Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Part of the mandate and one of the priorities is we are working on that. Right now, we do have a hotline available for people to bring forth their concerns. We also have the work with NWT Seniors' Society who provide that information to us, and then we try to work with seniors moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I recognize the importance of supporting seniors to ensure that they are safe, supported, and are able to age with dignity within their communities and their own homes. There are a number of initiatives across departments that provide support for seniors. These programs are listed in the Seniors' Handbook, which is a valuable resource for seniors looking to access government and community supports in the NWT.

Departments are constantly looking at gaps in programs to be responsive in a timely manner to issues affecting seniors; however, developing an NWT seniors' strategy may not be achievable...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the roles is being an advocate for the seniors within the Cabinet, working with the various departments, but also the second part of it is to work with the seniors' societies. Groups in the Northwest Territories that have seniors' issues that need to come forward and talk to me, as well. I attend federal meetings, as well, on behalf of the government in regard to seniors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The month of June is designated as Senior Citizens Month in the NWT. It is a time to recognize and show appreciation for the contributions made by seniors and elders to our communities, our families, and society in general.

In the Northwest Territories, seniors continue to be the fastest growing demographic in our population. In fact, it is projected that seniors and elders will comprise approximately 20 percent of our territorial population by 2035. This presents opportunities as well as challenges, Mr. Speaker.

We must ensure our seniors have a good quality of life...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. I will be working with the Minister of Infrastructure on this, and we'll provide a briefing note to committee, SCEDE, on it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 249-19(2), Territorial Fire Centre;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 271-19(2), Impact on Camping Outside of Campgrounds;" and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 272-19(2), Transfer of Land Within Municipal Boundaries." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In response to concerns about flooding in Fort McMurray in late April, ENR began collecting water samples from the Slave River twice per week from the town of Fort Smith water treatment facility on May 1, 2020. ENR plans to continue this monitoring until mid-June 2020. These water quality samples are being analyzed for nutrients, salts, metal, hydrocarbons, and bacteria. This monitoring has not identified any concerns with water quality in the Slave River to date. ENR staff have completed a prior risk assessment to ensure that annual transboundary water quality samples for the Slave and Hay...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT was notified of a temporary suspension on March 30th by the Alberta government and the federal government. As well, at the end of April, the Alberta government had reached out to us. On June 1st, the bilateral management committee had a meeting and representatives of Alberta provided an update. We have also received correspondence from the Alberta government on monitoring as of June 3rd. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we will get that complete breakdown for the Member.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's the Government of the Northwest Territories. It's a reserve, and we're working with Indigenous governments on that piece of land right now. It's a reindeer reserve, and we're working with Indigenous governments on that project. Thank you, Madam Chair.