Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s a pleasure to recognize in the gallery the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew and thank her for all of the support that she’s providing us in Ottawa.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mrs. Laureen Donaldson, a resident of Wrigley, NT. It’s nice to see her here today. Thank you very much.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my new constituency assistant, Meeka Kisoun. Welcome to the gallery.
---Applause
Mr. Speaker, most of you here have known me for only six months, so you can appreciate the fact that someone can put up with me for 26 years. With that I’d like to introduce my wife, Judy.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize of Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic, the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Minister of State for Northern Development; and her spouse, Mr. Leon Andrew. Also I’d like to recognize His Worship Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, the mayor of Yellowknife.
---Applause
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize also some of the distinguished members from the Northwest Territories who are here from outside of the capital. I’d also like to recognize constituent Ethel Blondin-Andrew and her husband Leon Andrew and the staff member Sarah Cleary to the House. Also, I would like to recognize Antoine Mountain from Fort Good Hope, a painter here in Yellowknife; and John B. Zoe from the Tlicho territory. Mahsi and welcome. Spring is out so it is hard to sit in here.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Being one of the last to recognize visitors in the gallery, I think everyone I had on my list has been recognized, so I will just go through quickly. I have a special recognition to Right Reverend Bishop Sperry, Karen Wright-Fraser, Katherine Youngblut, Ed Jeske, His Worship Gordon Van Tighem, Chief Supreme Court Justice Ted Richard, MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew, chief negotiator John B. Zoe and, of course, to everyone else who didn’t get recognized, and Sandy’s mom. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this Year of the Veteran, it is a great honour to recognize two constituents who are veterans: Tom Eagle and Jan Stirling. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a number of students who are here from Chief Jimmy Bruneau School. They are a class of Grade 10 with their teachers, Patti Turner and Chris Harrison. I would also like to recognize chief negotiator for the Tlicho Nation, John B. Zoe. Thank you.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Normally, I would follow up my stunning Member’s statement with a grilling and analytical question to the appropriate Minister. However, I have constituents and indeed a whole community, the community of Nahanni Butte, who are waiting on the Minister of MACA and this government’s decision on the creation of a gymnasium in Nahanni Butte.
---Applause
Yeah!
At what stage, Mr. Speaker, is the planning and the class D estimate for the gymnasium project in Nahanni Butte?
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Return To Question 1-15(4): Gymnasium For Nahanni Butte
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not surprised that this question has come forward. Mr. Speaker, the capital planning dollars that were allocated this year for the planning, and for the next coming years, are something that we want to discuss with the appropriate committee. Also, the dollars allocated for the municipal and rural infrastructure funding is also part of that discussion we would like to have. We have drafted letters requesting some time with the committee to make that presentation. I would like to be able to do that before I announce to this House where we are at with the actual projects. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Supplementary To Question 1-15(4): Gymnasium For Nahanni Butte
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would this discussion with the committees include any plan about how this government plans to have adequate recreational facilities in our communities and their long-term plans for that, Mr. Speaker?
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.
Further Return To Question 1-15(4): Gymnasium For Nahanni Butte
Mr. Speaker, our discussion is around the actual projects required in communities, some of the decisions or some of the allocations for projects that we have identified. We would like to be able to discuss that with the committee. We would like to explain and present our decisions and how we arrived at the certain projects or different projects that are on our list and how we see the money flying for future years. So there are things we would like to be able to present to the committee. The letter was just signed off by myself yesterday. I hope to do that as soon as possible, pending the committee’s time frame. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Supplementary To Question 1-15(4): Gymnasium For Nahanni Butte
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to hear that response from the Minister of MACA. Indeed, with the federal government passing the budget, there is all this money that we have been waiting on; the gas money, the green money, the infrastructure money, the non-tax-based money. I am sure we can find some room in here for a gymnasium for Nahanni Butte. Perhaps the Minister can tell this House again at what stage the planning is at. In the springtime, he committed to a class D estimate. Is it going to be done this year?
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.
