Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The school we just discussed with the PWS Minister and now we are dealing with ECE, I’m not sure how we can change the picture. We did commit and the sewage tank, of course, is going in as soon as possible in the early winter so it can be ready for summer when we talk about the washroom, upgrading the washroom facility area. Our department is working on that. We want to have the completion by summer as well. It will be ready for the next school year.

We need to work closely with the Member, of course, and also with the Sahtu Board of Education on this work and with other work, as well, where the Member also talked about the learning centre. Again, the Member indicated that the fund is an issue. It is a pressing issue in the Northwest Territories and we’re strapped on how much we can spend, and also for capital infrastructure in the Northwest Territories. We have to be mindful of that, that we are servicing 33 communities so the funding can only stretch so much.

There has been a previous federal engagement, their contribution towards Hay River Reserve, Tsiigehtchic and also Lutselk’e for learning centres. This could be another collaboration with the federal government. In my rule as a Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I will be pursuing and asking those questions, how we can partner up again in this matter.

When we talk about the new schools in Deline and Colville Lake, as the Member indicated, there are, of course, processes that we have to follow, again, with the funding that is allocated for the whole Northwest Territories. We will be discussing those areas. I totally agree with the Member when he says a good learning environment. Each and every community should have a good learning environment. We are very serious about this particular issue that is before us in Colville Lake and now washroom issue, the running water. This is an area that has been discussed and the Member raised that issue in the House before, so we are serious and we are moving forward. We are going to have some remedy by summer with this particular school. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Next on my list is Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Under ECE my questions are more built around… I feel like I have raised this question many times. I would

like to ask some details as to where I may find some future investment if not present investment into both the Mildred Hall Elementary School as well as the Ecole J.H. Sissons School. I know that they get on the capital plan, then they are taken off the capital plan and then they are back on and off. I have to tell you it feels like we’re doing the hokey-pokey dance with those particular schools. It’s very frustrating for the school board as well as the two schools specifically themselves, knowing that their schools keep getting ignored.

I say this now, of course I hate following Mr. Yakeleya’s concern because his concern I want to lend my strength to which is a very serious one, of course, but all schools have their own issues. He’s been advocating well for his. I will give him credit for that.

Today I need help from the Minister of Education to explain where are both Sissons and Mildred Hall on the capital needs assessment plan. As I understood it, they were in line for investment. I don’t see them in there in the capital plan for us, so I’m trying to get a sense of where is the commitment from the department. When can we see planning dollars committed to fulfilling on the promises of finishing?

I can go into great detail as to what the issues are there. The Minister is well aware. The deputy minister is well aware. The department is well aware of these particular problems. I think the school board and many of the parents that take their kids there are kind of getting tired of the fact that their schools are being ignored and wondering where that is, especially in light of the big super schools being built. Let’s start with that, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Lafferty.

Madam Chair, these two particular schools the Member is referring to have been in discussion during the capital planning projects. As I stated before, there are other pressing issues and matters that are before this department and other departments, as well, throughout the Northwest Territories. We are dealing with 49 different schools as well. I can assure the Member that from within our internal funding we have identified some funds to cover, or also the costs of internal planning on Ecole J.H. Sissons School. There is planning that is going to be undertaken for that particular school. Mildred Hall we want to move forward on, but we just didn’t have the funds to move forward at this time. Those are some of the areas that my department have been dealing with with other departments.

As I stated, we are to keep in mind that there are other pressing issues that are before us when we deal with all of these matters that are before us. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

If I could just get some clarity on what internal planning dollars for Sissons actually means and the size. Actually, let me rephrase the question. Will a planning study be done? I guess all that really matters is this: Will a planning study be done in this particular fiscal year, 2012-2013? Will that be done in a way to identify the work that needs to be done to retrofit Sissons School? Thank you.

There are the planning studies that we have undertaken with other projects so we can identify what is needed, what kind of work that needs to be done and to identify the resources that we need, the funding. Also potential partnership with other partners as well. This particular area, of course, again using our internal resources so we can move this project along potentially to become a capital project as we move forward.

I have to admit I found the answer a little on the confusing side. What will actually be done this budget year that I can take back to the parents at Sissons and even the school board to say guess what is going to happen this year, is a real commitment on some resolve to do something. What deliverable can I take back to both the constituents, be it the school board, be it the school, be it the families? I am just trying to give them something that they understand, something that is simple and clear. Thank you.

We’re in December now, so we’re talking about potentially starting up in 2012 with the planning study and completion by fall of 2013. Mahsi.

Thank you. Anything further, Mr. Hawkins? Mr. Hawkins is done. Next on the list, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to support my colleagues Mr. Hawkins and Ms. Bisaro in raising this issue in seeking some focus, as the Minister has offered towards moving forward on the Sissons School maintenance deficit and renovations are clearly required.

I’m wondering where we’re at with pellet boilers with our schools. How many schools do we have in the Northwest Territories and how many of them are now using wood pellet heat and are there opportunities for additional movement in that direction? Maybe that’s something the Minister could provide at a later date.

