Latest news with #TheTrailbreaker
CBC
30-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
N.W.T. health authority says closing Stanton's emergency room is 'not an option'
Social Sharing The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority says closing the emergency department at Stanton Hospital is "not an option" — after doctors warned such closures were a possibility because of severe staff shortages. Dr. Courtney Howard and other doctors spoke to a territorial committee on behalf of the N.W.T. Medical Association last week, saying there was a desperate need for the territory to increase pay for locum doctors to keep the emergency room staffed for the next four to five months. Howard, an emergency room doctor herself, said the ER could close as early as the May long weekend. CBC News asked Health Minister Lesa Semmler for an interview. Her office did not make her available, saying it was an "operational" issue and that the health authority would respond instead. Dan Florizone, the public administrator of the health authority which operates the hospital, told CBC News on Wednesday morning that a "closure of the emergency department is not an option. It's not something we would actively pursue." He did say, however, that services and staffing at the hospital "might be affected" and that "triaging will be important." Florizone said new incentives to be announced later on Wednesday were part of the short-term plan to avoid closure. He didn't provide more detail about the nature of those incentives. Florizone said the health authority was also working with the Northwest Territories Medical Association on medium- and long-term plans as well. He said the association has made two other asks, on top of incentives, that the health authority is working on. Those include interest-based bargaining, in which a union and an employer talk about their needs instead of staking out their positions, and using new technologies — such as artificial intelligence and virtual care — to make jobs in the North more attractive. Florizone said the Department of Health and its minister had been "quite clear" that access to the emergency room is a "key priority" and that the health authority would "do everything we have to" to avoid closing it. On Wednesday, Florizone spoke with the host of CBC's The Trailbreaker, Hilary Bird. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. What is the authority doing to make sure that this closure doesn't happen? This is a challenge that is faced right across the country with position recruitment and retention for a whole host of health professionals. I've had a chance to meet Dr. Howard and the medical association several times now. We're meeting again in about a week. We're working through several of the requests of the association and we're very pleased with progress that's being made. What we're working on right now has culminated in — and I don't want to prelude too much — but an announcement that's coming today around locum physician recruitment and some incentives that have been called for by the association. Dr. Howard says that at this point, we offer less money — that locums coming up here have to essentially take a pay cut from other positions across Canada. Are you looking to increase the salary for locums coming up here? Yeah. Without getting into the details, that's certainly part of the package. We're also looking at the staffing situation. So there are really three asks that the association has put forward that we're very intrigued by. The first is to move to interest-based bargaining. So putting their interests in advance of talking about a long-term monetary package. They're talking about incentives. So in the short term, what can we do around recruitment and retention on both of those items? It's important to point out that the authority, the role that I play, is certainly supportive, but we're not the main bargaining agent for physicians. The third, which we're really intrigued by as well, is enabling technology. So everything from AI to virtual care, those kinds of assistive technologies that make these careers in the North more attractive. So we're working on all three fronts. And as you could imagine, there's short-term, medium-term and long-term goals at play here. We've been hearing about staffing shortages for months, if not years. And we've seen the health authority introduce other incentives to get doctors to come up here. How is it that we got to this point? Well it's interesting. For every move we make, some southern authority makes another move. So it's a bit of a ratcheting up that's occurred across the country. What's unique about this situation, and I'll take a southern kind of perspective on this, is that, where in the past our challenges have been rural and remote, now they're urban. So we're competing with the large centres for a very precious resource. Now, I've got to say, in just the short time that I've been here in terms of being oriented and onboarded and meeting the leadership, I've been truly impressed by the physician leaders, Dr. Howard and her team with the association, and their commitment to this place. But that can only go so far. We need to do our part to make the practice of medicine, the team-based primary care that's being delivered, as attractive as possible and we're working hard behind the scenes to do that. Dr. Howard says that given the staffing levels, we could see the emergency room close in as little as four weeks during the May long weekend. Do you think there's enough time to actually make progress here? The closing of the emergency department isn't like the South where you just simply go down the road. Of course that is the last thing we would do. We rely on locums, we rely on incentives, we rely on agency staff. We'll do whatever we have to do to maintain an emergency department. Now, that doesn't mean that services or staffing might not be affected and triaging will be important, but we're going to work very hard and with the association to avoid that. So closure of the emergency department is not an option. It's not something that we would actively pursue. But what if it does happen? What are the plans if you do have to close the emergency room? The plan is to avoid the closure. So staffing up and enhancing short-term incentives, seeking out our network of locums, the announcement that's being made today around compensation. All of those are intended to avoid any type of closure. These are short-term responses. We also have mid-term and long-term plans that we're actively working with the association on. So I'm really highly committed, as is the authority, to using our full suite of options and alternatives. And the Department of Health, the minister of Health has been quite clear with us: access is a key priority of this government and we will do everything we have to do to avoid any curtailment of those services. What is the long-term plan to ensure we don't end up in this situation again? We certainly have seen an aging of the population in Yellowknife and we've seen a lot of people through medical travel flowing from our more remote areas into Stanton and in fact South. So this not only places pressure on a hub like Stanton, it also creates a situation where patients are congested in that centre. If we can provide more care at home or closer to home, that's going to be part of the long-term strategy. So I'm actively working from the perspective of health cabins to health centres to hospitals outside of Stanton to make sure that the patient journey is such that we can avoid the crisis that causes the emergency room visits in Stanton, that causes the travel that's necessary. We're going to work with the association on those assistive technologies. Just as one example of that. We're also going to be working on primary care and chronic disease management. We're absolutely committed to avoiding the crisis that caused the emergency room visit in the 1st place. That's no small feat. But if we could avoid travel because we avoid the crisis, if we can start focusing in on chronic disease and chronic disease management, we can start to reduce the pressure on Stanton Hospital.
