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Yukon Legislative Assembly
Whitehorse, Yukon
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 — 1:00 p.m.
Speaker
absent
Clerk: It is= my duty, pursuant to the provisions of section 24 of the Legislative Assembly Act, to inform the Legislative Assembly of= the absence of the Speaker.
Deputy Speaker takes the Chair
Deputy Speaker (Ms. Blake): = b>I will now call the House to order.
We wil= l proceed at this time with prayers.
Prayers
Daily
Routine
Deputy Speaker: We will proceed at this time with the Order Paper.
Introd= uction of visitors.
Introduction
of Visitors
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <= span lang=3DEN-CA>We have several guests in the Assembly today who have come, I = think, for the petition that is going to be tabled. Could we please welcome: Sibell Hackney, Joel Hackney, Dave Paquet, Sheila and Dennis Senger, Stephen Burles, and Colleen Clar= k. There is one more guest who I think would like to be introduced by the NDP,= but if we could welcome them, please.
Applause
Ms. White: I appreciate that gesture, but I would like to invite my colleagues to join m= e in welcoming someone who is no stranger to this Chamber, as she was here way b= ack in the 1970s. Eleanor Millard, thank you for coming today.
Applause
Deputy Speaker:= 195;Tributes.
TRIBUTES
In recognition of Nationa= l Dental Hygienists Week
Hon. Ms. McPhee: I rise today on behalf of the Yukon Liberal government to acknowledge National Dental Hygienists Week.
The mo= nth of April is Oral Health Month, and an important part of the celebration is National Dental Hygienists Week, which is celebrated annually during the fi= rst week of April. This week’s theme, “Oral Health For Total Health”, reminds us that taking care of our mouth, teeth, and gums positively impacts our overall physical and mental well-being, not to menti= on our smiles, which spread joy and positivity throughout our days.
Having= good oral health starts with seeing a dental hygienist and therapist regularly and seeking their care and guidance. They can offer individualized treatment recommendations for daily care as well as oral conditions or tobacco cessat= ion, nutrition counselling, or oral cancer screenings. Dental hygienists teach y= oung children proper toothbrushing techniques and how to make healthy dietary choices; I am pretty sure we can all remember a warning about too much cand= y. They can refer children to orthodontists to see how their faces and jaws are growing and how their teeth will function in the future. Dental hygienists = also provide services to seniors in our communities or living in long-term care. They provide essential primary health care and promote good oral health, wh= ich would not be possible without the help of our dedicated oral health professionals.
We all= know that some Yukoners may not be able to afford to see oral health professionals. T= hat is why I am very proud that we launched the Yukon dental program this year. This program supports people who can’t afford dental work to get treatment through the Yukon health care insurance plan. Thousands of Yukone= rs, including children, can now see oral health professionals and receive much-needed dental services and treatments. Oral diseases often begin in preschool years when children are still learning their oral care routine and don’t have regular access to an oral health care professional. This program can help with prevention and therefore overall better health outcom= es. I am pleased that through federal and territorial programs, Yukoners can ha= ve access to essential oral health care.
This i= s a great reminder today to make an appointment and to visit your dental hygienist or therapist even if it is not your favourite thing to do. Your gums will thank you. Good oral health is all about good overall health. Please look after i= t.
Applause
Mr. Cathers: I rise on behalf of the Yukon Party Official Opposition to recognize National Dental Hygienists Week, celebrated from April 4 to 10. This annual event is organized by the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association and focuses on the importance of maintaining good oral health practices while promoting dental hygiene as a profession and celebrating the importance of hygienists to our overall health and well-being.
It is = important to understand that taking care of your teeth and oral health daily can play= a large role in your overall health. Good dental hygiene habits should be established early in childhood, and parents and guardians can help by helpi= ng children develop routines, including twice-daily brushing as well as flossi= ng and rinsing. Children and adults should aim for regular checkups with both = the dentist and the hygienist.
Dental hygienists not only perform professional teeth cleaning, but they are also trained in prevention, assessment, and treatment for oral health issues. Th= ey conduct initial patient screenings and check oral health history, brushing = and flossing habits to help advise patients on care, and also assist dentists in deciding treatments for tooth and gum diseases.
So, we= encourage all Yukoners to use this week as a reminder to practise good oral health ha= bits for the health of your teeth and overall well-being. Thank you to all of our dental hygienists for the role you play in the dental health and the overall health and well-being of Yukoners.
Applause
Ms. White: I rise on behalf of the Yukon NDP to pay tribute to dental hygienists. Brace yourself, folks, because this one is going to be a mouthful.
Each a= nd every dental hygienist deserves a plaque. It is a difficult job but one that is critical to the health and well-being of Yukoners. I used to joke about how teeth were luxury bones because our public health insurance didn’t co= ver dental work. But now we can proudly say that, in the Yukon, we have changed= the composite of our oral expectations. You could say that it is our “cro= wning” achievement.
To tel= l you the “tooth”, though, it is not a very funny joke if you are in need of dental work and can’t afford it. The preventive work that hygienists do is a great example of the types of upstream health care investments that governments should be focusing on. Beyond bad breath and cavities or tooth loss, poor o= ral health can have so many damaging effects on people, from cardiovascular dis= ease to cancer, arthritis, and kidney disease. Oral health can have a huge impac= t on our lives.
Hygien= ists play a critical role in keeping Yukoners healthy and able to keep munching away = on our favourite foods. It is a tough job. It requires a great deal of technic= al knowledge and interpersonal skills, but it is also physical. Long days on y= our feet, bent over patients in the chair, and staying focused on the little details of our mouths — it is a lot.
I know= that when you think about a dental hygienist, you probably think about getting your t= eeth cleaned, but they do so much more. Some hygienists can perform fillings and take X-rays; some work in public health programs in schools, providing serv= ices where there is no dentist available.
So, wi= th Yukon’s new dental program that will see up to 8,000 additional Yukon= ers having access to dental support and with a national shortage of these highly skilled workers, our local dental hygienists are working extra hard from working extra shifts or skipping lunch breaks. They are doing the hard work= to make sure that everyone gets the health care that they deserve.
So, I = hope that I have drilled it into everyone how much respect I have for people doing th= is work, because I know that they have “fillings” too.
Applause
In
recognition of Dawson City International Short Film Festival
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <=
span
lang=3DEN-CA>I rise today to pay tribute to the Dawson City International S=
hort
Film Festival. Taking place this weekend from April 6 to 9 on the tradition=
al
territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, the Dawson City International Sh=
ort
Film Festival has been celebrated every Easter for 20-plus years. This annu=
al
festival is presented by the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, =
or KIAC, and each year they host an
impressive and colourful collection of diverse and thought-provoking works =
that
leave audiences inspired and entertained. They will sell you the whole seat,
but you will only need the edge.
First = founded in 2000, the festival showcases breathtaking films of all genres and provides = an international stage for talented filmmakers to present their work to the wo= rld. Festival-goers also get the chance to partake in special events such as mee= t-and-greets, filmmaking challenges, youth screenings, and awards. The festival offers a multitude of workshops and immersive experiences supporting the ongoing gro= wth and development of Yukon filmmakers and industry professionals.
This f= estival is one of the northern-most competitive film festivals in the world and, over = the years, has given so many Yukoners an opportunity to tell their stories here= and abroad. In fact, the festival will kick off tomorrow with a special screeni= ng of Polaris, an award-winning fi= lm produced and filmed in the Yukon in 2021. Yukon producer Max Fraser will be= in attendance for the screening and will host a Q&A afterward. If you are = in Dawson tomorrow, I encourage you to go and hear about this amazing achievem= ent.
Anothe= r notable screening is Dawson Defrosted, = which showcases recently discovered film footage from Dawson’s past as well= as many Indigenous-made films and youth contributions.
Madam = Deputy Speaker, I want to congratulate all of the talented filmmakers who will be showcasing their work at this year’s festival. I also want to thank t= he festival committee and the team at KIAC for the= ir commitment to making this festival a success. A shout-out, as well, to the Dawson City Arts Society and all of the screening sponsors and funders.
The Da= wson City International Short Film Festival is something that many Yukoners look forw= ard to each year. It is a time to come together in support of great films, no matter the length, and media, arts, and the gifted filmmakers who enrich our lives with their stories and visions. Please check out this year’s festival and get ready to ooh and aah.
Applause
Ms. Van Bibber: I rise on behalf of the Yukon Party Official Opposition to pay tribute to the 2023 Dawson City International Short Film Festival.= p>
Since = 2000 on Easter weekend, the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, or KIAC, has organized and presented the film festival, = and it has grown in stature. From around the world, short films — 30 minutes= or less — of all varieties are showcased along with workshops, special events, challenges, and so much more.
An ope= ning reception where one can schmooze with the filmmakers, sponsors, and other f= ilm buffs is happening on Thursday.
The ra= nge of short films submitted and the Q&As after continue to be such a treat for all ticket holders. The topics that films take us to are always part of the discussion.
There = are coveted awards as well. One has already been given — the Trailer Cont= est Award — and that was won by Chantal Rousseau for Raven at the Dump. There is the MITY — which means “made in the Yukon” — Award, the MITY Emerging Artist Awa= rd, and a MITY Youth Award for artists 18 and under. There is the Lodestar Award for the best Canadian or international film entry. And, yes, all attendees = get a vote — the Audience Choice for which all films are eligible.=
A Sund= ay street festival — featuring perogies at 5:30, hosted by KIAC, and accompanied with music by Ryan McNally. They all get wrapped up with the (S)hiver Party at the Pit that evening. How uniquely Dawson is that?=
The ra= nge of films submitted look interesting, thought-provoking, and fun. It will be a = busy weekend as we step into spring. Kudos to the KIAC staff, filmmakers, sponsors, volunteers, and organizers who make this weeke= nd such a great time for all. Small-town Dawson City has done it again.=
Applause
MLA Tredger: I rise on behalf of the Yukon NDP to add our voices in tribute to the Dawson City International Short Film Festival.
I read= that this is their 24th year. Congratulations. I can’t believe that,= as of next year, this festival will have been running for a quarter of century. It’s an Easter ritual for many Yukoners to travel to Dawson for this amazing festival. It is among the most northern competitive film festivals = in the world and features special events ranging from master classes to a stre= et feast.
Short = films have always been my favourite films. They have so much opportunity for experimentation and innovation, and they are still accessible to both audie= nces and filmmakers. I was particularly excited to see all the films by Yukon yo= uth in this year’s program. I’m sure that for many of them, it̵= 7;s their first film to be screened at a festival, so congratulations to them on their debuts, and we look forward to all their coming creations.
Congra= tulations to all the filmmakers, organizers, staff, volunteers, and sponsors who make this remarkable festival happen. Thank you to everyone who supports this through their attendance. We wish you all a fantastic film festival.=
Applause
Deputy Speaker: Are there any returns or documents for tabling?
Tabling
Returns and Documents
Mr. Cathers: I
have for tabling today, first of all, a document from the Canadian Federati=
on
of Independent Business, entitled <=
span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Patients before Paperwork: Nova Scotia's
approach to improving patient care by reducing physician red tape.
I also have for tabling a news release =
from
the Government of Manitoba dated March 24, 2023, entitled “Manitoba
Government Announces Members of Joint Task Force to Reduce Administrative
Burdens on Physicians”.
Ms.=
White: I have for tabling three i=
tems:
One is a CBC news article dated October 28, 2016, entitled “Yukon
pharmacists’ request for expanded powers gets positive response from 3
parties”; a letter that I wrote to the Minister of Health and Social
Services about prescription contraception; and the response to that letter.=
Dep=
uty
Speaker: Are
there any reports of committees?
Are there any petitions to be presented=
?
PETITIONS
Petition No. 18
Mr.=
Kent: I have the following petit=
ion for
presentation here today, and it reads as follows:
I have= for presentation the following petition to the Yukon Legislative Assembly:
This petition of the undersigned shows:=
THAT ending the time change by switchin=
g to
year-round Daylight Savings Time, also known as DST, has resulted in many
people struggling with the lack of daylight in mornings in the winter;
THAT the negative impacts on families h=
ad not
been predicted or expected by a lot of people before the switch was made;
THAT the survey done by the Government = of Yukon prior to the switch to DST was flawed, as the survey let people fill = it out multiple times if they used more than one computer, phone, or tablet; <= o:p>
THAT the Government of Yukon can use mo=
re
secure surveys, and has recently done so with Yukon Bureau of Statistics
surveys using a unique link or pin number for each person;
THEREFORE, the undersigned ask the Yukon Legislative Assembly to urge the Government of Yukon to do another survey, one that uses a secure method to avoid repeat comments, asking Yukoners if they want to return to our own time zone; Yukon Permanen= t Standard Time UTC-9h, to stay on Permanent Daylight Savings time =3D UTC-7h, switch = to Permanent Standard Time =3D UTC-8h, or go back to seasonal time changes UTC-7h and UT= C-8h for half a year each.
This p=
etition is
signed by 299 individuals.
Petition
No. 19
Mr. Cathers: I have for presentation as well — I would note that it is a petition ve= ry similar to that tabled by my colleague, but since both have distinct wording and were signed by hundreds of people, I will also read it out.
I have= for presentation the following petition to the Yukon Legislative Assembly:
This petition of the undersigned shows:=
THAT ending the time change by switchin=
g to
year-round Daylight Savings Time, also known as DST, has resulted in many
people struggling with the lack of daylight in mornings in the winter;
THAT the negative impacts on families h=
ad not
been predicted or expected by a lot of people before the switch was made;
THAT the survey done by the Government =
of Yukon
prior to the switch to DST was flawed, as the survey let people fill it out
multiple times if they used more than one computer, phone, or tablet;
THAT the Government of Yukon can use mo=
re
secure surveys, and has recently done so with Yukon Bureau of Statistics
surveys using a unique link or pin number for each person;
THEREFORE, the undersigned ask the Yukon Legislative Assembly to urge the Government of Yukon to do another survey, one that uses a secure method to avoid repeat comments, asking Yukoners if they want to stay on Daylight Savings Time, switch to Standard Time, or go back to seasonal time changes.
I beli= eve that there are 118 signatures on the petition.
Deputy Speaker: Are there any bills to be introduced?
Are th= ere any notices of motions?
Mr. Istchenko= : I give notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to give Yukoners= the option of applying online for burn permits that are required from April 1 to September 30 each year, while also maintaining the option of applying for t= hose permits in person.
Ms. Clarke:= 8195;I rise to give notice of the following motion:= p>
THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to ensure that t= he chronic conditions support program is able to meet the needs of seniors by taking action including:
(1) increasing efforts to recruit and retain qualified health = care professionals; and
(2) providing reliable services that meet the needs of their c= lients now and into the future.
