Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can say we're right now bringing what was sort of 60 percent design project up to a higher level of certainty and with that would come more of the analysis on whether or not there are any further opportunities. There is already, obviously, the distribution network within these communities which is, as I said, one that has rep -- that has Naka Power there, and I don't know whether they have any staff based in the communities or not, and I don't expect this would change that. When there are lines running, that certainly has the possibility that there may be some linesmen required to be available. Whether or not there would be a sufficient demand for these extra lines to create positions, again I can't say at this point. We would do that part of the analysis when the project comes forward with some finality.
I would say, Mr. Speaker, that having more reliable, more sustainable, and hopefully more affordable energy, does benefit the community and can certainly, if that brings costs down, hopefully spur some business activity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Final supplementary. Member from Deh Cho.
Thank you. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. She probably answered a little bit of this, but I need it to be on the -- say it again. Can the Minister say whether this work is dependent on applications for federal funding or more part of our government's budget initiatives? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are waiting to hear back from the federal government. We do have an application in for the whole funding. The importance of having 100 percent public dollars on this is that it means that it doesn't go on the ratepayers. It doesn't add to people's costs of power which, of course, are as I said earlier today, the highest in Canada. So it's very important, as the Minister responsible, that we are not putting this on the backs of ratepayers. Even though we want to ensure they have sustainable and reliable energy, we don't want people to be paying for costs they just can't -- they just can't be paying these extra costs, even in the face of needing the infrastructure. So it is very important that we get 100 percent dollars. And that application, as I said, is in.
The other issue, again, is that we find a path forward with our friends at Naka so that we are working together with them and ensuring a collaborative path forward for an asset, again, that is their distribution franchise but our transmission opportunity or our generation asset, and I'm confident we will find that path forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my statement, my questions is to the Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains.
My first question there, Mr. Speaker, what work is the GNWT doing so that this project, or the Mackenzie Valley Highway, is ready to be one of the projects the federal government is describing as a nation building project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Sahtu. Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. We got to come up with a shorter acronym. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've had to practice it several times, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. There's a lot of work that is happening. We are still, of course, actively involved with our MOU partners and, together with them, are reviewing an update to the business plan, to a final business plan, so we can have that ready to go with -- obviously the business plan is an advocacy document, but it also updates the final costing. We are working through the final remaining information requests that I believe at last count we were well over 400, and we are down to the last few. We are -- we did ask for a short extension on a few of them so that we could work with the community of Wrigley and the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation on some of the information they have provided. I had the opportunity to travel there just earlier this month and had very positive engagement with the community to ensure that they are properly being reflected in the proposed project.
And with those two things in hand, Mr. Speaker, that will would allow -- or with the business case, and then with the project proceeding to through the board and through the board process, my understanding is that we are still on track for the work plan to have an EA done this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for that information update. I can see our -- my constituents are getting very happy. I see the smiles.
My next question is will the GNWT work with the communities of the Sahtu so that they are ready for this project? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, Mr. Speaker, and I will say one important thing that's come on this project is that very typically departments do community readiness working plans on large scale infrastructure projects and would typically do them a year or so out from construction.
Mr. Speaker, the communities in the Sahtu have been are very clear. They want that work starting now, and so I can say we have put an application in to the federal government to realign some of the ICIP money that is supporting the Mackenzie Valley Highway so that we can get the working groups for these readiness working groups up and running immediately and not wait until we're just at the construction stage. We want to get that work started now, and my hope is we'll hear back -- now that there's a government, my hope is we'll hear back and that we can get that work going so that the communities are ready well in advance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Final supplementary. Member from Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very glad for the continuous good news here. It's going to be an enjoyable weekend.
Will the Minister show Ottawa how critical this road is to connect the people of the Sahtu to the rest of Canada? Thank you.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, yes. Mr. Speaker, I've already had at least some introductory calls with counterparts in Ottawa, and I can say -- I'm happy to say that I already raised the Mackenzie Valley Highway as being a nation building project, correcting a critical part of Canada that is right now unconnected from the rest of Canada, multiple communities, an entire segment of this country has no connections on roads, and if we can't get barges in because of climate change, no connections really whatsoever other than by air, we can't have that. That's not the Canada of the future. It's not the building Canada that we are hearing the federal government talking about. So, yes, we will be in Ottawa, in fact, the Member might have a nice weekend. I'm flying this weekend, and I'm flying to Ottawa, and I will take this message with me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs.
