EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Question 318 – 4(3): Need for Direct Sealift Services to Kugaaruk (Qirngnuq)
Mr. Qirngnuq (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My questions are for the Minister of Community and Government Services.
Mr. Speaker, I note that the carriers that deliver sealift service are not owned or operated by the Government of Nunavut.
However, the department is responsible for the coordination of sealift activities for the government.
I also note that individuals and businesses can benefit from the terms and conditions that the government negotiates with these carriers.
As I stated previously, it is important that Kugaaruk continues to receive direct sealift deliveries as was completed in the summer of 2015.
Can the minister indicate if he is aware of the sealift resupply plans for the community of Kugaaruk for the upcoming 2016 shipping season and, if so, do these plans involve the direct delivery of cargo to the community?
Kugaaruk, in the distant past, never used to get sealift during ice conditions.
The ice conditions have changed and they started getting sealift.
As far as CGS is concerned, which is one of the departments that use the shipping companies, there will be a sealift into Kugaaruk, but as everyone knows, we have no control of the ice and wind conditions.
We will be at the mercy of the ice conditions, but my understanding is that it’s business as usual with the shipping companies that normally go to Kugaaruk and the other places.
On March 11, 2016, the minister tabled his department’s 2014-15 Procurement Activity Report, which indicates that the department contracted professional services to complete an annual sealift report.
As of today, the department’s most recent annual sealift report available on its website is for 2013.
Can the minister indicate if his department has completed annual sealift reports for the years 2014 and 2015 and, if so, will he make these reports available to the public?
CGS has many tabling requirements and off the top of my head, I don’t know them all.
I will look in to see if this is one of the tabling requirements. There’s certain stuff that is tabled because they are required and other times, stuff is tabled just for information, but I will look into this and see if it’s a tabling requirement.
As for the sealift report, I believe most communities did get their sealift order last year.
I know for a fact that not all supplies were shipped off here due to weather and ice conditions.
When a community doesn’t get their sealift orders, it’s generally due to conditions beyond the control of the government, such as ice, wind, and weather.
I will get back to the member as to whether this is a tabling requirement and I will get back and give him the information.
On March 11, 2016, the minister tabled his department’s 2014-15 Contract Activity Report, which indicates that the government “awarded several large multi-year contracts for Sealift Services” in the 2012-13 fiscal year.
Can the minister tell us today which carriers the government has contracted to provide sealift services and when do these contracts expire?
The government has many contracts that expire on many different dates and I can’t tell the member right now when that contract will expire. I will have to get back to him.
As for carriers, I believe there are just two main carriers that come over to the eastern Arctic, but I will get back to the member on which carrier has contracts with the government and when the contract will expire.
Question 319 – 4(3): Site Clean-up of the Peter Pitseolak School (Joanasie)
I think today is CG&S day.
As the minister will recall, during the fall 2015 sitting of the Legislative Assembly, I asked a number of questions concerning the site clean-up of the Peter Pitseolak High School.  On October 30, 2015, the minister at the time indicated that there were some issues concerning the tendering process for this project.
Can the minister indicate if a tender for the site clean-up of the Peter Pitseolak High School has been awarded to date?
Since that tragic school fire in Cape Dorset, both CGS and Education are doing all we can do and as much as we can to help with the community of Cape Dorset so that they can get a school as soon as possible.
Part of the process is to clean up the old debris from the school that did burn. I can tell and assure the member right now that the burned out debris from the Peter Pitseolak School will be cleaned up this summer.
We are working with the proponent right now to have it cleaned up and hauled away from its current location.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the response.
On November 2, 2015, the minister at that time indicated that this site clean-up would take place during the spring and summer seasons of this year.
Can the minister provide more specific information as to when his department will begin the site clean-up of the Peter Pitseolak High School?
As I stated earlier, the clean-up will start in the summer of 2016 and it will be completed before the end of the summer, before freeze up.
Part of the problem last year was that everything froze into place and it could not be properly cleaned up and that’s why it was delayed until this summer.
I can give the member some updates as to why I can’t give him specific dates.
There’s a piece of equipment that CGS is bringing into Cape Dorset that’s called a metal shredder/baler. What it does is it cuts up or shreds large pieces of metal to make them into more handle-able sizes, compacts and bales it so that it can be stored in a compact manner.
We’re not sure when that is coming on sealift, but it is coming on sealift and it will be used as part of the clean-up, but the site will be cleaned up before freeze-up.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the minister for providing that information.
My last question is in regard to another part of his earlier statement about the metal shredder.
