Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Speaker, that is something that we will have to try to put together so the authorities… And I hear the Member’s point, because we do get a lot of calls in our office, folks across the Territories that aren’t happy sometimes with some of the decisions that are made. You can’t fault the LHOs, because they are following policy that is set out by us. If there are opportunities to make small changes to policy that will give them that ability to have some flexibility in some of the decisions they make, then maybe appeal to headquarters or appeal to the Minister too, in certain cases, then that...

Mr. Speaker, Housing doesn’t choose the time of year when people are evicted. It is not something that Housing enjoys doing, but there is a process that has to be followed. Part of the process involves paying your rent or making arrangements to pay your rent, coming up with a payment plan. Usually they are pretty accepting of any tenant that wants to come forward and work out a payment plan and then they will have the opportunity to stay in their unit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would have to dig up the actual ruling, but my understanding is they would have to put in the ability to locate the cell phones. They would have to put that inability in or it is available. It doesn’t obligate them to install cell phone service throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

There is nothing holding us back, Mr. Speaker, from doing a current assessment. We can speak to the communities to see how many of them are interested and how many are ready to implement 911 and remind them again that we provide them with a lot of money through the capital formula funding and gas tax to implement 911 if they wish to do so. Thank you.

The Housing Corporation is always trying to fit people into the programs. They’ve expanded the scope of the programs sometimes to try to fit as many people in as possible and we are always looking to find ways that we can address those that are most in need. We have to understand, Mr. Speaker, that a lot of the people that are in need, they have to meet the criteria of the housing programs to be eligible to participate in some of the programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are just in the process of doing our housing needs survey and this goes a long way in determining the core needs of the communities, and if there are adjustments that need to be made so infrastructure or units are put in those communities with the highest core needs, then those adjustments will be made then and hopefully that will adjust some of the core needs of the communities most in need. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr Speaker, we have as part of the New Deal given money to every community in the Northwest Territories to deal with their infrastructure priorities, and if 911 is an infrastructure priority to the city of Yellowknife or the other six communities that want 911 implemented as a phased-in approach, they have that ability to bring that about. We’ve heard from two communities. I haven’t heard from the rest yet. I am hoping to get their input. I heard from two communities that have said that it’s not a priority with them right now. It may be in the future and when it is in...

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Member that I will pass that information on to the department and see if we could have somebody go into the community of Aklavik and work with them on their issue of the shoreline erosion. There is some historical data that they could probably use and help them put a proposal together so they have a proposal that’s ready to go, should some more funding become available.

There are always different pots of money out there that we’re always attempting to access with the federal government, so if we have the proposal ready to go, that’s the first step and then should...

Well, Mr. Speaker, I received the same e-mail and I’m sorry for their loss. We’ve all lost, at one time or another, and a lot of them were accidents. Whether 911 would have helped is a different question.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve said on numerous occasions that 911 is a service that some communities have identified as one that they want, and they do have the means within the monies that we’ve forwarded to them to implement 911 services. Mr. Speaker, there are some communities that have decided that it’s not a priority at this particular moment and they are looking to enhance their ability to respond...

Mr. Speaker, the community would make a request to the department and just ask them to come in and work with them. Once they’re there, they’ll assist them in working on a proposal for the community and possibility a scope of work if it’s within their technical expertise. They’d be willing to assist them in financing options and just getting their proposal put together so it’s ready to go if any funding pots become available. Thank you.