The minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) and the NWT Housing Corporation has made a habit of effectively ignoring reasonable and timely requests from NWT communities and fellow MLAs.
This has led to unreasonable delays in emergency assistance for Fort Simpson and, in another case, a federal funding denial for a transitional housing project in Yellowknife.
While students were able to return to school in Fort Simpson after flood waters receded last week, MACA still hadnSA国际影视传媒檛 assessed the damage.
Meanwhile, News/North reported on May 21 that Mayor Sean Whelly said heSA国际影视传媒檚 less than impressed with the slow response from the territory.
He said heSA国际影视传媒檚 calling on the territorial government to SA国际影视传媒渟tep up,SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒減ut their money where their mouth is,SA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渟tand by their commitment to do the work.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淲e knew the flooding was coming and they still didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have an assessor around.SA国际影视传媒�
As for financial aid, Whelly said he and his community still donSA国际影视传媒檛 have answers on how they would apply for funding from Minister Paulie ChinnaSA国际影视传媒檚 department.
This is not the first time a municipal leader has called out the minister for inaction. Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty took to Facebook in February 2020 to express her frustration that a Yellowknife housing deal was in the wood chipper after the city and the housing corporation had already hammered out the details.
Basically, ChinnaSA国际影视传媒檚 department failed to voice support for the project, which would have provided 42 transitional housing units to support Yellowknife residents experiencing homelessness.
, when MLA Rocky Simpson tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to extract details of the departmentSA国际影视传媒檚 plans for flood response and relief.
Chinna responded by noting, SA国际影视传媒渢he Town of Hay River experienced this just last spring,SA国际影视传媒� and then, SA国际影视传媒淚 was briefed at my last briefing SA国际影视传媒� that they (the Town of Hay River) were working on a federal application for the disaster fund to work with those affected residents by the high water levels.SA国际影视传媒�
Simpson replied: SA国际影视传媒淚 think she misunderstood my question; it was what they are doing for breakup this year.SA国际影视传媒�
He referenced the lack of support from the department, financial and otherwise, when parts of Hay River flooded last year, asking:
SA国际影视传媒淐an we expect the same treatment, or are we going to show some compassion if the same thing happens during breakup?SA国际影视传媒�
Chinna only pointed back at the Town of Hay River, saying, SA国际影视传媒渢he application for federal aid was supposed to be submitted.SA国际影视传媒�
When pressed by Simpson for specifics on whether MACA personnel would be present at breakup to ensure that decisions are timely and support would be there, Chinna said only that her staff would provide assistance from the departmentSA国际影视传媒檚 regional office in Hay River.
Fast forward to recent flooding in the Deh Cho, where in Fort Simpson, children returned to school without MACA first assessing the damage.
None of these events were a surprise.
MACA has had financial relief for potential flood victims for this year on the books since February 2021. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 when it released the updated Community Government, Small Business and Resident Guide for its Disaster Assistance Policy.
The document details MACASA国际影视传媒檚 intent to take responsibility for providing flood-related financial aid but falls short of explaining exactly how residents can access funds, indicating only that the MACA regional superintendent will act as the point of contact. SA国际影视传媒淐laim forms and submission contacts and deadlines will be made available,SA国际影视传媒� it states.
As of press time, the only response from either department under ChinnaSA国际影视传媒檚 leadership has been from a MACA spokesperson.
Jay Boast, spokesperson for MACA, stated that an information package on disaster assistance had been shared with communities. He said that MACA struck a recovery disaster assistance committee SA国际影视传媒渨hich will engage impacted communities in the coming days and that community representatives from the emergency management organization are in regular contact with GNWT.SA国际影视传媒�
It was not a good look to see Chinna struggling to answer the questions of MLAs on a critical file, again. Based on the frustration they and other elected leaders like Whelly have shown, it is clear the ministerial level is far from the only place in the MACA apparatus with communications breakdowns.
The residents of the NWT displaced by flooding and the politicians elected to represent them deserve more than a redux of ChinnaSA国际影视传媒檚 bumbled response to the Yellowknife housing proposal.
There is too much important work to be done this summer SA国际影视传媒� remember the plan to build dozens of public housing units before the snow flies in communities across the NWT SA国际影视传媒� for our leadership to be scrambling for answers.
