Check Against Delivery
Mr. Speaker, we all want better health for our families and communities. The choices we make are important for our overall health and well-being. By eating good food, being physically active, reducing the amount of alcohol we drink, living tobacco free, and making healthy choices, we can help reduce the risk of getting chronic diseases like cancer.
In collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Services, Tlicho Community Service Agency and Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) is piloting a two-year caregiver program that will provide additional supports around the home and community to elders, seniors, and persons with disabilities who have ongoing care or support needs.
Mr. Speaker, every year, one in five Canadians experience a mental health challenge or illness. Young people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to experience a mental illness or substance use disorder than any other age group. Research also shows that 70 percent of mental health challenges begin during childhood or adolescence. These numbers are higher in the NWT with the impacts of intergenerational trauma and the legacies of colonization and residential schools.
Check against delivery
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to provide an update to Northerners on the 2019 novel coronavirus. I would like to assure residents that at this time the risk of contracting this virus is low in the NWT.
Since the coronavirus was first reported in the Hubei Province of China, our Government and the Federal Government have moved quickly to ensure we are prepared. Our public health and emergency preparations are well underway and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops.
After a productive meeting between the board of the Foster Family Coalition of the NWT, Minister Diane Thom and officials from the Department of Health and Social Services, and the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, have agreed to find new ways to collaborate for addressing the on-the-ground and in the home needs of caregivers, and for addressing challenges within the child and family services system.
In support of the goal to eliminate poverty in the Northwest Territories, the Government of the Northwest Territories would like to remind the public that applications for the 2020-2021 Anti-Poverty Fund are currently being received. The initial call for applications was sent to Indigenous Governments, Community Governments and Non-Government Organizations on December 10, 2019.
The attached is being released on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, NorthwesTel, Strongest Families Institute, and Bell Let’s Talk.
As part of its commitment to supporting health promotion and prevention activities, the Government of the Northwest Territories is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the Healthy Choices Fund. The annual funding is $400,000, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $75,000 per fiscal year.
The objectives of the Healthy Choices Fund include:
Released in August 2019, the Child and Family Services System’s Quality Improvement Plan identified 70 action items to improve the Child and Family Services System in order to achieve better outcomes for children, youth, and their families.
To date, approximately 33% of the action items in the Plan have been completed. These include:
The Public Health Order issued from the NWT Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) on May 17, 2019 for the Hay River Mackenzie Place Apartment building continues to remain in place to protect individuals from potential health hazards.
Immediately after the fire at the apartment building on March 15, 2019, the building was evacuated and closed. The building has remained closed due to the confirmed presence of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead, and mercury. Water damaged materials have supported the growth of mould, which presents an additional hazard.
