DEH CHO
As the legislative assembly reconvenes for the second sitting of its 18th session, housing and tourism top the list of concerns Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli and Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson had planned to bring before the house.

As the budget looms over the assembly, Nadli said housing, tourism and junior kindergarten are the three issues he will be focusing his time on. All three were brought up during a recent constituency tour of Fort Providence, Kakisa, the Hay River Reserve and Enterprise.

The rollout of junior kindergarten territorywide remains a hot topic in Fort Providence and also the Hay River Reserve, he said. Both communities currently have Aboriginal Head Start programs.

"On the reserve, it seems like (Education, Culture and Employment) has gone in there without any respect or protocols, and completely discarded the chief and council. That's a major infringement from the perspective of the leadership from the Hay River Reserve," he said.

"I think there has to be some reflection in terms of how the legislation goes forward, to ensure it's consistent with treaty rights on the reserve."

As funding concerns swirl, Nadli said some community members have expressed the desire to see the junior kindergarten program stopped altogether, while others think the program should be left out of communities with Aboriginal Head Start.

"It seems from the discussions that as well-intended as junior kindergarten might be, the major benefits will be to the larger regions and larger centres," Nadli said.

"In the small communities, where you have a small population of students . if you don't have an increase in teachers, the pupil-teacher ratio is in question and whether (the program) is being properly resourced."

Nadli said housing also continues to be a priority for his constituency, especially the reserve where issues of jurisdiction arise. Describing the housing situation on the Hay River Reserve as "disappointing," Nadli said he heard a phrase from one young person during a meeting that perfectly sums up the problem: "The houses are for display only."

"There's a lot of bureaucracy in terms of jurisdiction on reserve," he said.

"There's the land issue, and then access to houses that have been standing empty for some time, and at the same time just whether there's been a clear commitment from the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation to work with the reserve . to make those houses available on a timely basis."

As for tourism, Nadli said the topic of parks and day-use areas in the Deh Cho has increasingly come to the forefront of discussions as the amount of visitors to territorial parks increases.

"Communities (are) looking at how they can become more involved with that opportunity."

MLAs will be in session until March 10.

Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson said tourism is also an issue Fort Liard wants looked at. Thompson, who recently returned from a tour of the Nahendeh riding, met with the hamlet, Acho Dene Koe First Nation and Fort Liard Metis Nation during a stop in the community.

"They really want to stress the importance about tourism - they want the government to start looking at tourism as an opportunity and work with them to enhance it," he said.

Housing pressures were also cited as a concern in each of the communities Thompson visited.

MLAs will be in session until March 10.