Debates of November 29, 2007 (day 5)

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Return To Question 61-16(1): Stanton Territorial Health Authority Human Resource Plan

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to report that the preparation of the Stanton human resource plan is well underway. Two surveys have been conducted since the human resource committee was formed in February of 2007. Data from both surveys have been summarized and have been released to all Stanton employees as of October 4th. A staffing working group has been formed. A staff forum was held on November 9, 2007, in order to provide feedback on the results. We are taking that data and the feedback and are working on developing a human resource plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Supplementary To Question 61-16(1): Stanton Territorial Health Authority Human Resource Plan

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the information from the Minister. That is more than we had previously. But I would like to ask the Minister when the Standing Committee on Social Programs can expect to receive this report.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 61-16(1): Stanton Territorial Health Authority Human Resource Plan

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working towards having a draft prepared by January 2008. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Supplementary To Question 61-16(1): Stanton Territorial Health Authority Human Resource Plan

Thank you again. I would like to ask the Minister, at this point now that the information from the surveys has been accumulated and drafted into some sort of an initial report, whether or not and when the Standing Committee on Social Programs can receive copies of the surveys which were sent out.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 61-16(1): Stanton Territorial Health Authority Human Resource Plan

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understood that this information has been sent out to all Stanton employees. I am not sure whether that means it is public information. I think I will probably have to get some authorization from the HR committee and, once I get that, I am sure I can share it with the standing committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions surround my Member’s statement in regards to the maintenance and disrepair of our highway systems in the Northwest Territories. I think we do have to look at how we maintain the highway systems we have. The practice to date has been applying calcium, continue to grade and apply more crushed gravel to the surface and continue on trying to be able to maintain that system, but yet, Mr. Speaker, it is not working. We are realizing our climate is changing. We are seeing more rain. We are seeing more permafrost separation by way of roads shifting and culverts collapsing. I think it is crucial that we look at an alternative. Mr. Speaker, I believe the alternative that we have to look at is chipseal or looking at eventually permanent pavement on our highway systems.

Mr. Speaker, there has been pavement in Inuvik for quite a few years. You drive the Alaska Highway; it is paved pretty well all the way to Whitehorse. You can drive from Whitehorse to Dawson City which is chipseal and even parts of the Dempster Highway in the Yukon is chipseal. I would like to ask the Minister, is he willing to consider looking at a different way of maintaining our highway systems by implementing a territorial-wide program that will chipseal all of our gravel highways so that we can bring our highway systems up to the standards of other jurisdictions in Canada? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Return To Question 62-16(1): Creative Approach To The Maintenance Of Highway Infrastructure

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for Mackenzie Delta for the question. Mr. Speaker, I had driven last year on the Dempster Highway. I know what the Minister is talking about first hand in terms of the conditions on the Dempster Highway. Mr. Speaker, our department’s first priority, of course, to all residents who are travelling our highway, is safety. Safety is number one in our books in terms of our transportation system. I would say that we didn’t do any work on the Dempster Highway in terms of putting calcium coating on the surface of the Dempster and the reconstruction of the Dempster to bring it up to some standards to where we can look at further investments into the Dempster Highway.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 62-16(1): Creative Approach To The Maintenance Of Highway Infrastructure

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is crucial that we do come up with a territorial change in regards to how we maintain our gravel highways in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister again, would he ask his department to work with other departmental agencies? We have a chipseal program in regards to MACA that we’ve just piloted, and I believe it’s a good start but I think we have to expand that to include our roads throughout the Northwest Territories. So I’d like to ask the Minister, would he take an in-depth review of the maintenance program we presently follow and see if we can apply a chipseal program throughout our highway systems in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 62-16(1): Creative Approach To The Maintenance Of Highway Infrastructure

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our staff and our contractors are doing an exceptional job in terms of maintaining our infrastructure, especially on the highways. Mr. Speaker, I welcome the suggestion from the Member here in terms of part of our view in terms of priorities and infrastructure within the Department of Transportation is to look at areas where we can ensure and commit investment in terms of improving our highway systems like the Member is suggesting; looking at the chipsealing of the Dempster Highway. I would take that as a suggestion in terms of when we look at long-term priorities of our highway systems.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 62-16(1): Creative Approach To The Maintenance Of Highway Infrastructure

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just to remind the Minister that there used to be a major undertaking by way of applying calcium to our highway systems. There was a major cutback over the last number of years where on very few sections of our highways calcium was being applied. Again, we talk about dust control. But right now that is the only option that we have in front of us to provide the public with safe driving conditions that they can drive under. But yet it’s not…

Do you have a question Mr. Krutko?

I’d like to ask the Minister, would he seriously look at the possibility of implementing a territorial program to chipseal our gravel highways in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 62-16(1): Creative Approach To The Maintenance Of Highway Infrastructure

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the suggestion that the Member has referred to is a huge task on all of us within government in terms of the limited amount of money that we have in terms of our infrastructure needs in the North here. It’s about balancing our funding to protect and also to fix up our existing facilities, like Highway No. 8, and even to respond to new needs of other areas that do not have a highway. I have other areas to look at also, so I would again take the Member’s suggestion very seriously in terms of looking at his suggestion as one of our areas for long-term infrastructure needs as part of our planning priority process. I would certainly like to have full discussions with the Member to that point.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 62-16(1): Creative Approach To The Maintenance Of Highway Infrastructure

