Tom Beaulieu

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted.

Mr. Speaker, with the current CARE program in place, there’s such things as a requirement for full insurance on the program. Some of my constituents, Mr. Speaker, live in log homes. There are no fire hydrants and no full-time firefighters. This all adds to the cost of insurance. For example, insurance on one unit that’s approximately 1,000 square feet with these dynamics to it will cost $3,500 — not affordable for seniors.

Under the old Seniors and/or Disabled Preventive Maintenance program, they were able to access that program without a requirement to carry insurance, which is now a...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today, I spoke about seniors and disabled homeowners and their need to be able to access assistance from this government to conduct regular preventive maintenance work on their homes.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation provide this House with the number of seniors and disabled homeowners that were assisted through the Seniors and/or Disabled Preventive Maintenance Initiative program prior to the introduction of the CARE program?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, according to the current housing market in the South Slave, the average cost of a home is $300,000. So for the cost of less than half the cost of an average house in the South Slave region, we can once again provide this very important annual assistance to seniors and disabled homeowners.

I will have questions for the Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation later this afternoon. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the issue of preventative maintenance programs for seniors and disabled persons. Many seniors and disabled persons who own their own homes are already burdened with a limited ability to properly maintain their homes. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, since the amalgamation of the Seniors and/or Disabled Preventative Maintenance Initiative program by the NWT Housing Corporation, seniors and disabled homeowners have now had to carry more of the burden of preventative maintenance duties for their...

I’d like to thank the Minister for the answer. I would like to, once again, emphasize the need for providing assistance to seniors and disabled homeowners who are doing preventive maintenance work on their homes. Can the Minister tell me if these homeowners can access preventive maintenance only programs today to have work done on their homes in the fall?

So this would be one of the expenditures that could be reimbursed?

In one of the previous replies from the Minister pertaining to the new deal, the Minister indicated there would be evaluations on the new deal. Can the Minister tell me if the evaluation of the new deal has been planned for Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution?

Today I talked about the importance of providing adequate support to deliver sport recreation youth programs to my communities and to another riding. My questions are for Minister of MACA.

Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister going to do to assist the community of Lutselk’e regarding problems associated with the operation costs of a new arena?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, the department’s mandate is clear: to provide support to communities, to provide local sport and recreation programs. According to my communities the support being provided is insufficient. The department needs to re-examine its priorities and provide efforts where the communities can see immediate, positive results.

Later on I will follow up my statement with questions to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.