Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement today, I have a few questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I’d like to ask the Minister if there are plans by the department to evaluate the pilot project in Fort Smith that I referred to. Maybe the evaluation has already been done. Maybe there are other communities that are already piloting a similar project. I’d like to know what the status is of the evaluation and the encouragement, I guess, of other communities to follow this example.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member indicated, this is currently in the pilot status, and as with pilots, we will evaluate and determine whether or not we will be able to deliver this in the future in other communities, regions, locations throughout the Northwest Territories. I will get a follow-up on the status of the evaluation for the Member.
I’d like to ask the Minister, would they be at a stage at this point of perhaps calling for expressions of interest from other communities who may like more information on this or who may be wanting to participate in a similar program as this to support elders in their communities? It encompasses a lot of really healthy activity. Would it be premature for other communities to contact the department to express interest?
It might be a little early to go out and to actually do an expression, but we’re absolutely willing to share any information that we have on the program with other communities that might be interested in doing the same type of thing. But until we do an actual evaluation and conclude that evaluation, we won’t necessarily be in a position to make any commitments to support that program in any of the other communities, but we will share information.
My research would indicate that this program started in Fort Smith about a year ago, and I was wondering if the Minister could provide any kind of a time frame on when such an evaluation may be undertaken and completed.
I’m not sure of the exact date or the exact status of the evaluation, whether we had started or whether we’re just waiting for the program to conclude its full year, but I will get that detail for the Member and committee.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
