Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, We do have daycare facilities across the Northwest Territories. I know we need to improve certain areas. We have been working in the Member’s riding. We currently have three licenced early childhood programs in the Sahtu region. Obviously, Members are requesting additions to that as well.

Fort Good Hope has a daycare; Tulita, child development; and Deline has a pre-school. These are some of the areas where we have established early childhood centres. We continue to improve in those areas.

My staff, my department is more than willing to meet with leadership and stakeholders to...

We have more detailed information here if I can get my deputy to just elaborate more.

Any changes we make to our policies, obviously there’s a cost factor, as I stated, and this is an area that we are looking at.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Tsiigehtchic, we have to keep in mind the utilization of the space. There are 49 schools that we’re responsible for, but we are working closely with the Beaufort-Delta District Education Council and we identify the capacity as 27 percent versus a 90 percent capacity in other schools, it becomes a priority for this Assembly. But we’re mindful of that and at every opportunity, if I visit a community, I like to visit the schools to see the capacity itself, to see what the real issues are. So that’s what we’ll continue to do.

The Moose Kerr School that the Member highlighted...

That policy has been in existence since 2000, for 15 years. We’ve heard from students about the particular policies we have in place. There are certain areas where 12 months’ residency versus what Members suggested, three months. If an individual moves south after high school, whether it is for work or school, and they come back for three months and go back to school again to further their schooling down south, they would qualify based on what the Member is suggesting, three months. There is no guarantee that these students will be coming back. We just have to be mindful and monitor those...

Mr. Chair, I did commit that we want to meet with the DEA for Detah to start the discussion. So we’re more than open to have that type of discussion. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. There were several issues brought to our attention by the school principal. My department has been working with the principal to resolve those issues, whether it be a site investigation. PWS has obviously been working with them as well. They have contracted the PSAV architect as late as this month, September. So that work is ongoing.

The sprinkler system obviously is part of the discussion, I believe. It’s also, from the principal’s perspective, brought to my department’s attention and PWS is aware of that as well. My department is doing what we can to work with the school and...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. With respect to the Trout Lake school, the last time we visited, I went there with my staff and also Mr. Menicoche and the school representatives. I wanted to see with my own eyes what’s been referred to as a community gathering. The school is also attached to the community hall. We took that into perspective as well. The community obviously wanted us to address the school because the student population is increasing. Obviously, it was the wish of the community to move forward on that addition. Mr. Menicoche obviously stated concerns, as well, about the community hall and how...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I have with me, to my left, David Stewart. He is the deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Also, to my right, Olin Lovely. He is the assistant deputy minister, corporate services, with the Education department.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission Annual Report 2014.” Mahsi.