Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Miltenberger.
The Member is correct, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Again, my second question, I would assume this building will be completed during this quarter, quarter two here. Is the building, as well, on its original budget on its completion? Thank you.
Yes to both questions from the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Next on the list I have Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have a question with regards to the $300,000 for a planning study for Taiga Lab. I guess I would like to know, this is a new expense, I think. It looks to me like it’s a new expense. So, why are we not able to put this into our budget which we passed not very long ago? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Kalgutkar.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This project is going to be funded through the one-time transitional funding that was provided as part of the Devolution Final Agreement. There is some surplus available in that funding and we thought given that that lab does need a bit of refreshing and some upgrading, this would be a good opportunity to utilize that funding to look at doing that for that lab. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to Mr. Kalgutkar. That does explain why this is here. I guess it would have helped if there was an explanation that it was offset by funding which we already had in the bank. Thank you.
Committee, we are on asset management, not previously authorized… Sorry, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up on my colleagues with regard to the new general purpose facility in Yellowknife. I know we’ve had a lot of discussions on getting territorial art into that building and coming up with a policy. Can I get confirmation that indeed the policy is in place and that this building will be, where appropriate, studded with NWT art as per the policy?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Where it is possible to hang art in our new buildings, we will do that. We have been working with the NWT Arts Society. You are seeing some of the screens with the art on them at the airport here and in the main office building in Inuvik. So we’ll continue working with them to put what’s appropriate up in that new building.
I appreciate the Minister’s response. I wonder if committee could be provided with an inventory of the art and the space in the building, the wall space or whatever, floor space, dedicated to the display of art in the facility according to the new policy.
I will have the department provide that information to the committee.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Committee, we are on asset management, not previously authorized, $7.412 million.
Agreed.
Energy, not previously authorized, $179,000.
Agreed.
Technology Service Centre, not previously authorized, $1.414 million.
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, $9.005 million.
Agreed.
Next we are on Department of Transportation, capital investment expenditures, airports, not previously authorized, $2.780 million.
Agreed.
Highways, not previously authorized, $6.414 million. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question here with regard to the Inuvik Tuk Highway. It’s almost $5 million and it is a carry-over. I understand that. It’s my recollection we had an extended discussion in the House about advancing money for this project. So I’d like to get an explanation as to why this project is seemingly behind, perhaps, where we are in terms of completion of this project, are we going to be finished on schedule, why it is that we are lapsing $5 million from last year’s construction season. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Kalgutkar.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member is correct; it is a lapse, but the department did fall about seven to 13 kilometres of where they had targeted to be completed in terms of the 2014-15 construction season. The key reason for that is they had some warm weather conditions that delayed some of the construction work. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m not quite sure how to follow that. I am having a very hard time reconciling that we advanced $20 million and now we’re lapsing $5 million.
The other part of my question is what impact is this going to have on the schedule for completion of the highway? I don’t think I heard an answer to that. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The project was advanced $40 million. The project still intends to hit the timelines and construction schedule that was laid out.
I will ask Minister Beaulieu if he wants to add anything further, with your concurrence, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The amount of kilometres is the way in which we will be budgeting the project. However, the project and the cost and the payments are based on the amount of embankment that is hauled by the project company. What we were anticipating is to haul 67 percent of the embankment on the construction of the Inuvik Tuk Highway at this point in time. However, we were able to haul just slightly over 60 percent of the embankment and that caused us to lapse the $4.8 million that is lapsed. We have a distance of about 55 kilometres to cover next construction season. We budgeted that it would be 40 percent. But as far as the embankment goes, we would need to haul about 40 percent of the embankment. We anticipate that we will be able to be on schedule because we were able to haul about 40 percent of the embankment this season in spite of the warm spell that affected us not quite in the middle but close to the end of the construction season.
Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Committee, we’re on highways, not previously authorized, $6.414 million.
Agreed.
Committee, Department of Transportation continued, marine, not previously authorized, $563,000.
Agreed.
Road licensing and safety, not previously authorized, $366,000.
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, $10.123 million.
Agreed.
Does committee agree we are done with Tabled Document 247-17(5)?
Agreed.
I will go to Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 247-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2015-2016, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 247-17(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The motion is on the floor. The motion is being distributed. To the motion.
