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Yukon Legislative Assembly
Whitehorse, Yukon
Thursday, November 18, 2021 — 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: I w= ill now call the House to order.
We wil= l proceed at this time with prayers.
Prayers
Speaker’s
statement — in recognition of National Child Day
Speaker: I w= ould like to introduce Annette King, Child and Youth Advocate, and Chantai Minet, youth advi= sor.
I am now going to make some remarks. N=
ovember
20 is National Child Day, a day that we recognize to show Canada’s
commitment to uphold children’s rights. Thirty years ago, Canada rati=
fied
the United Nations’ Conventio=
n on
the Rights of the Child, UNCRC, making a hi=
storic
commitment to the world’s children to uphold children’s rights,
both globally and at home.
Children have rights to be protected f=
rom
harm, to develop to their full potential, and to be an active participant in
their own lives. National Child Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the
power of youth’s voice and the actions of those who work to promote t=
he
realization of children’s rights.
Throughout the Yukon, young people are
stepping up and taking the lead on issues that directly impact them, whethe=
r it
is reconciliation, environmental issues, education, mental health, social
justice, arts, sports, and more. The government recently tabled a report
prepared by the Yukon Youth Panel on Climate Change, in which the Yukon Fir=
st
Nations Climate Action Fellowship was also presented.
Young = people have shown an incredible resilience and ability to adapt in the midst of an unprecedented year dealing with COVID restrictions and interruptions to the= ir social and educational lives. We could, and should, all look at them as an example.
Today,= I would like to bring to your attention an initiative called “Communities Building Youth Futures”, or CBYF. CBYF is a collective of young people and youth-serving organizations working toward developing a territory-wide Yukon youth strate= gy to support our young people on the issues that matter most to them.<= /p>
CBYF is led by a team of youth interns who are guiding action teams around four main priorities: youth voi= ce; mental health and wellness; individualized learning; and career inclusion. = The first year’s interns were Vanessa Oliverio, Samreen Ahmad, Zarah Sydn= ey, Yebin Park, Isaiah Jekesta, and Kamryn Williamson and supported by CBYF manager= Robin Mennell.
The in= terns published a research report highlighting the issues most important to Yukon youth. Earlier this year, interns from CBYF wor= ked with the Child Youth and Advocate office to provide presentations to our fo= rmer Speaker, the Member for Riverdale North, Yukon deputy ministers, and Yukon government policy analysts about implementing child rights impact assessmen= ts in policy development.
This year’s interns are Zeta Gallan, Gwen Radzimirska, Ayesha Ahmad, Jennifer Tuton, Samreen Ahmad, supported by project manager Max= ime Crawford-Holland. CBYF has provided support to = the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate office in conducting a review of school attendance in the Yukon, producing a youth storytelling book highlighting children’s rights, and a youth-led engagement in anticipating a revie= w of the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate = Act.
Youth = advisors have developed a child-friendly version of the act and reviewed a plan to present to the Members’ Services Board. Past and present members of t= his working group are Abeer Ahmad, Ashley Cummings, Victoria Holmes, Samreen Ahmad, Yebin Park, and Chantai <= span class=3DSpellE>Minet. These examples, among many more, remind us of = the power of youth engagement. Young people want to be meaningfully involved wh= en it comes to decisions that affect them.
Today,= we urge all Yukoners to look at how to enhance the implementation of children’= ;s rights in policies and practice. This last year has shown us that they are already speaking up loudly and boldly. It’s our turn to listen.
App=
lause
Daily
Routine
Speaker: We = will proceed at this time with the Order Paper.
Introd= uction of visitors.
Introduction
of Visitors
Hon. Mr. Pillai: I would like to ask the Legislative Assembly to put out a warm welcome to some individuals who are here today for our geoscience tribute. = With us today are Brianne Warner, new executive director for the Yukon Chamber of Mines — it’s great to have you here today; Mr. Mike Burke,= a stalwart within the mining sector in many different leadership roles. I also believe Randy Lewis is here with us today; Anne Lewis is with us today; and= I think — I couldn’t tell from the mask. I was going to send a no= te to your brother. Welcome today.
Ms. White: Today I invite my colleagues to welcome some visitors in the back row. It seems fitting, as we talk about National Child Day, that Eleanor Maunder is here = for her very first attendance, prior to one, so it’s exciting to have her. She is joined today by her mother, Shelby, and her aunt, Kristy Bader, so t= hank you so much for joining us today.
Mr. Dixon: I will help the Minister of Economic Development out on the last name that he missed. It’s my sister, Bonnie Dixon, who has also joined us.<= /p>
Speaker: Tri= butes.
TRIBUTES
In recognition of Yukon Geoscience Forum
Hon. Mr. Pillai: I rise today on behalf of the Yukon Liberal government and the= New Democratic Party to pay tribute to the 49th annual Yukon Geoscie= nce Forum that was scheduled to take place here in Whitehorse from Saturday, November 20 to Tuesday, November 23. This year’s event was cancelled = in light of the recent increase in COVID‑19 cases; however, I want to recognize the efforts of the Yukon Chamber of Mines and all of the organize= rs.
The ev= ent showcases the best of Yukon’s mining industry and the Government of Yukon’s commitment to mineral exploration and min= e development. Participating in and contributing to the Geoscience Forum is j= ust one way that we can demonstrate our support for the mineral sector. =
The Ge= oscience Forum is an opportunity for geologists, prospectors, miners, and government representatives to connect on matters of interest to the mineral industry. = The forum provides a venue for the industry to share information on its activit= ies with Yukon First Nations and Yukoners. Each year, corporate presentations highlight new mineral discoveries as well as the many contributions that the mining sector makes to the Yukon, from employment opportunities to investme= nt in social programs and skills training for youth. The forum’s trade s= how enables delegates to meet with the business community and mining service sector.
Prelim= inary results of the Yukon’s mineral exploration program, which supported 52 early-stage hard rock and placer exploration projects, were going to be presented at the forum, and the mining industry continues to provide substantial benefits to our territory. Mining and exploration support our economy with employment opportunities to Yukoners in our rural communities.= The work of the chamber has helped to maximize those benefits.
The Yu= kon Chamber of Mines has been an active force in our territory since 1943. While much has changed in the mining industry since then, the chamber has remained the central organization that unites industry partners and voices their com= mon interests. Their work to advance responsible mineral development for the benefit of all Yukoners deserves recognition.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, I thank the Yukon Chamber of Mines for the tremendous work that they do in organizing the forum. I want to put a congratulations out to the new presid= ent of the Yukon Chamber of Mines, Loralee Johnstone, who has been a great lead= er in the sector. I want to thank all of the partners involved for making this difficult decision to protect the health and safety of Yukoners, which the sector has done from the start of this pandemic. While this event won’= ;t be going forward this year, I look forward to the Geoscience Forum returnin= g in 2022 for their 50th anniversary.
App=
lause
Mr. Istchenko: Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the Yukon Party Official Opposition to recognize the Yu= kon mining industry and the incredible contributions that the industry makes to= our territory. The Geoscience Forum and tradeshow has been a major event for industry in years past.
It has= allowed governments, miners, geologists, and others involved in mining the opportun= ity to network and showcase their work to key industry players from throughout = the territory and beyond. With all due respect to our friends in the Northwest Territories, I would definitely say that the Geoscience Forum and trade sho= w is the premier mining geology conference in Canada’s north and one of the best in the country.
There = are so many fun and exciting things to do at geoscience for all ages. This year, w= hile the difficult decision had to be made to cancel geoscience in light of the recent territorial outbreak and subsequent restrictions, I am happy to be a= ble to stand in recognition of those who make valuable contributions to the Yukon’s economy in so many ways.
Mining= brings more than just money to our territory. Mining and exploration provide train= ing, opportunities for Yukoners, jobs, partnerships, education opportunities, an= d so much more. Immense contributions and support come from industry partners to benefit our communities, our charities, and our organizations.
So, a = huge thank you to the Yukon Chamber of Mines and their contractors for their efforts in organizing this year’s event. In spite of the disappointing news, we = will be looking forward to coming together again in 2022 to celebrate the many successes of our mining industry.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, there is gold in them thar hills.
Applause
In
recognition of Make a Will Month
Hon. Ms. McPhee: Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Yukon Liberal government to recognize Make a Will Month, highlighted every November in the Yukon Territory. Make a Will Month is intended to raise awareness of the importance of having a will in place and to encourage all Yukoners to consi= der creating a legally valid will.
A will= is an expression of your wishes for after you have passed away. It is used to communicate who you want to care for your children, how your assets and property should be distributed, and any specific instructions on funeral arrangements or perhaps a celebration of life, as just some of the details. Having a will creates certainty for family and friends during a very diffic= ult time. It can alleviate stress and provide clarity on how to manage your est= ate. It can ensure that family and friends have comfort in knowing that they were able to fulfill your wishes.
If you= die without a will, you will have died — what is known as — “intestate”. Dying intestate means that the government must use territorial laws to decide how to distribute your estate to surviving relat= ives and must appoint an executor. While it may be challenging to sit and think about what you would write in your will, it is crucial to do so in order for proper instructions to be left for managing your estate and your financial affairs, as well as for parental and legal responsibilities for your childr= en.
Accord= ing to a poll conducted by Angus Reid Institute in 2018, 51 percent of Canadians do = not have a will in place, and a further 15 percent noted that the will they did have was out of date. Some of the reasons for not having a will included th= at they thought they were too young to worry about it, they didn’t have enough assets, it was too expensive to prepare a will, they did not want to think about death, and it was too time-consuming to do so.
As a s= ociety, we span several generations, we lead complex lives, we raise families, we own properties, and we work for businesses and own businesses. Throughout Novem= ber, it is important to remind Yukoners about Make a Will Month and to help them= do so. None of us know what the future has in store for us. We should all plan= on how we want to take care of our family and our friends by having a will. = span>
Yukone= rs can visit yukon.ca for more information and for resources on wills and estates.= You can also visit the Yukon Public Legal Education Association website, which hosts a wealth of information for Yukoners. It is located at yplea.com.
Thank = you, Mr. Speaker, and I hope that this tribute today encourages lots of Yukoners to sort out their affairs through a will and make sure that their family and friends kn= ow what their wishes are.
Applause
Mr. Cathers:&= #8195;Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Official Opposition to recognize November as = Make a Will Month in the Yukon. Make a Will Month began in 2015 to raise awarene= ss of the value and importance of a will to provide certainty and assurance af= ter your passing. Particularly important for people to know are the difficulties that family members may face in dealing with the estate and wishes of a per= son who has passed without a will in place.
A will= is, of course, a written document that sets out how you would like your assets dea= lt with or distributed and addresses such matters as guardianship of children = and preferences for burial or cremation service arrangements, and it can also address what should be done with any debts and liabilities that you may hav= e. Often parents may not have thought about legally defining their wishes in t= erms of guardianship for their children. It is important and there is no time li= ke the present to start planning out how you would like matters dealt with. Th= ere are resources available to help you get started on a will, and you can cont= act the public guardian and trustee with questions around wills and estates. = span>
Thank = you to all who are taking the time to assist Yukoners in getting organized to create w= ills this month. I would also like to thank and acknowledge those people who were involved in starting wills month in 2015.
Applause
Ms. Tredger:&= #8195;Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the Yukon NDP to celebrate Make a Will Month.
Until = recently, I, like many people, thought that I didn’t really need a will. I thou= ght that the default was that my assets would just go to my next of kin. Unfortunately, as my colleagues have mentioned, it isn’t that simple. Without a will, the process is longer and more complicated, with confusion = at every step. In my mind, the primary reason to write a will is to make thing= s as easy as possible for your loved ones in a difficult time.
I know= that there are many Yukoners who are struggling to keep their head above water, and writing a will is the last thing on their mind — I get that. But, if = you do have a little time and a little mental space that you can set aside to making a will, it is worth it.
That s= aid, it is not actually the easiest thing to do. I did search the Yukon government web= site this morning and found some information about wills but no instructions or support on how to write one. I found a document from the Yukon Public Legal Education Association, which is a great resource, but it was last updated almost 20 years ago, in 2003.
This i= s a question of equality. People should be able to get support to write a will, even if they can’t afford a lawyer. They shouldn’t be punished = with a more convoluted process, just because of their financial situation. I urge the government to make writing a will an easy, supported process to encoura= ge as many Yukoners as possible to complete their will.
The ti= me after losing someone is a hard, sad time. Having a will can take away some of the burden of legalities and let people spend their energy on grieving and heal= ing. This month is a good reminder to the Yukon government and to all Yukoners t= hat they have a role to play in making that a reality.
Applause
Speaker: Are= there any returns or documents for tabling?
Tabling
Returns and Documents
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: I have for tabling a letter from the Canadian Parks and Wilder= ness Society, better known by its acronym, CPAWS, in support of the proposed better building program.
Hon. Mr. Pillai: I have for tabling, pursuant to section 23(2) of the Housing Corporation Act, the Yukon Housing Corporation 2020-21 annual report.
Speaker: Are= there any reports of committees?
Petiti= ons.
PETITIONS
Petition No. 7 — re= ceived
Clerk: Mr.&n= bsp;Speaker and honourable members of the Assembly: I have had the honour to review a petition, being Petition No. 7 of the First Session of the 35th Legislative Assembly, as presented by the Leader of the Third Party on Nove= mber 17, 2021.
The pe= tition presented by the Leader of the Third Party meets the requirements as to for= m of the Standing Orders of the Yukon Legislative Assembly.
