Wally Schumann

In the department, we have our permafrost experts and our engineers monitoring these areas, particularly kilometre 213, to come up with a longterm solution.

Last year, the Member asked me about the Yukon using heat traces, and I am glad to say that, at these four sites at kilometre 213, we will be purchasing heat traces to install at that location. Our contractors are out there diligently trying to keep the road safe for everybody, and, like I said, they have steamed these culverts. Everything is flowing as they should be, and we will continue to monitor the situation.

The main purpose for installing renewables and alternative energy is to stabilize the cost of power, reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that we are all working towards, and protect residents from future fluctuations of commodity prices of diesel fuel. Even with that, it has to be noted that we need to have diesel backup in these communities, and the government is committed to converting these plants as much as possible with the backup system in place. We are also committed to covering the mental costs of doing this in the communities so that the emerging and renewable power projects moving...

The yearly subsidy has remained approximately the same over the last five years. It has fluctuated a bit year to year, but it is very close.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Yellowknife Airport Five-Year Business Plan 2018-2019 to 2022-2023." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have said, at kilometre 140, everything seems to be working fine. The department will continue to monitor the other culverts moving forward. We will be installing these four heat traces in the springtime at 213, and we will monitor things going forward. If this becomes something that we need to do at other sections of the highway, we will have a look at it.

Mr. Speaker, airports are an integral component of our northern transportation infrastructure. Air travel contributes to social cohesion by enabling relatives, families, and friends to stay connected. Air travel saves lives through our medevac system and facilitates business enterprises throughout our vast territory. Many communities rely on air travel to deliver essential goods.

The Department of Infrastructure is committed to working with public and private sector partners to continuously maintain and improve airport infrastructure and operations. Today, I am pleased to report that a number...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Energy Initiatives Report 2016-2017." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have said, we are going to be tabling our 2030 energy strategy pretty soon, but that has the long-term vision, to 2030. We are going to be rolling out a three-year action plan for this session or this Assembly going forward so we have something to work on, which will be released this spring. In that action plan, we will have details, specific details, of the actions that we are going to take, the infrastructure money that is needed to accomplish this. We have six strategic objectives that we want to complete in that, but we are still negotiating our bilateral agreements, which this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our department, Infrastructure, we're working on our 2030 Energy Strategy, but it is linked specifically to the NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework. We are working together with us, ENR, and the Department of Finance to ensure consistency between all the strategies moving forward that are being developed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If it's through the CAP program, that's an application that's on a first-come-first-served basis, and I think the community of Aklavik has done very well on it. As for the longer federal infrastructure plan, we're going to be signing our bilateral year pretty soon, hopefully in the next month or so with the federal Minister, and those types of programs are still being worked out; but I think there are plenty of opportunities for communities within the new infrastructure funding that's coming to the Northwest Territories over the next 10 years.