Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being Friday, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a fundraising event that was held last weekend in support of Kid's Help Phone, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an event that is held every year to raise money for Kid's Help Phone which is a national program where kids can call a 1-800 number about anything they want to speak to an expert about, whether it's about bullying in school, health conditions or what's going on at home. Any kind of issues that they are having problems with, they are encouraged to phone in. It's a very important and essential service.

Mr. Speaker, last weekend the event held in the NWT raised more than $50,000. Two hundred-plus people in teams participated. There were also major corporate contributors: Canadian North, BHP Billiton, Canadian Tire, Great Slave Helicopters and Polar Bowl were among the main sponsors.

I should also let you know that the Legislative Assembly was very well represented by a very strong team made up of Honourable Brendan Bell, Yellowknife South; Mr. Dave Ramsay, Kam Lake; Minister Charles Dent; and our colleague from Sahtu and his son, Chase, was a big help in getting us a really good score in the end.

So, Mr. Speaker, I want to make note of this very important event and the effort made to raise money for it. There were lots of constituents from Range Lake in that event, but I want to recognize two young people who participated: Emily Thagard, who is in Grade 3. She raised about $290 plus. She was going door to door to raise money for this event, and her friend, Sam Embleton, who also went door to door and raised money. Their parents were there and they were telling me that the kids were there to let kids know kids can do a lot to help other kids who need help.

I would like to recognize all those who participated and all the sponsors for making this a huge event. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning I would like to give a Member's statement on the all-weather road in the Sahtu.

Mr. Speaker, I don't understand why this government spends a lot of money fixing the Ingraham Trail, which some people have called the best bush road in the North. Communities like mine don't have any bush roads like that, Mr. Speaker. The cost of living in the Sahtu is almost double that of Yellowknife. Yellowknife isn't a cheap place to live, so you can imagine what the communities face in the Sahtu region. In the rest of the world, poor people eat potatoes because they are cheap and because there is nothing else to eat. They even feed them to their farm animals, Mr. Speaker. When you live in the Sahtu, potatoes are very expensive. We only eat them on special occasions and even then we slice them very, very thin.

---Laughter

In Colville Lake, for instance, a four kilogram bag of sugar sells for $25; a can of pop, $2.50; a tin of evaporated milk sells for $4. We are also really isolated. Mr. Speaker, for a few weeks a year, we have a winter road; a few weeks. The rest of the time if you want to see your family in Fort Good Hope, it will cost $400 return per person and that's just from Colville Lake. If you go to Norman Wells and back it costs you almost $500. Mr. Speaker, driving from Wrigley to Tulita is 148 kilometres and it takes seven hours to drive, while it takes only one hour from Rae to Yellowknife; this takes into account the bumps in the road.

I am happy to say, Mr. Speaker, there is a solution. The Sahtu needs an all-weather road. With an all-weather road, Mr. Speaker, a few dollar's worth of gas will give some in the Sahtu access to training, jobs and family and good fresh food at a reasonable price. While the road is being built, my people can be trained as heavy equipment operators and gain experience in road construction.

I am asking them to do what is right and get to work on making an all-weather road in the Sahtu. For the benefit it will bring, there is no better investment. If we need to find partners to help us build it, then let's get to work on that too.

Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Transportation if he has considered taking the first step in getting the people of the Sahtu an all-weather road. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On my recent trip to attend the Beaufort-Delta interim regional council meeting in Inuvik, I was approached by a resident of Paulatuk who was very concerned about the possible closure of the community freezer. I also heard the same concern from two other residents in Paulatuk.

Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that community freezers were installed about 20 years ago to help small communities store their fish and game hygienically and to ensure that a supply was always available when game was scarce.

Public Works and Government Services used to fund the core maintenance of the community freezer program. This program was transferred to RWED in 1996. In 1999, RWED turned over the money to the communities in the form of block funding. Mr. Speaker, the community freezer in Paulatuk is being heavily used by the residents of Paulatuk according to the information supplied by my constituents. Community freezers are a vital component in a small community for preserving their fish and game. The most recent concern raised by my constituent is that RWED is considering not funding the community freezer in Paulatuk. This individual indicated that to maintain the community freezer, it would cost about $17,000 a year, money that the community of Paulatuk or its residents do not have readily available.

Mr. Speaker, Paulatuk residents see the community freezer as a valuable resource for preserving their fish and game. Surely RWED can accommodate a request of just $17,000 a year for the maintenance of the community freezer in Paulatuk. RWED should reconsider assisting Paulatuk, as well as Holman and Sachs if required, in funding this program.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will ask the appropriate Minister questions on the funding of the community freezer program in Paulatuk. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to use my Member's statement to talk about an outstanding young athlete from Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, Brendan Green completed his most successful competitive season so far with a series of incredible finishes in his first exposure to European competition. His crowning achievement was winning the German youth championships in the 15-kilometre individual event. Biathlon is a major sport in Germany, one of the top-ranking nations, and many of his German competitors attend special sports schools that focus on producing world-class biathletes. Their programs have developed a number of world champions. His win was the result of a combination of outstanding shooting and skiing against some of the top youth biathletes in the world today.

