Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would first off like to recognize one of the Pages from Range Lake North School, Diana Rockwell, who has been working here this week and last week. I would like to thank all the Pages who have been doing such a good job for us.

In addition, I would like to recognize Ms. Tracy St-Denis, who is the chair, at the moment, of the United Way NWT. Tracy has been on the board for four years; she has been chair for the last two years. With Tracy is Gayla Thunstrom, who is UNW first vice-president, soon to be a member of United Way NWT. So, good on you, Gayla. With them is Gayla...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Twelve years ago a small group of people came together in Yellowknife to create a new branch of the United Way, or Centreaide. They were inspired by the good work the United Way does in other parts of Canada and they wanted to see this same good work happen here in the North, and so United Way Yellowknife was born.

The promise of the United Way came to fruition thanks to generous donors, and tens of thousands of dollars was invested in community projects. In 2012 the United Way Yellowknife board decided to extend its reach to the whole territory and it became United Way...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We wish to consider that one item, Committee Report 7-17(5), Report on the Development of the Economic Opportunities and Mineral Development Strategies. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. It’s good to hear that we are increasing funding, and I hope that continues, that we are going to continue to increase funding because it’s definitely an area where we have a definite lack. Emergency and transition housing is the other area where we really don’t have enough housing in any of our communities. Sometimes its non-existent or it’s very hard to come by.

The Minister kind of spoke to the fact that he’s trying to provide infrastructure in communities for emergency or homeless shelters. In those communities that have not taken up the Minister’s offer to date...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. I’m going to revisit a subject that I’ve spoken on a number of times, and that’s homelessness and what the Housing Corporation is doing about homelessness. In this fiscal year, I believe it is, we now have a homelessness coordinator, and I think the coordinator has been in the position for a while. I would ask the Minister to confirm how long.

My first question has to do with a question that I asked quite some time ago, and that was I expressed the need for...

I’m proud to say that I have been a long-time United Way donor and it’s good to see that the Premier, also a committed donor, is the honourary campaign chair. Others in this House are also United Way donors, and good on you, I say. If you are not a United Way donor, I challenge you to start, and start this year. Get the form, sign up for payroll deductions. It’s easily done. Ask me, I will fill it in for you. You will be donating to your constituents and to your communities, and as the slogan says, change starts here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. Again, considering the interest expressed by the NWT Association of Communities, I would encourage the Minister and the Housing Corp very strongly to use NWTAC as a vehicle to get that information out and to get them to take advantage of the offer from the Housing Corp.

With the homeless coordinator in place now for a year and a half, in this 2014-15 budget year, can the Minister tell me what sorts of things the homelessness coordinator is working on? What are the priorities? What are the goals that this person is working on in this budget year...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I think that’s it. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We would like to continue with Bill 30 from last week and then Bill 25, Bill 27 and Bill 34, time permitting. Thank you.