Caroline Cochrane

The territorial government is hopeful that the National Housing Strategy will be finalized for the fiscal year 2018-2019. We are still in negotiations with the federal government on what the National Housing Strategy will look like for the Northwest Territories. We have, so far, a firm commitment that $36 million will be provided over 10 years. That's $3.6 million per year, and we're still negotiating further housing support that they can provide because, in my humble opinion, $3.6 million a year is not going to address our housing needs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two Range Lake Pages that are here today, young Mr. Logan Hayward and Ms. Danica Taylor. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, it was kind of interesting when I started this position. My understanding as the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation was that I was to put houses on the ground. It was a short time later that I realized that actually a large percentage of the Housing Corporation's money does go to providing employment in communities. Not only do we provide jobs for maintaining and building units. We have 23 local housing organizations in communities that we provide support for, too, so a huge amount of our money is actually going...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, the delivery of modular units throughout the whole Northwest Territories, that has kind of kicked me off. I am going to try to answer this. My belief is that we had 19 constructed, to be constructed with Concept Energy, and one to be constructed with the Energy Wall here, in Yellowknife. So, we have eight that are partially built with Concept, and we have one completed with Energy Wall. We have four that are delivered to communities at this point, we will still need some work on, so at this point we are still short some, but I cannot do the math at this point.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do want to make a clarification. In my answer before, I had said that we were half-Indigenous and half-Caucasian. That is incorrect. I have been corrected from the other side of the House, and they are absolutely right. We are about half Indigenous and half non-Indigenous. I do clarify that there are other people within our territory as well.

In regards to directing the staff to look into the history of the social housing, I will make my answer short and say yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, that was two questions. I will do my best at answering. I can say that no, I have not examined a treaty, but I can say that the federal government last year gave the territorial government $28,673,000. That is $28 million. That works out to less than a million dollars per community. It actually works out to $868,878 per community; that is less than a million.

The territorial government put in last year $81,702,000, which works out to almost $2,500,000 per community. Statistics show that our population in the Northwest Territories is half Indigenous, half Caucasian...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to acknowledge Doug Schauerte. I remember when I came into this building two years ago, and the most impressive thing I found was the light that comes into the building. Politics is not always about sunshine and light. It is often very cloudy and dark and gloomy. One of the things that carried the light throughout the term that I have been here for the two years is Mr. Schauerte. No matter when I see him, no matter where he is, he always has a positive outlook. He always has a smile on his face. I will miss that smile. I will miss that ray of sunshine...

No, I cannot. I would have to actually talk with the department and see. I want a complete plan, not a plan that is rushed to meet political viewpoints, so I will make sure that the plan is done properly before we release that plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No, I am sorry, we are still working on the finalization of the long-term plan, so I do apologize if I made a commitment that I would table it in the fall. I wish I would have said that we will be completing it in the fall, and not mentioning when I would table it.

It is important to note that the modular units that are currently being delivered are built within the Northwest Territories, and my ambition is to have northern-built homes for northern people, so that is my priority, and I have still stuck to it. As stated in my previous answer, communities that have barges, we are looking at a different model of building because of the difficulty getting modular units onto barges. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.