EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It is a good time to celebrate that and welcome the spring weather.
This is a four day celebration that includes snowmobile races, harpoon throwing contest, long drive golf contest and a seal hunt.
Mr. Speaker, there will be live music provided by the King William Island Band from Gjoa Haven and a square dance with music by a well known Kugluktummiut, Mr. Collin Adjun.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker I encourage all my constituents to participate in the activities.
I hope that everyone has a safe time enjoying the spring weather and sunshine.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank the sponsors and volunteers that make events like this possible.
I wish everyone the best of luck in each contest they enter.
Member’s Statement 041 – 1(6): Safety Cautions for Spring Camping
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the new ways of travel we are using today which we never used to use.
We are now very proud of Nunavut and now that the 24 hour sunlight has come back I know that the community residents will be going out camping during the nice weather.
But at times there is bad weather in the spring, sometimes it may snow a lot, and at times there is no visibility at all and it gets cold.
It can also get very foggy reducing visibility to nil.
I know campers will be going out camping over the weekend even when the ice is getting thin and full of holes.
Therefore as the weather gets warmer and people go out camping I would like to advise all the campers to be cautious and to think about safety.
We now use new methods that we didn’t use in the past such as GPS and so on.
In the past we didn’t have those new technologies when we were reaching our destination.
I know we can use GPS and it will benefit us but I want to remind the campers to be cautious of the ice and remember to think about safety.
So I would like to advise all Nunavummiut to enjoy their camping time, but these new technologies can’t tell you whether there is thin ice.
That is why I have risen to remind people to be safety cautious for those people that are going out in the spring time.
Member’s Statement 042 – 1(6): Arrival of Dog Team Racers from Clyde River to Pond Inlet
As you know, there is a dog-team race from Clyde River to Pond Inlet and they will probably be getting to Pond Inlet around 3.30 or 4 o’clock this afternoon for the information of the people up there listening to the radio.
I expect all the people of Pond Inlet will greet and meet the dog-teams and handlers.
Five MLAs including myself will also be going to Pond Inlet to join in the celebrations.
Member’s Statement 043 – 1(6): Shoreline Erosion in Qikiqtarjuaq
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about Qikiqtarjuaq.
I had the opportunity to hold a public meeting on April 18.
In 1998 – 1999 the ice broke up in front of the community damaging the shoreline and at that time the water just about made it up to the houses.
It became quite dangerous at that time because of the erosion of the ice. This usually happens in the fall.
The people of Qikiqtarjuaq are concerned, especially the residents who live down by the shore. There used to be a road that ran alongside the shoreline and now they don’t have a road anymore because of the erosion caused by the ice and water.
I would like the Department of Community Government and Transportation to look into this.
There has been erosion because of the high tides and I’m sure that the houses might be reached by water during high winds.
I would like the minister responsible to look into this and I’ll be asking questions at the appropriate time.
There was a representative that went up there to look at the situation and I’ll be asking questions to get an update.
Member’s Statement 044 – 1(6): Barbecue Thieves
Mr. Speaker, it is with a sense of urgency that I a rise today concerning a very urgent, grave and very serious issue that has caused me great concern.
Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that I hold no ill will or hatred for the events that have transpired over the past two weeks.
Mr. Speaker, at approximately 3:18 pm on or about April 10, 2002 in or around the community of Iqaluit, specifically at house 2428, a devious plot was brought to fruition.
Coming home from work with a load of hot dogs in one hand and some burgers in another to barbeque for my six year old son and many of his friends, as I went out to the deck of our house, lo and behold, the barbeque was gone.
Stolen, taken, pilfered Mr. Speaker, the eleventh commandment broken.
My poor little son was so disappointed. I promised him that I would find out who had done this dastardly deed.
Some Members: Shame, shame.
Using all the sleuthing Mr. Speaker, using all the analytical and investigative skills that I’ve gathered in working in this Assembly, I narrowed the search with the help of my neighbours who witnessed the theft, it came down to two, Mr. Speaker, two prime suspects, who Mr. Speaker, are present today in this Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, the two suspects have now been identified and I await their explanation and it’s like Pinocchio, their noses grow longer each day they delay.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve been passed a note. Mr. Speaker, the note says, I’ve been handed a note Mr. Speaker.
Inspector Gadget will be here at the end of this sitting today to apprehend the dastardly, devious pilferers.
Speaker: Thank you very much Mr. Picco.
Member’s Statement 045 – 1(6): Concerns About Litter on Frobisher Bay
I wasn’t going to be making a statement but I thank you for recognizing me.
I’m sure I can come up with statement as today is Friday.
I was also in the golf tournament during Toonik Tyme.
I didn’t win but I didn’t lose either.
