Michael McLeod

Madam Speaker, we have many youth programs that we have developed over the years and many new programs. I am not sure exactly where the Member is going when he says that we have reduced funding. We have a budget for youth in a lot of different areas. We have a budget for youth core funding which is dedicated towards providing assistance to larger-scale programs in the different communities and organizations and individuals. We also have the Youth Contributions Program that has money allocated for travel and different organizations. We also have our Volunteer Development Program, our Pan...

Madam Speaker, I’m not sure if the Member is asking me to commit additional dollars to his community of Good Hope. The program was reduced and Fort Good Hope has been deferred for one year. However, there is already an allocation and has been historically an allocation to the community government funding to deal with dust. The community also has the option to invest in dust control if that is a priority. We do not dictate where the communities should invest their money. If they spend it in other areas, that is the community’s decision. So we can certainly indicate to the Member that we...

Madam Speaker, the Member had asked about the chipsealing program I believe in the last day of session, and I had indicated that this year our focus is on Tuktoyaktuk and Fort McPherson. We’re also doing some of the early work or have done some already in the community of Fort Good Hope. We’re doing some of the drainage studies and some of the work to the base that’s required. I would point out though that the chipsealing program is only for the main street. It does not allow us to pave the whole community. The dust problem in the small communities was always historically dealt with...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yesterday I questioned the Minister on another matter regarding the Inuvik Health and Social Services Board and it turns out that we were both under the wrong assumption. Would it be possible for the funding to flow directly from his department to the Transition House in Inuvik and not through the health board? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I don't know how many times I have to stand up in this House and assure the Member that I do have a heart and I do care.

Madam Speaker, the sense of urgency for the Fort Good Hope flood has probably passed. There is some consideration from the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation to see if he can go into the community this weekend, providing that his travel schedule allows it. The Member of Parliament, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, has contacted me and is in the community today; she left this morning. Our session schedule doesn't allow me to get...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will certainly commit to doing that. We do review our emergency measures policy on a regular basis. Each community has emergency measures plans, however, there is a time for updating the plans and for reviewing the plans with the community, especially in the areas where there are changes in council. We will commit to reviewing the emergency measures policy and the plans and meet with the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will certainly take the Member’s advice. We will commit to have our staff go into the communities to meet with the community leaders and present what our plans are. I should point out, in some cases a lot of the work that’s being done that is requiring some investment and some expenditure is hard to see physically because some of it is in design, some of it is in stockpiling the gravel, and some of it is in restructuring plans. We will certainly take that as direction to go to the communities in the Deh Cho and present those future plans. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there is a period of time between winter and summer, it’s called spring…

---Laughter

…when we have difficulty to provide any type of meaningful maintenance on our roads, be it chipseal or gravel. There is a period of time that we need to allow our roads to thaw. We have recognized the increased level of traffic on all our roads in the NWT. We have concerns being raised by people across the Northwest Territories on our gravel roads and on our roads that are chipsealed; however, we need to be able to do our repairs when the roads are thawed. We have...

Madam Speaker, this past March I was pleased to join with the Premier, the Minister of Health and Social Services and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to launch the Get Active NWT Community Challenge.

This campaign, which runs during April, May and June, is a friendly challenge to Northwest Territories residents to register the time they spend being physically active for a chance to win a $5,000 grant to support their community recreation program.

We are now past the mid-way point of this campaign, and I am extremely pleased to report that more than 6,000 residents have...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 9, Municipal Statutes Amendment Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.