Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On the advice of the Department of Public Works, that is the amount we are told we would spend in order to construct this hostel. It is a 12-bed hostel that would include the hostel parents. We agree we will look at the project. I will work with the Minister of DPW to see if he can cut expenditures in this project.

Mr. Gargan.

Moving Away From Hostels And More Into Home Boarding Concept

During the last Assembly there was a direction implemented by the former government in regard to trying to get away from having student hostels and to go into the home boarding concept. I believe it was on that basis that some initiatives in some regions were dropped and this whole new concept was accepted. Is this government again changing its direction with regard to student hostels? Are we looking at this all over and going to move in that direction regardless of the cost factor, whether it is cheaper to homeboard students as opposed to building these expensive facilities?

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since the government started to use home parents as an alternative to hostels, that has been most successful in most cases. In Fort Simpson, unfortunately, we are at the capacity to use the home boarding. Whenever possible we will try to use the home boarding as a way to educate kids that are not from that particular community. At the current time in Fort Simpson we are at our limits.

Mr. Gargan.

So this is a whole new facility being built? We are no longer looking at using the existing hostel.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, we will use both methods, hostel and home boarding.

Mr. Gargan.

Is that a new facility we are building?

Mr. Minister.

Yes.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Chairman, is the government going to review the home boarding program or the hostel program that, I guess, many of us were persuaded to oppose support of a home boarding program, and whether or not the communities are going to have an opportunity to indicate whether or not they support that particular program, and whether or not they would like to change direction. I guess I am making mention of this because a few years ago I was convinced by the Minister at that time, I guess it was Mr. Patterson, to go the home boarding route and to cancel two 10-bed hostels in my community of Fort McPherson, so I am just kind of curious as to the direction you want to take us now, or whether or not the communities could influence the policy in changing it into this type of initiative.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our preference is to go in the route of home boarding. Yes, in some ways I suppose the communities could be part of the decision of whether they have home boarding or we would have to build a hostel. If there is nobody in the community that wants to take in students, then we would ultimately have to build hostels. Our first preference is to go home boarding, and then if there is no more capacity, such as is the case in Fort Simpson I am told, we have to build hostels. Thank you.

Thank you. To the motion. Member for Aivilik.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Do not get me wrong. I am not against having the government build a hostel in Fort Simpson. I understand that some students cannot adapt very well to a new home, and the hostel sometimes is better suited, especially for counselling and adaptation. But I am having a real problem with it. The government must have a design, then, to be able to come up with this figure of $800,000 to have a hostel. Are they talking about the hostel, Mr. Chairman, or are they talking about a 12-unit apartment? Instead of talking about a 12-bed can he talk about how many bedrooms are being designed here?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, we are talking about one building, two students per room, and one small suite for hostel parents.

Thank you. To the motion. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a couple of questions in respect to the idea of placing money in for a hostel and trying to address the whole student hostel this year, as opposed to over a two-year plan as they had initially wanted to address it. I recall a couple of years ago the hostel in Simpson was closed down. I think it was by the Fire Marshal, due to requirements that needed to be done. I do not recall the amount with respect to the deficiencies that would have had to be addressed, but I am wondering whether these deficiencies exceed the allotted amount of $800,000 that

is now in the budget. Can the Minister advise me? It is the same department, even though I recognize it is a different Minister.