Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in the day I spoke about the planning study for the replacement of the Fort Simpson Health Centre. I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services what is the current stage of the planning study. I am aware that they’ve done an initial visit to Fort Simpson I think at the end of November. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister of Public Works, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The RFP for a planning study for the Fort Simpson Health Centre will be released this month. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I guess I was mistaken, because there was an initial visit to Fort Simpson by Public Works and Services staff. So maybe the Minister can indicate exactly what that initial visit was about. Thank you.
Thank you. More of the consultation portion of the work that Public Works is doing is determining what type of items would be associated with planning studies. We’ve looked at the needs assessment, operational plan, functional program and feasibility analysis for the specific health centre. So that was what the initial meeting with Public Works was about and then from there the decision was made to release the RFP to complete the planning study.
The community is certainly interested in exactly what type of building is being planned. I think there were several types. I think there is a B/C that is currently being built in the community of Fort Providence. I’d just like to try and get a handle from the Minister what guidelines or parameters or design plans does he have from the Minister of Health and Social Services to develop the replacement health centre for Fort Simpson.
The departments of Public Works and Health and Social Services are at the stage when they are determining what design for the type of community. It’s almost like a little bit of a regional centre. In Fort Simpson that health centre can provide some services to the small communities in the immediate area, so the design will be a little more complex than just a community health centre, which is something that is being built in Fort Providence and Fort Resolution next year. I don’t know the letter associated with this particular design, but it would be a design that is something that fits the community and it would be an increased service from what is available now.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, I was just trying to get around if there is a standard design plan that would offer Fort Simpson, like, I think there was a standard design for Fort Providence, and I think in, oh, I forget. I think it was Lutselk'e. I don’t know if there’s another specific design that’s being offered there, or is it all the same design? What I’m getting at is that many years ago I went to Alaska and I saw their Aboriginal-built hospital. It was very welcoming. It had lots of Aboriginal culture attached to it visually as you go through.
I would just like to know what is the department’s view of designing a new replacement health centre to take into account the cultural needs of over 60 percent of the Aboriginal population that are in and around Fort Simpson.
As the Member is aware, back in 2011-12 we put a bit of a delay on the planning study so that we could complete the planning study for Norman Wells as Norman Wells also provides to sort of a regional health centre. Some of the designs that we get from our consultation in Norman Wells will be incorporated into Fort Simpson. We would also be specific to what the community wants in Fort Simpson, as well, so there is certainly room for consultation from the community.
In Hay River, when we built the health centre, there was opportunity for community input, so this will be the same thing. Fort Simpson will certainly have input in how the health centre is designed and built in Fort Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
