Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Speaker, in light of the discussions that we are having this afternoon, I want to ask the Minister responsible for the petroleum products division, in terms of emergency needs…This has to do with the increase of fuel prices in the small communities. We are getting mixed messages from our communities.

Even Bern Brown from Colville Lake wrote a letter to me on his old typewriter, saying, why the increase? I guess the issue here is, what forms of communication is the Minister giving to the communities? Because of the mixed messages of resupply, winter barge, winter road resupply and barge...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once the final confirmation from the community of Deline and the departments that are associated in utilizing this facility he says build into a planning process…What is the planning process? Is it one year, two years, four years? What is the planning process? Can people in Deline actually see some tangible things happening around that facility in terms of seeing it being operated in that fashion? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement, I talked about the housing situation in the Sahtu. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services on the facility in Deline. There is an elders' long-term care facility that is not being utilized, as Mrs. Groenewegen has indicated in her statement, to the fullest extent. This situation has gone on for a number of years. My constituents are asking for a resolution. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services inform this Assembly of the current status of the long-term care facility in Deline, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a letter to the House from the Colville Lake school. It’s quite disturbing, and I would like to table it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is the issue here in terms of the price increase in the smaller communities that the Minister has indicated. I hope he sees some communication in advance going out to the small communities of what they are to expect in terms of proper planning, in terms of looking at different options, in terms of paying for the high cost of fuel. Mr. Speaker, in light of the amount of gas we have in the Northwest Territories, it is really hard to see that this type of increase can come down in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister advise the House that this type of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The full cost recovery…I am having a hard time here, Mr. Speaker in terms of the prices that are going to be charged in these small, isolated communities. Wekweeti is $1.56; Nahanni Butte is $1.33; Colville Lake is $1.50; and Paulatuk is $1.50. In terms of helping out the small communities in their traditional lifestyle, it is going to be pretty tough for these people who live in this type of a situation. Can the Minister help me out here by explaining full cost recovery, and what type of support assistance would these people with low income receive in terms of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister, for outlining the road map in terms of actually seeing something happen in this facility. Again, I want to ask the Minister, when can the people in Deline see some actual operations in those six units? Is it going to be two months? Is it going to be two years, three years? When, I guess, will this all come together so the people in Deline can actually see that facility being opened and used by the people in the Sahtu? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s response. People in the Sahtu and people in Deline will be happy in terms of the potential use of that facility in Deline. In terms of timetables and time frames, when can the people in Deline expect some movement or some shift in the use of this six-unit facility, should the community and the department prove to go ahead with utilizing that facility? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a few years ago I was elected as the representative for the Sahtu region. In the past couple of years, the highest area of concern in my region has been affordable housing units, along with the number of houses being built in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, there is an old saying, "Home is where the heart is." People have a lot of concerns in regards to…

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I'm certainly hoping that that wasn't for me, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

I was very surprised, Mr. Speaker, when I saw the recent housing survey results in the Sahtu region, that the Sahtu had...

Thank you. Just a comment here to the Minister in terms of the surplus that is projected in this department. Is there any type of assistance in helping with the high costs of fuel in the communities in the Northwest Territories? Because of this surplus we have projected here, is there any type of discussion going on in assisting the people like granny from Nahanni, in terms of the high costs of fuel and the amount of money we get in this department? Thank you.