Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, anyone who has visited Hay River will have noticed our famed high school. Built in 1972 and designed by Douglas Cardinal, Diamond Jenness Secondary School has been labelled throughout the Territories as the purple school, or the purple people eater. I have to say that.

Mr. Speaker, Diamond Jenness School is almost 35 years old and has never had any substantial renovations. I'm aware of minor renovations scheduled to take place shortly to move the change rooms from upstairs closer to the gym on the main floor. However, other major issues at the school are being overlooked.

Students and teachers complain about the air quality and the inability of controlling the extreme temperatures in the school. The heating system does not suffice in the cold weather, and the ventilation system is not enough in the warmer weather, and the windows do not open for circulation at any time. Water pipes are 50/50 soldered and, for safety reasons, water quality needs to be checked on a regular basis. Most people refuse to use the school water fountains because the water doesn't get cold enough to drink. The hot water pipes are thin from corrosion and are constantly in need of replacement. The roof collects rainwater and several leaks have occurred within the ceiling and the walls of the school, which begs the question of whether there's mould growing in the walls. The administrative offices are off to the side and almost detached from the school and there's little opportunity to control access to the school and the layout needs to be redesigned for safety and security. Classrooms are too small to handle even a moderate size class, and the junior high classrooms are beneath modern standards, making it difficult to accommodate student programming needs. These are just a few of the problems this outdated school has, and I could go on and on.

A midlife overhaul of the entire school is well overdue, yet I do not see this project on the books any time soon. The only commitment I've heard from the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is to consider it for the capital planning process. The long-range capital plan dated September 2001 indicated a midlife reno for Diamond Jenness Secondary School beginning in '07-08 and finishing in '09-10 at a cost of $12 million. Mr. Speaker, I don't know what happened to that capital plan.

I believe it is time to make a firm commitment to get this overhaul done to protect the investment of this valuable infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough the importance of the health and safety of our youth, and Diamond Jenness Secondary School is long past a midlife crises. We need a commitment to make this project happen so that our children can have a healthy and safe learning environment, and that our teachers can have a healthy and safe workplace. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause