Michael McLeod

Mr. Speaker, I guess there are two avenues where an aboriginal group such as the Yellowknives Dene can access land. There is the formal process of applying through the city, which would come to us for review. Depending if it is an application for lease or for fee-simple title, we would be dealing with it at the end of the day. There is the other process of the aboriginal groups that are in negotiations to come forward as part of their land identification to identify this area. However, that does not give them an automatic transfer. It would have to be an area that would have to be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is correct; the interim measures agreements are in place until the land claims are settled or unless there is a requirement for an amendment. It would require agreement from all parties to make any changes, but where we are failing any requirements for change, the agreements are there until the negotiations are concluded. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is asking some very specific questions on this initiative. I will have to provide that detail and take it as notice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. It may, depending on the community. Each community has a different plan and, for the most part, the plans are different because of the specific and different needs of each community. The plan deals with the issues that are potentially there and would deal with them as required. So it really depends on the specifics. There is no general plan, as the Member has indicated. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that. Mr. Speaker, we have developed an implementation plan. We have had all the partners in the NWT Sports Council nominate a member to our interim implementation steering committee. They have had a number of meetings over the last while. Our targets are to set up a founding AGM for April of this year. We are now going through the council selections. We have made that information available to all of the Members and sports organizations in communities. We are looking for nominations to the Sports Council, and our founding AGM is scheduled for April of this...

Mr. Speaker, that would probably have to be decided by the courts, but I’m assuming that the shipper would be assuming responsibility for the liability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, Inuvik residents are unsure as to the status of SAM School. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if a decision has been made regarding SAM School. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again I think these questions are very premature. We have no plans for putting any infrastructure there. There seems to be an assumption that there is a new community being developed and we’re going to start putting in fire halls and everything else. No, we have no plans to provide any infrastructure at this point. We haven’t even seen an application. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will be speaking on a subject that is near and dear to the hearts of many residents of the Beaufort-Delta region. Sir Alexander Mackenzie School is 45 years old, almost as old as Inuvik itself. It is a central part of our community, full of memories for its alumni. Many students met future husbands and wives on its playground and saw their own children walk through its door on their first day of school. Three Members of this Legislative Assembly, myself included, are former SAMS students.

Mr. Speaker, a school is so much more than just a building and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s not a new situation. The government has to deal with a number of different issues. In this case, the Department of Transportation is working with the city to look at the concept of a bypass road. We’ve done some early cost estimates. The city has done some cost estimating. We have to do some engineering, we have to do some costing together. We have to look at who is going to pay for it, how we are going to pay for it. So we’re working with the city on that as the Department of Transportation. The city is dealing with the application for land...