Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the election campaign, going door to door talking with my constituents, one particular concern came up again and again. They expressed their desire for this government to provide assistance to solve that concern.
I speak, of course, about the extreme and urgent water and sewer infrastructure situation in the Northland Mobile Home Park in my riding. Concern was expressed to me by park residents but also by many other Frame Lake constituents. This is a problem that all Yellowknifers are concerned about and a problem that Yellowknifers expect the GNWT to help with.
Community government is firmly onside to help the residents of Northland. The City of Yellowknife has provided in-kind assistance to the park for at least 10 years. By recent city council motion they have committed to continue that assistance and to try to find financing for the infrastructure replacement project.
This government, on the other hand, has refused to provide any assistance to the park residents or the city, apart from a brief mention of support for the project in two letters to the Minister of Infrastructure for Canada. The GNWT has refused to accept any responsibility for the current plight of the Condo Corporation No. 8, even though I feel they should bear at least some moral responsibility.
Recently the City of Yellowknife, acting on behalf of the condo corporation board, wrote to the GNWT with a proposal; a proposal for a no-interest loan from the GNWT to the City of Yellowknife, a loan which would significantly reduce the repayment costs to the residents. The cost of interest over 35 years is about $13 million, almost the same as the cost of the project. The monthly repayment costs, if they include interest, are out of the reach of most park residents. Eliminate the interest, and the monthly condo payments are reduced to an amount that condo corp residents can afford to pay.
The Premier, in his remarks Wednesday, stated that the GNWT could provide a loan guarantee. That won’t do it. It won’t reduce the repayment costs to the point where it is affordable for residents.
We’re not giving money away here. The proposal is for a loan, not a grant. The cost to this government on an annual basis is minimal, but to my constituents, with their limited budgets, it’s huge.
The trailer park is home to about 1,100 residents, over 2 percent of the population of the NWT. Were it a stand-alone community it would be the seventh largest community in the NWT. It’s time for this government to do the right thing: to provide the help my constituents need.
I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