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Liberal Rebecca Alty 'really looking forward' to representing N.W.T. in Ottawa
Alty says she'll be stepping down as Yellowknife's mayor Rebecca Alty, the newly elected Liberal MP in the Northwest Territories, says she's looking forward to representing the territory in Ottawa and getting to work. "It's definitely a whirlwind," she said of the election on CBC's The Trailbreaker Tuesday morning. "It's so much work leading up to it and then it's this big moment, so yeah, really looking forward to it, it's a really big job." Alty said the territory is facing big challenges — and that top of mind for residents on the campaign trail had been drugs, housing and the economy. Now that the results are in, she said it'll be nice to get to work. Alty, who is in her second term as Yellowknife mayor, said one of the first things she'll do after cleaning up her election signs is signing her official resignation from her role at the city's helm. Once in Ottawa, she said she'll be pushing for a funding approval related to the Our Land for the Future conservation deal. That deal, signed last year by almost all Indigenous governments in the N.W.T. as well as the federal government and private donors, unlocked $375 million for long-term conservation. Alty said because Parliament was prorogued in January, funding didn't get approved on time. N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson congratulated Alty on her election in a statement. "As a proud Northerner, she brings a deep understanding of the territory's people, challenges and opportunities," he wrote. "I look forward to working with her to deliver results for Northerners in Ottawa." He said he looked forward to working with Carney as well, and noted the Prime Minister was born in Fort Smith, meaning he has a connection to the territory. "I look forward to building a strong and productive partnership focused on unlocking the full potential of the North for the benefit of all Canadians," said Simpson. At the time of the interview, it was still too close to say whether the Liberals would have a minority or majority government. Asked how she would make sure the N.W.T would get the attention it deserves in Ottawa, Alty said she'd build coalitions with other MPs across the country to amplify similar messages together. "There are differences in the North and I'll continue to highlight those, but really making sure we can amplify and build those coalitions to make a strong N.W.T. and a strong country," she said. Alty had 8,580 votes with 108 of 109 polls reporting as of Tuesday morning. Kimberly Fairman with the Conservatives was behind her with 5,284 votes. Kelvin Kotchilea, the NDP candidate, had 1,926 votes while the Green Party's Angela Davidson, also known as Rainbow Eyes, had 163.