So following challenges around the encampment last summer in the middle of the city of Yellowknife, I know that the GNWT has been working hard throughout the winter to establish better relationships with shelter providers to get to know members of the unhoused population and their specific needs and to get new transitional housing initiatives off the ground. However, it's unclear whether there was any specific planning around what to do about any future encampments, and now we have new encampments at locations popping up within the city of Yellowknife.
And so I understand that the average occupancy rate at Yellowknife shelters has been only 87 percent since last October, but was the GNWT operating on the assumption that given adequate shelter space, there would be no encampments to deal with in the city this summer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the Member's correct, we did take a number of steps to ensure there were enough shelter beds, and so that was funding NGOs to increase the number of shelter beds. We had the on the land transitional housing program running for a couple months in the winter. We hoped to already have a transitional housing setup for this summer but it's been delayed a little bit. So between the shelter space increase and the transitional housing increase, we were hoping to be able to address any shortfall that we have in spaces, beds. That being said, people are going to do what they're going to do, and some people would rather stay in a tent and they are going to set up that tent and stay in there even if there are beds available. So I was never under the impression that we would have no encampments ever again in the territory even if we had all of the adequate space that we needed. So I would say the assumption was not that there would be no encampments. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister for that answer. So now that we have better awareness that encampments are not necessarily related to a shortage of shelter space per se, but perhaps shortages in the broader housing continuum or people's preference for how they want to live, is the GNWT preparing to do some longer term planning around identifying some specific suitable space for an encampment in consultation with neighbours? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, as I mentioned yesterday, understanding that even with adequate space there will be encampments, we want to ensure that where those encampments might set up are places that are not disruptive to neighbourhoods, and so we are looking at different locations around the city trying to figure out where might be an appropriate location, then the plan is to try and work with those at the encampments and their legal representatives to try and relocate them to a more suitable location. Thank you.
Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we have heard from the lawyer spokesperson for the encampment residents that they've been looking for advice or direction from the GNWT as to which lots or specific areas might be suitable. So has the GNWT already given such advice as to what specific areas might be off limits or what specific lots might be preferable to the current encampment residents? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There have been discussions. I'm not -- I'd have to get back to the Member to find out if, you know, a specific address was provided. But those conversations have begun. Thank you.
Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a similar topic or same topic as the previous Speaker, I don't share her points of view very closely although I do share the humanity of the issue. I want to say that undoubtedly. Mr. Speaker, I feel that what's important to stress before I get to my question is I may be critical of this government but at times, defined as spicy, but I feel something's being missed in this articulation.
To imply that there isn't shelter options or shelter -- the shelters are full, there isn't to imply there's treatment or counselling supports aren't available, there's food available, for the record, there's beds available -- certainly, Mr. Speaker, and there's facilities.
Mr. Speaker, what is the major holdup of identifying spaces for these folks to move to so the residents are no longer in a situation that they feel unsafe? So what's the delay in identifying these safe spaces that these people can be parked into. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's no delay. The work is happening right now. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, what is the plan to communicate this to Members and the public, and is there a way to get this sorted out before the weekend? Because we have them steeling fences now, and it's been reported to the RCMP. I have the file number. Mr. Speaker, is there a way to get this into action before the weekend before more destruction and safety become compromised? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not -- I haven't been a part of those conversations with the legal representatives. I haven't actually gone down to the encampment and spoken with the folks there. So I can't tell the Member or the House what their desire is to move at this point. Maybe they have no plans to move and even if we had a great spot for them, they wouldn't want to go. So I can't make any commitment about what a private citizen is going to do. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not really hearing the government wants to do anything other than wait. Are they going -- is the plan to wait and sit this out, or is the plan to actually engage and try to put better options on the table so businesses, the community, will feel safe again, Mr. Speaker, and a responsible place for them to go could be quickly identified on NWT lands. Will the Minister -- or sorry, will the Premier step up, maybe even meet with these people, and to have this conversation? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I'll answer one of the questions in there. So what's happening now is that the different entities who are involved in this are meeting. The Government of the Northwest Territories, the city of Yellowknife, the RCMP, a number of different organizations are all meeting. Everyone is coordinating, putting their mind towards this issue. We are looking at more suitable locations and then working with the folks at the encampment and their legal representatives to try and relocate to those suitable locations. And we're identifying any other barriers that might exist, any other reasons why people might be setting up encampments and why they might not be moving those encampments. So all of that work is happening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member's statement, I was contacted by two very distraught seniors who were charged full price for over-the-counter medicine that should have been covered by supplementary and extended health benefits. I'd like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services why this was the case. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if there was charges to anyone who was on senior health benefits that was charged for over-the-counter drugs, I would suggest them reach out to my office or to their MLA because those charges shouldn't -- before -- I'll clarify, shouldn't have been charged under what was going to be proposed but after I took further -- looked at it further and began to kind of pull it apart a little bit, when I asked the questions as to why these changes in pharmaceuticals were being changed and why we were getting these e-mails from seniors because it was extended health benefits, we try to keep in line all of our benefits, and so there are some changes that ends up happening with NIHB and the pharmaceutical things change all the time. And so I did stop it, and as the Member has said, that I would be looking into and not necessarily saying that it's going to affect seniors. What I'm saying is that we are looking at what change made that was actually going to implement, why it was going to impact seniors, and how are we doing this across the equitable lens of NIHB, Metis benefits, and our extended benefits, because my understanding is those are all supposed to be the same, except for with the hierarchy of the income testing on the extended health benefits. So if there are charges to seniors, please reach out because those shouldn't have been charged. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. And I want to recognize the Minister did stop it, and I thank her for that. But Mr. Speaker, why did these happen in the first place if they're only being looked at? Why was this implemented and then rolled back? Is this a case of a runaway department, or is the Minister making these decisions herself? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, what I would like to say is the benefit -- pharmacy -- I don't know how to say it very easily without a lot of words in this time because our medical -- our extended health benefits is multiple programs together. So pharmacy goes through Alberta, and there is the changes that were made and they implement our senior benefits and our extended health benefits and our Metis benefits. But for each program, they're supposed to be simultaneously done. The one thing that we were looking at under Restoring Balance was how do we -- you know, if there's changes to over-the-counter drugs, if they're in other areas, then they should all fall in line. And then when that came back, there were some changes in some, then because of the way it goes through Alberta Blue Cross, you know, we -- it went across the board which it shouldn't have because things are -- they're all different within their system. So I needed to have more clarity of what went -- why that happened. We do not administer the Blue Cross. We give them the information, and they're supposed to do this so that's why I stopped it. It shouldn't have affected the senior benefits.
After further looking at it and having more conversations, it's -- like, one of the things that I did ask is why are we being charged so much when it looks like there's 63 percent of the fees of the over-the-counter charges are for pharmacy services. So on a $3 prescription of something, we're being charged an extra $15 for that. So how can we do it different so that we're -- these are over-the-counter drugs. How can we do it different that we're not having to pay that much costs.
And then so looking at the cost of it, I just said let's just stop it, we'll do more investigation as to what went wrong with the senior benefits and just ensuring that all of our other benefits are streamlined across so that way it's not affecting anybody inequitably. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health and Social Services give northern seniors her word that there will be no increases to seniors' benefits, no cuts to seniors' benefits, for as long as she is Minister?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as long as I am the Minister, there will be no changes to the senior benefits as all of the benefits that are on the table -- like I said, even with the extended benefits, those changes, we're going to be doing the review so those discussions will happen later on this winter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seniors aging in place. Mr. Speaker, helping NWTers live independently at home for as long as possible is important. We know that. My neighbour in Behchoko lived at home to the wonderful age of 99 years old. We called her momma-cho. Housing NWT has a senior aging in place program with funding available for residents 60 and older to lower home energy costs or to do home repairs. So one of the questions, Mr. Speaker, one of the requirements for seniors aging in place funding is that the residents owns a home.
Can the Minister outline what specific policies are in place to lower home energy costs or to complete repairs for elders who are currently renting Housing NWT units or do not yet own a home? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. Housing NWT has various housing programs, housing assistance programs, to help those that need to upgrade their home, renovate their home, have their home become more energy efficient. There's different type of programs like the senior aging in place. We have a mobility program. We have an emergency repair program. We have a number of different programs that are advertised throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister say how long elders are waiting for housing and is NWT Housing developing any rent-to-own program for elders? Thank you.