He followed up this victory with a silver medal in a 10-kilometre sprint race only four seconds behind the winner. Brendan also competed in the Europa Cup No. 6 in Arbersee-Langdorf, Germany. To compete, he had to move up an age category and race with the junior men who are two to three years older than him. He managed to place 15th in his first race, the 10-kilometre sprint, just one minute and 30 seconds behind the winner. Although it was a very difficult and challenging course, and he had to ski three penalties loops, he still managed to achieve a personal best time of 29 minutes and 30 seconds to break the 30-minute barrier.

In his final race, the 12.5-kilometre pursuit, he hit 18 out of 20 to tie for the best shooting in the competition and moved up to seventh place and top finish for the Canadian team. Although seven world champions were amongst the 25 entries, no one had better results on the shooting range.

Brendan is a member of the 2010 Olympic development program. He follows a training program that demanded 410 hours of physical raining and 200 hours of shooting this season. He got his start in biathlon with Coach Pat Bobinski who has supervised his training for the past eight years. Pat has developed many outstanding biathletes during his coaching career and has played a critical role in developing Brendan's marksmanship to the high level demanded for success in this sport.

Brendan assists with the jack rabbit ski program developed by the Hay River Ski Club for the Hay River school system. He has also managed to maintain his standing as an honour roll student in Grade 11 at the Diamond Jenness Secondary School.

I would like to congratulate Brendan and say that Hay River is very proud of this young man. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. This is carnival season in the Northwest Territories and it comes to life in Yellowknife this afternoon with the start of the 49th Caribou Carnival, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken about these events, with passion I hope, Mr. Speaker, several times in this Assembly. They are tremendously important to me and all of our communities.

In the Northwest Territories, we have so many unique things to celebrate and I think we take a bit of an optimistic view and we take winter as something we actually celebrate through many of our carnivals. The ones here in Yellowknife, like the Caribou Carnival, the Canadian Championship Dog Derby and one of the most wonderful and unique attractions and events that has grown very much from the inspiration of one man, Tony Foliot, is the Snow King Festival, which this year is going to complete it's 9th season.

We have the Cariblues Festival, the Aurora Arts Society, attempting to get a February music festival off the deck. Ndilo and Detah are going to be having their local festivals as well.

These are things that define our community. They define our culture. They are good for our communities and families. They are one of the anchors and I am positive will be a very significant part of our tourism industry as they grow.

Mr. Speaker, I have to save my most sincere message for the volunteers, having been one; I think we have all done our bit for these festivals, it is the volunteers who are the heart and soul of these events. We cannot take them for granted. I am looking forward to things that this government can do in the way of the NWT Arts Strategy that is going to be coming out later this year, hopefully as an anchor that we can use to really build on this and the efforts of the volunteers who deserve all of the credit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mahsi Cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to recognize Tammy Cazon, a constituent of mine who gave a safe birth to a baby girl at 6:30 this morning. What is important about this matter is that she is the young lady that had the dubious distinction of being in the House last year about this time, and virtually gave birth in the gallery. I just wanted to bring that to your attention, just a special recognition to her today. I am glad that she is tied to the Legislative Assembly in her own personal way. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Allen on March 18, 2004, regarding an update on the new housing re-investment proposal. Specifically, the Member requested an update on the status of a proposal submitted in August 2002 to create a flat-rate rent scale for public housing clients in the Northwest Territories.

After studying the impacts of a flat-rate rent scale, the Housing Corporation has opted not to move in this direction. The corporation's decision not to proceed was made in light of the fact that the proposal to create the flat-rate rent scale would have resulted in increased rents for low-income families and students. In addition, this proposal included another significant change in that seniors' households would now be assessed rent. It is the corporation's position that increasing rents for the most vulnerable members of our society is not in the best interest of the public housing clients. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Menicoche.

Welcome. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of my constituents from Rae-Edzo who is in the gallery, Mr. Fred Behrens. Mr. Behrens is the interim project manager for the NWT Broadband Business Alliance. Welcome to the House. Thank you.

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize and thank two Pages from Hay River South for serving us in the Chamber this week. They have followed the debate, and were very interested a couple of times and said they wanted to jump in when we were reviewing education. So I think we have some future politicians here. Thank you. Matthew Gagnon, and Carisa Broadhead.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't see them from where I sit, but I do believe there is a Grade 6 class from Range Lake North School in the gallery today. This is Mr. David Speakman's class. Along with them are the principal, Ms. Sandra Bowden; the educational assistant, Mr. Spencer Lyman; and one of the parents, Eleanor Young, are accompanying them today. I would like to welcome them to the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Welcome. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Delorey.