Legislative Assembly briefs
MLA wants answers on alleged senior assault
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, October 17, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The MLA for Hay River North has some serious concerns about resident safety after an alleged assault last month at the Woodland Manor long-term health care facility in Hay River.
NWT legislative assembly Speaker Jackson Lafferty, centre, enters the chamber at the start of the new session Oct. 13 accompanied by clerk Tim Mercer, left, and sergeant-at-arms Brian Thagard. |
R.J. Simpson grilled Health and Social Services Minister Glen Abernethy about the Sept. 9 incident as MLAs returned to the legislative assembly for the fall session Oct. 13. Simpson wanted to know what was being done to prevent manor residents from getting into physical altercations in the future.
Both the victim and the accused are elderly residents of the facility.
"I've spoken with residents of the ... units in Hay River. This incident has put many of them on edge, and they're now concerned for their own safety," Simpson told the assembly.
"They have the right to feel safe in their own homes. We have to be concerned not only with their physical well being but with their psychological well-being."
Abernethy told Simpson even if staff had realized the accused had violent tendencies, it is a complicated process to move him from one facility to another.
He added that the government's goal is to keep this from happening again.
"When an incident does occur within a long-term care facility ... in the NWT, immediate measures are taken to ensure that residents are safe and staff are safe. That's our first priority," Abernethy said.
"The next process is to actually do an investigation. We do an investigation of all situations in long-term care facilities where safety has been put in jeopardy. This is intended to help us learn from these incidents so that we can put in measures or safeguards to make sure that these types of things don't happen again."
Erin Griffiths, chief executive officer of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, previously told News/North that the victim's injury was significant but declined to offer further details.
The authority took immediate measures to ensure resident and staff safety, she said.
Other media outlets reported the alleged victim said he had been repeatedly rammed by a man in a wheelchair while staff did nothing about it.
MLA questions ENR minister on Arctic Ocean safety
Nunakput MLA Herbert Nakimayak wants to know what the territorial government is doing to make sure the Arctic Ocean generally, and the Beaufort Sea specifically, are not environmentally endangered by vessels running aground.
Nakimayak is concerned about the length of time it is taking to free a barge which has been stranded at Toker Point about 25 kilometres north of Tuktoyaktuk since Sept 2.
Nakimayak said there is more marine traffic than ever before through the Northwest Passage and this past summer, the largest ever passenger cruise liner to sail in the Arctic navigated its way through the Beaufort Sea.
It is not believed any fuel or other toxins have spilled from the barge but both Nakimayak and Environment and Natural Resources Minister Robert C. McLeod said it the GNWT should be ready for any incident like this in the future.
McLeod pointed out there are several agencies involved should a barge ship run aground.
"Canada Coast Guard ... is the lead agency for response component on behalf of the Government of Canada, and Transport Canada is responsible for the management and governance of Canada's marine oil spills preparedness," McLeod said.
"ENR will be involved in communicating critical aspects of the incident, and we can provide assistance when Canada's agencies request it."
McLeod said ENR will work with NWT's coastal communities on an emergency preparedness plan as the waterway becomes busier. There is still no word on exactly when the barge will be removed.
Fort Simpson Health Centre delays
Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson is not only upset about the length of time it is taking to get a new health centre built in Fort Simpson but wants the government to get cracking on the first stage - which is only a planning study to get the facility built. Thompson said it has been frustrating for his constituents to see the study put on the back burner while the government moves forward with a study on replacing the Norman Wells Health Centre.
He wanted some time frames from Health and Social Services Minister Glen Abernethy, who told him phase one of the study should be completed by next April but then there is still a phase two study.
Abernethy said he does not anticipate funding being budgeted for the project until fiscal year 2018/19.
Thompson said it was his understanding that both phases of the study would be done by now.
"This (existing) facility is needed to be replaced due to age, quality control and maintenance costs," Thompson said.
"A new health centre helps improve the quality of health care service delivery in Fort Simpson and the five neighbouring communities."
Abernethy said delays were caused, in part, by the selection process for a suitable site and an archaeological study to see whether the new site had any graves on it.
Speaker's new robe
Jackson Lafferty, speaker of the legislative assembly, was sporting a new robe for the first day of the fall session on Oct. 13. The robe was made by one of Lafferty's Monfwi constituents, Harriet Koyina, from Behchoko. It features a vestment with intricate flowered beadwork and embroidery on it.
"Ms. Koyina is a talented and accomplished artist and I am proud and honoured to display her work in our chamber. Masi, Ms. Koyina," Lafferty said.
