Inuvik Twin Lakes

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled A Clear Path Forward, Municipal and Community Affairs Strategic Plan 2010-2015. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 24)

During this winter we’re going to find a feasible solution for the removal of those assets and if we can work with somebody that can get rid of them at minimal cost to the GNWT. As far as an actual dollar figure, I’m not able to provide that right now. Once we have the discussion with the engineering firm, I think we’d be in a better position to have a bit of a dollar figure, but the bottom line is to try and remove these assets with minimal costs to the GNWT. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is absolutely correct; there was some infrastructure that was removed from the site -- cherry picked, as she put it -- but during this past summer we’ve done an inventory of the site and we’re looking at hiring an engineering firm to assess the structural integrity in an attempt to place some value on that. We’re going to look at possibly if it’s feasible to have it go out again, or to see what steps we can take next to do the actual cleanup. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 23)

Ideally we’d like to see a lot of our public housing owners become homeowners. If it means a particular unit they are in, we are always willing to look at those options. With all the homeownerships we have put in the Northwest Territories over the number of years, we are getting to the point now where the Housing Corporation is actually starting to repair a lot of those units that we gave to the people in the first place. So that is something that we are going to have a look at. There may come a day where we may have to determine are we just a provider of social housing and maybe ease away...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have started a preliminary plan on dealing with some of the declining federal funding from CMHC. The Member is absolutely correct. We are starting to look at how we can work with the different units we have putting multiplexes and just looking at the overall picture. So there is a preliminary plan that we are putting in place and we will continue to develop that as we go along. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am pleased to provide Members with an update on several initiatives that support the 16th Legislative Assembly vision and goals by promoting healthy choices and lifestyles and contributing to the physical and mental well-being of our youth.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and its Healthy Choices partners -- Health and Social Services, ECE, Justice, Transportation, the aboriginal governments and the Aboriginal Sport Circle -- work with families, community governments and schools to encourage individuals and families to take responsibility for...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 23)

Some of these tenants do have a nice, brand new Lexus outside their house, but I assured the Member that we are doing what we can to try and work with those that are in arrears. If reporting to the credit bureau is one of those, then that is what we are planning on doing. I mean, we have an Arrears Management Strategy that we’re working on right now and we realize that arrears are accumulating. Part of it I’ve accepted responsibility as Minister of the Housing Corporation is because we didn’t pursue them as aggressively enough as we should have to get to the point where we’re in the situation...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We try to work with the tenants as closely as possible and not get to the point to where we have to go to a collection agency. That is one of the options that we are looking at, but it would be our desire to just work with the tenants, work out a repayment plan with them. There is some garnisheeing that goes on, but as far as reporting to a collection agency, that is one of the options we have been looking at. It is one that we are quite hesitant to pursue, because I would personally, as the corporation would, like to work with the tenants and have them come to us.

I can...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 23)

Should the unfortunate incident occur that the Member is speaking about, I mean, obviously the city would be in the forefront in trying to deal with some of the damage that occurred there. If the city asks for assistance from MACA or any other appropriate departments, we’d do what we can to assist the city to deal with some of the issues that would take place at Northland should that most unfortunate incident occur where the pipes burst and things go bad.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 23)

The initiatives that I pointed out before were designed to deal with some of the declining funding to date; more specifically, the replacement rather than adding to the public housing stock. The Member is correct; we’ve cumulatively lost $5.8 million in CMHC funding in the past 10 years. This year alone is $676,000. We have a huge challenge facing us and we’re doing, as a corporation, what we can to try to deal with some of the challenges and that one of the messages that I’ve been, I wouldn’t say preaching, but across the Northwest Territories in all the meetings I’ve gone to with the public...