We don't have any problem with the batting order, as it were, Mr. Chairman. But we would request, respectfully, a meeting of the Minister of Health and, in particular, Mr. Lewis, prior to Bill 3 being discussed, just for a few minutes to discuss it. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I don't mind deferring it and continuing with the budget if the government is having some problems that haven't been resolved. I thought they were

resolved so we suggested deliberation of the Guardianship and Trusteeship Act. But, if the government is not prepared, we can continue with Public Works.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Yes, at the moment, Mr. Ed Norwich.

Community Development

Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have the information. I will provide the information and, hopefully, it will be satisfactory.

Mr. Chairman, the building is in sound condition and would require little or no renovations. However, it is not adequate for elders because there is poor access. The entrances are raised high off the ground, there is no common area, it cannot accommodate level II patients, the rooms are for single individuals, and there are no additional rooms for adopted grandchildren of the elders.

Mr. Chairman, a program has been arrived at, in consultation with the community. The department is still discussing the operation of a coordinated home care program from the proposed building. The size and configuration of the proposed new building, arrived at in consultation with the community, taking into consideration the community needs assessment, is for six separate, independent living units; two beds for 24-hour long-term care; and, two beds for respite care.

The occupancy proposed is that two elders would fill the 24-hour long-term beds; two respite beds will be temporarily occupied by a number of elders who require ongoing care to give care givers a rest; and, six independent living units will be filled by elders who are currently living with families in town, or who are in units that are housing units which are much larger than they need.

Fort Resolution has a long waiting list of residents who need public housing and the units vacated by the elders who moved to the seniors' facilities will relieve overcrowding in the community. So, as I stated yesterday, it would be combined and put into the common housing pool.

The department provides all of the operating funds for the care centre, but not the independent living units. The cost of operating this facility will be $400,000.

Mr. Chairman, I went a little bit further in explaining the old facility and what is proposed so that people get an idea of how it fits into the overall planning of housing for the community of Fort Resolution. Thank you.

Mr. Ken Lovely, deputy minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Chairman, with regard to this particular facility, I think that there are a lot of questions, overall planning and approaches that we have to look at. However, I believe that in taking a look at the various options that are available to us that, in order not to disrupt service, some things have to continue in the process and not be deferred because we're looking at an overall approach. So there are some specific programs that have to be taken care of, but it's not in the absence of the fact that we have to take a look at the overall requirements of the Northwest Territories; what is needed and what type of facilities are needed. So that's not an initiative or a commitment that is being put aside in the absence of just going ahead with one of these projects. It appears that this was the most effective way at this point in time to deal with this facility. I believe it's just the ongoing programs that we have, but we still have to look at the more visionary overall approach; we have to take to look at all communities and what their needs are, Mr. Chairman.

(Microphone turned off)...if the deputy minister has anything to add. My understanding is that in the housing needs study, the questions on the housing needs also identified housing requirements for elders or aging people. In the study itself or in the questionnaire, we have the information on the general scope of requirements. I would think that our second step now is to find out basically what are we talking about: if we have 20 people in a community who are between the ages of 50 to 75 -- this is an example -- does it have level I or level II requirements, and what are the general trends. I don't think that part of it is nailed down yet. We know what the age groups are that require housing; we know the number of dependants that certain families have, but we haven't really broken down what level of care is required in those communities.