Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my constituency need for a couple of schools in Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake. I would like to ask the Minister of Education a couple of questions. I have been raising this issue for several years.
First of all, perhaps I should ask about Trout Lake. I always made the case because the community has always made the case that it is not an actual school. It is a recreational centre where they are being educated. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, are they looking at Trout Lake of building their own stand-alone school? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Trout Lake school has been, as the Member stated, he is quite correct that it has been raised in this House. They have been part of the capital planning process along with other pressing matters that are before us within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.
When we do the capital planning process, we compile the important issues such as one from Trout Lake and one from Nahanni Butte and other regions. It trickles down to which is the most pressing issue in the Northwest Territories. Based on that, the selection criteria is selecting those individual projects and then it is the highlight of what we are here today. We will be discussing the projects as well. Based on that, that is the process.
I did commit to the Member that I will be visiting Trout Lake, the Nahendeh region, in the near future. Mahsi.
Certainly the community will welcome any visit by the Minister to show them their case, indeed. Would the Minister be able to confirm that at least these schools are on the long-term 20-year capital needs assessment? Thank you.
This particular school along with other schools, we continue to monitor them. It is based on the teachers in the community, the students, based on the population. If there is an increase in the student population, then we will definitely put that as a high pressing need for the Northwest Territories to be considered as part of the capital project. Yes, indeed, this is part of the process that we must continue to monitor. I understand the issues with the school capacity, so we will continue to monitor that as well. Mahsi.
I am certainly glad that the department is assessing the communities and monitoring them, but I would like to know, are these schools at least on the 20-year needs assessment capital plan. Thank you.
When we met in Detah we talked about the goals and objectives of this government. We talked about our capital infrastructures. At that time there was discussion on focussing on the small communities. That is definitely one of our goals as we move forward with this particular GNWT 17th Assembly and when it comes to capital projects. With the 20-year plan, I have to get that more detailed information. I don’t have the plan in front of me today, but I will gather the information. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will certainly look at getting that information on the 20-year needs assessment to see if it is indeed on the capital plan. In my Member’s statement I asked just that, is that we start planning. It is important for me to see that on the capital needs assessment. Just one more time if I can ask the Minister if he will commit to have that plan perhaps sent to my office so I can review it as well. Thank you.
My department will share what we can share as a needs assessment, part of the capital projects within the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
