Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize two visitors from Fort McPherson: Marion Greenland and Stephanie Ross. Welcome.

Will the Minister be open to a proposal from either the Gwich’in Tribal Council or the Inuvialuit Development Corporation to offer home boarding for the students from the smaller communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have raised the issue and problems with home boarding of students in Inuvik several times in this House. Students from Tsiigehtchic and Sachs Harbour have nowhere else to go to complete their high school studies, but all too often home boarding does not work out and the students drop out of school entirely. What is the Minister doing to secure a residence where students can stay during the months they have to study in Inuvik?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker, Premier and colleagues. I would like to welcome all Members back to the Assembly. It’s been a very busy summer for each of us. We’ve had time to spend with our family and time to visit our communities with our constituents. Today we are here to contribute towards making our territory a better place to live, to build relationships with governing bodies and provide positive comments to the people that we represent.

We need to be more mindful of others when making decisions that affect their territory. With that in mind, I’d like to welcome...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Many times when we have these funds available to the communities, there are a lot of barriers. I’d like to ask the Premier and Cabinet if they could please not put so much red tape on the communities that they can access this funding.

Thank you. As many of the First Nations up there and also the Inuvialuit have land claims in place which are constitutionally protected, I’d like to ask the Minister, once a project is set to begin, will the Minister be willing to enter into negotiations for 50 percent of the work of this project.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Beaufort-Delta region is facing a real downturn in the economy over the last couple of years. Residents are very concerned about employment. We have many people in Inuvik who are selling their homes and moving away. Running low on natural gas is only one reason a lot of people are moving.

The residents of the Beaufort-Delta need the support of the 17th Legislative Assembly to implement our key priority, which is the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway. We have begun the process and I am hopeful that we can begin construction within the year.

Some Members have been quick to...

Many times communities face flooding. As many may know, communities face a lot of silt, either in their houses or on the roads. I’d like to ask the Premier if it would be possible for the communities to use a lot of that funding to chipseal their roads.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not too long ago I believe we learned a lot from the province of Alberta when they were faced with forest fires. I’d like to ask the Premier, will the Premier and Cabinet set up a disaster fund for communities that are directly affected by natural disasters such as floods, forest fires and landslides.