Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Speaker, we are always looking for ways to improve policies and update them to meet the needs of residents. Some of the feedback we get from the Member goes a long way to bring some of these policies forward. That is something that we can do to improve the service to the clients, is to incorporate some of the changes mentioned by the Member, then we will take that into consideration. Thank you.

There is nothing holding us back, Mr. Speaker, from doing a current assessment. We can speak to the communities to see how many of them are interested and how many are ready to implement 911 and remind them again that we provide them with a lot of money through the capital formula funding and gas tax to implement 911 if they wish to do so. Thank you.

The Housing Corporation is always trying to fit people into the programs. They’ve expanded the scope of the programs sometimes to try to fit as many people in as possible and we are always looking to find ways that we can address those that are most in need. We have to understand, Mr. Speaker, that a lot of the people that are in need, they have to meet the criteria of the housing programs to be eligible to participate in some of the programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are just in the process of doing our housing needs survey and this goes a long way in determining the core needs of the communities, and if there are adjustments that need to be made so infrastructure or units are put in those communities with the highest core needs, then those adjustments will be made then and hopefully that will adjust some of the core needs of the communities most in need. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr Speaker, we have as part of the New Deal given money to every community in the Northwest Territories to deal with their infrastructure priorities, and if 911 is an infrastructure priority to the city of Yellowknife or the other six communities that want 911 implemented as a phased-in approach, they have that ability to bring that about. We’ve heard from two communities. I haven’t heard from the rest yet. I am hoping to get their input. I heard from two communities that have said that it’s not a priority with them right now. It may be in the future and when it is in...

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Member that I will pass that information on to the department and see if we could have somebody go into the community of Aklavik and work with them on their issue of the shoreline erosion. There is some historical data that they could probably use and help them put a proposal together so they have a proposal that’s ready to go, should some more funding become available.

There are always different pots of money out there that we’re always attempting to access with the federal government, so if we have the proposal ready to go, that’s the first step and then should...

Well, Mr. Speaker, I received the same e-mail and I’m sorry for their loss. We’ve all lost, at one time or another, and a lot of them were accidents. Whether 911 would have helped is a different question.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve said on numerous occasions that 911 is a service that some communities have identified as one that they want, and they do have the means within the monies that we’ve forwarded to them to implement 911 services. Mr. Speaker, there are some communities that have decided that it’s not a priority at this particular moment and they are looking to enhance their ability to respond...

Mr. Speaker, the community would make a request to the department and just ask them to come in and work with them. Once they’re there, they’ll assist them in working on a proposal for the community and possibility a scope of work if it’s within their technical expertise. They’d be willing to assist them in financing options and just getting their proposal put together so it’s ready to go if any funding pots become available. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were some concerns raised by the Member and I think we also heard that concern when we did our tour. I can assure the Member that we are following up on it. I’ll get the progress and the status of it and then I’ll relay that on to the Member. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to this point where there is an eviction notice, usually it goes through a rental officer. There is a local board and these tenants could speak to the local board about trying to work out a plan. When it comes to the rental officers, usually it is the last part of the process. When it is an eviction, that is when it is usually a court ordered eviction. But before it gets to that point, there is always an opportunity for them to speak to the board and try to get the board to reverse the process if they come up with a repayment plan. But what they would need first and...