EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Speaker, back when we had dollar bills, we used to talk about the importance of “stretching the dollar.”
Although we now use loonies, the principle remains the same.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the government tabled a new home will guide, which is intended to help families ensure that their affairs are in order for when the inevitable comes to pass.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the government to work with its partners to also help families, especially young families, to build skills in the area of basic household budgeting.
Mr. Speaker, we all know that the cost of living in Nunavut is very high and we all know that many of our families have to make ends meet on their limited incomes.
Mr. Speaker, household and family budgeting is a valuable skill that can be learned.
I strongly support further work in this important area.
Member’s Statement 360 – 3(3): Improving Services for Children (Ugyuk)
I say “good day” to the people of Nattilik and my relatives. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the ongoing need to improve services for children and their families across Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, some time ago, in June of 2010, the Minister of Health and Social Services tabled the Final Report of the Knowledge Sharing Forum, which was a review of child welfare practices in Nunavut.
The review was the beginning of public consultations which would lead to a review of the Child and Family Services Act.
Mr. Speaker, to this day, we have received no clear information or updates with respect to what changes are being considered to amend the legislation which governs many child welfare practices in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, when the government undertakes consultations and reviews in an important issue, it leads to expectations across the territory. People are anxious for changes to the system that provides protection for Nunavut’s children.
Mr. Speaker, there are many factors which affect the safety and well-being of Nunavut’s children and youth. It is important that solutions be family-oriented.
For example, we need to focus on substance abuse programs so that families, as a whole, can get back on their feet.
We need to address domestic violence. We need to work towards providing adequate housing and employment opportunities.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to note that Nunavut Tunngavik approved a resolution at its recent AGM calling for government action to improve the situation for Inuit children in care.
Mr. Speaker, I would note that our regional Inuit organizations also have responsibilities in this area and it is not clear to me that much effort is made to meet those responsibilities.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that our government work with all the stakeholders across Nunavut to provide and administer the best possible services for all of our children, Inuit and non-Inuit alike.
Member’s Statement 361 – 3(3): Tribute to the Canadian Rangers (Oshutapik)
Mr. Oshutapik (interpretation): Good afternoon, my fellow residents of Pangnirtung.
Good afternoon, my colleagues. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Canadian Rangers.
(interpretation) Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Canadian Rangers, which occurred in 1947. (interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, although the Canadian Rangers have been on duty for 65 years, we are not yet ready to retire.
Mr. Speaker, the formal role of the Canadian Rangers is to protect Canada’s sovereignty by reporting unusual activities or sightings, collecting local data of significance to the Canadian Forces, conducting surveillance and sovereignty patrols, and participating in search and rescue operations.
Mr. Speaker, I have been proud to serve in the Rangers for a number of years.
At the community level, Rangers instruct, mentor, and supervise the Junior Canadian Rangers.
This excellent program teaches our youth a number of important skills, as well as building such qualities as personal discipline and commitment to community.
Mr. Speaker, there are approximately 5,000 Canadian Rangers in 178 communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, Remembrance Day falls on Monday of next week. I ask all members to join me in saluting the Canadian Rangers for 65 years of courage and dedication.
Member’s Statement 362 – 3(3): Support for Decentralization (Enook)
Good afternoon, people of Pond Inlet and Nunavummiut.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for decentralization.
Mr. Speaker, as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Tununiq, I represent one of Nunavut’s decentralized communities.
Mr. Speaker, when the Government of Nunavut was established, its decentralized model was intended to achieve a number of important goals.
These included ensuring that not all decision-making was centralized in the capital city; providing employment and training opportunities in smaller communities; and strengthening local economies.
Mr. Speaker, recent figures tabled by the government indicate that there are approximately 150 government positions located in Pond Inlet. Over 80 of these are filled by Inuit.
Mr. Speaker, decentralization has provided real benefits…
…for my community and my constituents.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, the government tabled a detailed functional review of decentralization as well as a new Decentralization Action Plan. I will have questions for the government at the appropriate time on its action plan.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to urge the government to take action to fill vacant positions in decentralized communities.
Are there any nays? There being none. Please proceed, Mr. Enook.
I will continue to urge the government to take action to fill vacant positions in decentralized communities.
I will continue to oppose any attempt to move positions or functions back to Iqaluit that are currently located in Pond Inlet.
I will continue to stand up for my constituents, who expect and deserve to share in the benefits of decentralization.
Member’s Statement 363 – 3(3): Involving Our Communities (Tapardjuk)
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, residents of Igloolik and Hall Beach.
