Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement with regard to the Trout Lake school and the need for expansion; in fact, for creating a new one. I had this debate with the Minister of Education last year in the fall session and I just want to, of course, continue the support to the community of Trout Lake and ask the Minister about, will the Minister recognize the needs of the students in the community of Trout Lake to ensure that the budget for a new school is on our capital plan? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Trout Lake school, obviously there’s a space issue, as the Member is alluding to, but we do have the student population that’s going up and down. In 2009-10 there were 15 students attending the school. But at the current stage we have 33 students. So we have to have that in mind as well as we move forward.
There is a small capital project that’s been identified in the 2010-11 Capital Plan as an immediate measure to deal with the issue with the space. But we can certainly develop a long-term plan for the school expansion down the road. Mahsi.
I’m glad to hear the Minister’s positive response to a long-term plan of creating a new school for the community of Trout Lake. In fact, the government had promised in the past that they would actually build them a new school when the old Charles Tetcho burnt down.
Also, can I ask the Minister, in the long-term capital plan, to ensure that a gymnasium is attached to this school, because I like to think… My colleague Mr. Krutko showed me a letter that indicates that Trout Lake is one of the two communities in the North that does not have a gymnasium. Can this capital planning include a gymnasium when they look at a new school for Trout Lake? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this particular capital plan that we’re talking about, we need to work with the divisional education council as well. Also, I need to work with my colleague the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs with respect to the recreation, the gymnasium area. We have done that in the past where we’ve had communities partnering on a certain expansion in the schools. Those are the discussions that we can certainly have with the Member and also the Member’s leadership at the community level. I think, Mr. Speaker, this particular issue that’s before us, we’ll discuss it further. Mahsi.
That’s the kind of discussion that we’d certainly like to see for Trout Lake. We’ve taken care of big schools throughout our North up to date, Mr. Speaker, and I think it’s time to start concentrating on our small and remote communities and providing facilities for them. Once again, when will the capital planning discussions begin with the education council and the Minister of Education towards planning of the school in Trout Lake? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, all the schools are our prime focus. We’re not comparing small schools versus bigger centre schools. I think we feel that all schools are the responsibility of the GNWT as a whole under the Department of Education. But with this ongoing discussion that we’re going to be having, we need to compile that information from the divisional education council, what they have on file, with our department. Certainly, from there we’ll move forward with that information on the capital planning process. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased, once again, to see the eagerness of the Minister to assist the community of Trout Lake. Like I said, the whole community is behind this initiative. I’d like to ask the Minister once again if he will commit to begin the process of identifying a school for Trout Lake in the long term. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this will be part of the discussion that we’re going to be having on the capital projects for future discussion, along with other schools throughout the Northwest Territories. Definitely, this will be part of the discussion we will be having within our department and also the education council for Nahendeh. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
