EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
With the new middle school that was slated for Baker Lake, how much money did you spend for the design and other plans?
With the first round, as I stated, it was $40,000 for the middle school.
That was for planning.
That was the difference between what we were doing in Arviat and Baker Lake.
The planning of the Arviat project was more advanced while we were just in the early planning phase for Baker Lake.
In total $1,650,000 was expended for Baker Lake.
Mr. Chairman, if it’s okay with you, I would like our projects manager, Mr. Cornthwaite, to elaborate on this.
Chairman: Mr. Cornthwaite, go ahead.
Mr. Cornthwaite: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The minister is correct that both projects were in different phases. The project in Arviat was already designed.
There was a tender-ready package that was ready to go to tender for construction to start. We were still planning the project in Baker Lake. Design hadn’t started yet.
We were still planning and that’s when you review community needs. You look at potential lots to decide what your next step is with regard to design.
Baker Lake was only in the planning stage, which is a very preliminary stage. We have spent approximately $40,000 on that stage. Arviat was already a tender-ready project.
I got a response to a question I didn’t ask, so I’ll ask it again.
My question was about the middle school in Baker Lake with respect to the planning, pre-design work, and construction. If it had been completed, how much would it have cost in total?
I do apologize if I didn’t respond, but I would like to refer this question to my Deputy Minister, Kathy Okpik.
Chairman (interpretation): Ms. Okpik, go ahead.
It was approved last year and is no longer included this year. $1,650,000 was used and in total it would have been $19,700,000. That was in the plans.
I finally got a coherent response.
The minister had indicated earlier that there is an 85 percent utilization rate.
This 85 percent utilization rate in getting a new school built in a community will seriously affect the safety of the children.
This 85 percent utilization rate, which the minister keeps referring to, is it the anticipated number of students or the actual attendees of a school?
That’s my question for now.
It refers to the actual number of students attending compared to the total capacity of the school.
The 85 percent utilization rate is based on actual attendance, not for the eligible number of students.
There are also a number of students who don’t attend school.
With this 85 percent utilization rate that you have established and looking at the capital estimates for new schools in other communities, will that be the new basis for deciding where to build them?
We are building schools in Cape Dorset, Naujaat is now completed and utilized, and Igloolik.
Cape Dorset and Igloolik are currently under construction.
In Igloolik at the Ataguttaluk School, the elementary side of the school is at 87 percent and the secondary side is at 85 percent. They had a certain percentage last year and we usually figure out what the increase is going to be for this year.
If they’re at 85 percent capacity, it probably wouldn’t decrease the following year and it’s likely to be higher.
With the two schools we apply the capacity rate, the size of the school, and how many students it could hold.
For example, the elementary school in Baker Lake has a capacity of 313 students and the high school can hold 382 students.
If we look at the elementary schools, we usually use the numbers of last year’s attendees.
If there were 233 students last year and looking at the increase, it would be at 74 percent capacity. If there are 382 students at the high school, there were 286 students last year and it would be at 75 percent.
If they’re way below 85 percent, we consider removing them from the capital plan.
Two years ago we were slated to construct a middle school for Baker Lake after we approved it in the House. Now what?
Every year we look at the new monies and every year there’s a change and it’s the same cycle that we are going through.
That’s all I can respond with, Mr. Chairman.
We look at new projects every year. Some of the projects go ahead and some of them get dropped.
That’s the way the whole thing goes.
When I was asking for numbers, two years ago and last year we approved the monies for a middle school that was slated to be built in Baker Lake, $19,700,000. After the drop in the utilization rate, will it be deferred again?
It has already been deferred for one year.
Minister Quassa, before you respond, you always have an opportunity to talk to one another so that you can respond properly.
You can press the mute button if you want to have a private conversation, as we don’t want to hear you whispering.
If we recall correctly, the project was deferred two years ago.
Yes, I know because I was here too.
The money stayed there; it was just deferred to a later time.
The same thing happened two years ago and it was deferred to a different year.
The main reason for us was that we could further study the utilization to see if it is going to go down or up.
We were waiting for that information and that’s why the project was still in the books for the $19 million you just mentioned.
We wanted to know if it was going to decrease or keep increasing.
That was the main reason.
If we recall, we kept the Baker Lake District Education Authority informed last year and if the enrolment decreased considerably, the school project might be cancelled. We kept the DEA informed in the whole process.
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation) Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I am fully aware because I read the documents. I know you kept them informed.
I am asking if you’re going to drop a capital project, you should visit the community again to encourage children to go to school.
As the Fourth Assembly, we made education our priority.
I am asking now: if you’re going to cancel a capital project, why didn’t you just defer it again?
To remind my colleague, we had done that for this project for two years.
We knew for two years that we won’t be doing it just like that. We look at estimates every year for capital projects.
