FOR FIRST READING OF BILLS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, November 30, 1992, I shall move that Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills. Mr. Patterson.

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills. Item 16, Motions. Mr. Kakfwi. Motions. Mr. Kakfwi.

Yes, would you read your motion please, Mr. Kakfwi?

Motion is in order, Mr. Kakfwi. To the motion? Mr. Kakfwi.

The seconder of the motion has the opportunity to speak to the motion. Ms. Cournoyea.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

The Justice House Report of the Special Advisor on Gender Equality will be moved into the Committee of the Whole as the first item of business on Friday, December 4, and Miss Katherine Peterson, the Special Advisor on General Equality will be invited to appear before the Committee. Item 16, Motions. Item 17, First Reading of Bills. Item 18, Second Reading of Bills. Item 19, Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters with Committee Report 1-12(3), Standing Committee on Finance Report on the Review of the 1993-94 Capital Estimates, Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1993-94 with Mr. Pudluk in the Chair.

Will this committee come to order? I believe we have completed the Safety and Public Services department. What does this committee wish now? Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If we can proceed to the budget, the next item would be Education, Culture and Employment Programs.

Does this government agree that we will deal with Education, Culture and Employment Program? Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

It is in the blue book, page 16-9. We will take a 15 minute break and when we come back we will deal with this department.

---SHORT BREAK

We will continue with Education, Culture and Employment Programs. Mr. Minister, do you wish to make opening remarks?

Department of Education, Culture and Employment Programs Introductory Remarks

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce the 1993-94 capital estimates for the Department responsible for Education, Culture and Employment Programs. The budget I present today is designed to meet the areas of greatest need for schools, Arctic College and culture while respecting the need for restraint.

For many years, increases in school enrolments rarely went above two per cent. This year and last year they increased by approximately 5 per cent. Over the last two years the largest growth in enrolment has been in high school grades, with 19 per cent in the past year, and 28 per cent in 1991-92. It is encouraging to see more students participating in high school, but this increased participation, and the growing population of young students in our system, puts pressure on school facilities. It is becoming increasingly difficult to provide capital resources to keep pace with growing enrolments.

Mr. Chairman, the department plans to meet the demands of growing enrolments in some communities by upgrading old buildings, as well as by constructing new ones.

Fort Simpson has identified a new elementary school as its number one priority. The department is proposing to build a new ten classroom school, and to renovate parts of the existing school, which would be used as a high school. The total cost of the new elementary school will be about $5 million. The renovation of the existing school would cost about $5.4 million. In both cases, planning will start in 1993-94.

The situation in Cambridge Bay is similar. The department is proposing that a ten classroom primary school be built, and that the existing school be renovated to help meet the need for classroom space. Construction would start on the new school in 1993-94, while renovations would start the following year.

With the introduction of grade extensions in Cambridge Bay it is forecast that students from other Kitikmeot communities will enrol in school there. A new 12 bed residence will be required to accommodate these students. The department is proposing to build the residence in 1993-94, with construction costs of $1.3 million.

An expected increase in enrolments will also put pressure on classroom space in Coppermine. This is due in part to extending high school grades in the community, but also because of a 25 per cent increase in students in the lower grades. The department is proposing to build a seven-classroom school, with planning in 1993-94 and construction starting in 1994-95.

The school in Jean Marie River needs to be replaced. The department proposes that construction take place during 1993-94.

Wherever possible, the department is trying to ease enrolment pressure by adding classrooms to existing schools. The department is proposing to add four classrooms to the schools in Clyde River and Igloolik. Coral Harbour needs three new classrooms, while Snare Lake and Sanikiluaq require two additional classrooms.

A new school was built in Pangnirtung in 1988-89. It is now time to carry on with the education facilities plan for that community. Phase two would see the addition of five classrooms and a gym, which the department proposed take place during 1993-94. Phase three will be the modernization of the old school to serve the present grade seven to twelve program. The oldest parts of the school would be demolished. An addition is also planned for Pond Inlet, with most of the work taking place during 1993-94.

A number of older buildings in our school system require renovations to improve efficiency. The heating, ventilation, plumbing and electrical systems at Joseph Burr Tyrrell School in Fort Smith are wearing out and need to be replaced. Similar work is needed at Diamond Jenness High School in Hay River. In addition, parts of the school need to be renovated and modernized. The department is also proposing to redesign the building, so that more space could be used for program delivery. In both cases, the planning work begins in 1993-94.

The school and residence in Edzo require renovations. Construction would be spread across three years to minimize disruptions to the operation of the facility. The Chief Jimmy Bruneau facility was designed and constructed in 1970 as an open area elementary school with an attached residence and cafeteria. Modifications over the years provided for individual classrooms but the heating, lighting and air circulation were not adapted as the school design was changed. Also, the residence needs to be renovated to accommodate out of town high school students, and with the offering of the high school program, the school needs some labs as well as extensive renovations to the shop and home economics facilities.

