Legislative Assembly briefs
Javaroma to run assembly cafe
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
After about two months without a cafeteria, the owners of Javaroma have taken over the dining room at the legislative assembly.
Rami Kassem, left, and Fadil Memedi, owners of Javaroma, stand inside the legislative assembly's cafeteria last Wednesday. The closed sign on the door has been replaced by an open sign as Javaroma took over the operation of the dining room as of Monday. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
The cafeteria was known as the Epic Grill until it closed in early April. Since then, employees at the assembly could not even buy a coffee in the building.
Javaroma was open on Monday with a limited menu as they waited for some kitchen equipment to be delivered. They expect to eventually offer a full menu, similar to what their downtown restaurant offers.
According to Barbara Abramchuk, spokesperson for the assembly, the assembly wanted a shift in catering. The new menu will now focus on modest, light and healthy fare, including soups, salads and sandwiches. Javaroma will also cater meetings held at the legislative assembly.
MLA calls for 9-1-1
There was no money in last week's GNWT budget for the implementation of 9-1-1 service in Yellowknife, or anywhere else in the territory. The issue was raised in the house by Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne last Wednesday, shortly after the budget was released.
"Just over a month ago, Yellowknife lost a 35-year-old business ... to a massive fire. 9-1-1 was called but the call didn't reach emergency responders," he said.
"Instead, the fire hall had to be alerted by someone driving there. The business was lost, along with the associated jobs and economic activity."
Vanthuyne said the City of Yellowknife wants the service, as do its residents. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) studied the viability of a 9-1-1 service and concluded the NWT is very well positioned to implement it, Vanthuyne told MLAs.
"So why haven't we moved ahead?" Vanthuyne asked MACA Minister Robert C. McLeod.
McLeod agreed a lot of work has gone into exploring the implementation of 9-1-1 but added it is not going to happen, at least not right now.
"9-1-1 is not really a part of the NWT mandate, the mandate we just put together, but recognizing that it is an important safety service that's required across the NWT, I will commit to the member that we will continue to have discussion on 9-1-1 service and how we can get the necessary funding to implement this so the discussion will carry on," McLeod said.
Yesterday, Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly also asked McLeod about 9-1-1 and wondered if a message could at least be played when people call 9-1-1 telling them what number to call for emergency services.
McLeod agreed that was a good idea and said he would look into it. A basic 9-1-1 service has been budgeted to cost a little more than $500,000 to establish, and $266,000 a year to operate.
MLA a no-show for first week of session
Rookie MLA Kieron Testart was conspicuous in his absence during the first week of the latest session, including Wednesday, the day the budget was delivered. Indeed, Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green addressed the issue in a tweet Sunday night
"@KieronTestart are you back from you European junket yet?" she asked.
"She has a very wry sense of humour," Testart said of Green.
He explained to Yellowknifer that he was in Europe attending a wedding and that his partner was in the wedding party. He said the trip was booked well ahead of last fall's election. Testart apologized to anyone who was upset by him not being in the house for the first week. He pointed out he was very busy in the month leading up to the session in his role as chair of the standing committee on government operations and deputy chair of the priorities and planning committee.
Testart was back in the house on Monday.
Range Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly was also absent for the opening day of the session. He said he was at a stamp collector's show in New York City. The legislative assembly sits about 50 to 60 times a year.
No audio on assembly rebroadcasts
There continues to be audio problems with the re-broadcasts of legislative assembly sessions on the Northwestel cable channel. They are being re-broadcast without any sound.
"During the last sitting, an audio issue was identified and NWTel rebroadcasts and the matter was apparently resolved at the NWTel end but is being monitored," Barbara Abramchuk stated in an e-mail to Yellowknifer.
"The lack of audio this past weekend was apparently a specific hardware issue here at the legislative assembly. I understand the issue has been addressed and is being monitored."
