Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The detailed stats I don’t have in front of me, but I can provide that to the Member. We have been closely monitoring the stats that have been coming in, whether it be nationally or even our own Northwest Territories jurisdiction. We’re coming out with some solutions to deal with those matters as we move forward with the federal government as well. So those are some of the programming that we need to put more emphasis on to deal with those individuals at the community level. Mahsi.

I agree with the Member that there should be equal deliverance of programs to the three main campuses and also the 23 community learning centres across the Northwest Territories out of 33 communities. Those are some of the areas that I have captured with the board chair and also the president. We meet on a frequent basis, highlighting the needs of the communities based on the needs assessments that we are currently developing through Skills for Success. We are at the preliminary stages, but we are currently re-evaluating our program deliverance and working, again, very closely with the college...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This is an area that Aurora College has been exploring, the Board of Governors, for some time now. They are currently in the process of developing a long-term plan, a five-year plan on how they can deal with the community deliverance of certain programming. So we are, as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, also working very closely with the college as part of their overall goals and objectives of what kinds of programs will be delivered, whether it is Inuvik, Fort Smith or Yellowknife and the surrounding communities. So those are some areas we are...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents, entitled “Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Motion 13-17(5), Training for Early Childhood Workers;” and “Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Motion 22-17(5), Funding to Implement Junior Kindergarten.” Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Part of the long-term needs of the school and also the community is to develop a planning study. That is part of the process of capital projects that will be identified by each department. So, we need to have a planning study in place and this is a part of May 2014 when my staff visited the community. That’s part of the preliminary discussions that they need to have with the community based on their needs and analysis. So yes, that is part of the community visits that they initiated and there will be opportunities for community members to provide their input as well. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. With respect to Trout Lake school, there’s been a review undertaken, part of the review of the small community schools. The Charles Tetso School has resulted in a recommendation for renovation and also additional construction, research and support space for the students and also the staff population. That is the proposed plan right now for construction within the community of Trout Lake.

Mahsi. We do appreciate the leadership’s input into the design of the planning studies. So, those are discussions that we are currently having.

As I stated, my understanding is that October 2014, this month, it will be completed as part of our work with Public Works and Services and my Department of Education, Culture and Employment, the project brief that’s been discussed with both departments, along with the leadership’s input. So we’ll take those into consideration as well. Mahsi.

In June of 2013, I, along with Minister Beaulieu, Mr. Menicoche and Deh Cho Divisional Education Council and my departmental staff visited the community and the school to have a visual of the reality of what Members have referred to in this House over the years. Due to that fact, there is a planning study that is on the way in 2014-2015 to deal with the part of the long-term plan that the Member is alluding to. We’ve identified a short-term plan to initiate a renovation within the school for additional space that is required, but there is a plan in place where we had a site visit in 2014 and I...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a delegation in the gallery. First I’d like to recognize NWTTA president Gayla Meredith here with us today, and also executive director Dave Roebuck that’s here with us, as well, from the NWTTA. Also, we have two distinguished guests from the communities of Gameti and Whati and they’re a part of the MACA School of Community Government law course they’re taking. I’d just like to recognize Judal Dominicata, SAO of Gameti and also Lisa Nitsiza, SAO trainee in Whati. Welcome to the gallery. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I would like to tell the House about things that are coming up in our region in the Tlicho Nation. We have received a letter from the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission. We have received a letter from them, the Tlicho, and on the letter, Whati, Gameti, they have now opened an office for them and they will be representing disabled people and elders. They will also be able to support all the disabled people by providing the facilities for disabilities. So that will be happening in the Tlicho region.

I am the MLA, so I would like to recognize the work...