Mr. Speaker, there was a number of reasons that the project was delayed or rather the planning study was delayed. Part of that included our inability to obtain or secure a suitable parcel of land. Here was a significant amount of debate in the community about where the health centre should be and where it should not be, and it took us longer to get a set piece of land. That set piece of land was required before we could actually move forward with the planning study because the location helps us build the planning study.

When the parcel of land was actually approved we had to do an archaeological assessment on the property. That was something we committed to doing based on some understanding or historic knowledge that suggested there might be some graves on that site. We needed to make absolute certainty that there were no graves on the site we were proposing to build. So we had some delays to get us to the point where we can actually fully acquire that land and develop a planning study.

I will note, Mr. Speaker, that the Fort Simpson Health Centre is an aging facility. It was originally developed in 1973. But we have done a recent structural assessment on that property, which was completed in March 2016, which indicated that the facility is in stable condition. We need to modernize. Obviously there are new protocols, procedures in effect and control standards that we must meet. So we do need to move forward, but technically right now that building has a solid foundation, so it is a safe facility, which is a question that has been raised. I just wanted to address it while I had the opportunity.