Speaker: Acc= ordingly, I declare Petition No. 7 is deemed to be read and received. Pursuant to Standing Order 67, the Executive Council shall provide a response to a peti= tion which has been read and received within eight sitting days of this presentation. Therefore, the Executive Council response to Petition No. 7 s= hall be provided on or before December 1, 2021.
Are th= ere any petitions to be presented?
Are th= ere any bills to be introduced?
Are th= ere any notices of motions?
Notices
of Motions
Mr. Dixon: I
rise to give notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Electio=
ns
and Privileges to call a meeting of that committee before 12:00 p.m. on
Tuesday, November 23, 2021.
Mr. Kent: I rise to give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Government of Yukon to change the minimum age for proof of vaccination to access designated settings from 12 years old to 12 years plus four months in order to:
(1) al= ign with Transport Canada rules for boarding domestic flights and trains in Canada; = and
(2) al= low 12-year-olds waiting to get fully vaccinated to continue to access all designated settings, including participating in organized sports, playing m= usic or singing, dance recitals, or accessing restaurants.
Mr. C= athers: I rise today to give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Yukon government to create a territorially appointed chief firear= ms officer to replace the current position that is appointed by the Government= of Canada.
Ms. McLeod: I rise today to give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Minister of Community Services to explain why he reneged on the commitment he made publicly to call the Act to Amend the Assessment and Taxation Act and the Municipal Act (= 2021) for second reading today.
I also= give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Government House Leader to call the Act to Amend the Assessment and Taxation Act and the Municipal Act (= 2021) for second reading on Monday, November 22, 2021.
Ms. Blake: I rise to give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Government of Yukon to release details on the algorithm that determines who is eligible for a rapid COVID‑19 test.
I also= give notice of the following motion:
THAT t= his House urges the Government of Yukon to meet with the Yukon Medical Association to address their concerns regarding the implementation of the Meditech Expanse program.
Speaker: Is = there a statement by a minister?
Ministerial
Statement
Prenatal
nutrition program
Hon. Ms. McPhee: I am pleased to rise in the House today to inform Yukoners tha= t our Liberal government has met our platform commitment to match federal funding= for Canada prenatal nutrition program operating in the Yukon. The Yukon has eig= ht Canada prenatal nutrition programs, which collectively receive $677,000 per year in financial support from the Government of Canada. Our Yukon governme= nt will now be matching those funds going forward.
The Ca= nada prenatal nutrition program provides much-needed support to expectant Yukoners. The programs operate in Carcross, Dawson City, Teslin, and Watson Lake, and four programs operate in Whitehorse. These programs provide prenatal and postnat= al support, which includes free prenatal vitamins, information on nutrition du= ring and after pregnancy, and breastfeeding support. Programs also offer peer support for new and expectant people.
Each p= rogram is customized by organizers to meet the needs of clients they serve. For insta= nce, Les EssentiElles provide support in French for = our francophone population, and the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre offers a traditional parenting program. The Teen Parent Centre, which also runs a program, has customized its support to meet the needs of their younger clientele.
Ensuri= ng that pregnant people and developing babies receive proper nutrition is very important for the health of both the pregnant person and the baby. It also helps to provide babies with a good foundation for a strong and healthy lif= e. Above and beyond the practicalities of proper nutrition, providing peer sup= port and assistance is very important for helping expectant people and new paren= ts to get through what can be a very emotional and challenging time. Having someone to ask questions, get reassurance from, and help to navigate being a new parent is a lifeline for many new parents.
I woul= d also like to announce additional funding that our government has provided to the Council of Yukon First Nations. For the next two fiscal years, we will be providing CYFN with $262,000 each year. This fu= nding will be used to research and identify Yukon First Nation prenatal and infant support needs in communities, enabling First Nations to develop culturally relevant prenatal and infant programming and to assist in identifying the n= eeds of high-risk expectant people. The funding will also be used to fill a posi= tion to assist the Yukon First Nation prenatal and infant supports.
We are= excited to offer this funding to support both expectant Yukoners and infants. Supporting new and expectant parents sets the foundation for strong, healthy families and communities.
Mr. Cathers:&= #8195;This is a promise that the Liberals made in their 2016 election platform and then did nothing about for years. Then, in the budget speech this spring, they announced the funding. In their 2021 platform, they flew the “mission accomplished” banner for this commitment and claimed that it was alre= ady done.
ItR= 17;s disappointing that the Deputy Premier is focused on re‑announcing old news instead of doing her job and focusing on fixing major problems in her portfolio. Over one-fifth of Yukoners — 2,472 people — are on t= he wait-list for a family doctor. Some are desperate, yet she has been unable = to point to a single real action that she has taken to encourage more family doctors to move to the Yukon. When asked what physician incentive and suppo= rt programs that we put in place were still actually there and what the current levels are, she couldn’t tell us. As an example of the neglect, the medical education bursary for Yukon students has been cut to half of what it was when I announced it 15 years ago.
The Li= berals got rid of the physician recruitment position, and she still won’t commit= to reinstating it as a first step. Clearly, fixing the serious family doctor shortage isn’t a priority for the Deputy Premier. Meanwhile, desperate Yukoners are contacting reporters about the family doctor crisis. One person said: “I am going to die sooner, because right now … the model = of the medical care is, ‘don’t come see to us until you’re really, really sick’… That quite literally means this health ca= re system is shortening my life.”
Anothe= r was quoted saying: “I feel very betrayed. I feel betrayed by a system tha= t I have supported all my life.”
While = thousands of Yukoners without a doctor are forced to go to the emergency room, we lea= rned from Yukon Hospital Corporation witnesses this week that the government left them short millions of dollars that they need again. They told us that their budget for this year is $98 million, not including COVID costs. The governm= ent is giving them millions less. The minister is also failing Yukon women who = need OB/GYN services. There were two OB/GYN doctors providing service, but curre= ntly one is on leave, meaning the entire Yukon is currently served by only a sin= gle OB/GYN specialist.
In res= ponse to questions from my colleague, the Member for Porter Creek Centre, about this, the Deputy Premier talked about regulating midwifery, suggesting that this = was somehow a solution to long wait times for women needing to access the OB/GYN program and the lack of doctors. We support midwifery, but a midwife can’t provide some of the critical services, such as C-sections, that= an OB/GYN provides.
Speaki= ng of midwifery, congratulations to the Liberals on banning unregulated midwifery= and failing to deliver on their commitment to hire midwives months ago. Yukon w= omen who wanted access to midwifery this year were left without the service and,= for the first time in decades, the Yukon doesn’t have a single practising midwife. The Liberals have refused the request to provide a funding structu= re that would allow midwives in private practice to continue to offer services= .
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, we would like to see the minister focus on these important areas instead of= on old promises from 2016 that they are just getting around to now.
Ms. Blake: The health of a mother and their child starts well before birth. Every mother a= nd unborn child should have access to the best care, the right support, and go= od nutrition. It is great to see that more funding will be provided to program= s in Carcross, Dawson, Teslin, Watson Lake, and Whitehorse. Prenatal nutrition programs across the Yukon have been working extremely hard. They have had to adapt to the pandemic and rising costs to ensure health and well-being for = all of their clients, but there are still so many hurdles.
I only= have to look at my own community where groceries are available through the co-op but are increasingly expensive. For a pregnant person living in Beaver Creek, getting groceries involves a long round trip to Whitehorse with the added c= ost of gas and sometimes overnight accommodations.
There = are good programs in Whitehorse, and I acknowledge and thank the staff at the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre. These programs are where conversations unfold, healt= hy meals are shared, and community is built. Healthy diets and supports should= not end with the birth of a child but, because of COVID, many have. Unfortunate= ly, many programs — both prenatal and postnatal — have been cancell= ed or impacted by COVID. This has left new and expecting parents feeling isola= ted. Important services like infant immunization have been cancelled or delayed = as nurses and other health care workers have had to work elsewhere in response= to each new wave of COVID in the territory. All of these services are essentia= l, pandemic or not.
By off= ering supports upstream, we are setting parents and young Yukoners up for success= . It is our responsibility to do as much as we can for mother and baby during and after birth in every Yukon community.
Hon. Ms. McPhee: First of all, I would like to say that it is fitting that we are here on National Child Day, and I am very happy that there is a youngster in our gallery. I = am disappointed that the remarks of the Official Opposition ignored the import= ance of prenatal care for Yukon families, new parents, and infants.
What is important for Yukoners to know, and what they deserve to know, is that our government is committed to supporting Yukoners throughout their lives, star= ting with birth. We know that a healthy pregnancy is a path to a healthy birth. = The Canada prenatal nutrition program helps to provide that pathway for pregnant Yukoners, new mothers, and their babies during the early stages of parentho= od and life.
Since = being elected in 2016, our government has been working to ensure that expectant parents can access prenatal services in their communities. Today’s announcement is long overdue. Canada prenatal nutrition programs in the Yuk= on have not received an increase in funding in almost 20 years. During their 14 years in governance, the Yukon Party was asked repeatedly by providers to b= oost funding for prenatal and infant supports, and they refused to do so. That is why our government is stepping up now to ensure that new parents and infants get the support that they need in what are arguably the foundational years = of anyone’s life.
I am v= ery proud to say that, going forward, we will match the federal funding on an ongoing basis to support the eight Canada prenatal nutrition programs in the Yukon,= but in addition, we are also stepping up to provide the Council of Yukon First Nations with funding to provide First Nations with prenatal and infant supp= orts in their communities in a way that is culturally relevant and meaningful to them.
Ensuri= ng that First Nation parents and infants can get parental and infant supports in a = way that embraces their cultural values is truly incredibly important. Our government will continue to support parents and newborns in ensuring that t= hey get the support they need in a way that they need it most.
By foc= using on better health outcomes and client services for Yukoners, we will be able to reduce the inequities in our health system that often fall on the shoulders= of those for whom the support is needed most.
Today&= #8217;s announcement is a good first step in doing that for Yukon parents and newbo= rns. I hope that we all know how important good prenatal care is to childrenR= 17;s ultimate development, and our goal is to provide Yukon families with that k= ind of support.
Speaker’s
ruling
Speaker: Bef= ore proceeding to Question Period today, the Chair would like to deliver a ruli= ng regarding a point of order that was raised during Question Period on Novemb= er 17, 2021 by the Government House Leader.
In the= course of asking his first question, the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin stated: “So,= the Minister of Education has been consistently called out by stakeholders this fall for sharing inaccurate information with Yukoners. Whether this is deliberate or just a case of the minister not being aware of what her department is doing, we will leave her to explain.”
This s= tatement uses a roundabout way to say that the minister is deliberately misleading t= he House, and is out of order. Members cannot do indirectly that which they ca= nnot do directly. This is not the first time such a construction has been ruled = out of order. For example, members can refer to the Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole’s ruling on pages 1038 to 1039 of the Hansard for March 12, 2020. I would ask the members to refrain from using this form in the future= .
Thank = you for your attention to this matter.
This t= hen brings us to Question Period.
QUESTION PERIOD
Question re: Physic= ian recruitment and retention
Mr. Cathers:&= #8195;Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under this Liberal Minister of Health and Social Services, the health care system in the Yukon has gotten significantly wors= e. On August 23 this year, the minister wrote us, indicating that the wait-list for a family doctor was a massive 2,000 people. This morning, CBC reported the wait-list for a doctor has skyrocketed to nearly 2,500 people. That’s nearly 500 more people waiting for a doctor that it has grown = in less than three months under this minister’s watch. This is a health = care crisis.
Will t= he Minister of Health and Social Services recognize that the Liberal government’s actions to date have been completely inadequate at addressing this issue and that her inaction on getting more family doctors = is directly contributing to this health care crisis?
Hon. Ms. McPhee: Mr. Speaker, again, I see — the members opposite th= ink that they are being somewhat clever. I actually won’t agree with that= . I won’t agree that there has been Liberal inaction, I don’t belie= ve that there has been government inaction, and frankly, I know that is not in fact the case. I have answered this question before, and I’m very hap= py to answer it again with respect to the important work of making sure that Yukoners have primary health care.
The Putting People First report found = that, as I’ve said before, approximately 21 percent of Yukoners do not have access to primary care providers — the member opposite has spoken previously about that being one in five. That is not the math. It’s actually one in 20, or approximately two percent of Yukoners. Is that an ok= ay number? Absolutely not, Mr. Speaker, and we are working hard to make sure that primary care physicians and other health care professionals — remembe= ring that, in some places in the territory, we have nurse practitioners and other health care professionals who can provide service for Yukoners.
I have= spoken recently with the president of the Canadian Medical Association, our very o= wn Dr. Katharine Smart. We had an excellent conversation about two days ago, and this was on= e of the topics on our agenda, and I will continue, hopefully, with the answer.<= /span>
Mr. Cathers: The minister herself has admitted that 21 percent of Yukoners don’t = have a family doctor. That’s over one-fifth. We have seen the doctor short= age skyrocket under this Health and Social Services minister, and she seems to think that it’s not a big deal.
In the= last two and a half months, the wait-list to get a family doctor has increased by ne= arly 500 people. This means that more Yukoners are having to go to the emergency room for primary health care needs. This fall, the number of people going to the ER for non-emergency care has nearly doubled. This is negatively impact= ing the health of Yukoners.
One Yu= koner told CBC this morning — and I quote: “I am going to die sooner, beca= use right now … the model of the medical care is, ‘don't come to see us until you’re really, really sick’…” This is a staggering indictment of the Liberals’ mismanagement of our health care system and neglect to the importance of family doctors.
Can th= e Minister of Health and Social Services tell us a single thing that she has done since taking this job that has alleviated the doctor shortage?
Hon. Ms. McPhee: Again, I’m very pleased to be able to speak to Yukoners = about this important issue. The staggering neglect of doctor shortages began long= before our government took this role on, but, yet again, we will work hard to reso= lve it.
