Robert Hawkins

On another issue, Mr. Bromley has brought this up and actually it’s not so much that I’m concerned on how he brought it up but it’s more about the perception of how it’s brought up. It’s about the city’s potential on the Con Mine heating system or how they want to do a central heating style system in Yellowknife; the city, that is. I often hear people at the city talk about how they’ve got all these partners in some form of some type of commitment, and it’s funny because when I talk to businesses downtown, they’re not interested in this. I don’t know who the city thinks they have on the hook...

I would like the assurances and commitment that the Minister will ensure that I’m copied in some way on this particular initiative as this policy gets developed. The reason being, there are a number of institutions, businesses, that is, that sell art in this community and they would view this as competing directly with them. I would want to make sure that their concerns are being represented. If it is to be on display, as I continue to maintain, I have no issue with art being on display, but the issue is that all of a sudden the assumption that while people are viewing it for potential sale...

No, thank you.

I appreciate the answer from the Minister. In Saskatchewan, to name one, Ontario, to name two, and there are several others, they’re quite aggressive and provide kiosks and public advertisements all over the place saying you could do this type of service.

Quite frankly, what does “we’ll look at it” mean? The general public hears that answer almost the same as maybe yes, maybe no. It doesn’t really have an answer. What does his answer mean by “we’ll look at it”?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Speaker. Has the Department of Health and Social Services seen the establishment of the downtown day shelter a success story? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, that is a different answer. I will have to say it is a little more clear than the last couple he supplied the House. You would think the department has been evaluating this year after year over the last three and a half years. You would think that they would have some grip of what is going on. He said January.

What type of consultation has the department done with the public to realize the value of this particular service in Yellowknife that has been helping homeless people with places to go during the day, warmth in the winter and certainly washrooms that was a much needed service...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think the Minister is clear on his answer one way or the other. It is a yes or no question. Are we going to fund it into the following fiscal year? Yes or no. Why do we keep talking about we are funding it to the end of this fiscal year? Why do you keep telling me that? We already know that. Everybody in the public knows. I want to know and the public wants to know, yes or no.

Is the government going to get behind this project and fund it starting in the next fiscal year that starts April 1, 2013? Yes or no. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to acknowledge how, with great delicacy, the Minister avoided, really, the question.

Is the department going to fund the downtown day shelter in the next fiscal year? We already well know, in this room and on the street, that the day shelter is being funded by the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority up until March 31st of next year. We already know that. Tell us something we don’t know.

Will this new funding, if available, which I am waiting to be confirmed by the Minister here today, include programming funding so we can provide people with services more than just doors...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This winter is closing in on us very quickly and I want to revisit the subject of the Yellowknife downtown day shelter. This is a very important service and the people who are homeless out there need somewhere safe and warm to go. It may come to the Minister as news, as well as many Members of this House, but the fact is the shelter is not just about Yellowknife. Only a third of the people using the downtown day shelter call themselves Yellowknifers, then about half of the other people that attend the shelter identify themselves as from other communities, while the...