Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to advise this House that a ceremony was held today to celebrate the tremendous contributions that people across this Territory have made to education.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment launched the Education Hall of Fame some months ago, requesting nominations be put forward for those Northerners who made lasting and selfless contributions to education. Nominations poured in, Mr. Speaker, and 15 people were chosen from across the Territory. The 2010 inductees embody the commitment, diligence, creativity and passion that we...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize some of the people who are in the gallery who are inducted into the Hall of Fame and also people who are accepting on behalf of posthumous inductees, as well, and their supporters: Sylvia Boyer, Brent Kaulback, Irma Miron, Miki O’Kane, Chuck Tolley, and also Audrey Enge, who’s here with us, and Marc Miltenberger, Debbie Reid, Vicky Ruben, Ashley Ruben, Fred Carmichael, of course, and Marilyn Kaulback and Jeri Miltenberger. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Throughout the consultation and also the Yellowknife educational facilities review, there has been undertaking of renovations. The renovations that have been highlighted has already been undertaken by our department and identified as a capital planning project on a long-term basis. Those facilities that need upgrade and major retrofit have been highlighted through our consultation with the school boards. Yes, the majority of the schools that require upgrade will definitely be part of the capital planning process.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The study has been completed. We are in consultation with the YK 1 school board and the college. We just need to consult with them on possibly proposed changes. We need to keep in mind that the college campus, the expiry date of 2012 at Northern United Place is a pressing issue that we need to deal with. Overall, the Yellowknife education facilities have been reviewed and there have been some proposed options that we have presented to the board and also to Yellowknife MLAs for their consideration. We’re still waiting for feedback by one of the school boards and then we can...

The minor renovations and major renovations that have been highlighted by our department on the capital planning process will continue as we move along. The Member is referring to certain facilities such as the Aurora College campus. The decision has to be made on options first, before we can proceed with the capital planning process. That is in the works and they are at the final stages.

That is one of the options that we are discussing with YK 1 as well. Alternatives on the options. The decision that needs to come down and the recommendation to me as well, then make a final decision before the capital planning process begins. That’s why we’ve initiated this consultation and we are now on the verge of a final decision by the board to give us a green light to say we’re fine with the option that they are favouring. We’re just waiting for that response from the board.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to inform the Members today of the work underway towards a new strategy for supporting the nine official aboriginal languages of the Northwest Territories.

In the late 1990s, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment consulted with communities about developing a long-term plan supporting our Territory’s traditional languages. The strategy, Revitalizing, Enhancing and Promoting Aboriginal Languages: Strategies for Supporting Aboriginal Languages, outlines what the government was doing in support of healthy aboriginal languages in our...

Mr. Speaker, I did touch on that. That is our vision with the federal Minister for the territorial jurisdictions. We see this coming. Definitely that is an area of vision that we have in our target, is to establish an Athabasca University type here in the Northwest Territories and supporting the other two Nunavut and Yukon campuses as well. Mr. Speaker, those are the ongoing discussions that we are having.

I think we definitely will see a light because what we are discussing here, there is a university of the Arctic funding flowing through Saskatchewan. Of course, yes, the money has been scaled...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think we have to keep in mind that we are delivering university courses right now. We currently deliver degree programs and masters programs at current stages right now, but we are exploring further to delivering more of university-type programs to our schools, into our institutions, the three main campuses that we have. I just recently met with my colleagues in Nunavut, in the Yukon, on exploring options and how it’s going to look, a university of the Arctic. We realize that more work needs to take place.

At the same time, I just recently met with Minister...

Mr. Speaker, that is what we are doing this fall. We are consulting with various aboriginal groups, leaders, the school board members, the MLAs of the particular ridings, highlighting what we have found, what we have heard from the communities, what we have heard from the committee members, what we have heard from their representatives.

Mr. Speaker, those will be laid out in the communities and I think to honour that, it will certainly be a greater improvement into our programming. Basically what I am looking at is building on our strength. We do have an education system that is very successful...