I want to thank the Minister for that. Again, it confirms a number of things that I said earlier. If we did not know what the security was, why did we take it and what did we do about it? Not much. In the last Assembly, there was a mandate that read as follows, "Develop an integrated comprehensive approach to management of contaminated sites, including prioritizing sharing of responsibility in collaboration with other governments, monitoring, and a sound financial security system to prevent public liabilities." Mr. Speaker, none of this was done. We collectively failed. Does the Minister have a plan, a roadmap, any resources or steps, anything that we can do to prevent another Cameron Hills from happening again?
I would like to thank the Member for that question and for giving it to us in advance because I have to get some really important details out in the open here. In 2019, the GNWT approach to contaminated sites management was released, and we continue to build upon this work. The interdepartmental contaminated sites committee and working group have formed to coordinate and implement this work. It is anticipated the work plan will be finalized in the spring of 2021. Over the years since devolution, the GNWT has also worked with the land and water resource boards and the federal government to update the guidelines and model for establishing securities. With the regulations being developed under the Public Land Act and other oil and gas regulations being developed by ITI, we will continue to make ongoing improvements to the regulatory system to prevent future liabilities.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. When Cameron Hills sour gas field finally becomes a GNWT liability, it's not clear how these costs are going to be appropriated or accounted for. Can the Minister tell us where the funds to remediate Cameron Hills will come from when it becomes a GNWT liability and how it will appear in the public accounts? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
The cost to remediate the site is estimated, included in the listings, unless our reclaimed security amounts held. However, Mr. Speaker, the environmental liability fund, as the Member has said, is an annual appropriation of $2 million. If additional funds are required to cover the cost of remediation for all environmental liability sites, a supplementary estimation will be put forward, at that time, to the House for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. When the sun starts coming back, I get excited about summer, and the sun is coming back. I am wondering if the Minister of ITI will let us know when ITI plans to open campground bookings online this summer. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am also excited for the summer coming back. Right now, the planned reservation time for parks will be a staged opening between May 4th and May 7th. Thank you.
If the bookings open May 1st to May 4th, I am wondering when the campgrounds intend to open.
One of the things that COVID did not change is the weather, and as such, we are still sticking with the usual dates for opening. This accommodates the fact that those who have the contracts to do the campgrounds and to operate the parks need some time, once they are able to get in there, once the thaw has begun, to actually get in there and make facilities functional and usable. We are right now anticipating the same usual opening date, which would be May 15th for most parks and/or the May 24th long weekend for the other parks.
I understand that it's cold sometimes. We have, in the North, some pretty tough people, and I think they would love to start their staycation season a little bit early given that they have been in town for a long time and would love the opportunity to break out their campers. Some of them who are extreme die-hards would love to just camp in the snow. I am wondering if ITI would be willing to open the season a little bit early this year. Don't worry; I am not a snow camper. If they would be willing to open the parks a little bit earlier this year. I know Yukon just announced yesterday that they are opening their parks May 1st. I am wondering if we can jump the gun and do April 30th since that is a Friday.
That, right now, is not in the plan. I, as much as anyone else who has not travelled anywhere, would like to be outside. There is nothing much that I can do, though, and I can't speak to what the situation in the Yukon may be or what their circumstances or facilities may be. For us and for the facilities that we have, for the contractors that we have, they are going to need time, once it thaws enough, to go in there. Mr. Speaker, I suspect it comes back down to outhouses, oddly enough, twice in one day. Not to minimize the other work that needs to get done, but right now, that is the expectation, is that, to get down to work, they need to get done. It's going to be the same opening as usual.
It cost over $200,000 last year when they kept the parks open into the fall, which is not to say that we can't look at whether we can extend the season again, but the traditional opening is there for that reason. We have not had an outpouring of folks asking for the earlier start. We have the very fortunate situation in the North where people can indeed go camping at sites outside of the formal territorial parks, and there are many fine lodges and other staycation opportunities in the Northwest Territories. I know that my news is not necessarily good, but we will have those parks in wonderful working order as soon as the date arrives.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Given that people can't leave the territory this year and they would love to probably be able to camp every single weekend, if possible, is there a plan to offer an incentive to camp more often than not or an incentive to camp at all this summer for NWT residents? Thank you.
Last year, there was a coupon program that encouraged people to stay longer in the parks, and we are looking right now at doing that again. It did seem to be very successful. It was highly subscribed, so while I am not in a position to stand and make any official announcements right now, we certainly are actively looking at doing that again, precisely to encourage people to get out and utilize the facilities of the fantastic parks that we do have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 408-19(2): Use of Indigenous Languages in GNWT Workplaces." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Norn.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022, Departments of Infrastructure and Justice. Marsi cho.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short break and resume with the first item.
---SHORT RECESS
I now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we are considering Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022, and we are continuing on with Infrastructure. We are under regional operations. That is on page 250, with information items on page 253. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses in. Minister, will you please introduce your witnesses for the record?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Today, I have with me Deputy Minister Steve Loutitt and assistant deputy minister for regional operations, Gary Brennan.
Thank you, and welcome back. Committee, like I mentioned, we are on regional operations beginning on page 250, with information items on page 253. Questions? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I know my colleague, I think from Yellowknife North, asked about this. Does the Minister have any idea how much the average O and M costs are for highways? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The average on our estimates, last year, we spent $75 million as an average on highways. Thank you.
Member.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I will confess that I don't know how many kilometres of highways we have. Does the Minister have some kind of figure or the cost per kilometre? Is it, I don't know, $10 a kilometre that we pay to maintain a highway? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. In terms of highway operations, we are responsible for maintaining the system. We have about 2,350 kilometres of all-weather roads, which includes bridges, small culverts, across the Northwest Territories. In terms of costs, Madam Chair, it varies, and I will repeat myself from yesterday's question because it was something similar from another Member. It talked about, for all the different highways that we have across the territories, we have some that are chipsealed, some that are cement, and some that are just gravel roads. It would vary in terms of costs. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Maybe I will try it again. Is there a range that the Minister could give us, cost per kilometre, for O and M for highways? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will ask ADM Brennan to give a range. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Brennan.
Thank you, Madam Chair. In terms of 2019-2020, the first thing I will say is that the range changes every year, depending, and worked on based our inspections. We did daily inspections of our highways, and work happens after that there. In 2019-2020, the range went from about $6400 per kilometre on Highway No. 7, up to $14,000 on Highway No. 6. We don't have the overall average per kilometre because we break it down by particular highways. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Bingo, I got it. I appreciate that. I think this is the part of the budget where the Yellowknife Airport Revolving Fund is found as an information item. I'd like to know: there seems to be quite a lot of money that's built up as surplus in this fund. When can we expect that this is going to start to be spent? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I understood that this was just regional operations. Madam Chair, if you want me to go back to, you referenced pages 250 to 253, and the revolving fund is on pages 261 to 262. Would you like, Madam Chair, for me to do all the other sections?
No. We just decided yesterday, just because of the department and the info items are very large and some of the topics in there, so we'll just do the regional operations. Then, we'll go into another section where you can ask questions on the information items separately. Do you want to continue on with regional operations?
Thanks, Madam Chair. Look, I'm happy to get 10 minutes on the Yellowknife Airport Revolving Fund, so thank you. I appreciate that.
Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I was looking at page 251 about the amortization. I know that my colleague from Yellowknife asked his questions a little bit. I'm just curious. I looked in every department here in our budget here, and this is quite a bit higher, significantly higher than any other department for this line item. It made me think about: one, why is it so high? I'll continue on with my questions. Thank you.
