Check against delivery.
Mr. Speaker, where you live should not decide the quality of health and social services you can access. But in the Northwest Territories, geography is a real challenge, and residents of our small and remote communities know that better than anyone. For them, getting care closer to home is not about convenience. It is about staying connected to family, to community, to culture, and to the support networks that keep them healthy and well. If we are serious about care closer to home, Mr. Speaker, then we have to invest in modern, safe, and appropriate health infrastructure that meets the needs of Northerners.
That is exactly what we are doing: investing in health infrastructure that strengthens care in communities right across the Northwest Territories, with a real focus on our small communities.
On October 5th, the Government of the Northwest Territories, working alongside the Government of Canada, announced funding for 16 health infrastructure projects in 12 communities across the Northwest Territories through the Build Communities Strong Fund.
Mr. Speaker, these projects include new and upgraded Level A health centres, what most of us know as health cabins, along with improvements to group homes and upgrades to infection prevention and control. The funding will also support mechanical and diagnostic imaging improvements, and a new space for the Łıwegǫ̀atì Indigenous Wellness Clinic in Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, small communities are front and centre in this investment. New health cabins are planned for Colville Lake, Jean Marie River, Kakisa, Nahanni Butte, Tsiigehtchic and Wekweètì. Six communities. Six new health cabins.
These projects are not just bricks and mortar. For residents, they mean getting the care and support they need in facilities that are modern, welcoming, and built around what the community needs. For our health and social services professionals, they mean a workplace that supports them and helps them deliver high-quality care closer to home.
Having said that, Mr. Speaker, today’s investments are an important step, but they are one part of a larger vision for health infrastructure in the Northwest Territories.
Communities right across the territory have told us they need modern, reliable facilities to support the delivery of health and social services. Our infrastructure priorities are informed by long-term planning and a thorough assessment of service requirements, facility conditions, risk, urgency, and community input. But I want to be honest with this House, Mr. Speaker. These projects address many critical needs, including some of our most pressing priorities, but they do not represent the full extent of the infrastructure investments required in every community. Important needs remain across the territory.
Mr. Speaker, progress on priorities of this size does not happen overnight. It takes a great deal of planning, advocacy, and partnership. I want to recognize and thank the previous Minister of Health and Social Services, whose hard work helped lay the foundation for the investments we are seeing today.
We are making meaningful investments in the future of healthcare across the Northwest Territories. These projects build on recent federal funding commitments and move us toward a stronger, more connected healthcare system, with significant capital investments planned in every region. That is good for the entire territory, Mr. Speaker. At the end of the day, these investments are about one thing: making sure NWT residents can receive the services they need, as close to home as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I am especially proud to announce plans for a new CT scanner at the Inuvik Regional Hospital. This will make a real difference in our most northern region. It means more residents of our territory can access advanced medical imaging closer to home, and it means better health outcomes for patients and families.
Mr. Speaker, federal approval of this funding is an important milestone, but there is still a lot of work to do before we see shovels in the ground and doors open. Each project will continue through detailed planning, design, and approval processes, including due diligence, environmental reviews, and ongoing engagement with Indigenous governments and communities. As that work moves forward, project timelines, costs, and delivery plans will be refined.
We will keep working shoulder to shoulder with the Government of Canada, Indigenous governments, and communities as these projects move forward.
Mr. Speaker, this is about more than infrastructure. It is an investment in healthier communities, better access to care, and a stronger health and social services system for Northerners. It reflects our commitment to a system that responds to what communities need and supports the priorities of this Legislative Assembly.
Our goal remains clear. We want residents to have access to appropriate, culturally safe care, as close to home as possible.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.