Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, it may be a little early to start talking about a capital project, but there is an unequal situation in one of our schools in Yellowknife, one which must be corrected. Ecole Allain St-Cyr provides French first-language schooling for students from kindergarten to grade 12, and because of dedicated parents, teachers and board members -- which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year -- has grown from a single portable at Sissons School site in 1989, with only nine students, to the opening of their own building on their own land in 2000, to the five grade 12 students in the initial graduating class in 2007, then phase one of a two-part expansion to the school in 2008.
Yet, this school of about 110 students does not enjoy the same facilities as other YK schools. Ecole Allain St-Cyr does not have any capacity for physical education. They have no gym, no multi-purpose space and no outdoor playing field. A gymnasium is scheduled for the second part of the school’s expansion, and the dollars for that expansion are not in the 2010-11 Capital Budget and not in the 2011-12 Capital Budget either. No, phase two of Ecole Allain St-Cyr has been delayed until at least the 2012-13 fiscal year.
This is a complicated situation, Mr. Speaker. As French first-language rights holders, the children of Francophone parents are guaranteed schooling in French, according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the federal government provides funding for French first-language schools; schools such as Ecole Allain St-Cyr. The GNWT, through Education, Culture and Employment, was slow to agree to build the school’s necessary expansion a number of years ago and phase one only took place after a court decision forced the government’s hand. Phase two of the court-ordered expansion has once again been delayed by ECE and should not be delayed any further. All parties concerned recognize that capital planning takes time and that it is a slow process, particularly when three orders of government are involved. But, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think we want to go back to court to get phase two underway.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Apparently, GNWT is waiting for the federal government to commit capital funds, and the federal government is waiting for the GNWT to commit the funds. The kids are caught in the middle, learning in a school without a gym to give them much-needed physical activities. Ecole Allain St-Cyr students deserve the same access to physical education activities as all other students in the city. Phase two of the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr must be included in the 2011-12 Infrastructure Budget. It can’t be left until 2012-13. If the GNWT takes the lead and shows our commitment to this project by assigning the capital dollars, then the Government of Canada is much more likely to ante up their portion of the capital costs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
