(audio) second set of questions for another Member. So I'll put you back on the list. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, July 31st of 2023, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment approved Aurora College's request to become a polytechnic university. And now we're hearing that there's a concern that there's never been appropriate funding for this transition.

So can the Minister -- today's Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell us does the department feel that that request -- there's enough support behind that request that they approved previously last year, and are -- yeah, let's just start there. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it would really be up to the college to let me know what their needs are versus what they're receiving from the department. As I have not received a request for additional funding in any formal capacity at this point, it's hard for me to speak to whether or not they have the resources that they need and what those additional resources might be.

In addition to the $8 million from the federal government, the $1 million a year over the last four years as well from the GNWT, there was also the staffing of the eight positions that did a substantial amount of the work in conjunction with Aurora College staff in a team-based approach to be able to put together a lot of the material needed to go through transformation. So there still is a significant amount of work, though, left to do, and I want to make sure that the college has the ability to get through that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess if the Aurora College has to come to the department to make a request, I would assume there's some evaluation that goes into that request before they sign off on it. But that's not this Minister's responsibility, so I will ask another question.

The new Act that would -- that will govern Aurora College is scheduled to come into force on March 30th, 2025. Are we still on track -- is the department still on track to bring that legislation forward and have it in force at that date? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like the opportunity to look at where all the deliverables are in the milestones for Aurora College and come back to the Member on that question so that I can make sure that I'm giving him the most up to date information based on some of the delays that have occurred. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I mean, are we on track to launch the new Aurora College on May 15th, 2025; will that happen? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point there have been a few delays in the project, and it's anticipated that there will be a delay in the May 2025 launch date that was originally published. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is this government committed to ensuring the Aurora College transformation is successful? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm definitely committed because I see the great value in this project. I want to ensure that I am providing the support that I can provide to the board of governors who really is in charge of the operations of the college and the remaining work that remains to be done as far as transformation is concerned. I think it's really important, though, to note that the process of going through transformation is not just about a shiny new campus or anything like that. It also has to do with the programming that's being offered by Aurora College and being able to develop that and being able to make sure that we're offering degree programs at Aurora College and that the college is offering what students are looking for in the Northwest Territories. So it's also about the programming. It's not just about the bricks and mortar of an institution. And I think that those for me are what is really exciting for the evolution and transformation of the college. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question would be to the Minister of housing.

As you know that we had that fire just over the weekend, and I understand that there's a process in place, and you've probably been having some internal deliberation about where we go from here. My question to you is that the chief in Fort Resolution made it very clear over the years that they really don't want to have any trailers brought into the community because it doesn't provide jobs or economic benefits to the local businesses. So in your deliberation, can you consider looking at stick-built homes to replace these units in the community? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand where the chief is coming from in terms of local economy and local built homes. The situation is Housing NWT is facing a fiscal crisis where we need more than we have. We don't have the money to stick build homes. Modular units are much more affordable, and they are much more efficient in terms of timing into the communities. So that's the situation we're in at this time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister, for your response. Just so you know, that duplex that caught fire in Fort Resolution, it was stick-built, and the unit next door to that was a modular home and it caught fire. So there is concerns, that idea of -- I know the rationale behind it but, again, it's the stick-built homes are probably a way to go in the community because, like I said, the economic benefits to the community is important, so I just hope you could consider that in your deliberation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the community's concerns and the situation that happened on Saturday with the fire in Fort Resolution. Over the next year, housing is looking at a building standards framework and hopefully this can be part of the overall discussion of how we build homes across the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question to the Minister of housing again, is that now that we have displaced families in the communities that were left out in the cold because of the fire, what are your plans to accommodate the families that are displaced right now in the community? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, there is a number of displaced families in the community of Fort Resolution because of the fire on Saturday. Housing NWT is working very diligently to ensure that all families have homes over the next couple of days. And the great thing is Fort Resolution had some vacant units, so they are looking at accommodating those families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Last final question, oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have any information at my fingertips right now as far as the -- you know, when these things will appear in the capital. I would love to get an update on that for committee, and I can commit to doing so. But, really, there's a lot of steps that need to happen before we end up with a bricks and mortar institution anywhere in the territory in addition to what we have right now. I know that in speaking to the board governors, their prime focus right now is student housing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I think that's the point of the new campus, is student housing. So what does the Minister know about student housing here in Yellowknife? Thank you.