Jane Groenewegen

I just want to reiterate my phrase out-of-sight, out-of-mind. I don’t know what support there is for families, either, for seeing these folks’ family members who get referred to southern institutions.

Previously, in another Assembly when I was on the Standing Committee on Social Programs, we actually went and did a tour and visited many of the facilities. That was way back in the day when Michener Centre was still operating and we went to the Alberta Hospital. I believe Minister Miltenberger was the Minister of Health and Social Services, and off we went to see where our people were living.

It...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Specifically with regard to group homes for adults and children, are there any vacancies currently available here in the Northwest Territories in the group homes that already exist? It only makes sense to me that if there is no vacancy, the tendency would be to have to send them to southern placements. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister Lafferty.

I think everybody would agree that that is a very substantial sum of money that this government pays out to southern facilities for the care and keeping of Northerners.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, when is the last time that repatriation opportunities for some of these 69 adults and 37 children were contemplated and considered by his department? Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Any further general comments? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of years ago when the Dene K’onia Young Offender Facility in Hay River was closed down, a need came to light which the GNWT responded to, and a facility called the assisted living facility in Hay River was built for adults who needed to be in residential care. It was an excellent addition to the infrastructure and the economy and to the service spectrum in Hay River and in the North for adults primarily with intellectual challenges.

This facility is managed by the Hay River Health Authority, and I believe it is doing an excellent job. They have 10 permanent beds...

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. I will now turn to Members and ask if they have any general comments on the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about the Hay River Hospital. When the addition was put on the old hospital and the new hospital, it was state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technology with all of the supplies at the door of the rooms. It was an amazing day. I was there in the audience at the ribbon cutting for that new hospital.

That hospital has many happy memories – I had three children in there – and some sad memories. I said goodbye to some dear friends that were there, some elderly folks, and I even had a chance to work there and my husband worked there.

For a government that says they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all can speak of our elders here in this House and today I’d like to send a hello out to Mrs. Helen Kinnison in Hay River. I think of her today as I was thinking of something that I could wear to match my jacket and I found the necklace and earrings that she made for me about 20 years ago, which are made out of fish bones from fish out of Great Slave Lake that are dyed and were put together in jewelry.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Mr. Aumond.