This is page numbers 367 - 397 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 5th 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 education.

Topics

The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Return To Question 216-12(5): Consideration For Operation Of Akaitcho Hall By Divisional Boards
Question 216-12(5): Consideration For Operation Of Akaitcho Hall By Divisional Boards
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Actually, the requests that have been made by most divisional boards have been to develop the high school programming in the communities within their regions. It is a bit of a deviation from the initiatives that have been undertaken by the divisional boards. The suggestion could be considered and I could convey it to the divisional boards to see what the response is. But, so far, the position has been to develop high school programming in our communities. That has been the direction they've undertaken.

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The Speaker

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

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Item 5: Oral Questions

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John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I mentioned earlier that I'm not one to argue with divisional boards. In some cases, given the number of students who are ready to attend high school in some regions, the high school system in the region is not able to take that number of students ready to go through the system. I'm wondering, in the event that we're not able to accommodate the number of students in the region, perhaps the Minister should seriously consider usage of Akaitcho Hall for accommodation for the overflow of students who should be coming to Yellowknife. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 216-12(5): Consideration For Operation Of Akaitcho Hall By Divisional Boards
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The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

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Question 216-12(5): Consideration For Operation Of Akaitcho Hall By Divisional Boards
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Earlier, I indicated to the honourable Members that there are still a great number of potential home boarding opportunities here in the community. We have not utilized the home boarding situation here. I think it can accommodate our students. There are some advantages to that situation where there are families taking direct care of children and becoming responsible for them.

There are also disadvantages. I agree with my honourable colleague, Mr. Gargan, who has raised the point a number of times of whether there are enough aboriginal families in the community that can take care of aboriginal students from smaller communities. I think that's something that has to be considered. In our discussion and our decision, we are also going to establish two counsellors to take care of our students so that we have someone taking a personal interest so if students have problems and concerns about where they're located, we can address that immediately.

At the same time, I'm not opposed to the idea that the honourable Member has raised and that is to address the potential overflow concerns regions might have. But my view is, as long as we can develop the regional high school programs and offer the services necessary, I think we will be in a better position in the future with our children. I accept the comments that have been made by the honourable Member.

Further Return To Question 216-12(5): Consideration For Operation Of Akaitcho Hall By Divisional Boards
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Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question I would like to direct to the Minister of Finance. Madam Speaker, yesterday, not too far on the heels of the federal government's budget being tabled, the Alberta government -- our sister province to the south -- handed down its budget. It appears, at least at first glance, that there are going to be substantial cuts to education and health, among other things. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance if his department has had an opportunity to review this budget, and to determine if there will be any positive or negative effects on the Northwest Territories, given the fact that we're so closely related to them.

The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 217-12(5): Impact Of Alberta Budget On Nwt
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John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I didn't keep the staff up all night last night looking at the Alberta budget, but we will have some numbers next week to see if it does impact us. Our main area of concern was health because we were making a new arrangement with Alberta. Alberta was kind enough to tell us what they were going to do in advance

of their budget in the Department of Health and in the area of health. The arrangements that we're making health-wise haven't affected us. But we will look at the issues in their budget to see if there's something that's going to impact some of the services that they do provide to us, and report back to the House. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 217-12(5): Impact Of Alberta Budget On Nwt
Question 217-12(5): Impact Of Alberta Budget On Nwt
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The Speaker

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

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Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate the response that the Minister has given. I would like to know whether he will be giving special attention to the area of education. Education, as we just spoke about earlier today and yesterday, the direction towards 2010. We have a large number of students in Alberta from the Northwest Territories who are attending post-secondary educational facilities. I wonder if the Minister would give special attention to that area.

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The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

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John Pollard Hay River

Madam Speaker, I will certainly have the budget looked at to see what impact there will be on education as far as Albertans are concerned. I will leave the detailed analysis to the Department of Education, Mr. Nerysoo's department, to judge the impact on our territory. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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The Speaker

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education and it's with regard to the costs of running Akaitcho Hall. I know that under their discussion paper on the strategy to 2010, they looked at an estimated needs assessment of capital money required. It goes up to about $843 million. Has the Minister also used the operation of Akaitcho Hall as part of those cost estimates, or is it that we close Akaitcho Hall and that's it? I think we should spend more capital dollars in the regions as opposed to keeping Akaitcho Hall open.

The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Return To Question 218-12(5): Cost Estimates On Education Programs
Question 218-12(5): Cost Estimates On Education Programs
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The cost estimates in the presentation yesterday, were based on actual school needs. It was the schooling needs that had to be dealt with. If you recall a comment by Ms. Balanoff that a factor that is not in here is the Arctic College programming, the post-secondary. These are just the actual school needs to respond to the needs of our children. It's the actual school needs. That includes the whole matter of responding to the growth of our communities, in other words the population. We

see it as being the requirement to respond to the educational facility needs.

I want to advise the honourable Member that one of the discussions that has gone on is with the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 about the possibility of utilizing Akaitcho Hall as additional instructional space. In other words, they need the instructional space for high school programming. So that possibility is there. In other words, we don't have to build new space but, in fact, renovate that particular space to provide high school programming. The reason is that there has been an expansion in the high school population. So that's one of the considerations as well, and we're looking at that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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The Speaker

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

With the kind of direction that the western Arctic is going in, are we anticipating the same kind of direction from the eastern Arctic?

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The Speaker

Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Further Return To Question 218-12(5): Cost Estimates On Education Programs
Question 218-12(5): Cost Estimates On Education Programs
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm not clear, if the honourable Member could explain, maybe in another question. However, on the matter of closures of residences, generally in regional residences, we're reviewing the whole matter right across the Northwest Territories. We're considering the possible closure of Ukiivik, we're considering the closure of Grollier Hall because there is a decline in the number of students who are attending those particular residences. We're considering other uses for those particular residences, as well. It's all the result of an initiative on community high school programming. But it is our intention to move in that particular direction.

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The Speaker

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

So, Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet would anticipate the same kind of direction.

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The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.