Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned in my Member's statement here, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. My understanding, the Norman Wells Sahtu Regional Health Facility is going to create in the neighbourhood of 45 positions. Which positions are we expecting outside of what we have there already and the recruitment advertising plan for those extra positions coming into that facility? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member knows, with the building of the new health centre in Norman Wells, we are also adding a long-term care facility, an 18-bed long-term care facility. This is the first long-term care facility in the Sahtu and we're very excited about opening it. However, it is going to require a large number of new positions to be established in the Sahtu. To date, we have worked with SSI and the Inuvialuit Aurora College to do some training of some local individuals that did occur in Inuvik on resident care aid training, so that we could start getting some people ready for those positions when they are established.
As the Member knows, and I think all Members are aware, we are in an incredibly tight fiscal situation. We will be coming forward through the business planning process to establish some positions in the Sahtu to fill those needs, but we do have to compete against other priorities and other challenges, and recognizing the tight fiscal situation we as a government, we as Members of the Assembly, are going to be forced to make some difficult decisions about reductions or corrections so that we have money available to invest in new priority areas, new mandate items, as the Government of the Northwest Territories. So we are all going to have to work very hard. In the meantime, as I've indicated, we're working on training some individuals. Some market housing units have been built in Norman Wells that will hopefully help accommodate people who we will have to hire from outside. But ultimately, with many of these jobs, it would be best to train and hire local employment.
I think I heard we're going to create 17 positions, so let's use that number.
---Laughter
Dating back to May the 3rd, there was some correspondence going between ourselves with the Minister's office here on the transition plan, and that plan was supposed to be made available or is going to be made available this fall, all these questions are going to be redirected with the contents of the transitional plan for the new facility. Mr. Speaker, my question is: when we can expect the transitional plan? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since we last discussed this topic in the House I have been provided with some additional updated information. It's my understanding that Public Works and Services will be taking possession of that building in the winter as opposed to the fall.
They will be, at that point, commissioning, doing some necessary commissioning, bringing in health-related equipment, and we are looking at moving into that building late summer next year. So it's a little further away that I had originally indicated. I appreciate Public Works and Health for providing me that additional updated information. I apologize for the inaccurate information that I gave the Member previously.
Currently, we are hiring a person in the Sahtu who is going to be our transition planner and is going to work with all the different divisions, sections, Public Works and Services and other organizations to help transition ourselves into that building. Once that person is hired and the transition plan starts to be developed, I'm happy to have a sit down with staff in the region and the Member to walk through how we're going to transition into that facility.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Looking at the logistics of opening the doors for this facility, as the Member knows the whole Sahtu region is approached in two land ways: either by barge or by the winter road. So if we're going to open the doors to this facility next year about this time, we've got actually two options of access for heavy building material, trailer material for accommodations, large pieces of equipment over the winter road, and the secondary final option is during the next coming barging season. So I urge the Minister to see if we can get the transitional document made available? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
More of a comment, but I'll allow the Minister to respond if he wishes.
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated we're currently hiring an individual to do our transition planning. We're trying to get somebody local; somebody from Norman Wells. Once that individual is hired, we hope to begin the development of a plan moving forward. It does involve multiple bodies, many departments, but I'm happy to have a sit down with the Member to go through how we plan to move into that building over the next number of months.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu. Okay. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
