Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

The recreation leadership program is probably one of our most successful ones provided by Aurora College. I'm just curious, if the policy is changing, what does that mean in terms of the type of sponsorship that is going to be provided to students who are from the north, or wherever, to take this program?

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What it will mean, Mr. Speaker, is if a municipality requests that they continue to receive the subsidy for a recreation leader who is not from the Northwest Territories, the department will allow them that flexibility, given that we encourage municipalities to hire individuals who have completed the recreation leadership program, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Just for the record then, can you confirm that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is not cutting the subsidy program for recreation leaders?

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, as I said, municipalities receive 80 per cent, up to the amount of $35,000, for recreation leaders. The department does not plan to cut back on that subsidy at this point. However, I would like to reiterate what has been said in the past: given the fiscal conditions of this government and this department, it will be something that will continue to be looked at in the overall context of funding for municipalities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week was Mining Week in the Northwest Territories and we have received all kinds of literature on our desks regarding it. I'm very interested in mining in my area. Recently, in travelling in my constituency, some questions were raised about the government having a course for people in the north to study prospecting. So, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, in this regard. Has the government or his department had in the past, or currently, a program to help people in the communities take prospecting courses so they can get involved in the mining industry as prospectors? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, in partnership with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, have run some prospecting courses here in Yellowknife and, I believe, in my honourable colleague's riding of Baker Lake. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is this prospecting course a regular type of Arctic College Program or is it a program that the people of the community have to develop themselves, and request departmental funding for? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

I'm familiar with Arctic College, Mr. Speaker, and these programs would be best suited to go into the communities to help communities get involved. I would like to

ask the Minister it that is possible; if communities are interested in running programs such as would they be developed, offered and delivered in the communities interested? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we've already accomplished that, in Baker Lake, for example. And I believe that, at the request of the Prospectors' Association of Baker Lake, we are also doing it this summer. So, it certainly is possible. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Antoine. Okay, next, item 6, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can advise the honourable Member that my colleague, Mr. Morin, and I have had a discussion on this matter already. We have advised our departments to discuss the issue of training, in conjunction with Aurora College. Once those discussions have taken place, we can probably report to the Members the extent of that discussion. The intention is to try to ensure we have some training programs in place, at least this winter some time. But that's not to suggest, Mr. Speaker, that we may not be able to put into place all the technical requirements for that program. But we will be working on the development of a program of this type. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.