Caroline Cochrane

The NWT is actually the second in Canada in regards to renewable resources and I really want to keep that title. In fact, I would like to be number one if we could get there. Arctic Energy Alliance is really key in distributing the renewable energy resources to communities, so we are committed to maintaining an Arctic Energy Alliance within our programs and projects to work with renewable energy within the NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Climate change was taken into consideration, but the focus was really on the previous 30 years and that is why one of the recommendation is to consider an upgrade and to keep monitoring our hydro production so that we can keep better statistics on the water levels and where we’re going in the future with climate change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Housing Corporation has identified needs within the communities from our previous needs assessment, and so we’ve identified that we need to replace older public housing; we need new affordable housing; we need major renovation projects on public housing. However, we have committed to working with the IRC, and, as such, we will do so before we define exactly what our priorities will be for that region.

Yes, the new energy plan will be… We will try to consult as much as possible within the definition, so although right now at this point the study showed that within this region that we have capacity, that we’re fine within the hydro system, the renewable energy system that we have currently, we still are focusing within our thermal communities. We need to get them off diesel. This is really not sustainable energy and it’s not good for our environment. This is not only a concern for the Northwest Territories, this is national wide and international wide, so we’ve committed to working nationally...

I would like to start by reinforcing that hydro is actually a renewable energy and one of the most cost effective as well, and we have a good supply as related in the Member’s opening speech. It’s sufficient for 90 per cent of our needs at this time. Unless there’s a major mine would we actually have to look at expanding upon that. Within the cost analysis it was shown that the current system as we have now is cost effective versus bringing in something such as a solar system which would cost millions of dollars, and that cost would actually have to be transferred to the ratepayers. We’re on...

As stated in the previous question, the Housing Corporation is using its definition of needs based on the needs assessment that was done. We’ve also met with members of the IRC individually, representatives, to see what they define as the needs. The final process that we’ll be doing is actually calling a meeting with the IRC, which will be happening within the next couple of weeks, to show the results of what we’ve compiled and actually to hear what they have to say. They will take the lead on defining where we go with that. I have committed, as the Minister, that I will actually attend that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the modular homes were purchased, prior to my term and governance actually, we used the bid process and there was substantial savings, over 30 per cent savings, with using the modular homes. The cost of transportation, although there may be some differences, we still have to get those homes up by barge and stuff. There is still transport whether we use it to take the materials from the South or to bring the modular homes; there would still be a transportation cost within that, the amount I cannot state at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to be able to say yes, that there would be a decline by 20 people. However, in the short period of time that I have been a Minister, I have noticed that there's been an increase within homeless people within the community. I am not as optimistic, and I would have to say that probably this is going to be a long-standing issue that we will have to dedicate a lot of time within the next, not only the four years, but for a longer period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's actually a few things that we're doing to reduce the shelter bed nights, the amount of people that are staying in the shelters within the Yellowknife community. For one, we are working with the City of Yellowknife with their Housing First project. We're also working with the shelters to implement a Housing First project within their own so that they can move some of the people that are in their units into more of an independent living structure. Finally, we are working within the communities as well to implement emergency shelters within the community, three...

The NWT Housing Corporation land section works a year in advance to identify the land needs for the following year’s projects. One of the strategies we also use is the buildings that need to be demolished. We consider that when we’re looking at new buildings, and so often we’ll take out a unit to put in a new unit within that, on that land.