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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you, colleagues. As we can see, Mr. Speaker, fall is here. So I eagerly await the Minister's comments on the study when I get an opportunity during oral questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wanted to speak to seniors' needs across the entire Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. I think it is certainly an issue that we are aware of, but I think as a government, we tend to pay more lip service to seniors' programs and seniors' needs than initiating real action. We know that our population is aging, Mr. Speaker. We know that we don't have enough housing for seniors. There is one specific group in Yellowknife, the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors, who have recently been continually lobbying this government and making the case for a specific dementia facility here in Yellowknife. I think in discussing this with some of my other colleagues, there certainly seems to be a need right across the Northwest Territories to look at specific dementia facilities.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, currently Aven's Manor cannot meet the demands of seniors in our community and it has not been set up with the specialized, I guess, training and the specialized facilities required to safely house seniors with dementia. This is certainly something that they have been...the message that they have been driving home to the Department of Health continually. I know they have had a number of meetings with our government, and I think we have to make sure that this request and this urgency does not fall off the table as we seem to be overtaken by other events in the healthcare field. This is every bit, Mr. Speaker, as important. We certainly need to increase the number of beds for dementia care right across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I am hoping that the Minister will give us some assurance and certainly do something, but give some assurance that this is not falling off the radar. He still intends to deal with this and try to meet the needs of seniors, because I think oftentimes, Mr. Speaker, this is a segment of our population that we don't pay enough attention to and certainly don't do enough for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to mention a happy event in my constituency which I had the pleasure of attending two weeks ago. The occasion was the presentation of $25,000 from the Royal Bank to the Junior SideDoor Program. The presentation was made by Yellowknife Royal Bank manager, Doug Nelson.

Mr. Speaker, the Junior SideDoor Program at the SideDoor Youth Centre is an everyday school program that provides between 45 and 50 Yellowknife students ages 7 to 14 with a safe place to go after school where they can relax, use the computers, work on their homework and gain life skills.

The overall intent of the program is to keep children in school. The $25,000 from the Royal Bank is a very important part of the funding which allows the SideDoor to provide this service to our young people. This is the third year that the Royal Bank has funded this Junior Side Door through its after school grants program.

In all, the bank has now provided the Junior SideDoor Program with over $100,000. Al Reid is the coordinator of the Junior SideDoor and his assistant is Twilla Bulieau Bachon, a grade 10 student from Sir John Franklin High School. Al says the centre would like to provide more structured programs and provide more help with homework to the youth who come to the centre for two or three hours after school each day.

However, in order to do this, they need volunteers to help because they do not have a sufficient staff. In fact, the SideDoor needs volunteers in all parts of its programming, Mr. Speaker, and I urge anyone who has an interest in our young people to consider contacting the SideDoor to see how they could help out and to contact director Kevin Laframboise.

The Royal Bank's financial support to the Junior SideDoor Program is very much appreciated, Mr. Speaker, and the staff of the SideDoor are certainly to be commended for their great work. It is a great contribution that is being made by one of our businesses towards one of our very important social contribution areas in our community, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the new executive of the Native Women's Association of the Northwest Territories. First of all, the new president, Gina Dolphus from Deline.

-- Applause

The new vice-president, Noeline Villebrun from Fort Resolution.

-- Applause

The new treasurer, Annie Goose from Holman.

-- Applause

Welcome to the Legislative Assembly and congratulations on your appointment. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize someone who is in the education field and has worked for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for many, many years. He retired recently and became the executive director of the Francophone school division here in Yellowknife for a period of time and he is a constituent of mine, Mr. Chuck Tolley.

Thank you. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to recognize Annie Goose from Holman, the secretary-treasurer of the Native Women's Association. I welcome her to the gallery.

-- Applause

Thank you. item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Mahsi. item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question will be directed to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. It is in the area of patient care and trying to get information. I have been contacted about a situation that comes out of the Mackenzie Delta, so to speak, but has been brought to my attention by the grandmother of a child. The grandmother lives in Inuvik and has some concerns.

Her grandson was sent out for medical attention and the doctor suggested that the parents remain close to the facility. They were told to be within five minutes of a facility that could provide services for this child. The family then was not sure what was to happen and sat in limbo for quite some time.

I have been contacted and told that they have been told now that there are a lot of services that are not going to be provided by this government so the family has basically moved back to their home and is well beyond five minutes. It is a plane ride down to Yellowknife, that is the situation.

What happens in a situation when the doctor issues a recommended course, what kicks into place once that doctor issues prescribed treatment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a question that does not have a clear answer as I think the Member's preamble indicated. I am not familiar with the circumstances that the Member discussed but I would be very interested to get the particulars from him and look at what can be done.

I can tell the Member that I have had occasion to deal with this issue on a number of other cases and it is one where each case must be reviewed on its own merit. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister stated that each case would be looked at on its own merit, so if the Minister has the particulars of this situation brought to him, will he look at it with his department?

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my previous answer I would be very interested in sitting down with the Member to get the particular so we can pay the proper attention to this issue and see what can be done in terms of the doctor's order and the circumstances that have fallen from that. Thank you.