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'Comfortable with current system,' says Beaufort Delta superintendent

Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 3, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - This is the second installment of a two-part series on the use of regional boards in delivering government services in the NWT. Last week's installment looked at Alberta's recent health board merger. This installment examines how amalgamated boards might function in the NWT.

On Oct. 23, Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger announced that the current system of health, education and housing boards will be phased out over the next three years. The separate boards will be replaced by seven amalgamated regional boards designed to tackle all three departments.

Miltenberger said the actual structure of the amalgamated boards is yet to be determined.

"The consultation on implementation of this is ongoing," said Julia Mott, cabinet communications co-ordinator.

This is not a cost-cutting exercise, but Miltenberger said it will lead to cost efficiencies over time.

When Alberta merged its nine health boards into a single "superboard" earlier this year, the cost of switching over was pegged at $80 million. Representatives from the local health boards complained about a loss of regional representation.

The cost of NWT's board merger remains to be seen, but regional representation should not be compromised under the GNWT's proposed merger.

Seven boards will represent seven regions, and communities should still have a voice at the table. Miltenberger said centralization is not a goal in this merger. He added the GNWT wants and values regional representatives.

What residents are most concerned about is how a single board will be able to manage three of the most complex issues in government.

Evelyn Storr, the chair of the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Service Authority, represents Aklavik at health board meetings. Storr said she could not comment on behalf of the board, but speaking personally said she has doubts about the board mergers.

"I don't think it's going to be beneficial because you have people sitting on boards that take care of the three biggest departments," she said.

She said she couldn't understand how one board could keep track of concerns in three departments.

Miltenberger disagreed saying there are many examples of individuals who represent their communities on two or three of these boards.

The NWT's current health authority system is not unlike the system Alberta phased out in May. However, unlike Alberta, the NWT has only had regional health boards for a little more than a decade. Until 1996, the territory had regional superintendents who reported back to a single territorial health board.

Deborah Tynes, Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority CEO, used to work as the Inuvik superintendent of social services.

Speaking before the merger announcement, she said the decade-old system of regional boards is more effective at managing health authorities than the pre-1996 system.

"The purpose of boards is to have representation of community concerns for all of the people within or region," said Tynes.

In the Beaufort Delta District there are nine board members, with one board member from each community. One of the nine is then appointed chair of the board.

"The function of the board is not to get involved in day-to-day issues at the hospitals," said Tynes. She said its main duties are to set the strategic direction of the hospital and to act as a voice for their respective communities.

The Beaufort Delta Education council has a similar structure to the health authority. Each community has an elected representative who sits on the Beaufort Delta Education Council. The representatives are paid honorariums for attending meetings. They bring education concerns from the community to the council. Other Education councils throughout the NWT operate with a very similar structure.

Beaufort Delta Education Council superintendent Roy Cole said because of the uncertainty surrounding the merger, board members are concerned about what might happen.

He is skeptical about the need for change but he remains open to consultation.

"We're very comfortable with our current system and operations. Everybody comes together in the interest of education," said Cole.

Miltenberger said these three departments are closely related and issues in one department often have impacts on another.

"Health issues, education issues and housing issues have a lot of common denominators," he said.

Bringing the boards together may create faster and more creative solutions to problems.