Debates of Feb. 20th, 2017

This is page numbers 1779 – 1836 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was program.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 138-18(2): Slave Geological Province Access Corridor

Minister’s Statement 139-18(2): Education, Training And Youth Development: Education, Culture And Employment Progress Statement

Expanding The Economy Through Investments In People

February Statutory Holiday Proposal

Return Of Fort Providence Minor Hockey Program

Regional Benefits Of Mackenzie Valley Highway Construction

Status Of Transboundary Water Agreements

Territorial Marine Resupply Services

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Social Work Program

Overflow Water On Beaufort Delta Highways

Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer Tournament

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Territorial Marine Resupply Services

Status Of Transboundary Water Agreements

Supports For The Agriculture Industry

Whati All-Season Road

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Programs

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Social Work Program

Status Of GNWT Open Government Policy

Overflow Water On Beaufort Delta Highways

Increased Investment In The Mineral Incentive Program

Impact Of Slave Geological Province Access Corridor Impact On Caribou Populations

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Programs

Tabled Document 287-18(2): Follow-Up Letter To Oral Question 525-18(2): Sahtu Regional Health Council

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act

Bill 18: An Act To Amend The Health And Social Services Professions Act

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Education And Culture Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Labour Development And Standards Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For The Department Of Education, Culture And Employment

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 54-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Labour Development And Standards Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Finally, under community delivery -- and this is a little bit different; this is the adult learning centres or community learning centres and the adult education portion. There is a decrease as well in that line from 2016-17 to 2017-18. Can we have the substantiation for that decrease, please, Mr. Chair? Thank you.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As staff noted earlier, that was $300,000 in eliminating the community-based teacher education program that is the line item there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Testart.

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am just looking at the glossary on page 54. The community delivery line is programs offered through community learning centres. The Minister just mentioned the teacher program. Is that offered through community learning centres? My understanding is that was offered through the Thebacha campus. Thank you.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was a community-based portion of that, but we still have a lot of our learning centres that offer many other programs to the community and to the residents. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Testart.

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you. That is fine, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Next we have Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in our mandate commitments, we do talk about the department supporting Aurora College to develop a new strategic plan. We have talked about that before. We indicate in the business plans that consideration will be provided on the role of Aurora College within the wide spectrum of post-secondary training and education in the NWT. It goes on to say that, once this strategic plan for Aurora College is in place, the department will be working with Aurora College to advance planning and provide options for a stand-alone Yellowknife campus for Aurora College. They are tying this in relative to Mandate 2.3.1. I wonder if the department can please provide some explanation or clarification on what the stand-alone Yellowknife campus for Aurora College really means? What is the vision behind that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the Member has noted, we have to see what that strategic plan looks like. Only then will we know what kind of space we need, what kind of classrooms we are going to be needing, and where we can provide some of the programs that it is going to entail, what is going to come out of that strategic plan. Until then, we can't really do any kind of work in the stand-alone campus and looking at what we already have for our resources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know we can't know exactly what this might look like. When we put something to that effect in the business plan, it certainly sounds like we are planning something in that regard. Is this something that there might be some consideration of future infrastructure development or taking up additional space in downtown, or potentially even working with collaborative partnerships such as the city of Yellowknife or what have you to develop a -- what is being used in here -- I will call it a stand-alone campus? A little bit more to what the department is envisioning would be appreciated. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Deputy Minister Haener.

Haener

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know in the recent past the college has received some feedback, for example, from individuals involved in the nursing program. At times, the space that the college currently has hasn't necessarily met the needs for the delivery of that program. That is a specific example where the Yellowknife campus had some challenges recently. We obviously would be working with the college to determine what its needs are in terms of the delivery of programs at the Yellowknife campus. Part of that process does include the work around the strategic plan and the direction that the college will be going in. There is a need to identify what space is appropriate. We have recently worked with the college to renew the existing lease at Northern United Place, but that is not a long-term arrangement. Work needs to be undertaken to determine what makes sense longer-term. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Deputy Minister Haener. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is it safe to say that the board for Aurora College has been undertaking this endeavour of potentially building or having a stand-alone Yellowknife campus, and if so, is this something we can envision having others included in terms of potential partnerships? By that, I mean, you know, potentially the City of Yellowknife, potentially other post-secondary institutes, potentially other entities that could service a stand-alone campus? Whether that is as you would commonly see in other campuses; whether that is services that could help students, whether that is retail outlets, you know, potential food and beverage outlets, that sort of thing. I mean, is there some opportunity here for potential expansion into building other partnerships, whether it's business or education, student services, et cetera? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Definitely those are great potentials moving forward. We do have to see that strategic plan moving forward and the redirection the college will be taking and the programs and services that it will be providing, but definitely all those are great potentials moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the Minister and the department; that's well appreciated.

One thing that I do have to ask about is that we also indicate in our business plans that we began researching possible options for community learning centres that would improve outcomes for northern adult learners. I know that this is probably also inclusive of some of the strategic planning that Aurora College is going to do, but I'm curious to know what, in fact, the department envisions as the improvement for outcomes. I mean, I know that the community learning centres are fairly well used in most of the communities; what are we envisioning as the opportunities for these community learning centres aside from what they're currently being used for? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think a great vision would be to see more of our young adults who have been out of the school system for a while, even adults getting back in and getting the education that they need to become employable. I know there's going to be a big focus on the Skills 4 Success initiative that we've undertaken. We've already got that into the secondary schools, and they want to utilize our community learning centres to the best of their ability so that they can help our residents become educated. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of Feb. 20th, 2017

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