Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of housing, and I've got to compliment the Minister of housing and the Minister of ITI previous in supporting the negotiated resupply contract for the Fort Good Hope Construction Centre. Now that we're into that year of mobilization, winter road season, can the Minister provide an update in this situation, the client assisting the contractor, the NDL contractor in Fort Good Hope, on materials coming over the winter road? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for the question.
In terms of working with NDL and the client in assisting for materials over the winter road, what we're hoping with Housing NWT is that we work in coordination to make sure that all materials required for the Fort Good Hope Construction Centre, working with the client and working with the business itself, that they make -- that all materials make the winter road and that's a priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second last question to the Minister is will the Minister provide my office with a progress update on mobilization of materials so we can get our young people employed this coming summer construction season. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, Mr. Speaker, we're willing to work together with the MLA to provide this important information. I think that updates with dates and times available is good information to share, that he could share to community and businesses along the way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure mentioned the DND procurement. I just wanted to follow up further a little bit on that. As we know, DND has a pre-procurement that's gone out publicly. Mr. Speaker, does that procurement align with the work to modernize the airport that the Minister was speaking to earlier that has been going on now for at least a couple of years. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So far, with the departments working together with DND, everything is aligning. You know, they've been working hand-in-hand to make sure that everything is going to work together. This has been going on for a while. You know, they've been working with the Department of Infrastructure for fully utilizing their land use plan for the strategic planning of YZF area. So, yeah, for now, it is working, and we'll continue to work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the Yellowknife airport have enough land for any kind of meaningful expansion? I know that the DND has talked about a fair number of things, so I am curious if we even have land available to do so. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, currently we do. I mean, obviously if there's bigger and better plans that come along with all the developments going on, it may not. But as it currently stands, there is enough room. You know, it's a little tight in some areas when you're dealing with cargo and stuff and, you know, different sizes of aircrafts. But currently, as it stands there is enough room within the area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ty, Minister of Infrastructure. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to confirm with the Minister are all these parties who are planning out this development in the same room making plans, how often are they meeting? If the Minister can share any details with the House, I am sure Yellowknifers are -- and people in the NWT are interested to hear it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So all these plans have been going on for quite a while, long before my time, so it goes back to 2022. And, you know, obviously with the new development of, you know, the plans for building up the YZF airport, you know, there's been lots of work going on there so there's been public engagement that's been done with the area and for the people who use the airport. So a lot of the work that's been going on has determined that there is enough room. And until something otherwise from the Department of National Defence and infrastructure, currently everything is working as planned. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 35, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act 2026.
Bill 35 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 31st, 2025, and was referred to the standing committee of Government Operations for review. The standing committee completed its clause-by-clause review of the bill with the Minister of Justice on February 16th, 2026.
Mr. Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 35, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act 2026, is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table correspondence dated February 13th, 2026, from the Chairs of the Board of Trustees of Yellowknife Education District No. 1 and Yellowknife Catholic Schools regarding an Urgent Funding Request for JK to 12 Indigenous Students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. I am going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Sorry, I am getting ahead of myself here.
I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? I will go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 448-20(1), 2026-2027 Main Estimates, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Okay, thank you. We'll take a short recess, 15 minutes. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 448-20(1), 2026-2027 Main Estimates. We will now consider the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Does the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment wish to bring witnesses into the House?
I do, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the chamber.
Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on my left I have Jamie Fulford, deputy minister of education, culture and employment. And on my right, I have Terry-Lynn Locke-Sutter, assistant deputy minister of education, culture and employment for corporate services.
Okay, thank you. Committee, the committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the details contained in tabled document? Committee?
Agreed.
Okay. Committee, we will defer the department summary and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning with corporate management, starting at page 34 and information items on page 36. Are there any questions?
I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the update to the business plan for the 2026-2027 year, it notes that the legislative initiative for the creation of a polytechnic has been paused. Can the Minister speak to why that is and what next steps will be. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the efforts under the legislation for a Polytechnic University Act have not been paused. That work is still underway. There is a matter of the accreditation process with the Campus Alberta Quality Assurance -- thank you -- Quality Council that needs to happen in order for the legislation to go through and for us to be ready for that. And Aurora College has hit the first milestone where CAQC has traveled to the Northwest Territories, and they are now working with CAQC on the requirements as part of that process. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And as the Minister knows, and she has graciously offered to sit down and meet with me soon, the legislative initiative for the Archives Act is no longer on the initiatives list, and I am wondering if she can provide some substantiation around that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we as a government have endeavored to ensure that we are prioritizing the legislative priorities of the 20th Assembly and so making sure that we are putting resources to the legislation that needs to get done first. And so as the Member indicated, certainly willing to sit down and have conversations both with officials and myself in regards to the Archives Act. And I can also confirm for the Member that the work in the back end with officials is still continuing but that this piece of legislation, as far as drafting is concerned, will not be a priority piece of legislation for this Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And further to one more legislative initiative in the business plan update, the Employment Standards Act, could the Minister provide an update on when the House is anticipated to see a bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the House will see that bill in the May-June session. Thank you.
