Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as the Minister may recall, the last couple years I’ve been bringing up the need for more home support workers in the community of both Fort McPherson and Aklavik. They did hire another person in Aklavik, which was great, but there’s a big demand in Fort McPherson. We have over, I believe it’s 170 elders in the community, and we have one home support worker.. There’s a big demand there. There’s clearly a need for another person to, whether it’s stay in that facility, like we have in Aklavik. It should be a similar arrangement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe we are supposed to be on page 182. That’s the part I was going to ask questions on. Is it okay to proceed?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just under home care and support services, as the Minister knows, we’re shortly going to be completed the elders’ home in Fort McPherson.. What’s the process of getting the home support workers set up, and when will you be advertising and preparing for that? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister is well aware, this pot of funding, the Community Access Program, is underfunded. Mr. Speaker, we need to increase this as many of the smaller communities depend on this funding to create employment in our small communities, which have less than 35 per cent employment rate. Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister could work with the Minister of Finance, Aklavik is the Minister’s home community, to find extra funding for Aklavik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, follow-up to my Member’s statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in this House, the community of Aklavik is looking forward to possible economic opportunities and tourism once the bridge and road is completed to Willow River. Mr. Speaker, at Willow River, we also have in my riding probably the best quality of material that is next to pretty much the same as Frog Creek. Mr. Speaker, the community is looking forward to completing this project, and as I mentioned, we need the remaining funds...

Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Any further questions, Mr. O’Reilly.

Thank you, Mr. O’Reilly. Good comment. Next we have Mr. Nakimayak.

Thank you, Mr. Nakimayak. Ms. Kelly.

Thank you, Mr. Nakimayak. Mr. Campbell.

Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. O’Reilly.