Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The detailed information, which I can provide to the Member, I don’t have in front of me. The breakdown of the funding that the Beaufort-Delta Education Council receives on an annual basis that pertains to e-learning, I can provide that to the Member and also the forecast, how much it will cost the organization. It’s all based on the enrollment and also the programming. I can provide the breakdown to the Member. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the Beaufort-Delta could actually lose positions in the next school year. Given that it already cuts costs per student in the Sahtu and Deh Cho regions, will the Minister ensure that no positions will be cut in the Beaufort-Delta next school year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that’s a tough question to answer, but at the same time, I as Minister responsible provide funding to the school boards based on enrollment. If enrollment goes down, unfortunately, the funding is less than the previous year.

However, e-learning is a very interesting program itself. My department has been working closely with BDEC and other organizations, how we can enhance in that area, where it can be a teleconference, having a discussion as opposed to having a teacher there. Those are discussions that we are currently having as a resource tool. I believe there is a plan for a meeting with BDEC. I’m very interested and curious to know where they’re going with this, and other organizations as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I’m aware that funding is based on enrollment, but we need to ensure that it’s based on the needs of the communities.

Will the Minister commit to expand funding for the Beaufort-Delta Education Council for their e-learning program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this is an area that we are at the present point exploring. We’re seeking input from the general public, the stakeholders, on the renewal. Part of the renewal process is talking about the funding. Because it pertains to a small community, professionalism is

part of the pillars, and there are six of them. I just touched on two. It will be capturing the small, isolated communities. The opportunity is here before us for the next business planning cycle. That is part of the process that we want to tackle. We want to complete that by this fall so we can put that as part of the business planning cycle. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services questions related to my Member’s statement earlier about freight costs for the fuel hauled into the remote communities. How does the petroleum products division currently set its fuel rates in the remote communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The petroleum products division works on a cost-recovery calculation. We don’t actually make profit on the fuel; we intend to actually cover the total cost. The price is determined by the product cost when we purchase it in the South, transportation costs to get it to whichever the 16 communities we provide fuel in, a sales commission that’s provided to a local vendor who adds that. Those commissions are determined based on an RFP process where they submit their potential costs, some O and M expenses, some taxes and a little bit of evaporation loss. It’s a complete cost recovery, no profit to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Can the Minister tell me how often these fuel prices are reviewed?

Mr. Speaker, we do fuel hauls into the different communities depending on their location. In the summertime we provide fuel by barge to some of the communities in the High Arctic. In some communities, we bring it in by ice road. Prices are reviewed every time we bring new fuel into the community.

Once again, it is a full cost-recovery program based on the cost of the fuel that we purchase and have provided to the communities. Mahsi.

What happens to the money that is collected when fuel prices go down after the rate is fixed in the communities served by the petroleum products division?

Thank you. I’m not sure I understand the question completely. The fuel

in the tanks in the community was set on a fixed price in the community and we don’t bring more fuel in for most of these communities other than once a year. So there is no variation of price. The price in the tank is what we paid for it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll make it as brief as I can. Does the Minister agree to look at ways to make fuel prices more fair and reasonable in small communities, such as a freight subsidy or another form of subsidy? Thank you.

Thank you. Obviously we’re committed to try and get the lowest prices for fuel in the 16 communities that we provide fuel to and we’re always looking for ways to decrease the cost. As far as subsidy on transportation, I’m not sure that that would actually lower the cost, because the GNWT would still have that cost on them, but I’m interested to have a further conversation with the Member and possibly with committee to get their thoughts on this. But we’re always looking for ways to control the cost of fuel in our 16 communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I made reference to a tragedy in the Yellowknife community this past summer. Again, it’s important to share our thoughts for the Hardy family as I continue with this conversation.

The community and the NWT have been debating about helmet legislation and who should spearhead such legislation. I agree, as I said in my Member’s statement, it might be a bit premature to consider this legislation in the House, but I do encourage municipalities to further this process.

I believe this government could have more impact and effectiveness in the education and prevention by supporting the proper programs. So the rest of my questions today will be for the Minister of Transportation on this subject.

One of those programs, as I refer to it, is the Use Your Head Program. Can the Minister of Transportation indicate to this House his department’s commitment on this program’s continuance for the remainder of this calendar year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, getting back to the head injuries, DOT does not regulate the use of helmets for uses like with

snowmobiles, bicycles, skateboards or ice skates, in-line skates or skis. That is left up to the municipalities to deal with and that’s how that’s completed.

On a going-forward basis, DOT has initiatives under the Healthy Choices Framework. I know the Member talked of the Use Your Head Campaign that was used last year with a commercial with an Aboriginal elder wearing a helmet, a public awareness campaign. We also help with giving out funding to communities outside of Yellowknife for bicycle helmets. There’s seasonal safety messaging, including helmet use while operating and riding of ATVs and snowmobiles, annual helmet funding to the SideDoor Skateboarding Program in Yellowknife, safety advertisements, including those showing an Aboriginal elder, like I spoke of, wearing his helmet. We also collaborate with Parachute Canada, formerly Think First Canada, to promote helmet safety in schools, and we also support community helmet safety initiatives and communications with youth centres respecting helmet safety programs around the Northwest Territories and we will continue to do that. Thank you.

Thank you. I do appreciate the Minister’s recant of all the initiatives I believe the government is working on here and I applaud their actions.

Can the Minister elaborate as to what other initiatives that we’re now doing currently as a result of this recent tragedy? Is there anything else that the department could consider doing in promotion and prevention of head and brain sports injuries on our NWT roadways? Thank you.

Thank you. I certainly do believe the Department of Transportation has a role to play in educating the public, and especially young people on the use of helmets and the safe use of helmets.

As far as future activities go and initiatives go, we’re looking at a release of an animated public service announcement on helmet use to be aired during Northbeat programming on CBC and also that would be available on demand on You Tube. We’re looking at the organization of a Take Your Helmet to Work Day, and perhaps that’s something that Members of the Legislative Assembly could in fact bring a helmet to work at some point in time. We’re looking to increase involvement with Parachute Canada, as well as with the TD Think First for Kids and the Scotiabank Think First Smart Hockey programs, also safety advertisements featuring some NWT politicians and leaders around the Northwest Territories promoting the use of helmets around the territory. Thank you.

Thank you. I’m strongly encouraged with what I’m hearing today, and I applaud the department and the Minister for sharing

those great initiatives with everybody here. A lot of the initiatives may not have an educational overtone or an affect in our school system.

Can the Minister indicate if there has been collaboration with the ECE Minister to work on educational programs through the Department of Transportation, which we can touch the lives of more of our school children out there in the Northwest Territories?