I guess with my last point I wanted to mention Aurora College and the serious timeframe situation we’re in there with I believe the lease running out in the next year or so. Obviously the campus needs some serious work and vision and I’m wondering where the department is on that. What’s being done? I know we’ve had the occasional updates from time to time, a review of schools and so on.

There used to be some talk about the Con Mine facility, some potential out there. So I’d appreciate an update on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. With respect to wood pellet boiler systems, we don’t have the exact number of how many schools. We have 49 schools. I know for a fact that Chief Jimmy Bruneau School is on a wood pellet boiler system and I’m sure there might be a couple more, but we can get that information for the Members.

Aurora College lease, yes, it’s up in 2012. We’re fully aware of it. We’ve been working with the landlord and, as we speak, a letter is going out requesting an extension so we can plan for if there’s going to be a new building or how it is going to look and when is that going to be taken into effect or options that we need to work on. So we just need more time in that area. As you know, again, the capital funding is far stretched and unfortunately we’re not at that point where we can talk about a new facility for the college at this point, but we need to come up with some options. So we are requesting an extension, Madam Chair. Mahsi.

I appreciate that response. How long will the extension be for? I am concerned that we’ve known about this situation for a long time and obviously have not planned for it, or we’ve had higher priorities. So what are we doing to make sure that we do plan for it at the end of whatever period of extension we are proposing to pursue on the lease? Thank you.

We are requesting a minimum two years and up to five years so we can start planning for upcoming capital projects. Mahsi.

I appreciate that information from the Minister. That’s a pretty short timeframe given our financial situation, I guess. It might challenge us, but I guess I’m just hoping that we will be hearing about a long-term plan to get something in place for Aurora College Yellowknife Campus and we need to be very explicit in our thinking to be able to achieve that plan.

Yes, I’d appreciate the information on the schools. I know K’alemi Dene School, for example, in Ndilo is a pellet one. I think we renovated St. Joe’s and I think there are four or five in Hay River being done this year, maybe some in Fort Smith, but in each one there are significant savings. So I’d appreciate a look at what the opportunities might be to help on the cost side, as well as our other broad government goals. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I didn’t hear a question there. Did you want to respond, Minister Lafferty?

Madam Chair, we will definitely provide that information. As I stated, there are several schools that have initiated wood pellet boiler systems and I’ve only highlighted a couple. So we’ll definitely provide that detailed list. Mahsi.

Thank you, Minister. I appreciate that. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I haven’t had the opportunity to thank the department for the new learning centre in Tsiigehtchic, a job well done in the 16th Legislative Assembly and the people

really appreciate that.

I just want to move on to the school in Aklavik. From our updates, it hasn’t been on the priority list and the school is between 30 and 40 years old. I’d like to see that put on the priority list as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. The school in Aklavik, as the Member indicated, is a fairly old building. We will be discussing that and we will be visiting the community as well. To be part of the capital projects, of course, the Member can I guess refer that matter to the capital process. So this is the time to start planning for the next capital projects. So we’ll definitely be mindful of that. Mahsi.

Thank you, Minister. Nothing further, Mr. Blake? Okay, thank you, Mr. Blake. Any other for opening comments? Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just some general comments. I think we can all agree that a school is an essential institution to a community and I mean we’ve had a history of the institutions establishing themselves in communities and then we have children brought into the schools and there’s a need for parents to live in close quarters to their children. So whenever you have a school it, of course, becomes an essential institution of the community. So there’s always a support system in place to ensure that the school is successful and also that it produces successful members of society. I think that’s the goal that we all strive for.

In the Dec Cho constituency, there are schools in the larger communities, but at the same time smaller communities always aspire and want to ensure that there’s an established institution so that parents have the opportunity to be close to the children and ensure that we have the greatest impact of molding these future citizens of society in their primary years. So it’s really integral that we have that opportunity as parents to ensure that we embellish the right virtues and principles to kids that we raise as our children.

I wanted to point out, too, that in terms of the languages, I’m very conscious and try to speak my language whenever I’m given the opportunity and we’re also challenged just by the demography in terms of what age you’re at, in terms of how often our language is used. So I understand there are challenges in ensure that our languages are retained. There are always ways to try to maybe improve it in terms of strategies. I know there have been efforts to revitalize the state of the languages. Of course, language and culture are relative to each other, so they go hand in hand.

One of the big things that I always really strongly believed in is training and training opportunities. We have some very large projects in terms of development projects coming down the rank for the Northwest Territories at some point and I think we need to ensure that we prepare our workforce, our labour force. There is a very vital need at local communities that we have people that get access to trades, so that we have an abundance, or at least so the local community people that could safely provide services to furnaces, that kind of stuff; electrical wiring in our local communities. At the same time, we have people who are trained to be certified plumbers as well. There’s a real recognized need at the local level that we have people who can provide those services and are from the community and trained locally. They’re certified in the end and, at the same time, they contribute to the overall functioning of society.

On those points, I just wanted to at least raise those points, given the opportunity, too, if I could ask a question.