Question Period Note: Investments in Post Secondary Education

• Our Government remains committed to supporting post-secondary education in Canada’s North.
• Through Budget 2019, our government invested almost $13M over five years in the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning and $26M over five years for the construction of a science building at Yukon University.
• On October 23, 2020, we launched an independent Task Force on Post-Secondary Education in the North, announced in Budget 2019. The Task Force delivered its report and Calls to Action in March 2022.
• Budget 2021 provided $8 million to support the transformation of Aurora College to a polytechnic university.

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If pressed on Post-Secondary Education Investments in the North
• Post-secondary education remains a key priority for Northerners.

• Post-Secondary Education initiatives announced in Budgets 2019 and 2021 are underway, despite COVID-19’s impacts.

• The Task Force on Northern Post-Secondary Education submitted their report in March 2022, detailing 37 calls to action requiring collaborative work from all levels of government.

• Yukon University continues to work towards construction of the science building.

• The Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning has been working hard to enhance and broaden its current programming.

• The ongoing transition of Aurora College to a polytechnic university will help to increase access to post-secondary education for Northerners.

If pressed on Aurora College

• The new polytechnic university will combine the practical learning elements of a college with more in-depth learning which will increase tangible opportunities for residents of the Northwest Territories.

• The funding is supporting planning and Indigenous engagement to support the transformation process, infrastructure upgrades to the Western Arctic Research Centre in Inuvik, and the Aurora College Research Services Team Pilot.

• These projects help fulfill both the priorities of the Northwest Territories and the co-developed goals of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework.

If pressed on Dechinta funding agreement

• Dechinta has a contribution funding agreement in place and accomplished many objectives in 2021-2022.

• These objectives include delivering the Beaufort Delta Pilot Program and Ekwo Hide Camp. The Beaufort program gave high school students the opportunity to learn with local land-users, language speakers, researchers, and the land. The Ekwo camp gave students the opportunity to connect with Indigenous (Dene) culture and lifestyle through hide teachings by traditional Elders.

• Dechinta also hosted the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association North Conference in 2022, with virtual and in person events.