Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wish to report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a motion to move.

I move that this committee strongly recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment take urgent action to advance the project schedule and proposed cash flow for the J.H. Sissons School renovation project by two fiscal years; and further, that the necessary funding amounts be included in the second estimates document that will be presented to the House in February of 2009 for fiscal year 2009–2010.

Are those standards typically smaller than from the deputy minister’s experience from older schools to modern schools?

I seem to recall that clearly, but okay; I will accept that.

Mr. Chairman, with classroom size has there been a change between the old, typical design of classroom size per square foot to a modern size design? Therefore, if we go to a wholly full-fledged new school, in theory, would the school be smaller because of the new standardization of designs in comparison to renovating the existing school?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just something I was thinking about while I was listening to the debate with great interest, of course: with the Cardinal design of that Hay River school, do we still have to go through some approval process for him to sign off if any changes are made to that school?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can I move that we take a break?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just quickly, Sissons was built in 1975, and it hasn’t received a significant renovation since then. It has had some work in the ’90s. But in reference to its elderly age, its mechanical and electrical systems have approached the end of their normal service life. This school actually doesn’t have any space for any types of storage. To my knowledge, the playgrounds have eroded to the point of being unsafe. If anything, I certainly would say that this facility is in dire need of a serious renovation and upgrade. It really doesn’t have any place for us to expand to. It...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I put a lot of thought behind this. You know, we struggle with the context of supporting our colleagues and going our own way. It’s always quite impressive when we work hard together and come to a common front. I guess I’m struggling with this one because of the issue of where we get the best value for dollars.

I’m not sure, if we lease, if we get the best value per dollar. I like the proposal presented, as one of my colleagues, Mr. Krutko, had pointed out, where if the Gwich’in build a building and lease it back to the GNWT, we get it for a dollar at the end. That’s...

I’m just trying to seek clarity in the area that we have an existing project that needs to be renovated, which I do support, and the motion falls from heaven today, and I’ll certainly be behind it.

That said, I just want to be clear that if Hay River were to get a new high school on that formula, I’m just trying to get a sense of the old “it’s better to renovate versus build new.” I was always under the understanding that if you renovate existing — typically a lot of our schools are fairly old, but they have large classrooms, working spaces, et cetera — you’d be able to retain those spaces. I...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be supporting the motion. I just want to note for the record that I do support the completion of the work that does need to be done on the road to Fort Smith, but it’s the priority of public safety that I’m supporting. That should not, in my view, ever be a question. If people are at risk in any way, we should absolutely be making sure our dollars are spent in that regard. Public safety over public pride of the road…. It should never be a question of whose road is the prettiest or the smoothest. If people are being put at risk and we have to close roads because...