Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today was the excess heat in the Power Corporation in Sachs Harbour. Mr. Speaker, will the government give small and remote communities, especially in Nunakput with the highest operating and logistical costs, their fair share and seriously evaluate the use of excess heat recovery in the system? Is it possible for the government to help the community out to get the excess heat? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for that question because it gives me an opportunity to say that the Power Corporation is always interested in working with communities in trying to extend the benefits of our Corporation into those communities. In fact, there is some work that’s being done, for example, in the Nunakput riding of Ulukhaktok and looking at the plant there and the work that needs to be done at that, and looking at the past work and some of the heat distribution work that was done then. We’re looking at that.
For the community of Sachs Harbour in particular, if the community would like to go down that, we would invite their request in correspondence, and I’d take that as an initial step by the Member here asking that. We would gladly be prepared to sit down with them and talk about what it would take to look at having residual heat in that community. Thank you.
I already take that as a yes and I thank the Premier.
In the community of Sachs, Mr. Speaker, the fire department is right beside the Power Corporation. It’s about probably as far as from me to the Premier. What we’re trying to do is get the excess heat system put into the fire hall so we can be able to have a heated fire truck. Mr. Speaker, I really look forward to working with Premier and the community to get this project underway.
Mr. Speaker, just on another note, will the government stop allocating the project and resources such as excess heat recovery systems to the communities that have at least administration and logistical coordination, and prioritize them according to the community at the highest cost to generate the heat? Thank you.
I’ll have to look at Hansard to figure out what specific part. We’re working with communities who have come forward and have done a fair bit of legwork. As I’ve said to the Member, we’re very interested in working with communities. I know that Municipal and Community Affairs has worked with communities and the Arctic Energy Alliance and communities have come up with energy plans and we’ll work with them. As the communities have worked with MACA, the Power Corporation, again, is open to looking at these requests to see what can be done and working with them on their energy plans as well. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I really look forward to working with the Minister and the Power Corporation to get this project started. If we could have a timeline before the end of sitting, that would be good for me. Thank you.
If the Member could help set up communications with the community, I would gladly speak to the chair of the Power Corporation and inform him of our discussions here and a commitment to have an initial discussion about what it would take and what’s required to move this forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
