Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement I have a few questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. I'd like to ask the Minister: has the Housing Corporation fully addressed the heating problems at the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Looking to the future, what is the Housing Corporation's next steps on this issue?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my riding, including the communities of Aklavik and Fort McPherson, residents have some hard questions for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. In these communities, there are a number of old units that are empty, boarded up, and no one can live in them, but these units are still standing in the communities, even with residents pinned between long waiting lists for public housing and shortfalls in market rental availability.

I know that the Housing Corporation is hard at work on several new projects. Planned work on the new seniors' facility in...

I'd like to ask the Minister: will the Minister work with each community, as every community is different? A good example is, in the past in Aklavik, for example, they did take some units apart and gave that material out in the community; but as you know, in Aklavik we have floods and we did get a flood that year and also high winds, so a lot of that material was left around the community, which the hamlet had to clean up.

So would the Minister ensure that each community is consulted with before a decision is made?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement earlier today, I have a few questions to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. I would like to ask the Minister: can the Minister provide an update on the disposal of old housing units in the Mackenzie Delta? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That sounded like a yes.

Laughter

I look forward to working with the Minister, and, if we don't find a solution, I'm sure I'll bring it up again here during session. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After my Member's statement, I have a couple of questions for the Minister responsible for Youth. I'm sure he could work with the Minister of Justice on this as well, but I'd like to ask the Minister: what kind of programs or funds within the GNWT can organizations like the Odd Squad apply to for government support, financial or otherwise? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I mentioned, this great opportunity here, a few of the Members have a responsibility to work with this sort of program here, a very good opportunity. I spoke to one of the organizers who is doing the planning. You know, they're putting in a proposal at the moment. They're planning to visit Fort McPherson and also bring students in from Tsiigehtchic, I believe, and also visiting other areas in the region and down the valley, as well.

So, once this application is brought forward, can the Minister assure me that some sort of funding will be put towards this initiative?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, down in Vancouver, a group of currently serving police officers, retired police officers, and community volunteers have come together to share their anti-drug message with young people. This group calls themselves the Odd Squad, and their stated mission is to design programs that honour and motivate youth, encourage them to set positive goals, lay their own path, and to stay on track by keeping drug-free for a long and healthy life. Parents and educators throughout British Columbia, not to mention the youth themselves, can attest to the value of the Odd...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t agree with the Minister on that one. You know, it's a small price to pay to get a high turnout rate for, especially, a survey of this importance, Mr. Speaker. You know, I'm very disappointed to get that response, but I knew it was coming. Once the survey is completed, what is the Housing Corporation's next steps towards its full policy review and development of a new strategic plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.