Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So as the Member can see, the JK to 12 school service amount in the capital estimates is $22,842,000. We don't provide the numbers for the specific projects given that companies will be bidding on those, and we want to ensure that we get estimates based on the actual costs and not what our budget might be. Thank you.

Thank you. Member.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I've always been slightly confused about "I have a number, I can look at it" and whether if we're allowed to speak to it or how the rules work with that. Perhaps I'll have that conversation another time.

I guess, yeah, do we anticipate any federal money for the Colville Lake school replacement? I know that's kind of been a conversation happening in Behchoko, and considering we're trying do a very similar thing where we work with the Indigenous government, is it now possible that we can get federal money for schools? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you. It's very, very difficult to get federal money for schools, very difficult. The federal government does not want to wade into that. However, it's not even clear at this point what -- or how the school will -- would be financed. In Colville Lake. The community has talked about financing the school themselves and, you know, leasing it back. And they may be able to access some funding that way. But as the GNWT to go to the federal government and ask for money for capital builds for schools, we would not have luck. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. I guess also, perhaps Colville Lake is a unique case and we're trying to work with the community and god knows that they need a school, and I'm happy to see one. I guess, you know, there's a tension there in that many of our schools don't have gyms, many of our small community schools, we can't afford to all have gyms. I know the Member knows that in Hay River, the French school doesn't have a gym, and we probably have a legal obligation to them to provide one. So there's an insatiable demand to build schools to a certain standard.

Can I just get an update from the Minister on whether there are new capital guidelines that it's now policy that all new schools in all communities will have gyms or just what we're doing with that kind of reality. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, those new capital standards are in place, and they are a public document. I am sure they are, yes, they're a public document. And so everyone can go have a look at them, and they will see that the biggest change that people will notice is that the schools include gyms for the most part. There was a time when, if your school had less than so many people you would not get a gym. And if your school was a certain size, you would get a gym of a certain size that people wouldn't really consider it to be a gym. It was too small to really play any sort of -- to prepare students I guess to play sports at a competitive level, which is what often people want. And so schools are often judged by their gyms. That's something that I think people know in the world of education. And the new capital standards have taken the step of including gyms in the schools to an extent that it was not done before. And it comes at great expense. There's no doubt about that. It adds significant costs to any school built, but it is something that we felt the territory needed. Thank you.

Thank you. Member Bonnetrouge.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Education renewal and everything that the department is doing is to improve educational outcomes. And I'm really hoping that this includes the grade levels. Can you just enlighten me as to how the department hopes to improve education grade levels. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member. For this section, it's just on the JK to grade 12 capital projects that are listed. This is all capital, yeah.

Just in capital project on page 12?

The project listings are on page 13.

Page 12. Go to page 13?

On 13, more of the numbers on page 12.

That's it.

Okay. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to first start with reiterating a point that I made not while we were in the House but just that I do have concern that the portables that will be replacing Colville Lake school in the meantime while the construction and design is all happening, design and construction, and just that I see that the timeframe there is 2023 to 2024. So these kids will still be in that school for at least another year.

Can the Minister maybe speak to is there a possibility of accelerating that at all so that they can get out of their current school which has, you know, a lot of deficits that I won't get into at the moment, listing. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And unfortunately, that was my question as well. There's no barge access to that community, and so we need to hit the winter road, and we -- we were unable to hit the winter road this year because -- well, just the timing of things. So unfortunately, no. I'll leave it at that.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That perhaps could be a Member's statement for someone down the road, to ask about the missed winter road season this year.

I guess the next question, then, going forward with the relocations of the Colville Lake school, it's my understanding that it is being moved from its current spot. Has that location now been finalized and we're moving forward past that point. Thank you, Madam Chair.