David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the situation in Tuk this year we are going to be able to deliver the program because the units are going into Tuk. I believe we have one supported-lease program, which is a single-dwelling house, but the other unit is an eight-plex unit. But we are going to build that on existing property that’s owned by the Housing Corporation and basically move the units that are presently condemned or not being used. So we will build on an existing site already in Tuk. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we are working with Municipal and Community Affairs. We have a planning team in place to look at what lots are available, what granular materials are there, and what has to be delivered. So we are working that into our transitional plan. For this year we have put out tenders, but most of those tenders that have been put are on the basis we do have lands available in those communities. Again, through the transitional plan that we’re working on with MACA, we will be able to have a better idea what lands are available and what granular materials we’re...

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address the recent announcement of the affordable housing plan that will provide a $100 million investment in affordable housing in the Northwest Territories over the next three years.

As Members are aware, the 2006-07 Main Estimates of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation were prepared on the basis of commitment by the previous federal Housing Minister to provide $50 million over three years for new affordable housing. At that time, Members were informed that the comprehensive plan set out by the Housing Corporation to provide 530 units over three years...

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address the recent announcement of the affordable housing plan that will provide a $100 million investment in affordable housing in the Northwest Territories over the next three years.

As Members are aware, the 2006-07 Main Estimates of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation were prepared on the basis of commitment by the previous federal Housing Minister to provide $50 million over three years for new affordable housing. At that time, Members were informed that the comprehensive plan set out by the Housing Corporation to provide 530 units over three years...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a couple of constituents in the gallery. Mr. Les Blake from Fort McPherson and Debbie Greenland from Aklavik. I’d also like to welcome everyone else in the gallery.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a Loan Guarantee Program where we guarantee the loan of a client. They go to the bank, the bank wants some certainty that they want to be able to assured that if they give a loan, someone will basically guarantee it. So we guarantee the loans as they're approved by the banks. So that's the loan guarantee that we offer. Again, it's up to $1 million. In those cases, we work that arrangement with the banks, the individual and ourselves. Where we've offered the loan guarantee, we have a written letter. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have a Loan Guarantee Program in which we were able to assist the Hay River Reserve by getting a loan through a loan guarantee where we guaranteed the loan in which they were able to borrow $1 million from the bank and build 10 units on the reserve. Again, the program is open to every organization out there. We have several of these in place with a lot of businesses, and also people in the private sector. So this program is in place; it is there to assist people in the private sector to develop housing infrastructure in the North. So it is a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been talking to aboriginal organizations. We have a program right now in place with the Metis Land Corporation in Norman Wells. We've done a project with them where we've built eight units, where they built four, we built four. Again, it was through a Loan Guarantee Program.

But again, we have talked to land claims organizations, band organizations, and also people in the private sector, that this program exists. I think we're hoping people will take up this program, especially where communities have lands in regards to IAB lands. I think that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to pay tribute to Albertine Rohdes. Albertine has given a lot to the people of the Northwest Territories, especially her wisdom and her knowledge and the struggle for aboriginal rights in the Northwest Territories.

Albertine was very active with the Metis Nation of the Northwest Territories. She was involved in the Dene/Metis process. She was involved in devolution and where we are today with aboriginal rights.

Albertine would always be the one at the meeting that everyone would want to hear from. She was the person who spoke from the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, Alfred Lennie was a person who said it as it was and was straight to the point. One thing Alfred always had is, he had a way of just approaching anyone he went to and he was so easy to get along with, yet Alfred had a way of saying things that we, in most cases, were reluctant to say, but he said it anyhow.

Alfred will be greatly missed. Again, I would like to thank the Lennie family for sharing such a wonderful person. Again, I send my condolences to the family. I encourage the people in those communities to support the families...