I did participate in the golf tournament and while we were there we watched the snowmobile races and I talked to some of my constituents who were concerned about the large amount of litter that was down there on the ice.
I had a discussion with the City of Iqaluit and all the debris was taken out by the staff and there was also clean up done by the correctional inmates.
I would like to make sure that if there are going to be any activities down on the ice we have to make sure there is a clean up crew to clean up after the people.
I also want to put all of you on notice that I intend to win next year’s tournament.
Member’s Statement 046 – 1(6): Member’s Uncle’s Dog Team Event
As today is Friday I would like to make a brief statement about my uncle.
A long time ago the only mode of transportation was dog teams.
One time during the spring time when my uncle was growing up there were cracks in the ice and water on top of the ice.
My uncle and his nephew who was one year older than my uncle went out by dog team to go fishing and also to gather firewood.
At that time there were times when we didn’t listen to the advice of our parents and we’d snitch tobacco from our parents and during that dog team ride with his nephew in the front he started rolling the tobacco so that they could have a smoke during their ride.
And before he had to say anything the sled went right in a crack and my uncle fell in the water but my nephew didn’t realize that my uncle wasn’t there.
He looked back and wondered where he went or if he flew off or where he disappeared to.
Since he wasn’t anywhere on the ice he assumed he had flown off.
My uncle was under the ice but he was able to climb up and that evening when they arrived back home they didn’t want to tell anybody about that incident because they were afraid they wouldn’t be allowed to go dog teaming anymore.
They didn’t want to let their parents know about that particular incident that happened out on the ice.
In the evening they dried out their clothes, I don’t know whether they were in a tent but they used last year’s tents to dry out their clothing and in the morning when it got cold all their clothing was completely frozen and couldn’t be worn.
Member’s Statement 047 – 1(6): Gratitude for Pakallak Time Volunteers in Rankin Inlet
In Rankin Inlet we will are going to be celebrating Pakallak time in April.
A lot of people from the outlying communities go to Rankin Inlet and I would like to welcome them all.
There are a lot of volunteers who coordinate the events and I would like to thank them also and thank them on behalf of the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet.
To the Pakallak Time committee, I would like to extend my gratitude. (interpretation ends) I would like to thank all the people that were involved in putting together the Pakallak Time activities in Rankin.
This happens every year and we get quite a few people from other communities participating.
So, on behalf of the council and the Pakallak Time Committee I would like to thank everyone who took part in all the planning meetings as well as the volunteers who will be assisting the Committee during the celebration and who are assisting the Committee.
(interpretation) They work together excellently and we are very proud as residents of Rankin Inlet.
When we go to Iqaluit it’s obvious to see that the Inuit and the Qallunaat work together and everybody is welcome and Mr. Speaker, I think that if we work together everything will go more smoothly.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to say that these festivities and frolics are held in different communities and it brings together the families and the parents and the children.
To the people who donated to the Pakallak Times I would also like to thank them. (interpretation ends) I would also like to take this time to thank the people that contributed financially to this Pakallak Time: Electrolux, Northwestel, Royal Canadian Legion, Nunavut Power Corporation.
I know my time is up, I’m just about done.
I’ll conclude my statement if you will allow me or the members allow me.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, there are also the in-kind contributions that were given by Nunasi Corporation, Prairie Equipment, Kelso Lincoln Ford, Royal Bank of Canada, Kativik Store, and all the numerous other volunteers, people that contributed to this function which is an annual event now in Rankin Inlet.
We’d like to thank every one of those people.
Member’s Statement 048 – 1(6): Pangnirtung Hunters and Trappers to be Cautious in the Spring Conditions
I made a statement earlier to encourage people to remember those that have been hurt and it was directed to those people that get injured or killed on the job.
The students in Pangnirtung will be going out on the land for a few days to be taught traditional skills.
I just want to make sure that nothing happens to them and to warn them of the dangers and also to warn the people that are going fishing to be careful in the dangerous areas.
We heard yesterday and we were very happy that the sealskin fur prices will be going up and Pangnirtung is one of the areas where they sell their sealskins so I just want to warn them again of the dangers out there when they go hunting.
If not, we’ll move on to Item 4.
I would like to this morning recognize a person from Sanikiluaq.
Most of you know this individual, he was involved with the Land Claims negotiations, Walter Audla.
Question 031 – 1(6): Insurance Premiums for Tour Guides
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me the first opportunity to ask question.
I would like to direct this question to the Minister of Sustainable Development about Tour Guides that have equipment to take tourists out.
It is in regards to insurance; they have to have insurance which is very costly.
They don’t make that much of a wage.
It is very expensive to operate the bigger boats.
