Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at 4:15 a.m. a fire in the Nanook School in Apex was reported to the Iqaluit Fire Department. The fire department arrived promptly but had problems with an inadequate supply of water. The school is a smoking ruin this morning. Built in the early 1950s, this school was the oldest school building still in use in the Northwest Territories. In recent years, this old building has been plagued with freeze-ups and other serious maintenance problems, but the old worn-out building did not prevent a very successful program from being run in Apex.
Mr. Speaker, Nanook School is a real community school. People in Apex are shattered today. At an emergency meeting early this morning, grown men and women were crying over the loss of their school. The more than 50 students in the school are sad. The children's Christmas presents for their party had just been put in the school yesterday and those presents burned up. In spite of their shock I am proud to report that the people of Apex and Iqaluit have pulled together and provided enormous support under the leadership of the principal, Hillary Da Silva and the Niaqunguut Education Council Chair, Saali Peter and his council. Classes resumed at 9:00 a.m. in the old I.O.D.E. hall in Apex.
The Niaqunguut Education Council will be meeting again tonight. Most of the people in Apex have a very strong desire to preserve the school program in Apex. I expect the council will be preoccupied with the short-term problems of keeping classes going in Apex without a school. However, it is not too early to begin thinking about a long-term plan to replace this loss. I have already spoken in this House about the exciting plans of the Apex Historical Society to renovate and preserve historical buildings in Apex, including the former resource centre next to the school, a building which is still sound.
I expect that people in Apex will have some sensible and practical ideas about renovating and utilizing these buildings in planning new school facilities. The Niaqunguut Education Council has felt that its views on the new school facility in Apex have not always been considered or respected by this government in the past. This government moved rapidly to replace burned schools in Rankin Inlet and Pine Point.