Further Return To Question 1-15(4): Gymnasium For Nahanni Butte
Mr. Speaker, some of the dollars, I should clarify, have not been 100 percent approved yet. There has been some discussion with MRIF. That agreement has been signed, however, it still requires final reading by the federal government. We still require the federal government committee that has members from our MACA staff on it to review the projects that we bring forward. We would like to bring those projects to the standing committee to review, so we are still a little ways from where the Member would like us to be.
This year we have money allocated for planning and that’s what we are working around to start the design and look at the class D estimate, as the Member has referred to. As soon as we have approval from this committee and from our management committee that will be reviewing all of our submissions, those things will happen over the summer.
We have not come forward formally with any decision on how the allocation breakdown should be on the gas tax money. We have a working group that has met a number of times that includes members from the tax-based municipalities and also our non-tax-based municipalities. We have not broken down and decided on the formula. We have to do that yet. We expect to have something agreed upon by this summer, so there are still a number of decisions that have to be made. We are working on it. There are, however, some recommendations that we would like to bring forward for review by the committee on the capital funding from this government and also from MRIF. So those things we would like to bring forward for discussion to the committee before we proceed to the class D estimate, as the Member has requested.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on messages and statements today about the proposal to relocate the Territorial Treatment Centre operated by Bosco Homes in Yellowknife, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Could the Minister update the Assembly on the status of the plan for the potential relocation of the TTC? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Return To Question 2-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The decision has been made by the government to relocate the program and we are in the initial stages of discussion with Bosco Homes. I have met with the board in Hay River. I have met with Bosco Homes' management and we are going to be taking the appropriate steps to have an orderly transition. We also have to look at working with Public Works and Services over the next number of months to do the planning for the renovations. The money was already in the budget; it has been carried over for this year. So we are in the relatively early stages, but we are moving towards a relocation of TTC to Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.
Supplementary To Question 2-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister advise what considerations or options have been included in this plan for future employment options for the Bosco Homes' employees currently employed here in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 2-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there will be an opportunity for staff currently employed, if they wish, to look at transferring. Also Yellowknife has the benefit of having one of the hottest economies in the country, so there are significant job opportunities here. Yellowknife Health and Social Services will also be working with the staff to see what is available. So we will make every effort to ensure that we can minimize whatever personal disruption there is to current staff in Yellowknife as we look at the transition. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.
Supplementary To Question 2-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the information from the Minister. One of the questions that I received from a parent was to get some sense, Mr. Speaker, of where the residents at the TTC are from. We are trying to get a sense of what parts of the North are served by this facility in its present capacity. Could the Minister provide some sense, on a regional or territorial basis, where the residents are from who are now served by TTC? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 2-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, TTC, like Trailcross in Fort Smith, is a territorial facility that provides services to all the communities in the Northwest Territories. Currently, I understand there are four Yellowknife residents and four residents from other smaller communities outside of Yellowknife. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.
Supplementary To Question 2-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to get some sense of the demand or need for this kind of service. Right now, the Minister has advised that there are some eight being looked after. Is there indeed a waiting list? Do we have a capacity issue with this kind of facility and is there potential for utilizing the Dene K’onia centre as well as perhaps retaining some kind of service here in Yellowknife? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return To Question 2-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a waiting list of up to seven individuals. Currently, I understand, there is a waiting list of one. So we are looking at utilizing Dene K’onia and when it comes to services in Yellowknife, there will continue to be the many services that are here for children. I would just like to remind individuals, as well, we are working on, at the urging of this House, our southern placements to see what repatriation possibilities are there both for children and for adults. That is an ongoing process that is currently underway, as well. So there will be no shortage of possible demand. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Not that question period has expired, but we do have some special guests out in the Great Hall. We have our Inuvialuit Drummers and Dancers who are going to perform for us. So the Chair will call a short break. I would ask you to join me in the Great Hall for some entertainment and to meet some of the folks out there and we will return at the sound of the bell. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement today, I talked about the children, about needing them to go on a scheduled spring break and take advantage of our annual spring hunts on the land with their parents and elders. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell me whether there is a requirement by the department to hold spring breaks at certain times of the year? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.
Return To Question 3-15(4): Spring Break In The Sahtu
