Frederick Blake Jr.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister just mentioned that the building is sound and safe. As I just mentioned, it is taped off as we speak. Nobody is allowed in the building, Mr. Speaker. It is taped off like a crime scene, as I mentioned. Nobody is allowed in or out. I mean, in. Even staff can't go in the building without being with somebody, so that is how safe it is as we speak. Mr. Speaker, we need to make sure that our buildings are all up-to-date, and, when we are in a crisis as we are right now, that we act as soon as possible here, Mr. Speaker. As we move forward, I will be getting the Minister to...

I doubt it will be within this month because, as I have said, the ferry is not open. The contract, as I checked on Friday, still wasn't out. There is a lot of work to be done to the interior. They have to do mudding, painting, repairs to the floor, from what I understand. The stairs need to be redone. Mr. Speaker, the list goes on. With so much funding going toward fixing the dated building, has the Minister considered building a new health centre in Tsiigehtchic?

Mr. Speaker, in the fall session last year, I raised concerns about the state of the health centre in Tsiigehtchic. The health centre was built in the mid-1980s and is in dire need of repairs, or better yet, replacement. Last year I stated that, in two years, the health centre had its pilings adjusted twice. When I asked the Minister of Health and Social Services if Tsiigehtchic was getting a new health centre, the Minister stated that Tsiigehtchic was in the 20-year capital plan, but that it was a ways out yet.

Mr. Speaker, in April the Department of Infrastructure put out a contract in the...

It leads me to my next question. As we haven't seen the red flag list here for quite some time, what is the plan for the health centre in the next five years for Tsiigehtchic?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, just last week, as I travelled here from Tsiigehtchic, our health centre was still taped off like a crime scene because our workers and residents can't access the building because it is shut down. Mr. Speaker, luckily we have the Aurora College, which let the health centre staff operate for the spring here. With break-up happening, who is to say what would happen if that building wasn't available? I would like to ask the Minister: can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Karen Mitchell, who is marked down as from Yellowknife but is originally from Fort McPherson. I would also like to take this time to thank her for all the work that she has done for the Gwich'in language. Mahsi cho.

Mr. Speaker, you know this is a serious issue, but it's kind of funny because these issues were identified during the negotiations with the new contractors, and I'm glad that the department woke up and smelled the coffee and realized that this work needed to be done. So I'd like to ask the Minister: when can we see construction starting up again for the summer months?

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Let's talk housing in the NWT, or lack of housing. Mr. Speaker, as it stands right now, housing is a major issue in our communities. There are families that have been on the waiting list for months and, in some cases, for years.

Fort McPherson has had the same concerns with housing: just not enough units available for families that are growing and not enough units for single adults. We have new families that are just beginning their lives together with little or no housing available.

Mr. Speaker, in all of our communities, we have homelessness: people who are couch...

Mr. Speaker, I know this put a little delay in the construction, but I'd like to ask the Minister: are we still on target to complete the elders' home for the fall?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister: what were the reasons for the recent halt of work to the elders' home in Fort McPherson? Thank you.