Good afternoon and thank-you, for being here today.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Minister LeBlanc and his team to the Northwest Territories.

As Minister Leblanc mentioned, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada have a special relationship.

It is important to any jurisdiction to have good partnerships with Canada, and particularly for the NWT, your commitment to work with us to address the issues that affect Northerners are essential and we look forward to many more visits in the future.

The opioid crisis continues to devastate individuals, families and communities across the country. Without increased access to effective, evidence-based treatment options, people will continue to be at risk for overdose.

In spite of grey skies and rainy days, NWT Parks continued to shine through the 2018 season. 

Led by a 122% increase in overnight stays in the Beaufort Delta, NWT Parks welcomed 36,526 visitors last year to campgrounds across the territory — an all-time record for territorial parks.

This is the fifth-straight year of increases in the use of NWT Parks.

The increases come on the heels of consecutive years of multi-million dollar investments by the GNWT and nearly $7 million in capital upgrades to parks in 2018-2019.  

The results from a geotechnical study contracted by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) on the École J.H. Sissons School site have been received. The study concluded that the original site, where the school currently stands, is the most viable and stable location for both current and future use. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), Caroline Cochrane, has accepted this recommendation. Both the recommendation and the decision have been conveyed to the board.