Jackson Lafferty

With any schools, we have to work closely, depending on the population of the students. We have to work with MACA if the school enrollment is under 150 students and also the community to find space availability for a gymnasium. For some schools, we build schools without a gymnasium because there’s a gymnasium in the community. So those are some of the reasons based on enrollment. If it’s lower than 150, then we have to work with Municipal and Community Affairs and also with community leadership to find a solution. So those are just some of the processes we have to go through within our ECE...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I believe there are upwards of 400 different projects on an annual basis with a $75 million budget. Obviously, there will be a lot of infrastructure on hold, but there are also red-flag projects and Sissons is one of them we will continue to push. We know it’s a high priority for Members and it is a high priority for my department too. ECE is working closely with Public Works and Services and Education District No. 1, as well, to complete a planning study and to advance the renovation of Ecole J.H. Sissons through government infrastructure planning process. So this is indeed...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Again, we do go through a process. Members alluded to various projects in the riding and also other ridings. All of those have been submitted. At the end of the day, we get some projects earmarked or approved as we move forward on this particular planning process. We have to, like all the departments, follow through the guidelines that are set before us.

I will get Ms. Allison to just give us a detailed process because she’s actively involved with all the projects that are going through our department along with the process itself. If I can allow Ms. Allison to elaborate...

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. With this particular project and other projects that are identified as part of the planning process, we will be going through the capital planning on an annual basis, of course, and the funding has been identified particularly for Trout Lake. Once that scope of work has been identified, we can put it into the system. Then the decision would have to be made from there. This will give us a tool to push that even further than where we are at now. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. This whole capital planning process, we go through it every year on an annual basis. Some departments get a fair amount of projects and some don’t. It’s just the reality of it. We follow through with the process that’s been set as part of the capital planning process and all of the departments follow the government-established capital planning process. You know, I can just lay it out where the protection of people, the protection of assets, protection of the environment, financial investment, and also program needs and requirements.

This is also my priority as Minister...

Mr. Speaker, I totally agree with the Member that we must encourage the individuals to be employed, either to be trained or part of business contracts. Based on that, what the Member is referring to is having a plan in place where it would be capturing the daycare establishment. Again, those are areas that we need to push forward.

With our government here, we have been talking about the Sahtu region and other regions that are actively exploring opportunities. The Sahtu region is one of the prime examples, along with the Deh Cho and Gwich’in areas. We will expedite this process. We are hoping...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There are tons of opportunities that are happening in the Sahtu region. We are closely monitoring that and working closely with the regional training committee that is established, consisting of Aboriginal governments and other stakeholders, in partnership with industry as well. We need to identify what the needs of the community are, and based on that, we need to develop plans to move forward. We will be working closely with the MLA and also the community organizations to move that forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, by all means, we need to visit the communities, especially in the Sahtu region. I believe we are working with the Member’s office to find a date that is suitable for all of us. We need to have our staff go in there. I would like to meet with the committee, as well, the regional training committee, what they’ve been working on, the training plans and so forth. I am looking forward to the trip. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the daycare establishment and other facilities will be required down the road because there will be a boom in the Sahtu region with all the employment opportunities, training and business opportunities. Those factors will be taken into account when we talk about the overall training plan and what it will entail. It would have a rippling effect in the community.

At the same time, when we talk about the daycares and the workers, obviously they will be busy at their work and the kids will need to be looked after. Similar to what we did in Inuvik with the Children First Society, those...

Mr. Speaker, the department continues to improve income security programs and services based on a report from the Auditor General in March 2013. We received valuable feedback from the Standing Committee on Government Operations in June 2013. As we move forward with effective, efficient government, client service is at the forefront of our minds.

Mr. Speaker, to date the department has made a number of improvements based on the Auditor General’s report, recommendations from standing committee, and on actions identified and planned through our own review.

We have improved training and...