Robert Bouchard

Thank you. I guess the question that I’m trying to get from the Minister is how are we dealing with this shortcoming of 10 long-term beds, acute beds, whatever you want to call it, that are currently in Hay River?

The facility is being built in the community of Hay River right now and the department has been selling, through communications, through press, that this is a facility for 50 years for the community of Hay River, but it doesn’t meet current needs in Hay River. Obviously, the new health care centre will, but they’re removing 10 beds from Hay River and there has never been any plans in...

I am looking for information from the department on when these 10 beds were removed from Hay River, basically. That’s why I was wanting to know when the budget was originally put in and if they were originally in the budget.

Currently, we’re going to be short 10 long-term beds in the community of Hay River. The two questions I had earlier talked about long-term beds. I’m just wondering about the department’s plans and how they plan to fix the issue of long-term beds, from what I see is a mistake in the department’s planning when they planned to build this facility. They didn’t plan to do any...

My other question would be about the facility in Hay River, the health centre in Hay River. How long has that been on the budget of the Government of the Northwest Territories in the planning, and how long has it been on the budget as far as the planning of that facility?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had a question for the Minister about the upgrade being done in Inuvik, the patient…(inaudible)… management system in Inuvik. Can the Minister maybe just elaborate on that system that’s being upgraded?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The other area of concern that I’ve heard about in the parks area is the on-line booking of the campsites, and my colleague was questioning this earlier. One of the areas of concern that I’ve heard is the fact that some of these stalls are being booked for guests that are coming and they never show up, and some people have been turned away because the booking has been done on-line already. Is there an allotment of certain ones that are being done for on-line and certain ones that are not being done on-line, and are they reviewing that on-line policy after completing one...

I understand the financial commitments with contracts myself, but I’m wondering if the department is willing to at least leave these parks open to access. Often the gates are locked, making it difficult for people who park on the highway, especially in the South Slave area. Kakisa, I know, is one other area. Is the department willing to at least leave the gates open during those times?

The sequence and timing of the event that unfolded on this summer evening was nothing but miraculous. We celebrated their rescue from near disaster and the quick thinking of R.J., Lucy and Jordan.

So many of our communities in the North are located where they are because of the proximity to waterways and lakes. They provide recreation and much enjoyment for residents and visitors alike, but access to these waters requires knowledge, respect and extreme caution.

Please join me today in thanking the Royal Life Saving Society of Alberta and the Northwest Territories for the valuable work they do...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I’m not getting a straight answer from the Minister. My concern is that he talks to me about every other community – Norman Wells, Sahtu, Fort Smith – but my concern is obviously with the concern of this facility that it’s not meeting all of the needs of the community of Hay River right now and I’m looking for a when.

This facility is going to be completed around ‘14-15. I’m wondering when I am going to see a line item on the budget of the territorial government that these 10 long-term care beds are going to be replaced in the community of Hay River, the second...

My question, along those lines, is the accommodation of those individuals. Does that mean moving them to other communities where the services are being provided? Would they be moving to Norman Wells? Would they be moving to Inuvik? Would they be moving to other places where there are obviously long-term care facilities being planned on the budget? What is the plan, I guess, for those long-term care people?

The Minister obviously knows my concerns about the 10 long-term beds being removed from the current facility and not being replaced in the new facility, and I understand the department’s justification for that. My question is: Were the beds originally in the facility plans? Do they know that?