Mr. Speaker, Regional Wellness Council members are a critical part of our health and social services system. They are change leaders in their communities and a voice for residents in their regions. They champion the ideas and concerns of residents and are passionate about using that information to shape and improve our health and social services.
Mr. Speaker, I know you and all the other Members here understand the importance of barren-ground caribou to our communities. Caribou are central to the way of life in the North, and have sustained people here for many generations. This is why together, this Legislative Assembly made a mandate commitment to improve food security in the Northwest Territories through the effective co-management of wildlife, including caribou.
Mr. Speaker, on January 16, 2019, I had the honour of signing the Self-government Agreement-in-Principle for the Sahtu Dene and Métis of Norman Wells, alongside our negotiating partners, the Government of Canada and the Norman Wells Land Corporation.
Mr. Speaker, from January 16 to 17, 2019, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs brought community government leaders together to discuss cannabis. This was our first opportunity for such a gathering since cannabis became legal in Canada on October 17, 2018.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has world-class mineral potential that could bring economic benefits to the residents of the Northwest Territories, industry players, and Canada.
Mr. Speaker, from February 15 to March 3, 2019, athletes from the Northwest Territories will be representing our territory at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alberta. This event is an important celebration of Canadian sport and culture. It will be the largest event of its kind ever hosted in Red Deer and central Alberta and one of the largest in Alberta since the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod announced today that the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has signed an agreement with North Star Infrastructure (NSI) to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Tłı̨chǫ All-Season Road.
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is following through on its mandate commitment to strengthen connections with public and private sector partners in transportation infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is helping to address the high cost of living in our territory by implementing Northern solutions for Northern housing. We are working with other governments and housing stakeholders to support Indigenous and local governments in their housing aspirations and create initiatives to address homelessness. As part of its Strategic Renewal, the Housing Corporation is developing Community Housing Plans to guide and support strategic development and investment in each community.
Mr. Speaker, when our connections to our languages and cultures are strong, our people are strong. Languages and culture play a crucial role in people’s daily lives, as tools for communication, education, social integration and development. Language, cultural history and traditions shape us as people.
I will begin by announcing that upon recommendation of the official language boards, February has been declared the new Indigenous Languages Month in the Northwest Territories.
