Jackson Lafferty

At this point we can provide information to the Artist Run Community Centre and the programs that we currently have within ECE. Most of the applications and the proposals go through the NWT Arts Council as well. They make decisions based on the needs of those arts and the performance in the Northwest Territories. So I can commit that within my department I’ll be working closely with ITI to identify those programming dollars that they can potentially access, this organization that we’re speaking of. Mahsi.

We can definitely provide the information on the process, if there is a deficit, how we balance that within the DEA and DEC. By all means, we will provide more information on that. Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, when this first came up I did ask the same question as well. It is an existing position but it is in Hay River for both positions, library order clerk and library technical services clerk for headquarters for libraries.

Madam Chair, the culture and heritage, as the Members would know, there has been an increase over the years. We will continue to promote that within our department. This time around the difference is basically to offset the costs of Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. There was a fire there, so it is a repair to the building, so approximately $520,000 in that area. Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, I do remember signing a document, but I have to confirm that with the Members. I will be getting back to the Members on the actual status on our last discussions that we have had. We were getting close to the final stages of signing on, but I have to confirm that with the Members. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I believe it’s been some time now since we last looked at this file. The Village of Fort Simpson is getting $53,000 at this point, in 2010-2011 actuals. We continue to provide that funding to the list of libraries in the Northwest Territories.

There have been some options thrown around. As I recall, when the Member first addressed this with us as a department, looking at options of part of the school, the school system, to be part of the library, we worked closely with the town council, as well, in Simpson, especially with the mayor, and they provided some options for us to...

Yes, Madam Chair.

Mr. Chair, my understanding is that it is a combination, but at the same time, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is at the early stages. We’ve rolled out a couple programs. One is to deal with attendance. The other one is cultural orientation as mandatory. But others are coming along. It doesn’t really reflect on this yet, but some of the schools have seen an increase just last year as well. We’ll continue to work with this on ASA. All the parties are involved in these discussions as well. The DEAs are involved and are signatories to the ASA Initiative. Our goal is to improve and...

I agree with the Member. An initial thought the Member raised the issue about the principals, so I figured I would touch on the principals’ annual certification program. At the same time it should be offered to other teachers and support staff as well. This falls in line of other organizations that we work with; NWTTA as well that deals with all the teachers. I’ll get Ms. Iatridis to provide some background of other projects that are out there in the Northwest Territories.

This is an area that is very preliminary right now and we need to talk to certain instructors and individuals in the school system and also the school board chairs and the school boards. We have to work with them, as well, because they deliver those programs in the communities with the instructors. We are at the exploration stage at this point.