Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I accept fully that helping seniors age in place is the best way to go, and we want to support seniors aging in their homes, in their communities, in their regions as much as possible, but as we have discussed several times in this House, even as we continue to make progress in supporting aging in place, there are times and there are individuals who ultimately need care that is not available in their homes. They will need 24/7-type care that is offered in the level 3 or 4 long-term care facilities that we are constructing here, in the Northwest Territories.
We did do a thorough plan on the demands of long-term care, which identified 258 bed shortages, building upon today's existing bed shortages, that will exist by 2026. Those numbers were conservative and recognized and accounted for us doing more to support people to age in place in their communities. The demand is there even though we intend to and are making progress on supporting to age in place.
We haven't forgotten what the Member is saying. We agree with what the Member is saying, but there is the reality that long-term care is already a shortage and will continue to grow, even as we do more to age in place.