Please be seated. Colleagues, before we get into Ministers' statements, I'd like to recognize one young man and then an older gentleman in the House. A young man, I call him dad, Mr. Jack Cooper, s former resident of the Northwest Territories. Unfortunately, he's on his way to attend a service in Hay River, but I'd like to welcome dad or Jack Cooper into the House today. As well as there's this old guy beside him. Just so happens to be my best friend and so all the bad stories that I have on him, he has it on me. So I'd like to thank you both for being here today. And we'll get on to business. So welcome to our Assembly.
I'd like to thank Ms. Gargan for the opening prayer.
Mr. Speaker, primary care is the first point of contact for most residents in our health system. It sets the direction for the care they receive and helps ensure people get the right care, at the right time, from the right provider.
As an Indigenous Minister with a background in health care, I understand both the frustrations of residents and the challenges our system is facing. Improving access, reducing inequities, and strengthening the way our system operates are priorities of this Legislative Assembly and are the priorities that I have been working hard to address since becoming Minister.
Through primary health care reform, we are setting the direction for a team-based model of care that is equitable, reliable, and culturally safe. This approach supports our workforce, improves access for residents, and builds a system that communities can trust.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard from residents directly, and from my colleagues on the floor of this House, that many people have struggled to get primary care appointments, particularly here in Yellowknife. Those frustrations are real and understandable. That is why I am pleased to share some details about the work underway to improve access and the progress that we are already seeing.
In a system with limited capacity, every appointment slot matters. We have worked with reception and program assistants at the Yellowknife Primary Care to focus on reducing no-shows, and they have delivered meaningful results. By introducing reminder calls and clearly explaining the importance of cancelling appointments, no-show rates have steadily declined over the past three years. In fact, Yellowknife Primary Care is now performing better than national benchmarks, reaching a record low of 5 percent this December. This means more patients are being seen and fewer clinical hours are wasted.
Mr. Speaker, same-day access is another area where we are seeing clear improvements. Earlier this fiscal year, only 70 percent of same-day appointment requests were being met. By the third quarter, that number had increased to 82 percent. By maintaining a waitlist and adjusting how LPN, licensed practical nurses, community health nurses, and nurse practitioners are used, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority has been able to maintain appointment availability despite limited physician hours. These changes allow the system to respond quickly to urgent needs and help ensure residents who need immediate care can get it.
Mr. Speaker, we have also implemented the trial of new tools that support staff and reduce administrative burden. One example is the introduction of the Mika AI Scribe tool now being tested in primary care sites across the territory. This speech-to-text tool creates accurate clinical notes, giving providers more time with patients and less time on paperwork. This trial responds directly to what frontline practitioners told us during engagement sessions. Early feedback has been positive, and residents may be asked to provide consent to use this tool during future appointments in Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, improving and strengthening team-based care at Yellowknife Primary Care remains a key focus under my leadership. The Yellowknife regional team has created governance structures with Indigenous and multidisciplinary representation. Working groups are reviewing patient journeys, integrated care teams, and operational processes. They are already producing practical tools, such as standard operating procedures, intake tools, and workflow updates, that support consistent, high-quality care. Hese may not be the kinds of changes that make headlines, but they are essential to building the strong foundation we need for long-term primary health care reform. We must take the time to do this work properly, and that means involving both clients and staff in the design process.
Mr. Speaker, I have highlighted only a few of the improvements underway. Much more work is happening behind the scenes and across the system and I am confident that with the direction I have set, the strong teams in place, and clear accountability measures guiding this work, we will continue to see real improvements in primary care. I look forward to updating Members as this work progresses. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we all know that our healthcare system is struggling to attract and hire nurses into our system due to the national nursing shortage. For this reason, we need to be thinking of new ways to grow our health care workforce.
One way we could do that is by establishing our own supervised practice experience program for training internationally educated nurses, or IENs for short. There are many IENs in the country, including here in the NWT, and due to the fact that nursing education differs substantially across the world, they may not be able to practice here with their current certification.
Currently, our rules require that IENs satisfy 450 hours of supervised practice time in another jurisdiction before they can work as a registered nurse here. It's important to note that this requirement is not simply regulatory red tape but is there to ensure nurses practicing here have demonstrated competency in key areas. Our problem is that we don't currently have a supervised practice experience program of our own which we can use to do this certification, so we rely on nurses completing that work down south. That doesn't help people who are currently living here and want to stay here and get certified, and it doesn't help us compete with our provincial counterparts who are also trying to attract nurses. For these reasons, I think we should investigate the possibility of establishing a supervised practice experience program here in the NWT as part of our suite of solutions for addressing our nursing shortage.
