This is page numbers 5127 - 5158 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was communities.

Topics

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Minister Lafferty.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Chairman, the thing we are doing at $140,000 has been identified to do a study plan, because what we have identified here with the consultant was they did their report and the report identified related renovations to an existing building, a high school entrance, an addition to a stand free shop facility and provision for cold storage. We need to do more planning study within the school. I know the Member has raised this issue in the House. We want to have a solid case that we can bring forward as part of our capital plan projects for next year. That is our overall plan. That is part of the reason I want to do this study, so we have a complete package, Mr. Chair. Mahsi.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Mr. Chairman, if the Minister is telling me he wants a complete package, I will wait the extra year before it could get on the five-year capital plan. If we could get that proper shop, home economics room, bathroom, storage office space for all the staff and not just the two items that he said, we will wait for that. But something has to be put on paper before, you know as well as I do, anything gets done. I think that we are in a position now to make a difference in the communities. We have a chance with the Minister and the department to make a difference and providing a small, remote community with a proper school for the students from K to 12. I look forward to meeting with the Minister and his staff to make a go of this.

Moving on to my high school teacher in Sachs Harbour, is it possible... I know the Minister will always say it is Beaufort-Delta education that is going to do it. He always refers me to them. The Premier is going to give me the funding to provide that service out by Sachs Harbour. At the end of the day, I know the same thing was the school in Sachs

should be looked at for renovation as well. It is a small little school. The high school should be brought up an extra classroom or two to provide K to 12 in the community of Sachs, because we are having so many issues in regard to schooling and sending our kids out into Inuvik for the school. I know we have to fill up the super school next year, so we don’t want to take the outlying communities’ kids to do that. But if we could put on paper again, if we could make a bunch of renovations for Sachs Harbour. Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Chairman, if Sachs needs some sort of renovation, then items should be also discussed if we want to add that as a capital project for next year or the following year. We know that the Tuk school is up for the planning study. We wanted to identify funding because this has been addressed in the House. So it is in the works, Mr. Chair, and we want to make some changes as well; as the Member indicated, a proper school. We definitely want to have that and, of course, we want to have our community members attend school in the community. That’s the overall goal, so we will continue to strive for that excellence.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. We are on page 8-7, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary. Mr. Yakeleya.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Mr. Chair, I want to ask the Minister, in terms of his method of ensuring that some of the small communities are receiving some of the facilities that they need, in terms of career, in terms of, they call them shops, I think -- industrial arts when I was in high school -- in terms of those types of facilities. Certainly, I know that the education boards have to put together some good proposals to acquire an extra teacher just to have a shop program skills trades into the schools. I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the Sahtu schools, in terms of the facilities that are like that in our schools to promote the skills of trades for our grade 10, 11 and 12 students. Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Minister Lafferty.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

We’ve been to a number of small, isolated community schools and we’ve identified some needs in the schools. We’ve been to the Sahtu and Colville. We’ve toured a school as well, a small school. So there is a need for some upgrades that have been identified by the principal and the school boards.

This is the type of discussion that we continue to have at the chairs meeting that’s slated for the end of next month. Most of the discussion that the Member is alluding to is also being addressed at that level. The CTS is an area that we continue to improve into the schools, based on application from the school boards.

As I stated, we do have $400,000 that’s slated for the schools to either upgrade their facility of CTS or have the establishment of CTS into their schools. We will continue to improve in those areas. If we identify additional funding, if we can find additional funding to increase the $400,000, we will definitely work towards that. Mahsi.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Certainly, Mr. Chair, these funds are application-based in the school. I want to ask, in terms of the application, when there’s these small communities that have activities that are in their region or in and around their communities, that certainly where there’s much needed skill to be learned there. Is this how this works in terms of the funding application?