For instance, we will keep monitoring that. We monitor all communities, including Baker Lake.
If the utilization rate of the school goes up to 85 percent or even higher next year, the project will be back in the books.
We follow all the schools and we have to look at all the other schools carefully, such as Coral Harbour and Taloyoak.
We have looked at their numbers and they are way higher than 85 percent.
We also have to look at other communities. That’s how I can respond, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
It has been noted and made very clear that attendance rates are the critical factor in determining whether a community needs a new school.
How does the department take into account other factors such as long-term population projections or the impact of local school attendance policies to anticipate when a community may need a new school within the five-year capital plan cycle?
The district education authority tries to look at the long-term future. We have a 20-year plan.
Please keep in mind and I keep stating that there are movements, depending on the enrolment, or if governments change, these kinds of factors are reasons for change.
The capital data is looked at carefully on exactly the situation.
A database on enrolment is kept on school attendance, the school’s capacity, as well as other variables.
We also look at the age of the schools.
Those are the different types of things we look at if we’re going to be considering new schools or making an expansion or addition to a school.
There can be different reasons that we follow.
We also work with Community and Government Services.
I stated earlier that we also work with the district education authority in the communities when we’re discussing new schools.
He keeps mentioning the 85 percent.
If enrolment goes over that number in Baker Lake, would your department then have to submit a supplementary appropriation and would the numbers change?
Yes, indeed, we follow that process.
For instance, if we look at the capacity of any school in any community and it reaches over 85 percent, then we would look at that and the funding that would be needed.
As I stated earlier, we would be working with the Department of Community and Government Services before we start making plans to bring the project back online.
That’s our usual practice. We would do the same thing for Baker Lake as we would for any other community.
Mr. Mikkungwak (interpretation): I didn’t hear a response to the question, so I’ll ask again.
The minister released the capital project for the middle school in Baker Lake, which would have been constructed.
I am asking: once the utilization rate goes over 85 percent, would you be asking for money again for the planning, design, and other things?
Would you have to aside new funding for this project?
Yes, we would do that.
Looking at the others in the document, the construction of some schools have been completed and some have been started.
For a new school project, if attendance unexpectedly goes under 85 percent, would that change also be reflected in the document?
The planned construction will go ahead. Once a contract is let, we cannot drop the project.
Once the contract is signed, we would not be able to drop it. At that stage it would be under the control of CGS.
Sometimes it takes a long time for government to do a project.
According to his answer, how fast would they move?
Would it take a whole year to do that?
Perhaps he can elaborate on his question. I didn’t quite get it.
I would like to understand his question, so maybe he can elaborate or ask it a different way.
Mr. Mikkungwak, please elaborate.
I’ll try to be very proficient here.
From planning to pre-design to design to construction, as we all know, sometimes things in government work take a long process.
When we look at that from planning to pre-design to design to construction, how fast can that process be?
Perhaps I can explain the process.
I think my colleague is already familiar with preplanning, design, construction, and the last phase, which is the warranty.
I touched on this earlier.
For instance, Naujaat is on its warranty year. We set aside $50,000.
Looking at the length of time, planning is for two or three years.
The actual construction of the structure is about three to four years.
According to our experience in constructing buildings as a government, it takes two to three years for preplanning and design.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) With 24 seconds, Mr. Mikkungwak.
That’s quite a lengthy process and a number of years. When you look at the middle school and the utilization rate that had dropped, the numbers go right back up. Now you’re working backwards.
Would it not have been wise to defer the Baker Lake middle school by another year instead of dropping the capital that was assigned?
As I stated earlier, we reconsider the utilization of the capacity. I know I keep restating the 85 percent utilization.
Perhaps to further elaborate the difference between Arviat and Baker Lake, I think the Arviat project had gone to tender and the tender was already planned, which was not the case for Baker Lake.
That’s a minor difference. I can state, looking at both schools today, they’re at 74 percent and the other one is at 75 percent. That’s the main reason that we’re in this situation.
On your question of whether it would be better to just defer it and it was halted even though the money is still there, I will provide you with further explanation.
After the Cape Dorset school burnt down, they had to clean up the site. The money we had set aside for Baker Lake was used for the clean-up in Cape Dorset.
We’re on page G-3 and that includes G-4.
I have a brief comment on the minister’s opening comments.
First of all I would like to acknowledge the person from my home community who is visiting in the gallery, Remy Qirqqut.
I have a question, but my colleague has already mentioned it in regard to cancelled school projects in the communities.
It is regrettable that students looking forward to high school will not get that opportunity.
I want to mention about the request I made a few days ago that was not approved since it’s not included in the capital estimates for my community. We can’t approve it because it’s not included here.
