Statements in Debates
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Over the years this has been one of the targeted initiatives, and we’re on budget.
Again, with a process of 20 years from the date of the last major renovation in 1999, the Moose Kerr School will be up to be identified as either a renovation or a replacement. So that discussion will be happening. Part of the discussion that the Member was alluding to was will there be a physical fitness area or even a trace area, a shop. Those are discussions that need to happen with the school boards, as well, because we have to work with architecture and schematic designs and so forth and working very closely with PWS.
So those types of discussions, which we’re hearing today, will be part...
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Again, the $290 million is over a five-year period. The DOT, yes, there’s a substantial amount there. Obviously, there’s a major road infrastructure that’s happening. We all know that. There’s a federal contribution as well. So we are putting in a lot more than what’s before us now, $6.5 million. We’ll make it work. Those are the investments going into the communities, and again, we have to plan for next year as well. Next year we obviously want to go after even more funding if at all possible. So those are just some of the discussions that we will have with the Peer Review...
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. This is what is before us, $6.5 million of new money that we’re moving forward on. Again, I have to remind that we spent well over $290 million over the last five years throughout the Northwest Territories and our overall education system, educational infrastructure, so we should be proud of the investment that we’ve undertaken in the communities, and we’ll continue to push that forward with the $6.5 million this year, and next year it could be a different number. We have to work with the Peer Review Committee as it goes through the overall capital infrastructure. At the end...
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. What the Member has brought up are a lot of points that obviously have been brought to our attention as well. Due to the fact we are investing just over $6.5 million in capital projects, there may not be much out of a $125 million budget, but at the same time we spend well over $290 million over a five-year period when it comes to schools and different educational assets in the Northwest Territories.
Yes, we need to focus on the small communities, as the Member alluded to, small community schools. We’ve done that. There is Lutselk’e school, there is Charles Tetcho School...
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. As you see as part of the capital planning process, we’ve identified some funds, as the Member alluded to, for renovations to Trout Lake school, Charles Tetcho School as part of the renovation to the existing building space to be provided with adequate instructional space.
There have been several discussions that have taken place. As Minister responsible for Education and Mr. Beaulieu, who is responsible for Public Works and Services, and MLA Menicoche did visit the community along with the Dehcho Divisional Education Council and my senior staff to review the shortcomings of...
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Dana Heide, associate deputy minister with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment; and Tammy Allison, manager, capital planning, Education, Culture and Employment.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. As part of the process, obviously, it needs a needs assessment and also needs analysis from the communities when it comes to major renovations or retrofits of schools or educational infrastructure. Those are areas that we’ll be focusing and putting that forward as part of the capital planning process. This year we have done that. We’re going to do the same next year, as well, and the following years. What we’re hearing from the Members is focusing on those most needed. I can assure the Members that this will be my push again next year with the peer review, the committee that...
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Obviously, my department has been working with Deh Gah Got’ie school and also the Head Start programming. When we first introduced Junior Kindergarten in that community, my department has been actively engaged with conversation with the organization because we wanted to make it work. There is a morning program and there is an afternoon program that I believe has been agreed to and currently it’s working but, mind you, there is always areas of improvement. We are very closely monitoring that, not only that but the other 22 communities as well. Obviously, we want to work...
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Based on, obviously, the capital planning cycle, Moose Kerr School is identified for renovations or replacement in approximately 2019, as the Member has indicated. It’s based on the year of the school, whether it was the year it was built or the year it was retrofitted and 20 years from the date of the last major renovation. So we’re at that point. In 2019 we want to seriously look at Moose Kerr School in the Member’s riding. Thank you.