EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee recognizes Nunavut Arctic College’s important role in providing adult educational opportunities in Nunavut, from basic upgrading and culture and language programs to training for employment and career development, as well as university level degrees in specific fields, such as teaching and nursing.
The college’s community learning centres promote education and skill development at the community level and play a critical role towards developing educational advancements and employability of Nunavut residents.
The standing committee notes that Nunavut Arctic College’s 2014-18 Five-Year Capital Plan proposes funding for a number of future projects.
The committee has expressed concern that significant expenditures on planning for new projects anticipate major expenditures in the future.
Given the number of projects which are being pushed back government-wide and the significant amount of money that has already been approved in carryover appropriations from one fiscal year to the next, committee members caution the college’s capital planners to keep expectations to a realistic level.
Mr. Chairman, Nunavut Arctic College’s biggest proposed project for 2013-14 is $6.5 million for a residence and daycare centre in Cambridge Bay to support services at the regional campus.
It is not clear to members why this project is also identified as the “Mine Training Centre” and would appreciate some clarification from the minister as to why these are not considered as two separate projects. The committee appreciates the assurances that these residences will be allocated to students and not to visiting researchers and professionals affiliated with the new research centre to be built in Cambridge Bay.
The standing committee would appreciate an update on any partnerships that have been considered in conjunction with mining companies and other entities to support capital investments to promote the delivery of training and other learning programs which can lead to employment and careers for Nunavummiut within the mining industry and other sectors.
Members also encourage the minister and his officials to give some consideration to delivering some trades training, such as heavy equipment operating courses, at the community level.
Mr. Chairman, accommodation for college teaching staff has been raised as a concern, especially in those communities where the delivery of highly anticipated professional development courses relies on the availability of professional instructors who are not normally residents of the community.
The standing committee urges the minister to ensure that the lack of housing for teaching staff does not have a negative impact on the delivery of programs at the community level.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee notes that three community learning centres are in the planning stages. Members encourage the minister to provide updates on these projects on a regular basis to ensure that expectations at the community level as well as for future capital commitments are realistic.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the proposed 2013-14 Capital Estimates of Nunavut Arctic College. I am confident that my colleagues will wish to offer further comments of their own.
Are there any general comments? If I could, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, we usually have Members’ Statements. We’re on general comments and we would like to follow that rule.
We would like to hear of general comments when I ask you to do so.
I have one name on my list.
The opening comments of the Hon. Daniel Shewchuk, I don’t have any controversial issue on his remarks.
I believe that if we, leaders in Nunavut, beneficiaries of the land claims depend on the NNI Policy, mainly on Article 24, I wonder how far we will get.
I think it is very critical and very important to ensure that we have the necessary credentials in specialized fields. That is a critical issue and I would like to underline that.
We, as politicians, indicate so many times in the House, in this forum how major contractors are coming up north, not hiring local people.
I remember an old friend telling me that if you give a fish to a person, you feed that person for a day, but if you teach a person how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.
This is very similar in nature. I would like to acknowledge and appreciate that this is not an ambitious outlook for the future of the learning development in Nunavut.
I think this is realistic and I appreciate that. There is no question.
The community learning centres and Nunavut Arctic College, if you will allow me to speak, Mr. Chairman, Nunavut Arctic College is very important here in Nunavut.
When we finish classroom schools, we have to continue on to higher education.
I would like to remind the Minister for Arctic College and his officials that the people of Nunavut have always said that whatever is available as employment in our communities would be better if we get educated because we all have to have higher education.
That’s what we want to attain as people of Nunavut.
Grades 9 to 12 were started so that they can get further education.
Some people don’t go to higher education because they have to leave their community.
When Minister Shewchuk thinks about higher education, I feel that we have to think about which communities can have Arctic College programs.
I think that some of the students are more successful.
I have a son who went to Arctic College and he took the Environmental Technology Program. There are a lot of young males who take that environmental program.
My son has a good job because he attained that training.
Arctic College provides good education for employment for young people. I would like to thank Arctic College for the environmental technology program being taught in Pond Inlet.
It’s a two-year program and there hasn’t been one student who quit that program.
I urge the students there, because there are only a few months left, to take that training.
That’s a good example of when you teach young people in the communities, they succeed.
I would like the minister and his officials to think about that because we have to work with each other.
