Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to follow up on a Member’s statement and questions made by my colleague Mr. Ramsay from two Wednesdays ago. Over the last several months, I received a large number of letters from parents and students who attend the Ecole Allain St-Cyr. They continue to be concerned and frustrated that their children are attending the school without gym facilities. I share the frustration.
Physical education is a critical portion of a child’s development. It is about providing children with the knowledge, skill, capacity, value and enthusiasm to maintain healthy lifestyles into adulthood. Many physical education programs are designed to promote physical fitness, to develop motor skills, to instil knowledge and understanding of rules, concepts and strategies which will be of value throughout a person’s life. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind, which helps youth excel through their school years and well into the future. So by building facilities without gymnasiums, we are making it more difficult for schools to provide these important lessons to our youth. I acknowledge that alternate arrangements have been made to facilitate physical education within Ecole Allain St-Cyr; unfortunately, I don’t think they are suitable.
The majority of the school year falls within winter. Asking young children to travel between schools and the multiplex or other locations in the dead of winter at 40 below zero is unfair and irresponsible. It increases the school board’s difficulty in delivering quality physical education. I was happy to hear the Minister say that discussions with the Minister of Heritage are ongoing. Unfortunately, it also sounds like we are in a holding pattern of waiting for a response from the federal government.
On behalf of the board and the parents, I want to encourage the Minister and his department to take a more proactive stance on this file. Stop waiting for a response to take action. Set up more meetings with the federal government. Obtain the funding required to move forward with this phase two and build the much required gym for Ecole Allain St-Cyr. Let’s stop talking and start doing. Let’s help the children and adolescents of the Yellowknife’s Francophone community by building facilities they need in their schools to reach their full potential. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
