Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. General comments regarding Education, Culture and Employment for the early childhood development. I’m seeing a lot of success in the communities that I represent, in that the funding I hope does not get cut in regard to supplying of the breakfast program that they have there in the school.

The school system, I’ll start off with Tuk. We have teachers’ housing that’s coming up. The funding has run out to supply per door, $20,000 per door per unit. We have five units. So it’s going to cause havoc on the teachers up in Tuk if we don’t get our agreement signed, which we...

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We get the training that is needed as we go forward to the project, that training of all positions of these two major projects that I hope to go through with regard to the local hires before the outsiders come in, basically taking care of our local people in the communities in the region of Nunakput.

Mr. Speaker, would this government be able to set up sort of like a mine training exercise up in the Inuvik region? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For my Member’s statement today I was talking about Darnley Bay Resources and Diadem Resources who are looking for precious metals and diamonds in the community of Paulatuk, just outside of the community; the night of another promising indicator the results of the recent findings and the demands of a number of groups and organizations to see the Paulatuk community participate meaningfully. Will this government devote necessary resources to train people to build infrastructure needed so the local economy can truly benefit?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Darnley Bay project in Paulatuk, Mr. Speaker, is approaching another drilling season. All across the Northwest Territories, communities such as Paulatuk are one step closer to seeing a fully operating diamond mine near the community in similar projects. This project has experienced some slowdown due to the global economy.

Fortunately this project has once again built some momentum and financing and is moving this forward. Recently the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency invested $485,000 to help the Paulatuk Development Corporation in purchasing moveable...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will be supporting the motion. I have the same issues in Sachs Harbour right now with no grade 10, 11 and 12 teacher in the community. Students are leaving for the community of Inuvik for schooling and there’s no place for them to stay. No safe place that they’re saying that there is to stay. We do have plans. I’m trying to work with the Minister’s office to get a place in the community for them so they can continue their grade 10, 11 and 12. The options are very little.

The community needs a high school teacher. It’s gone too far already. The social passing is...

Similar to the funding provided to the Paulatuk Development Corporation for the purchase of the 20-person movable exploration camp, will the government consider providing funding for the economic ventures that require considerable start-up, such as buying the equipment needed and the training of local people? Other than bringing them in from outside, we want meaningful employment. The diamond mines that we have here in the Territory already do not hire from Nunakput, so we want to train our own so that we can take care of ourselves.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour for me today to welcome Ms. Christine Falardeau. Her husband, Martin Falardeau, is a ranger instructor with Joint Task Force North. I know she’s a part of the teaching staff at Range Lake North School. Thank you for coming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The Arts and Crafts Centre will be governed by dedicated people and the crafts centre will continue to provide employment for the residents’ exposure, community pride in our arts and culture and preservation in traditional skills.

Again, I’d like to thank the Minister, Bob McLeod; MLA Hawkins; chair of IRC, Nellie Cournoyea; and the Co-op board, and all who have helped in this project. I know in the whole Territory, my carvers and printmakers are the best in the Territory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of weeks ago I had the honour of heading into the community of Ulukhaktok with the Minister to open up our new facility for arts and crafts with the Co-op. We provide the venue for traditional crafts and fabric and other sewing materials that are hard to get.

Currently the arts and crafts centre employs two people and plans to be expanding soon. The possible applicants eventually will work on the arts and crafts in the centre. They will require some training. These workshops are taking place now and start within a week; knitting qivuit right in the community of...

Really good job, Mr. Minister. But now the point I’m trying to bring up is Tuk needs one now. We need an arts centre in Tuk because between Tuk, Ulukhaktok and Sachs, Sachs has the muskox, Ulukhaktok has the print shop and carving shop, now will the Minister help me to work with a committee out of Tuk to get a carving shop in Tuk? We had it about 10 years ago but it failed. Now I think that the community is looking at trying to help out the younger generation of carvers. Will the Minister commit to helping me get a carving shop in the community of Tuktoyaktuk?