There are programs that could be started in Nunavut like mining training at Mary River so they can attain employment over there.
If you talk with them, they can tell you which training should be taken because Mary River is close to Pond Inlet and there has to be more training for the residents over there.
We could succeed as well because adult learners can attain training, not just for driving or for cooks. Men and women would have the opportunity to get training through Arctic College.
It states over here that there are problems that arise sometimes. Even though they want to have training in the community, they don’t have any housing for the teachers who have to come in to teach.
Mr. Chairman, Minister Shewchuk, and the people who are taking training at Arctic College, I would like to remind them that the Nunavut government in Pond Inlet has a lot of staff housing that has never been used before. They could be used for those temporary teachers in Pond Inlet.
Mr. Curley: Thank you. (interpretation) Welcome, minister and your officials. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
I appreciate the minister indicating two important university level degree programs that are supported and carried out by Nunavut Arctic College.
I’m surprised that we’re not moving quick enough to establish other university degree related programs.
I think Nunavutmiut and young students are gearing up, really, and opportunities for further training, such as my colleague already alluded to, a whole slew of them.
I also believe there are significant programs that are being carried out in diploma programs, whether it be environmental technology, that really should be transferred towards a degree program.
I also feel that there are enough Nunavutmiut who are young people interested in degree programs related to social work.
A lot of work and fields should be supported by the government.
My point is this, Iksivautaaq: what will it take, really, to start creating a wheel to get other degree programs other than just supporting the two fields that the minister alluded to, teaching and the other one was nursing?
What is it going to take to develop those other fields that the young people of Nunavut could take instead of trying to get down south, which doesn’t always work because they do have families to take care of at home? Thank you.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Curley. We’re under general comments, but I’ll have your name on the list for questions.
Thank you, Mr. Minister, for your opening comments.
I have general comments and we will have some questions before I have a few questions to pose.
I do believe or the community believes that education is very important and we have to treat it as important as leaders, as elected leaders.
We have capital estimates to review for Nunavut Arctic College.
For that reason, Nunavut communities, no matter where they are, there is a centralized community.
You are planning for a centralized training program rather than at the local level. Once I understand this clearly, I will want to support the proposed capital estimates to improve community learning centres and I know that there is a lot of funding to help develop Arctic College.
The three regions in Nunavut do not have the same system in each region. Each region is interested in getting certain training programs, different from the other regions, so that they could develop themselves.
Rather than asking how many of these programs are geared for the Baffin region, how many of these programs are geared for Kitikmeot, rather than asking regionally-related questions, we should be asking questions for Nunavut as a whole.
We have to approve the proposal. That’s why the capital estimates review is very important.
I will leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We will move on to questions. We will go to Finance. B-3. 2013-14 Capital Estimates.
Finance. Centrally Administered Funds.
Nunavut Arctic College. The breakdown for the $8,270,000 is on page K-4. $8,270,000. Are there any questions?
Mr. Elliott, Mr. Curley, and Mr. Enook, I thank you for identifying yourself for questions ahead of time.
Mr. Elliott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My questions are in regard to the new community learning centre which actually, I believe, is getting $50,000 or has $50,000 already allocated to it for looking into the existing hamlet facility, which then, when the hamlet moves to the new hamlet complex, the community learning centre and Nunavut Arctic College will take over that facility.
With the $50,000 that has been spent already, I know there’s future allocation of $300,000 which will be used to fix the building up, maybe washrooms, and make it up to the codes that we have in Nunavut.
I’m just wondering: could the minister maybe update us to what has happened with the money that has been spent so far?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Elliott. Minister Shewchuk.
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. Elliott for the question.
I think either his information is wrong or mine is wrong, but there has been no money spent so far on this proposed project.
The $50,000, as we all know, has been carried over for quite some time. The intent is to go with that $50,000 once the hamlet staff and the operation of the hamlet has moved out of there to go and assess the building and see what needs to be done to bring it up to standards to be used as a learning centre.
That’s when we will have a more accurate figure of what the cost will be to do that and we intend to do that.
There is no $300,000 planned in the future. Is there? Oh, yeah, I guess there is.
I didn’t see that number before, but there is. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Shewchuk. Mr. Elliott.
Mr. Elliott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess it should have said $1.5 million.
In terms of the building itself, has there been any assessment at all done on the building in terms of the feasibility of what might need to be done?
