Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask my questions to the Minister of Transportation about transportation in the Sahtu region, specifically the Mackenzie Valley Highway. I know that the Tulita district has submitted a submission under the Community Access Program in an effort to see that some work can get done in the region to prepare the young workers to be ready once the Mackenzie Valley Highway is under construction, which is an initiative the federal government has undertaken.

Can the Minister update this House and people in the Sahtu as to this community access proposal that has been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some time ago when I was reading a book, one of the sentences that I read from the author asked the audience, he said to the audience, “How do you eat an elephant?” One piece at a time was the response. I want to use that phrase in the ways how do you build a highway? One section at a time.

The Sahtu is hungry for a highway. We’ve been waiting. It’s about time that we come into the 21st century.

Over the weekend I went to Norman Wells. I purchased 10 kilograms of flour here at Walmart, $11.97. In Norman Wells it’s $45. Same bag, same kilograms, big difference. People in...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Tuesday, October 6, 2015, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that this Legislative Assembly request the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories to dissolve the 17th Assembly of the Northwest Territories on October 25, 2015, to permit polling day for a general election to be held on November 23, 2015;

and further, that the Speaker transmit this resolution to the Commissioner.

Certainly, the Minister and I were speaking this morning on why it’s taking so long to dispose of these empty units, knowing that Fort Good Hope has a long list of potential tenants who want to go into these units and there’s overcrowding. It’s causing health issues; it’s causing social issues and people want to get into these units.

Is the Minister actively looking at an expedient process where these empty units can either be retrofitted by the local community organizations or be torn down? Like the Minister said, in the old days it was good because you could go in there, knock the houses down...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the question to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. Why are there so many empty houses in Fort Good Hope and how many empty houses are there in Fort Good Hope?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to know why there are so many houses just sitting empty in the Sahtu communities. This is a common conversation I have when I meet with my constituents in the Sahtu, especially in Fort Good Hope. In Fort Good Hope there are rows and rows of empty houses and a long list of young people who are waiting for a house. Unbelievable. Here we have a case where we’re not getting our act together fast enough to put these young people in these houses and fill these empty houses.

The latest NWT needs assessment paints a clear picture of the housing needs in Fort Good Hope and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a TV program called Clean House where they come in and they take all the junk out of the house and people sometimes have a hard time letting go of some of their junk in the house. It’s almost like this Housing Corporation is letting go of some of their junk in the House here. So, I know this can be done because in my hometown of Tulita the Housing actually did a very good job of turning over these empty units to the community corporation real estate. They actually bought these units, fixed them up and rented them out.

Can this happen in Fort Good Hope where the...

The Minister is correct on the eight-plex that is sitting empty and in the process of selling it in the community. I’m not too sure where it will be going to or which organization or person. It’s been there for a while.

Why is it taking so long to dispose of this empty unit while there are a lot of people on the waiting list? Why are the empty units still sitting there while there are a lot of people on the waiting list to get into these units? What can we do to expedite this situation so that we can put people into houses rather than have them in other houses where overcrowding is a major...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize and thank all the visitors to the Assembly here. I want to name, of course, Hilda. She’s not here, but I also want to thank her. Hilda is family. She’s my first cousin. One of the things that I want to say is when I walk down the hallway into the office, Hilda always says, “No, no, this is how you do it. You’ve got to do this, this and that.” So she keeps me on the straight and narrow. I also wanted to congratulate her on her retirement.

Also, to Mr. Erasmus in the gallery, too, and all the other people from the Yukon for visiting us over...

I do want to thank the staff in Norman Wells and the willingness of the Norman Wells Land Corporation to initiate this meeting with the Education, Culture and Employment department. I appreciate that, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask now if the Minister would redirect his focus and attention to Colville Lake where they also need a daycare centre. There are lots of young families there also willing to look at this initiative.

Will the Minister take a leap of faith and ask his staff to go to Colville Lake and look at ways they can bring solutions to establish a daycare centre for young parents, young...