MLAs urge ministers to offer residents more help with heating costs

The NWT’s regular MLAs have called on the territory’s cabinet to help support residents with the high cost of home heating and ensure people can afford to stay warm this winter.

On Thursday, regular members of the Legislative Assembly passed a non-binding motion that asks ministers to review and increase home heating subsidies.

The motion also requests incentives for energy-efficient heating appliances, work to publicize existing programs that reduce energy costs, and an expansion of programs that help people spend time on the land to reflect the high cost of fuel.

The territorial government has 120 days to respond to the motion, which was introduced by Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart.

“Too many households are living on a knife’s edge, where one short paycheque could see northerners teeter over the edge into debt or worse,” said Testart.

Dehcho MLA Sheryl Yakeleya – who seconded the motion – said she was moved by comments made by a youth parliament MLA earlier this year about how people in her community are struggling to put food on the table.

“Hearing a young person speak about the hardship she was witnessing in her community was heartbreaking,” said Yakeleya in the legislature on Thursday.

“No child should have to grow up worrying about whether their family can afford the basic necessities in life.”

She said the assistance currently available is “falling short of what many households actually need.”

“Some residents just earn above the income thresholds for existing programs, yet still face heating bills that take up a significant portion of their income,” said Yakeleya.

Frame Lake MLA Julian Morse said in his district, many residents struggle to keep up with the cost of living.

“Everybody is going to feel the pinch this winter, and there’s a lot of people for whom this is going to be really uncomfortable and really difficult,” said Morse, “but there are families who are going to be facing the difference between being able to pay their bills and not.”

He said many people are in an “affordability trap,” where those living in energy-inefficient homes and heating their homes with an oil furnace have trouble saving up to replace their heating systems, while funnelling cash into their existing setup.

Morse said he hopes the territorial government can work with the Arctic Energy Alliance – which administers energy-efficiency programs and rebates – and the federal government to expand programs that help households purchase wood stoves.

Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan echoed a sentiment that the territorial government should find a way to ensure subsidies are not going to the wealthy, but to those who can’t afford current prices.

“That’s tricky because no matter your income level, no matter where you live, everyone right now feels that they cannot afford the price hikes,” said Morgan.

She said that while she does see a case for implementing temporary subsidies, the government should focus on helping people move away from heating oil and making their homes more efficient, “so they can actually save money going forward.”

Great Slave MLA Kate Reid said she’d like to see wood pellets produced in the NWT, if there is interest from industry to do so.

“Shortening supply chains could help a lot,” said Reid.

Mackenzie Delta MLA George Nerysoo said that when he was last there, the price of gas in Fort McPherson had risen to $2.60 per litre, while the price of heating fuel was over $3 per litre.

“Residents throughout the territories need immediate relief, assistance, and [to] be educated on what programs are available from this government,” said Nerysoo.

Solutions being examined, says minister

Finance minister Caroline Wawzonek said the motion presented “an opportunity to to consider how we use public dollars, for which we’re all responsible.”

She said increases in energy prices are not unique to the NWT, citing “double-digit growth in energy prices across Canada since the war in Iran.” Heating fuel prices are up by 45 percent and gasoline up by 35 percent, the minister said.

According to Wawzonek, one in 10 NWT residents currently faces what she referred to as “energy poverty,” where 10 percent or more of their income is spent on in-home energy.

“That’s a pretty significant sum,” said Wawzonek.

However, she said the GNWT already spends $18 million annually on programs to help stabilize energy costs, such as the rate equalization program and territorial power support program.

The territorial government also recently expanded its home heating subsidy for seniors.

Wawzonek said about half of the NWT’s residents rely on diesel to heat their homes, compared to only 3.5 percent of Canadians overall.

“Certainly, that may speak to why the federal government isn’t targeting this,” said Wawzonek, adding there tend not to be many federal dollars geared toward subsidizing fossil fuels.

She said solutions to the high cost of heating are being looked at.

“We’ve already got departments looking at what’s working best and where we can move that forward, and appreciate the support from colleagues to get that done,” said Wawzonek.

“When we think collectively, and when ideas come forward in this manner, it really does create an opportunity for consensus government to do what it’s good at,” she said, “which is to spot issues, find issues, and work on them.”