Debates of November 28, 2007 (day 4)

Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, for decades the Deh Cho Hall has been a central gathering place for the community of Fort Simpson. Not only has it housed government offices, but it is home to a library, a family resource centre, and many other non-governmental organizations serving the whole community.

Over the last few years, the government has wavered back and forth on whether to renovate and upgrade the aging building or to find new spaces for its offices. This see-sawing back and forth has left the NGOs who share the Deh Cho Hall in a state of uncertainty and unable to make firm plans to find new spaces for themselves. Now that the government has made a decision to move its own offices rather than keep the Deh Cho Hall, the library, the family resource centre and other organizations are left scrambling to find a new location for their work.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard a great deal during the last Assembly about the difficulties non-government organizations face in finding affordable spaces and keeping their doors open on a shoestring budget. The loss of the Deh Cho Hall is going to be a heavy blow to many groups in Fort Simpson and could even spell the end for some of them. These organizations play an essential role in the community and we cannot afford to lose them.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has created this crisis situation and I believe the government, therefore, needs to step up and help our non-government organizations with transition planning. I would urge the government to organize discussions with the community and be proactive and creative in helping to identify alternate spaces for these valuable organizations.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll be asking the Minister questions during the appropriate time. Mahsi cho.

---Applause