Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question to the Minister is could we use the Tl'oondih healing model in the communities for early prevention as a first option for people, rather than sending them to a facility here in Yellowknife? Can we use this type of model in our communities to have them out on the land, rather than having them flown down to the facility here in Yellowknife? I would encourage something like that from this department. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the honourable Minister. I applaud the government for taking an initiative like this to have bush camps out on the land, and run by aboriginal groups or communities. The Tl'oondih Healing Society and staff have made this a successful program. Can the Minister inform the House if a report is going to come out of his department in terms of other specifics we are going to ask about the Tl'oondih Healing Society and the Justice department program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Brendan Bell.

Today the Sahtu leadership are meeting in Tulita to discuss, plan and work on the Sahtu Regional Access Team to negotiate a regional approach to land access agreements for the Mackenzie gas pipeline.

Can the Minister tell us what RWED is doing to assist the Sahtu communities:

in preparing community positions on impacts and benefits of the pipeline;

to complete community consultation to ensure public support for the regional plan adopted by...

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister. The bottom line is at the end of the day when the dust settles, they want to know what can happen this year in terms of the dust. It’s very high. So I guess I am seeking some commitment from the Minister and his department to come into the community and talk to council and say we have some interim solutions, let’s work it out. Can the Minister give that commitment to me today? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that the dust has settled in Tulita with health concerns with regard to elders, I have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, the Honourable Henry Zoe, with the chipsealing program scheduled for the communities. In 2007-08, the community is going to see some action in terms of the dust. Can I get a commitment from the Minister to work with the hamlet council to find an interim solution to the dust problems in Tulita while the community waits for the chipsealing program? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, summer is here at last. The summer brings many enjoyable things: warmer weather, longer days, summer holidays, time out on the land with the family. Unfortunately, the summer season also has a downside: terrible dust in the Sahtu communities. It is not the first time that this problem in the communities has been raised in the House.

It was a real concern for some of the Members during the 14th Assembly, and for good reason. Dust is a serious health concern. No one is immune to the negative effects of breathing dust. Mr. Speaker, the elders in our...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Minister. The issue I have here goes back to the federal government in terms of their revenue resource sharing, the money they take out of the Northwest Territories. It seems that we, as residents of the Northwest Territories, always pay for it. We know that doing business in the North, the cost is extremely high in isolated communities such as my region. Even to attract good workers, you have to do extra initiatives to hold positions of workers in our communities. Also the programs that are dear to people’s hearts are sometimes being called into...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Minister. The bridge, I understand, without having the information in front of me, is fairly new. Again, I have had enquiries about the bridge and why this has happened. Would he consider that those that are made from this type of model or the type of design that is in other communities, it may have been caused by just the erosion of the banks that are situated in Fort Good Hope? Would the Minister inform or advise us that he would look at other bridges of similar design that maybe have some similar incidences in other communities? Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to ask a question to the Minister of Transportation. Things are happening in the Sahtu, and especially in light of some recent news over the last couple of days. The community of Fort Good Hope's bridge was shut down, their bridge is falling down. The people over there are quite concerned with the situation and they have to take some extraordinary steps to ensure that transportation flows freely in Fort Good Hope. There are quite a few concerns from the people. I want to ask the Minister if he would inform the House in terms of the status...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I was really quite happy when I heard about the Tl'oondih Healing Society and the partnership with the Department of Justice. Is this program going to be considered to be used across the Northwest Territories for other regions or communities that may wish to enter into arrangements similar to the Tl'oondih Healing Society and the Department of Justice in terms of reintegrating our own people back in our communities? The best way, and I applaud the department again, is on the land. The elders have always said to have more of these types of program...