Thank you. Minister of ECE.
Thank you. And this is one organization that's receiving those inflationary increases so that's why they get the whole $2,000 more. And going forward, I expect that will stay. I understand they do receive funding from other departments I think more than we provide. And I agree. I mean, they provide great experiences. I can get the deputy minister to speak a bit more about this but I will say that from the anecdotal evidence that I've seen, that students benefit greatly from this and it is an amazing program. Thank you. To the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister MacDonald.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And certainly lots of experience with Northern Youth Abroad. They're an excellent partner, and they have been for many years both here in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut as well. Other than their core programming, which I think most of the Members would be quite familiar with, ECE, with the development of northern distance learning, has partnered with Northern Youth Abroad on what's called a postsecondary bridging experience. So we really rely and leverage their expertise with working with youth, organizing youth to travel. And they take northern distance learning students from our smallest communities to universities to firsthand get a tour experience and get an understanding of what life is like in a postsecondary experience. And that's been done in Edmonton. More recently since COVID, as that's resumed, the experience was in Calgary, and we've heard nothing but good things about it. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I actually had an opportunity when I was in grade 11 or 12 to go to UBC Connect, which was very much the same thing, and even coming from Abbotsford, BC, which is not that small, it was still very overwhelming to come into Vancouver. So definitely I think that's wonderful, and I'm glad to hear it's not just about those specific programs or instances that I see on more advertised.
So my next question comes back around to the funding to the schools. So it's my understanding that due to the high cost or increases to insurance lately that the schools that the GNWT has agreed to insure the YK1 assets, etcetera, because they no longer can afford it themselves. But in the meantime, they have had to sign an MOU because to keep the schools maintained to the same level that the GNWT was already doing, and so that's because obviously the GNWT has a standard that they need to maintain and so the problem with that is that no extra funding has come to the YK1, and I'm assuming other school boards, to help them with this increased level of maintenance costs.
And in particular, in my riding is Sir John Franklin, which is now I understand experiencing huge issues around a pipe that's bursting repeatedly and there's problems there, and it's like a $30,000 fix, which now has to come out of the general coffers of the school board itself. So, you know, while I understand why the GNWT has made the schools commit to this level, they just financially can't do it. And, again, that comes back to the cut of programming and such is what we understand to make up this money.
So can the Minister speak a little bit to that. Is there an opportunity to use a trades program even, something, to reduce these maintenance costs to the schools for the crumbling infrastructure that they are also experiencing? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of ECE.
Thank you. And I know it's a different situation here in Yellowknife where the school boards predate the Government of the Northwest Territories and so they own their schools. It would be simpler if the government just oh no, sorry, not that school. You know what, maybe I'll just hand this over to Yellowknife's own Sam Shannon. Thank you.
Thank you. ADM Shannon.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So as the Member alluded to, we are in the early stages of this new situation where the GNWT is now insuring the YK1 and YCS assets. And, yes, there is a bit of a difference in the levels of maintenance and the types of maintenance and just the requirements due to different insurers. So as we're working through this together, we're really learning the experience, and we're exploring ways to improve things to modify things but, really, at this point we haven't gone through it long enough to really know what the solutions are at this point in time. So the lines of communication are open. We're working with our colleagues from both school boards to ensure that the maintenance needs are being met, and we're exploring ways to make sure that our dollars go far as possible. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I get a commitment from the Minister to help fund this specific pipe burst or pipe issue with Sir John Franklin? And the reason that I bring it up is that I have to wonder that while it's not your department, there was also a break in the main in the parking lot area of Sir John Franklin over this last week which then sent water down 49th Street to then go all the way down in front of a large, like portion of the next street's houses. So I can't help but wonder if some of that is maybe perhaps related. And given the way that the school board is situated and this being a new thing, I think it would only be fair that given that you own the asset that the department pay for the repair on this pipe. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you. So I'll have to admit I am not as familiar with this particular issue and school maintenance as I could be. So what I will do so I can't commit to anything right now but I will commit to actually talking to the chair about this. You know, I have regular contact with the chairs of the school boards, and I know we have a new chair at YK1, and he's not shy to share his thoughts and concerns. So I will have that conversation with him and then work with the department. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member? Are there any further questions under junior kindergarten to grade 12 school services? Seeing none, please turn to page 52.
Education, Culture and Employment, junior kindergarten to grade 12 school services, operation expenditure summary, Main Estimates 20232024, $200,194,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress.
Thank you. There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your witnesses. We'll see you in the future.
Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 81319(2) and I would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Do we have a seconder? Member for Yellowknife North. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Orders of the day for Friday, March 3rd, 2023, 10 a.m.
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Oral Question 1343-19(2), Impacts of COVID-19 on Education
Oral Question 1404-19(2), Child Care Funding Supports for Teen Parents
Oral Question 1411-19(2), Renewable Energy
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner’s Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Tabling of Documents
Notice of Motions
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Bill 64, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act
Bill 29, Resource Royalty Information Disclosure Statute Amendment Act
Bill 60, An Act to Amend the Petroleum products and Carbon Tax Act
Bill 61, An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Bill 63, An Act to Amend the Official Languages Act
Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act
Bill 67, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act
Committee Report 40-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 61: An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Committee Report 43-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 63: An Act to Amend the Official Languages Act
Committee Report 44-19(2), Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs Final Report: A Northwest Territories Approach to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Negotiating Agreements
Minster’s Statement 264-19(2), Response to the NWT Chief Coroner’s Report on Suicide
Tabled Document 681-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-19(2): Report on the Child and Family Services Act – Lifting Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together
Tabled Document 694-19(2), Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2021-2022 Early Release of Data
Tabled Document 813-19(2), Main Estimates
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Friday, March 3rd, 2023 at 10 a.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 5:52 p.m.
