Mr. Speaker, in doing my research, in the Sahtu we did have a long-term care facility. It opened in 1991 and in 1993 it opened a long-term care facility. In 1991 it was a personal care facility. In 1993 it was a long-term care. In 1996 the facility closed in the Sahtu. I still today get inquiries as to that facility, the amount of training that people took, the amount of work and effort it took to have it in Deline in the Sahtu. I can only imagine what people in Aklavik are going through in terms of this facility. Ours in the Sahtu closed right down.

I also, in the same breath, want to say how excited I am to read in the 2010-11 capital estimates that the Sahtu is now in the stage of planning, designing and construction of a long-term facility. I am very happy when they get that back in the books. I want to say that the people are delighted. We are looking at facilities in the Northwest Territories. We know the price of health care in the Northwest Territories. We had a big debate on the supplementary health. We know the costs are coming up. Mr. Speaker, we also know the needs of our elders. In the Sahtu right now there are 254 elders who are 60 years and over. As I stand right here, Mr. Speaker, in this

House, our elders want to attend a long-term care facility like the dementia centre in Yellowknife. They have to take money out of their own pension cheques, buy a ticket and fly down here, plus put a month’s rent in advance. That is shameful, Mr. Speaker. That is what is happening right now.

Another point is that they want to go into the Aven Manor Centre or Inuvik or Fort Simpson. They have to pay their way to get into that facility. Mind you, those facilities take pretty good care of their people, of what I hear. They look after them pretty good. It is also a blessing, because people are talking and say it gives the families a break. It is a lot of work to take care of their elders, loved ones. The beautiful week, the second week it gets tiring. We know people are saying we should have these facilities in our regions and in our homes. More respite care, more home care services, more to take care of them.

I think I have an understanding as to what people in Aklavik are going through. We went through that in Deline. They are still angry because that facility was shut down. But I am also very happy at the same time, because now we have in the capital estimate budget for 2011-12 for Sahtu to get their long-term care facility.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to say that I hope this government here looks at the home care services in our communities, keeping them closer to home. I still have a little bit of hurt feelings when I look at the Aven Manor Centre here in Yellowknife when I go by it, because my grandmother was in there and my father was in there. Both have passed away in there and not going home to be with their people. It bothers me sometimes when we have facilities like that. If you are coming from my region and don’t have facilities, it is not a good feeling sometimes when we take the elders out of the community to live somewhere. You don’t know if they are going to come back alive or not. It is a difficult decision.

I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that I hope there is a solution that could be sought through the Aklavik dilemma in terms of looking after their elders and keeping them there. We in the Sahtu really need a facility. I hope that Mr. Krutko and the department find a solution along with a plan to keep their elders in their community. I wanted to say that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.