Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the day care arrangements that the residents and the children of Lutselk'e are faced with every day. This issue has been brought forward by other Members, and also is an important topic in the pre-budget consultation report that was tabled in the House earlier this week.
Mr. Speaker, I will again talk about, and remind the Members opposite about, the unsafe, unhealthy and unstable conditions these kids and staff are dealing with every day. Unsafe conditions exist in the large community
hall that these kids are brought into every day, and at times there is still heavy equipment left out from the previous night's meetings. There are many hiding places small children can find interesting, and there are many other distractions the staff have to be wary of just for the safety of the children. It's healthy because, at times, the hall is not cleaned from the previous night's late meetings, leaving this task to the day care staff. It's unhealthy because of the detection of radon underneath the building several years ago that has still never been addressed. It's an unstable environment the day care has to be concerned about during the day.
The community may have unscheduled meetings that require the use of the hall that day, leaving the day care with no options but to close the doors for the day, disrupting the work schedules of these working parents who are trying to earn a living in a small community.
Mr. Speaker, I want these concerns not to be taken lightly by this government. It is not only an important concern of Lutselk'e, but in many other northern communities that are struggling to make day care service a reality. In Lutselk'e in particular, Mr. Speaker, there are empty housing units that have not been occupied for at least a year and may be empty for another year or two. I hope that this government, the Housing and Education Ministers in particular, can put their heads together and hammer out some temporary arrangements to allow the use of an empty housing unit to be converted and utilized as a day care facility. It would eliminate many of these unsafe, unhealthy, and unstable concerns, and put parents' minds at ease, even if for a few months, while, at the same time, a long-term arrangement can be developed and implemented to the satisfaction of the Lutselk'e residents. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause