Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and we can't look at a meeting on that subject and that proposal; however, the proposal that’s going in is what meets our criteria for our standards in building schools for the population and the enrolment rates of that school. I mean, if the Member wants to talk about putting in a glamorous proposal, working together, we still don’t have that schematic design, and we need that design if we want to work to get more funding from Heritage Canada. That's the next step before we can start seeing how we can look at getting access in the federal funding.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, we've already submitted a proposal, it's ahead of the game. Heritage Canada hasn't asked for callout for proposals. We're hoping to hear something by January or February where those discussions have taken place. Any further opportunities that myself and my department can have in engaging and discussing these matters with the Minister of Heritage Canada to come to a solution that's happy, that'll make everyone happy, I think. We'll take those opportunities as soon as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, I think that funding was only available around that time. I think moving forward plus, like I say, we're in a financial situation to try to leverage more dollars. We have to have those conversations with the federal government. But right at this time, we don't have those dollars to leverage those projects. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just as I mentioned, all projects have to go through a capital planning process and there is a budget within the capital infrastructure budget here, and it's not only schools. We've got roads. We've got health centres, we've got hospitals. There's a lot of things that are taken into consideration. We’ve got housing that are all in the budget that we need to look at, and as I said it's all the priorities that are in the planning process. We also have some other criteria that we look at when addressing the needs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and just in addition to my last comments that when we go in in November we'll be trying to get that information and some of the concerns that community might have in terms of when the construction happens, but the project will provide additional instructional, as well as research and support space for the students and staff population, and also includes an additional classroom and a language and culture classroom that'll add approximately 1,300 square feet of additional space. If the Member wants me to get him the list of what it's going to include in it. But that'll be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department has been consistent in ensuring that our obligations under our capital standards are being met across the Northwest Territories and that any construction over and above these standards must be met with 100 per cent third-party funding. We have 49 schools in the Northwest Territories, we've got to make sure that we're providing education to all students, all 8,300 students across the Northwest Territories.

The Member is right, we did put in a proposal to Heritage Canada. They haven't even done a callout, we're ahead of the game, we're asking...

Thank you. In terms of the Detah School, it has just been identified so we're going to work at getting into that needs assessment in the capital planning process. So it has just been identified and, as we get further updates, we'll let the Member know.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I mentioned, we do have 49 schools in various conditions and states across the Northwest Territories. In the previous government, there was a planning study within the budget; however, that money was moved to address the fixing of the roof at William McDonald, and as all Capital Planning Processes it has to go through the planning process and that’s based on priority getting it onto the budget. So it's going to have to meet the requirements that are listed that will get them on the planning study. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So right now there's no definite time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate the question and the concern for Charles Tetcho School. I know that we did have some back and forths in the House on this one. I believe the next discussion and talks will be happening in November. The department will go in and work on that schematic design with the community, and then moving forward from there, so they'll have a community consultation sometime in November. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, and I apologize to the Member. I just gave the information in terms of why we're not going to revisit the ministerial directive, because the enrolment rates were low, a lot of engagements and consultations went on already. In terms of the continued work forward and the letter, we did have to translate all the jurisdictional scan information, we got that done, and we will be responding to CSFTNO and APADY with our response as well.