Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We do currently provide funding to the school boards but it is at their discretion if they want to provide pre-kindergarten throughout the summers as the Member has alluded to. Last year this was successful. It was their own initiative. It wasn’t our department saying they should have that. We provide funding for that, but this could be also part of the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative because it covers all areas of the Northwest Territories, the students, and junior kindergarten has been an option that’s been identified through that venue. There is ongoing...

One thing that we can possibly look at through the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is the training aspect where we’ve had some requests in the past for training. We’ve provided in-kind contributions. This is an area we could possibly look at. But when we talk about the huge regional hand games tournament, it’s very difficult to put money towards that where it’s much broader. We want to focus on the youth that are getting involved in the hand games demonstration, hand games training. That’s an area we could probably explore.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Within the traditional and cultural activities, and pertaining to that is also language, we provide over $12 million specifically in those areas. The funding is allocated to the school boards, as well, and at the community level to deal with the cultural preservation and promotion of the culture. The money is available in that respect. It is a group that deals with the funding as well.

When it comes to hand games tournaments that are happening in almost every region, there have been a lot of requests that have come to our attention. We always refer them to the community...

Mr. Speaker, there’s always an ongoing discussion interdepartmentally, whether it be MACA, PWS, Housing, and within our Education department and other departments, as well, that may require whether it be apprentices or training on the job, and we do what we can as the department to assist in those areas because we do have the funding allocated under apprenticeship and an on-the-job training as well. Mr. Speaker, I’ll continue to work with those departments and strengthen the working relationships that we have and identifying those key areas of interest that are out there in the Northwest...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Those are the areas that we need to explore with each department. Each department has their own mandate. They have their own goals and objectives to deal with the communities, whether it comes to apprenticeship or training on the job at the community level and also employment. So we need to gather that information. I can definitely share that with the Member as well. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, again, that process is before us. I will be informing Members of the update on that. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is pleased to announce the launch of the Minister’s Cultural Circle.

This circle recognizes those who contribute to the preservation and promotion of cultures and heritage in the Northwest Territories. The circle aligns with this Assembly’s goal to strengthen awareness of our northern identity and uniqueness by promoting our successes, our culture, our arts and our languages with a proud and unified voice.

It highlights achievements and commitments of local cultural leaders, practitioners and groups. It also recognizes...

Mr. Speaker, this is an area that is always before us every fall time and the winter season. We prepare our client service officers to deal with this matter in advance. As I stated, whenever there is a challenge or issues that are being brought to our attention, we work on the policy and if we need to change the policy. If that’s the case, I will give the Members a heads-up. Mahsi.

That would include us looking at the whole issue about the seniors home heating subsidy. When we talk about the residents, these individuals where they sleep and eat. These individuals have been considered that they’re staying at their grandparents’ place. Those are areas that have been brought to our attention that they don’t actually live there. We need to look at the policy itself.

I think we have goals and objectives to deal with employment in small communities. That’s the very reason why we have these initiatives on the way since last year and moved into this year’s budget. We’ll continue to address that matter. It is important to us to deal with the high unemployment in the communities. We’ll have to work closely with the communities, the regional training centres and the regional committees as well. It has to be hand in hand. They’re linked in all capacities, whether it be the band council, the corporations, the municipality, NGOs and so forth. There are a lot of...