Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As you may recall, I spoke to the House in 2017 about calls from local leaders of Fort Providence for the establishment of a long-term care facility in Fort Providence. Deh Gah Got'ie Koe has somewhere in the neighbourhood of 116 residents aged 60 years and older. Nevertheless, the government decided to regionalize long-term care, placing beds in larger facilities in larger communities and forcing many elders and seniors to move away from their communities, their homes, and their loved ones.

For those seniors and elders who do not require long-term care, Fort Providence has come to rely on the Deh Gah Got'ie Seniors' Home for seniors' housing. However, having been built in the 1970s and having the capacity for about 18 residents, this facility has been in dire need of renovations.

Today I am pleased to report that much-needed upgrades to the Deh Gah Got'ie Seniors' Home will soon be under way. This coming fall, the residents of Deh Gah Got'ie Koe can expect to see renovations completed to the main complex, including eight interior units, common area, and kitchen. Security for the building will be enhanced. It's expected that about seven seniors will be housed as a result of the improvements, providing some relief to the waiting list for public housing.

Mr. Speaker, while it's great to see our elders receive better-quality accommodations, community members have made it clear to me that the seniors and elders of Fort Providence need more. Most seniors want to live at home for as long as possible, not to move into a seniors' home or move away for long-term care. What we really need is a new seniors' centre, a facility with programming and activities tailored for all older people in the community. At present, the common area of the Deh Gah Got'ie Seniors' Home is the only space in Fort Providence where elders can gather safely and regularly. I will have questions on this matter at the appropriate time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.