Mr. Cathers:&= #8195;I give notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Yukon government to take action to r= educe the administrative burden on doctors by following the lead of the Province = of Manitoba and working with the Yukon Medical Association to establish a joint task force tasked with finding solutions to reduce administrative burdens on physicians.
Ms. White:= 195;I rise to give notice of the following motion:= p>
THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to use line 2360= 0 of the Revenue Canada Notice of Assessment when calculating eligibility for Yu= kon dental program for individuals who split their income with a partner.
I also give notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to review and ex= pand the chronic disease and disability benefits program to include more chronic conditions.
Hon. Mr. = ;Pillai: I rise to give notice of the following motion:= p>
THAT this House wishes the Jewish community in the Yukon a hap= py Passover.
Deputy Speaker:= 195;Is there a statement by a minister?
Ministerial
Statement
Integration of Yukon̵= 7;s health and social services
Hon. Ms. McPhee: I rise today to update Yukoners about how our government is transforming the Yukon’s health and social system to put people first= by increasing the integrated services to avoid gaps in care and improving acce= ss for all Yukoners.
To beg= in, I am pleased to welcome the Yukon’s Emergency Medical Services team, or EM= S, to their new home with the Department of Health and Social Services. On Apr= il 1, this exceptional team joined the community primary care division, which = will allow for closer collaboration between the EMS and other health services, s= uch as Community Nursing and Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services.
Welcom= ing EMS to Health and Social Services is an important step toward achieving a more mod= ern, integrated, and seamless health care system. Our goal is to improve the sys= tem for Yukoners and health care providers by removing some of the barriers peo= ple face as they move through different points of care. An integrated health sy= stem is a key pillar in Putting People F= irst, and we are committed to building a person-centred, holistic, and collaborat= ive health care system. Together, we will support improved health care coverage= in our communities, an increased role for EMS, and better coordination overall= as Yukoners move through the health care system.
Our go= vernment knows that Yukoners care deeply about the increased sustainability and efficiency of our health care system. When it comes to access to primary he= alth care services, we must focus on building closely connected, interdisciplina= ry care teams. This means a shift to having a range of professionals provide health care information, support, and guidance to patients across the Yukon= .
Expand= ing the scope of practice for pharmacists in the Yukon is another way to increase t= his integration. On Monday, our government announced that pharmacists in the Yu= kon are now authorized to prescribe and administer travel and publicly funded vaccines for Yukoners who are age five and over. This change recognizes the value of pharmacists’ clinical expertise and training. It will also h= elp reduce the pressures on emergency rooms and doctors’ offices and impr= ove overall convenience for Yukoners.
Last m= onth, we expanded the Find a Primary Care Provider program, formerly known as Find a Family Doctor program, to include nurse practitioners. This is in response = to the increasing demand for primary care service providers and will go a long= way to help ensure every Yukoner is better able to connect to a variety of trus= ted health care professionals as part of an integrated health care team.=
These = three initiatives are further steps in our government’s transformation of o= ur territory’s health care system. I am so proud of our government’= ;s work, as we build a national leading health care system where Yukoners can connect to trusted health care, access a variety of care providers, and rec= eive care in their community.
Mr. Cathers: This Liberal government is in its seventh year in office. Contrary to the minister’s assertion, one of the things this Liberal government will = be remembered for is their neglect of our health care system. Thousands of Yukoners don’t have a family doctor; we have heard issues about increasing physician burnout and challenges with recruitment and retention.=
Under = the Liberal government, the Yukon slipped to the worst doctor-to-patient ratio = in the entire country. We have seen the doctor recruitment position cut by this government, medical bursary programs reduced, nursing bursaries reduced, and health profession education bursary reduced.
Yester= day, we called the minister to account again for the government’s continuing failure to pay doctors in a timely manner for health care services they provide. Some bills were outstanding for over 90 days. The minister dismiss= ed this yesterday, claiming the problem had been solved. While we hope that is true, it actually remains to be seen if the minister will live up to her statements.
This L=
iberal
government also shortchanged our hospitals millions of dollars in funding t=
hey
need this fiscal year again. In November, the CEO of the Yukon Hospital
Corporation told this Legislative Assembly that the portion of their O&M budget that they need from the Yukon governme=
nt for
the 2022‑23 fiscal year was $103.5 million. I refer anyone liste=
ning
to Hansard from November 22, 2022, page 2846, to read what the CEO said abo=
ut
their O&M budget required from government f=
or
that fiscal year. The CEO said — and I quote: “YG’s annua=
l O&M budget for the fiscal 2022-23 is $103.5 =
million.”
So, the hospital witnesses said that they needed $103.5 million in
We saw= the government delayed in paying pharmacists for some items for many months = 212; owing hundreds of thousands of dollars at one point, nurses who didn’t receive bonuses promised by the minister, which led to grievances filed aga= inst this government, and in the area of the regulated and funded midwifery prog= ram — which has been committed to and reannounced many times by this government — we saw government ban midwives operat= ing in unregulated private practice, fumble the ball for over a year on starting the program, briefly run it, and then abruptly shut it down.
The He= alth minister declared a substance use health emergency last January. She and her colleagues seemed to see that as a substitute for taking action. It is not.= The Yukon has the worst rate of opioid-related fatalities in the entire country, and the government has yet to create even a single new addictions treatment space.
We are= pleased to hear that this government expanded the scope of practice for pharmacists. However, they were very slow to listen to calls to do that, and today’= ;s statement is just a reannouncement. We were also pleased to hear that EMS is rejoining Health and Social Services, but again, today the minister is just= reannouncing old news. As for the Find a Family Doctor program, it is of little use when there are no doctors taking patients.
To act= ually improve our health care system, the minister can start by paying doctors, t= he hospital, nurses, and pharmacists on time and not waste this House’s = time with reannouncements.
Ms. White: I am delighted to respond to a ministerial statement on improvements to the heal= th care system, considering just how badly they are needed. From low wages for nurses, to social assistance policies, to the low medical travel subsidy, to limited coverage through chronic — so much needs to be improved in the health care system — but on all of these issues and more, this govern= ment has consistently refused to listen. Every week we bring individual stories = to the floor of this House with the permission and encouragement of people to share their experiences with this government, but in response, this governm= ent tells Yukoners that their lived experiences are salacious, or not the facts= , or that their situation is unique and should be fixed through casework. Then, = when we zoom out to talk about issues at a systemic level, this government insis= ts that we prove it with individual stories.
So, it doesn’t matter how Yukoners’ concerns are framed; the government just doesn’t want to hear it. Patients, health care workers, and poli= cy folk are all telling this government about the barriers that they face and solutions to remove them. So, what is lacking from this government is polit= ical will, and I will remind the minister that the Liberals were a majority government prior to the 2021 election.
So, pr= ior to signing the CASA, there was no political will from the Liberals for harm-reduction investments and a supervised consumption site, or safe suppl= y. There was no political will to increase social assistance rates, to create a public dental program, to open a managed alcohol program, or to invest in students who want to pursue medical studies. Outside of their commitments to public health in both CASAs, they are ignoring = a list of evidence-based solutions listed in the Putting People First report.
So, in= the three years since it came out, just 14 out of 76 recommendations have been comple= ted, and there is still no concrete implementation plan with deadlines for this report. In the meantime, this government is chipping away at the foundation= of our public health care. So, let’s name this pattern for what it is: T= he government is underfunding, criticizing, and then privatizing. They are sel= ling off the publicly owned Macaulay Lodge, and because of the shortage of senio= rs housing, they turned to a private, for-profit facility, handing over millio= ns of dollars of public money in the process.
When n= urses called for better wages, this government refused and instead offered a R= 12; yet to materialize, for many — one-time bonus. Meanwhile, the hospital and this government have turned to the innovation of relying on private agencies to supply travel nurses to the territory.
During= a severe shortage of primary care providers in the territory, this government decide= d to give public money to a private medical clinic to offer walk-in services. Th= ey called it “start-up funding”. Unsurprisingly, this idea didn’t get off the ground. Instead of moving away from fee-for-service for a truly public primary care system, this government tried to apply star= t-up culture to our health care system.
Madam = Deputy Speaker, it is frankly rich that this government is talking about improveme= nts to the health care system when they are moving at a slow pace to make these improvements. But back to the three specific things that the minister chose= to highlight in her statement today. We raised questions about the long respon= se rate for EMS and got no clear answers. Does the Minister of Health and Soci= al Services have plans to resolve wait times for EMS?
The mi= nister said that EMS would have an increased role in Health and Social Services, a= nd considering, through no fault of their own, that they currently don’t have the capacity to fulfill their existing responsibilities, does the mini= ster plan to add additional paramedic teams to EMS?
On nur= se practitioners, since adding nurse practitioners to the Find a Primary Care Provider program, how many Yukoners have come off that list and have been connected with a nurse practitioner? How many nurse practitioners are worki= ng in the territory? Do any existing clinics in Whitehorse, outside of the bilingual health centre, plan to hire nurse practitioners?
So, we= are thrilled to see that the government is finally listening to the pharmacists= and expanding their scope of practice. Today, I tabled an article from 2016 = 212; that’s seven years ago, which includes the whole length of time this Liberal government has been in power. This article title reads, “Yukon pharmacists’ request for expanded power gets positive response from 3 parties”. So, why did it take the Liberal government six years to implement this request?
I look= forward to specific and clear responses to each of these questions from the ministe= r.
Hon. Ms. McPhee: This is wildly disappointing, but certainly not unexpected, th= at the opposition parties — both of them, actually — in today’s response to the ministerial statement would provide Yukoners with completely inaccurate information — assertions by both of those parties that are= not correct — and what Yukoners deserve is accurate information. Just one example is that surgeries have not been cancelled, despite the fact that, f= or political purposes, the member opposite would say such a thing. It is not a= ccurate information. It does a disservice, frankly, to Yukoners.
By wor= king toward an integrated health system, we have committed to Putting People First, and we are forging a trusted, person-cent= red, holistic, and collaborative health care system. I am truly excited that the transition of the Yukon Emergency Medical Services, or EMS, from the Depart= ment of Community Services to the Department of Health and Social Services will allow closer collaboration and better care for Yukoners.
We hav= e engaged with EMS about how to do this and how to best make this change, and both departments continue to work closely with all affected staff on the transit= ion plan. We know that it will take some time to integrate the two areas, but we are excited about the opportunities that this integration presents in terms= of better aligning the services for Yukoners.
The cl= ose working relationship between EMS and other emergency response teams will continue to be supported and upheld. I would certainly like to thank our partners at the Department of Community Services. Their great work has allo= wed EMS to grow and to implement innovative programming, which has improved EMS services for all Yukoners. We are especially grateful for their dedicated response to the substance use health emergency and their work to provide valuable supports to those in need at 405 Alexander Street.
EMS me= mbers are there for us when we are at our most vulnerable. They include emergency med= ical responders, primary care paramedics, critical care paramedics, advanced care paramedics, emergency response communication officers and management, along with other support staff. Their actions, their skills, and their dedication save lives every day in this territory. If you have ever had an emergency yourself or been present for a family or friend in their emergency, then you have seen this remarkable dedication in action — I have. Welcome to t= he team, welcome to EMS, and welcome to Health and Social Services.
Regard= ing the Find a Primary Care Provider program, it’s expanding to include nurse practitioners to help connect Yukoners with more choices for their health c= are services. This move represents our commitment to ensure that every Yukoner = has access to a primary health care provider, something that is happening not o= nly across this country, but across the world as part of the system that is in-person and family-centred, that is culturally safe, that is anti-racist, that is accessible, that is integrated.
The Yu= kon Party was satisfied with an acute care system that failed Yukoners and was financially unsustainable. Our Liberal government is committed to transform= ing the Yukon health care system as we implement the recommendations from Putting People First. I’m no= t sure why the members opposite don’t hear that.
Recomm= endation 2.2 calls for connecting every Yukoner to a primary care provider, a physician,= or a nurse practitioner who provides care as part of an integrated health care team. We are very excited to expand this program and to work with the nurse practitioners who can prescribe medications and can have a full scope of practice.
We are= also thrilled to see Yukon pharmacists now authorized to prescribe and administer vaccines as part of our government’s broad transformation to health c= are.
I woul= d very much like to thank all of our health care workers, the individuals who prov= ide front-line service —
Deputy Speaker: Order, please.
This t= hen brings us to Question Period.
QUESTION PERIOD
Question re: Nisutl= in Bay bridge replacement
Mr. Hassard: On October 18 of last year, I asked the Minister of Highways and Public Works = if the Nisutlin Bay bridge project was on time and on budget. He said that, as= far as he knew, the bridge project was on budget, and later that day, he told t= he media that the project had all the necessary licences and permits in place.=
We hav= e since ATIPP’d the minister’s briefing notes, and those notes reveal that the government did not have the federal Fisheries Act authorization until = the day I asked the question, which, as I said, was October 18. This means that= the government did not have the Fisheri= es Act authorization until almost six months after the awarding of the contract. T= he note also reveals that they did not have a water licence until late August.=
So, wh= y did the government award a contract of this size before they actually had the neces= sary permits and licences in place?
Hon. Mr. Clarke: The Nisutlin Bay bridge is a critical link along the Alaska Hi= ghway. It is an important landmark for Teslin. Through the project charter, we have been working together — with the design and build — to build a safe, reliable structure that accommodates more traffic while also improving access for pedestrians and cyclists.
As ind= icated, a tender was posted on October 13, 2021 for two prequalified contractors and = closed on February 3, 2022. An approximately $160-million contract was awarded on = May 3, 2022 to Graham Infrastructure LP. The project was scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022, with a winter shutdown between mid-December to the end of M= arch 2023.
Projec= t work for the 2023 construction season started as of March 16, 2023. Work will contin= ue to ramp up over the spring. The following work has been completed to date by the contractor: mobilization; site preparation; construction camp and proje= ct office set-up; initial steps for pit and quarry development for granular and rock production; partial, temporary works, such as trestle bridge construct= ion, which includes piling and building access ramps; civil work such as clearing and grubbing of new alignment; and fish salvage work. The following work is also planned by the contractor for this spring and includes temporary and permanent work such as piling cofferdam and complete access —<= /p>
Deputy Speaker:= 195;Order.
Mr. Hassard: Unfortunately, the minister did not provide any answers there.
The fa= ct that the government awarded the contract without having the federal Fisheries Act authorization in pla= ce is significant. It is significant because the authorization created substantial new conditions on the project, which has shifted the work plan. The minister’s own briefing notes acknowledge this. Here is what the note said in October 2022 — and I quote: “The department is working = with the contractor to assess and potentially adjust the workplan based on Fisheries Act authorization conditions.”
My que= stion is: What is the new project timeline now that the conditions of the Fisheries Act authorization have b= een assessed?
