Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to congratulate the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for his Minister's statement today about small community employment. It's great to see. When positive things are happening we should recognize that commitment. I thank the Minister for that and his work in there. I realize this is short notice, so he may not have this information available, but can the Minister tell us how many projects have been used to date with this program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right; I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but I can get that information and break it down by region for other Members who want to know how much of the Small Community Employment Fund was actually being utilized in their communities, and I'd be more than willing to share that with the Member. Thank you.
I thank the Minister for his answer and look forward to that information. With that information, could they put the value that the department has put into these projects as well?
Yes, we can get the values for the projects, but some communities might have had multiple projects; others might have just had one, but we can get some of the exact numbers. It varies from community to community as well as from project to project. As I said in my Member's statement, we will be meeting with the rural and remote communities to get some direction and work on how we move forward with the strategy as well as with the fund.
As a member of that committee, I look forward to working with the Minister and Cabinet as we move forward for the small communities. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain what is going to happen to these projects that have already put applications in? Are they going to be able to be processed?
The communities that have already applied for projects, we'll continue to support them. Obviously, we're creating employment, we're doing skill development, and we're doing job training, and we want to continue to support that with the communities that have applied for this program, and obviously the projects in the small communities will continue to get support from this fund.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that commitment, and look forward to working with him on this. I guess I'm looking at the regional centres that have already been applying for this program. Will the Minister, I know it sounds hypocritical of myself, but commit to follow through on those projects that they've already applied for in good faith? Will the Minister be willing to work with those projects they've committed to? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, as I mentioned, our mandate is to close the skill gaps in the Northwest Territories, create jobs, create employment, do skill development and training for residents in the Northwest Territories. Previously, when we made those enhancements, we were looking at these regional centres. I do believe to date we have five regional centres that have applied on the program. We funded their projects.
We want to continue to support those projects because they do have employment, they do create employment as well as training, but we have taken a new focus now. We heard from Members that we want to make sure that this fund is directed to small communities, and we will work with the Rural and Remote Committee as well as our community leaders, Aboriginal governments, businesses, on how we roll out this fund for the remainder of this fiscal year.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Got in under the radar. It just wouldn't be oral question period without a question to the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. Mr. Speaker, we have been going back and forth on some dialogue with regard to this. I want to ask the Minister: if we never were to receive these generators from Virdi Power, if there is no recovery of costs lost from Virdi Power, if, as the Minister as indicated yesterday, all of this ends up having to be a write-off, then someone has to pay. Is it the intention of the Power Corporation to put forward another rate application or another rate increase application and/or ask this government for another subsidy if those costs have to be recovered? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for NWT Power Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The simplest answer is that I am not sure. We are still optimistic that we will be receiving at least some of the generators. If we do not, clearly there will be costs or losses incurred. I do not think we are very likely to succeed if we have to litigate this in California, but we would have to take advice from our legal counsel in that state. I have not really thought through the possibilities. Either directly or indirectly, I suppose, the government and people of the Northwest Territories would have to absorb this one way or another. Thank you.
Just one final question. I mean It seems to me that there will be some degree of loss here, and it is going to be significant. There is no small number involved in this. This is very important. Either taxpayers or ratepayers, one or the other, are going to probably end up having to pay. Is the Power Corporation at least starting to plan and take next steps as it relates to how they will recover some of these lost costs?
Yes, of course, the Power Corporation is doing that. As I say, there is always the possibility of litigation for breach of contract, but I am not terribly optimistic as to how that would result. I will speak again to management at the Power Corporation and could perhaps, after that, privately address this issue more fully with the Member opposite.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 10-18(2) - Report on the Review of Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Education Act." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program 2016-2017 Annual Report." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "Mind and Spirit: Promoting Mental Health and Addictions Recovery in the Northwest Territories, Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Plan, 2017-2022." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik-Twin Lakes, that notwithstanding rule 4, when this House adjourns on September 28, 2017, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 3, 2017;
AND FURTHER that at any time prior to October 3, 2017, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the executive council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interests require that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact the business as it has been duly adjourned to that time. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee would like to consider Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2018-2019, with the Departments of Infrastructure and Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. First we will take a short recess.
