Debates of February 11, 2005 (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was going to ask questions about RWED and their commitment to Expo, but I think I’m going to jump on the bandwagon about this lack of gymnasium in Nahanni Butte.

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Mr. Speaker, I grew up in Fort Simpson and I know these communities very well. I can tell you personally from my own experience of growing there as a young lad we could either go to the gymnasium to play floor hockey or kick soccer balls, or we could be out on the streets breaking windows doing nasty things. So my question to the Minister is what is his priority for our children out there? Is it gymnasiums, having fun and good education out there, or is it being nasty on the streets? What is his priority from his department?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 369-15(3): Gymnasium Needed In Nahanni Butte

Mr. Speaker, we have been working hard to accommodate some of the needs of our youth. We have been doing a lot of planning. We have been able to convince our Cabinet, our Financial Management Board, that we need more dollars in terms of infrastructure and where we are looking at some flexibility so that some of this money can be used towards recreation. We’ve also been establishing a program called the Community Initiatives Program, where there is $1 million there that communities have been tapping into for baseball diamonds, youth centres and soccer fields, so that they are not out there breaking windows, as the Member suggested.

Our priority is for active living. We have formed a Social Ministers' Committee that deals with this issue. We have announced the ski program that we are enhancing, we’ve also targeted to have NWT games that are focused solely on youth and youth that cannot participate or have not been able to participate in some of the other initiatives that are out there, like the Arctic Winter Games, Canada Games or National Aboriginal Indigenous Games. So there are a number of things that we have embarked on and are working towards in the last little while as new initiatives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 369-15(3): Gymnasium Needed In Nahanni Butte

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Minister, for talking about process. Mr. Speaker, I think this Minister can make the policy commitment today. Now, he said earlier about he won’t stand up here in the House and help direct these things, but I think he can. Being in charge of MACA, he can say our policy initiative will be to put gymnasiums in these communities. We talked about $1.5 million out of his words. Well, the government can stand by and watch the diamond producers and the diamond cutters waste territorial dollars, between them arguing over who is responsible who is going to give diamonds. So we can watch $3 million or $4 million dollars go to waste over procedures and policies and process, but we can’t make a policy decision that would keep our kids off the street. Will the Minister address this problem through a policy, because our youth today are going to be our adults with problems tomorrow. So will he address this through a policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return to Question 369-15(3): Gymnasium Needed In Nahanni Butte

Mr. Speaker, I certainly agree that our youth today will be adults of tomorrow. I will look at our process, our standards and criteria that we use as a guideline, and we will be moving forward with a plan to address infrastructure in the smaller communities and put more emphasis on the recreation. We are hearing it from the Members on the other side and we certainly take it as direction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 369-15(3): Gymnasium Needed In Nahanni Butte

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I could almost see like a candle of light starting there. There wasn’t a flashlight or a big beam, but I could feel the warmth of light. You are lighting the path in the right direction. Mr. Speaker, we are getting a whole whack of dollars for infrastructure money. I don’t have to talk about how much; this is the right Minister to talk to though. Will he use his power to create a policy that helps some of those infrastructure dollars to address this problem? Mr. Speaker, I want to hear him take control of his department and take control of this problem. Will he help the youth? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 369-15(3): Gymnasium Needed In Nahanni Butte

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been focused on the youth in terms of our initiatives over the last while; we will continue to do so. I certainly will heed to the direction provided by the Members over the recreation facility issue in the smaller communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 369-15(3): Gymnasium Needed In Nahanni Butte

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am hearing the warmth from that cold Minister over there on the books; finally. It’s good to see that, thank you.

Mr. Speaker, these directives can be done today. I want to hear this Minister say today he’s got the power that we will work to make this initiative within this capital budget, within the next five years, we can do this. Show some leadership, Mr. Speaker, because that little gymnasium is the heart of a community. It’s a community centre, it’s for gathering places like tea dances; my colleague over here just said it is the heart of the community. Will the Minister seriously agree to look into this problem today and see if we can adjust it within our five-year capital plan, so that the people of Nahanni who are without a gymnasium can have that problem solved? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 369-15(3): Gymnasium Needed In Nahanni Butte

Mr. Speaker, it has always been in our plans to have consultation with all communities to see what their needs are. Our process allows for that. We want to be able to hear from all of the communities before I commit to taking one program, one project in our 20-year needs and moving it forward. We would like to review all the projects that are out there and then make a decision based on fairness and need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.