Frederick Blake Jr.

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Mackenzie Delta we are looking forward to offering families new housing units. There is a four-plex in Aklavik and a duplex in Fort McPherson that has been completed before Christmas and is ready for new tenants.

We are happy for the units, Mr. Speaker, and encourage the NWT Housing Corporation to build more units so that families can be accommodated. Mr. Speaker, the newly completed units, however, are sitting empty. This is due to the fact that there were issues with power meters on the units. Since a completion of the units, there has been no...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement, I have questions for the Minister responsible for Education, and I am sure she may need assistance from the Infrastructure Minister, because it is between those two departments.

Mr. Speaker, I have heard from the community that Moose Kerr School has been closed due to the building issues more than once this winter. How does the department monitor these kinds of issues, and when does the department step in? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we were planning all of this work that was going to take place, like the parking area, the department said that they will meet with the hamlet and the community and speak with them to see what they would like to see done for the safety issues. Going into the 2019-2020 year, what is the department's current plan for Moose Kerr School? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I understand that the GNWT provided some small capital funding for the removal of hazardous portables and the creation of a play space at Moose Kerr School. What is the status of this work?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with this recent cold snap, several schools across the Northwest Territories have closed because of extreme cold. Even when these closures only last the morning or a full day, they remind us how important one's environment, both inside and outside, is to the students' ability to learn successfully.

Families and community leaders in Aklavik remain concerned about the adequacy of Moose Kerr School, not our dedicated teachers, not our hardworking students, not the many groups that also use the school, but the building itself.

This winter alone, the school has...

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment also planned to engage with the community to address safety concerns for children walking to school and using the parking area. What is the status of this work, and how has the department worked with the community over the past year?

I know many of my constituents, especially the ones who go out, bring in a lot of furs. I just have a question. I would like to get an update on the uptake on the Grubstake Program. I know this Territory is a leader that is pretty much the only territory -- none of the provinces that I know of have a grubstake program similar to ours. Just a little update from the Minister on that program?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is the opening season in the Beaufort Delta for trapping. Many people are very excited to go out on the land and continue our traditional way of life. Please be safe as our warmer temperatures and swift water can make the ice unsafe on the rivers, creeks, and rivers as you begin to open up your trap lines and start setting traps.

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty neat to see that my constituents continue to this day to bring their children with them and teach them our traditional way of life. Also, Mr. Speaker, we have some elders who are in their 70s and 80s...

Mr. Speaker, WHEREAS Section 21 (1) of the Territorial Emblems and Honours Act provides for the creation of a Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council to review nominations and recommend appointments to the Order of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS in May 2018 the following members were appointed to the Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council;

Ms. Sabrina Broadhead of Hay River;

Mr. Danny Gaudet of Deline; and

Ms. Anne Peters of Yellowknife.

AND WHEREAS Section 23(1) of the Territorial Emblems and Honours Act provides that the Legislative Assembly, on the recommendation of the...

The department has started a new initiative in the Mackenzie Delta, especially in Aklavik-Inuvik, with harvesting of beaver this past spring here. It was very, very productive. You know, the community has seen over $100,000 brought into the community of Aklavik alone; the communities that were a part of this. It wasn't cash into the communities, but it was money that went into cards, whether it was to the local Northern store. On that note, on-the-land collaborative, how many projects and how was this paid out?