Check Against Delivery

Mr. Speaker, the transformation of Aurora College into a world class polytechnic university is well underway. As the Legislative Assembly is aware, the transformation will happen in three phases. We are currently in Phase One, which is what I want to talk about today. Phase One is focused on strengthening the foundation of the existing college, ensuring we understand the detailed steps ahead of us, and determining what we, as a territory, want the polytechnic university to be.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge International Women’s Day.  International Women’s Day is held annually on March 8^th to celebrate women and girls’ social, cultural and political achievements throughout history, across nations, and to raise awareness about the work left to be done.  The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is Because of You.

Check against delivery

Mr. Speaker, today I want to focus on one of the successes that has come from the Education, Renewal and Innovation Framework. The Northern Distance Learning program, otherwise known as NDL, is a way to offer higher-level academic courses to high school students in small communities, to prepare them for postsecondary. By the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, this program will be available to students in up to 20 small communities across the territory.

The Northwest Territories Office of the Superintendent of Securities is alerting investors that LeadingPips is not registered to sell securities in the Northwest Territories.

Check Against Delivery

Mr. Speaker, good oral health is important to our overall health and quality of life.  Healthy mouths and teeth in children promote healthy growth, nutrition, speech development, good school performance and social well-being.

Cavities, however, are the most common chronic infectious childhood disease, and they place a substantial burden on our population.  Poor oral health contributes to a child’s inability to eat, speak, sleep and learn.  In adults, oral disease has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, pneumonia and Alzheimer’s.

Ministerial Activities Advisory for the week of March 3-9, 2020

Ministerial Travel

Please note that travel schedules may change with little or no notice. This schedule is accurate as of March 2, 2020

• Diane Thom, along with MLA’s Julie Green and Caitlin Cleveland, are attending the UN Session on Status of Women March 8 to 12 in New York, NY.

Meetings and Appearances

Please note that event organizers may have attendance restrictions­­_­ for their event. Contact organizers for more information.

Check Against Delivery

Mr. Speaker, supporting the housing needs of seniors is very important to our people, to our communities and to this government.  A key approach to supporting our Elders is to recognize their desire to have friends and family close by as they age, and to remain in familiar surroundings.

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.

Check Against Delivery

Mr. Speaker, the 19^th Legislative Assembly believes our decisions must reflect a full understanding of our communities and regions. It is our responsibility to ensure that the needs of our residents are reflected in the decisions that will impact them.

This is especially important when it comes to decisions about the land, Mr. Speaker. That’s why our northern Indigenous governments and communities are at the heart of our northern approach to establishing and managing protected areas.

Check against delivery 

Good afternoon, and welcome again to everyone.  

Before I start, I’d like to welcome my Ministerial counterparts and all the stakeholders and Indigenous representation both in the audience and on stage with us this afternoon.

This is my first PDAC experience as Minister of ITI and Infrastructure, and I am pleased that my first PDAC speaking engagement is at an important one like this.