This is page numbers 397 - 428 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was community.

Topics

Further Return To Question 201-12(6): Housing Units Delivered Versus Units Allocated
Question 201-12(6): Housing Units Delivered Versus Units Allocated
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 408

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The majority of those 40 access units are being built in the eastern Arctic. Potential clients who are living in public housing with the artificial rent cap have to be encouraged to go into home ownership. I had talked to the Members about this previously, that we were going to go ahead and build those units because they will be taken up by clients. There's a need in the community. But if you have artificial caps to rent where people can live in public housing and make $70,000 or $80,000 and pay $100 or $150 a month rent, there's no encouragement for

them to take up the home ownership unit. So this way, once the rent scale is passed by this Legislative Assembly, the units will be there, ready for people to occupy. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Further Return To Question 201-12(6): Housing Units Delivered Versus Units Allocated
Question 201-12(6): Housing Units Delivered Versus Units Allocated
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Again to the Minister of Municipal Affairs about the devolution of municipal lands. The Minister earlier said that the federal government has agreed to help pay for the costs of administering communities and its administering of municipal lands. I'd like to ask the Minister, under what authority has the federal government agreed to contribute to the incremental costs of administering community lands. Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Return To Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

Rebecca Mike Baffin Central

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe that I said to help pay the salaries of trained local land administrators, which is to commence in July of 1996. But, to my understanding, there is a provision that was negotiated by the Nunavut Tunngavik Federation, at the time, that it was required of the federal government to pay or fund the municipalities once the land administration was turned over by July 1996. Thank you.

Return To Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Supplementary To Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Madam Speaker, thank you. I believe that the Minister had already stated earlier today in this question period that she understood the communities were already funded for community lands administration, at least to some extent. Madam Speaker, the municipality of Iqaluit had a lands officer, but the current financial restraint has resulted in the termination of that position and Iqaluit residents now rely on headquarters MACA officials to administer community lands. I would like to ask the Minister whether her department is prepared to assist the town of Iqaluit with the establishment of a person year to locally administer community lands. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Further Return To Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

Rebecca Mike Baffin Central

Thank you, Madam Speaker. If the position was eliminated due to the deficit that the town of Iqaluit incurred and the position was there, I'm sure the department would be willing to assist once the town of Iqaluit and the council have developed their recovery plan. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Question 202-12(6): Federal Contribution To Devolution Of Municipal Lands
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Minister of Education. As Mr. Gargan and I are well aware, Akaitcho Hall has served its residents of the Northwest Territories well for many, many, many, many years, and just this past year, for whatever reasons, the government chose to close it down. It was closed down as far as its intended use was concerned. Madam Speaker, the question I would like to ask the Minister, because the people in Yellowknife are asking and the people in other parts of the territories are asking, what is going to become of Akaitcho Hall, particularly the residential part of it, Madam Speaker. There are hundreds of beds in rooms sitting vacant as we speak, in a time of housing shortage and need. What is the short-term and long-term future of Akaitcho?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Return To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you. I believe that everybody, not only Mr. Gargan and Mr. Whitford, knows the results of Akaitcho. But I do want to say that there are only 43 students now from other communities in Yellowknife. They are all home boarded. Madam Speaker, I do want to say that at this particular juncture, we are having discussions between the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Public Works and Services as to the utilization of that particular building. Our general suggestion at this particular juncture is that we are going to utilize it for the administrative arm of Arctic College.

Return To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Supplementary To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Akaitcho Hall is still there, and there are all these rooms still available if there are only a few people residing there. It doesn't appear that the building has been moth-balled at all. It seems to be up to running speed there and I just wonder what's the immediate or longer-term future for the residential part of it. There are all these rooms there that could serve only one purpose and that's to house people.

Supplementary To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 409

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We haven't made our final determinations on the utilization of the residential portion of Akaitcho Hall. We also have not come

to final conclusions on the use of Akaitcho, except to say to my colleagues that as a Minister, I have made appropriate representations to the Minister of Public Works and Services for the utilization of that building.

Further Return To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 410

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Supplementary To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 410

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the considerations that the Minister is taking for its future, is Akaitcho Hall being considered as a residence for Arctic College?

Supplementary To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 410

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 410

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

At this particular juncture, that is not one of the considerations. I think what we require is an opportunity to continue with our discussion that may see the consideration of utilization of those sections of the building.

Further Return To Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Question 203-12(6): Future Plans For Akaitcho Hall
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 410

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Madam Speaker, in some communities, there are houses being built which have only one entrance way. Isn't this breaking some laws? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 204-12(6): Building And Safety Codes Of Housing Units
Question 204-12(6): Building And Safety Codes Of Housing Units
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 410

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In no way does having one door break any fire codes or building codes. I realized the concern so I requested, from the Housing Corporation, estimates on approximately what it would cost to add a door to all the existing units that only have one door. From my information, the maximum distance a person would be away from that door, in any given room, is 15 feet. To add another door to all units would cost us approximately $3.5 million throughout the Northwest Territories. Those are dollars we don't have.

I've instructed the Housing Corporation to come back to me with an estimate of adding an escape route for elders' and elders units only. Thank you.