Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories made a mandate commitment to develop a territorial climate change strategy that takes into account Northern energy demands and the cost of living, while reflecting international and national commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year on May 1, the Government of the Northwest Territories released the 2030 Northwest Territories Climate Change Strategic Framework.  This is our government’s coordinated, comprehensive response to mitigating and adapting to climate change, outlined in the following three goals:

Mr. Speaker, today marks a major milestone for Health Care delivery in the Northwest Territories. On May 26, 2019 we began accepting patients at the new Stanton Territorial Hospital, and implemented a detailed patient move plan to bring patients from the old Stanton hospital to our brand new facility.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released its 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework 2019-2023 Action Plan — the first of two five-year Action Plans to guide the implementation of the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework.

Mr. Speaker, to advance our government’s commitment towards community wellness and safety, we are taking steps to improve care for our people by working with the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, to explore the creation of one self-regulatory framework for all nursing professionals in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre has acted as the territory’s museum for the past 40 years. The institution cares for a large collection of objects representing the peoples, cultures, history and land of the Northwest Territories on behalf of all the people who live here. 

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, the Honourable Robert C. McLeod and Chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and the Environment, Mr. Cory Vanthuyne, are announcing today, that in the spirit of consensus government, an agreement has been reached to provide for the expedited review of Bill 38: Protected Areas Act during the May/June sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to welcome all Members back to the continuation of the Third Session of the 18^th Legislative Assembly. As we near the end of our term, our government continues to focus on advancing the priorities of the Assembly and fulfilling remaining mandate items. These are intended to help create a better future for all residents of the Northwest Territories, including the advancement of outstanding claims and self-government negotiations.

On May 30^th, 2019, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will present the Northwest Territories (NWT) 2019 Outstanding Volunteer Awards at a ceremony in Yellowknife.  These annual awards provide an opportunity to show our appreciation to volunteers and volunteer organizations for their outstanding contributions in communities across the territory.

 MACA presents the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards annually to one individual, one youth, one elder, and one group who have helped improve the quality of life in the NWT through volunteerism.

Glen Abernethy, Minister of Health and Social Services, is announcing the government will invest $1 million this year to support local organizations in their efforts to reduce poverty.  Funding for forty seven proposals is being awarded to community and Indigenous organizations through the 2019/20 Anti-Poverty Fund.

Gates will swing open at most parks across the Northwest Territories this week as camping season officially gets underway. 

Parks in the South Slave, North Slave and Sahtu began welcoming overnight guests on Wednesday, May 15^th, 2019. All NWT parks will be open by June 1^st, 2019.

With more than $7 million in planned and continuing investments in world-class parks infrastructure, NWT park users will notice improvements completed and underway – all of which are being done to improve experiences for visitors and residents alike.