Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as the department knows, Fort McPherson has done a lot in biomass over the last couple of years, and there were talks last year of possibly tying in the school or getting another unit for the school and the community. I'm just wondering if there's any further talks on that. I know Public Works has been leaning towards more biomass projects through the community, so I would just like to get a little update. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned also, we're losing upwards of 20 jobs in our communities as a result of this. How can the corporation justify putting these people out of work, Mr. Speaker? Our small communities depend on these units being built in our communities; it's plain and simple. The employment rate is going to stay below 35 per cent because we're losing these jobs, Mr. Speaker, so how can the department justify that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, follow-up to my Member's statement, I have two questions for the Minister of Housing. I'll use Tsiigehtchic as the first example, because this is the first community that was approved to have a modular home sent to the community. Mr. Speaker, it's been 10 months our community has been waiting to have this unit that's supposed to be shipped to the community in the fall. Mr. Speaker, there has to be added costs, and I'm sure we wouldn't find that out until the fall, by the time we actually get the unit in Tsiigehtchic. I'd like to ask the Minister what...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the next couple years we have a total of 12 units coming into the Mackenzie Delta. In Aklavik, we have two duplex modular homes; Fort McPherson we have three duplex modular homes there as well; and in Tsiigehtchic, we have one duplex that we're still awaiting from last year. Mr. Speaker, that's great we're having 12 units coming into our riding, but the issue is that these are modular homes being shipped in. It's always been a practice within our riding through the Delta that we have stick-built in the communities. We have a 25-per-cent employment rate...

Well, that sounds good. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. You know, $100,000, let's say five, six people lost their cabins, you know, it's going to be underfunded this pot here. A good example is all the cabins that were burned down around Yellowknife, for example, the last couple of years and, you know, around Providence. You know, out through this area here. You know, is that $100,000 adequate for this program? Thank you.

That's about it, Mr. Chair. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I know the biggest challenges the community faces is actually having somebody on fulltime, because in order to have them even on a parttime basis, whether it's working the afternoons or whatnot, I know the community is having those challenges. Would the department be open to other communities, like, for example, Tsiigehtchic, if they were planning to put a biomass system on the school and gymnasium, would the department be open to that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the numbers the Minister just gave me, that's throughout the whole territory, Mr. Speaker. I'm talking about the small communities here, you know, my riding, three communities: Fort McPherson, Aklavik, and Tsiigehtchic. We're losing 20 positions here. I hope the department isn't planning to carry on this sort of practice here, because look at that, 10 months we've been waiting, Mr. Speaker. We could have built at least three to four times the amount of units while we've been waiting, Mr. Speaker. How long is the department going to carry on this practice...