Mr. Speaker, I think I heard the

Minister say that $3.9 million into the construction season this year. However, I guess I just would like to have confirmation that the reconstruction of Highway No. 6 will begin this summer. Can the Minister advise me if that is correct? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I

certainly can agree to that. Subcontracts have already been awarded for crushing of the material prior. I know the community and the Member has been quite eager to see some work started even prior to this. We are anticipating the bulk of the work will be out to tender and ready for construction sometime in mid to end of June, and a lot of work will consist of engineering work and drainage improvements and things of that nature. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, in case of any

deviations, can the Minister keep me abreast of the project so I can keep the community of Fort Resolution up to date? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we

would be pleased to do so. I have had discussions with our officials and they have been in the community a couple of times already over this past month and plan to go back in June. I would certainly ensure that the Member is kept up to a current status on where we are on this project and money invested in this riding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your

final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the

Minister direct staff to take a serious look at the availability of resources, whether they be equipment or human, that are available in Fort Resolution for this project and advise me of his findings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, once

again, of course we can provide that information to the Member. Some of the discussion I believe has

already happened at the community meetings. We would be pleased to provide that to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The

honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Today my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. In September 2008 a working group including representatives from Education and Health and Social Services as well as NGO disability sector forwarded recommendations regarding the establishment of an Income Support Program to specifically address the needs of persons with disabilities. Could the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment please tell me the status of those recommendations and when will this Assembly be informed of the proposed recommendations and changes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The

honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr.

Speaker. That specific recommendation has been in the works by the committee that the Member alluded to. It is in the works. The recommendation is generally highlighted as various departments need to follow through with. Certainly I can provide more detailed information to the Member on the updated status, where we are at with specific recommendations that were brought forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to

thank the Minister of Education for that. I am happy to hear that the recommendation is still in progress. In addition to providing me with the information on behalf of Education, Culture and Employment, I was wondering if the Minister can maybe compile some information in general from both departments and submit it to myself and other Members, if they are interested, in one package as opposed to getting separate packages from Education and Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that

information has been part of the ongoing discussion that our department has been having with other departments as well. We can certainly compile that information that we have within our department and other departments’ information that they have undertaken. We can certainly share with the Member and also members of the standing committee. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the

Minister for that. I just have one last little question. How long does the Minister think it will take to get me that information? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker,

certainly this information we need to collect from other departments as well. We will expedite the process, what information we have that we can compile. We are hoping over the summer period. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The

honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just

want to follow up with my Member’s statement and continue to raise the issue for the need of an indoor swimming pool for the community of Wrigley. The Minister and I did a recent tour to Wrigley. They have identified many infrastructure needs. The water treatment plant needs a replacement of the fire truck. A lot of these needs are very pressing. They had asked one of their immediate needs was for their youth and working towards getting a swimming pool. I would like to ask the Minister to help us with those plans and what can be done in the short term. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The

honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. In our trip to Wrigley, they did raise the issue of a swimming pool and their concern with the children swimming. I told them at the time, in answering their question, that capital money is provided to the communities now. I understand the Member’s concern with that pressing need. It is up to the community now to make that decision as to when they want their swimming pool included into their capital plan. That was the message that I relayed to the folks in Wrigley when I met with them. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the government

does have a history of assisting communities in developing swimming pools. We have done it in the past for other regions and other communities. In fact, in the recent supp, we did it for one of the northern communities. I would like to ask the Minister again. We are not going out of our way. We are not doing anything different by providing for the needs of a small community like Wrigley. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the

Member said it correctly when he said “history”. That was the history of how things operated before, but the process has changed now because of the

whole New Deal and having given the community the authority to make those decisions themselves and put it as part of their capital plans. They submit their capital plans to the department, which is a good thing because, if there is some money available out there through one of the federal programs and we have their plans on file, then we can take that and maybe submit it for additional funding if that opportunity were available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear

some willingness by the Minister on this issue, but our government, it is not unheard of for us to provide those kinds of facilities. In fact, all of our communities should have minimum basic infrastructure facilities, and supporting our youth is one of our primary goals. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister to look at this issue seriously and to provide a plan and pre-planning to develop an indoor swimming pool for the community of Wrigley. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, the

department would be pleased to assist the community of Wrigley with their planning and possible options for financing. The community of Wrigley right now is a band community and the department is working with them to form a corporation. Once the corporation is formed, the rest of their capital allotment will be released to them. It’s quite a substantial amount. But the department would be more than willing to go into the community, work with the community of Wrigley to come up with a plan and maybe options on different types of infrastructure and they can make the final decision themselves.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final

supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.