I’m assuming if there was another allocation of $300,000, there has been some work in terms of assessing what might be needed to transform the building from a hamlet office to a community learning centre.
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, there has been work done and I will get Mr. Corneau to expand further on that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Shewchuk. Mr. Corneau.
Mr. Corneau: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There has been a site inspection done once the new hamlet office was scheduled. So the projects officers for that from CGS did an inspection and told us that it was suitable to be renovated and retrofitted to meet our needs.
That was the inspection that was done. There are some design options that have been looked at by CGS and us. So the site inspection, when we go to Grise Fiord, will be to actually make a final assessment and see if those meet our needs.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Corneau. Just to remind members that we have to through interpreters, so please try and speak slower so the interpreter can keep up with you. Just to let you know ahead of time, we are utilizing interpreters.
Mr. Elliott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the future site, right now, what’s being done in the community for the community learning centre?
I’m sure the member knows what’s going on there right now and how service is delivered there.
I believe it’s through the Income Support Office that they’re utilizing right now to offer programs.
One of the concerns that have been raised to me was over the last couple of years, in all of the community learning centres, as well as all the schools, there have been the fibre-optic, high-speed cables, and satellites for Internet.
What’s actually being done in Grise Fiord to mitigate some of the problems that they have been having?
I met most of the adult educators here over the past week when they were working with Nunavut Arctic College to get the training for the adult basic education, which requires Internet access.
I know it has had great support from CanNor.
I’m just wondering in terms of what’s being done for Grise Fiord, if they’re planning on following through with that program in that community.
I am proud to say that all 25 communities in Nunavut have high-speed access now and videoconferencing technology.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I am very proud of the department because Nunavut Arctic College has a lot of work to do for post-secondary education for Nunavutmiut.
I am very proud of Nunavut Arctic College, as I stated that the young people would like to get into higher education.
Some community learning centres are lacking funds due to limited resources.
In spite of that, we are very proud of the communities wanting to develop adult education programs. We’re starting to see trade and mine schools, which I am very proud of, with mining development occurring. I believe that Nunavut Arctic College should be delivering mining sector programs to the communities that are living near the mines.
Some students don’t want to leave their community or go down south and that prevents them from getting higher education.
I know that we’re dealing with the capitals.
I know that CLC buildings are not going to be enlarged if the programs are not created. (interpretation ends) If there is no commitment for additional degree programs, we won’t have to worry about expanding capital projects to facilitate the training needs of Nunavutmiut.
I had this question earlier: what would it take to establish further degree programs related to environment as well as social work rather than just a diploma program?
There appears to be a lot of Nunavutmiut who have shown some interest in social work, for instance.
I just wanted to make a comment on that, (interpretation) Mr. Chairman, before the department is completed.
I had meant to comment on this before because it’s very important.
First of all, I just want to tell you that I am very proud to be the minister of Arctic College. I’m privileged. It’s a wonderful role to be a leader and see what’s happening in the college these days.
I can tell you right now that the college has come a long way. In the last few years, enrolment has increased. Programs that we deliver have been increasing and ongoing, and they have been available to more communities across Nunavut than ever before too.
We’re enhanced now with the long-distance learning that we just talked about that students can access programs that are delivered in the major centres now in their home communities, which is very good.
Mr. Curley brings up a very good point about the degree granting and the degree programs that we have and how we can expand on that.
We are doing that. We are doing that more and more.
We are now entering into agreements and conversation with the University of Manitoba and University of P.E.I. in the environmental technology field. So the programs they take here will contribute to getting a degree in either place.
Eventually, we would like to do that here within Nunavut and that is the long-term planning in moving towards, at some point, maybe the formation of a university of the North or a Nunavut university, that concept. We’re working towards that.
What would it take? I think it’s going to take the will, the development of plans to do that, and the resources that come along with that too.
I think we’re absolutely interested in moving that way.
I am very proud of where we have come to this point, though, too.
Do you have any more questions? Mr. Curley.
One last point, really.
I know that the government funds are always limited, very crucial, as well in Nunavut, not only for college facilities, but for any other.
I often wondered myself whether or not there should be a group established to do a serious fundraising initiative because there are some independent groups, no doubt, that probably would be.
There are enough billionaires, and what do you call that, around the world who could probably wish to contribute to the creation of some institutions that are designed towards higher education.
