Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, need was just identified by some of the statistics we heard, only 33 percent of our community teens do have a driver’s licence. So I would be the first to agree that the creation of a DOT drivers’ education and licensing program in schools would open up questions such as liabilities, insurance premiums and overall costs of the program. However, with the GNWT having some of the lowest WSCC rates in the Northwest Territories and leveraging our access to fleet vehicles and insurance, I believe we are in a perfect position to initiate a pilot program.
So would the Department of Transportation Minister be willing to work with the ECE Minister counterpart and consider a pilot project to establish a DOT driver education and licensing program in our schools? Thank you.
Thank you. When it comes to the safety of our teens and youth here in the Northwest Territories, we’re always willing to talk with anyone, and I certainly will have the discussion with the Minister of ECE on this. We have to look at the high rates of preventable collisions, injuries and fatalities amongst our young drivers. For now, our focus is going to be on Project Gearshift and opportunities to get professional driver training into other high schools around the Northwest Territories and to young people who need that necessary training to get their driver’s licence. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of ITI about the process of devolution, the role of the National Energy Board. I know we will have some working relationship to them and I want to know about the oil and gas activity specifically to the hydraulic fracking in the Sahtu, that the National Energy Board will work with us, or actually they’ll be our employees in regard to enforcing the regulations of this drilling program.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After April 1st of next year, the NEB will still have regulatory authority in the ISR offshore in regard to pipeline development and pipeline operations in the Northwest Territories. Currently our government is having a discussion and some dialogue on how best to approach the regulatory aspect after April 1st of next year and those discussions will continue. Thank you.
Certainly. With the transition of the National Energy Board having a new employer in regard to the enforcement of the oil and gas exploration, would the National Energy Board be obligated, then, to follow the guidelines that the Northwest Territories Assembly as a whole would want to enforce in regard to the operations such as the hydraulic fracking method?
Thank you. A lot of this remains undecided today. However, my belief is that we need to be making decisions here in the Northwest Territories related to the development of our own resources and we’ll see where we get with the discussions.
Thank you. As part of devolution and of devolving powers to the Northwest Territories, will some of the discussion look at the possibility of the Northwest Territories having its own type of a National Energy Board regulator, legislation, something that would be built and be worked on by the northern people and enforced by the northern people?
Thank you. Again, a lot of this has yet to be determined, and as we march toward April 1st, this will all come into much greater clarity.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The whole apparatus of the National Energy Board will be mostly under the Minister, so how can the Assembly itself guess that we can go through that discussion, because the policies and the regulations would flow from the Minister on overseeing this new working relationship with the National Energy Board. The Assembly itself being part of the input to give advice on the regulations and policies to the hydraulic fracking that could possibly happen in the Sahtu.
We’re going to keep all of our options open, and again, I think this will certainly become much clearer as we get closer to April 1st next year.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents, entitled Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Interim Report for the Year Ended March 31, 2013; Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014; and Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled 2012-2013 Status of Women Council of the NWT Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table the Status of Women’s three questions to NWT candidates on severe shortage of quality and affordable child care which exists throughout the NWT, and the response of all candidates including many in this House today. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Pursuant to Section 266(2) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act, I wish to table the Auxiliary Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on Issues Arising from the 2011 General Election, October 2013.
Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices for motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills, Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 3, Wildlife Act; Bill 13, An Act to Repeal the Curfew Act; Bill 14, An Act to Repeal the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act; Bill 15, Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act; Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Justices of the Peace Act; Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Protection Against Family Violence Act; Bill 18, Apology Act; Bill 19, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2013; Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Dental Profession Act; Bill 22, Territorial Emblems and Honours Act; Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act; Tabled Document 70-17(4), Electoral Boundaries Commission, Final Report, May 2013; and Tabled Document 107-17(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2014-2015, with Mr. Miltenberger, NWT Housing Corporation, Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, Health and Social Services. By the authority given to me as Speaker, by Motion 1-17(4), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider business before the House, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.
I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order. There are a number of items before us on our agenda. What is the wish of the committee today? Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We would like to continue consideration of Tabled Document 107-17(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2014-15. We’d like to start with the NWT Housing Corporation and, time permitting, Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, and Health and Social Services. Thank you.
Agreed.
Agreed. We’ll commence with that after a brief break.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. The next item we have before us is consideration of the capital budget for the NWT Housing Corporation. Let me repeat myself. I call Committee of the Whole back to order. The first item we have before us this afternoon is the NWT Housing Corporation. It is here as an information item. I would like ask the Minister of Housing if he would like to make opening remarks.
I have no opening remarks, Madam Chair, but I will bring in witnesses.
Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses in.
I would like to ask Minister McLeod if he would please introduce his witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Madam Chair. To my right I have Mr. David Stewart, president and CEO of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. To my left I have Mr. Jeff Anderson, vice-president of finance and infrastructure, NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. General comments. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a few comments I’d like to make. I’m very glad to see the seniors’ complex that’s planned for Aklavik. It’s much needed in the community and it’s good to see that in the budget.
