Alfred Moses

CSFTNO were part of the consultation processes, the engagements. As I mentioned in my Minister’s Statement earlier, we did get three applications that under the new directive they were allowed into the school under the acquisition portion and, as I mentioned as well, that both schools are both French first language schools are under the utilization rates, and actually we're building on the one here in Yellowknife that will address the enrolments and the utilization rate there. We actually went above and beyond in terms of putting two classrooms on top of that to address the enrolment rate...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Not at this time. We're still doing the survey to get that information. We're contacting the schools to see what is needed in the community. If you look at the list as well of some our schools the utilization rates are pretty low, so there's space that is already available. So right now we don't know the total costs in terms of upgrades that may be needed. Some might. Some need it; some don't, so that's why we're doing the survey to get that information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my right I have deputy minister Sylvia Haener and my assistant deputy minister on my left, Olin Lovely.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In working with some of our communities that have implemented junior kindergarten right now as a pilot, we did ask them what resources were needed and what kinds of adaptations or things needed to be done to the school. In terms of details we did fund Fort McPherson $110,000, I believe, and that's to construct two additional washrooms to accommodate the extra 14 students.

In Tuktoyaktuk, where the junior kindergarten program is working very well, to accommodate them we've invested $142,500. The Hay River Reserve, the additional students there was an estimated $57,500 and...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize members of the francophone School Board: Ms. Chartuard, president; President of the National Francophone School Boards of Ontario, Mr. Mario Pelletier; Mr. Bernard Lesage, Monsieur Kevin Bell, Alberta; Monsieur Marc-Andre Ouellette, British Columbia; Monsieur Edgar Galant, P.E.I.; Monsieur Layonar Lefore, Nova Scotia; Monsieur Luc Brisebois, Nunavut; Monsieur Jean Lemay, Ontario; Monsieur Alpha Barry, Saskatchewan; Monsieur Ali Chiasson, Newfoundland and Labrador; Monsieur Simon Cloutier, Northwest Territories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In view of the rocky road that junior kindergarten has taken since its first implementation days, however, it wasn't rocky in some of the communities. There were some concerns out of that report that we tabled earlier this year.

One of the recommendations was to continue our engagements with the communities to see what the needs were. So these are with the existing junior kindergarten programs that are currently operating in the Northwest Territories at the moment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Since I've been in the position, I've been to about 20 of the 33 communities in the NWT speaking on all the initiatives through the Department of ECE, and listening to the concerns of the people. I am looking forward to doing a tour of the Sahtu, not only bringing information on early childhood programming, the day homes, the daycares, but also all information that we take control of in the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, and we'll work with the Member to get that tour set up at some point.

Yes, we were aware that they did put a proposal in at the same time that this Institution Strategic Investment Fund came out, and we were aware that they did put a proposal in as well.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. In meeting with the CSFTNO on the expansion of the school currently, we did see the enrolment rates going up and the utilization rates increasing. These are educational requirements. We know that they're expanding and the enrolments are coming up. We're meeting our educational requirements. There's not a cultural requirement to that. That's what they're asking for. The two extra classrooms are educational requirements because we want to make sure that, when the school enrolment and the utilization rate increases, that they do have the extra two classrooms that meet...

Actually, that funding from the Heritage Canada is only for French schools, so there's, I believe, Ecole Boreal as well as EASC. So no other schools are able to get that money.