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Monsieur le President, one of the beautiful things about living in the Northwest Territories is the diverse range of cultures and languages that reside here. Our Francophone community, made up of approximately 4,200 residents, is an important component of our society and a significant contributor to our social, economic and cultural development.
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Mr. Speaker, mental health and addictions continues to be a serious issue in the NWT, which is why this government has committed to increasing the number and variety of culturally respectful, community-based, mental health and addictions programs, including aftercare. I rise today to update Members on the work to meet this mandate commitment.
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Mr. Speaker, as the weather warms, we are seeing more hunters heading out on the land, including many who are traveling up the winter road to harvest caribou. Most are harvesting safely, respectfully, and following traditional practices.
Unfortunately, a few hunters’ illegal and disrespectful harvesting puts unnecessary pressure on barren-ground caribou herds. These herds are already facing challenges related to the changing climate which can impact their habitat and food sources.
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Mr. Speaker, eliminating anti-Indigenous racism in the Health and Social Services system is an urgent issue in the Northwest Territories, and across the country. I rise today to reaffirm our government’s commitment to advancing cultural safety for Indigenous residents. This is a commitment we will continue to act on and today I will provide an update on the progress we have made over the past year.
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Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is delivering an exceptionally large capital program to cost share the delivery of 60 new single public housing units. Forty-six of those units are projected to be completed in 2022-2023, and 14 are projected to be completed the following year. The majority of this funding is coming from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation under the Co-Investment Fund.
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Mr. Speaker, today is International Women’s Day. Designated by the United Nations as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women, it is a day to raise awareness of gender inequality and reflect on the journeys we have all taken to get here. It is an opportunity for us to come together and to commit to continue the fight for gender equality.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been two years since COVID-19 changed our lives here in the NWT. When the outbreak started, we did not know what to expect, how long it would last, when vaccines would be available and how we would have to adapt. We also did not fully understand the toll it would take on all of us, especially health care providers.
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Mr. Speaker, over the last three days, the community of Fort Smith and its residents have been faced with a difficult and scary situation that has shaken their sense of safety to the core.
As a result of a significant police operation in the community, residents were forced to lock themselves in their homes, businesses, or wherever they could seek safety, while the RCMP searched for an individual considered to be armed and dangerous. Thankfully the individual has been brought into custody.
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Mr. Speaker, this Legislative Assembly has made it a priority to advance universal child care for residents of the Northwest Territories. Today I am honoured to share the highly anticipated results of our work with Canada that will help us achieve this priority.
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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.
