Thank you. I’m not saying that it’s all done, because we know that we need to continue to move forward to ensure that the beds meet our future and long-term needs.

I can say that over the last eight years we have invested around $86 million in developing and expanding long-term care facilities in the Northwest Territories, so we continue to plug at this, we continue to address this. Like I said, I, as much as anybody, want to see that new facility and the upgrades of the existing Avens facility done. I would like to see those 55 beds available in Yellowknife.

The next topic that the Member...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m absolutely happy to share that report on the pilings. Yes, we know that there are some other challenges with the facility for it to continue as a health centre, which is why the health centre is still in the planning process. We are, I believe, currently doing the planning study and it will take several more months to complete, but I believe that’s happening in this fiscal year. So we’ll be able to come forward with more information on that as that planning study moves towards completion.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Fort Simpson Health Centre is on the books for something that we still need to do. We’ve done the functional review; we’re still in the middle of doing the planning assessment. I’ve had a number of conversations with the Member as well as the community about this building and I’m committed to having some of our staff come into the community to meet and talk about their concerns, location being one of their concerns, but also the building itself.

We have some prototypical designs that were prepared in the 16th Assembly and shared with Members at the time, talking about...

It’s my understanding that we actually have a health station in Tsiigehtchic as opposed to a health centre, which by definition is a slightly different thing, but I understand the Member’s point. It’s where people go to meet with the health professionals. The Tsiigehtchic health station is not currently in the five-year plan. There are a number of facilities throughout the Northwest Territories, health stations throughout the Northwest Territories where, actually, the buildings are in rough shape and it’s impacting the ability to provide services at this point. I understand that the facility...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Member’s comments. In this capital plan you will find a number of things we’re doing. There are some upgrades to some flooring in Fort Good Hope; we are finishing the construction of Fort Providence; we are beginning the construction of a health centre in Fort Resolution; we are continuing and hopefully, well, we’re intending to complete the construction of the Hay River hospital. There are also some upgrades in some facilities like the Inuvik Hospital, the continued construction of the Norman Wells Health Centre, which includes a new long-term care...

I do, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The funding to actually run the Avens for their O and M comes primarily from the Government of the Northwest Territories. We provide about $3.6 million per year for O and M to run the Avens facility as well as about $3.4 million for the Dementia Facility. If we move forward with the expansion together with Avens, we are also going to likely be on the hook for the additional $3.6 million to run that facility. If this facility gets built, it’s fair to assume that northern residents will be utilizing that facility.

Mr. Speaker, this is something that is important, I clearly hear the Member. I have heard it from other Members, and we are looking forward to bringing the action plan forward and getting their weight behind the action plan so that we can make some changes in traditional food provisions in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, in order to provide the traditional foods in any of our facilities, we must have policies on how to secure, prepare and serve the traditional foods. We already are providing traditional foods in a number of our communities in a number of our facilities. For instance, at Jimmy Erasmus Seniors Home they serve traditional foods and they have a policy. The Inuvik long-term care prepares traditional food within the unit itself. The Avens has a policy for the preparation and serving of traditional food. The challenge there is that they have a private contractor providing food, so we may...

That’s part of the work that we’re doing in the design or the implementation in each of the different communities or regions where we deliver this service. We need to track the types of things that are happening and put in an evaluation framework so that we can make some evidence-based decisions moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.