Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the interpreters and interpreter trainees: Alizette Abel; Terry Villeneuve; Archie Smith — the bestest guy; Mary Jane Michel; Bernadette Lockhart; Elizabeth Boucher; Henry Catholique; and Joyce Isadore. Thank you.

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...

Today I wish to acknowledge a young athlete and role model, 16-year-old Amber Mandeville of Fort Resolution.

Amber enjoys being out on the land, helping others, giving meat to elders, and taking visitors up the Talston River and Jean River. Last year, Amber was chosen as top junior ranger and was also a recipient of the Youth Award for Akaitcho Territory Government. She volunteers as a gym supervisor, coaching younger children in badminton and soccer. Amber is the only youth from Fort Resolution in this year’s Arctic Winter Games.

Please join me in acknowledging and congratulating this young...

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

Mr. Speaker, back on November 28 I spoke about infrastructure needs for the youth in Tu Nedhe, the Tu Nedhe riding. On Monday I talked about providing support to communities to allow them to hire qualified recreation staff. Today I would like to talk about input that I have received to date on the issues from the communities.

In Lutselk’e they have a new arena, but they do not have the staff to properly maintain the facility. As well, the community is not fully prepared for the high O&M costs of running a community arena. And they...

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?