Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, well, I just wanted to tell the Minister that, you know, I think they need to start focusing on decentralization, give us more jobs. Mr. Speaker, what concrete transition supports such as retraining programs, apprenticeship opportunities, or partnerships with Indigenous governments, are being planned to help Tlicho workers who may lose their jobs in the coming years?

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do support -- you know, I mean, right now with the mine closures so we don't really know -- like, many of the -- the agreement that's in place with -- from the -- between the Indigenous and the mining companies, the impact benefits agreement, many of the small communities or Indigenous government did benefitted from that agreement in place because SFA does not fund the bridging program. And just like my colleague said -- and I really do appreciate him talking on that -- the bridging program, due to the -- you know, due to the education outcome, many of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today there is growing urgency in the Tlicho region felt in Behchoko, Gameti, Wekweeti, and Whati where many families depend on the diamond mines for stable, well-paying work. For decades, the diamond industry has been a cornerstone of opportunity for Tlicho citizens, providing hundreds of jobs and strengthening our local economies. But that foundation is now at risk. The looming closures of Ekati and Gahcho Kue are immediate and serious threat to Tlicho workers. Gahcho Kue paused expansion and financial pressures driven by falling diamond prices and global...

Well, I am kind of worried because, you know, JP program, a lot of small communities -- even in Yellowknife school, they really benefited from the program, you know, working with our Indigenous students. And it's a good program so I just wanted to know -- and my colleagues have always said it that education is our treaty rights and why we -- you know, like JP program, if it's gonna -- you know, whether it happens or not to -- for many of the school. I just wanted to know why we did not put the same effort that we did in 2025-2026 revised estimate in the upcoming fiscal year. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Thank you for the information. The JK to grade 12 student services, I think my colleagues, they probably talked about this already, and then there's -- is that related to the JP program?

With the literacy funding, you know, it's in the GNWT stats and then so we've -- there is -- it was also identified in the auditor general report about the low education level in many of our small communities, and Tlicho was one of them that was mentioned. So, you know, I am just surprised that at this time with a study with that initiative that they're doing nine other communities were mentioned. But I just wanted to ask if Tlicho is going to be part of -- or in the upcoming, will be part of the -- will be part of this funding, the literacy funding that they're rolling out. Thank you.

Yeah, well, income support assistance program and with the mine closure, this is where the bridging program is really -- like, I mean, SFA needs to change their policy to accommodate many of our people that are employed. They've been out of school for many years some of them, and some of them may not want to go to Aurora College. And I don't think a lot of them don't want to go on the income support assistance because they've been self-sufficient and, you know -- and income support it's not an option for them for a lot of them, you know, because they have -- they have mortgages, they have --...

Okay. So when this happened in 2027, so where -- so how -- which campuses are going to be offering these programs? There's Fort Smith, and there's Yellowknife. In Fort Smith, I know there's a lot of accommodation to accommodate. They have the facility. But in Yellowknife, there's limited accommodation so -- and I strongly believe students should be given a choice, and I do believe in the community-based training. So will some of these communities be delivering, or will they be reaching out to the communities to deliver -- do a community-based training, especially for teacher education program...

So as Indigenous students, did they use up to the capacity or up to the 90,000? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for that information. Another one too is a modernization of Education Act. We haven't heard anything about this, modernizing the Education Act. Is there a report, or can the Minister update us on it and where it's at? Thank you.