Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My summer message:

Mr. Speaker, summer is upon us, and many of the young people will be on their welldeserved summer break. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate all the graduates from Chief Jimmy Bruneau School, from Menzi Community School in Whati, and Jean Wetrade School in Gameti, and Alexis Arrowmaker School in Wekweeti.

I want to thank all the students, parents, guardians, teachers, support staff, principals, and many more who worked hard supporting, working with our young people in the communities to complete the school year. For many it was not easy. There were...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I just mentioned with the population of 104 has a police station. So, Mr. Speaker, small communities should not be denied policing even if we are small, small community, we need law and order in order to keep our residents safe. I realize there are only so many resources but our small community need to be safe. Can the Minister encourage the RCMP to work more closely with leaders in Gameti and Wekweeti to meet their policing needs? Thank you.

Thank you. Yes, I am aware of that but I'm just asking for Gameti or Wekweeti, and they were not included in there. So, Mr. Speaker, we really need a stronger police presence in Gameti and Wekweeti. There's no detachment or even permanent officers, only visiting officers from time to time. Can the Minister explore opportunities to increase the police presence in Gameti and Wekweeti? Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to acknowledge two Tlicho citizens attending school in Yellowknife, Mika Mckenzie and Emily Bishop. I would also like to acknowledge and thank all the interpreters for a job well done, and especially to Tlicho interpreters Jonas Lafferty and Mary Rose Sundberg. And now I see Lena Drygeese. So I would like to say thank you to all of them. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I believe yearround police presence in Gameti and Wekweeti is needed. Every time the visiting officers come, the community becomes quiet, and when they leave it becomes lively. The situation is especially hard on elders, you know. I just visited the community over there and the leaders have they expressed you know, they really want an RCMP station in Gameti and also the elders are having a hard time. It's having an impact on them. So therefore, can the Minister convey to the RCMP the desire for a stronger police presence in the Tlicho communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for Minister of Justice.

Mr. Speaker, I know that there are 21 RCMP detachments in the NWT. And the smallest NWT community with a population of 104 has a RCMP detachment so therefore I have a question for the Minister. This week we have been reviewing the supplementary estimates. There is $1.5 million to expand the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program. That's good. But, Mr. Speaker, I want to know does that funding include any new officers for Gameti or Wekweeti? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know that in many of the small communities, lately we've been seeing a lot of young people, you know, fatalities involving young peoples with you know, in the fatalities where it all involves alcohol, drugs, you know, the addiction issues. We have a lot of issues in small communities. And even in Yellowknife, we have issues with addiction. Living in Yellowknife compared from the 70s, 80s, 90s, it's not the same no more. It's not safe to walk downtown Yellowknife because there's all kind of other people, you know, on the street. And especially and the people that we...

Well, if we had the resources, I'm sure the Indigenous government would do you know, will do their own class actions. But in many of the small communities, we don't have the resources. And even the Auditor General in the 2016 report said that a lot of community governments are underfunded. So we don't have resources. So that's why we're I'm saying that if this goes through, if the money, you know if they get the money, then I would like to see that money being shared with the Indigenous government. So he can help us not just keep it in Yellowknife or with the GNWT. You know, and I know...

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Infrastructure has claimed that the new bridge will be wider and higher than the current bridge that was built in 1960. Could the Minister tell this Assembly details of the new design? Will there be walkways, a viewing platform; how is traditional knowledge and signs being incorporated? Let us see the design. Thank you.