Debates of March 4, 2005 (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the status of schools in the Sahtu region. Mr. Speaker, Chief Albert Wright School was built in 1970. Two years ago, they had a serious incident where some of the walls in the school were cracking. The permafrost underneath the building was shifting and they did some work on there and ventilation was a problem. They reported some rotten walls on the foundation. I would ask the Minister if he could give an update on the scheduled repairs to Chief Albert Wright School in Tulita. How soon can the community members expect a new school and have the repairs on the thermostat fixed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 544-15(3): Status Of Schools In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the Member’s last question, I would have to check with my colleague, the Minister of Public Works, to find out if the thermostat has been fixed yet.

---Laughter

I haven’t got that information with me. In terms of the schedule, the planning is proceeding, as I understand it. The whole process of locating the site for the school has proceeded over the course of the winter and the community has been involved in approving that site so that now we can start to prepare. The expectation is that construction will start to take place within the next fiscal year and the school should be ready for occupancy in 2007.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 544-15(3): Status Of Schools In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Speaker, regarding Chief T’Selihye, it was reported in News/North that the students heard a big thump and walls were cracking between the old school and new school. In some reports, you can put a hand in between the buildings and feel the outside. I want to ask the Minister of Education about the status of Chief T’Selihye School in Fort Good Hope. I understand the engineer’s report has been out. What repairs will be done to the school this year? There are 167 students in that school, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 544-15(3): Status Of Schools In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right; the engineer’s report is out. The engineers are confident that the school is safe. It is not in any danger of a situation developing that would be unsafe for the students or the staff in the building. We are going to have to do more work this summer to assess just what sorts of repairs need to be undertaken. It appears that one of the biggest problems was that when the addition was added, they didn’t put an expansion joint between the two parts of the school. So they are moving at different rates, the two parts. How that is going to be handled, we don’t know yet. More work will be done this summer on the piles to determine what is likely to develop in terms of movement of those piles. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 544-15(3): Status Of Schools In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The budget shows the repairs for some work in Fort Good Hope on Chief T’Selihye at $15,000. I wonder if the Minister can expand on what type of repairs can be done for $15,000 in the school with so little money. Maybe the school should be replaced instead in 2007. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 544-15(3): Status Of Schools In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The $15,000 was in the budget for planning money for the renovations to the school. With the situation that’s happened this winter, we are likely going to have to find out for sure what’s happening with the piles before we determine at what rate we move forward with the renovation or replacement. So that $15,000 now will probably be used to study the situation more. If it proves that we need to spend some money for short-term repairs, then we will have to find the money to do that. At this point, that money was in the budget before the issue with the crack at the school and thus before determining that the two parts of the school are moving at different rates. So we will investigate, determine what the problem is and whether or not there needs to be short-term repair or if we can continue with planning for the replacement of that structure. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 544-15(3): Status Of Schools In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister if he would also give an update regarding Colville Lake. I understand Colville Lake school is not slated until 2007-08. They don’t have any running water there in the school. The recreation facility/storage room in Colville Lake is also the same room as their washroom. What can the Minister do in terms of telling the people in Colville Lake when they can expect to have a decent school with running water and a proper washroom?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I would just like to remind Members that their oral questions are supposed to stay on one topic. However, I will allow the Minister to respond. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 544-15(3): Status Of Schools In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can tell the Member that Education is working with Municipal and Community Affairs to try to schedule the addition of water to the school at the same time that MACA works with the community to get water treatment into that community. So we are hoping that the planning will be this year and we will be able to move fairly quickly by next year to address the water issue and to address the space issue. There needs to be an addition to accommodate the high school in particular in that community. Thank you.