CBC
11-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Lawyer tapped to study Giant Mine legacy comes with no 'preconceived notions'
Social Sharing The lawyer and former British Columbia politician recently appointed to assess the historical impacts of the N.W.T.'s Giant Mine on Indigenous communities says he plans to travel to Yellowknife this month to meet with those affected firsthand. Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Gary Anandasangaree named Murray Rankin as the ministerial special representative in a news release last week, saying Rankin's "experience and knowledge will support future recommendations to address the harms that resulted from the Giant Mine operations." The mine operated near Yellowknife between 1948 and 2004. The site is one of the most contaminated in Canada. Since 2021, a $4-billion remediation project to clean up the site and contain 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic arsenic trioxide dust underground has been underway. In a statement this week, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, which has been pushing for a federal apology and compensation for years, said it welcomes Rankin's appointment and is hopeful for a resolution. "The mine contaminated our core harvesting area. We no longer trust it as a safe place to harvest," said Ndilǫ Chief Fred Sangris. "We will share our peoples' message with Mr. Rankin that the damage is still felt today and will be felt for generations." Murray Rankin joined guest host Shannon Scott on CBC's The Trailbreaker on Tuesday. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Why are you the right person for this job? Well, I hope I'm the right person. I have had a long relationship with Minister Anandasangaree. We've done some, I think, pretty important things in British Columbia together on treaty making, for example, and reconciliation efforts. And I have worked as a lawyer with First Nations and with governments and with industry for a long time. I think the minister thought I might be able to give him advice and help to resolve this longstanding issue. It's been going on for some 56 years of the mine's operation, and then 20 years since, and there's some significant issues that need to be addressed. What are your goals for this position? My goals are to do what the minister has asked me to do, namely to work with the communities affected. There are several First Nations, in particular the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, of course, but there's Métis people as well, Tłı̨chǫ, and others that have been involved. The objective is to provide him with some very practical recommendations to try to address this longstanding problem. It's been around, as you know, for so long and promises have been made over the years — not all of them appear to have been met. So the idea is to come up with recommendations as to what extent the government of Canada bears responsibility. What are the specific impacts on the Indigenous peoples that were affected by the mine over the years, and to try to both heal the land and heal the people who were affected by this mine. One of the agreements that hasn't come to fruition yet around this is an apology and compensation. In 2021, the federal government signed an agreement to look into issuing that apology. What's your understanding of why that hasn't happened yet? I'm trying to get to the bottom of that. You're absolutely right. There was talk as well in 2021 of a negotiating table, they called it. And that was something that a former minister, Carolyn Bennett, committed to. That doesn't appear to have got off the ground. The N.W.T. MP, Michael McLeod, had brought in a petition. It got, I think, like thousands of names, you know, 32,000 people signed it calling for that compensation and apology. So the government of Canada has been doing whatever they've been doing and there's of course lots of work going on on the physical remediation, the environmental impacts of the contaminated site, but the impacts on the First Nations that were affected — it's my job to try to find out what can be done about that. I want to read a statement from Yellowknives Dene Chief Ernest Betsina about your appointment. He says "for decades we have advocated for an apology and compensation for the harms that our people have suffered as a result of Canada's authorization and administration of Giant Mine. We are hoping for a resolution for our claim before more of our elders pass away." Chief Betsina obviously wants a timely resolution. What is your timeline? My timeline is, and I've been in correspondence with the Yellowknives Dene just yesterday, and I'm hoping to come up to Yellowknife in a week or so. I've got arrangements that are currently being made to meet him and his people and to discuss all of that. I have the benefit of not really having spoken in the past, so I can hit the ground running with, if you will, a clean slate. My job is to report not to the public service, but to the minister himself and that I think gives me the opportunity to hear from them firsthand without any preconceived notions of what has happened or should happen. On that note, given the longstanding calls for justice over Giant Mine, how do you plan to address any skepticism about this process? Well, I hope I can, through the various conversations I have with a wide range of people, get to the bottom of it. There's obviously different perspectives on what has been done and what should be done. So my job is simply to listen to all sides of the issue and to try to come up with my best advice, my independent advice to the minister. Ultimately it's the government of Canada that will have to decide what to do with my report. I will do that within the next few months. This has been, I think everyone agrees, taking far too long to get going and it's my job to show action as quickly as I can. That's why I've been immersed in trying to learn about this from reading. And now I have to get in, talk to the people who are directly affected, and that's what I intend to do, beginning a week or so from now. How long will you be in Yellowknife? The initial trip, I expect to be there for a few days and then I'm going to, of course, be coming back because as you can imagine, there have been mountains of research and reports over the years and I've got to get to the bottom of that. It's a significant learning curve for me.
