Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I know the Member is aware of our capital process and how we dispose of assets. When those facilities are empty, they will have to be obviously reviewed, checked, assessed to see if there's any life in those buildings. If there is, then obviously Health and Social Services would have an opportunity to say, "Do we have any use for it, or do we not have any use for it?" At this time for our program areas, we don't have the use for that facility that we have seen. However, that may change. We are always trying to maximize opportunity here.

When it comes to seniors'...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we did discuss it in the department after the Member had raised it a number of months ago. Basically, that building is fully subscribed with long-term care, extended care, the family clinic, other clinics, OT/PT, so there's not a lot of space in there for things like classrooms and other things to run a school. The school and the education programs are ultimately something that is under the responsibility of Education, Culture and Employment, and the nursing program here in the Northwest Territories is an absolutely amazing program.

We are happy to...

This audit isn’t an audit of Social Services or Child and Family Services. This is an audit of the entire Health and Social Services system. It is an accreditation, rather, of the entire Health and Social Services system. It needs to be done. We will certainly work closely with the CFS division to make sure that the burden placed on them is as low as possible. We will bring in extra staff if we need to, to help them through this time.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe the Minister of Finance did send a letter to committee responding to that request. I don’t have the letter in front of me. I kind of blanked on what was in there. Sorry. I am not feeling 100 percent today.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there's sort of three different long-term care projects here. Can the Member maybe highlight which one, or is it all three that she's asking about?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have gone through the business planning process. We are proposing the increase of positions in this area. In the meantime, I have directed the department to begin staffing in anticipation of the passage of those positions so that we can hit the ground running today to start filling those positions. We have tools and mechanisms available to us, double filling positions, anticipatory hiring, eligibility list. We are doing that work now. I will have a discussion with the Minister, I'm happy to do that, about whether or not we can expedite that given the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The property manager and the individuals who have done the construction on Stanton have been very tight on their timelines. They have met their targets. We are looking to get the building when we said. We have every confidence that they are going to be able to do the leasehold improvements to the old facility that will get us in there as scheduled.

Once it is done, we still have to do a full stand-up as we do with all facilities. The day we take possession is not the day that we move in there. There will some work that still needs to be done to stand up the building. We...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think I must have been there that summer because I have been in that building when it is incredibly hot. This is an air conditioner for that building in Fort Good Hope. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The intention was a two-year project, starting in the previous fiscal year, $3.9 million previous year, $2.4 million this year. Due to the delays from the organization, we may end up having a carry-over there. We are trying really hard not to, but it may happen.

That is correct, Mr. Chair.