When they buy insurance for their guiding and outfitting, they have to pay for a full twelve month period, and it is very costly. If the individual is going to use his boat to the fullest, they usually operate them for two months at the most.
I just wondered whether the minister can see whether they can pay for their premiums at a reduced rate.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Good morning.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning.
Good morning to my constituents.
The question that the member is asking is one that I understand.
When I visited Coral Harbour, these kinds of questions were asked of me as well.
I will be looking into the insurance for those people that operate tour boats during the tourism season.
I will work with the member to see how we can best provide insurance at a cheaper rate for those boat operators, because they don’t make very much money.
I will review it and work with the members to see how we can provide the best insurance premiums for those people that are operating boats.
He said that he would be reviewing it, the insurance premiums paid by those people.
So will this be done before the summer tourism season?
I can’t commit to that at this time but we will do our best to do it before the summer season, realizing that it is urgent.
Speaker: Oral Questions. Supplementary. Mr. Arvaluk.
It is going to be expensive again this summer for those tour operators to pay their insurance premiums.
We pay about 600 dollars a year for vehicle insurance and for those people that operate their touring boat it is about 12 hundred dollars for the three month period.
It is mostly elders that have those tour boats.
Mr. Speaker I would like to ask the minister, for the coming summer there will be touring guides for the boats, if the minister is not going to fix the insurance premiums what does he have in place in the meantime?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) I will work with the member to have a plan in place just in case that we can’t provide cheaper premiums at this time.
So I will work with the member on that and I will look at the other communities in the Nunavut region to see what they do to pay for their insurance premiums to take tourist out to the land in the summer time. And we will look at the insurance costs for those tour operators in the summer.
Sometimes the HTOs are given a grant to purchase flotation devices in the summer and others too get assistance to provide them with that equipment.
I am wondering if the minister can treat those tour operators that have boats or equipment the same way as those other organizations who get assistance from the government in the meantime?
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) At this time I can’t say whether I can commit to it or not but I have to look into it before I can positively respond to the member.
But we will do our best to try and help those tour operators.
What we can do is we can find out how many of those tour operators operate their boats to take tourists out in the summer first and then look at the amount of insurance premiums that they pay for the short summer.
At this time I can’t commit to the member but we will look into this and see what we can do for them in the meantime for the people of Nunavut that operate tourism businesses in the summer in the communities.
Mr. Tootoo is next.
He is very vivid today.
Question 032 – 1(6): Sought Input from IDEA Re: Distribution of Funds
I am pleased that you noticed that I am wearing my nice bright shirt since it is Friday and it is springtime.
Mr. Speaker my question today is to the Minister of Education.
I know over the past year or so and more, many issues have come to the House and have been raised by myself or other members about the allocation concerns in the communities in the schools about the shortage of supplies or things relating to the schools.
The minister has always indicated that the DEAs are responsible for allocating the resources within the community.
They basically, as he had indicated on Wednesday, the communities are allocated their funding based on the number of students that they have.
I’d like to ask the minister if his department sought input into the distribution of the allocated funds for Iqaluit on how those dollars are going to be spread out through the schools here in Iqaluit from the Iqaluit District Education Authority for this year’s budget.
As the member knows and the House, I cannot release the information regarding the budget until it has been discussed in the House.
However, I would like to reiterate the comments by the member that yes; the department does provide funding to the schools for their supplies and for materials for that school.
And that is the funding that they get that is determined through the formula funding which is applied to all the other schools here in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I know I can’t ask the minister for details of the budget.
I was simply asking the minister if his department sought input from the Iqaluit District Education Authority on the distribution of how those dollars for their budget that they’re responsible for are going to be distributed throughout the schools here in Iqaluit for this year’s budget.
If I understand correctly, this year’s budget meaning the existing budget, as I had indicated to the House the other day, when the DEAs are given their budget the DEAs have the flexibility of moving around some funding to other areas which they identify to be of more importance.
If they feel that they are in need of more money for materials or supplies then they have the flexibility of applying more of their funding towards purchasing more materials and supplies.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the minister by not answering both times is saying that the department didn’t consult with the Iqaluit District Education Authority in the development and the distribution of the funds that are allocated to the community for the schools and he is also indicating that the only thing that the Iqaluit District Education Authority has any authority to do is to move money around for school supplies.
I want to try and make it clear, although, to the member of the House that the budget that the DEAs get here in Nunavut is determined through the formula funding and therefore that same scenario is applied to all to DEAs here in Nunavut.
It’s very consistent straight across the board.
Now, as I had also indicated to the House, the formula funding has gone under review and at the appropriate time in the House I will table the results of the formula funding review that we have undertaken.
