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Mr. Speaker, June 3rd marks the two-year anniversary of the release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and its demand for a world where First Nations, Inuit, and Métis families can raise their children in an environment that offers the same level of safety, security, and human rights as non-Indigenous families.

To mark this date, I will be tabling the first annual report addressing the government’s actions to respond to the Calls for Justice.

Today, Premier Caroline Cochrane and Paulie Chinna, Minister Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), announced two senior management officials have been assigned as Pathfinders to support flood impacted communities.

These Pathfinders have been assigned to travel to impacted communities and work with community leadership to confirm needs and preferred approaches. They will provide immediate assistance in answering questions about the process around flooding, to provide further information where and as needed.

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Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes that owning your own home leads to physical security as well as emotional and financial security.  Our goal and our mandate is to increase the number of affordable homes and reduce the core housing need across the territory. Throughout my time being responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, I have made it my priority to listen to community members and look for resolutions to the barriers that have been identified.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, R.J. Simpson, is pleased to announce the names of the recipients inducted into the 2020 Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle on March 2, 2021.

Recipients are recognized and respected in their communities for leadership, participation and significant contributions to the arts, culture and heritage. By category, the recipients for the 2020 Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle are:

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Mr. Speaker, we continue to navigate our ever-changing circumstances as the pandemic continues around the world. After a long winter, I am sure we are all looking forward to summer, fresh air, and outdoor activities.

The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) will now offer exemptions from self-isolation requirements for travellers from the Yukon who are arriving or plan to arrive in the Northwest Territories (NWT). 

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Mr. Speaker, our territorial economy has suffered the impact of COVID-19 like every other jurisdiction in the country.  Bouncing back stronger means investing in areas that provide for the immediate participation of our communities and maximizing benefits for our residents.  Investments and improvements in transportation infrastructure is one area we know can have positive impacts on our economy. These investments connect our communities and ensure access to essential goods and services.

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Mr. Speaker, the youth of today are the strong, future leaders of tomorrow. Through initiatives like the NWT Youth Ambassador program, youth are provided opportunities to develop life and job skills, while building the confidence to deal with complex challenges.
I am pleased to inform the house today that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is now accepting applications for the 2021-2022 NWT Youth Ambassador Program – Virtual Edition for youth aged 16 to 22.

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Mr. Speaker, many NWT residents are living with some form of disability. They are our neighbors, co-workers, family members, leaders, and friends.  We are grateful for the contributions that persons with disabilities make in the territory. For this reason, we continue to advance work to ensure all residents are able to participate fully in all communities, without barriers.