Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation of residential schools in Canada. The date is sponsored by the Nechi Institute of Alberta, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and Presbyterian churches in Canada.

In October of 2005, this Assembly formally recognized the day by a motion in this House. We are still the only Legislature in Canada to officially recognize this important annual event. We passed this motion in support of our communities, our families and individuals who attended our residential schools and who continue to endure the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to get some clarification from the Minister in terms of the air terminal building rehab at Fort Good Hope in the books. Is this something that we will see become a reality in this fiscal year, in terms of that building getting some work done?

Thank you, Mr. Premier, if he would give that some serious consideration in engaging the Members of the House here. I understand, also, Mr. Speaker, that other days of territorial significance or national recognition of different events or activities, that this government here does make a statement here. This being one that affects all the people in the Northwest Territories, would the Premier take on the consideration if he would come forward with a statement from the Premier’s office in terms of this specific day? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I mentioned that May 26th was the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation, and this government has been the only government on record to recognize May 26th as this day for the residential school survivors. I would ask the Premier of the Northwest Territories, in terms of his leadership of this government here if any type of gesture is going to be made in this Assembly to recognize May 26th as a day that we made a formal motion to recognize this day across the Northwest Territories for all survivors of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to continue.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Mr. Speaker, again, the town will be very appreciative of the response here. In terms of this situation here, can I ask the Minister in terms of instructing his officials when they do meet with us, what constitutes emergency measures such as a situation like this with Norman Wells? Does this type of funding that the town is requesting fit in some type of policy that constitutes an emergency for this situation?

Mr. Speaker, the town of Norman Wells only did what any other community would have done to save its sewer plant, water intake plant. Certainly we would support the Minister in terms of going forward with the Building Canada Plan in terms of the projects. What is the status of these BCP projects in terms of 2009-10 with this government?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Norman Wells has the smallest population of any tax-based municipality in the Northwest Territories. Located on a very large river, in the spring when the Mackenzie breaks up, ice jams cause flooding and shore lands can be battered.

Since its construction about 70 years ago, the town’s water treatment plant and macerator building have been at risk of ice damage and flooding and possible demolition of these very important buildings. The council requests funding from MACA to cover costs of a breakwater or seawall. The town thought the costs would come from the...

Mr. Speaker, the challenges that we have in our region is the short construction period by the time the materials get to our region. Again, in terms of going forward, if the people from the Sahtu could somehow sit down with the district office and list some of the concerns from the 2008 Auditor General’s Report -- the inspection, the construction, the material -- this would be very beneficial to the corporation. Again, I would ask the Minister in his reviewing of this budget, would he be able to get the leaders and people from the Sahtu to sit down in the district office and say this is how we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for Minister McLeod, Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, in light of the recent announcement of the housing funding that is coming to the Northwest Territories, I wanted to ask the Minister in terms of future plans going ahead. Would his Crown corporation look at sitting down with the regional bodies in the Sahtu or any other region and look at how they can design and make use of these units that are coming into the Northwest Territories? Would the Minister be able to look at some future consultation with the Sahtu region?