Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about housing for elders who continue to spend most of their time living in the bush. These are people like hunters and trappers who are usually independent and self-sufficient.

A few years ago, the NWT Housing Corporation had a program called Elders on the Land Initiative. It provided financial support to assist seniors who live on the land rather than in the community. They could replace their existing dwelling with a modest, simply constructed shelter. This program helped elders to maintain independent traditional lifestyles in a safer and healthier home. The assistance was limited to $30,000 plus freight per household and was in the form of a forgivable loan over a five-year period.

I have been approached to renew this initiative and I think this program should be reintroduced. I was pleased to hear that next year the NWT Housing Corporation is leading a pilot project for people living traditional lifestyles. The corporation is constructing four basic shelter units in communities; there will be two built in Nahanni Butte. These homes are designed with features like wood stoves so that they can be easily shut down and left empty while residents go out on the land.

I look forward to seeing what these basic shelter units would be like and how well they fit people’s needs. I think this type of unit might also be suitable as a model for a renewed Elders on the Land Initiative. I encourage the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation to continue to support housing that accommodates a more traditional way of life. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.