The people-centred approach of Putting = People First — and the independent report with respect to the review of = the health care system here in the territory — has provided a road map — 76 recommendations — and a road map to proceed with significa= ntly shifting the way in which primary medical care has been provided throughout= the years — not only here, but across Canada.
Let= 217;s note that the doctor shortage is a national problem. I have spoken recently with= Dr. Katharine Smart, the president of the Canadian Medical Association, and this was actu= ally the very first item on our agenda, because it is a national shortage, and o= ur work together, going forward, we hope — we will work with the Canadian Medical Association, with the Yukon Medical Association, and ultimately with individuals and places where doctors are educated so that we might be able = to work together to provide a response to what is a significant national short= age of medical professionals.
Mr. Cathers: The Liberals have had five years in office, and the family doctor shortage is getting worse under this minister’s watch. The Liberals have directly contributed to the health care crisis and doctor shortage. They cut the doc= tor recruitment program. They got rid of the doctor recruitment website, and the medical education bursary for Yukon students is just half of what it was 15 years ago. What are the results of these Liberal decisions? The wait-list f= or a family doctor has skyrocketed to about 2,500 people. It has gotten so bad t= hat one Yukoner was quoted on CBC this morning stating that, because of this do= ctor shortage, they will have to leave the Yukon. They went on to say: “I = have received some long-term service awards, and I would like to give them back to…” — the Premier — “… and his crew and say, ‘thank you for nothing.’”
So, I = will ask again: Can the Liberals point to a single thing that they have done that has reduced the wait-list for doctors or encouraged family doctors to move to t= he Yukon?
Hon. Ms. McPhee: Unfortunately, in the short period of time here, I don’t= have — I can list many opportunities that have been provided by this government to address this medical shortage: the “find a doctor” program, the bilingual heath centre, expansion of midwifery, et cetera.
But le= t me speak for a moment about our government’s commitment to supporting individu= als who are pursuing health-related education to receive financial support. We = are pleased to offer financial supports through the medical education bursary, = the nursing education bursary, and the health profession education bursary programs; $89,000 is available for 16 new health-related education bursary recipients each year through the Department of Health and Social Services. = If you listened to the member opposite, you would think that this was a program that had disappeared and was not available. While recipients of these bursa= ries are not required to deliver services in the Yukon following the completion = of their education, we do anticipate that these recipients do return to deliver serv= ices to Yukoners. These three education bursary programs represent just one part= of our overall funding to support health care recruitment and retention.
Question
re: COVID‑19 rapid testing
Mr. Dixon: Over the last two weeks, the Liberal government’s policy on rapid testing = has changed dramatically. Last week, the Minister of Health and Social Services told the Legislature — and I quote: “The acting chief medical officer of health is not currently recommending the use of rapid tests at schools.” Then, this week, the same minister said — and I quote: “We do, in fact, have rapid testing” — and that it is bei= ng used in the schools.
So, my= question is simple: Why does the government’s message on rapid testing keep changing?
Hon. Ms. McPhee: Unfortunately, I think that it is the opposition that is somet= imes stirring confusion with respect to these issues, and I am happy to rise to = be able to speak to the issues of rapid testing, which are incredibly importan= t to Yukoners. Science is the best guide when dealing with this pandemic, and we continue to follow the recommendations of our public health experts.=
Our st= rong leadership has guided us through this pandemic and will keep doing so. Our focus as a government remains on protecting the health and safety of Yukone= rs. We understand the concerns of parents and concerns around cases in our scho= ols. What we have heard recently from the acting chief medical officer of health= is that, while there are a large number of cases in children under the age of = 12, they have not been spreading through schools. We have heard from many constituents about this issue and have shared their concerns with the acting chief medical officer of health. We continue to work with our public health officials to adjust our response as necessary.
Rapid = testing is available when there is an outbreak in a location. In addition, we have hea= rd this week that rapid testing is recommended if teachers want to have that option going forward.
Mr. Dixon: Quite frankly, it seems that the Liberals are changing their position so frequent= ly — it seems that the “science” they are following is polit= ical science.
Parent= s in schools have been pushing the government on this, and it appears to be work= ing, because their tune has changed. Last week, the new Government House Leader = told the Legislature that, when it comes to rapid testing — and I quote — that “… could overwhelm the rest of testing system, whi= ch you want to keep available to support those Yukoners who are symptomatic — so there are risks.” But then this week, the Premier said that there is — and I quote: “… rapid testing available to all Yukoners.”
So, Mr= . Speaker, can the Premier tell us whether or not what he said was true? Is rapid test= ing indeed available to all Yukoners, and how do Yukoners go about accessing th= ese rapid tests that he said are available to all of us?
Hon. Mr. Silver: With all due respect to members opposite as they take quotes h= ere and there and put them together, we need constant information to be crystal clear in the Legislative Assembly. Our comments about rapid testing being available — yes, they are available, and the science behind that is: = When there are outbreaks, there is rapid testing.
Mr. Dixon: It appears that the Premier completely ignored my question.
The Li= berals are completely mismanaging the communications on this, as their message has been changing daily. I will refer to a W= hitehorse Star article yesterday about the Liberal government’s flip-flop on rapid testing. The YTA president said that he s= poke to the Government House Leader on Monday and that he gave him a flat “No” on the issue of testing for teachers. Then, the very next = day, the Minister of Health and Social Services said that rapid testing is avail= able to any teacher who shows up at the testing centre with symptoms.
In res= ponse, the president of the YTA said — and I quote: “None of that has been presented to us…” Whether it’= ;s opposition parties, parents, or teachers, Yukoners are realizing that this government is spinning out of control and are starting to wonder what else = the government is going to flip-flop on.
So, wi= ll the government tell Yukoners clearly: What exactly is the policy when it comes = to rapid testing, and will that policy change again next week?
Hon. Mr. Streicker: I did talk with the Yukon Teachers’ Association president. I had a great conversation with him on Monday. I did talk with t= he Whitehorse Star yesterday. The conversation that we had was with unions and around whether we could use ra= pid testing and personal protective equipment instead of vaccines — so as= a prophylaxis — and the answer to that is no. I tabled those recommendations from the chief medical officer of health here in the Legisl= ature yesterday, so — no, where it’s about a replacement for vaccines; yes, where it’s about an outbreak.
I beli= eve that the chief medical officer of health has been pretty consistent with that language when she talks to the media and on the weekly updates.
So, if= there’s an outbreak, yes, we then do bring in rapid testing. We have done it in our communities over the last year and a half; we have done it where there are outbreaks. Rapid testing is here; we’ll continue to use it where it’s indicated by the chief medical officer of health.
Question
re: COVID‑19 vaccine and safety measures
Ms. Tredger: There is a major gap in the vaccine mandate. While parents soon will be able to d= rop their children off at school and feel confident in the knowledge that every= one working in that building will be vaccinated, parents of children in daycares, day homes, and private programs do not have the same certainty.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, daycare-aged children are just as vulnerable to COVID as every other child. There have been multiple closures of childcare facilities in the last month, and yet none of these workers will have to be vaccinated under the vaccine mandate. Why are children attending daycare not being given the same protections as children in schools?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I’m happy to stand and reply to the question on the floor today regarding our childcare centres. The health and safety of children and families is always our first priority, as I’ve said many times during this Sitting. Licensed childcare centres continue to provide valued high-quality service for our community, especially essential workers during this challenging time, and I thank them for their work over the last 20 mon= ths in a very challenging time.
The ch= ief medical officer of health has provided clear guidance for Yukon licensed childcare centres, school-age programs, and family day homes for COVID̴= 9;19.
The di= rector of the Early Learning and Child Care unit made the chief medical officer of health’s recommended guidelines compulsory, and this was communicated= to licensed operators at the end of August. If a COVID‑19 case is connec= ted to a childcare centre, operators will receive information and instruction directly from Yukon Communicable Disease Control. YCDC= will contact families and staff directly regarding matters connecting ̵= 2; if there is a positive test. We will be working to clarify how the mandatory vaccination policy may apply to licensed day-home settings, and we’ll share more information as it comes.
Ms. Tredger: Mr. Speaker, there are new cases every day and widespread community transmission, and the end is nowhere in sight. Right now, Yukon parents are being forced to choose between the risk of their children getting COVID‑19 or staying home f= rom work long term. We need to protect every child in the Yukon, including the = ones who are too young to go to school. It is a simple decision but, from the minister’s answer, I am not even clear on whether daycare workers are required to be vaccinated or not.
Will t= he minister include all early years professionals i= n the vaccine mandate?
Hon. Ms. McLean: Mr. Speaker, again, we will continue working to clarify how mandatory vaccine policy may apply to licensed daycare settings, and we will share more information as it’s available with operators. The department definitely coordinates = its COVID‑19 response through an education emergency response team, which is in place to oversee the implementation of health and safety guidelines and our education recovery plan and as needed to deal with positive cases in schools and dayc= ares. A member of this team has been embedded in the Department of Health and Soc= ial Services and will continue to work closely with their officials and the chi= ef medical officer of health to move forward with appropriate responses. We continue to provide ongoing support to the licensed childcare providers for enhanced cleaning and to assist in meeting all pandemic public health guidelines and requirements.
We gre= atly appreciate, of course, the efforts that have been taken by all involved. It= is an important and essential service to Yukon families. Again, we will contin= ue working to clarify mandatory vaccination policies as they may apply to lice= nsed daycares and other settings such as this.
Ms. Tredger: We have heard from daycare workers and parents who are under the impression th= at the vaccine mandate does not apply to daycare staff. Now it sounds like that might not be true, but there is not clarity on that yet. We are a week and one-half away from November 30, and it sounds like there could be entire organizations that fall under a vaccine mandate and don’t even know i= t. This is a mess.
Why is= the minister not communicating to daycares now about their vaccine requirements= ?
Hon. Ms. McLean: Mr. Speaker, as I started out with in this reply, we continue to work with the chief med= ical officer of health. They have provided clear guidelines to day homes. The director of the Early Learning and Child Care unit has made all of that available and compulsory and this was communicated to the licensed operator= s earlier this year.
I have= been clear about where we’re at with this in terms of — if those recommendations come, they will be communicated with the licensed daycare settings, and that information — as it becomes available, we will communicate that to them. As it stands, there are current guidelines that a= re in place, and those are clear right now.
One of= the things I would like to just point out is that yesterday in the Legislative Assembly we had a great opportunity to debate mandatory vaccination, and th= e members opposite voted to not have that debate, and so —
Some Hon. Members : (Inaudible)
Speaker: Ord= er, please, the member has the floor.
Hon. Ms. McLean: I see the rumbling across the way, and thank you very much, Mr= . Speaker, for speaking to that, because we did have a great opportunity yesterday to = have a very thorough discussion, and all members opposite us voted not to have t= hat.
Speaker: Ord= er, please.
Question
re: Land development
Mr. Hassard: We have talked about the doctor shortage that the Liberals’ mismanagement has contributed to; now let’s talk about the housing shortage they are also contributing to.
On May= 18, the Minister of Community Services said — and I quote: “… we = have work underway on phase 6 of Whistle Bend for completion this summer. It will create some 171 lots for a planned release later this fall.” <= /p>
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, it’s November 18 now, there is snow on the ground, and the Liberals haven’t lived up to the commitment to release those 171 lots. We asked about the Liberal mismanagement of this earlier this week and the minister confirmed it’s now going to only be approximately 100 lots, and he couldn’t even give a clear timeline for when they are coming out.
Can th= e minister tell us why the Liberals have cut back the number of lots they are releasing this year?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: Mr. Speaker, I am happy to discuss all of the work that t= his government is doing on housing across the territory.
The me= mber opposite has opened this door and I am more than happy to step through it, because this government has created more lots in the last four years than t= he previous government did in several years more than that. We have done all t= hat we can to make sure that we have enough housing lots for the people of the territory, for the growing economy that we are seeing throughout this.
I migh= t remind the members opposite that this economy is perhaps the only one that saw the greatest growth throughout the pandemic than any other economy in the count= ry. That is putting pressure on our housing stock, and we are dealing with it a= s we can.
In 202= 0-21, 262 Whistle Bend lots and five country residential lots were released and sold = in one lottery — one lottery, Mr. Speaker. There were 779 applicati= ons received for 147 single-family lots. There were 91 townhouse lots, 11 multi-family lots, and eight commercial lots released. I challenge the memb= ers opposite to come up with stats like that. I am happy to talk about this goi= ng forward.
Mr. Hassard: Mr. Speaker, I think maybe the minister should have said he “stepped in it”, rather than “through it”.
We have established that the Liberals promised in the spring that 171 lots would be released this fall. We have established that not only are they late getting these lots out, they won’t even be releasing them.
Let= 217;s move on to some more broken promises by the Liberals on land development.=
Again,= on May 18, the minister said, “The phase 7 construction tender just closed. = It will supply another 90 residential lots targeted for the release in the fal= l of 2022.”
The on= ly problem is that he terminated that tender and now the release of those lots is goin= g to be late as well. So, can the minister explain why he terminated this tender= and how long those 90 lots will be delayed for?
Hon. Mr. Mostyn: Mr. Speaker, so much invective — so much invective.= I really do enjoy talking with my colleague opposite. We weren’t able to talk in the spring session because he had been benched, but this afternoon = I am happy to have him back in the roster and able to talk to him now that he has been brought out of Coventry.
Constr= uction is wrapping up for this building season and the lots have been completed. Let = me repeat that, Mr. Speaker: Construction is wrapping up for this season = and lots have been completed. This will allow for the preparation for the relea= se by lottery later this year of 97 Whistle Bend lots, 70 phase 6A lots consis= ting of 38 single-family and 32 townhouse lots, and 27 commercial lots on Keno W= ay. We will also be releasing four single-family lots in Logan, just down the s= treet from my house, three lots in Mayo, and three in downtown Dawson City. Whist= le Bend phases 7 and 8 and lift station tenders are targeted for release in the fall and winter of 2021-22 and phase 9 in the early summer of 2022. Phase 6= B: 101 lots; phases 7A and 8: 80 to 100 lots are targeted for release in 2022, followed by phase 9 in 2023.
Mr.&nb= sp;Speaker, this government is working hard on the housing front. I know that my collea= gue, the minister for housing, has lots to say on this matter as well. We are wo= rking very, very hard across this territory to create lots for Yukoners because t= he economy is so strong that we have lots of people coming.
Speaker: Ord= er, please.
Mr. Hassard:&= #8195;Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the minister is looking for humour in this because i= t is not funny for Yukon citizens. Under the Liberal watch, the price of a house= has skyrocketed by almost $90,000 in one year and the Liberals’ mismanage= ment of getting lots out in a timely fashion is directly contributing to the hou= sing affordability crisis, as they are not keeping up with demand.
The Li= berals are late getting phase 6 in Whistle Bend out and they are late in getting phase= 7 out. Now, let’s move on to phase 8 and phase 9. In the spring, the minister said — and I quote: “We are anticipating tendering pha= ses 8 and 9 this year, as well as a lift station.”
Can th= e minister tell us where the tenders for phases 8 and phase 9 are? Why are they late a= nd why has he been unable to live up to a single commitment that he has made s= ince becoming minister with respect to land development?
Hon. Mr. Pillai: Mr. Speaker, what I would like to share with the House to= day, as we look at housing and lot development, is that it is a multi-pronged approach. First of all, of course, you have seen record lot development over the last number of years — record investment in lot development. We a= re also in a position right now, between Boreal Commons — our partnership extension with Da Daghay — Normandy corne= rstone — the largest investment in Yukon history in affordable housing, whic= h is also underway.
The ot= her commitment that we have made, and it was discussed and debated in the previ= ous mandate, is that we would be working with the private sector on land development — not just the way of doing things that we have seen for decades, where the government was overseeing all the lot development, but actually putting land into the hands of the private sector.
I know= that, over the next number of months, we will be rolling out a number of those projects, and I think that this will be extremely substantial. That is, aga= in, going to be added onto the work that we’re doing on lot development.<= /span>
The fi= rst thing that comes to mind is that we are trying to catch up when it comes to social housing and affordable housing. When there is a big cash investment from the federal government, you want to seize that, and that is what we are trying = to do now. We are trying to make sure that the private sector has good opportunities, and we don’t want to cancel things.
Previo= usly, all of the projects that were here in the Yukon were cancelled. That had us try= ing to catch up, and that is what we are doing.
Question
re: Teacher staffing
Mr. Kent:Q= 95;So, Liberal mismanagement has led to doctor shortages, housing shortages, and n= ow it’s also leading to teacher shortages. Yukon teachers began ringing = the alarm bell about the significant teacher shortage back in the summer. They = told the government that teacher absenteeism was going to be a big issue this sc= hool year due to the isolation requirements of COVID. We have seen this play out exactly as they said, with the predictable results of teacher shortages and burnout.
Can th= e Minister of Education tell us of any concrete steps that the Liberals have taken to actually address this growing crisis in our schools?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am happy to stand and speak about our schools and the educat= ors within them. Effective teachers are one of the most important factors in student success at school, and we work hard to attract and retain the best educators. I want to thank all of the administrators, educators, and staff = who are working so hard for the benefit of our students and all Yukoners. I have had an opportunity to meet with many of the school councils this fall and h= ave more to come, for sure. I have heard the issues raised directly. I know that our administration is working very hard with each and every school to mitig= ate the challenges that they have.
I am i= nspired by some of the innovation that I have seen at our schools in terms of — = even through a pandemic, they are incredibly resilient and innovative and working hard toward the well-being and the education of our young people, which is = just inspiring. I will continue to build on my answer as I go forward.
Mr. Kent: So, the minister spoke about mitigations and innovation, but she didn’t identify any concrete steps that they have taken to actually address this growing crisis in our schools, which is the question that I asked.= p>
Yester= day, the CBC reported that pay for teachers on call was among the lowest in the coun= try. As we have heard, the demand for teachers on call has skyrocketed as more a= nd more teachers are forced to isolate due to COVID exposures. We have heard f= rom the minister that technical problems in the government’s TOC system h= ave caused some faults, but surely it would be hard to convince people to become teachers on call if we pay among the lowest rates in the country.
What h= ave the Liberals done to address the shortage of teachers on call?
Hon. Ms. McLean: Definitely, teachers on call are a very big part of our respon= se to the challenges that we have been facing with COVID‑19. This is the th= ird school year impacted by COVID‑19, and we acknowledge the stress of the pandemic and the fatigue that many are feeling. We acknowledge that increas= ed staff absenteeism due to COVID‑19 and the requirements to stay home w= hen sick or in care of children while self-isolating is an additional challenge that has caused increased pressures on school staffing.
Our administration works closely with each and every school. We have a touch-ba= se every single morning. Any schools that have notifications for COVID‑19 are checked in on and ensured that they have the resources to be able to proceed with the day’s activities.
Teache= rs on call are very valued. They are playing a key role in supporting our schools thro= ugh short-term absenteeism and by providing coverage through the pandemic. Right now, we have 201 registered teachers on call. Again, I will continue buildi= ng on my answer in the next question.
Mr. Kent:Q= 95;With due respect to the minister, rather than continuing to build on these brief= ing notes, we’re looking for specific actions with respect to the teacher shortages and the substitute teacher shortages that the Yukon faces.=
One cl= ear solution to reducing the amount of time that teachers need to spend isolati= ng is to allow rapid testing for teachers. As you know, the Liberals have completely bungled the communications around rapid testing. After refusing = to allow rapid testing for weeks, they haphazardly announced at a school counc= il meeting that teachers would, indeed, be given eligibility for rapid testing at the COVID testing centre in Whitehorse, but unfortunately, they forgot to tell the teachers.
When h= e learned of this from the media, the president of the Yukon Teachers’ Associat= ion expressed shock. So, a very simple question for the minister: Why didn̵= 7;t she think to let teachers know that they were eligible for rapid testing?= span>
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am happy to stand and speak to this question. I want to be c= lear that there are very clear processes that are in place in schools. We have followed the guidance of the chief medical officer since day one, actually = for the last 20 months, and that hasn’t changed this year. We have taken = the guidance — we’ve recently made adjustments to the guidelines in schools, and each and every school does have an operational plan. = p>
When t= here is a — I’ve already talked today about how we work with Health and Social Services and that we have staff embedded in the emergency response t= eam on behalf of Education to communicate — if there are confirmed cases = of COVID‑19 in schools, we follow the guidance of the chief medical officer of health, = and Yukon Communicable Disease is the primary communication on these types of c= ases. When there is an outbreak in a school, rapid testing is a method that has b= een used for the past 20 months — all the way through. Whether there is an outbreak in a community or in a school, it is absolutely the method that we have used.
So, I = get that the opposition is wanting to spin a narrative around miscommunication. I don’t accept that. Yukoners deserve accurate information.
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>Mr. Speaker, I move that the Speaker do now leave the Cha= ir and that the House resolve into Committee of the Whole.
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
Speaker leaves the Chair
Committee
of the Whole
Chair (Ms. Blake): Order, please. Committee of the Whole will now come to order.<= /span>
The ma= tter before the Committee is continuing general debate on Vote 3, Department of Education, in Bill No. 202, entitled Second Appropriation Act 2021-22.
Do mem= bers wish to take a brief recess?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Commi= ttee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes.
Recess
Deputy Chair (Ms. Tredger): = b>Order, please. Committee of the Whole will now come to order.<= /span>
Bill No.
202: Second Appropriation Act 2021-=
22
— continued
Deputy Chair: The matter before the Committee is continuing general debate on Vote 3, Departm= ent of Education, in Bill No. 202, entitled Second Appropriation Act 2021-22.
Is the= re any further general debate?
Department of Education — continued
Mr. Kent:Q= 95;I thank the minister for the debate that we’re about to engage in here = this afternoon. I also welcome her officials to the House again today. We just h= ad a brief time at the end of the day yesterday. I did give a bit of a general overview of some of the topics that I wanted to touch on here today.
The fi= rst question that I want to ask the minister is — we are less than two we= eks away from the vaccine mandate for YG employees, including teachers and those working in our schools. I’m wondering if the minister can give us an update on how many teachers or educators are anticipated to be placed on le= ave without pay on December 1 as a result of the incoming vaccine mandate.
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am happy to stand and speak to this question around mandatory vaccination of adults in schools. This is, of course, a matter that has been spoken about a great deal over the past several weeks and maybe even months= .
We hav= e a duty to lead by example and do our part to keep each other safe from the spread = of COVID‑19. Yukon government employees will be able to verify — this is one of processes that I wanted to just lay out here — their vaccination stat= us via an online system that has started. This is a new process that, for the Yukon government as an employer — this information will be used to as= sess the potential impacts on individual schools in weeks ahead. From the reports that we have to date, with all staff in Government of Yukon overall —= we have gone live with this now, and over 50 percent of all staff — not = just looking at the Department of Education — have attested their vaccine status.
So, we= will know more — employees have the opportunity until November 30 to get their first vaccine and to attest within this online service that is now available and live. So, if folks are just hearing about it now, as we are in the Legislative Assembly, I encourage you to do your registration.
This r= equirement will also be applied, of course, to any adults who volunteer or perform wor= k in schools. We are working with school communities to identify issues and are putting in place contingency plans, should we find ourselves with vacancies= in schools — so, the availability of our teachers on call and potential actions to address the situation.
Mr. Kent: I believe that it was the Minister of Highways and Public Works who mentioned, either earlier this week or last week, this attestation period. The Ministe= r of Education has now said that 50 percent of all employees across government h= ave indicated if they are vaccinated or unvaccinated as of, I am assuming, toda= y. Perhaps that’s a real-time number.
Of tho= se 50 percent, can the minister give us an idea of how many of those individuals = have indicated that they are vaccinated and how many have indicated that they are unvaccinated?
Hon. Ms. McLean: This new system just went live on Monday, so we are really anticipating more reports coming. The information that I received today is = that around 50 percent of overall staff within Government of Yukon did their attestation.
When y= ou go into that system, you are asked when your first or second vaccine was taken. We = will have more information to come, and we will be producing reports that will be specific to the Yukon Teachers’ Association and those who are associa= ted with schools who may not be part of the YTA.
Mr. Kent:Q= 95;So, the minister said that there will be more information to come and that repo= rts will be made available. Respectfully, we are less than two weeks away from December 1, when, my understanding is — with respect to education = 212; teachers and educators in the schools will be placed on leave without pay, = and there will have to be some measures put in place to find replacements or de= al with that situation.
If the= minister can maybe give us an indication on when we can expect to see those reports = so that we have a better idea of how many teachers and paraprofessionals in the schools are affected by this vaccine mandate — we have talked quite a= bit about staff shortages, and I will get into some more detail on that in a moment. But again, this is a pressing issue. It’s less than two weeks away, as I’ve said, and Yukoners will be quite curious to know how ma= ny people will be affected.
So, wh= en can we get those reports that the minister just spoke of?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am giving the information that I have right now, that is in = front of me today, and my commitment then will be to follow up. I am happy to bri= ng information forward, either through a legislative return, as the information becomes available, or directly to the Official Opposition Education critic,= as that information becomes available to us.
The se= cond part of that was that I really wanted to emphasize, as well, that employees do h= ave — and I want to say this, and I will probably say it a number of times — that employees have the choice right up = until November 30 to get their first vaccination and register that with the Government of Yukon.
In ter= ms of the teachers on call, I know that we had some debate around that today in Quest= ion Period, and we have had this discussion ongoing. Teachers on call are a very valued part of our education system. They are playing a key role in support= ing schools — they have been through the routine short-term absences, as = well as providing coverage through the pandemic. All school exposure notices are posted on yukon.ca, of course, so that folks know where we have pressures a= nd to ensure that TOCs are also informed of curren= t COVID‑19 cases connected to schools that they may be working in.
We are= working with teachers on call to address health and safety concerns and to identify options to ensure that teachers on call are available to support schools through staffing challenges. We did work out some glitches earlier in the y= ear, in terms of just some of the technical difficulties that we were having, in terms of the robo-calling of teachers on call, = which was put in place to alleviate some of the burden on administration. We foun= d, through our discussions with the schools assista= nt deputy minister, but also through our discussions — our meetings R= 12; with school councils, that this was an issue that was arising, and we are working every day to address it.
I thin= k that assistant deputy minister Sikkes said it very w= ell, that when he is entering into a school to work with them, the first question asked is: How is your teacher-on-call situation? Things are improving in our schools, and that’s what — as of November 15, we have 201 registered teachers on call in Yukon. There are 155 in Whitehorse, 46 are in the communities, with an additional 31 applications pending. That breakdown= of those 31 are 23 more in Whitehorse and eight in the communities.
We con= tinue to plan and look at all scenarios around — to be able to be ready to dep= loy teachers on call post-November 30, if needed in our schools, either in rural or urban settings. We are looking at all of the plans and adjusting t= hem, as we go forward. As we receive more information from the Public Service Commission, we will be able to better determine what those needs are, but we are preparing.