This would involve GNWT working closely with the college and association of nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut as both organizations would have a role to play in establishing a successful program. These programs exist in other jurisdictions in Canada, so there may be a model already established that could be adapted and tailored to the needs of the NWT. The key role GNWT would play is in providing resources and preceptors to supervise and oversee training of program participants.
Mr. Speaker, we have nurses here who are already invested in the territory and want to stay and work here and grow their skill set. Let's not turn them away. We want to grow our local workforce. This is just one way we could achieve it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, with education, as with health care, we can get caught up in lurching from one emergency to the next, from COVID to the feds yanking the rug out from under us with the massive scale back of Jordan's Principle funding. Now, it is essential for those supports to be restored, and today I will be tabling a letter from the Yellowknife school boards to the federal Ministers on Jordan's Principle.
We all have different roles. It's our responsibility as leaders and policy-makers to think beyond the immediate emergencies and to keep an eye on the bigger picture and ensure our education fundamentals are sound. I fear, Mr. Speaker, that they are not.
When it comes to teaching kids to read in the early grades, we are not in line with best practices in the rest of the country. There is an overwhelming body of scientific evidence about what works and what doesn't, and as a jurisdiction the NWT is not following it. This is not teachers' fault. Methods for literacy instruction have not been taught in teachers' colleges.
We have adopted the BC curriculum now which includes standardized assessments for literacy and numeracy in grades 4, 7, 10 and 12, but we've ignored another key part of the BC system. In 2024, BC introduced early literacy screenings and structured literacy interventions in kindergarten to grade 3. We've not done it. If you wait until grade 4 before you find out that a kid is struggling to read, by that time students are supposed to be past learning to read; they need to be reading to learn. Letting kids fall so far behind makes everyone's life much more difficult, and it makes teachers' jobs unmanageable. Our failure to implement early literacy best practices is part of what is creating chaos in classrooms. Jordan's Principle funding alone cannot solve it.
In 2022, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released a landmark report called Right to Read. It clearly lays out how the status quo approach has failed students and teachers and how this is actually a human rights violation, particularly for Indigenous students who are already at higher risk of falling through the cracks of the education system. The Right to Read report lays out a detailed path forward that has since been followed by the governments of Ontario, BC, and the Yukon, amongst others. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if we truly want to support teachers and set students early on on the best possible route to success, there is no time to waste in adopting early literacy best practices in the NWT as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I participated in Sahtu community engagements for the Mackenzie Valley Highway. What we heard was deeply disturbing. Families are making difficult decisions about their futures as a result of the Imperial Oil's production closure scheduled for the third quarter of this year.
Mr. Speaker, I learned that we are losing 11 students across five families, and that's as of today. It may change in the near future. These families have already begun telling their children they will be moving on, potential teachers, staffing as well. An additional eight students from local families may also be affected, depending on how things unfold. That's nearly 20 percent of our student population, Mr. Speaker.
These aren't just statistics. These are families who have built their lives in Norman Wells, children who have been uprooted from their schools and friends, and parents who are being forced to choose between their community and their families' economic security.
Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu is resilient, but this closure impacts all levels of government, local residents, and the business community. As a hub for the region, surrounding communities will also be impacted. However, there is hope, Mr. Speaker.
The welcoming news of defence spending for an all-season corridor represents a transformative project that can help stabilize our region's economy and the NWT. I am encouraged by my colleagues from the Mackenzie Delta, Nahendeh for issuing support, a press release supporting the corridor connection, a connection that will position the Sahtu for more economic growth and resource development and in the hospitality sectors.
Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu has weathered challenges before, but our families cannot wait for tomorrow's promises while today's opportunities slip away. Mahsi.
Thank you. Member from the Sahtu. Member's statement. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Happy Louis Riel Day. But that's not my statement, Mr. Speaker.
I am tentatively optimistic with the direction that the GNWT is taking on integrated service delivery. The predecessor to this approach, integrated case management, was praised in an external review of the social return on investment of that program that was tabled in the 19th Assembly. Plainly put, meeting people where they are at and assisting them to find their way through social service supports pays off, not only for individuals and families, but incidentally also for government. I am also encouraged to hear that providing wraparound supports and transitional and social housing is in the plans for builds both underway and announced last week. When folks have readily accessible supports that they need nearby, like daycare and the newly announced 54th Avenue housing project, our residents and community can grow stronger.
