Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I rise again in regard to COVID-19, and the concerns that I have for my constituents in Nunakput and across the Beaufort-Delta, and across the territory. Will the Minister be giving direction to the district education authorities to shut down two weeks after the kids are back from their spring break? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased. Yesterday, we brought up the COVID-19. I am pleased this government is working so hard to get this pandemic for the people across the territories sorted out on a plan to go forward. I want to know this plan for our schools, Mr. Speaker, and our small communities. Yesterday, Ontario announced the unprecedented decision to shut down their schools for two weeks after their spring break to try to slow the spread of the virus.

I believe the Minster of ECE should be doing the same here, Mr. Speaker, across our territory. In every district, give the local DEAs the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regards to fire safety in the community of Tuktoyaktuk. We have a pumper that's 30 years old. It's hit that timeline for 30 years in regards to being effective and not being able to use it now. We had to use it in a fire two weeks ago, had no choice because the other new fire truck, it broke down. Is there any way, does the Minister have any extraordinary funding for something of that kind of an emergency? The community is of 1,000 people, and the newest truck that we do have is an F-550 with an air-port attack foam truck. Is there any way to see if we could get...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to what I brought up, we have three houses. Two were built in the 1990s; one was built in the 2000s. There's a fourth house, but we can't touch that house because it was built by a person's father and they can't move it. That being said, houses that we've been selling to the people, those three houses that we sold to them, that they're paying property tax on that's going to come up in the next one, for MACA, paying property tax, but it's all ocean-front now, 22 inches away. Now, that being said, once these houses are moved through federal dollars, through...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to securing assistance for emergencies under the SAFE program. Is it only for NWT Housing Corporation houses that are under their scope? Is that correct? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Is MACA doing outreach to the municipal and community governments in our 33 communities across the territory in regard to what is happening with COVID-19, and when are they able to start their emergency action plans?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. COVID-19, 145 cases in Canada to date. I need to know if the Emergency Measures Act that was updated by the last Assembly to the GNWT overhauled its emergency plan, besides the planning that is underway right now to give the residents of the Northwest Territories, especially the small communities that we represent, direction on how the government is handling this outbreak. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Deputy Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. No. Just in regard to our sport and recreation, I think with all the athletes who did not go to the Arctic Winter Games, I was going to bring this up. Maybe the recreation department in each community that could take pictures of the athletes who were supposed to go, with their uniform, and they could make their book. Every time you went to the Arctic Winter Games, you got a book with just the pictures of the teams, and stuff like that, Team NWT; a little bit of pride, right? I think something like that should be done, instead of just saying, "Keep your jackets." All the...

Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I want the Deputy Premier to provide assurances that Health and Social Services and MACA are working together on emergency plans for the coronavirus that will be communicated to the public as quickly as possible, and be proactive, not reactive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On 348, in our communities, our volunteers, I think we should be doing a little bit more recognition in regard to that because we are burning out volunteers, and it's getting harder and harder to get volunteers. I think what we should be looking at with the department of sport and recreation is that we start doing a little bit more, like a feast in the community every year in regard to appreciation and stuff like that for volunteers. Thank you, Madam Chair.