Hon. Mr. Clarke: I will continue on this amazing piece of Yukon infrastructure,= the biggest piece of Yukon infrastructure in the history of the Yukon, linking southern Canada with Alaska and providing incredible opportunities to the Teslin Tlingit Council and to the Yukon in general.
As ind= icated, the water licence for the project was issued on August 31, 2022 and the Fisheries Act authorization was is= sued on October 17, 2022. My understanding is that discussions continue with Gra= ham Infrastructure LP with respect to the timeline for the project going forward but that the timing of these water licences was consistent with the bid that Graham Infrastructure LP made and that some of the risk was actually accept= ed by Graham Infrastructure LP with respect to that. But those discussions are ongoing.
In add= ition, we anticipate that now approximately 10,000 to 12,000 cubic metres of rock wil= l be required for the project, as well as roughly 90,000 and 110,000 cubic ̵= 2;
Deputy Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Hassard: So, we have heard from the contracting community and from companies working on = the project that the conditions imposed by the federal Fisheries Act authorization have caused a substantial change in= the work plan and the overall project timeline. This highlights why the government’s decision to award the contract before the federal Fisheries Act authorization was gr= anted was significant. This poor planning has now caused significant delays in the project and likely some very large change orders.
So, ca= n the minister tell us why the government did not apply for and receive the feder= al Fisheries Act authorization until = almost six months after they awarded the contract?
Hon. Mr. Clarke: The Yukon Party left us in an infrastructure deficit. Our Libe= ral government has fostered the strongest economic growth in the country by wor= king in partnership with First Nations and modernizing the territory’s infrastructure. The Yukon Party completely fumbled this project in 2014, in= large part due to an inability to work with the Teslin Tlingit Council. = p>
Our Li= beral government signed a project charter in 2019 with the Teslin Tlingit Council. This will ensure that we maximize economic benefits for local residents whe= n it comes to this project. This project is an excellent example of the benefits provided by the Yukon First Nation procurement policy and will create jobs = for Teslin Tlingit community members and Yukoners.
We wil= l continue to work with the contractor to complete this project by September 2026. The Nisutlin Bay bridge will be the largest capital project in Yukon history. T= here are admittedly a lot of moving parts and it will take a number of years to complete, but it continues to move forward despite the misinformation being spread by the Yukon Party. And, once again, 2014 — didn’t get it done.
Question
re: Nisutlin Bay bridge replacement
Mr. Kent: So, my colleague was unable to get answers on timelines from the minister, so m= aybe I will have better luck on budget questions. As my colleague from Pelly-Nisutlin has pointed out, the government’s failure to secure the necessary licences and permits for the Nisutlin Bay bridge will likely cause significant delays in the project. However, it will also likely have implications for the cost of the project.
So, on= October 18 of last year, the minister said that the project was on budget. Can the minister tell us if he stands by that comment and if this project is still = on budget?
Hon. Mr. Clarke: When I provided that update to the Chamber, that was the corre= ct information that I had at the time. Discussions now are ongoing with Graham Infrastructure. I have had opportunities to meet with the management of Gra= ham Infrastructure LP in Teslin on a few occasions and have been impressed by t= heir can-do attitude. Their employees have advised that they are problem-solvers= and that they accept and embrace this project. As I said previously, there are a lot of moving parts with respect to this project and, over the course of the next three and a half years, it is possible that there will be some additio= nal costs, but when I answered the question in the Chamber at the time, that was the most up-to-date information that I had.
Mr. Kent: It sounds like we are getting somewhere with the minister now. It is not on budget, from what I gather from his response, and we will see if we can get= to some specifics. So, according to the minister’s briefing notes that we accessed through ATIPP, the department was well aware in the fall of last y= ear that the project was going to be overbudget. Here is what that note says: “We are working with our federal counterparts to secure additional funding to support the increased costs.”
The ex= isting contract is for about $160 million. The five‑year capital plan o= nly includes a range of $110 million to $125 million, so how much additional money is the Yukon government requesting from the federal government, and has that money been secured yet?
Hon. Mr. Clarke: As indicated, there are additional discussions with Graham Infrastructure LP w= ith respect to this matter, but, at this time, there have not been additional requests made of the federal government, but we certainly thank the federal government for its contribution to the Nisutlin Bay bridge, to national tra= de corridor funding for the road construction from Carmacks to Dawson City, to= the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport parallel runway infrastructure program, and ultimately to the main runway program as well. The current fed= eral government has been an amazing partner with respect to moving the Yukon for= ward in unprecedented manners.
As I h= ave indicated previously in the House, we anticipate that, for fiscal year 2022= -23, there will be approximately $500 million of capital spending that will= go out the door. In the final year of the former Yukon Party government, they = were not able to get even $200 million out the door. We are moving the Yukon forward on many fronts.
Mr. Kent: So, these questions are about the Nisutlin Bay bridge, and I hope the minister = can focus on that specific project — the Nisutlin Bay bridge.
So, it= was not lost on Yukoners that last week’s federal budget largely ignored the Yukon, and it included no new funding for Yukon infrastructure projects. The biggest infrastructure program — the Investing in Canada infrastructu= re program, or ICIP — has come to an end, and a replacement has not been announced. Just a few weeks ago, the minister told the Legislature that they had applied for another $52.5 billion from Transport Canada, but that barely covers the existing funding gap, let alone the cost increases that t= he minister has said are yet to come.
So, ho= w much more does the minister think the Yukon government needs to budget to ensure that there are sufficient funds to complete the Nisutlin Bay bridge?=
Hon. Mr. Pillai: I just want to clarify a couple of comments that were made by = the opposition concerning the ICIP funding. First of all, there was language in= the federal budget — language that we were pleased to see — and it really talked about the reallocation of the ICIP funding across Canada. It talked about how regions — as our interpretation — that have fu= lly used their ICIP funding have the opportunity to again have access to funds = that haven’t been used across the country. I think that is important. I th= ink it is important that we still have the opportunity to continue to invest in infrastructure across the territory. Again, we were happy to see that.
We hav= e also worked with the federal government around flexibility within our ICIP fundi= ng. That is something that all three northern premiers have worked toward; we t= hink that is a possibility. Again, it is really about maximizing the use of those funds. It is about investing in infrastructure. When I think about Nisutlin= Bay bridge, what comes to mind is: What was the cost of the Nisutlin Bay bridge= in 2014, really, versus now? What was the cost of the fibre line to connect the north back in 2013 or 2014?
So, be= ing able to be bold, make these decisions, undertake these projects, and execute par= tnership is important. When you wait and you don’t take these things on, it co= sts the taxpayers over the long run. So, we are going to continue to build R= 12;
Deputy Speaker:= 195;Order, please.
Question
re: Greenhouse gas emissions
MLA Tredger: Scientists around the world have told us that we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent below 2010 levels before the year 2030. ItR= 17;s ambitious, but we don’t have a choice if we want our children to have= a future on this planet.
Throug= h our confidence and supply agreement, the Yukon NDP pushed the government to com= mit to these ambitious climate targets. To help the minister achieve the 45-per= cent reduction, we enlisted the help of some brilliant Yukoners to form the Clim= ate Leadership Council. They provided a report, called Climate Shot 2030, to the minister on how to achieve the 45-per= cent reduction.
It has= been more than six months since that report came out, and the minister still has not responded. We’re starting to wonder if he actually thinks it’s = an emergency.
Can th= e minister finally tell Yukoners what new actions this government is taking in order to achieve a 45-percent reduction in the territory’s greenhouse gas emissions?
Hon. Mr. Streicker: Thanks to the Climate Leadership Council — they provided a range of suggestions. We sat down with them and talked about how they would integrate with the existing actions, including attempting to get= a clear measurement about what they might achieve in terms of emission reductions.
We put= them into several groups: those actions that we could execute very quickly, those that would take more work to integrate, and those that would take more analysis = work even to understand their benefit. We brought the Climate Leadership Council= in to sit down with the Energy branch and the Department of Environment. We committed to them — and we have committed here in this House — = that we would integrate that into Our Cl= ean Future.
We ann= ually report on Our Clean Future. Our= next one is due this summer, but the work is ongoing right now around those acti= ons to move them as quickly as possible while we do our diligence in order to prepare for them.
MLA Tredger: The minister wanted help to come up with ideas to get to 45 percent, and f= air enough — it’s a tall order. Now he has those ideas, but we are still waiting for action. The Climate Leadership Council put their lives on hold to come up with a plan for emissions reductions in the territory that would give us a fighting chance. Their plan has three key principles: that government must lead, that this requires a wartime-like effort, and that the plan must be hopeful and grounded in the idea that a low-carbon future is a better future for everyone.
So, th= e minister says that we will find out in the next update what he is doing. Will he com= mit that the next update will include a plan to reach the 45-percent emissions reductions?
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <= span lang=3DEN-CA>I have met with the member opposite, and I have talked about w= hat is in that plan. It doesn’t have a plan to get to 45 percent, so I = will make that clear right now, but I have said that directly to the member opposite.
We hav= e also discussed this with the Climate Leadership Council. Their plan had a lot of ideas, many of which are already partially in Our Clean Future, so there is some double-accounting there.
So, no= , we don’t have actions or recommendations that get us to 45 percent = yet, but Our Clean Future was always= meant to be an adaptive strategy that we would work to continue to improve on, and some of the actions will move faster than others. So, we will continue to w= ork on the strategy. Our goal is 45 percent. We understand the urgency.
I woul= d like to thank the Climate Leadership Council, the Department of Environment, the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, and the Department of Highways a= nd Public Works. We have all been working together to realize these actions as quickly as possible.
MLA Tredger: I think I just heard that we don’t have a plan. We don’t have a plan co= ming to get us to 45 percent.
I know= the minister might be worried about how mining companies will react and how the Yukon Party will attack him if he takes stronger action on climate, but Yukoners want to see a bold vision for our territory — one that lets = our youth see a hopeful future for themselves.
Right = now, I only hear climate dread from young Yukoners. They are worried about their future and what it will look like. The minister knows the science. It’= ;s time for action. Why won’t the minister listen to the scientists, the= UN, and his own Climate Leadership Council and commit to a plan for reaching 45= percent?
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <= span lang=3DEN-CA>Here I am, Madam Deputy Speaker, on my feet, making the commit= ment that we are going to reduce our emissions by 45 percent by 2030. The actions that we have in place right now in Our Clean Future are not enough. That’s why we asked the Climate Leadership Council to sit down and work with us. They made 61 recommendatio= ns. We worked through those recommendations. When we add them in, it’s not enough. We will continue to look for additional ways to make that commitmen= t. That’s our goal. We are committed to it.
Question
re: 2 Lodgepole Lane concerns
Ms. Van Bibber: Yesterday, I asked a question about the government’s res= ponse to the City of Whitehorse’s request for help to address the terrible condition of 2 Lodgepole Lane. The minister insisted that the City of Whitehorse is the — quote: “primary lead on any enforcement sho= uld any action be deemed to be necessary.” However, we have heard clearly from the City of Whitehorse that action is definitely needed and the city w= ants the Government of Yukon to help deal with it.
So, wi= ll the Government of Yukon agree to help the City of Whitehorse address this contaminated and unsafe site in my riding?
Hon. Mr. Clarke: Thank you for the question from the member opposite. I will ju= st provide some of the background that I provided yesterday and provide some additional comments.
2 Lodg= epole Lane is a neglected private property that sits in a secluded neighbourhood off t= he Alaska Highway within the boundary and the authority of the City of Whiteho= rse. There is a history of complaints, spill reports, site visits, and multi-age= ncy involvement associated with this property.
The Go= vernment of Yukon is aware of the issues reported at 2 Lodgepole Lane regarding= public health, safety, and environmental concerns. While there is some evidence of hydrocarbon contamination on this private property, they do not appear to be significant, and the Government of Yukon will continue to work with the Cit= y of Whitehorse as the primary lead on any enforcement should action be deemed necessary.
Madam = Deputy Speaker, without strong evidence of a clear responsible party or significant adverse effects, the Department of Environment has no ability to order or direct the current property owners to remediate.
Ms. Van Bibber: At Monday’s city council meeting, the mayor made it clea= r that more action from the Yukon government is needed. She said — quote: “I think it’s made very clear that City of Whitehorse has done = what is within our jurisdiction under the Municipal Act and under our byl= aws, but there’s some more work to be done with Yukon government.”= span>
The Go= vernment of Yukon has legislation, regulations, and resources that the city does not= , so will the Government of Yukon use the tools available to them to help the ci= ty deal with this pressing issue in my riding?
Hon. Mr. Clarke: Thank you for the advocacy on behalf of the citizens of Porter= Creek North. Spills on private properties are common, and living near a site with contamination does not necessarily present an inherent risk to public healt= h.
2 = ;Lodgepole Lane was added to the contaminated sites information map, which is a public inventory of Yukon properties for which the department holds evidence of contamination at one point in time.
While = the Department of Environment tracks these sites and regulates remedial efforts, there is no evidence of significant adverse effects present on this propert= y.
We have previously committed to supporting City of Whitehorse officials with techni= cal expertise and navigating applicable regulatory requirements. The Department= of Environment will continue to operate within its legislative authority with respect to any contamination issues at 2 Lodgepole Lane.
If the= re has been a material change in circumstance — and Mayor Cabott last night may have indicated that there was a material change in circumsta= nce — I certainly look forward to those ongoing conversations, as I always do, with the Mayor and Council of Whitehorse.
Question
re: Whistle Bend development
Ms. McLeod: Yesterday, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources spoke about the delays in construction of Whistle Bend phases 6B and 8. In his words, he said that the work was delayed due to the frost, but he was — and I quote: “… anticipating the work to be done fairly shortly.” As we understand it, the contract for phase 6B construction was cancelled before = it was completed last fall, but the contract for phase 8 was not cancelled.
So, ca= n the minister explain why the contract for phase 6B was cancelled and why the contract for phase 8, which was also not completed, was not cancelled?
Hon. Mr. Streicker: I am happy to go back to our departments and check in o= n what the situation was with respect to the contracts last fall.
Ms. McLeod: Thank you for that commitment.
As the= minister stated yesterday, he expects the work on phases 6B and 8 to be done fairly shortly. So, can the minister tell us when the work to finish these lots in phases 6B and 8 will be done?
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <= span lang=3DEN-CA>The note that I have, when I checked in with the department, w= as that they thought that it would be happening this spring, but I don’t have a physical date in front of me. The note just indicated that it was expected during the spring and the early summer of 2023, to make sure that = work would be done, and that it was good to still put the lots up for lottery. We will see what Yukoners — whether they wish to still put their names i= n on those bids — I am guessing yes. We will work with them around that situation. I think that we keep them very informed, through that lottery process, about what the rules are, about what the situation is, and we will continue to work with the public as they move through the lottery process.<= /span>
Question
re: Infrastructure funding
Mr. Istchenko: Earlier this week, the Mayor of Haines Junction wrote to the Minister of Community Services to request clarification about a project in my community. The mayor noted that there appears to be significantly less funding available for important water and sewer infrastructure projects in the community of Haines Junction. The current budget only includes $250,000 to $600,000 to complete phase 3 of the water and sewer upgrades, but according to the mayor, the project is likely to cost much more than that.
Can th= e minister confirm whether or not there is enough money budgeted to complete phase 3 of the Haines Junction sewer and water project?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: I do appreciate the question this afternoon on infrastructure development here in rural Yukon — in this case, specifically in Haines Junction. Through the small communities fund and Investing in Canada infrastructure program, over the last eight years, Canada has approved more than $565 million in the Yukon, alongside the Government of Yukon̵= 7;s contribution of $188 million. This has been invested in more than 110 projects. The Canada community building fund has brought a total of more th= an $178 million to Yukon since its inception in 2014 and has allocated it directly to communities and First Nations for their own project prioritizat= ion.
I know= that there is a lot of concern about infrastructure that is being whipped up by = the members opposite. I am fully committing to those projects that have already been approved through the Investing in Canada infrastructure program to be funded through that program. The members opposite can certainly consult our five-year capital plan to see what’s coming and how those things are going to be funded in the future. That’s a new initiative. I know that the members opposite never did the proper planning, but we have done that. = We have a plan in place, and everybody can look at it. I urge the member oppos= ite to have a look.
Mr. Istchenko: So, the lack of commitment to funding projects in the community of Haines Junct= ion beyond next year is raising the concerns of members of my community, as wel= l as the contracting community that does the work on projects like this. As the mayor noted in his letter to the Minister of Community Services, there is concern that there isn’t enough money budgeted to complete phase 3 an= d no money at all for phase 4, and actually, I did have a look at the five-year capital plan.
Can th= e minister explain if the five-year capital plan is wrong, or can my community expect = the completion of phase 3 and the start of phase 4 to be delayed indefinitely?<= /span>
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: I really do appreciate the Member for Kluane referring to the five-year capital plan. It is a good plan and a good initiative. I am happy that it is proving of some use to the member opposite.
I want= to say that the Investing in Canada infrastructure program that we have subscribed= to and pulled on very hard continues — even though all the projects have been assigned and allocated, that program continues well beyond 2030.
So, th= e money has been allocated but not necessarily spent at this time. So, we are going= to continue to work through those projects until all of the money is spent, and right now, all of the money is allocated.
Mr. Istchenko: So, the reason the municipality wrote the letter is because there is nothing in= the five-year capital plan. Early this Sitting, the minister faced questions ab= out the fact that the Investing in Canada infrastructure program from the feder= al government is ending, and there is not yet any replacement for it. My colle= ague asked the minister what the municipalities should expect going forward, and= the minister said that this was just speculation and hypothetical, but this is a very real example of a project in a community that has an uncertain future.=
So, ca= n the minister make a clear commitment to my community that phases 3 and 4 of our water and sewer upgrades will be completed?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: We are talking about the Investing in Canada infrastructure pr= ogram today. We have talked about our five-year capital plan and the projects that are laid out in there. We have municipalities that have outlined — through an extensive program that my predecessor in this role conducted to identify priorities to communities throughout the Yukon. We have actually delivered projects throughout the territory — to Dawson City, to Mayo= , to Faro, to Watson Lake, to Whitehorse, to Beaver Creek, to Carmacks, and to Haines Junction. We have delivered programs to every single municipality; i= t is outlined in our budget. We have done so every single year. I am very happy = with the work that the highways department and all of the departments of our government have done in making lives better for Yukoners. We are going to continue that work because it is good work, and we are committed to it.
Deputy Speaker: The time for Question Period has now elapsed.
We wil= l now proceed to Orders of the Day.
Orders of
the Day
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <= span lang=3DEN-CA>I move that the Speaker do now leave the Chair and that the Ho= use resolve into Committee of the Whole.
Deputy Speaker: It has been moved by the Government House Leader that the Speaker do now leave= the Chair and that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole.
Motion agreed to
Deputy Speaker leaves the Chair
Committee
of the Whole
Deputy Chair (MLA Tredger): The ma=
tter
before the Committee is general debate on Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal Act (2023).=
Do mem=
bers wish
to take a brief recess? All Hon. Members: Agreed. Deputy Chair: Committee
of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes. Recess Chair (Ms. Blake): Order. Committee of the Whole will now come to order. <=
/p>
Bill No.
26: Act to amend the Municipal Act =
(2023) Chair: The m=
atter
before the Committee is general debate on Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal Act (2023).=
Is the=
re any
general debate? Hon. Mr. Mostyn: I am pleased to rise to speak to Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal Act (2023).=
This b=
ill amends
the Municipal Act to extend the=
term
of office for municipal and local advisory councils from three years to fou=
r.
This change will be in effect for the October 2024 general election. The
Government of Yukon supports local governance in eight municipalities and in
many unincorporated areas through local advisory councils. Local advisory
councils serve in an advisory capacity to the Minister of Community Service=
s.
Community Affairs ensures regular contact with both municipalities and loca=
l advisory
councils to discuss individual and collective issues and to provide
opportunities to meet with relevant government departments. I woul=
d like to
take this moment to thank those folks for all the great work they do, becau=
se
it is just extraordinary. This b=
ill
supports the resolution of the Association of Yukon Communities, which
represents both municipalities and local advisory councils in the Yukon. The
resolution, which passed unanimously at the association’s 2022 annual
general assembly, requested the Yukon government to increase terms of offic=
e to
four years and explicitly requested that the change come into effect prior =
to
the next general election for Yukon municipalities, which will take place in
October 2024. This a=
mendment
also aligns with the response from the public engagement we held last fall.
This change will provide councils with additional time to enact strategic
priorities, to plan beyond a three-year term, and to set the direction requ=
ired
to address the needs of their citizens, which are increasing with population
growth. As sta=
ted in the
Association of Yukon Communities resolution, the longer term of office will
also allow councils to meet increasing requirements related to the
implementation of First Nation land claims and self-government agreements a=
nd
the transfer of administration in control of land and resources from Canada=
to
the Yukon. The am=
endment is
straightforward. Section 52 of the =
Municipal
Act is replaced with the following: “General election of council<=
/span> “=
;Each
municipality shall hold a general election (a) on October 17, 2024; and (b)=
on
the third Thursday of October of every fourth year after 2024.” We loo=
k forward
to responding to questions that may arise this afternoon. Ms. McLeod:=
8195;I
want to welcome the officials to the Legislature today to help us out with =
any
questions. As we indicated at second reading, we do have a few questions. <=
/span> Can th=
e minister
confirm whether AYC was consulted on the drafting of this legislation? Hon. Mr. Mostyn: Before I begin my answer this afternoon, I do want to recogniz=
e my
two officials, who I did not introduce in my opening statement. Thank you to
the Member for Watson Lake for jogging my aged memory. We have Jaime Mellott
— I believe that it is her very first time in the House, correct? Yes=
, it
is. We also have Matt King, who is my deputy. They are here to assist with =
this
debate this afternoon, and I thank them for being here. So, we=
took the
— AYC came to us with this resolution. We took the resolution we had =
and
started working with the AYC on the engagement process. The purpose of the
engagement was to gather public feedback and municipal feedback to help the
Government of Yukon determine whether to amend the Municipal Act to change the terms of service. The engagement pr=
ocess
was hosted on Engage Yukon. The engagement was from September 1 to 28, 2022=
. In
total, the questionnaire received 149 completed responses from Yukon reside=
nts. Ms. McLeod:=
8195;I
thank the minister for that information. I am happy to see that 145 Yukoners
were engaged on this. My question was really about whether or not AYC was
specifically consulted on this legislation. Were there any sit-down meetings
with the board, or did this take place by e-mail, or perhaps there is some =
more
information here? Hon. Mr. Mostyn: The team at Community Services is often involved with the
Association of Yukon Communities. They asked that we change the legislation=
to
a four-year term. We consulted with municipalities about whether they wante=
d a
spring or a fall election, and so we took their advice and worked it into t=
his
very simple amendment, which the overwhelming response was that we wanted to
have an election in the fall. So, these dates were picked and worked into t=
he
legislation. Ms. McLeod: Now,
we understand that LACs are certainly going to be affected by this legislat=
ion
and that they have raised concerns about the amendments. So, can the minist=
er
confirm whether the department has worked with LACs to hear their concerns =
and
to consult with them on these changes? Hon. Mr. Mostyn: In May 2022, the Association of Yukon Communities passed a una=
nimous
resolution at their annual general meeting requesting that the Yukon govern=
ment
extend the term of office for municipal councils before the next election in
October 2024. The resolution also directed that the organization work with =
the
Government of Yukon to engage with Yukon citizens and seek their input on
extending the term of office. I have=
a letter
from the Association of Yukon Communities, dated May 16, that said, “=
As
you will see, members unanimously supported this resolution and has called =
on
me to write you to impress on you the importance of moving this forward now=
so
that it can be implemented at the next general election of councils in Octo=
ber
2024.” We inv=
ited
councils to provide government-to-government feedback. We did not receive a=
ny
formal feedback from any LAC opposing the AYC resolution, which again, was
unanimous, and the AYC does represent local advisory councils. Our community
advisors, who work closely with unincorporated communities, informed local
advisory councils about the public consultation process and encouraged them=
to
participate. Any informal feedback we heard during the conversations with o=
ur
local advisory council colleagues was also provided to the policy team lead=
ing
the public consultation. We app=
reciate,
of course, all the work the local advisory council representatives do. They=
are
volunteers, and they do an invaluable service to their communities, and we
certainly appreciate that. We know this change — which has the suppor=
t of
the government, AYC, and a majority of Yukoners with an opinion on the matt=
er
— will be a positive move for councils across the territory, including
local advisory councils. I have met with local advisory councils and have n=
ot
heard any concerns about this. I know my colleague, the Member for Mount
Lorne-Southern Lakes, attends local advisory councils on a regular basis. I=
t is
an incredible schedule that he keeps, working with these councils, who are =
his
constituents. He also informs me that the local advisory councils are
supportive of this move. Ms. McLeod:=
8195;I
will take what the minister says, that there were zero concerns raised with=
the
minister or with the department — indeed, with the government —
about any of these changes, and I will leave that there. Can the minister
explain a little more about what the role of the director is in setting the
terms of LACs? Hon. Mr. Mostyn: The director sets the term of the local advisory council accor=
ding
to section 41 of the act. The OIC will align the
local advisory council election with the municipal election, which is how it
has been done in the past — like, it is not changing direction in that
case. Ms. McLeod: Now,
we have heard concerns from smaller communities that the four-year terms may
impact them differently than larger communities, given the lower population=
s,
and sometimes they already find it difficult to recruit council members. So,
can the minister outline what discussions took place with smaller municipal=
ities
and if the department heard how the change might affect them, as well as any
work that the department will be doing going forward? Hon. Mr. Mostyn: This whole initiative was started by the Association of Yukon
Communities, of which small communities are equal members. So, the Associat=
ion
of Yukon Communities represents all municipalities in the territory. The gr=
eat
thing about the organization is that all municipalities have an equal voice=
at
the table. Stemmi=
ng from
their annual meeting, I got a letter that said, “As you will see, mem=
bers
unanimously supported this resolution and has called on me to write you to
impress on you the importance of moving this forward now so that it can be
implemented at the next general election of councils in October 2024.&=
#8221;
Members unanimously supported this resolution, so it came to us from the
Association of Yukon Communities, which represents all municipalities,
including local advisory councils. They asked us to do this and to fast-tra=
ck
it so that it would be in place. It was an initiative of the Association of
Yukon Communities, which represents all municipalities, big and small. They w=
ere in
favour of this and they impressed upon me to do it quickly, which is why we=
are
here this afternoon. They wanted to do an engagement with the public. We wo=
rked
with the Association of Yukon Communities on that engagement. We did that. =
I have=
spoken to
the president of the association. He has been very gracious and quite
forthcoming in his praise for this initiative and wants to see it happen.=
span> In our
engagement, I will say that there were some themes that emerged from the
comments left by respondents. We did talk to municipalities. We heard what =
they
had to say. If anybody had some strong opinions to share, we urged them to =
do
it through the consultation — through the engagement that we had. The co=
mmon
themes that emerged from comments left by respondents who participated in t=
hat
engagement said that the four-year general election cycle is consistent with
other Canadian jurisdictions. Less frequent elections will save administrat=
ive
work and budget. Election fatigue could be reduced with less frequent gener=
al
elections and less overlap with other levels of government. A longer term of
office allows a council to plan and achieve more with less frequent transit=
ion
periods and less frequent shifts into election mode. Many commenters said t=
hat
councils would have the time, continuity, and stability to advance prioriti=
es
and complete initiatives. A longer term of office could make a council
complacent or stagnant or be a disincentive to timely action. The inability=
to
replace an ineffective council for an additional year is a concern. Without=
a
recall mechanism and accountability structures at other levels of governmen=
t,
commenters said that more frequent elections are a safeguard. Other =
concerns
were the existing frequency, acclamation, and the likelihood that it would
increase a longer term, giving advantage to incumbents and the quality of
candidates. A longer term of office could deter candidates from running. Fa=
mily
responsibilities and financial restraints can make it difficult for a candi=
date
to commit to four years. Several commenters proposed two-year terms or
staggered four-year terms as alternatives. One asked for a limit to term se=
rved;
however, they were in the very, very small minority of any respondents.
The ma= jority of the comments, as you saw, were positive, and the response from the public w= as overwhelmingly positive to four-year terms. That is it.
I real= ly do want to take this moment to thank all of our municipal representatives for stepp= ing forward and participating in public life at the local level. It is really t= he most intimate of government public service and it is not for the faint of heart, but we have a great slate of candidates, and have had for many, many years. I really do appreciate them all stepping up to serve their communiti= es.
Ms. McLeod: Of course, we all support the work that AYC does. They are a great body; they = do a great public service for us all.
To kin= d of recap what I believe I heard the minister say today, the AYC put forward a resolu= tion and then wrote to the government and asked them to proceed with this type of legislation, and the government engaged in a public consultation in which 1= 45 Yukoners participated, but there was no additional discussion or consultati= on on the bill itself with municipalities or AYC. That is what I believe I hea= rd today.
We wil= l be supporting this bill today, and I want to thank the officials for being her= e. I will turn it over to the Third Party.
Ms. White: I welcome the officials today in the room. It is a pleasure to have the deputy back for multiple times and, of course, the first time we have had Ms. = ;Mellott.
