Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I could not let this opportunity pass without talking about my pet project, the revival of the young offender's wilderness camp at Mingotuq. The Minister may be tired of having me hound him about this matter, but I would like to explain to the committee that I am very pleased that this project has very strong support from elders in Iqaluit, from the Maliganik Tukisiiniakvik Society board, from Upassuraakut alcohol and drug project who would like the camp made available to young people with solvent, alcohol and drug abuse problems. I was very pleased the other day to receive a copy of a letter from the Arctic Bay alcohol and drug committee talking about the merits of re-opening the outpost camp out of Iqaluit. I do want to express my gratitude to the Minister for having taken the trouble to meet Inookie and Lucassie, the elders who will run this project and also for having sent some of his officials to Iqaluit earlier this year to meet with them and discuss a proposal that they have now submitted. I want to explain that I do understand that it may be difficult to identify funds in the times of fiscal restraint that we are operating under, and therefore, I have been encouraging the proponents to make their proposal as modest as possible, to have as much flexibility as they can about how they would run the program, including the possibility of offering the services of the camp on a per diem basis so that as money might become available, the camp could be called on in a fairly flexible manner. I do believe it will enhance the programs at the in-town institutions where young offenders are unable to get out on the land. I do know that Isumaqsunngittukkuvik young offenders closed custody facility has some ski-doos and has made some effort to get the young people out on the land. Unfortunately, they do not have the trained staff, nor do they have the necessary equipment and facilities to offer a very meaningful program. I am hopeful that the Mingotuq project will fill a need in cooperation with the institutional programs available in town and that money can be found to complement the existing in-town programs.
I would like to ask the Minister, I know he has only had a short time to review the proposal which was submitted, I believe within the past week, what can I tell my constituents about the possibility of getting some program going, revived, on the land for young offenders who are presently stuck in town in Iqaluit? These are young people from all over the Baffin region, not just Iqaluit. Can I give them some encouragement that where there is a will, there may be a way to squeeze out some funds so this program could be revived? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.