Has that kind of concept ever been made instead of just relying on one small pot of money that may not be available every year? Such an opportunity when we live in the Arctic, which is really kind of a unique environment; it’s a learning environment, as far as I’m concerned.
I know, Mr. President, he has certainly, I’m sure, considered it, but I often wonder why we don’t try to establish a special group of people who may be willing to look around the world and see whether or not we could look for additional dollars.
I know this is out of theme, but in my preamble, I did indicate that unless we have some programs, you really don’t need additional facilities, but I believe that we can plan ahead.
So I would like the minister at least to indicate that this kind of thinking is either way off the mark or belongs on the moon or something like that. (interpretation) Thank you.
I absolutely don’t think that it belongs on the moon because I think something that we need to do more of is thinking outside the box and see how we can get the resources we need. And we do.
About one-third of the college budget is from third party, it’s from private sources, and that’s growing all the time too because of the work we do and the search that we do look for third party funding.
I think we do have the man who can do that. He’s got the skills to do that in his role.
I would just like to add too that Mr. Enook brought up something very important and again, it’s for adult education, it’s forming partnerships like we did in Pond Inlet with the mining industry to deliver such an important program there.
Not only that, that program developed with Arctic College and being implemented partially by Arctic College and the government, but mostly private industry really adheres to the demand that the work is out there.
I’m very sure that the graduates out of Pond Inlet will have opportunities in the mining industry in the Baffin region, for sure. So a partnership like that can always be worked on.
Something that you touched on before too and I know that it was brought up before by this committee is how can we involve more communities in offerings of different programs in their respective communities.
First of all, we do assessments every spring with the communities to see what the priorities are in their communities.
Secondly, now with the long-distance learning and technology, I think we can partner, for instance, in the heavy equipment operators. We can use communities in part of the programming and establish programming there as a component of the course that’s being delivered in a regional centre. I think we can look at that too.
Working with communities is what we want to do. We have expanded and grown. The fur design program has been offered all over.
The NTEP program is a great success. It is involved in 11 communities this year. So we are growing and growing.
Another thing before I leave that is so important, and we talked about this, I have talked about this with the president, is the priority for getting young people into the [field] of social work and how we can do that and how we can make more offerings across this territory.
Right now, the only program that’s being offered is in the Cambridge Bay campus, but we need to expand that program too.
If at all possible, we should keep in mind that we are dealing with the capital estimates.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe we are in K-3 and K-4. I have a question.
I’m just going to follow through with what has been said earlier. In Cambridge Bay, they have “Kitikmeot Campus, Residence and Daycare.” The total estimate is $6,560,000.
Again, there is a reference that states that it’s going to support the mining school.
Could we get some more information on that, please?
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To explain that clearly, I’ll ask Mr. Corneau to do that.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Corneau.
Mr. Corneau: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The question is to explain why the Kitikmeot Campus and the mine training centre… . They’re both one and the same facility.
The idea is to consolidate all of the multiple buildings currently in Cambridge Bay that Nunavut Arctic College uses. So the idea is to bring them all within one campus. That also consolidates the mine training centre, which is currently not in Cambridge Bay.
That’s why it carries both names in the capital plan.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Corneau.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If you put two things together, please make sure that we can see that it’s two separate items under one umbrella.
If I understood correctly, this campus is one unit, but it’s going to be used for multiple tasks.
That is the exact interpretation that should be used. That’s right.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Enook. I have no more names on my list.
We are on B-3. $8,270,000.
Chairman (interpretation): B-3. Centrally Administered Funds.
Finance. $8,270,000. Total Capital Expenditures was agreed to.
Chairman: We will now to go back to B-2.
Department Summary. Finance. (interpretation) Expenditures on Behalf of Nunavut Arctic College. $8,270,000.
Are we agreed that we have now concluded Nunavut Arctic College?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you very much. Minister Shewchuk, if you have any closing comments, you have the floor. Minister Shewchuk.
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank you and your committee again for supporting our request for capital submissions here for Nunavut Arctic College.
Again I would just like to say that if there is one thing that’s very good news and what’s happening well in Nunavut and I’m proud of is the college and the programs we offer in the college and we’re growing.
It’s a post-secondary institution that is really growing. As we move through these times that we are facing with our economic development and whatnot, we need all the training that we can provide our people to have the skills to get the jobs out there.