With respect to Fort McPherson, the Mental Health and Addictions Program, and the services in Tsiigehtchic, I can advise the Member that I’d be happy to offer the Member as much as what the Minister of Justice offered in terms of providing policing services to Tsiigehtchic. I have offered that to the Member previously. We do want to look at the option of enhancing services, possibly in McPherson, so that we can enhance services in nursing coverage in Tsiigehtchic.

When I was in Inuvik two weeks ago for the Beaufort-Delta leadership meeting I had another meeting with the chair and CEO of the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority. Also this issue came up during the discussions with the Gwich’in Leadership Council. The Gwich’in Leadership Council has offered to work with us to enhance housing facilities in Tsiigehtchic so that we can better accommodate having a permanent nurse there. I’ve had discussions with the chair and CEO of Beaufort-Delta on that issue. They are wanting to work with us to see how we can enhance nursing coverage in Tsiigehtchic with the view of having a permanent presence there.

With respect to mental health and addictions programming in Fort McPherson, the Member is right, that when I last visited Tsiigehtchic the commitment was made for the Beaufort-Delta Health Authority CEO to meet with the community and Tl’oondih Healing Society. There was no agreement reached. Tl’oondih Health Society expressed that they don’t want to discuss this issue further. So what I’ve done is we have an agreement with Fort McPherson leadership within the community that Beaufort-Delta Health Authority will provide $75,000 to go to Tl’oondih Healing Society so that the band council, the community government gets that money for mental health and

addiction services for Fort McPherson, and they can have the flexibility to hire the person they want to have, whether it be with the Tl’oondih Healing Society or not.

The Member has been asking that we need to give that sort of power to the community. I’m telling the Member now, I’m advising him that I am accommodating what the Member is saying; that we should provide mental health and addiction services in Fort McPherson. I understand that the lady who used to work for the Tl’oondih Healing Society has left the position, but that it will be the community government that will have the option and choice to provide that services. Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority has agreed to that. This is a good news item. We are making progress in the way the Member has advocated in this House.