Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We ask residents of the Northwest Territories to go and further their education. Students at the Adult Learning Centre in Inuvik have made that commitment to further their education.
I’d like to direct my questions today to the Minister of Education on the upcoming destruction of the only facility in Inuvik that meets the needs of the Adult Learning Centre, and that’s the building that the students work out of.
I’d like to ask the Minister if his department has identified any alternate locations. What are the options that his department has come up with? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Ever since there was a petition from the students of Inuvik that came in late last year, my department has been working with the community of Inuvik and the different departments of ENR to try to find a solution, because we know that in August of 2008 there will be the closure of the facility. We’re doing what we can as a department to come up with a solution.
We’re working on some options, and we’re also working with the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council, possibly using some classrooms in the interim. Also, we’ve identified an ENR building that’s going to be vacant, so we’re exploring that option as well. We’re exploring the college campus as well. Those are the options that we’re working with. Then there’s also a leased space managed by Inuvik Commercial Properties. Those are just some of the areas that we’re exploring at this point.
I think the big thing here is that we have to find a suitable location. I know for a fact they need about seven rooms. They operate on timetable schedules, so having classes in different locations throughout the community isn’t very much of an option.
Going back to the centre itself — I may have asked the Minister this before —was the engineer’s report done by DPW, or was that done by an independent engineer?
Mr. Speaker, through PWS and our department it was a contract for the inspection of the building.
We have staff who are leaving next week, and they’re coming back in September. They’re not sure if they’ve got a facility to step into when they get back.
The facility has been safe for them to occupy in June; it should be safe in September. I’d like to ask the Minister if the department would consider deferring demolishing the Adult Learning Centre until a suitable location is found.
Mr. Speaker, one of the options that we did work with was PWS having another inspection done on the actual building itself. The building is an old building, so it was a safety factor. The foundation is rotting away. At the same time, that was one of the options we were working on.
The next option, in the medium term, will be to do a lease agreement with the college campus, because we know that the students need to enter the fall school year. That’s one of the short-term solutions that we are working on. After July 30 I do believe there will be space available for them. That’s one of the areas that we are focusing on as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that. There’s a lot of uncertainty as far as students and staff go.
Inuvik is starting to remind me of Jericho in the Old Testament, but in this case you walk around the building seven times and walls come tumbling down.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if a contract has already been put out and awarded for the demolition of the Adult Learning Centre. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the building itself is scheduled to come down in August. As far as I know, it’s not out there yet, but I believe it’s in the process.
There was a request to PWS to have another inspection done on the facility itself, so we’re in the process of pursuing that. We do have some time until then, so we are looking at other options as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