Mr. Kent:Q= 95;I am sure that, in our capacity as MLAs in all three parties in this House, we h= ave started to hear some stories from Yukon government employees or teachers who have decided not to get vaccinated and will be going on leave without pay. There are some extremely difficult discussions that I am sure we have all h= ad with our constituents.
I know= my colleague, the Member for Pelly-Nisutlin, brought up earlier this Sitting, = with respect to Ross River, the fact that they will be losing a number of import= ant individuals in the community, including the individual who provides substit= ute teacher service. We heard from a rural school this morning that they have s= ix individuals working in the school who it’s anticipated will not be vaccinated on December 1, so these individuals will be going on leave witho= ut pay as well.
Obviou= sly, this is an incredible concern. Normally, when you’re losing this number of individuals — however many, when we end up getting that number back f= rom the minister when she has that information — it’s going to be an extremely concerning situation, given the fact that we have talked about teacher-on-call shortages — and staff shortages as well — throughout the system.
I have= just a quick question, I guess, on staff shortages as they exist right now: Does t= he minister have the information with her and can she tell us how many schools don’t have a full-time principal right now, and how many teachers throughout the entire system are we missing? Again, I’ve just heard s= ome stories with respect to the Ross River School about the principal and teach= ers — those positions are vacant. That’s what I’m asking the minister for: How many vacancies are there in the system, including princip= als, at schools?
Hon. Ms. McLean: Thanks again for the question. We have made progress, for sure, on the recruitment= of principals. We had vacancies at F.H. Collins, Kluane, and Old Crow. The principal position at F.H. Collins was filled, and we’re very happy w= ith that, and we currently have letters of offer out on Kluane and Old Crow. We anticipate those positions to be filled very soon with that process being at that stage.
In ter= ms of vacancies, current postings — as of November 15 — include = 15 teacher postings, with four in Whitehorse and 11 rural. As we fill position= s in different places, that is where it is fluctuating a little bit and going up= and down, because there are teachers moving around in the system. We have seven= EA positions — four in Whitehorse and three rural — and four Yukon First Nation language postings — two Whitehorse, two rural. = p>
We hav= e been working to manage this, and this not something that is unique to the Yukon. This has been a nationwide issue around the recruitment and retention of teachers during a global pandemic. This has been a pressure across the coun= try. I know that my deputy minister, Nicole Morgan, has been working with collea= gues from across the country around understanding this place that we find oursel= ves in. It’s very unusual for us to have this many vacancies and to have difficulty filling teaching positions. Oftentimes, rural teaching positions= are a little bit more difficult to fill, but to have these types of vacancies in Whitehorse is quite unusual. We’re working, of course, on strategies = and working in a whole-government approach to recruitment of staff in different areas, such as in health and education where we have these pressures. There= is a lot more to come on this, and I will be happy to bring it forward when we= are there — the larger government strategy around recruitment and retenti= on of staff. I have certainly heard the issues that have been raised at the sc= hool council level, as I have had discussions throughout the territory, both urb= an and in the rural communities.
I know= that we will have to have different plans in place after November 30. That is somet= hing that our department is working on.
Again,= several different scenario approaches — and we know that we will have to work= in a different way with the rural communities, and we are preparing for that. = That is why the Public Service Commission is working with Government of Yukon st= aff now to get the attestations in place so that we can have a better idea R= 12; and then breaking that information out to the school situation so we will h= ave a better idea of what to expect. If we are seeing that we’re not seei= ng attestations from rural community schools, then we will be indicating that there may be some pressure there. If we’re not getting them before November 30, that will be how we plan.
I thin= k that I have touched on all of the points that you have raised in that question, an= d I will continue to build on that if we need to keep on this particular topic.=
Mr. Kent: I was jotting some stuff down as the minister was speaking, and I think she menti= oned that there are 15 teacher vacancies — four in Whitehorse and 11 in ru= ral Yukon, if I caught that correctly — but she also mentioned some of the paraprofessional support positions such as educational assistants.= p>
I don&= #8217;t need her to repeat that because I can check the Blues, but I’m wonder= ing if she is able to provide us with a breakdown of which communities these vacancies are in or which schools these vacancies are in — not necessarily the Whitehorse ones. I’m more concerned about the rural o= nes because, as the minister said, it’s often more difficult to find teac= hers on call or people to fill those positions — obviously, with the numbe= rs that we see here. If the minister is able to provide us with a breakdown by school or community, that would be helpful.
I did = want to just quickly touch on the teacher-on-call issues. The minister mentioned th= at she has been attending a number of school council meetings, and I think that’s great. It is important to get out and listen to the concerns of the school community first-hand. The Leader of the Official Opposition R= 12; the Member for Copperbelt North — and I attended the October council meeting for Selkirk Street school. There was a document presented there that raised concerns, not only for the individuals in attendance, but also for u= s, as MLAs.
What w= as presented by the school council was a snapshot of August and September and = the number of teachers who were absent and then the number of replacements that they were able to get. When we looked through the seven or so actual school days in August — so, on August 23, there were seven teachers absent f= rom the school, and they were able to get six replacements; on August 24, it wa= s 10 and six; on August 25, it was six absent and five replacements; on August 2= 6, there were eight teachers absent, but they were only able to get three repl= acements; on August 27, there were seven absent and only three replacements; on August 30, there were seven absences and four replacements; and then on August 31, there were nine absent and five replacements. I won’t go through the entire month of September, but this pattern continues. There were only two = days when all the positions that were absent got filled. On September 13, there = were five regular teachers absent and they were able to cover off with subs; and again, on September 21, there were five absent and they were able to c= over off all five with subs. There were a couple of days here when there were se= ven missing staff, essentially. On September 10, 11 teachers were absent, but t= hey could only get four replacements, so there were seven positions that weren’t covered that day. Then, on September 17, it was 12 and five — so, another seven. Those were the two peak numbers throughout this reporting period.
I am c= urious if the minister can tell us what — I guess my question as the critic, as= an MLA, and as a parent — not for a student in this school, but a studen= t in another Whitehorse-area school — would be: What does the department d= o, or what provisions are in place for those positions that cannot be covered? Again, there were only two days in this 26-day reporting period when the nu= mber of absent teachers was fully covered by substitutes. So, I am curious what happens to those classes that aren’t covered during those days.
Hon. Ms. McLean: I’ll start with — you had asked first around the breakdown of the vacancies in communities, by rural communities — the= re are the 25 postings — so this is both teaching and the other — = all three of the categories: teachers, EAs, and language teachers. Right now, we have 10 vacancies in Whitehorse that are in the postings: three in Old Crow, one in Pelly, one in Carcross, two in Mayo, three in Ross River, two in Daw= son, two in Carmacks, and one in Teslin. That’s the breakdown there. We kn= ow it’s very, very challenging for schools.
I have= n’t had a chance to meet with the Selkirk school council yet. I think we may ha= ve that booked now for an upcoming meeting. I do want to note that I know that= the situation is improving at many of the schools, in terms of the use of teach= ers on call, but outside of teachers on call, schools do have a couple of other options that help them to manage, should they have vacancies or what you ha= ve described with this particular school, many vacancies over a number of days= and a few days without those challenges, but they include temporarily adjusting staff teaching assignments and adjustments to student learning groups.
I talk= ed about this a bit, but in terms of our management of COVID‑19 situations and pressures in school, we collect information from schools each morning and h= ave that touchpoint meeting to look at where help is needed, make changes, and identify the challenges on an every-morning basis. Then we work with that school to ensure that they have the supports and resources that they need. = This has included deploying central staff when needed. This has happened on two occasions, one with the Elijah Smith school and one other time with the Whitehorse Elementary School. They were for one day each in each of those incidents.
In ter= ms of teachers on call, again, we are working with them to identify what some of = the reluctance has been around when they are being called out and identifying w= hy we are not getting the responses. So, again, this has improved substantially around some of the administrative and technical glitches, but we have also identified a couple of areas of concern with the teachers on call. We are n= ow providing training on the operational plans that are in place in the schools that they would be deployed to and information on COVID‑19 in schools= and how that is managed. So, those are two things that are happening now. We’re working to mitigate the issues as they come up. It’s a constant focus of the department to ensure that schools have the supports t= hat they need and that, when we need to deploy, we can deploy other folks to as= sist where needed. As we move into post-November 30, this will be as well a very= big part of the planning for the day-to-day operations of the schools. Thankful= ly, we have very skilled folks and great relationships with each school to ensu= re that they are communicating. It is a big part of my outreach to each and ev= ery school council to build that relationship and open that line of communicati= on with them so that there is comfort when there is a need to reach out direct= ly and to not wait until things are unmanageable.
Mr. Kent: Those numbers that I gave the minister — that snapshot from Selkirk Element= ary School mentioning where on only two of the 26 instructional days in August = and September did they get all of their teacher abse= nces covered by teachers on call — the minister did mention that those sta= ts are getting better. One of the things — I believe it was the superintendent who mentioned it — at the Selkirk meeting was that the= re was going to be some sort of new principal reporting requirements, whether = it was just something they could do on their smartphone or at their desk on wh= at I believe to be exactly this — how many teachers were absent that day a= nd how many teachers were covered. Perhaps the minister can shed a little bit = of light on that, if that technology has been implemented. Then, since she mentioned that the situation was getting better, does she have some statist= ics that she can share with us — maybe not specific to Selkirk or any individual school but all — on how many days there was not 100-percent coverage or whatever stats the minister has?
Then, = I have just one other quick question with respect to staff deployment from the Department of Education. We have talked about that this Sitting. I’m curious how many certified teachers are available from the Department of Education to go out. The minister did mention that there has been staff deployed on two occasions — once, I think she said, to Elijah Smith a= nd the second time to Whitehorse Elementary School — but is any of this staff deployment from the main department able to assist people in rural Yu= kon who are having challenges?
Hon. Ms. McLean: In terms of the electronic reporting tool that was discussed &= #8212; which the member has raised — around a new tool to assist principals = in helping us to get the information in a timely manner, it has been in place = for one month now. I can return with a report on some statistics around the information that is being gathered from that and from other sources.=
Just f= ollowing up from the previous question, in terms of — the Department of Educat= ion has, I think, 12 certified teaching staff within central. Again, yes, we ha= ve deployed in Whitehorse — a little bit more difficult to deploy to rur= al communities, but we are prepared to work toward that, if we need that.
I just= have another piece of information that has come to me here, as we were doing this debate around Selkirk. As an example, today, in the check-in, I think that = they had two vacancies, and it was offered to them to deploy central, if needed.= As an example, today they said, “No, we have the coverage that we need.”
In ter= ms of rural communities, some of our other options are to deploy teachers on call= . We are prepared to do that; we have done that. Generally, if it is a more rural community, they are deployed for a week at a time, and we are covering trav= el and expenses around that. Again, we continue to work with our school communities, and we are keeping our hand on the pulse of what is happening = and where the pressures are, and we are putting in place contingency plans, as = they are needed, which we will also do post-November 30, when there may be other pressures in schools.
Mr. Kent: I forgot to ask a question of the minister the last time with respect to the postings in our schools. She went through a list of the communities, and I thank her for that. She mentioned there are 25. Could she just confirm that there are no postings for either school in Watson Lake — Johnson Elementary or the high school there? That would be great. As I said, she we= nt through them, and I think I caught them all. I just wanted her to confirm t= hat Watson Lake was at full capacity for teachers and doesn’t have any current vacancies down there.
I appr= eciate the responses around the deployment of staff from the Department of Education. I will look forward to getting some of the data from the principal reporting = tool that the minister mentioned.
I apol= ogize to the minister, but I just want to jump back quickly to the vaccine mandate p= iece and when we start to get a sense regarding teachers and other educators who will be placed on leave without pay on December 1. As I mentioned, we have = been hearing from a number of employees across the Yukon government with their concerns on this. I have been forwarding them to the minister, if we receive permission to do so from the individuals.
Obviou= sly, this is a very difficult time of year for something like this to happen — = when you are placed on leave without pay. I’m just curious — would i= t be the Department of Education, or would this be done through the Public Servi= ce Commission or somewhere else, where there would be additional mental health supports for those employees who require it as we move into the holiday sea= son and they find themselves without a paycheque because they have chosen not to get vaccinated?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I’ll go to the first part of the question around the vac= ancies in rural communities. The communities that currently do not have any vacanc= ies are Faro, Kluane Lake, Beaver Creek, Haines Junction, and Watson Lake.
In ter= ms of mental health, yes, of course, we know that this is going to cause stress a= nd further pressure on folks who choose not to take this step, but, again, the health, safety, and well-being of all staff and students is always our firs= t priority, which is why we have taken this decision to mandate vaccination — and= , of course, always wanting to support employee well-being. It is a critical par= t of our work toward creating and engaging an inclusive workplace, but I know th= at this is going to cause a lot of stress and it is certainly something that we have talked about as a Cabinet.
I can = point to a few things before I get to the crux of what will be available, but this is, again, the third year that schools are impacted by COVID‑19, and now = we have taken this decision to move toward mandatory vaccination. Our school s= taff have already been experiencing pandemic fatigue, including increased anxiety and stress in schools. We talked a lot about this in the session around different behaviours and issues that are happening in various schools in the Yukon. The Learning during COVID= 209;19 survey conducted at the end of the 2020-21 school year highlighted that staff respondents noted negative impacts on mental health and wellness. We offer all employees and their families a range of confidential, expert heal= th and well-being services through the employee and family assistance program = and through their extended health benefits as employees of the Yukon government. This will remain something that they will have access to, as long as they a= re within the employment of Government of Yukon. The employee and family assistance program provides counselling and critical incident services as w= ell as nutritional, financial, and well-being services to get support to deal w= ith life-challenging situations, and I would include this in all of these categories.
When s= chool staff are dealing with critical events, we work oftentimes with LifeSpeak to help deploy counselling resources for su= pport and debriefing for staff. So, again, these are services under the extended health care benefits that employees will have access to, as long as they re= main as Government of Yukon employees.
I will= come back with a bit more information around the time frame for employees who go off = work as of November 30 and then those who may go off work as of January 30, beca= use there may be some different scenarios that play out here, but if they are continuing to be on extended health care benefits, they will have access to these programs.
Mr. Kent: So, will the teachers placed on leave without pay still be entitled to the exte= nded health care benefit program that the minister talked about?
Hon. Ms. McLean: Yes, for the period that they are entitled to those benefits. = Again, there may be some different scenarios, and we’ll come back with more specific dates if that is the wish of the member opposite.
Mr. Kent:Q= 95;As I mentioned, we are all, I’m sure, getting calls from constituents who = will be affected by this, and the time of year — obviously, the Christmas season is a difficult time for some individuals and some families, in spite= of what might be happening to some of them here who may be placed on leave wit= hout pay. The minister did mention that mental health supports will be available= for these employees, but is there any talk about supplementing the mental health assets — or the individuals who offer those services — during t= his time because, not only is it Christmas, which, as I have mentioned, is a difficult time for many people who are challenged with mental health issues, but it will be compounded by the fact that some, including single mothers w= hom I’ve heard from and families, will be under this additional stress of= not having a paycheque at the Christmas period.
I ment= ioned earlier on to the minister that we have heard from one rural school that is anticipating that as many as six individuals from that school will be affec= ted and will be placed on leave without pay on December 1. I’m curious wh= at plans the minister has in place — or in cooperation with the Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission — and what they are both anticipating as far as mental health needs and staff needs in not only the Whitehorse area but also in our rural communities.
Hon. Ms. McLean: I know that the pandemic has been difficult for everyone ̵= 2; some more so than others. I have already talked a little bit about the surv= eys that we have done — the learning through COVID surveys — and ensuring that we are checking in with all of our students, our staff, and o= ur partners and continuing to learn about what is happening for folks. As we navigate through COVID‑19, what we know is that mental health has bee= n a huge issue, not only for students and families, but also for our staff.
Our pr= imary focus, and what we are committed to, is ensuring that students are successf= ul at school and that the health and safety of students, families, and staff is number one. It has to be number one. So, that is why we have taken the deci= sion that we have around mandatory vaccination. I know that this is going to cau= se stress for those who choose not to be vaccinated, and if there are no medic= al or religious reasons for not getting vaccinated, then it becomes a personal choice. It is a personal choice, of course.
Is tha= t going to cause some hardship for folks? Yes, I think it will. Folks can choose to be vaccinated before November 30, and we talked a little bit about that today — around doing the attestation, using the online tool that is now available and has been live since Monday.
In ter= ms of the information that the member opposite is looking for — in terms of additional supports — I have given the information that I have today around the benefits that will continue to apply to those employees, should = they choose to leave their position and go on leave without pay.
I woul= d ask, of course, for the member bring some of these further questions to the Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission when the minister is here in = the House in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Kent: Respectfully, that won’t be until the spring that the Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission will appear in Committee, so the timing is diffic= ult, but we will reach out to the minister by letter or written question or some other means to try to get an answer for those constituents as soon as possi= ble, who will be facing some difficult times here as the holiday season approach= es.
I just= have one question on the attestation piece. The minister mentioned that 50 percent of government employees had filled out that attestation. I am just curious when the window for them to provide that closes. Is it right up until November 30, or is there a date ahead of time, so that individual departments can start to plan for vacancies throughout their sys= tem?
Hon. Ms. McLean: My apology about the Minister responsible for the Public Servi= ce Commission. I will seek the answers and bring them back to the House through the Public Service Commission and the minister responsible in a timely mann= er.
In ter= ms of the other aspect of the question around the attestation, it will close on Novem= ber 30, so folks have an opportunity to do the attestation up until November 30. That’s when it will close, and we will then have the information that= we need to proceed forward.
Mr. Kent: November 30 — to me, that seems fairly late to be able to turn around and depl= oy staff where needed, not only for Education, of course, but highways and hea= lth care. I believe the officials from the Hospital Corporation mentioned earli= er this week that 14 individuals — I think that was the number; seven full-time and seven part-time — they anticipated being affected there= .
I mean= , that is the plan that is in place, so it is a bit difficult to get a sense for how,= in such a short time frame, they will be able to turn around, especially with teachers in schools or EAs or other paraprofessionals or custodians, to make sure that those ones are covered off as we move through there to get those final numbers, but again, that is the choice of the government to move on t= hat. So, we will look to see how that plan rolls out, as we get a little bit clo= ser here in the next week and a half to two weeks.
Just t= o change gears here a little bit now: I wanted to ask about the situation with Hidden Valley Elementary School. I know that there has been a review commissioned = by the government with a Vancouver lawyer, Ms. Amanda Rogers, and I can’t find the contract for her on the contract registry. At the brie= fing with officials, we were made aware that perhaps Justice was the lead depart= ment on managing that contract, but I can’t find anywhere on the contract registry where that contract is.
So, can the minister either direct = us to where that contract might be or identify which department is in charge of t= hat contract — the Amanda Rogers contract — for the review of the situation out at Hidden Valley?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I just want to go back to the attestation first and clarify a = couple of things in terms of the fact that it does close on November 30 for folks = to register for the first dose, and then we will be working toward the second = dose by January 30. We will be receiving reports on a daily — or every sec= ond day — basis to see where we are sitting with that. In terms of a rural school that may find themselves with a number of vacancies, we will definit= ely be working toward ensuring that we have contingency plans. As I have said, those are already underway, in terms of different scenarios that may or may= not happen, and we will get more information as we go forward.
In te= rms of the contract, the contract is held by Justice, and the resources will come = from Education, of course. That is a standard practice. I will commit to returni= ng with information around the registry. I don’t have that information w= ith me right now.
Mr. Kent: Does the minister have the value of the contract with Ms. Rogers, at this point?
Hon. Ms. McLean: As I have committed to returning with information around the registry of the contract, I will also return with the value of the contract= .
Mr. Kent: I wanted to jump over to the situation at Jack Hulland Elementary School. It = was my understanding that the acting principal who came from Elijah Smith Elementary School was to be in place until November 12. Has that individual= now returned to his duties at Elijah Smith, or is he still at Jack Hulland as of now, given the fact that the original information we had was that he would = be there until November 12?
Hon. Ms. McLean: The situation at Jack Hulland — we have had a chance to = talk about it quite often during Question Period, so I am happy to be able to sp= eak about it in Committee of the Whole, in terms of where we’re at with t= he school and some of the challenges that they certainly have faced — al= ways focused on the health, safety, and well-being of staff in all schools and ensuring that we have a supportive, psychologically safe and engaging and inclusive workplace; it is very critical for all employees’ well-bein= g.
We kno= w that there have been challenges at Jack Hulland <= /span>school. I have spoken about that and have had the opportunity = to sit with at least half of the staff, which happened on October 21. Some of= the staff met with me, and I was able to listen and hear them directly and have them express their concerns about what was happening in the school. We furt= her had a written confidential report back to them, outlining what was discussed that day.
The de= partment has replied to those initial written responses and concerns that staff rais= ed at that meeting. I’m going back in a little bit of history, because I think it’s important to kind of build to where we are. Last Friday, a= ll staff were offered an opportunity to have a confidential conversation over these next two weeks with a third-party contractor to share further concern= s. Also, on November 12, Jack Hulland staff were able to use their professional development day to complete The Working Mind training to support creating a= nd maintaining a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.
Additi= onal opportunities to hear from all staff are planned. The next steps to address= the workplace concerns will be confirmed from this information gathering.
Again,= the Government of Yukon certainly offers a variety of supports for staff to add= ress workplace challenges, such as resources through health, safety, and well-be= ing to assess, protect, and promote psychological safety in our workplace. Our employee and family assistance program is availa= ble for staff on an individual level. Of course, the Respectful Workplace Offic= e is another avenue for staff who are experiencing conflict in the workplace. It’s a place where they can receive support and guidance.
Jack H= ulland staff — in terms of the date of November 12, that was the period where our principal of the school — the leave went to November 12 and has now b= een extended. So, the Department of Education has arranged, as you have indicat= ed in your question, for an experienced school administrator, Jeff Cressman, principal of Elijah Smith, to be at Jack Hu= lland to provide the additional support for the school administration team while = the principal is on leave. So, at this point, we are determining the length of = that placement for Jeff Cressman.
Mr. Kent: I am sure the minister can appreciate that these decisions for one school obviou= sly affect another school — in this case, the decision to move the princi= pal from Elijah Smith to Jack Hulland has created some concerns that we are starting to hear about now from members of the Elijah Smith school communit= y. I am curious, when the decision was made to reassign — on a temporary a= nd now an extended basis — the principal from Elijah Smith to Jack Hulla= nd, was there discussion held with anybody from the school council, as representatives of the parents in that school community? I am curious if an= y of those discussions were held with respect to the principal moving from Elijah Smith to Jack Hulland on an interim basis.
Hon. Ms. McLean: I just want to be clear that the principal has not been moved,= that Jeff Cressman remains the principal at Elijah S= mith school and is the principal right now at Jack Hulland, as well, on a tempor= ary basis. These are the things that take time; this is what takes the time = 212; that we need to work with the school councils and the Yukon Teachers’ Association, which we are doing, ensuring that the questions and concerns of both school councils are taken into consideration, as decisions are being m= ade. But, just to be clear, the principal, Jeff Cressman, remains the principal of Elijah Smith.
Mr. Kent: That begs the question — obviously, there have been some challenges that h= ave been raised with respect to Jack Hulland Elementary School, and it is at — looking at the enrolment numbers — it is at or near capacity. Elijah Smith is also a very busy and crowded school with, I am sure, a numb= er of unique needs as well. So, the principal is splitting time — is that what the minister is saying? This principal is splitting time between ̵= 2; he is maintaining his job as principal at Elijah Smith, while also being ac= ting principal at Jack Hulland. Is that the case?
Hon. Ms. McLean: The vice-principal at Elijah Smith is the acting principal rig= ht now — comes behind the principal, who is acting in two capacities right n= ow. This is allowable under the Educati= on Act — I’ll just be clear about that. If this becomes a longer term situation, where Jeff Cressman remains the principal over two schools, then additional supports for both schools will be put in place. Again, this is allowable under the Education Act, and we are still wo= rking out some details and working with the school councils and the Yukon Teachers’ Association.
Mr. Kent: I just want to be clear on this. So, the substantive position for the individ= ual is as principal of Elijah Smith; there is someone acting in his place there= now — I’m assuming, on a full-time basis — and he has relocat= ed to Jack Hulland school as an interim principal, and he is on a full-time ba= sis there, or — and again, I’m also curious with respect to my prev= ious question: What sort of discussions or consultation took place with the Elij= ah Smith Elementary School community, as represented by the school council on this, because as I mentioned, there are some from that school community who started to reach out to us with concerns about this as well.
Hon. Ms. McLean: Jeff Cressman, right now, is split= ting his time between the two schools. At Elijah Smith, we have an acting principal = and an acting vice-principal right now, and at Jack Hulland, there are two vice-principals. So, if this scenario continues and becomes longer term throughout the year, then additional supports will be put at both schools.<= /span>
In ter= ms of the Elijah Smith school council, I have not met with them directly, but I know = that department staff have been working closely with them and working on any concerns that they may have — as we are, and have been doing quite regularly, with Jack Hulland school council — looking at the well-bei= ng of both schools and ensuring that the proper support is put in place, but again, this is allowable under our = Education Act, and we are following that, and this scenario is built upon that.= span>
Mr. Kent: Just to be clear, I wasn’t inferring that there was anything untoward with respect to the Education Act. W= e are just trying to get a sense for some of the angst and some of the concerns t= hat we are hearing from both school communities with respect to the situation w= ith the senior leadership at both schools.
I will= review what the minister said in Hansard, or the Blues, tomorrow, and then if I ha= ve any additional questions, I can get back to her with them.
I know= that, obviously, this has been the topic of some school council meetings — = the concerns around bullying, violence, and vandalism at the school. The minist= er and her senior staff from the department met with staff — I think it = was in late October.
The mo= re recent school council meeting was cancelled, and I thought there was supposed to b= e a meeting scheduled for this week of the broader school community. I do understand that, on Tuesday, there was a Zoom meeting put together by paren= ts to discuss their concerns, but I am not sure how those concerns will be communicated to the department.
Is the= minister aware of the outcome of that meeting or the discussions of that meeting? I = know my colleague, the Member for Porter Creek North, has been a regular attende= e at school council meetings and also attended that meeting where concerns were raised the other night. I am just curious how those individuals are to get their concerns to the minister. Should it be through the school council, or= can they provide them directly? I am wondering if the minister can share any outcomes of that staff meeting that are not confidential in nature, of cour= se.
Hon. Ms. McLean: There are a couple of different pieces in there, so I will jus= t sort through them. I’ll start with the voluntary meeting that was held on October 21 at Jack Hulland school, where the deputy minister and I, the assistant deputy minister of schools, and the superintendent attended. We m= et with approximately half of the staff. The Organizational Development branch facilitated this meeting, and a confidential report was provided to participants.
The de= puty minister provided a follow-up response on November 5 to all school staff, a= nd so there was a confidential report that was produced, and then there was a further follow-up — I think there were eight questions posed to us, a= nd we committed to getting back to them. I can provide the answers to those ei= ght questions. That part was not confidential, but the discussion within the meeting was.
