Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the chair rise and report progress. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 279-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of housing. Mr. Speaker, I know she's live and well aware of the work that the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation/the Gwich'in Tribal Council are doing in Inuvik around new housing. My question is what or how many new units are planned by the NWT Housing Corporation for Inuvik? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that consideration of Tabled Document 279-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025, be now concluded and that the tabled Document 279-20(1) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And that's excellent information. And I'm wondering, can the Minister give me a timeline on the renovations? Given the long waitlist that we do have Inuvik, the timeline on when those 34 units are being renovated, what kind of a timeline are we looking at for those? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this weekend I had the opportunity to attend the curling Northwest Territories Rock the Rings 2025, and, Mr. Speaker, it was the biggest one yet. 65 youth curlers - 31 from Inuvik, 12 from Hay River, and 22 from Yellowknife - had attended this event this weekend over Saturday and Sunday.

Each year, Mr. Speaker, it's great to see the skill level of these curlers improving. In addition to the curling, the participants enjoyed bowling and pizza on Friday, swimming and teen time on Saturday and, most of all, Mr. Speaker, making new friends.

Mr. Speaker, I am...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So just, again, clarity, so they were budgeted in operations, they weren't purchased through operations, therefore they brought them through a supplemental?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we see throughout these appropriations that there's funding in there for vehicles, and I understand that some of this funding has been transferred either from deletions throughout the budget or is offset by some potential from some funding from other sources. I guess my question is just for clarify. Typically when the capital budgets come through, you would think that departments would be budgeting for vehicles and not seeing them come back in an appropriation. I'm wondering if the Minister can kind of give an overview of why vehicles come through an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Minister for that. And she kind of answered a little of my last question which would be has the department now reached out to, certainly in the areas where the Indigenous governments are very much involved in adult learning, have their own programs running through, and has the department now kind of looked to -- and I know the department works with Indigenous governments to expand that given that there's likely going to be a gap here that needs to be filled. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. And I apologize if -- I believe it was asked; I'm not sure if it was answered. But given that the Aurora College now will be closing down, or intends on closing down, the early learning centres, is the department of education and culture now going to pivot, pull that funding back in, and then continue those programs through ECE?