Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been identified quite some time ago that with the reduction scenarios that the previous governments had gone through and reduced expenditures in certain areas, and the area of the Capital Replacement Program was one of those areas that took a hit. If we did not bring that capital back up, we would indeed find ourselves in problems. The particular facility in Inuvik as well as the other school in Inuvik have been on the capital plan for quite some time and have been bumped for a number of years. As we know, the planning is proceeding with a replacement of SAMS and we are looking at the replacement of the high school, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I guess, ultimately, when it came down to making the decision on the closure of the high school, as I
told parents at the public meeting in Inuvik, I would rather be there apologizing for the fact that we were not able to use the facility for a school at this point. I would rather do that than trying to apologize for the loss of a loved one if we found ourselves in another situation. That is why we made the decision not to open that facility. Safety came first. We have been working around the clock, so to speak, to get the issues addressed with and dealt with on the facility itself so that we can have it open. If the facility opens sooner, we will look at trying to get the classes back into the high school.
On the issue of dealing with the Department of Public Works and Services and the work we do and the events around this facility, a seemingly ongoing venture on this facility, I am, as Minister, taking responsibility for that. The decision is made within my department, and I am taking the necessary steps to ensure that the right actions are taken in dealing with all the events that surrounded the decisions and the process that was used where we found ourselves with that facility. Thank you.