Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. We talk about the process and there has been a lot of discussion on this particular subject over the years. We can provide the detailed documentation. We’ve been working with various partners, as I stated on the option paper that came before us. What’s the status today? We can provide that detailed information to the Members.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member that this is a huge opportunity for us to look at, is the active growing throughout the Northwest Territories. We realize the higher cost of living the further up north you are. Part of the healthy choices that we are working on within our department, MACA and Health and Social Services, we have identified certain areas of initiatives, targets. What the Member is referring to is actual curriculum that he wants us to potentially explore. By all means, I will be directing my department to explore those options and those key areas. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. As you know, we’re not here to talk about capital, but the Member alluded to planning stages. This is an area that I’m very interested in having discussion with various partners that I introduced in this House before. Part of the discussion I want my department to have is to reintroduce those option papers that we initiated in I believe it was 2010. The existing facilities in Yellowknife, I’m sure we can utilize one of the facilities, as we indicated before. That’s just an option that we want to work with.

Another option was to work with potential partners building a place...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. First, I must commend the Growing Food initiative in Inuvik. That’s a very important initiative that could be delivered as part of the programming into the community, into the schools and so forth. There are a number of programs that we have initiated such as Drop the Pop. We have a 925 intake, the highest participation rate yet. This is an area that we are very proud of. The East Three School, the secondary café, is also serving healthy, hot lunches. Those are just some of the initiatives that we have undertaken.

There are also school fund guidelines in development of...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I totally agree with the Member about creating more opportunities and that’s our vision, that’s our goal as a department.

Again, I must commend the Beaufort-Delta. When they presented last week, it was very exciting. We were going through a process where we can capture the small communities to deliver academic programming and so forth. So we’ve committed to the Beaufort-Delta. I just signed a letter just the other day, to continue with the fund up to 2013-2014. Part of the programming is that, of course, there will be a review after. Then we’re going through educational...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. During the capital planning process we’ve identified some of the schools, whether it be minor renovations or major renovations, and I can provide that information. I don’t have it in front of me today. With respect to one of the schools that we are currently evaluating, it is J.H. Sissons School. There has been an education plan underway since last fall, providing the school district for their review as well. Those are just the processes we have to go through with each capital project that’s before us throughout the Northwest Territories.

Mahsi. There have been numerous assessments and reviews done in education plans throughout the Northwest Territories. We can provide the detailed information on which schools have been a priority for either a retrofit and which other schools can hold off for a few more years. So we can provide that detailed information.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I’m not sure we have the exact detail. It’s very detailed information that we may not have here, but we can provide that to Members. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Within our department, we’ve been working very closely with both schools, the francophone school board. We are setting up a meeting as a follow-up on the next step, and I believe that meeting is coming up very quickly during this session and we can bring Members up to speed on that after we meet with them on what we’re going to be planning as the next steps. So that’s where it’s at right now.

Again, my department has been actively involved during the discussion, since the decision came down. Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, we have a four-year agreement with them. As I stated, there is no impact. With additional storage or capacity that’s within the museum, it does benefit the North. Throughout the Northwest Territories we do collect artifacts. Whenever it comes to our shop within the museum, we store them as a priority. We’ve already told Nunavut that this will be on a short-term basis because our artifacts are increasing as well.

With the funding allocation, in a way, I guess, we’re hiring three staff that are beneficial to the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.