Mr. Chairman, I will try to explain. On August 4, 1989, Cabinet approved 20 year leases for office spaces for the band councils at Fort Norman, Aklavik, Fort Providence, and Fort Smith. Previously, there was similar approval provided to the Fort McPherson Band Council.
Office space for the Aklavik Band Council was leased in the new office building of Koblunaq. Koblunaq is owned by the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, as a private corporation, and the value of the band council is over a 20 year period. There were difficulties caused in one community because there was leased space for the band council, and in the same community, it was felt that there was a great deal of pressure of the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs as there was an inconsistency and an unfairness because one group of people had a lease, and there was no support for the other group who were in a similar situation. So this was a one time payment to get over the political complications of treating one group differently than the other.