Mr. Chairman, the northern leaders program was a program that used to exist in the department. That program is no longer in existence. We've re-profiled those dollars into the student financial assistance program. The program that the honourable Member for Nahendeh was talking about was the western Arctic leadership program that is located in Fort Smith, the residence. They are two different programs. One is for high school and the other one used to be allocated to post-secondary programming.
Debates of March 15th, 1994
Topics
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. To educational development, Mr. Gargan.
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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Mr. Chairman, I was referring to the leadership program, whether the title has changed or not. What I'm suggesting is, rather than eliminating the program, we rename it so that it fits into Arctic College programs. The incentive should be that the grants for that program be maintained to allow the program to continue. I would hope that, rather than scrapping it, we look at fitting it in so that it is part of Arctic College.
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The decision to re-profile the dollars for the northern leaders program, which was primarily a post-secondary program, was made last year. The decision to re-profile those dollars was in last year's budget. The honourable Member is raising a point
about a residence program that is in Fort Smith for high school students.
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark
Qujannamiik. Educational development. I have Mr. Ballantyne.
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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North
I would like to, if I could, Mr. Chairman, make some comments on the leadership program. As I understand it, the program has essentially been grandfathered so there are no new entries into the program at this point in time, but the program is carrying on, right? Okay, so we are talking about that program in Fort Smith.
If I could, just to put it into my own context, I remember I was on the Cabinet when the former Minister brought it forward, and many of us supported it. Again, I have some very strong feelings about education and I have expressed them in this House a number of times. There is no single solution to education in the Northwest Territories. There have to be a number of innovative approaches. The support for this particular program was pretty strong in the last Assembly, and I think there is still a fair amount of support for it.
It was put forward as an innovative program that tried to build on the strengths of the old residential schools but put into a more modern context. Now, I haven't seen a copy of the study, which I really look forward to seeing, but every indication to me is that there has been success with the program, but in fairness to the former Minister, he never pretended that the way it was originally developed was the way it had to end up. He said, this is an experiment, and, if it works, let's build on it.
So, I think what the Members are saying is that if there are ways to improve it, I am sure the former Minister would be the first one to agree that this is the way to go. But, I guess a lot of us see this as one element in the big picture of education that really should be considered. As the Minister said, in fact, if there is a high level of success here, perhaps components of this approach should be used somewhere else.
I join the other Members in saying that before any definitive decision is made to end this program, let's have a real good look at the results of the study and let's look at it in the context of how we can improve it as opposed to just having the option of doing away with it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark
Educational development, total O and M, $144.548 million. Mr. Gargan.
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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Yes, Mr. Chairman, with regard to the details of student residences, Akaitcho Hall will be closed on June 30. I am wondering if we have any other residences that will be closed at this point in time, and in what years are we anticipating the closure of those other residences?
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Minister.
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March 14th, 1994
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Not immediately, except the plans are that most of the major residences will be closed over the next five years, mainly because we are in the transition of moving high school programs into communities - some grade ten, some grade eleven - one year at a time, and so there is a transitional period that we have to consider.
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. The honourable Member for Deh Cho.
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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Yes, I would like to ask the Minister which residences fit under that category as Akaitcho would be. Inuvik would be another one. Which other ones are there?
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark
Qujannamiik. Mr. Minister.
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you. I believe Grollier Hall, as the honourable Member has mentioned, Kivalliq Hall in Rankin Inlet and Ukiivik in Iqaluit.
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Educational development. Mr. Gargan.
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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Isn't the Ukiivik in Iqaluit an Arctic College residence?
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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The Chair John Ningark
Mahsi. Mr. Minister.
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you. I believe there are two buildings in Iqaluit that are named the same, but there is a student residence, as well.
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Educational development. Mr. Gargan.
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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
So, I asked if we reduce, in the centralized locations we are seeing an increase in residence requirements at the regional level, then. Fort Simpson has two hostels now. Are we looking at saving any money by doing that or is the cost going to be increased by virtue of moving in that direction?
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 607
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. The honourable Minister.
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Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
It is certainly our intention, and presently that is the case, so far, that we are, in fact, saving money in terms of the community and local or regional residences.
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Educational development. Total O and M, $144.548 million. Agreed?
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95Committee Report 2-12(5): Review Of The 1994-95 Main Estimates
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
---Agreed