Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, we don’t allocate funding for infrastructure-wise or renovation but we do provide funding for operation costs, programming and also parts of a mortgage and rents of the establishments in the communities. This is an area that we haven’t really explored, but we do provide funding in other sources. Mahsi.

Mr. Chairman, we do have a program in place. The funding is available to those individual organizations that want to either have an establishment, but it is based on an application basis. Those individuals wishing to set up or already operating, seek funds, then we do have funding available for that. Mahsi.

We’ll provide the information since we started that programming through the NWT Arts Council. We’ll provide that detail. Mahsi.

We are working towards that, as I stated. We’re going to gather information. We may be looking at $60 million to $80 million, which we don’t have right now. We need to explore options. The Member is asking a specific question to the Minister. I have to support my existing campuses that we have currently as we move forward. We’re going to see how it looks at that time.

Mr. Chairman, this is a very important area for our department. It is one of the priorities to revitalize our official languages more specifically on the Aboriginal languages. We have nine Aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories. That is the very reason why we have initiated this Aboriginal Languages Strategy. The session that we’ve had last year, March and April, the whole purpose was to capture and also revitalize our Aboriginal languages. I totally agree with the Member; there are recommendations brought to our attention and tabled in the House here. We are currently working on...

Mr. Speaker, daycare is a service that has been provided in the community. We provide funding and resources and also operation costs, as well, to make it operational at the community level. Those individuals that may drop their children off at the centre, they will be well looked after. That’s one of our mandates as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, to provide funding and resources to those establishments that provide those services. Mahsi.

Mr. Chairman, that is correct; we provide funding that flows through to district education council and then it flows down to the schools or DEA and then they decide where their priorities lie. They do share those priorities with us as well. We work hand in hand with the district education council. We are fully aware of that information that has been shared with us. I can give you an example where Fort Providence has a language immersion program K to 3. That is just an example. It is up to the school board to decide where they will spend their money. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. That is something that we can look at. As you know, it is not only music, there are books that are being produced, arts and crafts, so we need to look at all venues, I guess. The money that we distributed, there is almost 40 different organizations, 40 different individuals, so we can look at those areas that the Member is referring to.

This is, of course, very important to us as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. We have to look at our students and facilities as well. This has been in the works for quite some time now. The Member is referring to capital planning. There will be a discussion next year; this coming fall. We’ve already initiated our capital planning for last year. With respect to the college, there is going to be information coming forward and we will be working as a department with that information, once it’s delivered to us.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. This is an area that has been brought to our attention and to this House as well. As you know, the money has been allocated to the school boards, but at the same time I am listening to what the Members are saying, the concerns that have been brought to our attention. We may have to look at those areas. At the same time, we do provide grade extensions as well. Based on the number of students, we can provide funding so they can kick-start grade extensions in their home community. Again, it all depends on the students, if they want to pursue, whether it be Inuvik or a bigger...