The store is able to provide a high quality of service and products that, until now, were only able to be purchased in Yellowknife. This store can easily be comparable to any that are in Yellowknife or in southern Canada. As you can see, Mr. Speaker, if it wasn't for the foresight of the late Charlie Charlo, the planning of the Rae-Edzo Development Corporation and funding by CAEDS to hire my colleague, Seamus Henry, the spirit of cooperation between the NWT Development Corporation, Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the banking community, as well as the overwhelming response by the Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op, Arctic Co-operatives Limited and Aurora College, this project would have never been able to get off the ground. The community of Rae-Edzo may not have been fortunate enough to get a building or a store of this quality.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, as you can see, it is possible for government agencies on all levels and private business to work together to make a dream turn into a reality. Again, I would like to quote Dan Marion's saying: "This is truly a marriage made in heaven." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Mr. Speaker, let me start by quoting the mayor of Rae-Edzo, Mayor Dan Marion. I quote: "This is truly a marriage made in heaven.' Approximately five years ago, my friend and the president of the Rae-Edzo Dene Band Development Corporation, Charlie Charlo, had a dream to see our people own and operate a modern fully-equipped grocery store. Unfortunately, Charlie was unable to see the results of this dream, as he passed on almost two years ago. Even so, the corporation continued with this quest, and over time were able to receive funding from CAEDS which allowed the corporation to hire the expertise of my colleague, Seamus Henry. With his assistance, they were able to convince the NWT Development Corporation, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the banking community to provide assistance and funding to see this project get off the ground. However, this project still was not able to fly because of the need for professional management, which was not available in my community.

Again, the Band Development Corporation and Seamus went knocking on doors. This time, they went to the Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op. The response was overwhelming, and in a relatively short period of time, the Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op and Rae-Edzo Development Corporation had signed a management agreement to be the general managers of a now store and provide training to our people who would be working there.

This proved to be the final piece of the puzzle required to make this proceed. All the lending institutions were pleased to see this come together. Construction started in November of 1995, as well as the training package which was put together by both Aurora College and Arctic Co-operatives Limited, in training local, unskilled residents to perform duties in the new store.

Mr. Speaker, on April 14, 1996, the doors of the Charlie Charlo Centre and Tli Cho Co-op were opened to the public, and the dream of the late Charlie Charlo has become a reality. Mr. Speaker, however, the story does not end here. Of the original 11 trainees who started the program, 10 graduated and seven currently hold full-time jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a statement regarding my absence in the House yesterday. I had to go home because of a great-uncle's death yesterday. I had to attend a funeral of the uncle of Chief Joe Rabesca. As one of the elders in the community had put it, regarding how my great-uncle lived during his life, he happened to live to 91 years old. According to what one of the elders said about his life, he was a great teacher of how to live off the land and hunt, fish and trap. Most of my family were happy with the amount of people who attended the funeral, especially from the outlying communities and most of the people from Ndilo, Yellowknife and Dettah came out to show their respect at his funeral, including people from Meander River.

I would like to thank the people who took part and tried to comfort us as the family. I would just like to thank the people who came down for his last days and for his funeral.

--- Applause

My supplementary to the same Minister. I'm wondering how the housing program will be transferred to the Wha Ti First Nation. Will someone from your department be designated to deal with the transfer of the housing program to the Wha Ti First Nation?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Honourable Kelvin Ng, Minister of the Housing Corporation, based on my Member's statement. Is your department going to put the upcoming housing construction project out to tender?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Honourable Charles Dent, based on my statement today. Mr. Dent, has your department made any decision regarding my request that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment allocate $20,000 this year to go towards Wha Ti's expenditures for their allotment of funds for training

which should have been in the distribution of funds this year?

Mr. Speaker, I wrote a letter to the Honourable Charles Dent and Mr. Kelvin Ng on March 7, 1996, and to date I have not received any response regarding the building and learning strategy program without any notice to Wha Ti First Nation. They had to use the previous year's profits to train the project manager because $20,000 was withdrawn and was not made available for training dollars as part of the housing project costs from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, the problems do not end here. The Wha Ti First Nation was not only hit financially due to the loss of $20,000, the Housing Corporation wanted the Wha Ti First Nation to agree on administering their housing programs on a fixed price and stated that if they had not signed an agreement before March 31, 1996, the Housing Corporation threatened that the housing project would go out to tender.

Mr. Speaker, a letter from the Housing Corporation dated February 27, 1996, to the Wha Ti First Nation stated that in the coming year, construction will be up for tender. The Wha Ti First Nation has a serious concern about the manner in which contracts are being forced upon them and about how numerous training dollars can be cut without notice to the people who will be mostly affected and will drastically affect the community's ability to successfully bid with any other bidders in a housing project. I do not accept the way the programs are being administered by the two departments, and have serious concerns about how transfers of housing projects to the communities are being handled.

Mr. Speaker, I will have a question for both the Honourable Charles Dent and Mr. Kelvin Ng at the appropriate time today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a statement in appreciation of some of my colleagues who visited my community during the community feast that was held last Sunday. This occasion was held in honour of Chief Joe Rabesca's re-election as Grand Chief for the next three years, along with the other three members of the band council who have been elected along with him.

I certainly appreciate my colleague, Seamus Henry, having come on with such short notice, including Ed Picco who also came along. I hope that in the future most of my colleagues will be able to make it to one of the occasions we have, such as a feast and the possible opening of the new co-op store slated for the very near future. Hopefully, some of the Ministers will be able to come to my community to attend some of the functions that we might be participating in over the next three years while I am still in office. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Based on the response from the Minister of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if the process to bid on the contract to do brush clearing would be the same as to build a hydro dam. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.