Michael McLeod

We have been working with the community of Lutselk’e for some time, since the beginning of this project, when we came forward with a partnership arrangement to build and construct the arena. That has been done. The arena’s been opened for operation since January of last year.

Since then, we’ve continued to work with them on a number of different areas, including some of the deficiencies that had to be rectified. We also worked with them to identify, through their O&M dollars, priorities of investment for this facility. We’ve also provided, through the new deal, additional dollars for capital...

The Public Works and Services standards for building construction usually focus on safety and design efficiencies, and not so much on artwork. It’s something that we still haven't adopted as part of our government to include in our infrastructure. Adding an art component to our infrastructure sometimes doesn't make sense, as in the case of water treatment plants or sewer treatment facilities. It adds to the cost overall, and it really starts to complicate things when we start designing facilities and buildings and try to accommodate the artwork.

This is something we have to have further...

Mr. Speaker, the question is beyond my responsibility as MACA’s mandate and jurisdiction. It should be directed towards Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, I would expect that all departments are paying close attention to the survey and the evaluation that’s going on in Aklavik and will respond accordingly.

I trust that question was posed to me.

There are a number of sources of funding that have been flowing to the communities up to now that deal with water quality, water supply and things of that nature.

The Member is right. We are discussing and negotiating a new source of funding with the Government of Canada called the Building Canada Fund. We’re also talking about an extension to the gas tax. Mr. Speaker, both these sources can be utilized for community infrastructure. At this time it’s really difficult to see how much of it will be earmarked for communities, but a portion, we believe, will...

Mr. Speaker, I believe we’ve already done that. We’ve taken the review from our staff and all the technical evaluation that was required and made note of where our concerns were. We have forwarded and are recommending to the department that they seriously come forward with a retrofit for this facility. It is 34 years old and is due for a serious upgrade to remove some of these areas of concern that the parents have and that their children may be facing.

Mr. Speaker, our job is to do the evaluation and take an assessment of the condition of the school. We have done that. We’ve shared that with the principal and the MLAs. We’ve also forwarded it to the Department of Education. They are making an assessment and will make the decision to bring it forward.

Public Works doesn’t purchase art or provide for art. I would have to make that request to the planning department, and I’ll do that.

I have to inform the Member that we haven’t had the opportunity to discuss this policy recommendation to any degree at all. We do, however, incorporate some consideration when we deal with committees in terms of cultural setting and cultural enhancements. I will, however — I said earlier — undertake to have that discussion with my colleagues.

That’s an easy response. I believe we’ve already agreed that municipalities should be receiving some of this money. We’re having some early discussions with the local government association, and also we’re talking to associations in the communities about how can we distribute this money and what kind of dollars are we talking about.

We need to set some criteria, and we need to be able to decide how that money will flow. So those things are ongoing. I can assure the Member that it will get serious consideration from this new line of funding from the government.

Our government takes a multi-barrier approach to dealing with water and water quality in communities. It’s a real area of concern, as Members would agree. We have a number of different departments working on water supply to communities. We have the ENR, which works on the source of water. We have MACA, which has testing of water treatment plant and also does the training. We have the Department of Health which does the testing for health purposes, and Public Works which works on some of the infrastructure projects.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of different departments and a number of...