Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week marks a special celebration. From June 3rd to 9th we are recognizing Northwest Territories Seniors' Week. The slogan "Recognizing Northwest Territories Seniors and Elders -- Contributing to the Future" was chosen in recognition of the significant contributions of seniors and elders to the growth and well-being of our communities.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, seniors are a vital and significant source of knowledge and guidance in our communities. Seniors are our living heritage -- they connect us to our past and provide wisdom for the future.

Seniors' Week offers us an opportunity to:

• • recognize, honour and respect senior citizens in the Northwest Territories;
• • highlight the positive contributions that seniors and elders are making in their communities; and
• • promote understanding of, and encourage positive attitudes towards, seniors and elders, and aging.

As Minister responsible for Seniors, I wish to highlight some events that are taking place this week. Today in the Great Hall there was a special luncheon ceremony to launch Seniors' Week and recognize recipients of the first ever Respected Elder Awards. I, along with my colleague Roger Allen, the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, co-hosted this ceremony. We were pleased with both the interest demonstrated by the community and by Members of the Legislative Assembly.

The Respected Elder Awards were introduced as part of the Outstanding Volunteer Service Awards in this, the Year of the Volunteer. There were five regional recipients and one territorial recipient, all present for today's luncheon. They are:

• • Rosie Sewi of Deline;
• • Steven Rowan of Fort Simpson;
• • Ben Greenfield of Hay River;
• • Phillip Nitsiza of Wha Ti;
• • Lizzie Beaulieu of Fort Resolution; and
• • Esther Braden of Yellowknife.

It was with great pleasure that we celebrated the achievements and contributions of these seniors in our communities by honouring them with these awards.

As part of recognizing Seniors' Week, I would also like to pass on congratulations to Sarah Simon who recently celebrated her 100th birthday in Inuvik and to Michel Sikyea who is celebrating his 100th birthday with a party this afternoon at the Aven Centre in Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in a heartfelt round of applause for all the recipients of the Respected Elder Awards and for all Northwest Territories seniors and elders who are making a difference in all of our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Ministers' statements. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, everyone. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland, that Minister's Statement 1-14(4) titled Sessional Statement, be moved into committee of the whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As our colleague, the Honourable Jane Groenewegen, has just made a statement about, this is Seniors' Week in the Northwest Territories. It marks an occasion when we can come together to celebrate the involvement and the influence that our seniors and our elders continue to have in our society. It is a time when we can come together as Northerners and legislators and make sure we are doing the best we can for seniors.

Among the many programs this government already provides, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that we provide the resources and funds for seniors to help themselves through groups and associations like the Northwest Territories Seniors' Society. I think this is perhaps the best kind of help we can provide, for seniors have made it abundantly clear that they are more than capable of helping themselves.

We need to recognize, Mr. Speaker, that in the past decade, the Northwest Territories population of people over 50 years of age has increased by some 60 percent. It is the fastest growing part of our society. Are we preparing our health and social systems to be ready for this increase? Do we in this Assembly understand that we are, as my colleague Mr. Miltenberger pointed out, the junior elders of tomorrow? That we will have to live with the plans we make today?

This is a week when we can all come together to celebrate the achievements of our parents and grandparents, neighbours and community friends who have had a hand in shaping this community, this North, and our lives over the years and the decades.

On a personal note, Mr. Speaker, it is a rare privilege for me to stand here today and acknowledge the honour bestowed by her peers on one of those amazing people, my mother Esther, recipient of this year's Respected Elder Award for the Northwest Territories.

We heard at lunch of her many contributions to friends and community here in Yellowknife, across the Northwest Territories, and nationally. She is a leader, a pioneer and a role model for her five children and eight grandchildren. She is the strongest and the wisest woman I know. From my family, Mom, we love you, we cherish you, and we are so proud of everything you have done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Indeed, congratulations to your mother, Mrs. Braden. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last Sunday, 13 students and three chaperones from Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson crossed the swollen Peel River on their way to Whitehorse, and had to be carried the last few metres to shore. As we speak, those 13 students from grade 6 to grade 12 and three chaperones are landing in London, England on the start of a ten-day European tour. From London, they will be flying to Rome, Italy, arriving at 9 p.m. tonight.

