What planning position of development, technical information, planning documents, or needs assessment has the Aurora College provided to the department on their own initiative?

This is an area that we obviously don’t have the information detail before us. We’re leaning towards the capital planning. We are again working close with the college, the Board of Governors, to identify the needs, the needs assessment. We will provide that information to the Members once we engage the college. We will provide that information in due time. Unless my director has some detailed information which I may not have in front of me, I will allow Mr. Devitt.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Devitt.

Thank you, Mr. Devitt. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The question was, what did Aurora College put forward as a capital planning initiative to the department on their own initiative? Now, we’ve heard the Minister and certainly Mr. Devitt talk about the technical planning the department does through its needs assessment. What initiative for the planning process has been put forward by the college so that we know where it goes into the system so that could be rolled forward? What was the college’s initiative?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. We did over time receive correspondence from the college. Just recently we received one that showed an expression of interest on the campus itself. That is an area that we are currently exploring within our department. We will be going through the capital planning process, and it will be addressed at that level too.

Speaking in general to capital planning, that is, what type of correspondence has the Minister received? If you could speak to the general nature thereof as to the intent of what the request was or move forward to the initiative. The nature of the general request needs to be built into the capital planning process, so if the Minister can speak to the nature and how often this request has come forward.

Again, as indicated, we just received the letter from the college that is showing expression of interest. That’s all it lays out. Now our department and the college need to sit down and discuss that, the interest, and where we’re going to go with that. Although we speak in general terms, we are talking about capital planning process. We will get there when the time comes. Now we are going to have my department meet with the college.

Maybe the Minister could elaborate what expression of interest means.

There is an interest to have a facility in Yellowknife. That has been brought up on numerous occasions in this House, and we are working towards that.

Okay, so that we’re clear on the record, the Minister has a letter of correspondence from the college expressing an interest on developing an independent campus in Yellowknife. Is that correct?

The letter expresses an interest in a college campus. That’s as far as it went. Like I said, we need to get into more detail, which wasn’t provided.

Is this the only request of this type of nature – and I’m trying to speak in general terms,

that is – that the department has received? Or have they received other requests of a similar nature in the past couple of years?

There have been other private sectors, as well, just showing an interest in how they can get involved, providing some options. Just preliminary discussions with potential industries or private sectors, I should say. It is the college that has been showing interest, as well, so we will be meeting with them. I’m sure they have been meeting with various private sectors as well. That detailed information will be brought to our attention.

I go back to my last question: Is this the first time they’ve received some type of expression of interest on this particular topic about expanding the college? Find whatever wording that makes someone feel comfortable, whether it’s independent campus or stand-alone or whatever the phrase may be, but is this the first time or, as I said, has there been other expressions of interest in the last few years since this Minister has been Minister of the department?

I’m not referring to private sectors who’ve expressed interest. I’m talking about the campus itself or the college itself. Has there been any other requests of this general nature, and, if so, what and when?

Mr. Hawkins, I believe that question was already asked and already answered. Do you have another question?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I respectfully say that he started going on to private sector requests. He didn’t answer that. The only time he said he got a letter was from the college recently that’s an expression of interest. That’s when I asked what does that mean. Then I asked him about, is this the only time this type of request went in. The record will state that he started talking about private sector requests being involved. He didn’t answer the question, which had to do with, has Aurora College sent letters in the past in the last few years to that. I would say that I didn’t get a clear answer on the record.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins, for clarifying. We’ll go to Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. When we’re talking about capital planning projects, which we are, the planning process itself, we reach out to the college. We reach out to the school boards and identify what their needs are. In general terms, yes, we are getting feedback from them.

What I’m referring to was just recent because they know the capital planning project is coming up. In usual terms they show interest. So they showed interest in writing to us, and now we’re going to meet with them to discuss the capital planning

project that will be before us with the college campus, stand-alone, and it has been a debate in this House and a lot of interest around Yellowknife citizens. These kinds of requests do come up, and we deal with them on a case-by-case basis.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Hawkins, your time has expired. Page 10-13, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, directorate and administration, operations expenditure summary, $10.521 million.

Page 10-14, Education, Culture and Employment, information item, directorate and administration, active positions.

Page 10-16 and 10-17, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, education and culture, activity description. Mr. Bromley.