Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've been working with the RCMP and the Treasury Board on this for many years, actually. If it was my say, then we would be moving ahead at a faster rate, but it is not up to us. This is the RCMP at the federal level who are delegating this. At one time, they were looking at getting right out of providing their housing, but now they might be looking at retaining some, so I am not even sure that they are actually really clear at this time on what they are doing. So we are watching them closely. We are supporting them. We have told them we have the capacity and we are...

Thank, Mr. Chair. So, currently, we are looking at not as many individual units. We are looking at more of a multi-unit design where the energy efficiency would be better. We are looking at boilers, biomass, solar heat. LED light bulbs have been but into all of the public housing units. So we are looking at a variety of energy-efficient means so that we can actually be more energy efficient. Within the day of climate change, it's important for us all to be conscious of what we are doing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2018-2019 Main Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. While the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's estimates propose an operating budget decrease of $845,000 or 0.8 per cent from the 2017-2018 Main Estimates, the Government of the Northwest Territories contribution is increasing by $1.5 million to $76.4 million.

The proposed estimates include forced growth of $550,000 for housing, water, and sanitation services, as well as an increase of $2.9 million towards the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Housing Initiative...

Thank you. I was just trying to think of the name of the infrastructure or funding that we just announced today with the federal government. That one I believe is called the Building Canada Plan, Phase 2. I may be incorrect, but I believe it's called that.

That infrastructure money that was announced today actually is not to address the housing. The housing infrastructure, the housing money is actually coming through within the National Housing Strategy. I have a FPT in the middle of April, if they don't change the date, because they've changed it a couple of times so far. We'll be looking at...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 1, Western Canada Lottery Act, be read for the third time, and Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As stated in my previous answer, yes, through the Aboriginal Sport Circle, we do fund the annual middle school traditional games championships. If the Member is thinking of other games that we should be looking at, I am more than willing to work with the Member to consider those as options, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs recognizes that preserving Aboriginal culture is important to the residents of the Northwest Territories, and hand games is part of that tradition. There are a couple of requirements though. Of course, if there's money being exchanged during the hand games, we tend not to support that as that is more promoting gambling than the actual physical activity of hand games. Then we also try to encourage that because traditionally hand games are more for male, men and boys’ sports, so we also try to encourage the applicants...

Certainly, we can. The Workers' Safety and Compensation Board, just like other departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories, tries to work in partnership with all of the provinces and territories across Canada. We are always looking for best practices. We are always taking from each other, sharing workshops and sharing information. We will continue doing that process. It doesn't make sense to work in isolation. The best practice is working cross-jurisdictionally, looking at what is working and what is not working, and adapting our services based on that; so, yes, we will.

Yes, the department does report on these events. I'm not sure about the past, but, if we haven't been providing those to MLAs, I will make sure that we do provide those reports in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The department supports the Aboriginal Sport Circle's annual middle school territorial games championship, which includes hand games during those games.