I’d just like to also emphasize that there are a lot of people moving back to the communities of Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic over the last couple of years here and a housing shortage has come underway. I strongly believe we’re in need of single unit multiplex units in the communities. I think that would free up a lot of room for my constituents. Also in our plan, as of now there are no plans for new units in the communities of Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic, and I just wanted to stress that it is much needed as a lot of people have moved back.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We look forward to getting the project underway in Aklavik for the seniors. We also have, as the Member knows, earmarked seniors for Fort McPherson.
As far as the public housing portfolio goes, I mean, we’re always looking at our communities with the most need, and when we do our allocation of public housing replacement units we tend to target those that are in most need. Right now, the two communities, I mean, there is a need in every community and we have to weigh that against the other communities, and that will help us determine where some of our replacement units go. But if there is a shortage in the community, I mean, we would be well aware of it and we’ll target some of our initiatives towards those communities.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Next for general comments, I have Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have one topic I would like to bring up and that’s the energy initiatives. I know the Housing Corporation has been looking into biomass initiatives and they have other energy projects. We will talk about that under detail, but just in terms of the biomass initiatives, I’m aware that the corporation is facing ever-increasing pressures, as every resident and business is in the Northwest Territories, of heating and power, but on the heating front, I’m just wondering if I can get an idea of where we’re at. I think we’re looking into feasibility studies and I was hoping to see some comprehensive multi-dwelling biomass projects. Could I get an update on where we’re at with that generally? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister McLeod.
Madam Chair, we have a couple that are underway right now. One is in Detah. It is a stand-alone system that is connected to the seniors five-plex. The other is in Ndilo. That is a stand-alone system connected to a seniors five-plex. We do have some money identified for some more initiatives across the Northwest Territories. I think we are early in the stages, or we are in the feasibility study part of it right now. We do have a couple that are on the go. We look forward to getting more on the ground here within the next couple of years. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair, thanks to the Minister for those remarks. It is great to hear about the Ndilo/Detah projects. Those are this fiscal year rather than next. I look forward maybe to getting an update a year after they get operational so we can hear what lessons are being learned and applied. It sounds like there are not any more new ones being proposed for this coming fiscal year, but maybe the following fiscal year. Thank you. That is all I have.
Madam Chair, as far as biomass goes for this coming fiscal year, we don’t have it identified anywhere but we do have… It’s in the notes that we provided. There are some solar panel initiatives that are being undertaken this year that identifies a location. That could take place during 2014-15. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. General comments. Next I have Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Madam Chair. First and foremost, I think it is important to give credit where credit is due. After going through the old Hansards and going through some of the opportunities that this area had, has been definitely noted in the scriptures of the very four walls of this institution. I have to commend the hard work that has gone in during the life of the 17th Assembly. Again, I don’t want to earmark any one particular individual. I know it is a team effort here, but there has been an enormous amount of cleaning up and putting back on target what is one of our largest expenses. It is hard to get compliments out of Range Lake office, so take them when you can. This is a good job, Madam Chair.
That said, I think it is also prudent for me to talk about where we are spending our money and opportunities where I see that I have to ask the appropriate questions.
We know that all communities are in need of new infrastructure, large and small. I know full well that we have a certain amount of money. I know that we have money that is sunsetting from the Government of Canada and that we are going to have to be very creative over the next 20 to 30 years in terms of how we distribute these monies and look after the needs of all Northerners. But all Northerners includes the city of Yellowknife. I for one don’t want to take money away from communities. That is not the intent of my question. My intent is always fairness.
Earlier today one of the other Members talked about population moving back into the communities. I can assure you that statistics are showing quite the opposite. There has been a migration from the communities to the urban centres. The last 10 years or so, it has been an 8 percent-plus in-migration. The urban centres, including Yellowknife, are becoming larger. With that, a lot of the community patrons and residents are moving into a more regional base.
Given that statistic, right now in the city of Yellowknife, there are 168 people currently on a waiting list for housing needs. When you look at that number, it’s pretty daunting, it’s a big number, it’s a large number. If you had to put that number up against any other communities, it would probably represent a large number of our communities out there. The interesting thing is that of the 168, and I don’t have the full statistics on it, but I can assure you that a lot of them are from the communities that are now here in Yellowknife.
When I look at some of the breakdown that we have here in the activity summaries as we are going to go through here, I notice that there is a good distribution. I think there is some stewardship behind this, but again, with that number I indicated earlier from Yellowknife, there isn’t very much happening to address that large number. I will start that first part of my general comment in that breath.
The second part of my general comment has more to do with we know that there have been a lot of initiatives that the Housing Corporation has undertaken to reduce or mitigate costs of energy. We know that. We know there are retrofits. We know there are biomass programs. We are looking at cells, photo PV systems. I encourage the housing authority to come up with more and more of these initiatives.
That said, we have not really heard the statistics yet in terms of what has been some of the bigger savings in a general sense. Has there been an overall 7, 8, 9 percent savings in energy costs overall?
I am just clarifying some of the generalities. If we can get those two things on the opening comments agenda from Range Lake, that would be appreciated. Then again, I want to thank the hardworking crew down there. I want to make sure that it is resonated loud and clear with all members of the Housing Corporation. Thank you.
