Mahsi, Madam Chair. I've got questions under the apprentices. I want to first thank the Minister and her department for initiating the journeyman housing maintainer program. Our maintenance staff in Providence are really looking forward to it.
What we notice too, because I was an employee of the LHO in the maintenance department too as a journeyman housing maintainer, but when we were there, we always looked in awe at the Department of Public Works and Services at that time, and it was always in the larger centres. Specifically this one we were looking at was in Hay River. They had a full slate of trades on staff, electrical. They had electricians, plumbers, OBMs, carpenters, and those are the main ones anyways, and there was always apprenticeship opportunities in the larger centres for those trades, okay. Nothing in Fort Providence. Probably similar to all the small communities. We never ever get a chance to get a real trade certification because those things are not offered in our communities.
We had a plumber/gasfitter at one point. He trained -- an OBM, not a plumber/gasfitter, which is a better ticket to have, but an OBM. And we also had an OBM on staff quite a number of years ago but that didn't pan out. And right now we don't have any, and we got, you know, units probably the seniors home is the one that has two or three boiler systems in the building, and you need certification to be able to operate those. And I've always said I think there is a problem within the corporation because of that, because the nearest contractor is about two hours away, you know, and for the maintenance of them on a daily basis.
And I'm just wondering, my question would be is if the corporation would consider putting a heating -- journeyman heating ticket, whether it be journeyman plumber/gasfitter, an OBM, or oil heat technician now, into the communities? This will spur, you know, the local economy also and then spur apprenticeship opportunities for our people, which is good for years to come. Mahsi.