Thanks to the Premier, Mr. James Ross and the District Education Authority of Fort McPherson, the students will have the extraordinary privilege of having a special audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican tomorrow. I would like to take this time to thank the Premier and Mr. James Ross publicly for taking the time out of their busy schedule to arrange the audience with the Pope.

The students and chaperones will travel to Florence, Italy, on their way to Monaco, and from there to France, then to Spain before returning back to Canada on June 15th. The students, staff and community of Fort McPherson are to be commended on the extraordinary efforts made to fundraise so that they could undertake the privilege of having their students take the trip of a lifetime.

Believe it or not, Mr. Speaker, those students, their parents, the school staff and the community raised the necessary $70,000 in only nine months. On behalf of the students and the chaperones, I would like to thank corporate sponsors such as Enbridge Pipelines, TransCanada Pipelines, Westcoast Energy, Genesis Exploration, Petro-Canada, Ninety North Construction, Northern Transportation Company, Pentastar Transportation, and also Cal Tire and other corporate sponsors. Without those generous contributions and donations, the people of Fort McPherson would not have the privilege and support for their children to take such a trip.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the students...

Mr. Krutko, your time for your Member's statement is over.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Krutko, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the students who were on this trip. They set a goal and they have seriously learned that when you set a goal and you put work and effort into it, you can accomplish anything. With that, I wish them all the best in their trip, and have a safe trip home. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I would like to first of all commend the government and the Minister responsible for Education for moving more quickly than required to lower the pupil-teacher ratio in the Northwest Territories. The recent announcement that additional money will be put into schools is indeed welcome. This will allow educational authorities to hire more teachers and lower the average pupil-teacher ratio from 17 to 16.5 to one, a year ahead of what is required by legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I think this sets a good precedent. Bill 1, which was passed by this Legislature, was a good bill, but the standards set in that bill, Mr. Speaker, should be seen as minimum requirements. Since this bill sets an average standard, if we just meet those standards, we are obviously going to have many classrooms that are above average in size.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that in other jurisdictions, the pupil-teacher ratio, particularly in the northern and remote areas of the provinces, is much lower than the average in that jurisdiction. For instance, in Labrador, the pupil-teacher ratio is much lower than if you take the whole province into consideration. In northern Alberta, the pupil-teacher ratio is very low. The last time I checked, the Northland School District had a pupil-teacher ratio of about 12 to one. Mr. Speaker, that is in a province that has the highest pupil-teacher ratio in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I would argue that we should strive to achieve the levels that we see in the northern and remote areas of other parts of Canada, rather than being satisfied with approaching -- not meeting, but just approaching -- the national average. We could make no more significant investment than in the education of our young people. In fact, Mr. Speaker, that would be the most effective and important investment we could possibly make.

It costs much more to teach adults, Mr. Speaker. How can you even measure the cost to society of the lost potential of those who do not succeed? We must invest more and earlier in our kids' lives.

Mr. Speaker, a study released just three weeks ago, which followed kids who were born in 1980, found that early intervention programs like Head Start had a dramatic impact on keeping young people in school later on in life. The impact, Mr. Speaker, was especially dramatic on boys, who typically drop out more often than girls.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would call on this government to continue to lead, to set the example and not just follow the minimum standards set by the amendments we made in Bill 1, and invest more heavily in lowering the pupil-teacher ratio and in early education programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure to be back here with all of you, and I look forward to a very productive session. The last time I had the opportunity to address my colleagues in this Chamber there was a very cool breeze blowing here in Yellowknife, and indeed across all of our Territory. Fortunately, Mr. Speaker, that breeze has warmed up considerably and I might go as far as to say that summer has arrived.

