Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The issue of financing programs for the Tl'oondih Healing Camp has been an issue right from day one in this House. It is regrettable that we cannot provide funding and programs for all groups and societies that want it when we have to set our priorities and try to meet the demands across the whole territories. It was not a pleasurable thing to have to eliminate the funding for the alcohol and drug centre for Delta House in Inuvik. It was not by choice. It was based on some of the restraints that we had to make some tough decisions. We, as I said, as a government, as a Minister, we do take motions in this House and motions from aboriginal groups. If we can accommodate them, we try to take that into consideration when we finalize and make decisions. However, you cannot accommodate every single one.
We have tried to work with the Tl'oondih group on numerous occasions and we have been able to support them. I believe as a department, as a government, we have gone out of our way to assist them in trying to provide some programming. Albeit, it is not on a regular, core funded basis as we have said before. It was never one of the government facilities, so it could not be expected to receive core funding from the government. From my recollection, after the last meeting my officials had with the Tl'oondih officials, there was some information that we had requested in respect to an independent evaluation that was done of the Tl'oondih Healing programs, I do not believe we ever received that. There were some discussions about them adopting some of the standards and guidelines that we have for alcohol and drug treatment centres. I do not believe the Tl'oondih Society agreed to those terms. There has not been a lot of progress made in that area, Madam Chairperson. Having said that, there are still opportunities for them. I mentioned to the honourable Member in meetings with himself and Mr. Alexi that I believe there are going to be some significant opportunities through some of the healing programs with DIAND funding in response to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. The amount and the mechanism for distribution have not been resolved yet, but there certainly are going to be some accessible to the Northwest Territories. There is the Strategic Initiatives Fund we have for our boards, the partners. They can choose to focus on mental health initiatives that the Tl'oondih Society could possibly be able to provide some services along those lines. There are opportunities out there, Madam Chairperson. I believe it is a matter of finding those opportunities and continuing to work toward a suitable solution. Thank you.
