Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment in regards to aviation pilot training. I am very encouraged by the two northern companies merging together to initiate a partnership to address the shortage of aviation pilots in our territory. On May 9th, Northwestern Air Lease announced on its Facebook page in partnering with North-Wright Airways of the Sahtu and Aurora College to create an aviation school in Fort Smith by 2019. My first question, Mr. Speaker, is: will the Minister be sharing the flying school program details with stakeholders and community leaders? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no problem sharing things, but at this point, we have nothing to share. There was an initial meeting with Aurora College. No commitments were made. At that meeting, Aurora College had asked for a proposal, a business plan, and intensive study, for example, where they are getting funding, et cetera. To date, we have not received any of that information. I can share what I have, which is nothing at this point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
This is kind of like where I am going, Mr. Speaker. It is all part of the development of the preamble to the program. Once the preliminary startup details cost, dates of the project or program, will that information be shared? At this point in time, if any, what point in time if we are to meet that 2019 deadline?
At this point, like I had said, we have asked them for a proposal, Aurora College did. Nothing has been received. I would have to check in and make sure. I am not sure if things of that nature are actually shared. I could probably share it with standing committee. I am not sure if I would table that document, because it is a private enterprise looking to partner with us.
Also, as I had mentioned earlier, the two partners with Aurora College to the flying school, one is North-Wright Airways. North-Wright Airways is 50 per cent owned by two of the largest land corporations in Fort Good Hope and Deline. Where I am going with this next question is to see if part of the program would be to transfer the schooling in one of the Sahtu airports, particularly Norman Wells, if that could be viewed as part of some of the discussions. Can the Minister commit to having, say, a revolving school to include Norman Wells training at the airport site there?
I am conscious that, when the Aurora College was reviewed, a lot of people had been saying for many years that Aurora College tries to do too much. I think we have to step back and kind of look at what we are doing now. I am interested in seeing a proposal. However, Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that, over the last five years, only 23 students have applied for student financial assistance for aviation. That averages just under five a year, which might be a pretty costly course. Mr. Speaker, I would hate to see things go bad. I would like to see the proposal before I make any decisions.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I can remember correctly some of my previous discussions in this sector of training pilots, it costs us training fees in the neighbourhood of $40,000, $50,000. If it is going to cost that much for the individual to access their commercial pilot's license, it is a significant amount, not to mention the ground schooling and operating of the aircraft.
All that put together, if a budgetary amount could be developed and possibly even shared with our land corporations during the preliminary stakeholder consultation, some of the land corporations in our Northwest Territories may have a vested interest at that point in time. I just share that with the Minister, to include that in some of the preliminary planning of the flying school. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That is a long general comment. I will take it as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