The on= e thing I just wanted to highlight is that election season in the Yukon has changed drastically, including the fact that with municipal elections, we now have signs. I am glad that when we talk about the changes to the Municipal Act right now, we are ta= lking about 2024 and then four years after, but there are going to be some years where it overlaps. So, if we’re talking about, in this case, the third Thursday of October every fourth year after 2024 — in Yukon for the territorial election, it’s the first Monday in November, and the fede= ral election is a maximum of five years. The expectation, of course, is that the next federal election will be October 20, 2025. There are going to be times when those elections overlap, and in my experience, having run in numerous elections at this point in time, there is something that is quite easily ca= lled “election fatigue”. At times, people don’t actually know = why you are there or for which level of government you may be there.
Was th= ere ever any consideration in looking at this — what we’re talking about — with municipal, territorial, and federal all happening between Octo= ber and November — where they will overlap? So, for sure, if the federal government goes for the full five-year terms, there will be overlap in 2040, for example, between the municipal election and the federal election, so we will see no less than, I would guess, three, four, or maybe five political parties for the federal election. We have seen that previously. We will see signs out for municipal candidates, and then there will be times when it overlaps with the territorial one as well. We know that there are, so far, = 19 ridings in the territorial one. I am thinking of some prime areas like the left-hand side driving into Riverdale and how that can be a wildly exciting time because it is two ridings — then, of course, adding municipal election signs and federal election signs.
So, wa= s there ever any consideration about trying to separate when these elections would = be held?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: I will say to the member opposite that it was an issue that my= good colleague from beautiful Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes and I did discuss.
When I= was speaking to municipalities in the run-up to this legislation and its drafti= ng — actually before the “what we heard” document — I = did ask all mayors and councils to consider whether or not they want to do a fa= ll or a spring election — because there seem to be an awful lot of elect= ions coming up in the fall — and whether or not we should actually look at= a spring election for municipalities. Overwhelmingly, I think, the information came back that they prefer the fall. So, we did consider it, we did ask, and that is where it was.
Munici= pal elections are the only fixed date, so it is hard to know when a federal or territorial election will occur. Federal and territorial elections are vari= able in year and time of year, as they can be called earlier than required. So, = this is a fixed date, but overwhelmingly, people want it to be held in the fall = and not the spring.
Ms. White: Just for a quick verification — when the minister said that there was the ability to call elections at different times, he was referring to the territorial and the federal elections; is that right?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: That is correct.
Ms. White: I thank the minister for that clarification. So, I guess the next question wo= uld be: If we find ourselves in a situation where there is both a territorial a= nd a municipal election and if municipal leaders have said that they would prefe= r a fall election, would the minister entertain the concept of opening up the Elections Act to change the fixed = date for the territorial elections?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: That is a question for my caucus. We have not discussed that a= t all.
Ms. White: I would actually suggest that it is a conversation for the entire House and everyone here, to be fair, as opposed to just necessarily the current government.
I appr= eciate that this is here. I was there at the AYC meeting where this was passed unanimously. I had conversations with leadership about when they kind of expected to see it. They, like many, were surprised that it came forward, b= ut I think that is fantastic, so we look forward to passing it.
Chair: Is th=
ere any
further general debate on Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal Act (2023)?
Seeing= none, we will now proceed to clause-by-clause.
Ms. White: Pursuant to Standing Order 14.3, I request the unanimous consent of Committee of the Wh= ole to deem all clauses and the title of Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal Act (2023), read and agreed to.
Unanimous
consent re deeming all clauses and the title of Bill No. 26 read and agreed=
to
Chair: The Member for Takhini-Kopper King has, pursuant to Standing Order 14.3, requested the unanimous consent of Committee of the Whole to deem all clauses and the tit= le of Bill No. 26, entitled Act to ame= nd the Municipal Act (2023), read and agreed to.
Is the= re unanimous consent?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Unani= mous consent has been granted.
Clauses 1 and 2 deemed read and agreed to
On Title
Title agreed to
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: I move that you report Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal Act (2023), without amendment.
Chair: It ha= s been moved by the Member for Whitehorse West that the Chair report Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal= Act (2023), without amendment.
Motion agreed to
Chair: The m=
atter
now before the Committee is general debate on Vote 3, Department of Educati=
on,
in Bill No. 208, entitled First
Appropriation Act 2023-24.
Do mem= bers wish to take a brief recess?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Commi= ttee of the Whole will now recess for 10 minutes.
Recess
Chair: Order. Committee of the Whole will now come to order.
Bill No.
208: First Appropriation Act 2023-24 — continued
Chair: The m= atter now before the Committee is general debate on Vote 3, Department of Educati= on, in Bill No. 208, entitled First Appropriation Act 2023-24.
Is the=
re any
general debate?
Department =
of
Education
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am very pleased to rise in the House today to present the Department of Education’s 2023-24 mains budget. Before I begin my ope= ning comments, I would like to introduce the officials who will assist me today: Mary Cameron, the Deputy Minister of Education, and Megan Foreman, senior advisor in the Department of Education — welcome.
Over t= he past year, the Department of Education has remained focused on the important wor= k of recovering from the pandemic, responding to the Auditor General of Canada’s review of kindergarten to grade 12 education in the Yukon, a= nd implementing the recommendations from the 2021 review of inclusive and spec= ial education and the safer schools action plan.
Togeth= er with our partners in Education, we are reimagining the Yukon school system. We cannot undertake this transformation without First Nations and education partners and their trust. Creating a better future for educators, students,= and families is at the heart of our work. I would like to take this opportunity= to thank everyone who is on the journey with us. Thank you to all Yukon First Nations, partners in Education, teachers, administrators and other school staff, early learning educators and program operators, students and familie= s, and staff working in our central administration. We are working with our pa= rtners and stakeholders to reimagine education and create school environments that= are safe, inclusive, and build on student strengths. We are working to ensure t= hat every child feels connected and supported to thrive.
Our go= vernment is committed to doing the hard work and the right work to create a new syst= em together. I am so appreciative of all of our partners who come to the table= to help move this shared vision closer to fruition. Your thoughts, feedback, a= nd collaboration are the key to our shared success in improving our education system for current learners and future generations of learners.
This b= udget will allow us to move forward a number of educational priorities, including continuing to support the success of the recently established First Nation School Board, progressing on our audit response and work to reimagine inclu= sive and special education, continuing to improve access, quality, and affordabi= lity of early learning and childcare programs, recruiting and retaining high-qua= lity education professionals, and modernizing our educational facilities through= new builds and upgrades.
In 202= 3, the department has a total budget request of $279,461,000. This represents a $7,375,000 increase over last year’s mains, primarily for early learn= ing and childcare, the First Nation School Board governance, and the Yukon Association of Education Professionals collective agreement increases.
Operat= ion and maintenance makes up $244,155,000 of the total request, with the remaining $25,306,000 allocated to important capital projects.
I will= now go over some of the key initiatives in a bit more detail. The Government of Yu= kon and the Chiefs Committee on Education, First Nation School Board, and the Y= ukon First Nation Education Directorate share the common goal of providing high-quality and culturally appropriate education, based on Indigenous world view, for all Yukon students. The First Nation School Board currently gover= ns eight schools across the Yukon. This is an historic step for Yukon First Nations and their citizens. Three more schools recently voted to join the b= oard for the 2023-24 school year, including the schools in Pelly Crossing, Carcr= oss, and Kluane and Destruction Bay.
The Fi= rst Nation School Board is enabling Yukon First Nations to reclaim greater responsibil= ity for the administration and management of education programs for students and their communities. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the boa= rd of trustees on a new 15-month funding agreement for the First Nation School Board.
We are= investing in the success of the First Nation School Board, and this funding agreement will support them to implement their vision for education in their schools.= We are providing over $35 million for the period of April 1, 2023 to June= 30, 2024 to ensure the success of the First Nation School Board and their schoo= ls.
This f= unding agreement includes unique funding for indigenization initiatives. This refl= ects the First Nation School Board’s need as an Indigenous school authorit= y. It also acknowledges the leadership role the First Nation School Board will play in developing and delivering Indigenous language and culture curriculum and educational programs. This work will ultimately benefit all Yukon learn= ers and will improve outcomes for Indigenous and rural students in all Yukon schools. We are committed to ensuring that all Yukon school authorities have equitable resources to deliver high-quality and culturally appropriate education.
I will= now move on to the audit and the initiatives around RISE. The 2019 report of the Aud= itor General of Canada on K to 12 education, the 2021 review of inclusive and special education, and the child advocate review of attendance all highligh= ted that we can do better and we have to rethink how we are supporting diverse learners. While we have made significant strides in some areas, we know we still have much work to do to reach our vision for a renewed safe and inclu= sive education system that better supports all students to succeed. This remains= a key focus for the department, as we move into 2023‑24.
In our= request for the 2023‑24 mains, there is $1,022,000 allocated to this work. On= e of the initiatives I would like to highlight in this work is the Ready-to-Learn Schools. We launched this program in the fall of 2022 at several Yukon scho= ols. Ready-to-Learn Schools is a program that supports schools in effecting posi= tive social change and well-being for all students and staff. The program is grounded in the understanding that children can only be ready to learn when they feel safe and calm.
This m= odel trains teachers and staff to be developmentally responsive to recognize tha= t a child’s chronological age may not match their emotional, cognitive, or social age. Most importantly, it helps educators understand how trauma and toxic stress impact brain development, functioning, and learning. We look forward to continuing to support the rollout of this program for students a= nd staff.
$500,0= 00 of the budget for RISE is dedicated to improving mental health outcomes for youth.= We take the mental wellness of students seriously, particularly as we move for= ward from the pandemic, and we are continually assessing the needs of students. = The Department of Education is developing a comprehensive mental health and wellness approach. This is an important part of the overall work we are doi= ng to reimagine inclusive and special education. It will align with Yukon̵= 7;s mental health strategy and be guided by the recommendations from the Yukon Youth Calls to Action from the 2022 Youth Summit, which brings forward important perspectives from youth on supports that will work for them. We l= ook forward to continuing to move this critical work forward.
In the= 2023‑24 mains, you will also see that we are requesting an increase of $3,467,000 f= or early learning and childcare. This is fully recoverable from our multilater= al agreement with the Government of Canada. This funding will support us as we continue to work with Yukon First Nations and other partners to enhance ear= ly learning and childcare programming in the Yukon. We are working toward a fu= ture where all families have access to high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable, accessible, and inclusive. This year, we are investing heavily in professional learning and development opportunities. This includ= es innovative and flexible training options for early learning educators to be= come fully qualified while continuing to work.
We are= working with partners on several exciting initiatives, including partnering with the Yukon University to offer the professional diploma pathways program for ear= ly childhood educators; funding Yukon University to provide enhanced course offerings in rural Yukon communities; partnering with the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate and the early years program to offer an Understanding= the Early Years course.
In add= ition to these partnerships, we are also providing education bursaries for post-secondary study, as well as enhanced bursary options up to $500 for educators to access other learning and development opportunities. All of th= ese initiatives are supporting the growth and expansion of high-quality early learning and childcare in the Yukon.
I will= move on to some of our capital investments, starting with the biggest build that we= are undertaking right now — Whistle Bend Elementary School. We are buildi= ng the first new Whitehorse elementary school in over 20 years in Whistle Bend. This will provide students with a modern learning environment and support a thriving and growing community. In the 2023‑24 mains, you will see $20,300,000 allocated to this school capital project.
The Wh= istle Bend school is a key investment, with construction scheduled to be completed dur= ing the 2023‑24 school year. I would like to acknowledge the members of t= he newly established Whistle Bend Elementary School Council. They will have an important role in guiding aspects of the school build and will assume regul= ar school council duties, such as hiring a principal once the school is closer= to completion.
The ne= xt project that I would like to talk about is Kêts’a&= #769;dań Kų̀. This is a very special project for Yukon. As part of our commitment to reconciliation and long-term capital planning for Yukon schoo= ls, we are pleased to be working in partnership with the Kluane First Nation on= Kêts’ádań Kų̀. Mov= ing the current Kluane Lake school from Destruction Bay to Burwash Landing has = been a long-standing request of the Kluane First Nation. The Government of Yukon= and the Kluane First Nation continue to uphold the memorandum of understanding, which outlines a shared commitment to plan the construction of a new school= in Burwash Landing, to be known as “Kêts̵= 7;ádań Kų̀”; the meaning of this is “House of Learning̶= 1;. Kêts’ádań Kų̀ is a priority, as it will support Kluane First Nation citizens to learn and thri= ve in their community. You will see $3.5 million allocated to this work in the 2023-24 mains.
In con= clusion, thank you, Madam Chair, for the opportunity to speak to Education’s 2023-24 mains budget. As we look forward to the year ahead, we know that we must strike a balance between making actionable progress and taking the time needed to build trusting relationships. We must do things differently if we want to see different results. This budget will support this important work, and I look forward to seeing the progress as we continue to make improvemen= ts to our educational system for educators, current learners, and future generations of learners.
Mr. Kent: I also would like to take the opportunity to welcome the officials to the Hou= se here today, as well as those officials who participated in the briefing on = the mains and gave us the information and took questions that we had at the time and, of course, those who are supporting the minister and her officials remotely here today as well.
The fi= rst item I wanted to talk about — because we just talked about it earlier this w= eek during a ministerial statement — is the new funding agreement with the First Nation School Board. In the minister’s final response on the ministerial statement, she said — and I quote: “I can assure the member opposite that the full $35 million is included in the 2023-24 budget, and I am looking forward to debating and going into all of those details.” Now we will have the time to get into some of those details= .
My que= stion is with respect to the budget itself — the Education budget. On page 8-1= 6, I can find, under School Authorities, a transfer payment to the First Nation School Board of $3.998 million. So, I guess my first question for the minister would be: What is that transfer payment designed to cover for the First Nation School Board?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am happy to rise today and talk about the important work tha= t we are doing with the First Nation School Board and the funding agreement that= we recently announced and reached — again, an historic milestone for Yuk= on. It is significant that we are at this place in Yukon in terms of really investing in reconciliation. I just want to understand that we are trying to look through and identify the exact area that the member was asking about. I think it is the $3.998 million — is that the amount that we are talking about? Okay, so, this is part of, of course, the larger transfer payment agreement with the First Nation School Board. There were a number of areas that — as I have spoken about a few times, there is operational support and maintenance of the schools, and there is also funding for board governance and administration of the eight schools, and then there are discretionary grants as well. So, I believe, if I am identifying this in the correct way, this is for the board governance and administration of the eig= ht schools.
Mr. Kent: Yes, the line item that I was referring to is under Other Transfer Payments and School Authorities. It is on page 8-16 of the budget. It says First Nation School Board at $3.998 million. If the minister could agree to get us a breakdown of that line, I guess, that would be helpful, just so we get a se= nse of where those dollars are going. As I said, when I went through the budget, that’s the only place that I could see specifically where a transfer payment was being made to the First Nation School Board, so that was obviou= sly before the announcement was made earlier this week about the $35‑mill= ion, five-month program.
