Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I come to you with a message of great concerns regarding our waters. As we speak, the Slave water system, which is a lifeline for many small communities in our region, is facing serious threats of downstream water contamination originating in Alberta. This contamination is a result of industrial development and has the potential to cause irreparable harm to our environment, our economy and, most importantly, the health of our people in the Tu NedheWiilideh riding and all residents of the Northwest Territories as downstream users.

The current transboundary agreement...

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm also concerned that in regards to how we managed this project. And you know, if we get a price of $81.3 million and now we're looking at $194 million, and now we're asking for a total additional cost of $33,750,000 extra, it's concerning to me as the MLA for the Tu NedheWiilideh riding. I mean, I just got back from a funeral service in Lutselk'e and, you know, I'd been advocating for better internet services for my community and, you know, we were told that it's going to be a big improvement in December. I'm still having troubles. I don't see any improvements...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Since 1984, the Official Languages Act has set out the public's right to government services in an official language. That right exists where there is "significant demand" or where it is reasonable given "the nature of the office."

However, the concepts of "significant demand" and "nature of the office" have been criticized for years because they are unclear and do not work for the NWT. These concepts make it hard for residents to understand their right to demand services from the government in any official language.

Committee believes that each resident is a language...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, when I was thinking about the when I chaired the impact review board, you know, we again, we couldn't really address any issues on the downstream users from Nunavut and the Yukon. And, but here and Alberta, it's the same thing. This agreement that the Minister talks about doesn't give us the tools needed to participate in their regulatory process in terms of approving a mega project. We're just kilometres down the road in Fort Smith, and my riding of Tu NedheWiilideh and Fort Resolution, that are impacted and all the residents of the Northwest...

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I too support this motion. You know, we've been housing's a big issue here in the Northwest Territories. And, you know, in my riding in particular, you know, it's to the point where I even have to put documents and everything else on the floor here just to finally get any action. And we already know that there's big problem we actually have a housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories. We have no plan. When I take a look at what Nunavut's doing, when we take a look at what, you know, our the way we handle housing here in the Northwest Territories and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the scars of intergenerational trauma caused by residential day school continues in the present confining many Indigenous people to addiction, poor mental health, poverty. The day school program in particular has not been properly resolved and compensation is needed. Will the Premier ensure the day school survivors are compensated for trauma they suffered through day schools, in all the schools in the Northwest Territories, including my riding and also in the Tlicho region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All day schools and residential schools were transferred to the GNWT on April 1st, 1969. During the 1969 school year, there were 10,291 students, 541 teachers, in the Northwest Territories, including Nunavut. This jurisdiction change did not result in change in management, and the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church continued to operate each school year under a contract. And their intentions remained the same: The extinguishment of the culture and traditional way of life of Indigenous people.

The federal government has acknowledged this harm for students prior to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I stand before you to remind this government the dark chapter in Canadian history of the devastating issue of child abuse and genocide that took place in Canada's day school system. This systematic culture devastation committed against Indigenous people in our country for far too long. It is time for us to acknowledge the damages done and make amends to the atrocities committed.

Our government is not innocent in this matter. The federal Indian day school and the Indian federal day school were transferred to the GNWT on April 1st, 1969, and the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Premier, for your answers. And I know this is a very sensitive subject, and it hits home to everybody here in the Northwest Territories. And I'm also probably one of those survivors as well. So, you know, we I guess going forward, we need to really start looking as to how we're going to start dealing with this issue as a government and start looking at how we're going to address these outstanding issues with survivors after 1969. So I'm will the Premier work with her also with her counterparts in Nunavut to ensure that all students receive adequate...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The territorial government was born in 1967. Two years later, the Indian Federal Day School of Canada transferred that responsibility to the GNWT. And I understand what the Premier's saying that the GNWT's not part of the federal class action lawsuit prior to 1969. But after 1969, the abuse continued to happen to this day. So, again, is the government aware of the total number of days day home survivors in the Northwest Territories after 1969? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.