Merci, Monsieur le President. So earlier today, which again feels like ages, but good debates, I spoke about College Nordique Francophone which occupies a really unique space in the Northwest Territories. It is an accredited post-secondary institution, and it is the only French language one. And as we know, Canada is a bilingual country, and the federal government has millions, if not billions of dollars, through Heritage Canada to support French language learning and French language speakers.
So my question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, how is -- or will the Minister provide core funding to stabilize operations at College Nordique Francophone and other post-secondary institutions so we can have a stable training environment for our workforce needs going forward? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le President. [Translation] To say that the Nordique College plays an important role when it comes to post-secondary education here in the Northwest Territories.
[Translation Ends]. So thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think it's important that I underline the essential role that College Nordique plays in access to quality post-secondary education here in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, in previous conversations in this House, I committed to ensuring that College Nordique does have a line item in our budget. Over the last large number of years, education, culture and employment has contributed $200,000 to College Nordique as core funding, and the commitment was made to ensure that that was captured in our budget as a line item so that College Nordique can ensure that they can essentially take that to the bank, being the federal government, and ensure that they can show our commitment to their institution within our budget. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And that is appreciated, and that is exactly what the institution is asking for. The opportunity to work with multiple departments exists as well to ensure that funding structures meet with long-term policy objectives of the GNWT. We do have our French language -- French secretariat as well. So can the Minister work with CNF to bring them into the attention of other departments that may need the services in -- French language training services to support the work of the public service? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I am understanding the Member's question correctly, what I heard him ask is will I introduce College Nordique to other departments in the event that they require French language services? I want to clarify that that was the question. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister For Education, Culture and Employment. I will turn to Range Lake to clarify.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And apologies to the Minister for not being clear. Yes, that's more or less it. There's a very valuable service here. They're looking to grow and continue to support the government in French language education and lifelong learning in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd be more than happy to, I guess, bring College Nordique into a meeting with our French language secretariat, although I do know that the director of our French language secretariat is well acquainted with the executive director of College Nordique as well. So always happy, though, to be in a meeting with both of them. They're both fabulous people. So that would be a good day. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister For Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you. And, finally, and here's the literal million-dollar question. They've lost about -- the institution has lost about $2 million from the federal government. It's unsure where that's going to go. Investing in stable Francophone institutions is part of the NWT's commitment to official languages in the Northwest Territories, and in Canada indeed. So will the Minister increase funding to College Nordique to strengthen the institution, provide more training capacity for Northerners, and bring more Francophones into the Northwest Territories through schooling, post-secondary, and immigration. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I spoke already about the $200,000 in core funding in addition to -- that exists within the budget that, of course, we approve in this House every year.
In addition to that, in September, there was a three-year agreement with the federal government that the GNWT signed onto that has in it $2.9 million for College Nordique. And in the supplemental appropriation that is before this House, there is just under $1 million for College Nordique in that budget as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.