Prior to making my statement, I would like my relatives to note that although my grandchild was medevaced last night, I can state that he is safe and sound. He is feeling better and my relatives ought not to worry about him. I just wanted to convey that message to my relatives.
Mr. Speaker, I have risen many times in this House to bring forward questions and concerns regarding the government’s lack of progress in ensuring that Inuit knowledge and Inuit understanding and Inuit values are an integral part of delivering services across the territory.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that Inuit are taking more of a role in governing themselves.
However, Inuit participation in the government labour force is not enough to ensure the incorporation of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in how they perform their work and deliver services to the general public.
Mr. Speaker, when we define and use the term Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, the cultural distinctiveness of Inuit knowledge exerts itself.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is the all-encompassing term for, among other things, cultural, environment and humanitarian values.
These further define Inuit societal values.
Mr. Speaker, incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into government does not mean creating some abstract framework with an existence and justification totally distinct from the people the government is meant to serve.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into government does not mean creating some abstract framework with an existence and justification totally distinct from the people the government is meant to serve.
Instead, the goal should be to provide social and cultural cohesiveness in order that our society as a whole, with the advice of our elders, can maintain its culture and identity while facing rapid social change.
Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned that the government’s lack of vision and action in incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is alienating our communities more and more.
Mr. Speaker, the government is getting further and further away from the people.
The people feel less involved in a system which has a major influence on their lives and the lives of their families.
Mr. Speaker, if I may use a simple example, every community has a hamlet council and under each council, there is a community wellness committee. However, the committee has little to no say in how wellness services are accessed or delivered in the community.
The Department of Health and Social Services, run out of a faceless headquarters, determines all of those services. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit isn’t even given a chance.
Mr. Speaker, there is a great divide.
For the sake of our future and the future of this territory, I call upon the government to make greater efforts to bridge this divide.
Member’s Statement 364 – 3(3): Get Well Soon, Betty Ann Eaton (Aariak)
I rise today to send best wishes for a speedy recovery to one of my constituents, Betty Ann Eaton, whom people know quite well, both here in Iqaluit and points beyond.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I wish to send good wishes for a speedy recovery to one of my constituency members.
Mr. Speaker, Betty Ann Eaton needs little introduction. Betty Ann is an active member of our community and has worked for First Air for almost 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, as some of you may know, Betty Ann suffered a massive stroke this summer and, as a result, underwent open-heart surgery.
Betty Ann has a long recovery ahead of her and is currently receiving rehabilitation treatments.
Those who know Betty Ann will know what a strong woman she is. Our community rallied Betty Ann and will support her as her health improves.
My thoughts are with her husband, Randy, and her children Herbert, Jacklyn, Shawn, and Mary Ann.
Get well soon, Betty Ann. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’m sure we all wish Betty Ann a speedy recovery.
Member’s Statement 365 – 3(3): Insurance Rates in Nunavut (Curley)
Good afternoon, Rankin Inlet residents and I hope you have a wonderful day.
I wish to make a brief statement about a concern I have as a Member of the Legislative Assembly and as a regular person.
This concern, which is starting to be shared by many residents, is with respect to roads.
With Nunavut not having any highways, insurance rates with our amount of traffic is amongst the highest in all of Canada.
Every vehicle, whether it is hunting equipment, now requires insurance, such as ATVs, which are called four-wheelers or Hondas.
As well, if you purchase any vehicle, you can’t drive the vehicle within a community without insurance.
The insurance policies are enough that it is profitable, yet we don’t even have a single highway.
Mr. Speaker, the insurance, in my opinion, is only used whenever we have freezing rain or flash freezing.
The driver is not the one responsible for the freezing rain, but if the driver is in an accident and if they are liable for that accident, the insurance rates increase.
It is almost impossible to pay for the insurance rates, especially when you aren’t permanently employed. Many people are unemployed in our communities who require vehicles for mobility.
Due to this reason, Mr. Speaker, our vehicle regulations are quite cumbersome here in Nunavut. Just recently, the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission developed a traffic control code of practice, which is specific to construction sites, particularly with workplace hazards and safety.
Here in Iqaluit, we observe this practically everyday, where construction workers are trying to climb slippery ladders or stairs, or trying to drag materials with heavy equipment, which can be quite dangerous.
Last week, there was a blockage when a vehicle lost traction and wood was on the road. You couldn’t stop or go around it since you would get rear-ended if you stopped.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing too many potential safety violations.
The vehicles sometimes have to park on the sides of the road up in the plateau subdivision on both sides of the road.
There are also students walking along the road, so this becomes another safety concern. I will be asking questions on this at the appropriate time.
