I'll just finish off with a comment, Mr. Chairman. I'm taking it from the Minister's response that if the detailed investigation of this issue shows that, in fact, any regional residence or all of the regional residences are still filling an unfilled need -- for example, providing a place for advanced diploma students to attend school where the programs are not yet in place or not available in their home communities -- the Minister and the department will have an open mind about justifying the continued operation of the residence where that need is being filled. That's my concern, that this be approached with an open mind and that it not be a predetermined conclusion that the object of the study is to justify the closure of the residences. I think Mr. Nerysoo's response has satisfied me that there will be an open-minded approach to this, even though possible phase-out of the residences is included in the terms of reference. So that's a comment. I'm satisfied with that for now. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to advise the honourable Members and those Members who have residences in their constituencies or those who are affected, I have advised the consultant to contact all the MLAs who are affected so that they can receive advice from the appropriate MLAs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a brief comment while we are in the

Department of Education, Culture and Employment 1995-96 capital estimates.

Mr. Chairman, I support the department's initiative to build conventional-type schools in the system. I think just about every community across the territories enjoys having a gymnasium attached to the schools in our system. I am sure the Minister is aware that Pelly Bay has been requesting to get an attachment of a gymnasium to the existing school. I also respect the decision of the Kitikmeot regional education council, especially in today's time where there are limited resources in the system.

Mr. Chairman, it becomes very cumbersome in the wintertime, when the school children have to go from their classes in another building to the community complex in order to go through the physical activities that are required of them, especially in the wintertime when it's really, really cold. Mr. Chairman, I have talked to the community of Pelly Bay about this matter, especially the community education council. The Kitikmeot Divisional Board of Education is aware of the requirement. I understand that we don't have all the resources we need to do that for the people of the NWT, so the basic classroom, basic school, conventional-types, that's what we go for. But, Mr. Chairman, I'm also aware that just about every community enjoys the luxury of having a gymnasium attached to the school.

My question to the honourable Minister, Mr. Chairman, is the honourable Minister aware of the fact that Pelly Bay requires a gymnasium attached to the existing school? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we are aware of the request and we are working with the community and the Kitikmeot Divisional Board of Education to see if we can resolve or at least address the concerns that have been raised by the community.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I would like to refer to the mission statement made by the Standing Committee on Legislation... It is a very good statement, and I would hope that the standing committee is looking at that while they do all the reviews of their allocations. But, Mr. Chairman, I have noticed quite obviously that if I look at the allocation, it seems to me that there doesn't seem to be a fair distribution.

One thing I wanted to mention is that on December 11, 1993, there was a motion passed with regard to recommending that the Minister of Education include an adult education centre for the Hay River Reserve when developing the department's five-year capital plan. I don't know whether the Standing Committee on Finance also looks at these when they're doing their stuff, but this was moved by Mr. Antoine and seconded by myself.

The other is with regard to a motion regarding a small school for Kakisa. Again, this one was moved by Mr. Lewis and seconded by myself. If I look at the allocation, I expressed on numerous occasions about the need for the adult education centre in Fort Providence to be enlarged.

Mr. Chairman, we have, I think, 12 students going to school in Fort Providence in a very small building, and I see that there is going to be some money available for the planning of it for 1994...Oh, that's the wrong one. That's the one for Fort Simpson. It's too early to be mine. In 1996-97, that's a few years down the line yet. But there is a difference. In Fort Simpson, I guess they're getting theirs a year earlier. Not only that, they also got something like over $4 million spent this year on Bompas Hall, and they plan to spend over $3 million on Thomas Simpson School. In Fort Simpson, Mr. Chairman, I would like to say that the school in Fort Simpson was built after the school that was built in Fort Providence. I should know, I was going to school in Fort Providence while they were still constructing the Point Hall and Bompas Hall at the Thomas Simpson School. So, I can safely say that the school in Fort Providence is about four years older than the school in Fort Simpson, where they are doing renovations and construction.

I would like to say that this mission statement sounds really great, but if the Members aren't going to live up to the statement, it is hardly worth the paper it is written on. Of course, I would like to say that we had two motions supported by the Assembly and nothing has been done about them. I would like to know if, in fact, anything is going to be done about it?

The other thing, Mr. Chairman, is I have been talking about getting a student residence in Fort Providence. I have made motions to that effect on numerous occasions and they haven't been acted on. I hope it is going to be acted on. Since being elected in 1983, I have tried to get something done. I've asked for reasons it hasn't been. Fort Providence is the second-highest fur harvesting community. A lot of people go out, but they do it on the weekends and while their children are going to school. It could probably be the highest fur harvesting community if parents were allowed to have their students stay in a student residence. I have said that for 11 years, Mr. Chairman, and I'm not going to stop saying it, either.

The other thing is, we have a situation in Fort Simpson where a lot of students are home boarding because there isn't enough space. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not he would be able to support the community of Fort Providence or give the option to the community of Fort Providence of sending their children to high school in Hay River.