I would like to talk about our students. The minister knows about the percentage of the utilization rate.
Because the utilization is below the established rate, the proposed school was dropped.
I mention this because the high school students only receive two hours of classroom time in the morning and afternoon.
It’s unfortunate that there won’t be a change to that situation.
As a parent, I want our children to receive a good education.
I believe that they could have good education and there are only two hours. It results in children simply dropping out despite our urging them to stay in school.
The question I want to ask is this: when this is reflected in a drop in the utilization rate, what measures are taken for students who drop out?
I would like a response to that question.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank my colleague for asking questions in regard to that.
First of all in Kugaaruk, I believe there are 294 students attending the school, which has a total capacity of 352.
In looking at that, they’re at 84 percent.
You are correct and I know for sure what the attendance rate is in Kugaaruk. It is obvious that the DEA there knows how many students are attending their school.
The DEA is well informed and as the Department of Education, we pass on that information and we try to inform the parents on how they can be engaged.
We try to encourage the parents to be more involved in helping their children to keep attending school.
These are the issues that we raise throughout various media and we try to encourage the students to remain in school in all communities. These are various encouragements we do.
When we meet with the coalition of DEAs, these are the issues that we raise such as how we can retain the students in school.
That’s how we try to keep the students in school as the education department.
We keep encouraging them through means of media in which I encourage them to stay in school.
That’s how it is with one’s education.
We can’t force them what to do, but students need to find the will to go to school.
The encouragement of parents is also essential.
These are various things that we do to make sure that the students remain in school, those that are of school age in the community.
We cannot control other individuals, whether they’re adults or children.
With that in mind, when the utilization rate starts lowering, what kind of programs do you have to motivate students to return to school, whether it’s through the DEA or the teachers? What kind of programs do they have to make sure that the students get back to school?
I’m unaware of measures that are available and so I would like to ask the minister to enlighten me about that.
I know that this is not part of the capital estimates, but Mr. Quassa, if you would like to respond.
I’m here to talk about these issues.
Thank you for elaborating on this capital issue.
The DEAs are allocated funding to find ways for children not in school to return to the classroom.
We also provide funding to DEAs for parental engagement.
We have made a big push for parental engagement through various media.
These are the ways we are trying to reach out to children who are not in school.
We try to provide incentives for students to stay in school.
As I have mentioned, we provide funding to DEAs for this.
We’re dealing with capital estimates, just for your information.
Those are the issues that I wanted to get clarification on and now I have a better understanding.
I’m sure I’ll have other comments later on and I’m sure that my colleagues who have been here longer than I have been asking good questions.
I’ll leave my questions at that.
Thank you for enlightening me.
I’m just going to ask a few questions under small capital.
Vandalism is becoming a problem across Nunavut communities and schools are often targeted.
I’m just wondering if you can update us today on how many schools across Nunavut have security cameras.
That’s a very good question, so I’ll have the project manager respond with figures.
Through you, Mr. Chairman, I’ll have Barry Cornthwaite respond.
I’ll probably be able to supplement his response later on.
There was an initiative quite a few years ago to install cameras in all Nunavut schools.
Recently the Department of Education is acting upon a standing offer agreement for the maintaining of these cameras.
Now that there’s a standing offer agreement in place, we can call up the standing offer and repair the cameras, replace the systems, or replace other components of the systems as they wear out.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing me again.
For example, there are 23 schools that have operating cameras.
Out of a total of 43 schools, there are 11 schools that have some problems with their cameras and there are 20 schools that need repairs that are being worked on to date.
I hope we gave him the proper response because the two of us had responded to his question.
When it comes to security, having cameras at our schools is great.
They’re great for catching thieves or vandals after the effect, but it doesn’t prevent vandalism from happening, for example, the school burning down in Cape Dorset.
Has your department ever considered setting up a camera system where they’re monitored remotely by, let’s say, a third party or somehow operated where, if they’re activated, somebody is notified that there is an issue at the school and they can act upon that issue?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) If I can briefly answer that, all the cameras that we have in our schools are “monitorable,” if that’s the word in English, “monitorable.”
I’m referring to the new ones that we have installed. They’re all “monitorable,” if that’s a word that the House can accept.
(interpretation) I apologize. I can only respond that way, but if you want me to elaborate further, I can do so, Mr. Chairman.
I know that technology is out there where you can install cameras in certain areas and you can have somebody monitoring that system at a different location. It has the capabilities of taking video and forwarding it to the RCMP or other people you want to send it to, to prevent vandals from getting into the schools and whatnot.
You say that these cameras you’re putting in now may have that capability.
Will you be going further and having this kind of system where somebody can monitor it at a remote location?
We have to remember that the government has a lot of buildings, including our schools, and despite their large number, they have to be constantly monitored.
