Alfred Moses

The department is meeting our obligations for French first language education under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Education Act, and the NWT Court of Appeal decisions. We are currently working on, hopefully, to break ground on a new gymnasium in the summer of 2017. I have also committed to trying to set up a meeting to go into the school to actually meet with the students and the staff, as well. We are hoping to break ground on a new gymnasium in the summer of 2017.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. On March 31st, we did send a letter to Minister Joly in regards to work that needs to be done on all schools throughout the Northwest Territories. We are working with Heritage Canada, putting together an application, actually, for Heritage Canada’s complementary funding and education program which supports the construction and expansion of community space and education institutions. As I mentioned, we did write a letter. I wrote Minister Joly in looking at possible funding supports that are available to minority language education, and later this week officials from both...

Based on the availability of contractors here to help build, we are hoping, and our intention is, to have the facilities available for students by September 2018.

Yes, we did send a letter to initially start the discussions. We have been keeping regular meetings with the Federation FrancoTenoise. Most recently on Friday, we had a really good dialogue. As I mentioned, we are putting that application together and making sure that, as a department, we’re taking the responsibility to make sure that we can look at the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr. As I mentioned, we have officials from both departments that are going to set up a meeting on Friday, and we’ll move it from there to see what our next steps are. I’m hoping that next time I am in Ottawa that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome all seniors that are joining us here today, particularly Elizabeth Kunnizzie from Inuvik and Jeanna Graham. I did work with Jeanna many years ago as a community health rep and we did a lot of really good work together through the Northwest Territories. I’d also like to recognize Mr. Stephen Jackson, who gave me a great tour of Avens not too long ago and I appreciate the work that they are doing. As well as welcoming and acknowledge Mr. Ron Smith and I know Mr. Wade Blake’s up there as well and appreciate the work that they’re doing. Our Minister gave...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the Safe and Caring Schools Act, we have also made sure that, in the definition, we are getting community support as well. In terms of supporting, I don’t have any financial resources being put forth. That is something we can definitely look at. I did make a commitment to my department to look at the two groups here, the groups here in Yellowknife, and work with them in terms of developing these policies or getting input into the safe and caring schools regulations when the plans come out as well. We will definitely reach out and see what kind of work we can do...

Currently, we have an NWT health curriculum already in place, as well as we are going to be doing work under the education, renewal, and innovation. Within the current NWT health curriculum, we are addressing outcomes of skills for healthy relationships as it is mandated, and one of the components of this program is a unit on challenging homophobia. It is actually linked to the website. Also, it is in the K to 9 curriculum, as well as we have other initiatives that are committed to ensuring that some of this work in the curriculum will address some of the concerns that the Member has brought...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the external working group, some members were selected. Going forward, seeing as all the safe school plans still have to be developed and submitted by October 1st, we will go look into those. We are also creating a safe and caring schools manual. In that manual, there is a section that explicitly focuses on the LGBTQ education, history, and concerns, addressing such topics as sexual identity, gender bullying, suicide, social and emotional learning and diversity. I can get to the departments and ensure that the two organizations that have been identified, we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 1955 Fred Carmichael became the first Aboriginal person in the North to get a pilot’s licence. Over 60 years Fred has contributed to the community of Inuvik, the region, the Northwest Territories, and in fact, Canada. He’s been an entrepreneur. He’s flown in many search and rescue missions, also done a lot of medical evacuations throughout the Northwest Territories and has mentored numerous Aboriginal youth, as well as Aboriginal peoples and leaders that you can see in this House today. In 2010, Mr. Carmichael received the Order of Canada. In 2013 he received an...

Moving forward in this area, the government can only do so much with the resources we have. That is why we have developed partnerships. Any action plans, any work that we do, we always make sure our stakeholders, NGOs, businesses, youth centres get involved and give us information that we can take into consideration. With the safe and caring schools area, that is a new act. Like much things, it can always be revised and looked at how we can make it better and improved better. But I encourage that we do put some of those things into the safe school plans moving forward.