I can't help but to begin to dream a little bit bigger, Mr. Speaker, of a Yellowknife and a Northwest Territories that succeeds when the GNWT works hand-in-hand with NGOs and Indigenous governments who have expertise in social services that meet people where they are with what they need. The GNWT's public-facing role should always begin with a friendly how can I help you today, Mr. Speaker. And sometimes all it requires is just pointing someone in the right direction, but sometimes it does require a lot of assistance.
I want us to continue our momentum in a good way, on a trajectory that helps residents have meaningful outcomes for their lives and in alignment with the priorities of our Assembly. I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year I made a statement on the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security which is located in Whitehorse in the Yukon and what our plan would be, Mr. Speaker, given that this lens that's now on the North. I stress the importance of our territory having a similar voice for issues dealing with all things Arctic sovereignty and security, and now a year later there is most definitely an interest in the Arctic, Mr. Speaker. We are now at a point where we know there is significant funding earmarked for meaningful infrastructure in the two northern operational hubs of Inuvik and Yellowknife. And by significant, Mr. Speaker, we may be talking in the billions of dollars as we know.
I spoke in my budget reply from the accountability and oversight committee of the importance of being prepared, of meeting the moment, of putting our commitments into action, not just with words, but with capacity. I, as well as many of my colleagues, have spoken about the importance of ensuring we have capacity in the regions, putting the resources where it is needed most. And what I mean by capacity, Mr. Speaker, is senior decision makers in the regions that will see significant activity from this investment. Inuvik, Mr. Speaker, is obviously one of those regions.
We need to ensure that we have boots on the ground that are well-versed in all things Beaufort Delta to ensure we have the expertise to advise the GNWT as well as liaise with DND making the critical decisions around logistics, procurement, culture, and other areas where local knowledge will be imperative. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that an ADM position in Inuvik could serve this purpose. It will show residents of Inuvik that we are, indeed, serious about all things Arctic security and are putting our words into action. The Department of National Defence is hosting a public town hall on Tuesday, April 17th in Inuvik to share information about their infrastructure plans and to hear directly from the community. They will have representatives there to answer questions and discuss what this could mean for Inuvik. Meetings like these are of significant importance, and we have to have the people in place to participate, and we need those people at a senior level, Mr. Speaker.
I know the Premier and Cabinet are in constant contact with our counterparts in Ottawa, and I am confident in our ability to continue to move the political needle on Arctic infrastructure. But as we've seen many times, one small oversight in a region can cause delays, misinformation, or worse stop projects altogether. We must ensure that we are in tune with what's happening on the ground in Inuvik, and we must show that we are serious about putting our words into action for the people of the Beaufort Delta. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a serious health crisis is quietly emerging in the Northwest Territories. Diabetes has become widespread across our communities, reaching levels that are now epidemic. The most recent data shows that approximately 9,400 residents are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes, an astonishing figure when placed against our population of 45,500 people. Approximately one in five NWT residents, or roughly 20 percent, of our population is affected.
Mr. Speaker, these numbers aren't merely statistical concerns. They represent families, friends, and community members whose lives are changed every day by this chronic condition. Diabetes is a major cause and driver of heart attacks, kidney failure, liver, amputations, and preventable blindness. These are life altering and too often life-ending complications. The burden of diabetes is felt even more intensely among Indigenous people who face disproportionately higher rates due to longstanding systemic inequities, socio-economic disadvantage, and barriers to accessing culturally appropriate care. By every meaningful public health measure, this level of disease exceeds what we would consider normal or expected in a population our size.
While diabetes has not been formally declared an epidemic by government authorities, it meets the criteria: Widespread prevalence, escalating impacts, and trajectory that threatens the long-term health of our communities.
Mr. Speaker, if we are to meaningfully confront this crisis, we must recognize diabetes for what it has become in the Northwest Territories - a silent epidemic, and commit to the investment, education, and prevention efforts needed to turn these trends around. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year I warned that limits placed on federal Jordan's Principle programs would have dire consequences for Indigenous students. Since then, school after school has been hit by waves of cuts while this government fails to take real action. In this chamber, we are considering yet another budget cut -- sorry, a budget that continues to ignore this growing crisis. Even another wave of cuts is set to hit schools this summer.