Can the minister explain what the process of this clean-up will involve from start to finish?
I can explain how the process should work or will work.
When the school burned down, everything that was burnable burned. Only “non-burnables” such as metal are left on the burned site.
We’re not sure when the baler is coming, so we will move the debris onto the metal dump location and have the baler there to shred and compact it and store it in a compact manner.
The reason we’re moving it from the location is because we’re not sure when the baler will be there and we would like to make sure that the site is cleaned up as quickly as possible for many reasons. The aesthetic part of the reason is it is a danger to have big scraps of metal all over the place. Kids could play on it and get hurt.
At first, it will be hauled away and then it will be shredded, baled, and put away for storage until it can be disposed of.
Question 320 – 4(3): GN Contracts for Medical and Duty Travel (Mikkungwak)
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) My questions are for the Minister of Health.
In 2011, the government awarded contracts under standing offer agreements for medical and duty travel.
Section 2.2.8 of the government’s request for proposals indicated that, and I quote, “the term of the agreement will be for a period of three years with the possibility of three one-year extensions.”
If my math is correct, the latest that this could be extended is the year 2017.
For the record, can the minister confirm when the government’s current contracts for medical and duty travel expire?
The current contracts for medical and duty travel will expire August 31, 2017.
The Government of Nunavut spends money on medical travel for residents, duty travel for employees, and shipping cargo for its operations.
Will the government’s next request for proposals cover all three areas?
Our department is working with CG&S and Finance to prepare for the contracting process and we will be evaluating the best procurement methods moving forward.
The northern airline industry is very different today than it was back in 2011.
Back in 2011, one of the entities to be awarded work under this contract was the Nunasi Corporation, which no longer has an ownership interest in any of the airlines. Today, we are dealing with the codeshare environment.
For the purposes of the government’s contracts for medical travel and duty travel, does the GN consider First Air and Canadian North to be competing with each other or cooperating with each other?
I can’t speak on behalf of the whole government, so I can’t answer that question.
Question 321 – 4(3): Plebiscite/NTI Consultations (Okalik)
Several days ago, I tabled a document to the Assembly and it was the response from the vice-president of the Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated regarding the agreement.
I would now like to ask the minister responsible for the land claims agreement, the Premier, why the NTI position on alcohol was not discussed nor did any consultation occur with NTI.
I wonder if the Premier can pause on this process in order to improve communication and to consult with Inuit.
I’m going to let the minister responsible for the liquor commission going back to the previous government and the consultations that he was responsible for respond to that question.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. Your first supplementary, Mr. Okalik.
My apologies. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of Liquor, Mr. Taptuna. (interpretation) My apologies.
I read the letter yesterday that was tabled and it’s a little vague.
As I recall the consultation process, there was a task force assembled by the Department of Finance. There were ten to twelve members appointed and NTI was one of the members.
They went around for 27 months as members of the task force and consulted with all the communities of Nunavut. They prepared a couple of reports that were tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The government has a minister assigned to implement the land claims agreement, as the Premier has that authority, and it is outlined within our government mandate. I am trying to ask the minister responsible for administering the land claims agreement.
The agreement is not being complied with and more consultations are required to hear the Inuit position.
This rushed attempt to open up a beer and wine store is what I was asking the Premier to put the brakes on so that we can complete our consultations of our fellow residents.
As the Premier, I designate responsibility to ministers that are selected by the House, and the minister responsible will respond to that question.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister responsible for the Liquor Licensing Board, Mr. Peterson.
As I recall, the Government of Nunavut has not actually made an announcement about a beer and wine store. Mr. Okalik made that announcement after he left cabinet. It was reported through the media.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the letter is a little bit vague.
Mr. Speaker, we all know in Nunavut and in particular, in Iqaluit, they have liquor establishments; they have a liquor warehouse and we issue liquor permits; and there are personal exemptions and special permits.
There was a treatment centre that was actually closed down here in 1999 out in Apex.
Promises were made by certain people to reopen a treatment centre. We also have bootleggers who are serving the community of Iqaluit and many other communities.
Mr. Speaker, there was a lot of consultation on liquor and that’s precisely why we did the task force.
They made a number of recommendations and one of them was to open up a beer and wine outlet.
The Government of Nunavut has proposed to open up a pilot project for three years and to monitor it. We know that there has been good success in other geographical areas such as Northern Quebec and Greenland. That has even been noted by the media and the Government of Greenland.
I’m disappointed to see that we don’t have a minister for the land claims agreement and I know that my colleagues of Nunavut will be missing this.