I know that at one time the schools in a southern area were building housing units for some of the elderly people and these grade 10, 11, 12 students earned credits on the courses they had to take. Right now, what I’m finding out is that our schools in our region in the Sahtu are scrambling and finding it hard to get initial dollars to hire a qualified instructor to come in and teach these skills. We may have the facility but they need the dollars to have somebody on deck to work with the kids there.

Again, it’s good to have these facilities. It’s nice to have them up and running, but you need the bodies in there to make it happen there. I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the application basis, in terms of the smaller, isolated, remote communities, what chances do they have in terms of making sure that they are not left out of this process here.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Chair, the quickest answer would be they have all the chances if the school board identifies them as a priority. Again, it’s the school board that makes the decision, because they are the expertise when it comes to the schools in their region. We can’t go into a community and say this is what you should have. Most of our discussion is from the school board level, from the community level. They provide us guidance and advice and we base it on that with our capital infrastructure and others, along with the Members providing us some suggestions. But it does come from the school board, because they provide that expertise as well.

I have just been informed that there’s a departmental committee that reviews these proposals as well. So we’re working closely with the communities, the superintendents, the board chairs to identify those needs and priorities of the communities. Mahsi.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

The community does… I won’t get into it because it would take it to another debate; however, I thank the Minister for informing us and hopefully the communities that I represent have a fair chance of looking at some of this funding in its applications.

There are needs other than what we’re talking about within our schools and sometimes you have to decide which ones you want and it’s a priority and there are a lot of things that go on between. However, I look forward to having these facilities in our small communities where our kids can also take pride in going to school and staying in school to get a good career out of their education.

I want to ask in terms of the capital infrastructure of the community museums and the uptake for that type of funding. I know the Norman Wells Historical Society has been one of the successful stories within the GNWT and the community museum, and I know they want to look at some expansion because that little museum now is overgrown in terms of its capacity. Is this the type of dollars they can apply for in terms of capital infrastructure to expand their facility in Norman Wells? Mahsi.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Chair, yes, the museum area is based on an application basis. So the quickest answer would be yes. Mahsi.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. We’re on page 8-7, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, education and culture, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure summary, $27.132 million.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

We will now go back to the departmental summary on page 8-2. Education, Culture and Employment, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $28.519 million.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Does committee agree that this concludes the Department of Education, Culture and Employment infrastructure?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

Thank you, committee. I would like to thank the Minister of ECE and Mr. Daniels and ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witness from the Chamber. What is the wish of the committee? If I can call on Mrs. Groenewegen.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Bob Bromley

I will now rise and report progress.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, Mr. Bromley.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Mahsi.

Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. A motion is on the floor. Do you have a seconder? The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

---Carried

Item 22, third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Orders of the Day
Orders of the Day

October 18th, 2010

Tim Mercer Clerk Of The House

Mr. Speaker, there will be a meeting of the Board of Management today at the rise of the House.

Orders of the day for Wednesday, October 20, 2010, at 1:30 p.m.:

1. Prayer

2. Ministers’

Statements

3. Members’

Statements

4. Returns to Oral Questions

5. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

6. Acknowledgements

7. Oral

Questions

8. Written

Questions

9. Returns to Written Questions

10. Replies to Opening Address

11. Petitions

12. Reports of Standing and Special Committees

13. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

14. Tabling of Documents

15. Notices of Motion

16. Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

17. Motions

- Motion 15-16(5), Appointment of Two Human Rights Commission Members

- Motion 16-16(5), Appointment of Information and Privacy Commissioner

- Motion 17-16(5), Referral of TD 75-16(5) to Committee of the Whole

18. First Reading of Bills

19. Second Reading of Bills

20. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of

Bills and Other Matters

- Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project

- Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits

- Tabled Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits - What We Heard

- Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northern Voices, Northern Waters: NWT Water Stewardship Strategy

- Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012

- Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act

- Bill 8, Social Work Profession Act

- Bill 9, An Act to Amend the Tourism Act

21. Report of Committee of the Whole

22. Third Reading of Bills

23. Orders of the Day