Wally Schumann

I don't have that detail in front of me, but what I can tell you about this project is that, if we connect the transmission line to Whati, we're going to eliminate 475,000 litres of diesel fuel annually. We have to look at this situation. Maybe the Member is not well aware, but what he's not thinking about in the short term is joining this transmission line to the community of Whati. The long-term goal, if the Tlicho Government and the Government of the Northwest Territories decide to go ahead with the Lac La Martre project, which I would assume would be at some point for future growth and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize today in the House Marny Twigge and Heather Coakwell for their continued work with NWT Elections and the coming up elections. I would like to welcome Mrs. Trentor to the House today, as well. Nice to see you, Mrs. Trentor.

I didn't do any closing Minister's or Member's statement, but I want to take one second to thank everybody for the last four years. I think, most importantly for me, I want to thank the Premier. This has been a tough four years, and he's been a mentor to me, and he's done us an honour serving us for the Northwest Territories...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "NWT Mineral Development Strategy Progress Report 2016-2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think I have to clarify here. Maybe the department has done it; I just said that I don't have that level of detail in front of me. We can certainly have a look and check with the department if they have done that cost analysis. As I have said, we believe in the short term to join the Whati to the Snare system through our transmission line, and once potential growth in the region and industrial development happens, the Whati would certainly feed into that growth and help stabilize the North Slave grid.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'm well aware of these projects. These were led by the Tlicho Government. Costing goes back as far as 2009, and these things would have to be re-costed to present-day costs to compare it to what the present line that we are proposing in our energy strategy to connect Whati, which we haven't defined, as we discussed in this House yesterday. I can't compare the costs.

Clearly, what we have laid out in our 2030 Energy Strategy is how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the Northwest Territories. Part of that strategy is a T-line to Whati, no different than the T-line from Hay River to Fort Providence and Kakisa.

We will have to continue to look at ways to grow our economy in the Northwest Territories and, at the same time, honour our commitment to the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth. This is what we have come forward with. We went out and reached out to all of the communities when we did our Energy Strategy, and this is one of our plans going...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I said, we don't know the exact size of the line, yet. That has to be determined by our engagement in our pre-feasibility work, but I suspect we want to build this thing to not only supply the community of Whati and get them off diesel to lower our GHG emissions as part of our strategy going forward, but we also have to take a realistic look at the potential economic development in that region, and we will have to build in some capacity, I believe, to support some of those initiatives going forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. From 2014-2019, we actually did embankment and surface improvements, drainage improvements. They have been completed. We spent $728,000 doing that. In 2019-2020, we worked with Jean Marie and did additional embankment and surface improvement for $310,000. So we continue to work with the communities and, as funds become available, we will continue to work with them. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member's question is kind of vague. Is he trying to build the whole thing, or for the Government of the Northwest Territories, what we're doing to work with these people? Back to the Nahanni Butte access road, we were working very closely with the community with them on capital improvements through the federal GNWT funding arrangements highlighted above. The department is also working with the private sector, the community, the Mine Training Society, and Aurora College to implement the heavy equipment operation training program this year.

The department will be...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the 2020-2021 plan for chipseal is approximately 200 kilometres of chipseal in Highways No. 1, 6, and 4, and Detah access road. That's the amount of detail I have in front of me. Thank you, Mr. Chair.