Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask some questions picking up on my Member’s statement from earlier today. I’m trying to understand the decision-making process by the government in its proposal to move the Territorial Treatment Centre from Yellowknife to Hay River. Not that I’m opposed to that happening fundamentally, but I’m just trying to understand how the decision was arrived at. Maybe the Minister could help me understand, because I haven’t seen any consultation. I’m not on the Social Programs committee, but I haven’t seen any consultation with Members of this side of the House or any type of business plan or business case for this happening. I’m just wondering if the Minister could let us know what the decision-making process was in this proposal. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Return to Question 6-15(4): Rationale For Treatment Centre Relocation
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue has been on the table for some time, since the money was first put in the budget to renovate TTC a number of years ago and the money was carried over as we looked at possible alternatives given the age of the facility here in Yellowknife. So in the last number of months, more detailed work was done and some basic preliminary technical assessments were done of the building. The comparison between the two, given the government’s stated position that they’re prepared to look at opportunities to decentralize, was there was an opportunity here that presented itself and we made a decision to proceed with the planning to relocate the program on that basis. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Supplementary to Question 6-15(4): Rationale For Treatment Centre Relocation
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to again get back to the decision-making. I know the Minister spoke of money being spent on technical work and I think that work was done by FSC Architects here in Yellowknife on the current facility. I’m just wondering if that money was spent to see if the facility could actually be renovated to house the treatment centre for the immediate future here, or was the intention just to shut the facility down and that $180,000 that was spent on that FSC contract actually was just spent with the full intention of moving the TTC out of Yellowknife and into Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return to Question 6-15(4): Rationale For Treatment Centre Relocation
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this decision is one that has some history, as the Member has indicated and I have talked about in this House. There were decisions made and there was some revisiting of some decisions. There was initial work done to TTC, as well. We looked at Hay River. There was some work started in Yellowknife to look at what was possible there, as well. The decision was ultimately made before we were too far along any given track to move the program to Hay River and steps were made to do that. Any work that was initiated to look at TTC and be renovated in Yellowknife was ceased. The plan is now to refocus on the move to Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Supplementary to Question 6-15(4): Rationale For Treatment Centre Relocation
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just wondering again, maybe the Minister could let us know when Regular Members of this side of the House might be able to actually see some evidence or business plan. Like I said, I’m not fundamentally opposed to something like this happening, but a case has not been made and I don’t think you just do it just to do it. I think you have to make a case for it. There’s certainly a number of questions that are left unanswered here and I’m wondering when the Minister could commit. I know I’m not on the Social Programs committee, but consult with us and show us the plan and show us how the clients are going to be impacted on this transfer to Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return to Question 6-15(4): Rationale For Treatment Centre Relocation
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s our intention to build a lot of this detail with regard to this particular program into the upcoming business planning process, which is already in the developmental stage. We will be coming forward, given the time frame of 18 months, to do that. So there will be an opportunity for the Members to look at the detail both on the capital side and on the program side. But I want to assure the Member and this House that very clearly, in my opinion as Minister and as a Minister who has experience in running child welfare programs of this nature, that this program is going to be able to be delivered effectively in Hay River and we intend to make sure that there is no diminishment in service capacity. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Supplementary to Question 6-15(4): Rationale For Treatment Centre Relocation
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Talking about infrastructure and the use of that infrastructure, I’m just wondering the money that was spent at the current TTC, has any thought been given to having a look at the Somba K’e lodge, the piece of public infrastructure that sits empty on the Detah access road, to house a program like the Territorial Treatment Centre, or did we just make a decision, let’s just move the whole program? Did we give that some thought, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.
Further Return to Question 6-15(4): Rationale For Treatment Centre Relocation
Mr. Speaker, in fact we did look at Somba K’e probably over a year ago now, a year-and-a-half ago, in terms of its potential. There was a technical review done, there was a program assessment done, and it was determined that because of the distance and the required changes that would be necessary in the state of the building that it wasn’t found to be appropriate for a child welfare facility. So there was work done, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