I know that the minister alluded to the other countries and that they have liquor stores and treatment centres, but we don’t have a treatment centre in Nunavut.
Even before we open a liquor store, we should perhaps hear from the public first and consult with the people before we open a beer and wine store.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Premier of Nunavut, Mr. Taptuna. (interpretation) I apologize. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Minister of the Liquor Licensing Board, Mr. Peterson.
Again I don’t want to revisit all the history, but I have done a lot of research into this and there was a treatment centre in Iqaluit down in Apex and it closed in 1999 for a lack of support or use.
In the years following, in the early years of the first government, there were promises made to open up a treatment centre. In fact, the member himself was at a conference in Montreal, I think, in September of 2002 where he promised that a limited detox treatment centre would be opened. That has never happened.
Over the years, the government, through the Department of Health, has helped the people in Nunavut for referrals to treatment centres. The Government of Nunavut has tested the pilot project for a mobile addictions treatment facility.
Again, as I say, there have been extensive consultations. The government continues to work internally to provide support to communities and individuals who have addictions issues. We know it’s a serious issue.
The purpose of the beer and wine outlet, of course, is to try to offer low-cost beer and wine products with low-content alcohol.
That would disrupt bootleggers and hopefully reduce the impact of binge drinking in this community.
Question 322 – 4(3): Expansion of the Iqaluit Medical Boarding Facility (Keyootak)
Mr. Speaker, I always seem to ask questions regarding the Tammaativvik Boarding Home used by medical patients here in Iqaluit.
In particular, I tend to visit the boarding home due to its location here on Baffin Island. Perhaps the MLAs from the Baffin region would take the time to visit the facility to see first hand the numbers of patients at the boarding home that come in from the various communities.
Whenever I am in town, I take the time to visit the facility as many of our constituents stay at the Tammaativvik Boarding Home.
Just recently, quite a number of patients arrived to see the optometrist and joint specialists in large numbers.
When this occurs, the space at the boarding home is insufficient.
I know for a fact that it is a fairly new facility. Nonetheless, I took the time yesterday to visit the boarding home and greet the medical patients.
Some of the patients had no space due to the lack of capacity in the boarding home.
Other patients attending doctor appointments or awaiting birth board there.
When large numbers of patients arrive to see the specialists, it becomes almost impossible to accommodate them all.
This highlights the fact that the boarding home capacity is no longer sufficient to meet the needs, especially since Tammaativvik is generally always full these days.
Can the minister indicate if any plans have been considered to add more space or find another facility to house these extra patients?
The Tammaativvik Boarding Home for patients was contracted to the (interpretation ends) Nova Group of Companies (interpretation) back in 2009.
Since that time, the number of patients has increased at the boarding home.
I discussed this matter with my officials just recently.
They continually meet with the boarding home staff and contractors.
Just recently, they met again in March, as they meet quarterly.
Those regular meetings are still occurring.
This is the situation we are in today.
I wonder if preparations can be made prior to a new facility being constructed for medical patients. Has the department explored other facilities that could accommodate the extra patients when the numbers are too high?
Some patients stay there for long periods to await their appointments while others are seen and leave quite quickly. Whenever patients are bumped off the plane, they also have to return to the boarding home and this exacerbates the situation at the boarding home, leading to overcrowding.
Some patients cannot be accommodated, without any space available, although they are here to attend to medical appointments.
Since they are here for medical reasons, they should be properly looked after, especially patients who have been boarding for long periods.
It becomes obvious that it is very stressful for patients in that situation.
I wonder if the issue of overcrowding can be resolved prior to a new facility being constructed. Has the department considered other facilities that could be used to house these patients?
When the boarding home is filled to capacity, they usually ask the patients if they have relatives that they could billet with in the homes of Iqaluit. There are a number of hotels in Iqaluit that can accommodate patients that come in. The hotels are also used on occasion where the boarding home is full to capacity.
This also occurs when patients arrive late at night where a cot is set up and the patient will be provided a room the next day.
That is the usual practice followed by the boarding home.
With that practice being the case now, has the department contemplated any plans to build a new, larger boarding home in our future?
As per my earlier statement, discussions are ongoing with the contractor managing the boarding home and with the accommodation clerks. My officials have continued to keep in touch to resolve the issues.
At this time, there is nothing concrete planned for our future, but we have started to look at negotiations with construction companies.
I cannot state the details at this time, but plans are being developed.
Furthermore, with respect to medical patients you referenced earlier, sometimes a multitude of patients arrive to attend to specialists or for appointments with doctors.