In Yellowknife alone, YK faced a $6 million cut last year. And in June, YCS will be left with $8 million in the hole. Nearly 600 Indigenous students, YCS students, will see support vanish from classroom assistants, speech-language therapy, to social emotional coaching, and a vital culture in literacy and numerous programs. They are core services for Indigenous students, especially for those with complex needs. Indigenous graduation rates remain unacceptably below average, but the number has least improved in this year, and the funding began with Indigenous graduation rates relied on Jordan's Principle funding. But those same supports will no longer reach the next generation.
Before this government rolls back the progress we made for Indigenous education, I want to remind my colleagues that Jordan's Principle was created because the court recognized that the government had failed to provide Indigenous children the services they were entitled to. It may have seemed convenient to let the federal government pick up the tab on core territorial services by leaving the school dependence on Jordan's Principle. This government has admitted it has failed in responsibility and has abandoned any effort to fulfill it. My communities are asking what about their sacred treaty rights to education. What about UNDRIP, Article 14, or the TRC seven Calls to Action which demands we eliminate education and employment gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.
This government has an exclusive education review underway and must ensure that these core services are included in ECE funding. But the review is not due until next year. The Minister needs support to find a solution right now and within the federal budget the next few weeks away. My communities are also working with the Premier in doing so with Ottawa. I will have questions for both the Minister and the Premier later on today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over a decade ago I was here on the vanguard asking the question why go to an automatic power franchise renewal.
Mr. Speaker, there's more than one company out there that could do this. I read this on the weekend, and I was kind of surprised, if not shocked, to see that the city is going to an automatic renewal with the current provider. That would be Naka Power, Mr. Speaker. No one's speaking ill will. They provide a great service to the community. They're wonderful people. But, Mr. Speaker, the problem comes down to is couldn't we do business better, and can we find ways to turn every single stone over to make it more affordable for residents?
Mr. Speaker, since coming to office over 800, almost 900 days ago, we talked about trying to lower cost of living. My question is here's a problem; why not consider a solution.
Now, Mr. Speaker, the city administration is recommending -- within their rights, of course -- that councillors keep the power purchase franchise agreement with Naka Power. Mr. Speaker, I recognize their authority to do such, but the problem with a ten-year franchise agreement, Mr. Speaker, is no one currently will be around. And I have a fact to that point, Mr. Speaker.
To my best estimate, the last power renewal over ten years ago, there's only one city councillor around from those days, Mr. Speaker. So the point being is if people say well, it's unaffordable, and then the argument on the other side will be is we live here too, we -- you know, it's we understand the system better than anyone else. Well, it's easy to all of a sudden say well, let's just go for convenience, Mr. Speaker, because we don't want to fight or do this muscle.
Mr. Speaker, a power corporation doesn't put up a big fight if they don't want to keep it. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of money to be made in these power purchase agreements and how they sell to the citizens, such as us, everyone in this room.
Mr. Speaker, cost of living hurts every single one of us. Let me underscore that, Mr. Speaker. I don't know anybody who's saying, boy, I wish my power rates were higher.
Mr. Speaker, at the time, working with the Minister responsible for the power corporation, they articulated residents in Yellowknife would receive a significant reduction, a noticeable reduction, if it went to competition. Mr. Speaker, herein lies the problem and certainly the opportunity: If the City of Yellowknife said, okay, we arbe in a hurry and we don't have the proper time and energy to devote to review and renew the process for this renewed opportunity, Mr. Speaker, what they could do is commit to a shorter term, five years. And then they can say, we will visit it, and we'll start working on it now, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it's about the bottom line for the working family. We can do better, and I certainly encourage the city to consider other options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, over the past week, Canadians have come together and shared sorrow and grief over the heartbreaking events in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Over the weekend, when I saw the Prime Minister, Leader of the Official Opposition, and Governor General stand together in solidarity during this profound loss, I was reminded that the common bonds of our compassion, empathy, and respect for one another can break through the cynicism and partisanship that so often dominates public life. The loss of children taken so soon from their families is a heartbreak that touches us all.
As a father, I feel this sorrow deeply, especially when I see those bright smiling faces now taken from their loved ones through an act of uncomprehensible violence. Parents send their kids to school every morning knowing their safety is assured. I can't even begin to process the pain of a child not coming home from school ever again.
In times of great trauma, we need to slow down, listen, and be intentional in our care for one another. We must choose compassion because humanity is something we cultivate together. Wounds are deepened when numbness and indifference allow pain to echo, but when we act in kindness and empathy we set in motion a cycle of healing, a cycle that lifts communities, restores trust, and reminds us that we are stronger together.
