Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I have to commend the Department of Public Works and Services and the Minister on their building and learning strategy, which I think is a very good way to help the communities and develop the human resources in a community. That is in conjunction with the NWT Housing Corporation and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment; they are due some credit as well. I think it was a joint venture between these departments to help the communities build their infrastructure as well as train the people there. It's a very good way to do it and I would like to encourage them to continue in that way. We've done that in some of the communities I represent.
It went very well last year in Trout Lake and was successful this year. We're doing a project similar to that in Nahanni Butte as well. As far as I'm aware, they're building a community centre there with an outside contractor hiring local people and training them. When I was there this summer when they started the construction a lot of local people were employed and had been trained on the job. It was a very good project. I would like to commend the department again on it.
There again, we don't have telephones available in those communities but in case they have telephones in the future, that should be looked at as well to have that in the building while they're constructing it. Perhaps if the Minister could check it out and see if that's possible.
In my constituency there are a lot of trees; and the communities are beginning to, through their resource management committees, identify the forest as their very sustainable economy for the future, if it's developed right, if it's logged right, if it's not clear cut and selective logging is used. That is the direction that some of the communities want to go now. With the trees, if we're able to get some sawmills into our area then we could make the boards and with the boards we will be able to build furniture, doors, windows, maybe roof trusses and so forth. That is the direction that a lot of people in my area are going. It's good that this government is buying manufactured goods from the north.
I know that the group in Fort Simpson have approached the department here to see if they could start a roof truss manufacturing centre in Simpson. To date, nothing has happened with it. I would like to ask the Minister if the Fort Simpson band company, the Liidti Koe Construction and Nikukoe Construction Group have approached this department with regard to manufacturing roof trusses for the government. Have they approached the government on this matter? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.