I favour the mission statement about effectiveness and economy. I hope it doesn't only deal with this government, but also the communities that are affected by the delivery of schools in the regions. The only way to get to Simpson is to drive or if you charter. There is a difference for the people from Providence who can drive to Hay River in half the time. There is also a scheduled air service from Providence, at $80 a trip, to go to Hay River on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are also scheduled bus services every other day. We also have a river system.

I would like to say that I hope the Minister will respond to the issues that I have brought up. When Mr. Pollard used to be the chairman of the Finance Committee, we used to have a scale on which we listed all the communities and constituencies, and the amounts of money going into the constituencies. That gave us a pretty good picture of what is happening. The way it is now, all the Members have to look at are the allocations made in the various regions to determine what communities get what. As far as I'm concerned, my communities have been put on the back burner even though the urgency is greater.

They changed the Elizabeth Ward to an elementary school now. I would like to see something, even the Finance Committee, to put their mission statement into effect and work on that basis. I certainly don't see that happening.

I can't answer all the issues that he has raised, because some of them also deal with the committee report. I do want to raise a couple of issues though. I understand the concern the honourable Member has raised with the community learning centre in the Chief Sunrise School. However, I think both of us should travel there. I think one thing that we are finding is that there is a lot of extra space in the school. I think we need to reorganize it so that it responds to the needs you are talking about. I would like to try to address that jointly; I think we may be able to resolve that matter.

On the issue of Kakisa, I believe there were six students. The potential is that it will be going down to four with one teacher. They are now operating in a trailer. Again, I will see what we can do in terms of dealing with this issue.

I do want to say to my colleague that we do try to, and have been trying to, address things based on need. We priorize some of the commitments we are making based on an assessment of numbers, growth and programs. Let me give you an example. We have situations where high school programming is going into communities. We are trying to address those issues as well.

I appreciate the concern you raised about Fort Providence students wanting to go to Hay River. That is an issue that is normally dealt with, with the boards. I support the Member's comments in making that transition, if that is the decision which is made. I'm not opposed to it, and if the agreement can be reached, if the honourable Member can convince the board to work out that arrangement, that is not a problem with me.

On the matter of home boarding, again, maybe that is something we have to work out in the community. I have been receiving conflicting positions. While I appreciate the position that the honourable Member has taken, I think we probably have to meet with the community and I would be prepared to

meet with the community with him to discuss these particular issues.

Thank you. Also, I believe the school in Kakisa has been reclassified from a regular school to a settlement school. I don't know how they're reclassified, but could you maybe look into that? The other thing I wanted to ask the Minister is whether or not your department may be able to look at, through economies of scale, what it would cost for students to go to Fort Simpson to go to school there; let's say, 10 students going to school in Fort Simpson as opposed to 10 students going to school in Hay River to justify it. I say that if we go by the principals of the mission statement of Finance, the economy of scale would mean that it's better for students to go to school in Hay River. Since the cost of living is a lot lower there, it wouldn't cost the government that much and it certainly wouldn't hurt the parents, either, because it would be cheaper for them to go to Hay River.

Thank you. We will certainly consider the suggestion made by the honourable Member. Historically, the intent of the divisional board was to try to put together the appropriate language groupings. I do understand the concern that the honourable Member has raised, but that was one of the bases by which we established the divisional board for Deh Cho. But I don't have a problem with the suggestion being made.

Mr. Chairman, I guess the Minister has to remember, too, that the reason Akaitcho Hall closed in the first place was because of the costs to keep the students there. It just wasn't economical for the government to do that. I don't say this without the government having to decide that...What they did, in closing down Akaitcho Hall, really affected my community. So I am sure that it also affects the government with regard to the amount of money that they have to spend to have students from Providence going to Simpson, because you really don't have any kind of scheduled services over there. I am sure that chartering the students, whichever way you look at it, costs a lot more than if you had scheduled services.

The other thing I wanted to say is that, again, I still have a problem with the adult education centre in Fort Providence. We have computers. Students do computer work, and we have a small classroom that houses about six computers and around it are the students trying to do other work, too, besides that. I am saying that if my priorities were set, I would have asked and requested that the Minister seriously look at that, because if you look at the allocation, it's not much. We are looking at maybe $200,000, and I am sure that we should be able to find those kinds of dollars within the existing budget, especially if you are going to get rid of your video equipment.

Mr. Chairman, whatever advice I can get from my colleagues on saving the government money so we can use it in other infrastructure, I will gladly consider. Just so the honourable Member is aware and Members are aware, grade 10 was scheduled for 1994-95, grade 11, 1995-96

and grade 12, 1996-97. I am not opposed to any of the advice that the honourable Member is giving.

Mr. Chairman, I fulminated last week in this Assembly about frustrations that my constituents had experienced with minor capital projects at the Nunatta campus in Arctic College, and I think the Minister of Public Works and Services was pretty candid in saying that they were a low priority and that he really didn't have a good explanation for the delays of projects, even though the funds were in the hands of the region.

I guess I would like to ask the Minister, has consideration been given to allowing the College authority to manage their own projects, because I suspect that if you had asked Nunatta campus to get the carpet replaced in the student residence this summer while the students were away, it would have been done by now. Thank you.