Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Like I have said, that is something we can look at considering doing. I would be interested to see what the general public thinks about us doing that. I have talked to lots of people about this section of highway; they are not scared to come up to me and talk to me about this section of highway right across the Northwest Territories, not just Yellowknife, Hay River, general public travelling back and forth, and it is something we can consider doing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Well, then, in considering that, which would be well-appreciated, then let us do that, then. Let us reach out to the public. Let us put a survey out there. Let us find a way to consult and get some feedback on that, because that would be well-appreciated. I would appreciate getting that kind of input. That is not a question; that is a recommendation.
Mr. Chair, I would like to move over to Highway No. 4. As we are all very aware, Highway No. 4, of course, is the gateway to the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road, and there were a number of incidents and accidents on that road last year. Of course, that was an anomaly to some degree. I want to ask the Minister: were any of those accidents caused, or do we know if there was any cause on our part, as it related to road conditions that we would have been responsible for? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that the two accidents were due to driver inattention or driver error. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is good to know, that it was not related to road conditions.
As the Minister is also aware, there was unfortunately a fatality on that road this summer. It happened at a corner that I have actually had personal experience with an accident on. The corner is right before Prosperous boat launch. It is at a corner that has water on both sides of it. It is a rather sharp corner, and it is at the base of a rather steep hill. It is my belief, and the belief of many residents up and down that road, that it is long overdue for some guard rails. I know there was some survey work done this summer. I know there are some reflectors there currently, but I do not think reflectors are going to stop anybody from going off the edge. Do we have plans to put guardrails on that corner? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member is correct; we have delineators up there at present. Right now, we're doing a planning including a survey and design work is currently under way for the installation of guardrails at that particular site, and also at kilometre 13.5 in 2018-2019. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for informing us of that, and that's good to know. Just for clarification, kilometre 13.5, is that the corner prior to the one I was describing that is also a similar downhill steep corner? I guess for popular reference there's a beaver dam there with a Canadian flag sticking out of it. We had a major accident there back in early 2000s. Is that the corner we're talking about? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe so. That is the spot. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now I want to move over to I believe we're still calling it a section of Highway No. 4. It's the entranceway into town, coming into town right here. It was part of the Ingraham Trail once upon a time. I'm not sure if we've re-determined a name for that section of the road.
Can the Minister inform us of the ongoing discussions or potential possibilities of the City of Yellowknife taking over this stretch of road? What other improvements as well are being identified for pedestrian safety on that road, in particular from the four-way stop by the Explorer Hotel to the new Nova Hotel entrance? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, on the crosswalk right outside here by the Assembly, by the Nova Hotel, that should all be installed by November 1st. The crosswalk should be put into place. We're in ongoing discussions with the City of Yellowknife on them taking over this section of highway, but we are also trying with the City of Yellowknife to figure out a sidewalk along this section of highway, and those discussions are ongoing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and all that information is well appreciated. Just again quickly, a point of clarification: whereabouts are we talking about in terms of the sidewalk? Would it be on the side that the Explorer Hotel and Nova are on, or are we talking about the YK Motors side? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Twenty seconds, Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The engineering department is looking at putting a sidewalk on the Explorer side. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne, nothing further from you? I see nothing. Oh, I have Mr. McNeely on my list. Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's more of a comment here. I understand on the issue of capital that one of the bridges that was talked about years ago was the Oscar Creek bridge 30 kilometres north of Norman Wells on the application. Now the application has come to this entrance in accounting for it, so I'm satisfied I'm going to get a little piece of the pie. After all the discussions about highways, I feel kind of lost here; and boats. I don't have a boat yet, but nevertheless we'll move on.
All in all, Mr. Chair, I'm quite satisfied with the capital being presented and the avenues to ensure capital allowance and progress and capitalization of funding agencies available such as the Build Canada Fund and tapping into the P3 private financing of projects. I kind of know a little bit about it, and I see that as a nice source of financing available to people and organizations across Canada. Mahsi.
Thank you. Comments, Minister?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to update the Member, because I know this Oscar Creek bridge has come up a couple of times. In 2017-2018 we're going to do pre-engineered design for a new foundation and access, and tender and award that. Then in 2018-2019 we are going to construct and move the existing bridge to the Mackenzie Valley highway alignment and proceed with that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Anything further? Nothing further from Mr. McNeely. Having no one further on my list, I will call this activity. Page 44, Infrastructure, asset management, infrastructure investments, $129,012,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Moving on to page 47, programs and services, with additional information on page 48. Any comments or questions from committee? Seeing none, I will call this page. Infrastructure, programs and services, infrastructure investments, $4,090,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Please return to page 43. Infrastructure, total capital estimates, $133,102,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Committee, we have next agreed to consider the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, which can be found on page 10 of the capital estimates. I will first ask the Minister if he has any witnesses he would like to bring into the Chamber. Mr. Moses.
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses to the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my right I have my deputy minister Ms. Sylvia Haener. On my left, assistant deputy minister, corporate services, Mr. Olin Lovely.
Thank you. I will open up the floor to general comments from the committee, keeping in mind that there are two activities that comments can also be made on. General comments on the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. I see none. I see Mr. Thompson. General comments?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to thank the department and the government for actually moving on junior kindergarten upgrades to this coming fiscal year. I think it's very smart on the department's behalf, and I greatly thank them for listening to our concerns. Again, it's about safety for our youth, and I know the department and the Minister have been very committed to that, so I appreciate the fact that we're moving these capital projects forward. That will be my comments, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll allow the Minister a response, if he would like. Minister.
I just appreciate the Member's comments. As a department, moving forward on these junior kindergarten upgrades and renovations is definitely in the best interest of having a safe school environment. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. We'll move on to the activity detail on page 12, early childhood and schools. There is an information item on page 13. Comments or questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can anyone from the department tell me whether any of the work on schools has been pushed back? Is all of this still on its original schedule? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. All projects are still a go except Mangilaluk School, which has been deferred for one year.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks to the Minister for that. Earlier in my opening comments I expressed some concern about whether we were delaying various projects to come up with the capital for the large infrastructure project that is in the budget. I still remain concerned about that. I do want to thank the Minister, though, for moving forward. The JK capital implementation costs, I think that was a good move. I have similar sentiments from my colleague here from Nahendeh, so I want to thank the Minister for doing that because it saved me from having to deliver a barn burner of a speech. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Would the Minister like to comment?
No, I just appreciate the comments. Thank you.
Thank you. Anything further, Mr. O'Reilly?
No. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
