Julie Green

I do, Mr. Chair.

Yes. Mr. Heath, please.

Yes, thank you. There's been issues with the contract with Poundmaker's Lodge. They initiated the cancellation of their contract and that takes effect at the end of October. There were a number of contractual issues that relate to services not being delivered as contracted. I'm personally disappointed that this relationship is not stronger. I have met many people in my life who have been to Poundmaker's and who have been very satisfied with the services that they've received there and have achieved longterm sobriety, which I think is the goal that we all are hoping for. So I have committed to...

Yes, I think that's a size by volume. And Mr. Heath can tell you what that means in something more commonly used like square feet.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Finance staff, I'm told, will be meeting with the graduating class of licensed practical nurses next week to discuss the benefits of working with the GNWT. And in addition, NTHSSA and human resources staff will be meeting with the current college nursing students, set to graduate next year, on November 29th and will provide conditional job offers at that time. The trip from conditional offer to indeterminate position involves making sure that all the requirements of the position are filled, such as graduate certification...

Yes. There has been some investment in this project already. We thought we had a secure location and a secure budget for it. But much has changed in the last year. And so that's my general thought on that question. But I'll ask the assistant deputy minister if she would like to add some additional information.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This year, the health and social services system is offering a Health and Social Services bursary program which will provide bursary funding to Indigenous and northern students to help support them as they pursue a career in health and social services. We are targeting that group of students because we believe there is greater opportunity for retention.

It's just worth noting that the Aurora College currently has an intake in the nursing program of 30 seats a year. The majority of them are, in fact, from the NWT, or have lived here for some period of time before that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll ask Mr. Heath to answer that, thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't have the detail at hand that the Member is looking for so I will have to return to her. Thank you

DEPUTY SPEAKER:

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. And I appreciate that the Member is frustrated with not having a longterm care facility in his constituency. In fact, most constituencies in the NWT don't have longterm care facilities because there needs to be a certain size of population to make them cost effective.

What we've tried to do in places like Nunakput is provide home care. We provide it everywhere. But with a special focus in places that are remote, like the communities of Nunakput, to increase home care to enable people to stay at home. But there comes a point where the elders need 24hour nursing. And...