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Mr. Speaker, one of the very important values in the new Northwest Territories Housing Corporation mandate is “partnership.” Partnership is how we are most effectively going to address the housing needs of residents across the territory. It is critical that we work in partnership with Indigenous governments, the Government of Canada, community governments and other stakeholders to reach our housing goals.
Canada’s Premiers are pleased to announce the Council of the Federation (COF) Award for Innovation in Mental Health and Addictions Care.
Presented in each province and territory for an initiative that positively impacts mental health and addictions care, this new Award will recognize and support one individual or organization from each jurisdiction that excels in the field.
Today the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) announced that child care fees for NWT families with children from birth to five years of age in licensed child care will be reduced, on average, by 50 per cent. The reduction will be effective January 1, 2022.
Following the long-awaited announcement from the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO), tourism operators have a tangible goal for the 2022 travel season; on March 1, the territory reopened to leisure travel and operators are preparing to welcome visitors back.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Minister Responsible for Seniors to update Members on our mandate commitment to enable Seniors to age in place with dignity. This is an important commitment to me personally because of the number of Seniors who live in my constituency. I continue to hear that they want to stay in their homes as long as possible. That means taking a cross-department approach to providing seniors with access to various services and support when and where needed.
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Mr. Speaker, the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards program was developed in 1991 as a way to recognize outstanding volunteers and highlight the importance of volunteerism in NWT communities. Today I want to congratulate everyone nominated for the 2021 NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards, and to share some of the incredible achievements of the award winners.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received the required permits from the City of Yellowknife for the occupancy and use of the day shelter at the former visitor centre site. With the approval of these permits, the local State of Emergency in Yellowknife will no longer be required and will be discontinued, effective March 3, 2022.
This facility will continue to offer day sheltering services to residents and will retain the same capacity.
Today, the Honourable Shane Thompson, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs announced the Northwest Territories (NWT) 2021 Outstanding Volunteer Awards. These annual awards provide an opportunity to show appreciation to volunteers and volunteer organizations for their outstanding contributions in communities across the territory.
Recipients of the 2021 NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards are:
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Mr. Speaker, today is the day that the Northwest Territories tourism sector has been anticipating for nearly two years. I am so happy to finally say that as of today, the NWT is welcoming back friends and visitors from near and far.
We all know that the NWT is a growing destination of choice for travelers from across Canada and around the world. In fact, in the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the territory had a record 120 thousand visitors, contributing more than $210 million to its economy.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to update Members on steps being taken to address the recruitment and retention of health and social services staff in the Northwest Territories. Members created a mandate priority to increase the number of resident health care professionals by at least 20 percent during the 19th Legislative Assembly. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the need for health and social services workers across Canada and within the Northwest Territories.