So, wh= at I will do then is jump back to page 8-8 of the budget, Operation and Maintenance (= Vote 03-1), Kindergarten – Grade 12. The line item there is $113,280,000. = So, the minister, as I mentioned, said in her ministerial statement response th= at all of the O&M money for the First Nation s= chools was included in this budget, so I’m going to make an assumption that = the O&M piece will be reprofiled for this line item. = I am wondering if the minister can give us a sense of how much of that $113.28&n= bsp;million will be reprofiled to the eight original schools that signed up for the Fir= st Nation School Board and how much will be reprofiled for the three additional schools that will be coming on for the 2023-24 school year.
Hon. Ms. McLean: Due to the timing on the First Nation School Board funding for the 2023-24 budg= et, it is not shown separately; it is included within the K to 12 budget line. = In the future, though, the First Nation School Board will be a separate line i= tem that is similar to the Francophone School Board, but I can go through it fo= r a bit more detail based on the eight schools that we now have. Again, we will= be working with the First Nation School Board trustees to bring those other th= ree schools in.
The to= tal funding, as per the transfer payment agreement in the fiscal year 2023-24, = is $28.2 million. The majority of the First Nation School Board funding w= as found from within the K to 12 existing school budgets — that being $1= 8.2 million. There were other internal budget transfers, such as $825,000 from various branches within the department and in-kind custodian services from Highways= and Public Works for $806,000. There is a total increase in the department̵= 7;s budget for the First Nation School Board for 2023-24 in the amount of $2.77= 1 million. The remaining $2.4 million will be found from within, and then there w= ill be future budget exercises that we will go through in terms of really defin= ing this.
Again, it’s due to the timing of when the First Nation School Board came into effect. Working through this 2023‑24 budget, we are not showing all of these line items separately, but in the future, it will be seen similar to = the Francophone School Board.
Mr. Kent: The minister can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe she said that the majo= rity of the money was coming from within existing budgets, but I would like to t= ake her back again to her comments in the ministerial statement. She said that = the full $35 million is included in the 2023‑24 budget, and I look forward to debating and going into all those details, as she said, but I th= ink she said that there was $28.2 million in 2023‑24. I don’t = want to make assumptions, but I am assuming that the balance will be in the 2024= ‑25 budget because of the school year not lining up with the fiscal year. I just want to be sure that the $35-million funding agreement — there is no = new money? It’s all coming out of the existing budget, and it’s all= in the 2023‑24 budget; there won’t be a need for a supplementary t= his fall.
Hon. Ms. McLean: The member is correct in terms of all of the money being within the 2023‑= 24 budget. There is a portion in the 15-month agreement that will go into the = 2024‑25 budget. There will be no supplementary budget around the allocation for this fiscal year — other than the additional three schools that will be co= ming on. That agreement has yet to be expanded and entered into with the First Nation School Board, but that will take effect in the new school year of 20= 23‑24.
Mr. Kent: Maybe what would be helpful for us as legislators is if we could get the minister= to provide us with a breakdown of the $35-million, 15-month funding agreement, obviously recognizing that there will be eight schools on for the first num= ber of months and then that would bump up to 11 — and then what the break= down is between the pillars that the minister spoke about in her statement. Just= to remind the minister, she said that there was funding for the operation and maintenance for First Nation School Board schools, the establishment of sch= ool board organizational capacity, and the development of Yukon First Nation language and culture curricula and education programs.
Obviou= sly, we are not looking for that today, but if the minister could come back with a legislative return or a letter to the Member for Takhini-Kopper King and me, that would be helpful for us to understand where this money is going.
One of= the other questions that I had asked the other day in my ministerial statement respon= se was about equity. When it comes to the operation and maintenance side of things, can the minister tell us if an equitable amount of per student fund= ing will be provided to those schools that have decided to continue under the Government of Yukon or the Department of Education governance? I think that= is what we would be looking for. Obviously, there are going to be some differe= nces when you have smaller schools, rural schools, or that type of thing.
But I = think that the school councils and the members of the education community that I have = been talking to over the past number of weeks about the First Nation School Board and the funding are just looking for the assurance that there will an equit= able amount of per student funding given to those schools that have decided, for= one reason or another, to stay under the existing governance model.
Hon. Ms. McLean: Again, a tremendous amount of work went into ensuring that the= First Nation School Board had the resources that they needed. A lot of people wor= ked very intensely on this. Up until March 31, we were under an interim agreeme= nt that was for $13,094,188. That was for the fiscal year that we are just com= ing out of and then looking, of course, at the complexity of setting up a whole= new authority going into the next school year.
It was important, of course, that we take the time needed, and you will be able to= see more of the breakdown in those specific line items as we go forward and ent= er into the longer term agreements and move into that funding cycle. It will b= e a lot easier going forward. I am happy to bring back a legislative return that provides that breakdown of all of the areas that are included, including the money that is found within — and then the new dollars that were added= to the Department of Education budget. I talked about that in my opening comme= nts — just over $7 million in new money that is related to early learning childcare and the First Nation School Board — new dollars co= ming into the mains this time around.
In ter= ms of equitable — we have certainly taken a long look at this because we are really not starting from a place of equality. And if we were starting from a place of equality, I think that we would have been having a lot of different discussions in our territory. I think that the Auditor General report point= s us directly to a place that tells us that outcomes — particularly for In= digenous children — have not been the same as for other children. We are not starting from a place of equality, so we have to invest more in the First Nation School Board to bring us to a place where — we have a journey through equity to get there.
The Fi= rst Nation School Board, as I have said, is currently operating eight schools, and thi= s is versus the two schools that the CSFY operates. = I know that you are asking something else — in terms of other authorities and the Department of Education authority — and I will get to that. We wi= ll include some of this information or all of this information that I am talki= ng about now in the legislative return.
I think that it will be helpful to understand how we got to where we are. It was done through negotiation and = done very similarly, in some ways — and then there are some unique aspects with the First Nation School Board that are different from the Francophone School Board.
In ter= ms of board administration and governance, it is done by way of a lift, which is a 20-percent lift, which is the same as CSFY and = also the same with the First Nation School Board. They are calculated on the same drivers and factors.
This i= s not an exhaustive list, but they include teachers’ wages, EAs — educational assistants — custodians, utility supplies, program materi= als — those are all part of the O&M. Agai= n, looking at those additional costs for board administration and governance, = that is the same need that the CSFY has.
Govern= ance examples may include: rent, trustee honoraria, and administrative staff, su= ch as finance, reception, and other support staff members. Again, this is not = an exhaustive list but are examples of what would be included in governance — ongoing costs of community committees, as well, would be within that category. Again, the O&M funding is not dif= ferent from CSFY, except for Yukon First Nation langua= ge teachers and other funding for board administration and governance, as more staff is required to run the eight schools. Again, we will be revisiting th= is as we enter into agreements with the other three schools, bringing it up to= 11.
One of= the things that folks — this is definitely quite a difference in terms of= the number of rural schools that are under the First Nation School Board. Rural schools have higher fixed costs than Whitehorse-based schools, as well, and typically have lower enrolment, which inherently drives up the cost per stu= dent when you do the calculations. So, that is not how we do the lift, based on = per student; it’s really based on the overall O&= M of the school, and then there is a 20-percent lift that is calculated. That= is pretty straightforward.
Perhap= s, I will just stop there on that part of it, but the member asked about the equitable application of these types of investments that we’re making with the First Nation School Board.
We als= o have — when working, of course, government-to-government with Yukon First Nations, they are an essential partner. We do have education agreements with some First Nations, but we also have transfer payment agreements with all 14 First Nations. So, we are funding based on priorities that are identified through the First Nation and also, of course, the joint actions that we are taking together. We have what is called the “joint education action plan”, which is certainly a huge priority, where we have identified w= ith Canada, Yukon, and First Nations our priorities, going forward.
I will= continue to build on this answer, because I think that it is a really important part= of the work that we are doing.
Mr. Kent: So, I just want to touch on that question that I asked about equitable funding for students who are in First Nation School Board schools and those who are in = the schools that are still under the governance through the Department of Educa= tion and school councils and that.
I mean= , the minister, I think — and without the ability to go back to Hansard instantaneously — I believe she said “not starting from a place= of equity”, but there are a number of schools that are not under the Fir= st Nation School Board that still have Indigenous students. There are still a number of Indigenous and First Nation students in, you know — not to = pick on any particular schools here, but, of course, Elijah Smith Elementary, for instance, would have a number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. I think, you know — obviously, many of the high schools in Whitehorse t= hat have decided to remain under the school council and department model would = have a number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Then, of course, schools that are under the First Nation School Board — many of them also have= a mixed population of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
So, I = am just curious why the minister wouldn’t commit to equitable funding for students across the board here, especially when there is a mixture of Indigenous, First Nation, and then those who are non-Indigenous in so many = of our schools that are in the territory here.
Hon. Ms. McLean: It is an important question that the member poses around equit= y for all children and certainly an area that I have spent a lot of time thinking about and working with our partners on. We know that, especially from the recent Auditor General’s report — and, again, really similar to= the one that was 10 years before that in terms of outcomes, and we know that la= nguage, culture, and heritage revitalization is a very important aspect of work tha= t we are committed to doing in all of our schools. Safer, healthier, and thriving communities are inherently linked to rebuilding First Nation identity and connection to heritage. We also need to focus on leadership, education, and training programs that are really grounded in culture.
Yukon = First Nation languages, as we have said in this House just recently on Indigenous Languages Day, are in critical condition, with a number of dialects that are down to only just a handful of fluent speakers. The Department of Education= is working with individual Yukon First Nations regarding bilateral government-to-government education agreements, which include discussions on allocation for indigenizing education and language, culture, and heritage programming in schools.
In the= 2023-2024 budget, the Yukon government is providing almost $1.2 million to the Y= ukon First Nation language centre, part of which will support planning for more First Nation language teachers’ training. A specific priority for the Government of Yukon is to work toward a shared commitment with Yukon First Nations and Government of Canada to address and take meaningful steps to revitalize Yukon First Nation languages, culture, and heritage.
Also, = I think it’s reflected, of course, in Yukon’s strategy on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two-spirit-plus people. It includes= the foundational value of culture, language, spirituality, and relationship with the land, which guides our work in that area as a government.
The Go= vernment of Yukon is interested in continuing with the work from the joint education action plan, also known as the “JEAP̶= 1;, to which all Yukon First Nations and Canada are partners, as well as advancing specific funding conversations with Yukon First Nations and Canada on how to advance language, culture, and heritage priorities in public school setting= s.
The Yu= kon government continues to explore other options for sharing existing capacity= and resources for Yukon First Nation language programming with Yukon First Nati= on governments to support their language revitalization initiatives and to meet the department’s obligations to provide Indigenous languages instruct= ion, specifically Yukon First Nation language instruction, to Yukon students. I think one of the aspects of this agreement that we have entered into with t= he First Nation School Board trustees is a provision that the materials and curriculum and resources that are developed by the First Nation School Board are also going to be shared with all schools. I think that is a very strong added value to this agreement, and we know that we are on track to decoloni= ze education, but indigenization and world view from that perspective needs to= be done by First Nation people themselves.
We are=
in this
very unique place in Yukon where we are figuring this out together. I think
that it truly is the vision that the elders had in Together Today for Our
Children Tomorrow 50 years a=
go
when they envisioned a Yukon that works together. I think that is what we a=
re
seeing with the First Nation School Board and the values that will come out=
of
that.
I thank you for the question, because I
think it is a really important one that gets right to the heart of much of =
the
work that we will be doing — especially over this next year — w=
ith
the First Nation School Board. As we look at all the work that is happening=
, we
are in a very transformational period, I think, within education. As I have
said many times, it is an exciting time for education, so I am very pleased
with where we have landed and what education will look like — and the
outcomes that will inevitably be seen by all of us in government and for the
generations to come. I will stop there and look to further questions.
Mr. Kent: I will perhaps put in a request for the minister to, if she can, get some information back that I think would help inform the debate that we are havi= ng here about equitable funding for all Yukon students. When I look at the February 2023 enrolment reports, there are 4,773 students in urban schools, which is Whitehorse and just schools in the periphery — Grey Mountain and Hidden Valley — and then 1,083 in rural schools. I don’t want to get too specific with the numbers of Indigenous student= s, but if the minister would be able to provide us, at some point, with the to= tal number of Indigenous students in the system and then how many of those are attending First Nation School Board schools and how many are attending scho= ols that are either run by the Francophone School Board or run by the school councils and the Department of Education, I think that would give us a bett= er understanding of the dispersal of Indigenous students throughout the system= and give us an idea of how to make sure that we support all Yukon students, whi= ch I am sure is the goal of the minister and is a goal that is shared by us in t= he Official Opposition.
Just o= ne other quick question with respect to the First Nation School Board — and the minister brought it up in her previous response, so I wanted to quickly fol= low up on it. When we received the briefing on the 2023‑24 mains from department officials, they left us a handout. On page 6 of that, it talks a= bout internal budget transfers in the First Nation Initiatives branch — a transfer from First Nation Initiatives of $62,000 to support indigenization= of the curriculum with the First Nation School Board.
The mi= nister talked about indigenization of the curriculum and decolonization of the sys= tem. I’m wondering if there will be an opportunity — and if the mini= ster has any idea — and, if so, when that opportunity will arise for membe= rs of the broader school communities to understand exactly what the indigeniza= tion of the curriculum is going to look like. Is there some sort of public proce= ss that would be planned to help inform all members of the different school communities, regardless of the governance model, on what exactly this will = look like? I guess the question for the minister is: Does she have any idea of t= he timelines to get this done and if or when there will be consultation to help explain what this looks like to the broader school communities?
Hon. Ms. McLean: The member talked a lot in the preamble to some of the questions — and qu= ite a few questions, I think, posed throughout that. He started out around enrolment, so I will speak a little bit about that in terms of where we are= at and what our numbers are.
The Yu= kon population is increasing, and we expect it will continue to grow over the y= ears to come. We are prioritizing work on long-term capital planning, of course — as we have talked a little bit about in the House this year — including the recently announced replacement of the École Whitehorse Elementary. A new Whistle Bend school will help address enrolment growth in the north end of Whitehorse and will have added portables —= and I know this is about school growth, but I think that it definitely factors = in — as I have said, this transformational time that we are in with educ= ation. Enrolment at schools is high — and, of course, when we have that high enrolment in a school, we work around capacity and we work with all of our partners.
The De= partment of Education, of course, works with the Yukon school boards, both the First Nation School Board and the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon, to assess their enrolment pressures. I know that the member is specifically asking about how many Indigenous students we have throughout all of our schools, and I will be happy to bring that number bac= k. The total enrolment, though, as of January 2023, in all Yukon schools is 5,= 820. That is up by 21 students from May 2022.