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have implemented the main street maintenance program through MACA. I believe it was a pilot project. Again, I believe it’s a good start, but we’re not going to be able to accomplish our communities. However, all I’m asking for the Minister to consider is a pilot project for our highway systems to look at, not any major capital dollars, but applying it on our different highway systems to see exactly how we can improve our highway systems for the general public. So, again, I’m asking the Minister, we know we got $38 million of infrastructure funding, let’s use it. We got a raise in regards to the amount of borrowing limit we have, so let’s fill in that gap. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can act on this matter as soon as possible.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 62-16(1): Creative Approach To The Maintenance Of Highway Infrastructure

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I can commit to the Member is that I would like to drive the Dempster Highway to see it first hand the issues and challenges into the issues here. Because, you know, safety of the travellers is our most important goal here with the department. I would take, again, his suggestion in terms of reviewing the Member’s suggestion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today in my Member’s statement I spoke of the deplorable condition of Highway No. 6 and the fact that my constituents in Fort Resolution take their lives into their hands when they drive that road. Can the Minister tell this Assembly whether there is any plan to do any reconstruction on Highway No. 6 in the near future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Return To Question 63-16(1): Condition Of Highway No. 6

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the need for capital reconstruction of Highway No. 6 to Fort Resolution is identified in the department’s 20-year capital needs assessment. The first 32 kilometres of the old Pine Point townsite has chipsealed surface, Mr. Speaker. I will, again, look at this issue here with the Members, as I also indicated to the Member for the Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Supplementary To Question 63-16(1): Condition Of Highway No. 6

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need to do something to that highway before it disappears into the muskeg or, worse, before a bad accident occurs on that highway. Can the Minister commit to having his officials look at the situation taking into account the potential impact of the Tamerlane project that is being considered right now on the other side of the area of the highway from Fort Resolution due to the potential for high volume traffic for employees at Tamerlane? Can the Minister advise if there will be anything moved up in the capital plan to cover the 56 miles of gravel highway leading into Fort Resolution?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. A couple of questions there. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 63-16(1): Condition Of Highway No. 6

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the Member for Tu Nedhe that my officials will continue monitoring all the infrastructure of highways, marinas, airport facilities in the North, and that Highway No. 6 is one of the areas that we are paying close attention to. The challenge, of course, is to find the funding to improve our existing highways and respond to the demands of all our needs in the Northwest Territories. I look forward to discussing transportation funding priorities with the committees when we have that time.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Supplementary To Question 63-16(1): Condition Of Highway No. 6

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently there is $34 million in the capital plan for chipseal and pavement overlay. Can the Minister tell me how much of the $34 million has been earmarked for Highway No. 6, if any?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 63-16(1): Condition Of Highway No. 6

Mr. Speaker, chipseal and pavement overlays are only considered on sections of our highways that we have reconstructed and the road base and improved the alignment, otherwise we would lose the service of improvement. Mr. Speaker, I want to get back to the Member with more information on the planned future work of Highway No. 6 in terms of chipsealing in that area.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Supplementary To Question 63-16(1): Condition Of Highway No. 6

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to taking a drive with me to the community during the summer months to see the highway first hand, Highway No. 6? Hopefully it will be raining then. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Yakeleya.

Further Return To Question 63-16(1): Condition Of Highway No. 6

Mr. Speaker, I’m going to gladly take up the Member’s offer. I’m planning, actually, to see if I can drive all the highways in the Northwest Territories. I also plan to sit down with the Member and have a discussion about the future work that may happen in Pine Point. I look forward to working with committee on advancing some of the infrastructure needs with this government here. Certainly, the committee Members would be most important to my department in these types of discussions we have on infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this question is addressed to the Minister of MACA. Ms. Bisaro spoke earlier this week about the Arctic Winter Games and the benefit the 2008 games will provide to Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories. One of the biggest challenges for the games has been the need to raise enough funds to host the games as expected by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. The budget for the games is $6.6 million. Of that, $2.6 million has been contributed through various other government organizations -- federal, territorial -- which leaves $3.1 million. Fundraising for $3.1 million has been done through businesses both in the Northwest Territories and Canada, which leaves a shortfall of $901,000. The host society is projected to raise an additional $476,000, which leaves us with a total shortfall of $425,000. Some months ago, in June, the host society submitted a request to MACA for an additional operational grant in the amount of $425,000. As of today, there’s been no response to this request. The host society has entered into a critical period of cash flow and needs the GNWT to respond to the request and provide a cash grant as soon as possible. So my question to the Minister is, will the 2008 host society receive approval for the necessary operational grant and when can they expect to receive the cheque? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Return To Question 64-16(1): Operational Grant For The Host Society Of The Arctic Winter Games

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the host society for the Arctic Winter Games has been doing a very good job and they’ve done a good job in raising a lot of the funding that’s been required. A request has come forward, as the Member has indicated, in the latter part of the summer. We are now bringing it forward to my Cabinet colleagues for discussion and we will be reporting back to the host society sometime in early December. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.

Supplementary To Question 64-16(1): Operational Grant For The Host Society Of The Arctic Winter Games

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further, to the Minister, the host society is in a planning phase; they’re going to be delivering the games in March, which really isn’t that far away. If they could get some sort of commitment that they will be receiving the money, then they can continue with the planning. If they’re not going to be getting the money, they’re going to have to cut programs, which is going to affect the overall delivery of the games. So I would like a commitment from the Minister to get some sort of response to the host society as soon as possible, as early in December as possible.