I am aware the state of the social housing and some of the program. I would like to ask the Minister the next evolution beyond the Indian and Eskimo housing. What was the next evolution of housing which eventually led to what we have today?
As stated earlier, the housing programs expanded in the early 1960s to the mid-1960s to incorporate Indian and Eskimo housing. Then it evolved into Northern Territorial rental units and some public housings were built from about the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the Housing Corporation is a vehicle for delivering social housing. I would like to ask the Minister when the Housing Corporation was formed. Thank you.
The Housing Corporation was formed in 1974. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have few more questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation about the modular duplexes. Can she say who is going to build the remainder of this order that Concept Energy Services started? Who is going to fill the rest of this order and over what period of time? Thank you.
There are a couple questions there, Minister. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to start by actually addressing the question. I am actually glad the honourable Member asked this question. Earlier with her questions, I had promised to give her a contract. I have since learned that, actually, I may not be able to give her the full contract because of the Privacy Act. I will be able to provide her with the information that is on the normal procurement site, but not the whole contract. I just want to apologize for any misunderstanding that I may have given before. In answer to the contract that is being done now, I can state that the tender to complete the units in Ulukhaktok is out now. If they are not out now, they will be within the next week or two. Then the remaining units, we are still looking at our options to determine what we will do with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the clarification and I look forward to the more general information. Mr. Speaker, as I understand it, there are 11 units outstanding, and those units are not going to be built by Concept Energy Services. What are the options for completing these remaining units?
There are many options that we can do at this point. We are looking at them. We can either work with supporting Concept Energy to do them. There are a variety of options. We can put them out to public tender. We can look at negotiated contracts within communities. There is a whole gamut of different options that we can consider. Again, my priority is getting these homes into communities, and we will be looking at the ways we can expedite that in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
Can the Minister say when a decision will be made on one of these options?
Yes. We are currently in the process of reviewing all of the options at this point. I know that, within the next two weeks, we will have defined which way or path we are going forward.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was also a contract with Energy Wall in Yellowknife to do one of the standalone two-bedroom units. Can the Minister say whether this unit has been completed? Thank you.
I am really glad that question came up because it is important to note that, although we have had some glitches with our manufacturing strategy for modular units, Energy Wall in Yellowknife did complete a successful unit and has received another contract, actually. We are looking forward to working with all northern business in the provision of northern homes for northern people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I had some questions with regard to the Giant Mine Remediation Project, specifically as it relates to some of the power demands associated with that project. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. Maybe what I would like to do is start by asking him, although we know from the Minister of ENR that the freezing of the arsenic chambers is going to take significantly less power demands, certainly a $1-billion project over 15 years is going to require a significant amount of power on various levels. I would just like to simply start by asking the Minister: does he feel that, given the current infrastructure, we can meet the demands of the Giant Mine Remediation Project? In other words, will we be using current infrastructure to meet that demand, or is there some alternative energy sources that we can consider to meet that demand? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for NWT Power Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, any new major project would likely put a strain on the current system, whether that is a new mine or an old mine. I don't have any new details as to the amount of power that might be required. A major increase in the amount of power used in the system would likely require some changes in the manner in which we deliver power. It may involve the building of additional plants or even dams. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the reply from the Minister. Well then, that is an interesting point because we have heard, actually, from TerraX Minerals in the past that they have shared concerns that energy demand is going to be their biggest challenge. I wonder: can the Minister maybe share with us, has he had conversations with TerraX and does he understand some of the challenges that they are expressing as it relates to having enough power? Are we going to be able to help them meet those demands if, in fact, they go forward with the full-fledged mine?
I have not had direct contact with TerraX, although I did have the opportunity to attend a presentation that they gave in Yellowknife a year or two ago. I think it is a little uncertain at this stage the amount of power that they will require. Certainly, we would like to assist them. It may be necessary to increase our capacity.
I would certainly express, at least, my opinion and I think maybe the opinion of most here that it would be an opportunity to talk with representatives from TerraX to certainly talk about the challenges they are going to face, because I would see that as being a challenge also on the power infrastructure that serves the City of Yellowknife. If we are considering that we are going to use the same infrastructure to supply power to the city that would supply to a mine, then there is certainly good reason to want to talk with them and see, in fact, what their demands are going to be. I think it is fair to say that the residents of Yellowknife would like to see a --
Member, what is your line of question?
I guess the question is on behalf of residents of Yellowknife. Is there a way in which we can get a mine like TerraX on with the Power Corporation so that it can help drive down the costs for everybody?
There are many options in these types of situations dealing with this mine or other possible mines, including liquefied natural gas. I am informed by my colleague from ITI that this department has, in fact, been in touch with TerraX.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
I guess I will ask a simple question, Mr. Speaker, which would be: what would be the concern, if any, from this government or position from this government or the Power Corporation if TerraX was able to find a way in which to self-sustain their own power and do it on their own? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am not entirely sure if I understand the question. If TerraX proceeded on its own and had its own power plant, I suppose that would be one thing. On the other hand, the development of this mine or any other mine in this area may provide opportunities to the Power Corporation. Thank you.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few more questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation about the modular homes. I have a few money questions. My first question is: how much money was advanced to Concept Energy Services and why was that money advanced? Thank you.
Minister of Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since I do not know that exact figure at this time, I will have to take the question as notice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Highway No. 3 is in poor condition because of dips, potholes, and loose gravel causing frequent vehicle damage. Can the Minister tell this House what formula his department uses to calculate capital spending on Highway No. 3; and
if the formulas for capital spending and maintenance standards are applied to every NWT highway;
if these formulas take into account special circumstances such as accelerated permafrost degradation;
what the department's long-term spending plan is for Highway No. 3 and if it can be tabled in this House; and
what criteria are used to decide where and how road hazards are marked to alert travellers on Highway No. 3.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Social Development is pleased to provide its report on Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2): Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development and the comments to the House.
You may proceed.
Sorry, Mr. Speaker.
On March 9, 2017, Motion 32-18(2), Referral Of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development charged the committee with reviewing the petitioners' call to eliminate the biannual time change associated with Daylight Saving Time, or DST.
In our review of this complex issue, the committee considered studies that were comprehensive, recent, and undertaken with the policy-making in mind, examining DST and human health, accident rates, energy use, and economic impacts. We also sought studies investigating DST in other circumpolar regions and followed the work of our legislative colleagues in Alberta on a similar initiative. Today, we recommend that changes to the Northwest Territories' observance of DST not be pursued at this time.
DST is the practice of moving clocks ahead in the spring and back in fall. It was observed intermittently in North America in the first half of the 20th century and its adoption in Canada was tied to time standardization. More recently, DST has been synchronized throughout North America, with the exception of one Canadian province, a small number of municipalities, and a few American states. In the Northwest Territories, the Department of Justice administers the Daylight Saving Time Regulations, under the Interpretation Act. These regulations were last amended in 2007 in response to amendments at the federal level in the United States of America.
Today, DST is observed in at least 70 countries and affects roughly one billion people. Notably, Japan, India, and China do not observe DST, although various informal systems are used to address regional disparity. Apart from Alberta, no Canadian province or territory has seriously amended their DST practices. However, the matter has garnered some public interest. Here in the Northwest Territories, Petition 6-18(2) received 533 signatures from residents of at least 18 communities. In Yukon, the Association of Yukon Communities intends to engage their government "to determine if there is a case for removing [DST] in the territory."
In Alberta, Bill 203, Alberta Standard Time, was introduced in March 2017. This private Member's bill proposed that the province adopt DST permanently. It received significant attention, attracting almost 14,000 public submissions, largely via response to an online survey. Because Alberta is our closest administrative and business partner, we have followed these developments closely. We note that the Standing Committee on Alberta's Economic Future has recommended that Bill 203 not proceed and that DST observance continue unchanged. That committee also highlighted the importance of "a coordinated approach" with other jurisdictions in any future initiatives.
We found that negative physical and mental health impacts associated with "spring ahead" are negligible, while in contrast, positive health impacts were observed at "fall back." This is linked to the amount of sleep a person may have in a night, as "fall back" can bring an extra hour of rest. Similarly, we found that rates of negative health outcomes such as heart attacks associated with "spring ahead" were also linked to sleep, and that risk could be mitigated with appropriate precautions, such as going to bed earlier. A policy focus not on DST, but on improved sleep accessibility, awareness, hygiene, and quality may achieve desirable positive impacts on population health, particularly for those already sleep-deprived or at risk of poor health.
It is also commonly speculated that pedestrian accidents and vehicle collisions increase around days of time-change, particularly "spring ahead." We found that, where such rates increased in American states, these were linked to driver fatigue and driver error as a result of sudden changes in daylight. However, it is difficult to usefully compare such studies to the Northwest Territories, given our unique environment, small population, and comparatively low collision rates. Since 2007, an average of 33 collisions per year were attributed to alcohol, compared to an average of just one per year attributed to fatigue. Since 1997, collisions have also been more likely to occur in January, one of our darkest and coldest months, not the months of "spring ahead" or "fall back." Petition 6-18(2) proposes that the permanent adoption of DST will "result in an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day during the darkest months of the year." However, because of our territory's unique geography, there is notable variance in daylight hours between our 33 communities. The experience of such a change would be limited and largely subjective, depending on one's location.
Researchers have also speculated that DST supports fuel conservation and/or reduces energy consumption. However, we found that DST's impacts on energy consumption are dependent on unique local geographic and social factors, including sunrise/sunset times, average wake-up times, and average commute duration. For example, while DST was found to slightly increase energy demand in Alberta, it was found to reduce demand in Ontario. As with pedestrian and vehicle collision data, replicating these studies in the Northwest Territories is beyond the scope of the committee's work.
Similarly, although various researchers have explored the impacts of DST on consumer spending and local economies, such work would be difficult to usefully replicate here at this time. Generally, however, it is reasonable to expect that any changes to DST observance would have broad economic impacts, even more so if the territory were to fall out of alignment with Alberta. Any work or leisure activity requiring regular communication with or travel to other jurisdictions, from business meetings to television broadcasts, would likely be impacted. Should amendments to the Daylight Saving Time Regulations be pursued in the future, these questions will require further exploration. We would expect that, should such a situation arise, the Government of the Northwest Territories would engage the public, including stakeholders in industry, education, government departments, community governments, and non-governmental organizations.
The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends, should the Government of the Northwest Territories consider changes to the Daylight Saving Time Regulations in future, that it engage with its counterparts in Alberta and undertake both broad public and targeted stakeholder engagement.
This concludes the Committee Report on Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development. All committee reports are available online at the Legislative Assembly website: www.assembly.gov.nt.ca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Member for Nahendeh.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member from Yellowknife Centre, that Committee Report 3-18(3), Report on Motion 32-18(2), Referral of Petition 6-18(2), Elimination of Time Change in the Northwest Territories to the Standing Committee on Social Development received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. There is a motion on the floor. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
The motion is carried. Masi.