Yellowknife school facilities are also addressed in this budget. High schools in Yellowknife are now over capacity. There are more than 1,000 students in grades nine to 12 in the city. Even with growth in community-based secondary schooling, the number of students in Yellowknife is expected to be more than 1,500 in ten year's time. After consulting with both Yellowknife Boards of Education and the Board of Secondary Education, the department proposes that a new high school for 500 students be built on the St. Patrick School site, with construction starting in April, 1993. The new high school will meet the needs of the Yellowknife Separate Education District until the year 2002.

In addition, we intend to examine the mandate of the Board of Secondary Education and the results of transferring the responsibility for Sir. John Franklin to Yellowknife Public School District No. 1.

Mr. Chairman, this year for the first time, the Arctic College Board of Governors has participated in the capital budget process. Like the capital plans for schools and culture, the capital plan for the college will be integrated with the strategic plan for all facets of the department.

This budget addresses immediate college capital requirements. New two-classroom adult education centres are required in Aklavik and Arctic Bay. The current centre in Aklavik should be replaced because it is in poor condition and overcrowded. The building in Arctic Bay is too small to meet the needs of the community. Construction for these projects, which have been deferred from previous years, is planned to start in 1993-94.

The adult education centre in Rankin Inlet is a complex of old prefab buildings dating back to the 1960s. Although it is in fair condition, there are a number of serious recurring problems. The department is recommending that this building be replaced with a new four-plex classroom unit. The possibility of linking this construction to vocational training initiatives in Rankin Inlet is being investigated. Planning is currently taking place using a standard design to reduce planning costs. Construction is planned for 1993-94. Planning for the construction of an applied arts and library building at Thebacha Campus in Fort Smith is proposed. The preliminary design includes about 16 classrooms, laboratory areas and instructors spaces as well as a library. It would replace classrooms currently housed in a number of substandard portables and old frame buildings scattered across the campus. The age and condition of these structures were well documented several years ago, and their condition has deteriorated further. The college proposes to finalize design and tender work in 1993-94, with construction taking place over the following two years.

Mr. Chairman, one of the duties of the department's culture branch is to safeguard many of the north's important cultural artifacts. The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre plays a key role in acquiring and preserving northern artifacts. While some items are placed in community museums, most are stored for some length of time at the heritage centre. The centre's holdings have grown to the point that existing storage units are full. In 1993-94, the department proposes to replace fixed storage units with mobile shelving units which will provide 30% more space in a properly controlled environment. One half of the amount requested is expected to be offset by a recovery from the federal government.

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage centre is also the focus of the strategy being prepared to support and coordinate development of community museums.

The strategy being developed builds on the knowledge and expertise of heritage centre staff to support the development and operation of community museums. But this strategy is also being developed to address the need for community museum facilities, which may be met through consolidation by making maximum use of existing facilities such as schools and community centres. This strategy will be completed by the end of this fiscal year, and will form part of the department's overall strategic plan.

There are some capital museums projects which are being proposed in this budget because they are urgent, such as the renovation of the floor in the Norman Wells Museum, and because we should establish and equitable level of museum services in both the east and the west.

Mr. Chairman, the Nunatta Sunaqutangit museum in Iqaluit plays an important role in the preservation of Inuit culture and in the documentation and interpretation of the history and development of the Baffin region.

Planning has begun to extend the museum building, to attach it to the neighbouring visitors' centre in order to create a regional resource.

This budget recognizes the wish of many northerners to bring back indigenous works of art to the Northwest Territories. In 1987, the Kingnait Culture Society started planning a facility in Cape Dorset to house the West Baffin Eskimo Co-op's collection of prints and other artwork. This exceptional collection is currently housed at the McMichael Gallery in Ontario, because there are no facilities in the N.W.T. which can properly care for it. In 1993-94, the department proposes to provide funding of $500,000 to the Kingnait Culture Society as the G.N.W.T.'s contribution towards this facility, conditional on successful fund raising on behalf of the Society.

In the western Arctic, the Dene cultural institute is planning to build a facility to house a number of traditional and educational activities, including a library and archives, and facilities for museum programming. As with the Kingnait Society, we are proposing to provide $500,000 as the G.N.W.T.'s contribution towards this facility, conditional on successful fund raising on behalf of the Dene cultural institute.

Other capital projects planned for 1993-94 include conserving paintings and fixtures at Our Lady of Good Hope church in Fort Good Hope, a national historic building, and to finish restoring the stone church, a historic building which will provide museum services in Pelly Bay.

Mr. Chairman, these are some of the highlights of the department's budget. As I mentioned earlier, the need for many of these projects is the result of forced growth in the educational system, as well as our responsibility to play a key role in preserving and promoting all aspects of northern culture.

We are working to be as creative and proactive as possible to make the best use of our capital resources.

With improved local consultation, the completion of a twenty-year capital needs assessment, and a ten-year capital plan which is integrated with the overall department strategic plan, capital planning will improve. I will now answer questions respecting this budget. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. I will now ask the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance make an opening remark, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Dent will be handling this particular jurisdiction at this time.

Thank you. Opening remarks, Mr. Dent.

Standing Committee On Finance Comments