The reason I ask about this particular line is I have had an opportunity to go to Fort Simpson a couple times over the last two years and in one of my visits there, I went with the Member from that area, Mr. Menicoche, to what is their library today and I’ve got to say it’s not the greatest building. It’s small, it’s super limited, the floor doesn’t have the capacity to handle many books at all and they have a significant amount of books that they’ve acquired over time that they can’t even house in the building, so they have to leave them in a different building and if somebody wants them, they have to go get them. So it’s super inconvenient and I’m curious as to whether or not any of this money is going to be able to go to the library in Simpson to help them either find a more suitable location where they could actually have their library or fix that building up to the degree where you could actually have more than a half-dozen books in a room due to weight restrictions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, as I indicated earlier, the plan is that Public Works is going to arrange for an engineer to go in and take

a look at Thomas Simpson or Bompas about what’s possible for a library space there. There is money available in the ’09 allocation, which I believe this year is $150,000 which is being held pending whatever plans may come out of the potential relocation of the library in Simpson. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Moving on, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in regard to the discussion of policy this government has in regard to providing funding for small communities to ensure that they do have the infrastructure so they can provide services and programs in schools, I think that one of the problems we’re seeing especially in our school systems is the government made a policy decision back in 1995 or ’94 to allow for high schools from K to 12 in every community. But one thing they’ve done is, sure, they’ve expanded the enrolment numbers, but they have never delivered on all program curricula by way of the trades programs or even in regards to chemistry and science, having the facilities designed so that all these programs could be delivered. I’m glad the government’s coming forward with a program that we can finally, hopefully, build in some of these facilities into our school systems, but I was kind of taken aback when I heard the Minister of Education making reference that he’s going to consider looking at changing the policy now which identifies these small communities as where this program is going to be delivered and exclude the larger communities from having access to this program.

So I’d like to get clarification from the Minister of Finance exactly what is the position of this government. Are you going to abide by the policy that you have in place or are you going to open it up so that all schools in the Northwest Territories are going to have access to these funds so we can accomplish what the intent of that policy is: to ensure that those programs and policies are in place? I’d just like clarification on exactly what was meant by considering opening it up so that Yellowknife can have access to these dollars.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The way the program is structured and the information that was sent out to the communities was that this program was designed to address the particular needs of small communities. Funding has been set aside for small capital projects and it specifically indicates which communities don’t qualify under this. The list, I’ll repeat again, is Yellowknife, Inuvik, Behchoko, Fort Smith, Hay River and Fort Simpson. So that’s the program as it now stands.

In our government, if there is an interest to discuss policy decisions, that’s something that we have to

be prepared to entertain, but the program as it’s now structured is clear. The document that was sent out is clear. It hasn’t been changed.

The Minister may want to add further to this, but I think the intention is that if there’s an interest in somehow reviewing this to make it as applicable as it should be, that the Minister has indicated he’s prepared to entertain that kind of discussion. At this point this policy is clear and it was sent out with the 14 criteria that are very specific.

I’ll ask, Mr. Chairman, if maybe the Minister wanted to elaborate a bit further on this issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, those are the areas that...I didn’t say we would change the policy, but I said we will look at a discussion further. We’re following the guidelines right now as it stands and whatever changes that are forthcoming will certainly be addressed with the standing committee before we make any drastic changes. So Members will certainly be informed of any changes that may be coming. This will be a discussion that we’ll probably have down the road. That’s what I was referring to, Mr. Chair. Mahsi.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, Mr. Chair, we realize we have some major challenges, especially for the community infrastructure, lack of staff housing for teachers, the challenge we’re facing of just having the services being delivered in our communities where we still have students leaving their home communities to go to the regional centres to attend high school because we don’t have high school in all our communities. I think, as a government, the reason that you have a policy and the guidelines in place is so that we can accomplish that. If this government’s going to back away now at the 11th hour, I think all the work that

the communities are trying to do by ensuring we can provide an education and curriculum for our communities which is somewhat close to or basically meets the qualifications in other schools so that we can provide all these services to all schools in the Northwest Territories, we’re never going to get there.

I’d just like to get some assurance from this government that basically the guidelines that you mentioned are spelled out. The intention of that was to ensure that we’re able to provide those programs and services in all schools in the Northwest Territories where presently we don’t have them. I think it’s important that we, as government, realize that we still have communities in the Northwest Territories which have not implemented the policy of K to 12 in all communities. One of the reasons is because we do not have the capacity in the

community and we don’t have the infrastructure in the community to provide those programs or education curriculum in all communities.