I̵= 7;ll go into a few other things before I get to the parents’ meeting. Additio= nal opportunities and next steps were opportunities for one-on-one conversation= s, to be coordinated through a private contractor, who will deliver a report to central administration. Information collected in individual interviews with= the private contractor will be anonymous, and they’ll be analyzed so that they are not able to identify who it is, but to identify themes and impacts= in the workplace.
Also, = in terms of other steps, the Health, Safety and Wellbeing branch continues to support the schools and Student Support Services to develop a plan to address the f= actors of psychological health and safety, and this will be done through Guarding Minds at Work — a survey and online resource that helps employees ass= ess, protect, and promote psychological health and safety in their workplaces. P= SC and Education — human resources — coordinated the provision of = the Guarding Minds workshop to the staff on November 12, their PD day. It was well-received, for sure.
Then t= here is a commitment to continually report back to staff on work and next steps ̵= 2; so, really working hard to bring things to a place — as I have stated lots of times — a workplace that is healthy, safe, and takes into consideration the well-being of all, including our students and the familie= s.
I am a= ware, of course, of the parents’ meetings that have been going on that are bei= ng facilitated by a parent. There have been two that I am aware of, which were done in a virtual format. We received today recommendations to the departme= nt from parents, and we will be following up on those and continuing to work w= ith our school community and parents to, again, go back to that first statement about ensuring that our schools are healthy, safe, and that the well-being = of our children is at the centre.
Chair (Ms. Blake): Do members wish to take a brief recess?
All Hon. Members: Agreed.
Chair: Commi= ttee of the Whole will recess for 15 minutes
Recess
Chair: Commi= ttee of the Whole will now come to order.
The ma=
tter
before the Committee is continuing general debate on Vote 3, Department of
Education, in Bill No. 202, entitled Second
Appropriation Act 2021-22.
Is the= re any further general debate?
Mr. Kent: I thank the minister for those responses before the break. I have some more questions with respect to Jack Hulland, but I think I will take the opportu= nity to review what was said here today and then come back to the minister before the end of the Sitting, hopefully, if Education gets recalled. I will addre= ss those questions at that time.
I do w= ant to jump back to just one question about one topic we were talking about before= the break, and that is the contract with Amanda Rogers for the review of what happened at Hidden Valley Elementary School. I think the minister said that= the contract is funded by Education but being held by Justice, and that is stan= dard procedure. Can she explain just the standard procedure? Is that something t= o do with the fact that Ms. Rogers is a legal counsel? Is that why it is at= Justice?
Hon. Ms. McLean: In terms of the contract for Amanda Rogers, again, I tabled th= ose terms of reference early in the Sitting. I just want to be clear that this = is an independent review. I have already committed to a couple of things around the contract, in terms of the registry of the contract and the value —= ; I will commit to. Any other information related to this question today in Committee of the Whole, I will return.
Mr. Kent: I appreciate that from the minister. The question that I had was around the statement that she made, and she can perhaps go back in the Blues, as well, just to take a look at it and get a sense for why it’s standard contr= act for that contract to be held by Justice, even though it’s funded by Education — I think that would be helpful for us to know.
I want= to move on to a few other topics. The first one may or may not be within the minister’s purview here, but the minister will perhaps recall that, f= rom earlier today, in Orders of the Day, I tabled a motion with respect to proo= f of vaccine for 12-year-olds. What I’ve been hearing from a number of par= ents — especially for me, it’s parents with young 12-year-olds who a= re involved in organized sports — is that, with the restrictions and the proof of vaccine requirements, at this point, they’re required —= ; to have that proof of vaccine for a 12-year-old is difficult, because they are just becoming eligible for the vaccine.
So, wh= at I had mentioned in my motion is that Transport Canada has a rule in place that if you’re 12 years of age plus four months — so, that gives them t= he time to get their first shot, wait the recommended eight weeks, I believe i= t is now, get their second shot and then wait a couple more weeks, but meanwhile, they can still participate in the sports or in the other things I identified today from the Yukon government website with respect to dancing, or singing= , or other activities. And of course, what the parents have said to me is this is important for their mental health and important for them to continue, espec= ially, as I have mentioned, the ones I have been dealing with, with respect to organized sports.
Would = the minister be able to take that request forward? Would she take it to her Cab= inet colleagues, or do I ask these parents, or do we direct it to the chief medi= cal officer of health to take a look at adopting what Transport Canada has for = the minimum age, which is 12 years plus four months, instead of the 12-year-old= age that the Yukon government has in place right now for proof of vaccine?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I definitely can bring this discussion forward to my Cabinet colleagues, and then further, the ministers responsible for these various a= reas can bring it to the chief medical officer of health and have the information come back.
Mr. Kent: I appreciate that from the minister. I know that it is important to a number = of families, so that their children can be able to continue to participate from when they turn 12 to when they are fully vaccinated, which could be as much= as two, two and a half, or three months later, if they are able to get an appointment right away.
I want= ed to move on to a few other issues. Perhaps the first one that I will touch upon is w= ith respect to the First Nation school board. Obviously, the end of October was= the timing for school councils to pass a motion to put the idea of them dissolv= ing and joining a First Nation school board to a referendum of the broader scho= ol community. I attended a meeting put on by the Association of Yukon School Councils, Boards and Committees, where there were presentations by the assistant deputy minister of — it used to be public education, and I think it is schools now, is what you refer to it as, as well as the head — the executive director — of the First Nation Education Directorate and CYFN legal counsel. The three o= f them presented on the First Nation school board to a number of school councillor= s, and it was open to the public.
I do h= ave a few questions with respect to that. I do understand that, I think it is, five schools have passed a motion to put it to a referendum. That includes Watson Lake — the school council is joint for the elementary school and the = high school there. It is my understanding, as well, that two communities are goi= ng the way of a petition.
Can th= e minister just confirm those numbers for me? Is that where we ended up, after the end= of October, with those five school councils going out to a referendum, and is = she aware of the two communities that are working on petitions at this point?= span>
Hon. Ms. McLean: Thank you for the question around the First Nation school coun= cil. We, of course, always want to ensure that schools meet the needs of Yukon F= irst Nation students and offer all students opportunities to learn about Yukon F= irst Nation history, culture, and languages. We have been working with the Chiefs Committee on Education regarding options for establishing a Yukon First Nat= ion school board under the Education Ac= t. We believe that this framework agreement and the establishment of a Yukon First Nation school board is an additional option to enable Yukon First Nations to meaningfully shape their children’s education and improve their educational outcomes.
I will= go a little bit into the process and get to the question that is on the floor ri= ght now about the petition.
The pr= ocess to establish a school board can start in two ways: by school council resolutio= n, which we do have five; I confirmed that. That includes the two Watson Lake schools, so really, it is six schools, but the Watson Lake referendum would= be in one.
The ot= her way is by petition of 20 percent of the electors in an attendance area, submitted = to me before December 13. So, they have until December 13, if a community deci= des to go by way of petition. Again, as of October 31, five school councils have passed resolutions to trigger a referendum of the electors within their attendance area — parents, guardians, or any current students in the school.
As of = November 7 — I don’t have the information as of today, but I will check ju= st to make sure — the department is aware of two school communities R= 12; Dawson City and Mayo — that have asked for petition packages. Again, = they have until December 13 to fulfill that 20 percent. I can’t comment, a= nd I don’t have information about where that sits with these communities. = At this point, they have asked for petition packages. I cannot confirm, either way, where that will end by December 13, but that is the deadline.= p>
Then t= here is a 90-day window to conduct a referendum. Elections Yukon has agreed to coordi= nate and hold the referendums.
Just g= oing back to the petition, all of that is being coordinated through the Chief Elector= al Officer. The Department of Education has offered to support school communit= ies that have triggered a referendum in whatever community-based way individual communities prefer, including information and resources grounded in the Education Act. That’s someth= ing we are now communicating with all our school communities around this, and have been all the way through, but we are continuing to have that dialogue and s= hare that information.
I thin= k that, up to this point, answers the questions that are posed on the floor today.
Mr. Kent: I thank the minister for that response.
The two communities are looking to get the signatures of 20 percent of their electo= rs by December 13 via petition, which would then be presented to the minister, and I’m assuming it would trigger a referendum at that point. Is that the process, as I understand it? So, the petition is to trigger a referendum, rather than having the school council pass a motion to trigger the referend= um? I will leave it at that, because that is just a quick clarification that I would need to ask a few more questions about.
Hon. Ms. McLean: Yes, the petition avenue is another way, under the Education Act, that allows for a petition of 20 percent of the electors, resident in an attendance area, who may request to me to establish a school board in substitution of a scho= ol council. As I have indicated, the timeline right now is December 13 to rece= ive any such petition. Right now, we know of two schools that have requested packages. Upon receipt of that, there would be a process of verification of= the validity of that petition, so there would have to be due diligence, which w= ould be undertaken by the Chief Electoral Officer and then the Department of Education. Right now, where we are at is the Department of Education will communicate the clear process for all of the process within the referendum within the next couple of weeks, because we already know that we have five referendums coming.
That i= s work that will be done by, again, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. The Chief Electoral Officer will be leading that and will take that — if = we receive any petitions, there will be a process of verification beyond that = to ensure that it is all up to standard and that the residents and those within that catchment area are verified, and that will be the work of the Chief Electoral Officer to do that work if we receive a petition.
Mr. Kent:Q= 95;I was a bit confused with the process around petitions. I thought that a petition= of 20 percent would then lead to a referendum, but it sounds like — if 20 percent of the eligible electors sign that petition, then it is to the mini= ster and the minister will make a determination on whether they go straight to t= he school board. I just wanted to be clear on that. Am I correct? So, there is= no referendum from the petition; the petition is final.
Hon. Ms. McLean: Yes, there will be a referendum if it is verified. The signato= ries included in that petition package then go through a process of verification, and they will have to meet a certain threshold. The number will be specific= to that catchment area for the 20 percent. All of that is then verified by the Chief Electoral Officer, and if that is all verified and up to the standard that has been set, which is very clear, it will then go to a referendum. Th= at is what we have agreed to.
Mr. Kent: Thanks for the clarification. That was an important point that I was looking for clarity on.
So, gi= ven that the petition would have to be submitted to the minister by December 13 and = then subject to verification by the Chief Electoral Officer, I guess we’re= a month and a half or maybe a couple of months past where the five school councils that passed their motions would have been to start communicating w= ith their school communities. When would the vote be held if Dawson City and Ma= yo get the required number of electors to sign the petition? When would the vo= te be held for them? Is it a different date than it is for the other five scho= ol councils, including the joint council in Watson Lake?
Hon. Ms. McLean: There will not be two referendum dates. The goal is the five t= hat we have now, and we carefully worked out the timeline with the Chief Electoral= Officer to make sure that this was doable and that we were able to accomplish both.=
So, th= e deadline of December 13 for further petitions to be received gives enough time to ve= rify and then to have the referendum at the same time as those that are by resol= ution. We are not going to have multiple processes happening; they will all happen= at the same time, but they must be held before January 31. That is the deadlin= e, based on the first ones that were received, but according to the act, I hav= e 90 days to hold a referendum. The goal is to not have multiple processes ̵= 2; to make this as clear to folks as possible so that the information, once a petition — I mean, we may not receive any petitions, or we may receive two. That information is going to be consistent so that the communication u= sed with the first five will then be able to be used with the other two, if that happens. If it doesn’t, then we have the five set, and that work is underway now for that planning.
Mr. Kent: So, when we were at that AYSCBC information session= , the Chief Electoral Officer was also there. I mean, the elections that I am most familiar with are the territorial elections where there is a voter list established that is reflective of the riding that you are running in, and y= ou get a sense for who is eligible to vote.
But th= e Chief Electoral Officer said that, for school councils or school catchment areas, there is no voters list established. I guess the question that I had — and I am sure that the minister had, and I’m curious if she has asked= the Chief Electoral Officer this — is: Without a voters list, how do you determine what the 20 percent is? If you don’t know how many eligible voters are in the catchment area or the school community — how many a= re eligible to vote — how would you determine what that 20-percent thres= hold is? I’m curious if the minister has talked to the Chief Electoral Off= icer about that and, if so, if she could share what the response is to determine that 20 percent without an actual voters list to see what the total number = of eligible voters is.
Hon. Ms. McLean: I am going to start by talking a little bit about the attendan= ce areas. The attendance areas support the governance and operation of schools= and support the school council election process overall. The Government of Yukon has completed a review of Whitehorse school attendance areas, and school councils have been informed of this. Part of that work included looking at = all of our attendance areas, so a considerable amount of work has been done on this. It helps to inform this process.
Electi= ons Yukon is using the territorial voters list and worked with the Yukon Bureau of Statistics on methodology. All of my discussions with the Chief Electoral Officer have been in writing, to date, but a tremendous amount of work has = gone into this at the department level and with the Chiefs Committee on Education around the process that we are going into. The Chief Electoral Officer is willing and, I think, has offered technical briefings to all parties. I am = just confirming that the invitation went out to all of the parties. Again, this = is new territory. We do have one school board in the Yukon, which is the francophone school board. Again, this is all found within our Education Act. I know that this is= new for folks, so I think that this is definitely an opportunity for us to understand what will be happening over the next several months with our Chi= ef Electoral Officer.
We can= talk a little bit more about the attendance areas if the member opposite wishes to= do that. A lot of work has gone into it in recent times to ensure that we have= a clear understanding of what our catchment areas are.
