Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And can the Minister confirm the amount of that one time, I guess, contribution or is  are they required to  is the ski club required to actually apply for it and possibly get turned down? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have four simple questions for the Minister of MACA and the "yes" answer works out to 72 cents per day per person.

Can the  I'd ask the Minister what  or if she can confirm the amount of lottery funds received from Hay River retailers goes to the Hay River sports clubs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd first like to start by thanking the Minister of MACA for the opportunity to travel through to Fort Good Hope on Saturday and meet with the community and residents and victims.

And the other thing, I was very impressed with the preparation the community had in place with respect to the flooding. But now it is time for this Government to actually step up. The community has done their part.

So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of MACA confirm who from her department is or will be taking the lead on flood recovery. The question has been asked by those impacted...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT when  at the start of the flooding there, we felt we fell short on communications and with respect to acknowledging that the flooding was actually occurring. And so I think what we have to do is in our messaging, we've got to be concise and precise. When we're talking to people in the communities, you know, they're looking for answers and not a story. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm what communication strategy her department has in place to keep the flood victims updated, how is it being achieved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure if that answered my question or not because I didn't hear the name of anybody. So I suspect there should be one point person, whether it's the Minister herself or somebody else, and I'll touch base with her later.

And, Mr. Speaker, right now is an uncertain time for many of those victims who have been displaced. So I'd ask the Minister to confirm if and when financial support will be made to flood victims who are struggling with meeting everyday bills and living costs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is important that as Northerners, we recognize those NWT elders that we have looked up to for many years and that have passed on.

Mr. Speaker, Sonny James MacDonald, someone who I considered a friend, was born in Fort Chipewyan on May 26, 1939, and passed away quietly on April 20th, 2021, at his home in Okotoks, Alberta. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by family and much love. Sonny is survived by his wife of nearly 56 years, Helen Hudson MacDonald, and by his three children, sons James (Toko) MacDonald and Thomas James (TJ) MacDonald, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, she answered question  the first question and the third question. So I'm going to ask the second question again. Can the Minister confirm if and when financial support will be made directly to the flood victims who are struggling with meeting everyday bills and living costs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I ask that you bear with me. Mr. Speaker, current legislations limits the Minister only direct the South Slave Divisional Education Council. There is no requirement for the South Slave Divisional Education Council to provide bussing or to follow any direction coming from the department, which is very evident by their refusal to fund the bussing shortfall in Hay River when they were sitting on the $3.3 million surplus at the end of 2020. Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister if he will meet with the South Slave Divisional Education Council and the Hay River District...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, current legislation states that an education body may provide transportations to students for them to have access to the education programming. It is interesting that this government is pushing to have student grades comparable to the rest of Canada at the same time allowing barriers to exist that removes the child's access to learning. I would ask the Minister if he is prepared to have his department review the legislation and propose a change that would make bussing mandatory and fully funded in communities such as Hay River where the commute becomes a...

Mr. Speaker, it is essential that the Hay River District Education Authority, South Slave Divisional Education Council, and Department of Education come up with a solution to ensure bussing is available at no cost to students in Hay River. The distance students must travel remains the same and that reality must be taken into account when addressing funding for bussing.

Mr. Speaker, if the South Slave Divisional Education Council is not willing to step up, then I would suggest they step down or be removed by the Minister of Education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.