Julie Green

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. As I pointed out in my statement, since the launch of the Yellowknife street outreach program, there has been a noticeable improvement in conditions downtown, not to mention a reduction in the costly use of both ambulance and hospital services. The city has announced its intention to continue the R.I.D.E. program while the new sobering centre location is renovated and opened. Can the Minister provide us an update on the new sobering centre? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. What I am struggling with is trying to develop the tourism economy and creating the infrastructure that will support that goal and how it fits into this planning cycle. I do not feel like I have definitive answers that link those things together. If the Minister could provide that, that would be helpful. Thank you.

I just would like to point out that, in its current form, it is an eyesore. The sooner a decision can be made about what to do with it, I think, the better.

I want to go from there into page 5 with the long-term spending plan for ITI. It looks like the year that we are contemplating is going to be the high point of spending on tourism infrastructure, although, as the Minister has already said, the road traffic has increased. There may be value in creating new camp spaces in the North Slave and elsewhere. How flexible is this plan in bringing in new money if further development is going to take...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Once the GNWT assumes ownership of the building, what do they plan to do with it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I would like to ask a couple of questions about the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre. Given the fact that the Northern Frontier Visitors Association is planning to stop operations at the end of this month, I am wondering who is going to assume ownership of the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre. Thank you.

I will read Hansard to just make sure that I know exactly the dates that things are happening on. That was a whackload of information, but that is all good.

At the bigger level, was there any consideration given to putting the pavilion, what they call the pavilion, 48 beds, online first and retrofitting the hospital second instead of the other way around? Would that have been more cost effective and put the beds online sooner? Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate him repeating that information. Is there any thought to putting additional loops into any of the other campgrounds that are along the highway network that comes from Alberta to the North Slave? Thank you.

Thank you very much for outlining that schedule. What I don't see here is the 72 beds that have been discussed for long-term care that I understand will also be part of the old hospital. Could the Minister elaborate on when the equivalent work will be done for the long-term care beds as there are for the extended care? Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am looking at the Tourism and Parks page. I know the Minister had good news to share yesterday about the number of tourists and, of course, most of them came by air and they are staying in hotels, but I do want to note that there were a lot of people who came to the Northwest Territories to camp. I'm a camper as well, and there were a number of times when parks were at or near capacity.

In addition to these incremental changes that are in the schedule here on pages 40 to 42, I'm wondering if the department is considering the development of additional spaces in...

Thank you, Mrs. Chair. The question I have then relating to page 5: does that spending represent what's already been assigned to the hospital? Is that what that money is about? Thank you