Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is in reference to the Member's statement I made earlier, and directed to the Minster responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Jake Ootes.

Mr. Speaker, the Western Arctic Leadership Program, in its infancy, was fully funded by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Now, as a result of limited funding, there have been reductions in programs and activities for the students. To further reduce funding would take away from the intent of this valuable program.

Mr. Speaker, in light of the comments by the Minister responsible for Youth, can the Minister confirm that there will be funding committed to the Western Arctic Leadership Program so it may continue?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak on the Western Arctic Leadership Program in Fort Smith. Mr. Speaker, grades up to 12 are available to our students in most of our smaller communities in the Northwest Territories. However, the resources are limited. A high school class may consist of a teacher teaching two or three students, from grades nine through to grade twelve.

The Western Arctic Leadership Program offers an option to those students who want more than what can be offered in the communities. Some students want to be educated in an environment with computer labs and science labs or where the sports programs have the facilities and qualified gym teachers.

Mr. Speaker, the program in Fort Smith has been in operation since 1990. It was designed to develop the qualities of the youth of the Northwest Territories. This program, in its infancy, was initially funded by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Lately, this program and its board of directors have had to struggle from year to year to deal with the ever-dwindling financial support from the government.

Mr. Speaker, over the years, the board of directors of the Western Arctic Leadership Program have made many attempts to secure funding from different sources. They have applied to foundations across Canada, as well as to major corporations within and outside the Northwest Territories. They have also lobbied our government and the Government of Canada to no avail.

Mr. Speaker, the Western Arctic Leadership Program has had a very good success rate over the past ten years, and has produced many students who are now in our workforce or in post-secondary institutions in the south. This program has seen students from many communities across the North, and has played an important role in furthering their education. This program has proven to be an excellent service to our youth. This program gives the youth of the Northwest Territories the opportunity to advance their education through sources that are not available to them in their own communities. I hope this government can come up with the required support this program needs to continue. I will be asking questions on this issue during question period.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Integrated resource management is under our fish and wildlife division. It is one aspect of it. It is the way our department is dealing with the different aspects in regard to resource management and the renewable resource side of things.

It includes all of the different areas of development in that field. In that division, we are attempting to capture all of those activities in those areas. It is also spread out over a number of regions as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize but I do not understand. Does that mean the project has been deferred? I am not familiar with the term reduced. Does that mean it has been bumped?

It is my understanding that the only way the campground can be expanded is to go to the opposite side of the road. I am not clear as to what the answer was.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One final question regarding the letter you submitted to Mr. Roland. You indicate in there, on an item for Kakisa regarding Lady Evelyn Falls, I am assuming it is to do a park expansion, that the scope of the work was reduced and funding moved to the master plan and the remainder of funding will move to various South Slave projects. Could you clarify what that is all about and what it means?

Thank you. I am glad to hear that. I have a question on a different matter, and it is something that Mr. Miltenberger referred to and is of great concern to me, regarding the BDF funding for this year. I understand from the Minister's answer that it has not been defined as to what the budget is going to be. I have a very sincere concern as the last year, I believe the BDF budget for the South Slave Region, of which the Deh Cho riding sits in, received only $200,000, and that was spent by the end of June. I am very concerned this may be the case again. I would really like to have a more definite answer, if I could, as the money may be spent before the new budgets are even set. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask a question regarding oil and gas initiatives and if we can count on seeing some dollars spent in the area. As the Minister is aware, many of the communities in my riding, the Hay River Reserve, Kakisa, Fort Providence, are spending a great deal of time on educating themselves as to the process as indicated. We have a lot to learn on the diamond industry, the same case for oil and gas. There are other communities out there throughout the Deh Cho, Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake, that are all also trying to bring themselves up to speed on gas initiatives. Many of them are working on planning and setting up management plans and impact agreements and drafting different documents. I would like to ask the Minister if there was any money earmarked this coming year as part of this interim appropriation for oil and gas, as I believe last year there was very little, if any. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask if the Minister would take into consideration a difference in rates for foster parents depending on which community they live in? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has indicated that she did not know what the department is planning to do to increase the numbers for aboriginal foster parents. I would like to ask when would she know and when will she have a plan for foster parents? Thank you.