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Yukon Legislative Assembly Number 223 1st Session 33rd Legislature HANSARD Tuesday, October 27, 2015 — 1:00 p.m. Speaker: The Honourable David Laxton YUKON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER — Hon. David Laxton, MLA, Porter Creek Centre DEPUTY SPEAKER — Patti McLeod, MLA, Watson Lake CABINET MINISTERS NAME CONSTITUENCY PORTFOLIO Hon. Darrell Pasloski Mountainview Premier Minister responsible for Finance; Executive Council Office Hon. Elaine Taylor Whitehorse West Deputy Premier Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture; Women’s Directorate; French Language Services Directorate Hon. Brad Cathers Lake Laberge Minister responsible for Justice; Yukon Development Corporation/ Yukon Energy Corporation Hon. Doug Graham Porter Creek North Minister responsible for Education Hon. Scott Kent Riverdale North Minister responsible for Energy, Mines and Resources; Highways and Public Works Hon. Currie Dixon Copperbelt North Minister responsible for Community Services; Public Service Commission Hon. Wade Istchenko Kluane Minister responsible for Environment Hon. Mike Nixon Porter Creek South Minister responsible for Health and Social Services; Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board Hon. Stacey Hassard Pelly-Nisutlin Minister responsible for Economic Development; Yukon Housing Corporation; Yukon Liquor Corporation GOVERNMENT PRIVATE MEMBERS Yukon Party Darius Elias Government House Leader Vuntut Gwitchin Hon. David Laxton Porter Creek Centre Patti McLeod Watson Lake OPPOSITION MEMBERS New Democratic Party Elizabeth Hanson Leader of the Official Opposition Whitehorse Centre Jan Stick Official Opposition House Leader Riverdale South Kevin Barr Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes Lois Moorcroft Copperbelt South Jim Tredger Mayo-Tatchun Kate White Takhini-Kopper King Liberal Party Sandy Silver Leader of the Third Party Klondike LEGISLATIVE STAFF Clerk of the Assembly Floyd McCormick Deputy Clerk Linda Kolody Clerk of Committees Allison Lloyd Sergeant-at-Arms Rudy Couture Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Doris McLean Hansard Administrator Deana Lemke Published under the authority of the Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly October 27, 2015 HANSARD 6679 Yukon Legislative Assembly Karen’s other wish was to find a way to help those Whitehorse, Yukon women who were experiencing financial stress while Tuesday, October 27, 2015 — 1:00 p.m. undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Mardi Bras is an evening of music, dancing and entertainment that raises Speaker: I will now call the House to order. We will money and awareness to go toward this fund. proceed at this time with prayers. To date, Karen’s Fund has supported 121 Yukon women. These initiatives show how community involvement can help Prayers support women and their families as they battle breast cancer. While it is encouraging to see that the incidences of DAILY ROUTINE breast cancer rates are decreasing, I’m sure that every member Speaker: We will proceed with the Order Paper. in this House here today has known a woman diagnosed with Tributes. breast cancer, which is why we must continue to support organizations to help fight this disease. TRIBUTES Thank you to our local organizations for raising funds and In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month for raising awareness and a special thanks to so many Hon. Mr. Nixon: I rise in the House today to recognize Yukoners who very generously give their time, money and October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the expertise when it comes to supporting cancer initiatives here Canadian Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common in our incredible territory. cancer among Canadian women and the second leading cause of deaths from cancer in Canadian women. Breast cancer can Ms. White: I rise on behalf of the NDP Official also occur in men but it is not that common. Opposition and the Third Party to acknowledge October as It is estimated that in 2015, 25,000 women will be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. diagnosed with breast cancer. This represents 26 percent of all We’re lucky in the Yukon to be surrounded by go-getters new cancer cases in women in 2015; 20 to 25 of these women — people who see a problem or a difficulty and instead of will be Yukoners. This year, 5,000 women will die from sitting back, they pull up their socks and figure out the best breast cancer. Every day, on average, 68 Canadian women are way to help. Breast cancer has been one of those rallying cries diagnosed with breast cancer and 14 Canadian women will here in the territory. die. I’m sad that I never knew Karen Wiederkehr. From her Over the year, 220 men will be diagnosed with breast friends, I know that she was a ball of fire; a woman who cancer and 60 will die from it. The breast cancer incidence embraced life and its challenges