Member’s Statement 366 – 3(3): Appreciation to Iqaluit Elders’ Centre (Peterson)
Good afternoon to my constituents in Cambridge Bay.
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to take this opportunity, while I have this chance, to thank the elders at the Iqaluit elders’ centre for their hospitality on Friday afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, Mayor John Graham and I had the opportunity to drop by the centre and visit the ladies. They invited us over. It was a very pleasant and relaxing afternoon for us.
We had some good conversations. I told the ladies about the elders in Cambridge Bay and how they live and enjoy life in our community.
The ladies told me that they’re open Monday to Friday, 1:00 to 4:00. They welcome visitors.
I wholeheartedly encourage people to drop by and visit them and share.
If you’re from out of town, tell them what’s happening in your community.
I have to say that it was a very relaxing afternoon.
Mayor Graham was the new politician, so it was a good chance for him to relax for a couple of hours and talk to the people who had some good advice to give to people, such as politicians. I was getting lobbied a little bit down there.
For the most part, it was a good afternoon. I would probably go again.
Return to Oral Question 437 – 3(3): Lack of Daycare Spaces in Nunavut (Aariak)
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I have a return to oral question asked by the Member for Nattilik concerning lack of daycare spaces in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, this return is quite detailed. I have filed it with the Clerk for transcribing into Hansard for public record and for distribution to all members.
*See Appendix for charts of Return to Oral Question 437 – 3(3) filed with the Clerk.
The Department of Education offers support for early childhood education and development programs and services through various initiatives.
These initiatives include:
Licensed Childcare Facility Program
District Education Authority Early Childhood Education Program
Healthy Children Initiative
Parental subsidies (daycare user subsidy and Young Parents Stay Learning)
Early childhood education training.
Below you will find a description of each program.
Four regional early childhood officers (ECOs) administer the Licensed Childcare Facility Program, Healthy Children Initiative, Young Parents Stay Learning, and may provide assistance with the daycare user subsidy and early childhood training programs.
The ECOs are located in the regional offices for career and early childhood services located in Pangnirtung, Rankin Inlet, and Cambridge Bay.
Two early childhood language program coordinators administer the DEA early childhood education funding, as well as work on developing early childhood education resources that promote Inuit language and culture.
They are located in the curriculum and school services headquarters office in Pangnirtung.
The early childhood development manager provides policy direction, updates to the minister and senior management, as well as supporting and providing guidance to the ECOs and the early childhood language program coordinators.
The early childhood development manager is located with adult learning, career and early childhood services in Iqaluit.
Licensed child care facilities can include:
Daycare (care for children 0 to 6 years old, either full time (more than five hours per day) or part time, depending on the needs of the parents/caregivers)
Preschool (sessions for children less than 6 years old for less than four consecutive hours per day)
Out of school care (care for school-aged children after their normal school hours)
Family day home (care to all age groups in operators’ own home)
There are 52 licensed child care facilities currently operating:
7 Aboriginal Head Start preschool programs (we do not fund Aboriginal Head Start programs (they receive funding from Health Canada), but we still license, inspect, and monitor them)
30 full-time child care facilities
7 part-time child care facilities
1 family day home and
7 after school programs
This constitutes a total of 1,083 licensed child care spaces:
520 full-time preschool spaces;
170 full-time infant spaces;
244 part-time preschool spaces; and
149 after school spaces
Attached with this letter is a list of all licensed child care facilities by community that are currently operating, as well as the list of child care facilities that are closed and those in development.
Under the Licensed Childcare Facility Program, early childhood offers assist all licensed child care facilities by monitoring, inspecting, providing guidance and advice, as well as funding licensed child care facilities.
The ECOs also will assist any group or individual wishing to open a licensed child care facility.
The Department of Education has a budget of $2.15 million to assist eligible licensed child care facilities with their operating costs (O&M Program Contribution), start-up costs (Start-Up), or for health and safety expenses (Health and Safety).
O&M program contribution funding was increased by 10 percent April 1, 2010 and the funding allocation was changed to 75 percent for licensed spaces and 25 percent based on actual attendance from 50 percent for licensed spaces and 50 percent for actual attendance.
Only facilities that are in good standing with Legal Registries may be eligible for funding.
O&M Program Contribution - Annual funding that can be used for any operating expense that helps maintain established licensed child care programs and encourage the development of qualified staff and programs, and the provision of infant and special needs spaces.
Licensed facilities must be in good standing with Legal Registries and provide current financial statements and list of board of directors to our offices in order to be eligible for O&M program contribution funding.