Mr. Kent: Thank you, and I appreciate that from the minister. We will follow up with Chief Electoral Officer and perhaps schedule a briefing so that we can communicat= e to those individuals who are asking us about the process and how to determine = that 20-percent threshold.
One of= the other things that I did want to ask the minister about with respect to this proce= ss is how members of each affected school community or attendance area or catchment area can gather information. When we were at that AYSCBC meeting, of course, the representative from the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate mentioned that they would be advocating in support of schools a= nd of people voting in support of joining the First Nation school board, and we certainly recognize that as their role, and it should be their role, but I’m curious what the role is of the Department of Education with resp= ect to giving unbiased or neutral information to voters in these school communi= ties about what this entails, what it means for them as far as representation on= the First Nation school board.
Some o= f the questions we are hearing is whether or not all members are eligible to vote= for members of the First Nation school board when those elections are held. So, there is a variety of questions that are coming up and that we’re get= ting from members of the school community, but I’m just curious what role = the department will be taking in providing some sort of neutral information and answering questions and if there are — when my colleague, the Member = for Watson Lake, was asking the minister about this in Question Period, she ask= ed if there are information sessions planned. I think the minister said that t= here are, but I’m just curious how many there will be when we are bumping = up against the Christmas season and the holiday season, which will be difficult for people to organize meetings.
There = are obviously the temporary, or new, restrictions that are in place with respec= t to meeting size, so there could be virtual information sessions as well. IR= 17;m just curious where we send people who have questions and are looking for a neutral response, or a neutral answer, and what the role of the department = will be in that.
Hon. Ms. McLean: A big part of this will be communication, going forward. The Department of Education has offered to support school communities and our partners in First Nations who have triggered a referendum in whatever community-based way individual communities prefer, including information sessions and resources grounded in the Education Act.
We are= working on that now. There will also be Q&As on the Yukon government website un= der Education that folks can access, if they want to read what the common quest= ions are and get information there. In terms of information sessions, I support neutral facilitation of information sessions that will focus on providing information to the folks within the catchment areas, plus staff and others = who may be impacted. The department will also offer Zoom sessions for the publi= c so people can have access in this time of COVID reality that we are in.=
Defini= tely, communication will be key in ensuring that people have the information and = that they are properly registered to vote and have all that information, as well, which will be included in the Q&A. It will be included in information sessions so that it is clear how people can vote and answer any questions t= hey may have about the application of a school board in their catchment area.= span>
Mr. Kent: That seems like a good jumping-off point for me to turn the floor over to my colleague, the Leader of the New Democrats, the Member for Takhini-Kopper K= ing.
I than= k the minister and the officials for their time here today, and I will cede the f= loor to my colleague who, I am sure, has a few questions as well.
Ms. White: I also thank my colleague for asking so many questions, which I am sure I will have to read through Hansard after to make sure that I didn’t miss anything.
One of= the conversations I have been having in the last number of years around educati= on is actually about the Yukon grants and how they work — or don’t work, in some cases — for different people. As I have said many times= in this House, I am a tradesperson, so it meant I took an intensive program wh= ere I was able to access $500 of my Yukon grant that I only ever accessed one t= ime. I paid almost $10,000 for my course, and I was very employable at the end. = So, I did that before I got elected.
I thin= k that education has changed. Education isn’t just about post-secondary, it is not just about university or college, and it’s not just about academics. Educa= tion looks different, whether it is the environmental monitoring certificate from Yukon University or their Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining. There a= re lots of different educational paths a person can take that will lead to employment.
One of= the challenges that I brought forward in this House previously is that, in orde= r to qualify for the Yukon grant, it is very much directed toward academics, but= not all of us are academics. It doesn’t mean that where we choose to inve= st our time and our energy doesn’t lead to fulfilling careers and opportunities.
So, I = just wanted to give that as the beginning and ask the minister: Where are we at,= in looking at Yukon grants and educational funding?
Hon. Ms. McLean: Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the question. I thin= k that it is definitely an important topic.
Yes, e= ducation is changing, and I, too, have a young person — one of my sons has gone through trades training and didn’t have all the access that my son wh= o is now training to be a lawyer is getting, in terms of that Yukon grant fundin= g.
If a s= tudent or adult learner does not qualify for the Yukon grant, which is connected to t= he Canada student loans program, which is where that crite= ria comes from, there is also available to them a student training allowance and Canada student loans and grants. They may be eligible for funding support u= nder post-secondary labour market funding, and that is where most of our flexibi= lity is. So, I think that part of — the bigger part of — the question here is helping folks and directing them into the right program, because th= ere are programs that we have under our labour market transfer agreement that c= an provide flexibility.
There = are three programs, and we have redesigned these programs. I am not sure if the member opposite has had a chance to look at them, but I actually brought the pamph= lets with me today to show, because I had hoped this one would come up, but there are three programs: Building UP, which is focused on support for organizati= ons under workforce; then there is the Staffing UP, which is support for employ= ers; then there is Working UP, which is the support for individuals.
These = have been redesigned to be more flexible and to provide the support that individuals need. Really, where we are going with the revisioning and the work that we = are doing around making very strategic fundamental changes to our education sys= tem — it leads into this, because it is more opportunity for experiential learning, working with our business community, ensuring that great opportunities are provided for young people who want to go into the trades,= and that the academic stream doesn’t fit for everyone; it really doesn’t, and we know that.
I thin= k that some of the reports that we have at hand, like the Child and Youth Advocate’s report on attendance, points to that as well. Kids need to= be interested in what they are doing, and the way that they are being taught — so, experiential learning and finding their path in our education system and not every student — like I have said, I have two sons who = are on very different tracks, but our system needs to support that.
I thin= k some of the changes that we have made with the labour market programs are lining up with that, so we’re really happy. Is there more work to be done? Yes, absolutely. We are committed to doing that work to provide as many opportunities as possible for our young people and other adult learners.
Ms. White: I thank the minister for that. Just to follow up on some of that, what is the value, for example, for a school year that you can access with the Yukon gr= ant, compared to those labour market programs that you referenced? What I am loo= king for is equity, because, again, programs are different. The program that I t= ook was different from others. Knowing that someone can train to be a pilot, for example, in British Columbia and it can cost $80,000, but they are guarante= ed to have a job at the end and they don’t necessarily have access to the s= ame amount of funding. What is the value of the Yukon grant for a school year, = and what do those other programs look like that she has mentioned?
Hon. Ms. McLean: I definitely want to provide this information. I don’t h= ave all of it in front of me today, but I will come back with a return on this question with more detail. There are a lot of things that factor into this — when you were looking at Yukon grant versus labour market and the W= orking UP program and other programs that may be available to individuals who are seeking to go through a trade.
There = are factors, like whether they are going to Yukon University and would qualify = for travel — for instance, if they are in Whitehorse or if they’re = in a rural community. There are differences in tuition costs, as well, and those pieces factor in.
I will definitely commit to bringing back a return and to detail a little bit more= on that, in terms of what are some examples — so, not just providing bas= ic information but giving a few examples, or scenarios, that will look at what= the differences are.
Ms. White: I thank the minister for that, and I do look forward to that.
One of= the reasons to go along this line again is that we acknowledge that education is changing and the face of education is changing. Along with that are familie= s. One of the challenges that was recently brought to my attention had to do w= ith eligibility, and it had to do with family makeup. If you are an 18-year-old= and your parent chooses to leave the territory — and you stay because you= are working in the territory, you live in the territory, you have your Yukon driver’s licence, you have your Yukon health care card — and you apply for an Outside university, and if you get accepted, you apply for the Yukon grant, but then you are denied because your parent lives in a differe= nt jurisdiction. The reason that this is an issue is that families look differ= ent. Not everybody stays at home when they are 18. We know that, in some cases, = many young people leave far before that. So, one of the challenges with the eligibility is based on where your parent lives, because if your parent has left the jurisdiction, but you went to school here, you graduated school he= re, you continue to live here, it’s your primary residence — and so= , if the minister can just talk a little bit about eligibility and then if there= is an appeal process and what that appeal process looks like.
Hon. Ms. McLean: The Government of Yukon’s student financial assistance p= rogram supports many students attending post-secondary education institutions in Y= ukon and beyond. The Student Financial Assistance Act and regulations outline the criteria for Yukon grant funding, which is available for students attending eligible, full-time, post-secondary programs. The criteria for post-secondary student eligibility for student financial assistance are established in legislation. The eligibility criteria for the Yukon grant are set out in the Student Financial Assistance Act a= nd regulations. Eligible criteria for the student training allowance are set o= ut in the Occupational Training Act and regulations.
There = is a board that administers this and can take appeals if any issues arise. The directo= r of training programs — there was a time when that position directly advi= sed the board. That is no longer the case. That position is now at arm’s length from the board, and the board receives the information independently= and is able to then make decisions around appeals that come to it.
Ms. White: Thanks to the minister for that. I was just trying to find the act online, which at times is more challenging than I would like.
Curren= tly, how many apprentices are registered in the Yukon?
Hon. Ms. McLean: Thank you for the question. Of course, I really appreciate the= work and what apprentices contribute to our communities — everything within our communities. We just had a chance to do a tribute not long ago and real= ly emphasize how important apprentices are and how broad it is. There are some= who look at this in sort of a narrower view. There is a lot of work being done = to showcase what can be accomplished through apprenticeship programs. <= /p>
As of = this month, Yukon has 415 registered apprentices, including 111 First Nation peo= ple, and there are 44 who identify as women in the apprenticeship programs.
Ms. White: I thank the minister for that. That is a stellar number.
One of= the questions that I have asked over time — and I don’t expect the Minister of Education to know, but I guess that I am signalling all ministe= rs that I am curious to have the answer — is: How many apprentices does = the Yukon government hire? One of the challenges is that the way in which an apprentice learns is actually on the job, and it is kind of challenging. It= is not that you have an extra fully skilled person on the site; you have someone w= ho requires a little extra support and a little extra direction, and it is rea= lly valuable.
I have= to say that the first time I got the answer — from between 2011 and 2016 = 212; I was shocked. I think the answer was four. But then I was more shocked aft= er 2016 when the answer was still four. I say this because the Yukon government has a real responsibility to take part in that, which is training Yukon apprentices to be qualified journeypersons, because without journeypersons, without trades, things kind of fall apart. They really do, for so many reas= ons. Every day, you go in and out of a room or a car or you turn on a light, and there is always a tradesperson behind that. I think that it is really important. So, I will just put that out there. I would like to know how many apprentices are currently on Yukon government staff because I think that th= at is a really important number.
I appr= eciated at the beginning when the minister gave us the number of vacancies, but one sc= hool that is near and dear to my heart is, of course, the northernmost school in= the territory, and that is up in Old Crow. The reason why I want to bring forwa= rd the Old Crow school is — for one thing, if folks haven’t had a = chance to visit — if you ever get a chance and you are in Old Crow, please go and visit the school. It is beautiful and is an example of a school that was very thoughtfully built. There is lots of light and there is lots of space; there is lots of space to gather inside, and it is really important because= , as you can imagine, in the wintertime, Old Crow is cold.
When w= e talk about vacancies in communities, can the minister let me know how many vacan= cies there are in the teaching staff in Old Crow right now?
Hon. Ms. McLean: It is a really important question and I know that we only have a few moments l= eft in the day, but I am very well aware of the issues around vacancies in Old Crow. One of the things about Old Crow, though, is that currently there are= 31 students in kindergarten to grade 12. This is lower than what was projected= . I think that we had projected that there would be 50 students enroled, and we presently have 31.
We ini= tially allocated for eight teaching positions for the school year. Again, we curre= ntly have 31 students in attendance. Currently, we are recruiting for two teachi= ng positions for the grades 10 to 12 math and science teacher and the principal who is also a learning assistant teacher. We do have a letter of offer out = for that position right now. I know that we are running short on time, so I apologize for not being able to go a little bit further on this. I’m = sure that we will have more time during Committee of the Whole to have more discussion, but I would be happy to bring back a bit more information and d= o a legislative return just because of the time of day.
Madam = Chair, given the time, I move that you report progress.
Chair: It ha= s been moved by the Member for Mountainview that the Chair report progress.=
Mot=
ion agreed
to
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <=
span
lang=3DEN-CA style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Madam Chair, I move that t=
he
Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Cha=
ir: It has been moved by the M=
ember
for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes that the Speaker do now resume the Chair.
Motion agreed to
Speaker resumes the Chair
Spe=
aker: I will now call the House =
to
order.
May the House have a report from the Ch=
air of
Committee of the Whole?
Chair’s
report
Ms.=
Blake: Mr. Speaker, Committe=
e of the
Whole has considered Bill No. 202, entitled Second Appropriation Act 202=
1-22,
and directed me to report progress.
Spe= aker: You have heard the report from the Chair of Committee of Whole= .
Are yo= u agreed?
Some Hon. Members: Agreed.
Speaker: I d= eclare the report carried.
Hon. Mr. Streicker: <= span lang=3DEN-CA>Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
Speaker: It = has been moved by the Government House Leader that the House do now adjourn. =
Mot=
ion agreed
to
Speaker: Thi= s House now stands adjourned until 1:00 p.m. Monday.
The=
House
adjourned at 5:28 p.m.
The following sessional paper=
was
tabled November 18, 2021:
35-1= -30
Yuk= on Housing Corporation Annual Report — For the year ended March 31, 2021<= /i> (Pillai)
=
The following document was filed November 18, 2021:
35-1-27
Better= Buildings Program, letter re (dated October 18, 2021) from Chris Rider, Executive Director, CPAWS Yukon, to Hon. Richard Mos= tyn, Minister of Community Services (Mostyn)
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