SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya wants traditional foods to be sold in NWT stores and marketed across Canada and wonders what it would take start such a program.

"Imagine walking into a store in one of the communities and seeing on the shelf that there's caribou meat there or muskox or buffalo meat or fish," he said Wednesday. "Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing to happen in the Northwest Territories?"

Premier Floyd Roland said harvesting, marketing and selling NWT foods in the North and across Canada would be a definite possibility and something he would be willing to put time into reviewing options.

"It is something I believe should be looked into a little more and making use of our own resources," Roland said, adding it is something the government could look at funding in the upcoming budget, if members see fit. "This is something that has to be taken into consideration. More importantly, we have to sit down with members to look at how we would take some of the resources that we use today and divert it to some areas where there's new opportunity that we could look at investing in."

The premier added they could look at putting a report before the appropriate standing committee to spark discussion.

Krutko wants nurse in Delta community

With the spread of H1N1, having health care workers in every community is crucial, especially in remote, limited access communities like Tsiigehtchic, said Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko.

"The evidence is there that aboriginal communities are more resilient to this thing and, more importantly, need the assistance of government, the health professions and people on the ground," Krutko said, adding there will not be a nurse in the community for the first time this year during freeze up. "I, for one, feel that we have to be proactive and not reactive and wait for someone to die before we do anything."

Sandy Lee, Minister of Health and Social Services, said all communities are covered by health care services.

"Even though Tsiigehtchic right now doesn't have a permanent nurse sitting there, Beaufort-Delta is ready to send extra resources to Tsiigehtchic on a moment's notice, if the need arises," Lee said, telling the member she will look into why Tsiigehtchic won't have a nurse in the community during freeze-up.

More stove inspectors needed

MLA for Nahendeh Kevin Menicoche said certified wood or pellet stove inspectors are needed in his region.

Menicoche said homeowners in Nahendeh and throughout the North in small and remote communities have problems getting a qualified person to inspect and certify their stoves.

"They are also having problems with the insurance industry who are cancelling existing insurances due to the lack of these inspections," Menicoche said. "The only existing option is to get someone to come in from Hay River, and the costs are extremely high as travel costs would be the responsibility of the homeowner."

Robert McLeod, minister responsible for the housing corporation, said his department currently has a dozen people looking to get certified and the housing corp. is looking at having its own people certified.

"The housing corporation is looking at the possibility of having their own technical advisors get certified so that they can do the inspections and they are a lot more accessible and will have them out in each of the communities," McLeod said.