---SHORT RECESS
I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, over the last few weeks Members of the Legislative Assembly have been working hard on reviewing the departmental capital budgets for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
As part of their review, Members of this House have recommended that investments to capital projects needed to support the implementation of junior kindergarten be advanced in 2018-2019.
I have considered this request with my Cabinet colleagues and offer the following commitment:
$1.255 million to advance projects associated with the implementation of junior kindergarten in 2018-2019. This amount includes the re-investment of the $400,000 identified for the synchro-lift at the marine transportation facility in Hay River, which will now be funded from the Marine Transportation Services Revolving Fund.
The additional funding for junior kindergarten projects and a negative supplementary appropriation related to the synchro-lift funding will be included in 2018-2019 Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2018-2019, which I will table for consideration by the Legislative Assembly during the October 2017 session. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, and we have agreed to begin with the Department of Infrastructure. Minister of Infrastructure, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, I do.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Jayleen Robertson, assistant deputy minister; and on my right, is Mr. Paul Guy, deputy minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Minister. The Department of Infrastructure can be found beginning on page 43 in the capital estimates. We will defer the departmental total until after consideration of the activity detail, but first I will open the floor to general comments, keeping in mind that we will have time for further discussion when we have the activity detail. Opening comments. First, I have Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Glad to see there are a few projects in my riding, especially the James Creek campground; not the campground, but the new maintenance camp that will be built. It is a good opportunity, like we did in the past, to hopefully negotiate with one of the Gwich'in companies to install this. It is getting a little ahead here, but also there is a bunch of work planned on the Dempster as well, which from what I recall is resurfacing from Tsiigehtchic northbound towards Inuvik.
I am really looking forward to that, but I am disappointed. I know I was hoping to see, it is a little complicated; the way it used to be for public works, they were responsible for schools and buildings like this. It would have been nice if it was pretty simple. Just keep schools under education. For that project, I am very disappointed, as I said before. It is between this department and the ECE that the decision was made to postpone Moose Kerr School. For the past six years, as I mentioned, it has been on the books on the red flag list to be up for major retrofit or replacement. For it to be taken off just over the summer months is pretty disappointing, but hopefully we can correct this injustice, if you will, by next year. I will be sure to ask questions again a little later. Thanks.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Next, Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am looking at Highway No. 1 and some of the concerns. Again, it talks about reconstruction. I have a section of road from N'Dulee Crossing all the way to Wrigley that I would love to trade Highway No. 3 for at any given day and so would the residents because there are some lines of sight that are problems. It's like a rollercoaster on that road and your stomach can actually go up to your throat in some points.
I'm trying to look at the Minister and I'll be asking some questions about Highway No. 1 and what they're going to be doing on that and the extent. I have to give credit where credit is due. The maintenance is done and the department is working with the contractors to do a good job, but again, there are a lot of issues with that part of the road that need to be fixed. As well, I'll later on probably be asking the Minister, I don't know where he's going to find it, but I asked him some questions and I'd like to get some information on where he got the cost analysis and if he could share that information with me.
Overall, I'm quite happy. Highway No. 7, which was always a big issue for the former Member for my riding, I see Highway No. 7 has been worked on getting improved. I mean, there are a few more issues there, but I'd like to thank the department for that. That will be the direction where I'll be asking some questions on that. Those are my comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Anything further for opening comments or general comments from committee? Seeing none, we can move into the detail. The first activity summary can be found on page 44, with information items on pages 45 and 46. Infrastructure asset management. Do we have comments or questions from committee? Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I note that this area of the department includes airports. Where can I find the Yellowknife Airport infrastructure item? Thank you.