Start-Up - One-time funding for non-profit organizations to help child care facilities purchase the necessary toys, equipment, and program materials needed to open.
This funding cannot be used to purchase, construct, or do major renovations to a building.
In order to receive start-up funding, there needs to be a demonstration of community need (e.g. if an existing centre is not used to at least 90 percent capacity, startup for a new centre will not be approved).
To start any licensed child care facility, the following is needed:
A brief description of the program, including goals and objectives
Needs assessment and three letters of support
Approval from the Office of the Fire Marshal regarding compliance with the National Fire Code
Approval from the office of the environment health officer regarding compliance with the Public Health Act
A copy of a draft budget for the start-up funds (if applying for funding)
Proof of incorporation as a non-profit organization in good standing with Nunavut Legal Registries (if applying for funding)
Proof of compliance with zoning by-laws from the municipality
Proof of a minimum of $2 million comprehensive general liability insurance (or proof that there will be once the premium is paid)
Application for a child care facility licence
Health and Safety - Funding (limited to $5,000) is to correct or improve the facility through repairs, renovations, or additional equipment so that it meets all fire and health regulations.
Facilities in currently operating GN buildings are not eligible for this funding component of the Early Childhood Program.
A letter with a quote for the work to be done, along with the inspection report from fire or health showing the requirement for the work to be done must be submitted to our offices before funding will be approved.
While the department recognizes that in some communities, more licensed child care spaces are needed, it is up to community groups and individuals to open and operate the licensed child care facilities.
The biggest barrier in opening a new facility seems to be the lack of available physical space, either in an existing building or in a new construction of a building.
The Department of Education has committed that all new constructions of education buildings or major renovations and additions to existing education buildings will include a space for early childhood programming (whether it be a licensed facility or an unlicensed program, such as a parent and tot group).
The extra cost to a project is an estimated $1,350,000 to incorporate a space of an average size daycare of 150 square metres (for approximately 20 to 30 spaces, dependent on the type of spaces – infant, preschool, school-age).
Another challenge for early childhood programs is finding qualified staff to work for the wages that they can afford to pay.
On average, staff at licensed early childhood facilities earn between $14 and $20 an hour to care for, supervise, and teach young children.
District Education Authority (DEAs) Early Childhood Education Program
In 2011, section 17 of the Education Act, which states that DEAs shall provide early childhood programs that promote fluency in the Inuit language and knowledge of the Inuit culture, came into effect.
Regulations were also developed and require all district education authorities to provide and report on how they are in compliance with section 17 of the Education Act.
To aid in meeting section 17 of the Education Act, there is $1.6 million available to district education authorities to support Inuit language and culture in existing early childhood programs or the DEAs may provide their own program.
Funds are allocated based on project application(s) from DEAs that are in support of increasing language and culture activities, such as elder involvement, engaging parents, and using local resources.
DEAs are encouraged to work with early childhood programs in their communities.
For the 2010-11 fiscal year, 11 DEAs accessed the funding available through the department and for the 2011-12 fiscal year, 21 DEAs accessed the funding.
However, for this 2012-13 fiscal year, proposals and/or reports are slower coming in and so to date, only a handful of proposals have been pre-approved pending receipt of last fiscal year’s funding financial report.
A list of what DEAs accessed the funding since 2010 is attached to this letter.
Some DEAs have struggled with meeting section 17 of the Education Act.
The department has noticed that there are some challenges in accessing the funding, implementing the approved proposals, and submitting the required reports in a timely manner.
Programs (whether DEA run or run by an early childhood program) may have difficulty finding qualified staff and elders, there may be a delay in transferring funding from a DEA to an early childhood program, there may be difficulty in keeping accurate financial records, and there may be a lack of will to provide this programming.
The two early childhood language program coordinators are available to assist the district education authorities and early childhood programs in accessing this funding and submitting the required reports.
The department also has a budget of $674,000 for developing resources and materials for use in early childhood programs, as well as resources for children and parents who want to develop language and culture at home.
Currently three curriculum units (Stars, Fish, and Boats) are being finalized and translated for distribution to kindergarten classes and early childhood programs.
Healthy Children Initiative (HCI)
Healthy Children Initiative is a proposal-based program designed to fund the development of early childhood family-centred programs and services in communities that would support the developmental needs of young children and their families from before birth to age 6.
HCI provides financial support to organizations and communities for programs and services that try to achieve the vision of “healthy children born to healthy parents, growing up in strong and supportive families in caring communities.”
There is a total annual budget of $908,000 for HCI’s two funding programs, Community Initiatives and Supportive Services.