Kevin A. Menicoche

Mr. Speaker...[English translation not provided.]

Following up on the MACA Minister, I, too, will talk about the Arctic Winter Games.

Watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics, Canadians had the pleasure of cheering their athletes on to glory. Next week many of our young NWT athletes will be participating in the 21st Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alberta. They will be competing with eight other teams, four Canadian and four northern international teams. Given the Canadian success at the Olympics, I think all athletes will be pumped, I predict lots of fun, lots of personal bests and lots...

What is the exact expected date of completion of the new floor, Mr. Speaker? Thank you very much.

I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention one of my most passionate items that I’ve raised in this House, which is the Nahanni Butte gymnasium. We had some deficiencies, we had a plan to address them, and I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services at what stage is the repairs of the Nahanni Butte gymnasium to the deficiencies. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be pleased to take the Minister’s offer on reviewing those documents. If he could commit to get them to me as soon as possible.

The Minister references two communities. Actually, the second community that did receive a reduction in O and M is in my riding as well. That’s the community of Wrigley. Those are the only two out of 33. That leaves me to question why only those two communities. Why did everyone else get an increase in funding? Once again, I don’t understand the rationale. Other communities experience population declines as well.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Marilyn Hardisty, who has her roots in Jean Marie River in my constituency. Thank you very much. Welcome.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can come with me to Nahanni Butte to look at the project and, hopefully, if he does find an appropriate date, that the floor is complete. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak about the difficulty that people in every community in Nahendeh are having in getting dental care and treatment. Many people in our region are eligible for free dental care, but the irony is that there are no local dentists available to provide that care.

The present situation is that a dental clinic is held twice a year. As well, according to the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority phone directory, although a position is allocated, we do not have a dental therapist at the Bompas School.

Dentists are very important health providers for...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of dentistry services in Nahendeh.

Mr. Speaker, the petition contains 150 signatures of Nahendeh residents and, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request that the Department of Health and Social Services take the steps necessary to establish a full-time dentist position in the community of Fort Simpson. Thank you very much.

I think, if anything, the cost of the medical travel... I don’t know if there can be some research done. Perhaps the Minister can work with the office of the federal Minister with regard to health and social services and NIHB. Will the cost of the medical travel balance off with establishing a full-time dentist in the community of Fort Simpson?