Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi. Those are the discussions that we need to have. I don’t have any information in front of me pertaining to this. My department needs to sit down with the school board and find out the details of the issues that may be before us. It’s not only our department but Public Works and Services that we have to work with when it comes to infrastructure. So that discussion needs to happen with the school board. Mahsi.

Once the review is completed, I would have to share that information with the standing committee, so that should be coming within the next coming months. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Part of the decision that was made by this government is to continue with the 23 communities this year and the following year based on the funding allocations from PTR of up to $1.8 million a year. So that will subsidize the 23 communities where the research has found it’s mostly needed in the small, isolated communities. So that’s where we are currently delivering Junior Kindergarten.

But keep in mind that we are in the process of re-evaluating our program delivery over the coming months as well. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated before, there is a variety of programs within our department, not only my department but other departments as well. We need to find out if there is such a program specifically for the targeted individuals. I’m making a commitment in this House that this is an area that we should seriously look at, because we go through the process every year, remembering our veterans on Remembrance Day. There could be some sort of a…(inaudible)…that the Member is asking about. It will take some time to get to that stage, but I will be following through with the stakeholders. Mahsi, Mr...

Some of those projects are already happening across the Northwest Territories when it comes to career fairs. There are areas of interest, even the history, heritage display, we see students displaying the Remembrance Day. We see students displaying their ancestors or their grandfathers who have gone to, whether it be World War II or other areas of impact in the Northwest Territories, veterans, the history. It is also part of the social studies, as well, the history program that we are currently delivering as part of the northern studies. Again, it’s an area that we need to address with the...

Mahsi. I did already commit that we will be reaching out to potential partners, along with ITI and Public Works and the NWT Arts Council. So those are key partners that we currently have. Through the connections with the NWT Arts Council, we have all these different agencies, as well, that are working very closely with us. We provide funding to them on an annual basis. So those are the key partners and we will be reaching out to them. I will be getting back to the standing committee on the result of our findings as well. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Just to touch base even further, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre also provides a public exhibition venue for NWT artists and also for temporary displays outside the NWT as well.

In the last five years, the Heritage Centre has hosted over 40 arts exhibits, with 34 of these presenting NWT artists from all regions. These are just some of the collections that we continue to promote in our schools and also with the general public.

The program that the Member is referring to is an area where I need to meet with Aurora College to see if that is part of their vision for the...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Return to Written Question 22-17(5), I wish to table the following document, entitled “Funding for Junior Kindergarten Implementation in the 2014-2015 School Year.” Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This is an issue that was just brought to my attention just now. So I will commit to working with the school board to find a solution. Mahsi.

It’s very important that we reach out to the stakeholders, the parents and educators to share their perspective, the community members. Those individuals are currently delivering Junior Kindergarten, as well, in the communities. So, the Premier made a statement that within the coming months, within the eight months from now, we should have the final results of the overall review of our programing. Mahsi.