David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my honour to recognize three people in the gallery, famous artists: Mr. Antoine Mountain.

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Also Margaret Donovan, who runs a gallery here in Yellowknife, from Tsiigehtchic.

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Also Victor Stewart, who’s a recreation director in Fort McPherson. Welcome to the House.

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I think it’s important that now we have something there establishing a market in the community where we never had a market before and by having something that’s affordable where individuals can afford to pay a mortgage on these units knowing that the cost is $130,000.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have a major housing crisis on our hands and this is one of the ways that we’re trying to resolve that crisis.

Again, Mr. Speaker, the Member keeps touching on what we’re doing with seniors and people with disabilities. We are working with those groups. We are looking at our programs and services and because of the opportunity we have in front of us in reviewing our mandate, looking at the programs and services that we have and also looking at the possibility of revising policies and guidelines that could assist with regard to ensuring that we’re able to follow those guidelines to meet the needs of our seniors and people with disabilities. But again, Mr. Speaker, I must make it clear to the Member...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been working closely with the Seniors’ Society. We do have a universal arrangement with them where we’ve funded them to work with us on different promotion packages, such as the seniors’ disabled maintenance programs. We do have a lot of programs directed towards seniors with regard to the housing proposal. Again, we are working in conjunction with the different organizations: the Council for Disabled People and the Seniors’ Society. So we are working with them, but we also have programs that are directed to seniors and people with disabilities...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that’s the goal we are facing. We have spoken to respective companies that are considering working in that area. They are companies that are looking at the possibility of establishing such a business. But again, there are proposals that we are suggesting going forward with through the Business Development Corporation, the Business Credit Corporation and working with those other arms of government to help the entrepreneur or the business community that we’ve spoken to companies in Yellowknife and Hay River and also in Southern Canada who are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, presently we are reviewing the mandate of the Housing Corporation and this is one of the areas we can focus in. Because we haven’t concluded that review, this is something we’ll definitely bring back to the department to look at and see if there are ways we can revise how we determine rents and rates. I’ll bring it back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the way the Social Housing Program is delivered, it is a social program that is delivered through CMHC -- which are national programs that are delivered across Canada for social housing -- where, as an agent of CMHC, we, as the territories, along with Nunavut, probably have one of the leaner rate scales in the country. Again, it is a national standard that we follow. Again, this is social housing. It is designated for low income tenants, but also we accommodate people who want to move into social housing with the awareness that, as a high...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to announce that one of my former constituents, Robert Arthur Alexis, along with Penguin Books of Canada, will be releasing his second novel, The Pale Indian, this month. Robert was born and raised in Fort McPherson and served as sub-chief and then chief of Tetlit Gwich’in of Fort McPherson. Robert was also instrumental in assisting the Gwich’in to realize their claim in 1992. He served two terms on the Gwich’in Tribal Council as vice-president and is currently with the Gwich’in Land and Water Board in Inuvik.

Robert’s first novel, Porcupines and China Dolls, which...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, rate increases are based on the tenant’s act, which is an act which is enforced through the Department of Justice. At this time, in order to increase any rent, you have to give three months' notice. If you’re not satisfied with that decision, you appeal that to the tenancy officer who is there to oversee the tenant’s act. That’s the appeals process that you go through. You appeal a decision you don’t like or an eviction that you receive through the tenancy officer who is responsible for enforcing the tenant’s act. Again, that follows the...