CBC
17-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Mackenzie highway route 'should be our call', says Pedzéh Kı̨ First Nation
Social Sharing Pedzéh Kı̨ First Nation Chief Jamie Moses says the N.W.T. government is "sticking to its guns" with a proposed route for an all-weather road from Wrigley to Norman Wells, sidelining community concerns about unstable land and disturbance to moose habitat and archaeological sites. Highway 1 starts at the N.W.T.'s border with Alberta and spans nearly 700 kilometres to Wrigley. The proposed all-season road would extend it by about 300 kilometres from Wrigley to Norman Wells, linking the Sahtu to Canada's wider highway network. "To our friends and family in the Sahtu … we hear your concerns and we know the demand for this road. We support that, but we know we also have to protect our area," said Moses. Moses said his community does not oppose the highway, but takes issue with the proposed route. In a Jan. 30 letter from Pedzéh Kı̨ First Nation, he urged the N.W.T. government and the Mackenzie Valley Review Board to refocus its efforts on a high-altitude route hugging the mountains and following the current Enbridge pipeline route. The current proposed route runs over muskeg and unstable landslide-risk areas, he said. Bridges that were installed to extend the life of the existing winter road will become noisier with year-round traffic, which could scare off moose and waterfowl that congregate in those low lying areas, he said. Moses told CBC's The Trailbreaker his community never consented to the N.W.T. government's plans to repurpose those bridges as features for an all-weather highway. Moses said year-round access could also bring unwanted harvesters to their traditional hunting areas and create more risk that the community's sacred or cultural sites be disrespected. He also said the existing bridge crossings are too close to the Dehcho and could lead to fuel spills into nearby rivers and creeks — pointing to a 2013 example in which a fuel truck crashed at Vermillion Creek and which he said luckily only released 10 litres of petroleum. Moses said an alpine route offers better vistas for tourism and protects their hunting areas and archaeologically sensitive places from disturbances. "It's better ground to build on, we're closer to the mountains where there's better base material," said Moses. "Looking toward the future, we want this road to showcase the beauty of our land." Route still being discussed, says N.W.T. government The N.W.T.'s Department of Infrastructure turned down a request for an interview from CBC News. In an emailed statement, it said the proposed all-weather route is designed to minimize the overall impact of the project on the environment and to "maximize alignment" with the existing winter road infrastructure and the "already disturbed footprint" it has created. It said Bear River Bridge still needs to be built, but other bridges for the route are already done. The department also said it had provided the First Nation with money to do Indigenous knowledge studies and that the route design was not yet complete. The department said it has made recent adjustments after getting community feedback. For example, it changed the proposed alignment near Bear Rock and Big Smith Creek, after hearing from Tulita. Heed community knowledge, says former chief Former Pedzéh Kı̨ chief Tim Lennie told CBC News that ignoring his community's warnings about landslide risks between Wrigley and Norman Wells will be costly and potentially unsafe for travellers in the future. "You're talking with people that lived in this area and … that's been the resounding message over all these years," he said. According to a report written following a Mackenzie Valley Review Board engagement session in the community last fall, participants said even the winter route was built without full consultation of the community. Lennie said the N.W.T. government's focus on using the old winter road is a "real waste of resources and capacity" for the First Nation. He also said his community has yet to receive supports like community training programs for future construction and socio-economic benefits. He said it's already been decades since the Mackenzie Valley Highway was proposed and that the project has been lucrative for "engineers, lawyers, consultants all on the government side" with few economic benefits to the community. The infrastructure department said that it has compared the current proposed alignment and an inland alternative. It said it will spend several winters conducting geotechnical assessments of the proposed alignment and decide if any further changes to the route are required. Moses, meanwhile, said the N.W.T. government is providing a "whole litany of reasons" for not establishing a route higher up on the land.
CBC
06-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
Yellowknife woman says ADHD and autism diagnosis at 34 led her to happier life
A Yellowknife woman says being diagnosed with ADHD and autism at the age of 34 has helped her understand herself and has led her toward a happier life. Evangeline Kapotaon, who was born in Ulukhaktuk, N.W.T., but who grew up in foster care in Yellowknife, said that she always knew she was different. "I'm always thinking, I'm always go go go. Like my brain never shuts off, it's always so chaotic," she said in an interview with Hilary Bird, host of CBC's The Trailbreaker. "I always felt like the odd one out because nothing made sense to me, I would process things a lot slower." It took hitting "emotional rock bottom" last fall for Kapotaon to find a therapist. After filling out a series of quizzes, Kapotaon said that therapist diagnosed her with ADHD and level 1 autism. It was an emotional moment. "Everything made sense. It was an overwhelming feeling of, I finally feel understood and I finally feel seen, and I finally feel like I can breathe," she said. "It made me understand myself." That understanding, said Kapotaon, has helped her recognize what she needs – for example, an hour to herself every morning – to be a better mom, friend, and colleague. "Being able to understand my emotions helps me teach my kids [to] understand their emotions and regulate their emotions, because I never had that growing up." Kapotaon said she's happier than she was before, and she's sharing her story now in hopes of helping others. "I'm able to process all of this because I have my basic needs met," said Kapotaon, acknowledging things like food and shelter – and the way she's been able to access tools that have helped her along the way.