I believe you asked if consideration could be given to having smaller groups arrive simultaneously rather than large groups. I think you mentioned dental and joint specialist appointments where large numbers of patients arrive and if that could be dealt with.
This is part of our deliberations on these issues.
Question 323 – 4(3): Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure (Enook)
During our recent winter sitting, the Legislative Assembly approved $1.2 million in funding for the new Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Project.
The federal government has publicly committed $30.0 million towards the project.
My first question to the minister is: can she confirm what specific studies and design work will be undertaken during the summer and fall of the current 2016 calendar year?
Yes, it was very pleasant to hear the announcement about the Pond Inlet funding commitment announced by the federal government.
It was sent in written format to our attention dated March 9, 2016 that the government would help fund the project.
This agreement was sent to us, as the funds will be under our control.
For fiscal year 2016-17, we set aside $1.2 million to be used for the (interpretation ends) environmental and geotechnical (interpretation) phases of the project that will be started this coming summer.
As I noted earlier, the Legislative Assembly has already approved an initial $1.2 million towards the Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Project. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $40.0 million.
Mr. Speaker, can the minister confirm how much funding will be included for the new Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Project in her department’s upcoming capital estimates for the 2017-18 fiscal year that the Legislative Assembly will be considering during the fall of the 2016 calendar year?
Can the minister indicate how much funding will be included for that project?
When we’re dealing with the capital estimates in the fall of 2016 for the 2017-18 fiscal year, we will be asking for $6 million to initiate the project for Pond Inlet.
I would also like to ask the minister to confirm what the plan date is for the new Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Project to become operational.
The member is aware that we will be discussing this in detail in the fall session.
When we’re looking at the 2018 capital estimates, there will be another request for $4 million and that would be the final part of the funding for that particular project.
If it’s not completed in 2018-19, we’re looking at having the whole project completed possibly in 2020.
Question 324 – 4(3): Rankin Inlet Elders Receiving Care Elsewhere (Sammurtok, A)
Mr. Alexander Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation ends) I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health.
Mr. Speaker, I have risen on many occasions in this House to address the need for an elders facility in Rankin Inlet.
Currently, there are no less than nine Rankin Inlet elders receiving care in communities away from home.
Four are in Baker Lake, one in Arviat, one in Gjoa Haven, and three in Ottawa.
More than a dozen Rankin Inlet elders will be added to that list in the near future as their families will no longer be able to provide the level of care they need.
Can the minister clarify whether the number of elders needing care within a given community is given any consideration when the government considers opening a new elders care facility?
Hon. Monica Ell-Kanayuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the member for always representing the elders.
We have been discussing this in our department and what kind of plans we can bring forward to accommodate the elders.
It’s not an easy issue.
To date, we are looking at whether we’re going to be renovating or revamping the current facilities we have for elders before looking at other options.
Mr. Sammurtok: Mr. Speaker, as many of my colleagues will know, it is extremely difficult for elders and for their families when they are sent away to receive care so far away from home.
Can the minister clearly describe the approach taken by her departmental officials when they are coordinating the transfer of an elder to a referral centre that is far away from the supportive environment of that elder’s home community and family?
I believe you’re talking about making plans to transferring an elder to a referral centre.
The Department of Health has different ways of dealing with it. For example, first of all, we assess the elder’s home and we try to make sure that they stay home as long as they can.
Following the deterioration of their health, they would be provided home care. With further deterioration when they require 24-hour nursing care, it would be the last level. Since that type of service is not available locally, they’re sent outside of their community.
There is close communication between the care providers and the clients before any steps are taken.
Mr. Sammurtok: Mr. Speaker, in some cases, families have understood that an elder will be moved away from their community to receive care on a temporary basis, only to discover that the elder will remain in an unfamiliar environment for a much longer time than anticipated.
This becomes even more stressful when nobody in the referral centre can speak their language or fully understand the elder’s needs for comfort.
Can the minister explain what steps are taken to properly and adequately communicate the relevant issues and placement plans with clients and their family members when they are transferred?
There’s a referral made to send our elders to a referral centre when their condition is too deteriorated and they need 24-hour nursing care and to make sure that they’re in a safe environment. It’s not only the safety of the elder but also the safety of their relatives.
There are usually close discussions with the elder.
If they’re sent to a referral centre, it’s not only to facilities in the south but also other places like Igloolik where we have ten beds and some are sent to (interpretation ends) Gjoa Haven (interpretation) where we also have ten beds.
There are also elders centres in Nunavut that are not under the direction of the Department of Health.