Mr. Speaker, there is a certain magic about this time of year, and it shows up in all of our communities and on our streets. People cannot wait to put away their winter clothes and don their much cooler summer outfits.

Mr. Speaker, our walking trails, our parks and our ball diamonds come alive with all sorts of summer activities. We also see people airing out their tents and cleaning out their campers and motor homes, getting ready for their first camping trip of the year. And why not, Mr. Speaker? The days are very long, we have just come through a very long winter and, best of all, the bugs are not too bad yet.

Mr. Speaker, one thing that can put a damper on a weekend camping trip is to get to your favourite camping location and find that there are no sites left or, worse yet, Mr. Speaker, to find a gate across the entrance that is locked, thus denying everyone the pleasure of using the campground.

Mr. Speaker, the campground at Escarpment Creek just south of Enterprise has been enjoyed by many residents of Hay River and surrounding areas for several years. It is considered by many, myself included, Mr. Speaker, to be one of the best campgrounds for a weekend getaway.

Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions last summer, I drove down to the Escarpment Creek campground with out-of-town guests. We were going to enjoy a barbecue, and I was going to show them the picturesque scenery from this location, only to find the gate closed and locked. Mr. Speaker, this situation exists at Escarpment Creek campground again this year. It has been brought to my attention by a number of constituents.

Mr. Speaker, this is a territorial campground funded by public money. I say remove the lock, open the gate and allow our residents to enjoy the short summer season as much as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk briefly about the Territorial Women's Correctional Centre, also known as TWCC. It is a correctional centre located in Fort Smith, and has been there for a number of years. This particular facility is one of the best in Canada, if not North America. It did not get that way by accident. It got there because it had very capable and qualified staff, and a very educated and experienced warden. A warden who is only now there on a temporary basis as they look for a replacement. It has been some time since this facility has had a permanent warden.

I have watched for many months as the facility has laboured on and I have been waiting to see what is going to happen with that position, because it is a key one. It provides leadership and direction and will help maintain the good work that has been done in the last ten years or so.

I do have a letter from the Minister responsible for Justice indicating he was going to staff it by public competition. I am waiting to see if in fact that will be done and what will happen. This is an important program and it is long overdue to have a permanent warden. Later today, I will be asking the Minister responsible for Justice for an update on this particular situation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To start the session off today, I would like to discuss several education issues that I have had some dealings with and time to think about. First, I would like to acknowledge some good work on the part of the Department of Education, especially in the area of summer student hiring.

The program this year, Mr. Speaker, is certainly night and day from past years. The website was a great idea. I think there are still some wrinkles to be ironed out, as is to be expected with any new program, but I believe the department is doing good work in this area. I would like to applaud the Minister for his work.

I do have some concerns with, as Mr. Dent has already raised, the issue of the Canadian average PTR. We are still funding at a much lower rate than the rest of Canada on average and certainly, as he has indicated, much lower than other rural and northern areas. I think this is something we need to target and move closer toward. We have put some additional money into this recently, but I feel we are not really running through the finish line, Mr. Speaker. We are sort of putting a toe on it and saying, "Well, there we are. We have complied with legislation."

Another issue I would like to raise is a concern I have with the Memorandum of Understanding that our Premier signed with the NWTTA in January of 2000. It indicated that we are going to spend approximately $4.6 million in 2000-2001 incrementally for student support and PTR. The actuals, Mr. Speaker, sad to say, are $2.8 million. I am concerned about what I consider to be an issue of a missing $1.8 million that should have been put into PTR and student support funding, Mr. Speaker.

As well, I think a lot of constituents have raised concerns with the Education Act and the fact that they do not believe it speaks to averages. It seems to be education-body specific. I think any reasonable person who reads the act would assume that, Mr. Speaker. I do not believe our funding formula is complying with the legislation.

I have several concerns that I intend to raise with the Minister and will be doing so today and going forward. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.