Check against delivery

Mr. Speaker, oral health is an important part of overall health. Yet for too many residents of the Northwest Territories, especially in small and remote communities, getting dental care has meant long waits, cancelled clinics, or costly travel outside their home community.

Today, I am pleased to update Members on concrete steps I have taken as Minister to fix long‑standing barriers and bring dental care back into communities, where people want and deserve to receive care.

First, I am proud to say that our government has secured a new agreement with Health Canada through the Oral Health Access Fund. This agreement brings approximately three million dollars over three years into the Northwest Territories to repair, replace, and modernize dental equipment in community health centres across the territory.

This is a significant achievement. For years, outdated and broken dental equipment has been one of the biggest reasons dental services could not be delivered consistently in small communities; even when dental professionals were ready and willing to travel. There was no dedicated funding to maintain or replace this equipment, and as a result residents could not receive dental care close to home.

By negotiating this agreement with Health Canada, we are fixing the foundation that dental services depend on.

In the first year of the agreement, funding will be used to hire a Health Technology Planner; assess the condition of dental rooms and equipment in community health centres; develop standard, safe dental room layouts; and put standing agreements in place to support installation, training, and the removal of old equipment.

In years two and three, the focus will shift to getting equipment repaired or replaced in communities, starting in the Beaufort Delta and Sahtu regions, and then expanding to the Dehcho, Fort Smith, and Yellowknife regions. This work will be carried out with the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, which manages our community health centres where dental services are delivered.

Mr. Speaker, this agreement is a key step toward our government’s mandate priority of providing care closer to home. When dental spaces are safe and reliable, fewer residents will need to travel for routine dental care; reducing stress for families and lowering travel pressures on the health system.

Second, I am also pleased to confirm that we have signed a contract with Adam Dental Clinic to restore visiting dental services in communities where equipment has already been assessed as safe for use. Dental services are expected to resume this summer in Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, and Norman Wells, with additional communities coming online as readiness work is completed.

Mr. Speaker, while dental treatment is not insured under the Northwest Territories Health Care Plan and is often delivered through federal programs such as Non‑Insured Health Benefits, our government remains committed to ensuring residents can access timely, reliable dental care as close to home as possible. This work is about removing barriers, improving safety, and restoring quality services where people live.

For residents, this means more reliable dental clinics; fewer cancelled appointments due to equipment failures; and fewer trips out of community for basic dental care.

There is still more work ahead, but these actions represent real, measurable progress. By securing new federal funding and rebuilding the infrastructure that dental services rely on, we are bringing care back into communities and improving access for residents across the Northwest Territories; especially in small and remote communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.