Michael Nadli

What I did not hear is reference to small communities, so that's the question that I have: what are the plans for the Minister and his department in addressing the needs for senior care and elderly care programming and facilities in small communities?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As you may recall, I spoke to the House in 2017 about calls from local leaders of Fort Providence for the establishment of a long-term care facility in Fort Providence. Deh Gah Got'ie Koe has somewhere in the neighbourhood of 116 residents aged 60 years and older. Nevertheless, the government decided to regionalize long-term care, placing beds in larger facilities in larger communities and forcing many elders and seniors to move away from their communities, their homes, and their loved ones.

For those seniors and elders who do not require long-term care, Fort Providence has...

My other question that I have, I think the Minister made reference to it. The Minister said that they're undertaking pilot projects in terms of delivering, and caretakers, and family care program initiatives across the NWT. Is there a particular region that they're focusing on? Is it specifically for bigger regions, and perhaps not small communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to thank the Minister of Health and Social Services on his recent visit to Fort Providence. They had a meeting that evening, and I think it was very clear that constituents were concerned about the well-being of elders. It's a known fact that we have an aging population in the NWT, and also Canada. This government has committed itself in terms of creating available beds at a specific date, and including beds, including facilities, and those facilities more likely will provide senior care and specialized care. I wanted to ask the Minister if he could update this...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Yes, there are lots of things happening within this area. A lot of things like ships and that are happening. Maybe sometimes we think we've got to look at this thing. [Translation ends]

Boating season is upon us on the lakes and rivers of the NWT, and practising safety is critical. Earlier this month, there was a boating accident in K'aagee Tu/Kakisa Lake. Thanks to the quick actions taken by Chris Chicot, Melaine Simba, and Ryan Moore, and the Fort Providence RCMP detachment, there were no fatalities and the three boaters were rescued after clinging to their...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, too, support this motion. I think it is a long time coming. I just wanted to thank the constituency assistants that keep our office operations going. You know, they also serve as the link to our communities and our ridings, so I wanted to say thank you for the constituency assistants who man our offices when we are not there. I think this is just timely, and I support it. It goes a long way in terms of helping our people who work for this institution, and it should have been done years ago. It just helps the small communities, especially the economy where jobs are very...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Taking care of elders is an important part of Dene culture, and we take it very seriously in Deh Cho communities. At a recent constituency meeting in Fort Providence, it was pointed out that two additional positions are needed for homecare. [English translation not provided]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health and Social Services has informed me that two home support worker positions are filled, although the homecare nurse position is vacant. I am concerned that, with about 40 clients, the home support workers are booked solid and other elders who need service are unable...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will not be supporting the bill in its present form. I understand that this is in principle, and I understand that the spirit and the intent of this bill is to protect the forest. The forest legislation proposes, of course, a regulatory system, and we have been told that it is a framework that will basically guide any form of development related to forestry in the NWT.

As everybody is aware, devolution changed things. I think that the whole idea behind devolution is that we are at that age where we could be responsible for our lands and resources. There are...

In the community of Fort Providence, and more likely some other communities that had undertaken programs to try to increase the level of services that could be brought into the community, and particularly for elders, there was a program that was operated by the band. I am just curious as to why the funding for the Deh Gah Gotie homemaker program was discontinued?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Further to my statement on homecare services, my questions are to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It's said that we have a growing number of senior-aged people in the country, and especially here in the NWT, and so this government has gone on record to say that we encourage our elders to live in their homes for as long as possible. How does the department determine what elders may need? Sorry, I will rephrase that question. How does the department determine what elders may need in terms of special care in order for them to live well in their own homes? Mahsi.