David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regards to the community housing cooperative, we are working with the community. We have identified money in next year’s budget to do a maintenance program in regards to the mould problem, and also to bring that building up to certain standards so we are able to occupy the whole building. There is a report on that particular project. I thought you were talking about the programs in general. So we are looking at that. We have a plan in place. I will then share that with the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of this study being done in Fort Liard. We based our information on lead surveys that we have conducted on that. That is how we allocate our budget.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would direct the department to look into that and see how many units we do presently have that have accessibility for people with disabilities. I know we do have them in most of our communities, so I won’t have a problem getting that information to the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a corporation, we do have units that are designated for people with disabilities. The people who do come forward through the corporation to access our units are given priority, and there are units that are designated for people with disabilities. I'm not too sure if the Member is talking about clients in the Housing Corporation units through North Slave housing or other housing co-operatives that are here in Yellowknife, or if you're talking in general. Maybe the Member could clarify his question.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Workers’ Compensation Board 2003 Annual Report.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have programs to assist the private sector, seniors and people with disabilities, with regard to different maintenance programs. If that means assisting them by way of having the equipment there that will make life easier for people with disabilities by way of bathroom attachments to the walls so they're able to have access to get in and out of the washrooms, I think those types of things we do have different programs through the corporation, through the home repair program, through the maintenance program for seniors and people with disabilities....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Fred Koe, and also Bea Campbell, the president of the Seniors’ Society. Welcome to the House, and all the elders up there. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a corporation, we are developing our 10-year plan. We are looking at different initiatives. We all know that we are seeing a major decline in the amount of money we get through CMHC, so we are looking at new initiatives. One of the different initiatives we are looking at is selling off a bunch of our assets to make our units more operational. Right now, we are paying a large amount of our dollars on the operational side, in regards to the water, the sewer, the electricity. The utilities are very high in a lot of our communities. We have to find...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, friends. At this time, I would like to send condolences to the Nazon family in Tsiigehtchic on the passing of Joanne Nazon, who was a well-respected elder who was well into her 90s and would have been 91 next week. Joanne left behind a large family. Regards to the Ross family and the Nazon family. At this time, I would like to send condolences to Richard, Peter, Ross and family, Margaret Nazon, the McDonald family, and Louise Lennie and family.

More importantly, I would like to send condolences out to the people of Tsiigehtchic. This is a great loss...

Thank you, Mr. Premier. I’ve had several meetings with key stakeholders in this. I have met with the Minister responsible for Housing, Mr. Fontana. I’ve met with Ethel Blondin-Andrew, who is now the Secretary of State responsible for Northern Development. I also had a meeting with Bill Erasmus with AFN. They also are looking at housing being one of the critical issues, especially for First Nation communities across Canada.

It is high on the agenda across the nation and I think by building these working relationships through reorganizing and realizing our challenges are different in the North, I...