The Sahtu region’s hub of Norman Wells is in a dire situation, with residents living in fear and some already choosing to move away, says MLA Danny McNeely.
The MLA presented a motion declaring a state of emergency for Norman Wells due to severe impacts from climate change, including rising food and heating costs, and a reduced tax base due to Imperial Oil’s departure.
“Parents are living in fear: Are the teachers of the school going to leave because they can’t afford to stay there?” McNeely asked.
“Take the middle‑aged population. They’re living in a state of fear. Are we going to have another job? Industry is closing.
“Take our elderly … the pensioners, living on their low income, can they afford to live there under these circumstances?”
The forced reliance on expensive air freight last year and the expanded winter road re-supply came about due to historically low water levels on the Mackenzie River that left annual barge shipments high and dry in Hay River.
“In our community, we’ve seen the drastic measures, catastrophic impacts of no water,” said McNeely. “You can’t afford to live there on an annual resupply.
Norman Wells on the Mackenzie River in this undated image. (Photo courtesy of Town of Norman Wells)
“What if you miss the winter road? Is your project going to go ahead? Yes, we can fly sugar in, but who’s going to afford that retail price?”
He highlighted that Norman Wells has received only 34-per-cent of its winter fuel supply. Iit’s unclear how long the frozen highway that sees transport trucks ferrying fuel from Enterprise the 750 kilometres to Norman well will be usable.
While the Town of Norman Wells has already declared a state of emergency, doing so from Yellowknife can unlock federal help from Ottawa.
The motion, seconded by Tu Nedhé – Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon, passed and now cabinet has 120 days to respond.
At the start of proceedings on Thursday, Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek raised a point of privilege, asserting that a Facebook post by Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart implied that the ongoing budget process involves backroom deals and is mere “accountability theatre.”
She argued that this undermines her ability to perform her duties as Finance Minister, particularly in a consensus government that relies on MLA support.
“Bluntly, this social media post creates a threat that if MLAs do not vote with certain other MLAs, or if they choose to speak directly to cabinet members, there may be accusations on some type on social media,” said Wawzonek.
“We are living in an era where social media is being increasingly used as a weapon. It is an unregulated space. There is no fact checking. The risk of cyber bullying and trolls and the like is well known, and it is often a particularly dangerous space for public figures.”
Testart countered, emphasizing the importance of freedom of speech and suggesting that his post did not impede Wawzonek’s work.
“There’s been no arresting of her ability to walk through the front doors and do her job here,” he said.
“We should be able to express ourselves within our own spaces, within our own platforms, within our own discussions, and that expression can include frustrations as well about process, criticisms of the transparency around process and criticisms of the decisions made by members in the House. That’s not intimidation.
“This appears that someone didn’t like something that was written on Facebook and is now rising a point of privilege … that is not the correct way to use privilege.”
Speaker Shane Thompson will rule on the matter in coming days.
