The NWT’s health minister says the territory could look at new boarding home solutions in Yellowknife amid concern about existing capacity.
Asked by Mackenzie Delta MLA George Nerysoo if anyone had looked at building a new boarding home, Lesa Semmler said private companies and Indigenous governments had expressed interest in developing “plans to meet the NWT’s medical travel boarding home needs.”
“We hope for a successful request for proposals for the new Yellowknife-based boarding home contract in the coming fiscal year,” she said.
Semmler said occupancy at the current Keskorie boarding home in Yellowknife has increased by about 50 percent since April 2023.
“Recently, an increased demand on medical travel related to dental is a huge factor,” she said.
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Dental visits to many communities were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some communities reported gaps in dental services even prior to the pandemic, and the situation hasn’t improved.
In the past year, the Dene Nation has complained that a lack of dental visits to small communities is letting residents down, while Semmler said last week nobody had bid on a request for proposals to treat residents’ teeth in the Mackenzie Delta.
In the absence of dentists heading to communities, more people generally end up having to travel to larger centres like Yellowknife for treatment instead.
Nerysoo, who had questioned Semmler about dental services last week, had more questions on Monday after reports of complaints from people placed at Yellowknife hotels when boarding homes are full.
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The CBC reported earlier this month that some patients have complained of loud noises at night and issues with room cleanliness and temperature at the Quality Inn and Suites.
“I myself can confirm these stories,” Nerysoo said on Monday. “I was a patient who was referred to this establishment because the boarding home was full.”
Det’on Cho Management, the economic arm of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, operates the 31-room Keskorie boarding home, which was formerly a hotel.
Semmler said as part of its agreement with the NWT government, the boarding home is responsible for contracting alternative commercial accommodation – like hotels – when the boarding home is full.
“They collaborate with all of the local hotels to try and find any rooms for patients coming in,” she said.
Semmler said the agreement also includes standards for client safety and cleanliness that are monitored and discussed with the contractor.
Semmler said her department would continue to monitor the increased demand for boarding home services as well as the lack of capacity at commercial hotels, and work with Keskorie to address concerns.