When w= e worked with the First Nations Chiefs Committee on Education, it was definitely one= of their desires to work within the Ed= ucation Act, which is what we have done to establish the First Nation School Bo= ard. It was a desire, of course, to uphold the vision of Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow and not have that divi= sion of students, whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous. That is not our interest, as Government of Yukon — dividing Yukoners on this, and nor= is it the interest of the Chiefs Committee on Education, the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate, or the current trustees. It is not the desire, and s= o we have worked in a way of collaboration and inclusivity. Those are very impor= tant in the work that we are doing with the First Nation School Board, so I am h= appy to bring back those numbers and identify exactly where Indigenous students = are or aren’t. I think that the interest of the First Nation School Board= has not been about dividing Yukoners, but it is really about being inclusive and ensuring that every child has what they need in our education system, and really, that is our desire — to get there.
I will= point to a few areas of work that we are doing right now, and I will get to the reimagining of inclusive and special education, because I think that it is = so vitally important — the work that is happening there. There are many factors that contribute to a student’s success in school, including high-quality instruction, engaged learning, and student support networks — both at and away from school.
The st= udent outcome strategy is a really important area to look to and will help us dev= elop a deeper understanding of how we can best support Yukon students and make evidence-based decisions that will ensure every student in the territory ha= s an opportunity to succeed. I know that folks have probably seen this when we submitted an update to the Public Accounts Committee. It was a very in-depth report about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re go= ing on all of these areas, so it is captured there as well. The department has contracted IRP Consulting and engaged with Yukon First Nation governments o= n the initial development of draft student outcome statements. This phase is now complete.
The ne= xt phase, which is underway, includes sharing the draft student outcome statements wi= th our partners, the advisory committee on Yukon education, teachers, students, families, and other education partners. As part of this second phase, IRP Consulting has hosted a couple of public and virtual meetings. That was done over a two-week period in March. Again, this work is being led by IRP Consulting. By working collaboratively with First Nation governments, as we= ll as our education partners, we will help sharpen our focus and target suppor= ts that will improve outcomes for all Yukon students.
It is = important that we take the time to do the foundational work in a very meaningful way = so that we are united in a collective understanding of the outcomes we want for our Yukon public education system. Also, the Yukon-wide How Are We Doing? student data reports support the Department of Education and our partners in a deeper understanding of what is happening w= ith our students. The latest report is available.
I think that’s an important part to look to. I am happy to provide more information, if members wish. It is captured in the Public Accounts report = as well, but there is also, of course, the work that we’re doing on RISE= . We have put a tremendous amount of effort into this. Again, RISE is out of the 2019 audit and the review of inclusive and special education and the student attendance report that was done by the Child and Youth Advocate.
We are= working with our partners and stakeholders to reimagine and create schools that are safe, inclusive, build on student strengths, and ensure that every child fe= els connected and supported to thrive. There is a lot more that I can say and w= ill say about the work that is happening under RISE.
Deputy Chair (MLA Tredger):
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Deputy Chair: Committee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.
Recess
Deputy Chair: Order, please. Committee of the Whole will now come to order.
The ma= tter now before the Committee is continuing general debate on Vote 3, Department of Education, in Bill No. 208, entitled First Appropriation Act 2023‑24.
Is the= re any further general debate?
Mr. Kent: I want to just move on to some other topics now. I thank the minister for the responses on the First Nation School Board questions. I will review the Blu= es and look forward to getting a legislative return on the commitments that we= re made.
The ma= terial from department officials that was provided at the briefing told us that th= ere were 1,187.48 FTEs in the Department of Education. I am just wondering if t= he minister can tell us how many of those FTEs are in the schools — are = in the public school system — you know, First Nations — just a tot= al number of those who are working in our schools.
Hon. Ms. McLean: For 2022‑23, we have 652 FTE teachers and paraprofessionals, EAs, and remedial tutors. In 2022‑23, we have 250.4 FTEs. The 2023‑24 estimates are basically the same number of teachers, 562. That includes all school authorities. Paraprofessionals, EAs, and remedial tutors are 251.4 F= TEs.
Mr. Kent: Just to be clear: 562 FTEs are teachers and 251.4 are paraprofessionals. Can I j= ust get the minister to confirm that number? And then the balance to the 1,187,= are they working in the department? Am I correct in that assumption?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am just going to run through and give a listing, rather than having that other. Those numbers are accurate in terms of teachers and paraprofessionals, but I think just to run through the list, it says 1,116.= 91. So, under Education Support Services, under the Deputy Minister’s Off= ice, we have four FTEs; under Communications, we have seven; under HR, we have 1= 6; and Finance, 15. Then under administration and support, we have two FTEs; u= nder Student Support Services, we have 18.3; under Technology and Student Inform= ation, we have 9.5; under Facilities and Transportation, we have 46.38; and then u= nder school authorities, we have 830.24.
Includ= ed additionally, which will increase the number, but we also have the teachers= on call, which is 60.32. We have one auxiliary on call. That raises that numbe= r in the K to 12 to 891.56. Under the CSFY, we have = 68.8. That is under school authorities. Again, the First Nation School Board is s= till within the K to 12 — the overall number.
Under = Policy and Partnerships, we have two FTEs under Administration; Strategic Support, 23; Curriculum and Assessment, 11.5; Training Programs, 11; French Programs, fo= ur; Early Learning and Child Care, 15. Then, under the First Nations Initiative= s, we have two Administration, six First Nations Program Delivery and Curricul= um Development, and 23.19 First Nations Language Initiatives. With the change, with the added TOCs, it is 1,187.48. Then there= are additionally two capital FTE school-based ITs, = which are also part of the overall number.
Mr. Kent: I thank the minister. I appreciate that breakdown; that is helpful.
I do w= ant to bounce over to a couple of questions about capital programs — specifically on modular classrooms. When I look at the 2022-23 five-year capital plan, it says that modular classrooms for this fiscal year of 2023-= 24 would be $1 million to $2 million. Then, jumping ahead to the cap= ital plan that was tabled in March of this year, for 2023-24, there is no money allotted to modular classrooms. I am sort of curious why that money was tak= en away.
Becaus= e when — I am just going to highlight two of the high schools here in Whiteh= orse — CSSC Mercier, which, of course, is the francophone high school, and then F.H. Collins Secondary School, which is a dual-track English and French immersion high school. So, Mercier has a capa= city of 150 students, I believe — from discussions with the previous Minis= ter of Education when it was being constructed — and as of February 2023, they are at 116 students. If you start — well, I won’t start projecting, based on tracking from EET to there= . So, they are very close to capacity, and then F.H. Collins has a capacity, I believe, of 750, and they are at 724. One of my colleagues attended the F.H. Collins school council meeting, I believe in December, and it was mentioned= at that time that they would be up for modular classrooms this year, but obviously, as I mentioned, there is no funding for modular classrooms.
So, I = am just asking on behalf of that school community — that commitment in Decemb= er for modular classrooms this year obviously isn’t going to happen, so = I am curious why that commitment isn’t going to be met for F.H. Collins and then if there are any plans for Mercier as they near capacity, as well, for what was designed for that school.
Hon. Ms. McLean: As I have mentioned even today and previously, we are working = to engage with the school community on capital planning, and I have talked a l= ot about that so far this year.
The Go=
vernment
of Yukon’s five-year capital plan includes school replacement and
renovation projects to ensure that all of our buildings are safe and suitab=
le
for many years to come. We are pleased, again, that we have some really imp=
ortant
infrastructure underway that is going to take a tremendous amount of pressu=
re
off our school growth — one of them, of course, being Whistle Bend. I
have already talked about that project being done during the next school ye=
ar.
Then, we also have Burwash Landing, and planning has started for the
replacement of École Whitehorse Elementary School.
Capita= l planning decisions are based on current information and facility assessment and supplemented with education programming needs. Everyone in the House is awa= re that engagement with the broader Whitehorse community and partners is under= way to determine a longer term plan for replacing and renovating other aging Whitehorse schools. The public can participate — this is ongoing from — it started on March 14; it will go until May 15, and that work= is well underway. We will definitely continue to have conversations with Yukon school communities, including the F.H. Collins school community and the two Yukon school boards about facility needs, as we plan for future school projects.
I thin= k one of the distinctions with the CSFY high school is t= hat we have — they also have grade 7 students in that school, which is a fac= tor. They have moved their grade 7s from the other school that they operate to t= he high school.
In ter= ms of our investments that we have made — you know, Golden Horn — we did include a couple of modulars out at Golden Horn. This is definitely one of = our ways of managing growth in schools. So, we did that in 2018-19 and 2019-20.= For the first one and second one, it was 2019-20. We have also worked around modulars for Selkirk — modulars 1 and 2 and an addition — and Hidden Valley as well; we have included a modular there. We finished the modular and addition at the Robert Service School — so again, an impo= rtant part of our management of schools.
We wil= l continue to work with our school communities. Of course, as you have specifically as= ked about the F.H. Collins school community, we know that they are engaged in t= he current consultation that is happening now, and we will certainly gain more insight from that work.
I want= ed just to add that, around French immersion programming and enrolment, we are very committed. We know that this is a very popular program. The Department of Education offers excellent French second language programming to students, = and we are working with our partners and school communities to address the long-term needs of these programs. Currently, the overall student demand for the French immersion program is being met, and the Government of Yukon plan= s to continue École Selkirk Elementary as a= dual track. We have committed to long-term planning for French as a second langu= age programs and to create a vision statement in collaboration with the French second language advisory committee, which I understand is currently being worked on. That will also bring some insights as we move into the “wh= at we heard” document that is currently being = — consultation is underway. We will have a lot more information= that will emerge from that, and it will also take into consideration the work ar= ound the longer term vision from the French second language advisory committee. =
Additi= onally, we completed, I think, the generic design and function plan that we have used = to scale and design — for multiple types of schools. This is now referre= d to as the “Yukon schools functional program”. The plan outlines consistent standards for school design, construction — scalable. This is how we are now working on our plans for schools so that we don’t find ourselves again in these situations where a school like F.H. Collins has outgrown — way beyond the time t= hat it should.
So, re= ally better planning around school growth and really understanding the needs from the program perspective — also, of course, the quality of the building and all of those aspects as well — so, putting all of that information together to make well-informed decisions. Modular classrooms are how we will work with our short- and medium-term school needs. As I have stated, in 2022-23, Selkirk Elementary added a modular addition rather than a third portable, and this freed up an additional classroom for the school and is anticipated to be ready for occupancy soon. That is an exciting new addition that helps with some of the pressure, but I am really looking forward to outcomes of our consultation that is happening now.
Mr. Kent: I will forward that response along to the F.H. Collins school community. As I mentioned, it is my understanding that last fall, in December, there was a commitment made to provide them with modular classrooms, and that commitment has since been withdrawn. That, of course, is reflected in the budget docum= ents with no money allocated. As I said, I will send that along to the school community, and then they can reach out to the minister. I am sure that they will just to seek some clarification around that previous commitment.
I do w= ant to ask some questions regarding the two larger school projects that are underway in the department — the school in Burwash Landing as well as the school = in Whistle Bend. I will just take the minister back to the Liberal 2021 electi= on platform. It says in there: “Complete the construction of a new schoo= l in Burwash Landing by 2024.” It also says: “Complete the construct= ion of a new elementary school in Whistle Bend by 2023 and establish a Whistle = Bend School Council in spring 2021.” We obviously know that this commitment was delayed and wasn’t met, but I wanted to focus on the construction commitments here. So, as I said, the promise by the Liberals to Yukon voter= s in 2021 was to have Burwash Landing done by 2024, but then if I look at the fi= ve‑year capital plan, there is a significant expenditure in 2025-26, which leads me= to believe that this school won’t be ready until 2026.
Then, = as I mentioned, the Liberals promised voters in 2021 that they would complete the construction of a new elementary school in Whistle Bend by 2023. Again look= ing at the five-year capital plan, in the last year, it’s a smaller expenditure of $50,000 to $100,000. I am assuming that is for furniture and fit-out and that type of thing, but it would appear that both of these proj= ects are two years late from what the Liberals promised Yukon voters in 2021. So= , I am wondering if the minister could explain why the construction time frames= are different from what was promised when we were all going door to door a coup= le of years ago.
Hon. Ms. McLean: We are thrilled to be building new schools in the Yukon. Our government has committed to that. We did make those commitments, and we are standing by them as part of our commitment to reconciliation and long-term capital planning for Yukon schools.
We are= really pleased to be working in partnership with the Kluane First Nation on Kȇts’ádań Kų̀. Movi= ng the current Kluane school from Destruction Bay to Burwash Landing has been a long-standing request from the Kluane First Nation, and the Government of Y= ukon and Kluane First Nation continue to uphold what we are working with as a memorandum of understanding, which outlines our shared commitment to plan a= nd construct a new school in Burwash Landing. Kȇts= 8217;ádań Kų̀ is certainly a priority as it will support Kluane First Nati= on citizens to learn and thrive in their community. Regular meetings of the oversight committee and the project management team continue.
In Jul= y 2022, a Yukon asset construction agreement was signed with the Kluane First Nation = that will provide benefit to the community through the construction of the schoo= l. We were thrilled to go out to Burwash Landing for Infrastructure CanadaR= 17;s Investing in Canada infrastructure program announcement, which was in Septe= mber 2022, and to visit the new site with Chief Bob Dickson.
The co= nstruction tender date and the project completion date will be confirmed as we move forward with the project planning process. The steps and commitments that I have outlined today are a clear indication that this remains a priority. It= is in the five-year capital plan. It will be built.
Again,= we are working with the community to ensure that we get it right and that they get= the type of facility that will work for their community. We are working with the functional design that I talked about a few moments ago.
In ter= ms of the Whistle Bend school, again, our government is very proud that we are invest= ing in school infrastructure, and this new elementary school will be the first = new elementary school in Whitehorse in over 20 years. Of course, it’s in Whistle Bend. I have had an opportunity to go and have a look at the construction, which is well underway and is expected to be completed in the winter of 2023-24. In preparation for the new school, a new Whistle Bend attendance area has been created. The attendance area is based on the city boundaries for the subdivision plus portions of the previous Takhini Elemen= tary School area, which is now being governed by the First Nation School Board. =
I defi= nitely had an opportunity to welcome the newly established Whistle Bend Elementary Sch= ool Council. The school council will have a very important role in guiding aspe= cts of the school construction and will assume regular school council duties, s= uch as hiring the principal once the school is closer to completion. Yes, it is= in the five-year capital plan.