So, again, I’d just like to get some assurance that there is no movement on behalf of this government to back away from the policy and guidelines that basically the Minister referenced.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The package which we’ve committed to share with committee, the very first criteria in the application and selection process is to be eligible to apply. You must be an NWT high school that is not in a community with more than 200 K to 12 full-time equivalent students. So that’s the very first criteria for this application. This is what’s gone out to the communities. That’s what’s being acted on. That’s the basis that they’re going to be applying on.

If there’s the will, as the Minister has indicated, of the committee, of the Legislature, to review this program, of course we stand ready to do that, but the information that’s gone out is very clear for the program as it now exists. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, one of the questions I touched on is the whole area of providing staff housing for teachers. I know this government had a program a couple of years ago in regard to allowing for professional housing development in communities. We’re still seeing that challenge, especially in the Beaufort-Delta region where we’re seeing the biggest challenge in regard to providing secure housing for staff, especially for the teaching staff in our education system. So I’d just like to know from the government, where are we in regard to that program and what’s this government doing to ensure that we are able to provide some means of housing for teachers in the Beaufort-Delta?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I understand that this current year all the teachers have housing, but that we continue to work through the issue of staff housing, especially, once again, in the smaller communities for teachers and other professional staff. We continue to work to address that issue through the Refocusing Government committee. Thank you.

Well, again, Mr. Chair, I think we’re probably going to be getting phone calls in the winter months when it gets a little colder and people start realizing the real costs associated with renting a house in the communities, from the utility costs to the operational costs, and I think it’s something that we as MLAs have to deal with every year because people don’t realize that there’s a real high cost to maintain a residence in a community. If you’re renting the unit, paying the O and M costs, those costs do go up in the wintertime. I think that we might not be hearing much about it now, but I think

we probably will be hearing about it in December, January.

So I’d just like to ask the Minister: Is this government seriously considering looking at a policy as part of the delivery system of education in certain regions of the Territories in regard to non-market communities? Will we consider looking at the possibility of providing staff housing like we did prior to the 13th Assembly and is that something

that’s considered looking at through collective bargaining?

What we are looking at very definitely in terms of cost of living is things related to provision of energy, power and electricity. The electrical rate review will be going to committee members and they will be able to see what is being contemplated by the folks that did the review. We’ve also been passing on significant savings to those communities that are fuelled under the GNWT, that get fuel for the PPD. As well, there have been savings transmitted and we’re continuing to work with the Refocusing committee and the Housing Corporation. We stand ready to work with communities, alternatives that are there in existing communities with housing for staff, not only necessarily for GNWT employees but municipal employees, community employees, other employees. I believe the Minister of Housing has made some suggestions to the Rural Remote committee about some of the possibilities that are there to try to improve in those areas. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. I’d like to call next on Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Firstly, I guess it’s good news to see that the plan is to have the adult learning centre occupied by September 2010. So that’s something I was pleased to see.

I have a couple of questions pertaining to page 8-8 on the high school career and technology studies. I’d like to ask the Minister if there have been requests from the communities, Tu Nedhe communities of Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e, pertaining to this funding and how the request is being handled.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The information was sent out September 18th . There’s a deadline that was just recently met

or reached October 16th and I understand the

departmental selection committee for the applications for the NWT Career and Technology Studies Program are looking at having those projects approved by November the 20th . Thank

you.

On the capital infrastructure for community libraries, I see that there’s some funding

in there, but I’m wondering if the target communities for the infrastructure for community libraries is schools that currently don’t have any libraries or if this is a part of an actual library program where they have community libraries in places like Hay River and Yellowknife and so on. So I’m wondering if this is specific to schools or libraries.

There is a range of community libraries or where they’re located. In some communities they are separate buildings like they are in Hay River or Fort Smith, Fort Providence. In some places, as in Simpson, we’re looking at what may be possible to make use of space in either Thomas Simpson or Bompas and if there’s space in schools that could be accessed by patrons after hours, a library.

So I think as we are in other areas trying to be creative and think outside the box in terms of space, usually it’s very hard to come by and has to be put to as extensive use as possible. Of course, we have some communities with virtual libraries; we have some with no libraries. In fact, a fairly extensive list: Behchoko, Colville Lake, Dettah, Fort Liard, Jean Marie River, Kakisa, Lutselk’e, Tsiigehtchic and Wrigley have no libraries. So we have a whole range of need here on this issue across the Territory. Thank you.

I guess in that same area, libraries...To be more specific, has the department had any discussions with Lutselk’e’s principal pertaining to possible development of a library in the Lutselk’e school? I know there is no actual space I believe for the library, so there may have to be something added or some sort of a space made for it, but I’m curious if there had been any discussions in that area. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. I’d like to call on Deputy Minister Daniels.