Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would make my comments to the other Members in terms of this issue here. Mr. Speaker, this issue is very close to my heart. Mr. Speaker, I have seen many good people in my communities, in the region, people in the Northwest Territories, a lot of good people who should be here in the Northwest Territories enjoying life. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the disease of alcoholism had gotten them. Mr. Speaker, I speak from personal experience that when we have alcoholism in our communities, you know, it takes away life, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s not a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am very happy to see this item in the budget here. I have asked for it. Even if you had communities that apply for it, it would certainly help to offset the…They want to help the communities. They want to offset some of the stuff that is happening in communities because of some communities that don’t have the youth centres open. Even certain amount of time through the months there, that they can have youth centres open, especially on Friday, Saturday and even Sunday nights, that the youth centre would be open to eliminate or to minimize the other stuff...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $30,000 per community, up to $30,000, I am not saying that they are going to give every community based on an application, first-come, first-served. It is application-based up to $30,000, so it doesn’t say a community will get $30,000. Is it somewhat within the department to say that the Gwich’in, the Beaufort-Delta, Sahtu, Tlicho, South Slave and the North Slave here will get a certain percentage of the funding? Some communities might be a little slow coming out of the gate in terms of how this application is filled out and sent to the communities in Nahendeh in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I know our winter roads disappear every year and they come back again. So I want to ask the Minister in terms of when I see the budget Mackenzie Highway winter roads, I noticed other communities outside my region also have these winter roads. But there's some dangerous spots in my region that certainly need some attention in terms of going from Wrigley to Tulita, Tulita to Deline. There are some roads that certainly need some reconstruction, and certainly from Norman Wells to Good Hope or even to Colville. I would ask the Minister if there is anything in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that we extend sitting hours beyond the normal hours of the adjournment to conclude the bill under consideration. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, could I ask the Minister, then, if some time in the couple months ahead that should we get overall approval in terms of getting the go-ahead with this ramp to be built in the Ayah School, because I think it's long overdue. So could I ask the Minister for that commitment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The motion here, I am going to not support the motion, as my colleague from Inuvik has moved it, and also Members that want to see a deletion here.

Mr. Chair, I beg to differ from the opinion of my colleague from Kam Lake. There is a lot of activity happening in the Sahtu region. There are about six or seven companies that are very interested just in oil and gas. There are diamond mine explorations that are happening there, so there is…Again, I could talk later on with my colleague here in terms of activity that has happened in the past. I just got off the phone with...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Health and Social Services programs, one of the issues I did come across, Mr. Chair, the air conditioning in the Sahtu; specifically Tulita, and the unbearable heat in those small communities that don't have air conditioning. We have people come in and out of the centres. I know with climate change now, it's starting to warm up in the middle of June, July and August, and it's dusty and the type of ventilation…I guess I'm looking in here, Mr. Chairman, in terms of this budget here the Minister has just put before us that takes care of this issue for us in terms...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of the abuse of alcohol in the community of Tulita. Mr. Speaker, the petition contains 40 signatures of Tulita residents. Mr. Speaker, the petition requests that amendments be made to the territorial legislation to better control the availability of sale and distribution of alcohol.

Thank you. I have a question for the Minister. Mr. Chair, the funding for conversion of the JBT Elementary School and Thebacha Campus for the fuel fire heat to interruptible hydroelectric heat, is that something that is going to be a model for other centres or just a one time for the community of Fort Smith? I just want to know if that’s going to be something that is going to be used in other regions in helping them with their hydroelectrical heat, I guess. Is it a pilot project?