Kevin A. Menicoche

Mr. Speaker, that’s certainly something that our communities will be very anxious to get to work on and help government with their priorities.

Just with respect to some of the commitments that were in Corridors for Canada, I believe the Deh Cho Connection was listed in there. In having that on the long-term priorities, it sounds like they have to redo another set of priorities working with the federal government. Can the Minister detail how that’s going to play out? Is it a 15-year capital plan, or is it an annual capital plan? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the two pages from Fort Simpson who worked diligently and hard this week: Ms. Natalie Villeneuve and Ms. Marisa Isaiah. Thank you very much.

I’d just like to ask the Minister that I be kept in the loop as they progress forward with this issue. Let me know the times and dates they’ll be in the community — proposed meeting dates. I’d like to have that information to share with those I deal with. Hopefully, they’ll be dealing with the same people at that time. Mahsi.

I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement regarding transition times on the Deh Cho Hall in Fort Simpson.

I’d like to ask the Minister of EC&E: what work has been done to date with the non-government organizations that are using the Deh Cho Hall to help them with the transition planning, assisting them in finding new spaces in Fort Simpson. Mahsi.

[English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, in November I raised the issue of the impact that the closure of the Deh Cho Hall will have on several key non-government organizations in Fort Simpson. The government’s decision to move its own offices rather than upgrade Deh Cho Hall has left the library, the family resource centre and other local organizations scrambling to find new space. At the time, I asked the Minister of Education to take a proactive approach and organize discussions with the community to help identify alternate space for these valuable organizations.

Mr. Speaker, the...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table an information package sent to me by Open Doors Society with regard to a request of the government to help them relocate, as well as support letters from various organizations in Fort Simpson.

Document 29-16(2), Information Package Regarding Open Doors Society Re-Location, tabled.

Mr. Speaker, I’m sure that people are using our programs and services with NWT Housing Corporation. They really don’t have an avenue of appeal; in fact, they have to appeal right now to the person who ruled against them in the programs and services that they wanted. What existing avenues do they have currently?

Once again, I’d like to state the urgency of this situation, because the Deh Cho Hall will be shutting down this fall, and all non-governmental organizations will be asked to vacate the premises. So once again: will the Minister convey to his department and his officials the urgency of addressing the non-governmental organizations’ needs in Fort Simpson?

Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to advise the Minister that I’ve been getting contrary information from the people that run those organizations. There hasn’t been a meeting set up, to date. As well, in some of the back-and-forth correspondence we’ve received…. I thought the intent here, too, was to appoint a contact person, a point of entry within the government that these NGOs can work with. To date, there’s been no such person established or identified. I’d like to ask the Minister: will the Minister identify a contact person these NGOs can work with?

I’d like to recognize in the gallery my Constituency Assistant from Fort Simpson, Ms. Janice Mandeville.

As well, I'd like to recognize a former Fort Simpson and Deh Cho resident, Father Joe Daley. Mahsi cho.