head-on. She wasn’t a rate in women in Canada rose through the early 1990s because spectator. She lived every day to its fullest. mammography was used more often and breast cancer Karen was 36 years old when she was first diagnosed screening programs were introduced, which meant that more with an aggressive form of breast cancer. The stress of the cases of breast cancer were indeed found. The breast cancer diagnosis and the treatment was compounded by the need and death rate has been declining since then, reflecting the impact the want to care for her 16-month-old infant son. After 20 of screening and improvements in treatment for breast cancer. months of medical appointments, hospitalizations, surgeries, While much work has been done to increase the rates of radiation and chemotherapy, Karen lost her battle to breast detection and the treatment of breast cancer, there is still much cancer at the age of 37. more work to do, which is why organizations such as the From her legacy, I know that she thought about more than Canadian Cancer Society encourage donations to help fund herself and, based on her lived experiences, there were two research to outsmart this disease. things she wanted to leave behind to make the journey and the I would like to acknowledge the hard work of local battle easier for those who came after her. organizations such as Run for Mom and Mardi Bras. Run for In 1999 there was no dedicated space to deliver Mom is a family-friendly run and walk held every Mother’s chemotherapy at the Whitehorse General Hospital. Her five- Day along the Millennium Trail. The funds raised from this hour treatments were often given in the pre-op area and even event stay entirely in the Yukon and have been put toward in the emergency ward of the hospital. What should have been purchasing diagnostic equipment such as the digital a calm environment was interspersed with the noises mammography machine currently in use at Whitehorse associated with trauma, urgency and pain. She wanted to General Hospital. change that by leaving behind a space that would provide Mardi Bras is another local fundraiser for Karen’s Fund. chemo patients and their families a quiet, comfortable, Karen Wiederkehr was a young Yukon mother and wife who dedicated place to receive treatments. Karen’s husband Jack, died of breast cancer in 2000. She wanted her legacy to be a with the help of the construction community, made that dream quiet, comfortable place for cancer patients to undergo chemo come true with the creation of Karen’s Room at the treatments. Her husband Jack made that wish come true with Whitehorse General Hospital. Karen’s Room, a comfortable room in the Whitehorse General Karen was also concerned about the additional costs of Hospital for patients to receive their chemo treatments. the illness. While financially secure herself, she feared that others less fortunate could not afford some of the extra costs 6680 HANSARD October 27, 2015 not covered by the public health care system. She wanted a Are there any notices of motions? way to help ease the financial stress that many breast cancer patients face while undergoing treatment. NOTICES OF MOTIONS The Karen J. Wiederkehr Memorial Fund, or Karen’s Ms. McLeod: I rise to give notice of the following Fund, was created in October 2000. In 2014, the fund helped motion: 10 women, and since its inception 15 years ago, the fund has THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to helped 121 women in the territory and northern BC. plan a $2-million annual increase, or 30-percent expansion, We all know that men can also be affected with breast for the information technology capital envelope to advance e- cancer, and they too are able to access Karen’s Fund. services and e-government initiatives and create economic Thanks to the visionaries behind Mardi Bras, Karen’s opportunities for the local IT industry to take effect in the Fund is a living, breathing entity. The fundraising efforts by 2016-17 budget, subject to legislative approval. the Mardi Bras team reflect the woman herself. Every year for the past seven years or so, a dynamic group of women throws Mr. Elias: I rise to give notice of the following motion: a party every October to raise awareness and money for the THAT this House urges the Government of Yukon to fund. These events can’t happen without the generous support support the building of a new fibre optic link along the of the community, volunteers and, of course, those who Dempster Highway in conjunction with Northwestel to attend. Val Pike and Pat Living have been organizers since the connect the Yukon and NWT fibre networks, completing a beginning, and this year they were joined by Lyndsey fibre loop in northern Canada that will provide for data flow Hamilton, Alex Hill, Alison Perrin, Brianne Bremner, Hillary in another direction in the event of damage to the fibre at any Simpson, Ciara Stick and yours truly.

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