One of= the things that really gives me a sense of pride is that we have a local constr= uction company, Ketza Construction. They were very pro= ud to take us through to have a look at the progress of the school. One of the po= ints of pride that they pointed out is that the folks working on the site are Yukoners, from subcontractors all the way through. So, I think that is definitely a source of pride for the company but also for those who are wor= king on-site. We definitely had folks talk to us about the fact that their child= ren will be going to the school that they are building and that they are having that direct input into the future of their children.
Also, = notably, before the actual construction started, Highways and Public Works and the Department of Education did a ceremony with Kwanlin D&= uuml;n First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council — a blessing ceremony of the land. As I have talked about bef= ore, we are really putting very specific intention into this construction that w= ill help to shape our young Yukoners for generations to come. As we enter into = all of these projects, that is how we are working. It is construction of a building, but it is so much more than that; it is an investment in the futu= re of Yukon. We want to put all of that great energy into it, and that is what= is unfolding through the planning process and through the construction. It is definitely a shift in how we do our work around decolonizing government, an= d we are doing things in a different way that truly puts intention — so, I think that the preamble to these questions around these important infrastructure constructions are not in the spirit of what we are doing with the education community. Of course, the local First Nation in Burwash Landi= ng — we are working in a different way with our partners, and it is one = that I am very proud of.
Mr. Kent: What I was merely pointing out was the discrepancy between the platform commitme= nts of the Liberals and the actual delivery dates for when these projects are g= oing to be complete — but, that said, I did make a commitment to the leade= r of the New Democrats, the Member for Takhini-Kopper King, to share the floor w= ith her today, so I thank the officials for coming, and I will turn it over to = my colleague from Takhini-Kopper King to finish the day, and hopefully, we get= a chance of quite a few more questions. Hopefully, we get a chance to have Ed= ucation back before the end of the Spring Sitting.
Ms. White: I thank my colleague for sharing the floor, and I am delighted, of course, to have the officials today in the Assembly with us. The first thing I want to talk about is the development of Department of Education policies. So, I ha= ve pulled up the student protection policy, which says: preventing and respond= ing to harm by adults. Its effective date was September 29, 2022.
The fi= rst question I would have is: Without getting into details, was this policy cre= ated in response to events that have happened in Yukon schools?
Hon. Ms. McLean: There has been a lot of work that has happened over my almost two years as the Minister of Education. The health, safety, and well-being of students and s= taff is totally and completely our first priority. We have worked very hard, and= I know that the member opposite is aware, of course, that there were situatio= ns that happened in a school in Yukon which resulted in a number of reviews, o= ne of them being a review that I actually launched myself and which was done by Amanda Rogers.
We kno= w that report was received and done within the time frames that we had laid out to have this work done in a timely manner and to have immediate action. It resulted in the safer schools action plan, which included 23 actions under seven recommendations. So, the safer schools policy that is referred to tod= ay is a direct result of action 6. So, we developed a student protection polic= y, preventing and responding to harm by adults, and related procedures and training in response to action 6 of the safer schools action plan. <= /p>
The po= licy outlines our commitment to safeguard students while in the care of adults, while engaged in school-related activities, and, of course, there is a tremendous amount of work that has gone into the entire safer schools action plan, and there are other policies that are in place that we can discuss as= we continue this discussion, such as the safe and caring schools policy and ot= hers that would pertain to the safety and well-being of students while they are = in our care.
Ms. White: I thank the minister for that. So, I will just paraphrase and say, yes, it was created specifically in response. I can look at the website under Education Policies and, for example, I can see the moveable= soccer goal safety at school facilities policy. So, that was a piece of legislation that was passed when there was a terrible incident in Watson La= ke, so that’s important.
When w= e go back to the student protection policy, it says that the purpose of the policy is= : “To protect students from adult conduct that has caused or may cause harm to th= eir wellbeing. Examples include conduct toward a student, that is: Abusive (i.e= ., physical harm, emotional harm, sexualized abuse, exploitation); or Otherwise considered inappropriate…”
Then, = if I go over to the safe and caring schools policy, in the Principles, it talks abo= ut “School community members must exhibit behaviour that shows respect f= or the rights, property and safety of themselves and others.” It goes through and it lists things, but the reason why I am bringing this up is th= at, during Question Period, I have asked the question about the development of policies, and so it is really clear that, when we go through all of these policies — and there is a great number of them on the website. You kn= ow, there is a lot — from educational use of copyright-protected work, framework for the provision of French first language instruction programs in the Yukon, off-site experiential learning policy, policy development process — there are all of these policies under the Department of Education, = and they have all been written.
The on= e reason why I want to bring it up is that it says that the purpose of the policy is= to provide clarity to the Department of Education staff and school community members on roles and responsibilities in relation to this policy. This one, specifically, is the student protection policy. But going through the stude= nt protection policy, it doesn’t talk about student-on-student violence — specifically what happens if there is a sexual assault in school, out of sc= hool — it doesn’t talk about that. It does really say though, in Principles — it says that it is a victim-centred approach, it talks a= bout protection and prevention, creating safe and caring school environments, and then it goes down into Roles and Responsibilities — quote: “All Department of Education staff have a responsibility to work collaboratively with one another and with partner departments and organizations.” And= it lists out what those responsibilities are.
The re= ason why I am bringing this up is that I really think that, in the example that I brou= ght forward during Question Period, which was then followed up — the lett= er, you know — the minister was so upset with me that she wrote a letter = to the editor, and I apologized. I didn’t see that ahead of time, so I appreciate that the minister responded to that young person, but that doesn’t change that young person’s or that family’s asser= tion that there should be a policy in schools.
In the communication that I received, including in Question Period, I was told that there were policies in place with the Department of Education that would address this. So, I have gone through them, including the one I am reading = from right now — the student protection policy. I can go to the safe and c= aring schools policy, but the principles and then the standards of behaviour and = all these things within the safe and caring schools policy don’t highlight what would happen if there was an assault — like, a sexual assault — from one student to another.
I know= that, prior to reaching out to the minister, I reached out to women’s group= s, and they were under the impression that, at one point in time, after the Ch= ild and Youth Advocate had made the recommendation, they had expected to be inv= olved in writing a policy. We have recognized the importance of the creation of t= he sexualized assault response team through the Department of Justice because = of how important — you know, what happens after a person has been a vict= im of a sexual assault. So, when I am going through these policies, I can̵= 7;t see one that addresses what happens if a student has been the victim of ano= ther student. I am hoping that the minister can point me to the policy that she believes answers that question, because I can’t find it. I am just looking for some direction to find one that speaks specifically.
The re= ason why I brought up the student protection policy is because it very clearly lays out — very clearly lays out — when it says: “To protect stude= nts from adult conduct that has caused or may cause harm to their wellbeing.= 221;
Then i= t says “Abusive”. Then it says, as an example, physical harm, emotional harm, sexualized abuse, or exploitation. It even says it there: “sexualized abuse”.
The re= ason why policies are so important and so powerful is that they lay out the steps th= at a school administration needs to take. In this case, in this one that says it’s protecting students from adults, it talks about how it is victim-centred — making sure that the victim is the centre of these decisions.
So, I = would just like the minister to point me through — in the collection of policies — and I have them all online, so I will be able to find it when it ge= ts mentioned to me — to where, in all of the Department of Education policies, there lies a policy that specifically deals with what happens if a student has been a victim of another — like, they have been victimized — sexual assault or physical assault — by another student.
Hon. Ms. McLean: Again, this is a very serious matter that I do not take lightl= y. We definitely work to support victims. Sexual assault, or sexualized violence,= or violence of any kind is a very serious matter and has no place in society, = much less in our schools. Any individual who has gone through this type of viole= nce, my heart goes out to, because it is a very difficult thing to — especially, you know, for a young person to go through that type of traumat= ic experience.
I can = always assure, of course, the House that, when those types of matters are brought = to my attention, I follow up with those individuals and make sure that the supports are in place and that they are — that there are supports that are wrapping around that individual, because I think it is really vitally important. I have spent a lot of my time in government, since 2016 — = and, of course, beyond — but in my role now really working to change our system, to unpack it and figure out what is not working — what does n= ot work for folks who have gone through this type of violence?
So, the Department of Education definitely now has policies in place to address allegations of inappropriate behaviour, criminal activity, and abuse in schools. When we took office in 2016, there were limited policies in place = to address violence in schools. We followed the Yukon’s Violence Threat Risk Assessment Protocol, which is designed to respond to violent behaviour or threats by a student. That is an important = one; that wasn’t in place when we took office.
In 201=
8, our
government introduced the safe and caring schools policy, which is an
overarching policy that focuses on keeping schools safe. We also created — and I will talk more ab=
out
it, as it relates to school settings —
the sexualized assault response team, also known as “SART”, whi=
ch
is available 24/7 for victims of sexualized assault. This is a safe and
confidential network to help individuals navigate the aftermath of these ki=
nds
of horrible situations. We take all allegations seriously and work with our
partners, including school counselors and the RCMP, to ensure that these
matters are investigated and addressed appropriately.
In ter= ms of the approach that we have taken around sexual assault response as it relates to young people and its application, SART has a specific protocol relating to schools. The Government of Yukon, of course, as I have stated, takes allegations of student-to-student sexual assault or any type of violence ve= ry seriously. Education staff work with partners to ensure that incidents are investigated and addressed promptly. The students and staff can access supp= orts through the sexualized assault response team — SART. The SART team provides victim-centered, trauma-informed services and supports for victims= of sexualized violence to people of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations, including children and youth and their families.
Childr= en and youth can access any of the SART agencies either through the SART support l= ine or directly through one of the partner agencies, including Victim Services, Whitehorse General Hospital, RCMP, and Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services. These agencies have committed to provide care in line with SART principals outlined — and we recently signed that protocol — and to coordinate with services in a manner that is consistent with the victim’s choice.
There = is a tremendous amount of information I can provide, and perhaps what I will do is, as I am going through this question, <= /span>I can commit to bringing back some information for the member opposite about = some high-level information about the protocol that’s in place as it relat= es to SART application in schools, because I think it’s important. I have been clear that I am willing to review our policies and procedures to make = sure that they are meeting the intended outcome. I think that there was also a discussion about training or the lack of training. I think that was somethi= ng that was brought forward.
I have= gone back through, and I will talk a little bit about it right now, because it is rea= lly important that we get this right and that we work closely with government a= nd non-governmental partners to promote safe schools in response to concerns of safety. Again, the safe and caring schools policy, the student protection policy, the sexual orientation and gender identity policy, non-violent cris= is intervention training, available cyber bullying resources, and presentations with guest speakers — these are some examples of how we promote respectful and safe school environments in our schools.
We do = take training very seriously. We know that we need to be providing the proper training to our education professionals to be able to have the knowledge and the skills to be able to respond to these delicate situations that can aris= e. I can go through some of that, or I can provide a bit more information to the member around the levels of training that our education professionals go through to be able to respond in an appropriate, supportive way, without judgment of the individuals going through these situations.
Ms. White: I almost don’t know how to respond, to be honest, because a problem has been highlighted. The minister now is in reception of it — has receiv= ed a second letter from a different incident. The only thing that I am really as= king for is to develop a specific policy that deals with this.
I gues= s the question I have is — I can’t imagine that anyone in Education w= ould think that the victim of a sexual assault should have to be in a classroom = with their assailant or in the hallways with their assailant, but there are no policies. There is a policy on vaping and smoking — around tobacco, specifically — that lays out expectations of how things are going to = be dealt with. All I want is a policy.
I thin= k that there are reasons to create a specific policy so that it clearly lays out to administration and to school communities that it should be centred around t= he victim — that an individual shouldn’t have to see their abuser = in the hallway or that they shouldn’t have to make a request to be remov= ed from a classroom or have the assailant removed from a classroom.
So, al= l I am asking is that the Department of Education create a policy. I never thought that I would be speaking about this more than in the letter I wrote. I thou= ght that this would be a no-brainer where — based on all of the experience that the minister has, which I have a huge amount of respect for — we could see that the best way forward is just to create a policy.
I am g= oing to leave it there and just say that I really hope that the minister and her department can look at that and can look toward creating a policy. I will j= ust give her an opportunity before I move on. I will be talking about something different next.
Hon. Ms. McLean: I respect the conversation that is happening here today. I hav= e not said no to a policy. I wanted to point out all of the good work that has happened. As we wrap up the safer schools action plan, I am looking to the = next steps. What are the other things we need to do to ensure that our schools a= re safe and that we have the right policies in place to ensure that — an= yone experiencing any level of trauma or violence, particularly if it happens in= a school setting — we have the very best response? So, I am looking to those next steps on the safer schools action plan as we wrap up, as I have said.
You wi= ll be hearing about the wrap-up of that action plan soon, in terms of meeting all= of those 23 items that we
worked across government on to ensure we have the right systems and approaches in place at that level. Now I am looking to what comes next. What do we need t= o do next to ensure that students are supported, that we are taking all of the necessary steps, and that educational professionals are supported in managi= ng situations in school settings? I am looking forward to those next steps with the safer schools action plan. The member opposite will, I’m sure, ha= ve a lot of input, as well as all of our other partners who work with us on these important matters in Yukon.
Ms. White: I look forward to just a positive response, which is that a policy will be created. I am just going to highlight for the department that when I am bac= k on the floor the next time, I will be talking about the SOGI policy. I have qu= estions about that.
Deputy= Chair, seeing the time, I move that you report progress.
Deputy Chair: It has been moved by the Member for Takhini-Kopper King that the Chair report progress.
Motion agreed to
Hon. Mr. Streicker: I move that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.=
Deputy Chair: It has been moved by the Member for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes that the Speaker do= now resume the Chair.
Motion agreed to
Deputy Speaker resumes the Chair
Deputy Speaker: I will now call the House to order.
May th= e House have a report from the Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole?
Chair’s
report
MLA Tredger: Committee of the Whole has considered Bill No. 26, entitled Act to amend the Municipal Act (2023), and directed me to report the bill without amendment.
Commit= tee of the Whole has also considered Bill No. 208, entitled First Appropriation Act 2023‑24, and directed me to report progress.
Deputy Speaker: You have heard the report from the Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole.
Are yo= u agreed?
Some Hon. Members: Agreed.
Deputy Speaker: I declare the report carried.
Hon. Mr. Streicker: I move that the House do now adjourn.
Deputy Speaker: It has been moved by the Government House Leader that the House do now adjourn= .
Motion agreed to
Deputy Speaker: This House now stands adjourned until 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.
The House adjourned at 5:27 p.m.
The=
following
documents were filed April 5, 2023:
35-1-141
Access= to prescription contraceptives, letter re (dated March 3, 2023) from Kate Whit= e, Leader of the Third Party to Tracy-Anne McPhee, Minister of Health and Soci= al Services (White)
35-1-1= 42
Contra= ceptives, letter re (dated April 3, 2023) from Tracy-Anne McPhee, Minister of Health = and Social Services to Kate White, Leader of the Third Party (White)
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