But while our digital age has connected us like never before, it has also left many of us, especially young people, trapped in hidden corners of anxiety, loneliness, and uncertainty about the future. We must not just react to crisis but move forward with compassion for one another that never leaves anyone behind. That is who we are as Canadians, as Northerners, a people who stand together in times of grief, who lift one another in times of struggle, and who believe that through everyday acts of kindness, courage, and community, we will never stop building a stronger, safer, and more helpful tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements.
Colleagues, today it gives me great pleasure to acknowledge and express appreciation for the return of two well-respected educators - Ms. Jane Arychuk and Ms. Terry Jaffery - who have stepped forward to serve as interim superintendent and associate superintendent for the Deh Cho Divisional Education Council. Their leadership, experience, and commitment to education in the Northwest Territories are invaluable as the council works to recruit a permanent superintendent.
Ms. Arychuk brings a wealth of experience to this interim role. She began her tenure as interim president of Aurora College in July 2012 and was appointed president that December. Before her time in that office, Ms. Arychuk served as campus director of the Yellowknife North Slave Campus for seven years as well as vice-president of community and extensions at Aurora College. Her roots in northern education runs deep. Prior to joining Aurora College, she spent more than 20 years as a community educator and principal at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence. Her leadership and deep understanding of community-based education will be great assets during this transitional period.
Ms. Terry Jaffery brings extensive experience and dedication. She taught in Fort Liard and in Fort Simpson before serving as principal of Bompas Elementary School and later as superintendent of the Deh Cho Divisional Education Council for over nine years before her retirement. Her return to assist the region demonstrates her continued dedication to students, staff, and communities across the Deh Cho.
Colleagues, we are fortunate to have both respected leaders return to support the Deh Cho Divisional Education Council and our schools. Their steady hands and institutional knowledge will ensure continuity and stability as the process unfolds to select a new superintendent.
In closing, I would like to say that I have had the pleasure of working with both ladies, and I know their commitment to the students of the Deh Cho is beyond reproach. I have witnessed these women accomplish amazing things in the schools and throughout the region over the years. I would like to thank the Minister and the DDEC trustees for making this possible.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You're so efficient, you got ahead with it. I just wanted to acknowledge one of the pages in the Assembly as a Frame Lake resident, Ms. Charlotte Hilton. We're certainly happy to see her in the House today and happy to have her assistance. So thank you very much.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. I don't know. Member from Yellowknife South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have two pages here today, but I see only one in the gallery, so I might hold off for tomorrow on the other. But fortunately for me Ms. Shanli Carlson is a resident of Yellowknife South, and I am always happy to see her when she's visiting us here at the ledge. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife South. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.
If we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chambers. Greatly appreciate you allowing us the opportunity to represent people in the Northwest Territories. I hope you enjoy the proceedings. It is always nice to see people in the gallery.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be to the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corp. Noting that Hay River has now moved from working with a franchise agreement with Naka Power and they've gone directly to NT Power Corp, Mr. Speaker, I am wondering when will we get some type of public articulation of the savings that have been hopefully realized by changing their power purchase agreement directly with NWT Power Corp. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for NTPC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the decision by the Hay River Town Council to switch providers was now 12 years ago. So quite a lot has obviously changed in the interim time, but I will certainly go back to NTPC and see what they can provide in terms of some analysis of what has changed in the power rates over the last 12 years. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no doubt the Minister is familiar with the legislation that empowers this process to at least if not a perfect degree, to some degree. As such, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be familiar with what types of steps and processes it would require to eliminate any type of franchising power? In other words, getting rid of a third party and connecting directly to NWT Power Corp in all our communities directly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can say that at this point in time there is no plan or intention to remove the franchising opportunity or to otherwise remove right now the presence of other franchises here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for NTPC. Member from Yellowknife Centre. Final supplementary.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I was more trying to target process as opposed to current action, Mr. Speaker. So I guess in some ways I will just repeat the similar type of question, which is, Mr. Speaker, what type of process would it take to eliminate a third party managing power distribution in the Northwest Territories and therefore the NWT Power Corp., which in this case there really isn't competition, would directly supply customers directly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I certainly didn't mean to not answer the question but simply to emphasize that at this point in time there are two utility companies here operating in the Northwest Territories, and there's not an expectation or any -- I've not received any other interest in changing that. So, Mr. Speaker, the focus has been on trying to ensure that the two companies work well together in terms of generation, distribution, and in working together when there is overlap between them in those two things. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
