to do it because of course, we wouldn't be able to achieve what we initially set out to do.
But I'm sure it's going to be different with each individual community.
There will be more activities in some communities and less in others but only after this first education week will we understand where the challenges are and how we can improve them.
Speaker (interpretation): Your last supplementary, Mr. Iqaqrialu.
Just hearing this announcement, it's already March 26 and it goes to the 30th.
Was this information sent out to the communities prior to March 26th.
I apologize for throwing my earpiece.
Like I said, I was pleased to announce the first ever Nunavut Education Week.
I know it's March 26th now and it only goes to the 30 but I was pleased to make that announcement.
Afterwards and since this is the first ever, I'm sure the people out there will be anticipating it next year after this initial announcement and we will be giving out the information prior to the week coming on.
Member for Kugluktuk. Mr. Havioyak.
Question 183 – 1(5): Classroom Assistants for Kugluktuk
I've mentioned a number of times that teachers in the schools require assistants.