This is probably a very good idea where we would install such devices, especially working with Community and Government Services, because our schools and all our other assets have to be properly taken care.
As MLAs, it’s our jobs to suggest ways and helping out in saving money for the government.
I have no idea on the cost of implementing such a camera system throughout Nunavut or whatnot, but I think it might be worthwhile to do some research on it and maybe get back to members with some kind of cost that may be associated with it.
Thinking long term, if you had these cameras set up, maybe your insurance dollars will go down, the cost of insurance maybe. If you save one school, it’s $40 million saved.
I think the benefits of having such a system may outweigh the costs of implementing it.
I’ll just leave that as a comment and hopefully some day, you guys can get back to us with some better information on it.
The member indicated that it was just a comment.
We will come back tomorrow with the minister and his officials.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 24 and would like to report progress with one committee motion being adopted.
Just a reminder that tomorrow, the Standing Committee on Legislation meets at nine o’clock in the morning in the Nanuq Boardroom.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) This House stands adjourned until Wednesday, October 26, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 18:57
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Pages 2548 – 2599
Opening Prayer 2548
Ministers’ Statements 2548
Members’ Statements 2553
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 2556
Oral Questions 2559
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 2575
Report of the Committee of the Whole 2598
Orders of the Day 2599
Wednesday, October 26, 2016 2548
175 – 4(3): Passport and Possession and Acquisition Licence Photos in Communities (Taptuna) 2548
176 – 4(3): Hope, Help, and Healing (Hickes) 2549
177 – 4(3): Construction of the New High School in Cape Dorset (Quassa) 2550
178 – 4(3): Success of Major Nunavut Film Productions (Ell-Kanayuk) 2550
179 – 4(3): Forum of Labour Market Ministers (Mike) 2551
180 – 4(3): Qilaut, Nunavut’s Inuktut Songwriting Contest (Kuksuk) 2552
181 – 4(3): Hunter Education Series (Quassa) 2552
344 – 4(3): Recognition of Sanikiluaq Table Tennis Team (Rumbolt) 2553
345 – 4(3): Suicide Prevention Conference in Iqaluit (Okalik) 2554
346 – 4(3): Establishing an Angutiit Makigiarningit Group in Cape Dorset (Joanasie) 2554
347 – 4(3): Son’s First Whale and Walrus Hunt (Keyootak) 2555
348 – 4(3): Recognition of Pond Inlet Table Tennis Team (Enook) 2555
349 – 4(3): Suicide Prevention and Awareness (Qirngnuq) 2556
457 – 4(3): Meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (Angnakak) 2559
458 – 4(3): Vacant Conservation Officer Position in Grise Fiord (Shooyook) 2561
459 – 4(3): Nunavut Food Security Coalition (Enook) 2563
460 – 4(3): Supporting Nunavut’s Midwives (Sammurtok, A) 2565
461 – 4(3): Cape Dorset’s Community Justice Committee (Joanasie) 2567
462 – 4(3): Addressing School Attendance Issues (Mikkungwak) 2568
463 – 4(3): Health Services in Winnipeg (Mapsalak) 2570
464 – 4(3): English-only Telephone Survey (Okalik) 2572
465 – 4(3): Inuit Language Implementation Fund (Angnakak) 2573
466 – 4(3): Tank Farm Renovations (Sammurtok, T) 2573
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2017-2018 – Education – Consideration in Committee 2576
Bill 24 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2017-2018 – Nunavut Arctic College – Consideration in Committee 2591
Members, ministers, (interpretation ends) Premier, (interpretation) and visitors in the gallery, welcome to the House.
Ministers’ Statements. (interpretation ends) The Hon. Premier of Nunavut, Mr. Peter Taptuna.
Minister’s Statement 175 – 4(3): Passport and Possession and Acquisition Licence Photos in Communities (Taptuna)
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) Good afternoon, my colleagues.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a question that was raised last week in regard to the availability of passport and Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) photos in communities.
In Sivumut Abluqta, this government committed to ensuring that programs and services are delivered in an effective, efficient manner.
To this end, government liaison officer (GLO) positions offer support, information, and government representation in communities throughout Nunavut.
We are all aware that passport photos have very specific requirements.
All GLOs have received training in introductory passport and Possession and Acquisition Licence photography, and they have also been provided with a step-by-step guide as a helpful reference.
Digital cameras and selfie printers were distributed to every GLO office in March of 2016, making this service available in every community.
Mr. Speaker, some GLOs have become proficient in taking these specialized photographs while others have faced challenges and require more training.
To help alleviate this, the Government of Nunavut and third party organizations such as the Government of Canada are committed to offering regular training to GLOs to ensure all communities offer standardized and equitable services.
Mr. Speaker, being able to provide this service within each community is a positive step forward.