Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are committed to ensuring that our seniors have the beds and the supports that they need in the Northwest Territories. I hear the Member saying that we’re not doing anything, and obviously, she knows I disagree. Today the Housing Corporation has in their budget money to move forward on five independent living homes in the Northwest Territories. That’s new projects and new things that are being done by the Government of the Northwest Territories. We also know that every public housing unit is available to seniors if they qualify and if they wish to use them. We are building 18 new beds, beds that aren’t available today. They do not exist today. Eighteen new beds
in Norman Wells that are going to support the Northwest Territories. We have pretty much finished construction of nine new beds, beds that don’t exist today, in Behchoko, which are going to help reduce the demands everywhere in the Northwest Territories because we have one Territorial Admissions Committee. These beds are going to help. Is it enough? Not yet. We know that more is necessary and we’re going to continue to move forward to find ways.
I want the facility at Avens. I want those additional beds. I think everybody does. We recognize that there is significant value to the Northwest Territories in having these beds. We do have a capital process. Avens, on many occasions, has come to us asking us to explore many, many different options, and the option of guaranteeing beds and supporting them in getting a bank loan is just one of the options that they have presented. It isn’t the only option they have presented. I could count probably four different alternatives that they wish us to explore. We’ve asked them to help us break it down into one. Let’s break it down into the one that will give us the best results and work together to find a way to get this facility built. We are exploring those options with the steering committee that I mentioned earlier today. We have already kicked off the process in cooperation with the steering committee to do the work necessary to get it into the capital plan, and as the Member knows, getting projects into the capital plan, we have to answer specific questions. Is the facility going to help us with the protection of people? Is it going to help us with the protection with assets? Is it going help with the protection of the environment? There are a number of things that we have to do to build a case for including it into the capital plan. We’re working with Avens to help them help us develop a plan that will help us get it into the capital plan.
The first step, obviously, is a planning study, which is basically the technical assessment of the current facility. We need to make sure that all that’s complete, all the information is there to allow us to have something to bring forward to this House for consideration. I want this facility as much as everybody else. I believe this facility adds significant value to the Northwest Territories, but there are steps we have to take, and for the Member to say why don’t we just guarantee these beds, that is only one of at least four options that have been presented. We need to clarify which one they wish to pursue. We are doing that work and we will continue to do that work because we know the importance of increasing the number of beds in the Northwest Territories to meet our current and long-term needs.
I would like the deputy minister, Ms. DeLancey, just to talk a little bit about some of the analysis that’s gone on with respect to beds. We have a bit of time
here in order to get this done and get it done right. If we can go to Ms. DeLancey for just a few comments.