Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to continue consideration of Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates 2017-2018. We would like to consider the Departments of Justice, Education, Culture and Employment, and Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
We will continue with the consideration of the document after a brief recess.
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Thank you. Committee has agreed to consider Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates 2017-2018, starting with the Department of Justice. Does the Minister of Justice wish to begin bringing witnesses into the Chamber?
I would like to bring witnesses in.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses for the record.
Yes. To my right is Martin Goldney, deputy minister, and to my left is Kim Schofield, acting assistant deputy minister.
Okay. We will proceed to page 50, Justice, deferring departmental total until after consideration of the activity summary. Total estimate, capital estimate $16,683,000. We will proceed to activity detail on pages 52-53. On page 52, infrastructure investments, total $16,527,000, going into detail on 53. Any questions? Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to the capital plan, I see that Fort Smith corrections, for the ladies is in the capital plan, and it's talking about a 23bed facility, but presently we're only having an eight to 10, so currently, females that are using the facility. So can the Minister please provide a rationale why such a large facility is being built? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Yes. Thank you for the question. Yes, so, though the facility might be slightly larger than what we need currently, what we have to be cognizant of is peaks and valleys. Looking over the last few years, there have been peaks as low as three or four and highs as high as 18, so we wanted to build a facility that was big enough to accommodate the highs as well as the lows, obviously. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my concern is we talked about lows of three and 18, and we're talking about rehabilitation as a priority and focusing on that.
I'm a bit concerned that we're going to spend a lot of money and it's going to become like the youth corrections here, in Yellowknife. So did the department look at that facility that was being built for the one that was built already and look at using that as the correction and then making a smaller young offenders home in Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Minister.
Ms. Schofield could answer that.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Schofield.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm assuming you're talking about the young offender facility here, in Yellowknife, and whether we looked at putting our female offenders in that facility. Yes, we have looked at that. In a youth facility, we have to have both open and secure custody designations, and they have to be held separate.
So, in developing a youth facility, we would have to build it similar to the size it is now, maybe slightly smaller. It was felt that a similar cost would result in building another youth facility as building a female facility. The female facility in Fort Smith is integrated into the community; It's very supportive. We have great staff that work in the facility, that support the programs, and it was felt that leaving the female facility in Fort Smith made the most logical sense for the programs and the clients that we're serving. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Schofield. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank Ms. Schofield for that answer. Can the Minister please explain to us what kind of work has been done up to this date on this facility? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Minister.
Yes, thank you. Of course, there's a considerable amount of planning that did go into the facility, and, as I understand it, there were some changes in the structure or the plans for the structure. I can advise that actual construction had started when I was last in Fort Smith, which was a couple of weeks ago. They were starting some of the basic construction, pouring cement while the weather was still decent. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. What cost has the department or the government paid to date for this facility? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Minister.
I understand that $1.2 million has been expended so far, but we are bound by contractual obligations, of course. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Is that satisfactory? Mr. Thompson.
Yes, it does. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple questions here on the probation office security tenant improvement to Fort McPherson. You know, it's good to see we're doing upgrades to a new lease area of the probation officer, but I know the community is looking into possibly building a new facility. If the community was to do that, would the department be flexible to upgrade to that unit? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Minister.
Ms. Schofield could best answer that, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Schofield.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The money that's allotted here is for tenant improvements for a leased space. We are currently in an overhold position with the existing lease in anticipation, waiting for the community, on their plans for developing a new building. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Schofield. Mr. Blake.
So I take it the department would be flexible to just upgrade to the new facility if the community was I know the actual concern right now is just finding the proper place to put the facility, and hopefully we get all that straightened out, too, shortly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Minister.
That is the plan as I understand it. Thank you.
Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have some questions about the NSCC security infrastructure renewal. Could the Minister provide a bit of detail on the upgrading of the electronic security infrastructure? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Minister.
Perhaps Ms. Schofield could also assist on that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Schofield.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The current security infrastructure equipment in the facility is ending its useful life, and this is a plan to add new software into the facility to make it easier to manage and more user friendly, as well as provide updated technology on our security systems. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Schofield. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The perimeter fence and security equipment, this is new fencing, as I understand it, apart from what's already completed, to separate the facility from the residential neighbourhood. Is that correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Minister.
Yes, that is correct. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The security cameras that will be part of this expenditure; are they for internal security purposes or external security purposes? I appreciate that's a rather detailed or specific question, but I'm wondering just if they're for people on the outside of the fence or people inside the fence, if it's for the inmates or if it's for people approaching the fence? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Minister.
