Frederick Blake Jr.

I thank the Minister for that assurance. I’d also like to ask the Minister if he will provide adequate funding to Fort McPherson, Aklavik, and Tsiigehtchic to provide ambulance services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Mackenzie Delta we have 300 kilometres of highways with only one ambulance service in Inuvik. Many times we have had major accidents on the highway, at which time members of the public have had to act to save lives.

In this day and age, we should have trained personnel in our communities. For example, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic could provide ambulance services. This would help keep our communities and our highway system safe and also provide many jobs in our communities.

I’ll have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today. Thank you...

My final question to the Minister is: If the Minister is unwilling to renovate the Joe Greenland Centre up to proper standards, will he start planning for a new facility in the Mackenzie Delta riding?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few questions from my Member’s statement for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I would like to ask the Minister what the waiting time is for elders to get into the long-term care facility in Inuvik.

As I mentioned earlier, there are more than 300 elders over the age of 60 in my riding. Thankfully, not all of them need long-term care, but many will. What is the Health department’s plan for them?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been almost two years since this government closed the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik to elders who cannot live independently. Now there’s a lineup of elders waiting to get into the facility in Inuvik, which serves the entire Beaufort-Delta.

Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just going to the budget. I’d like to stress the need for an extension to the airport in Aklavik. I do not see it in the plans over the next few years but I just wanted to stress that it is needed for the community to expand the runway there, just for safety reasons. It was done in Fort McPherson, and I believe there were plans to do the same in Aklavik and I would just like to stress to the Minister that I would really appreciate it if that was in the budget for the coming year.

I’d like to ask the Minister when equipment will start moving and people will be working in the Beaufort-Delta region.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the former Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. David Krutko. I’d like to thank him for all his hard work over the years.