Mr. Speaker the minister indicated, and I think we all know that, that is not what I am asking, the dollars that are allocated to the DEAs and we all know how that is determined.
But in things like the allocation of those dollars within a community, for example here in Iqaluit we have 5 schools.
How are those dollars distributed throughout the schools and how are the number of teachers allocated to the community based on the formula, or distributed amongst those schools, the level of which things like the rates, the category of rates the teachers are paid?
In the past those are things that the department has consulted and sought input from the District Education Authority here in Iqaluit.
I would like to ask the minister why since April 1st, 1999, especially with the creation of Nunavut when things are supposed to be different, we didn’t realize that we didn’t have input.
I would like to ask the minister why his department hasn’t sought that input from the DEAs.
I have a difficultly in the perception that DEAs are not being consulted.
As a matter of fact that is why we have gone forward with the Education Act review and also other reviews such as the formal funding that I was just mentioning for their input.
So Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude my response to the member.
I have this difficulty because we definitely have put in the work and effort to consult with the DEAs in matters pertaining to their needs, their difficulties with their financing.
I also would like to try and differentiate clearly that the teachers are workers of this government and the department.
The DEAs are funded separately so I want to make it clear that there is a difference in how the money is allocated for the teachers, a budget that is set for our government staff, and how we fund the DEAs.
Just to caution the members when a minister is answering a question to allow him to answer the question without any interruption or heckling.
Keep in mind the minister has three options.
One is to answer the question. Two is not to answer the question. Three is to take it as notice.
When the minister decides to attempt to answer the question I think he or she should be allowed to answer it without being interrupted.
Question 033 – 1(6): Support to Communities for Suicide Prevention
I would like to direct my question about suicide prevention to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
How can the communities be given more support for suicide prevention and how they can have one direction on that issue?
Mr. Speaker over a year ago the department set up the suicide protocol which is an interdepartmental working group between the different departments in the government with the Department of Health and Social Services I believe.
Mr. Speaker at the same time we provide intervention, post intervention and as well last year when we were in Cambridge Bay we unveiled an anti-suicide program focussing on culture and strengthening the communities and strengthening the family.
Mr. Speaker, this year in the Budget upcoming we will be bringing forward, if accepted by this Assembly, a major Mental Health Strategy to deal with psychiatric situations, mental health, as well as family violence.
One of the key components of the Mental Health Strategy, Mr. Speaker, will be another refocusing, a redoubling of our efforts on the issues surrounding suicide.
Thank you very much for responding.
How are you going to be supporting them, by way of providing more funding or by other means such as services?
How are you going to be providing more services to those people who are experiencing problems, personal problems in the community?
Did you already have something set up to help them out?
Mr. Speaker, part of the Mental Health Strategy that will be brought forward during this Budget session, includes areas surrounding extra staffing of psychiatric nurses in the communities, because of some of the workloads that we are seeing.
It includes more positions for Mental Health as well as Community Health Workers in the field of suicide prevention.
Also Mr. Speaker, around the issues of depression Mr. Speaker, we have at the present time in most of the communities Wellness Workers, Social Workers, Alcohol and Drug Workers, and Mental Health Workers, as well as the Community Health Centres.
Each of these groups, Mr. Speaker, with co-operation, for example, in the schools, the community school counsellors are working on the issues surrounding suicide.
However, Mr. Speaker, when a person commits suicide, it is not done in an independent fashion.
In most cases, Mr. Speaker, ninety percent of the cases, there is always a messaging or a forewarning that is put out by that person, indicating that they need help.
Mr. Speaker that is where we need local groups at the community level, at the local level, and families Mr. Speaker, to join with us in partnership to be proactive on the issue.
The member is correct, Mr. Speaker, not only will we doubling our efforts, but we will be putting more resources at the community level as the member has indicated.
Oral Questions. Oral Questions. Mr. Iqaqrialu.
Question 034 – 1(6): Report/Update on Shoreline Erosion at Qikiqtarjuaq
I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Transportation.
According to my statement, I think in previous years, I can’t really remember the exact year, but Qikiqtarjuaq asked the Department to look at the safety aspect of the docks.
The Hamlet council also requested a meeting with the person that was sent up to investigate the problem but it did not happen.
The staff member had gone there alone and it created some problems.
I was wondering if the minister has received a report on his visit.
First of all, I would like to hear if there were any plans made as a result of that visit.
This is the very first time that I have heard about the member’s comments about Qikiqtarjuaq and the individual who went to investigate.
I don’t know why that individual went there with him by himself.
I don’t like to see that happen because we have to work together, we have to work with the community.
I don’t even know which staff member went to the community on their own without consulting the community.
Mr. Speaker, if the member wishes me to deal with it, I can deal with it.