Debates of May 29, 2018 (day 31)

Environment and Natural Resources, capital investment expenditures, forest management, not previously authorized, $1,768,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

Environment and Natural Resources, capital investment expenditures, water resources, not previously authorized, $133,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

Environment and Natural Resources, capital investment expenditures, wildlife, not previously authorized, $2,709,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

Environment and Natural Resources, capital investment expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $4,735,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. Time for a short recess.

---SHORT RECESS

I'll call committee back to order. Committee, just to refresh everyone's memory, we are discussing Tabled Document 193-18(3), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2018-2019. We had just voted on the Department of ENR, capital investment expenditures, and are now on page 11, Health and Social Services. We are looking at nearly $50 million here. Comments or questions from committee? Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the largest item by far on this page is the almost $32 million that relates to the Stanton Territorial Hospital Renewal Project, and we are all aware that this project is supposed to be complete in the late fall. So I guess I am wondering what did not get done that is worth $32 million and whether the project is still on schedule. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. Kalgutkar.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The major delays were in some of the drywalling, and, on many of the floors, the contractor has made up the gap in that timing and a lot of the floors have now caught up. All the drywalling is up and boarded, and the only floor that is slightly behind schedule is level zero, which is where all of the mechanical systems are. When Members go through the facility on Friday, I believe, you are going to see a fairly completed hospital. It's actually going to start looking like a hospital now, and we totally anticipate that we will hit the service commencement date of December 1, 2018. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Ms. Green.

Nothing further, thank you.

Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to that replacement, is that Sambaa K'e here or is that Somba K'e in Yellowknife? It says "Health Stanton Replacement," but it says "Saamba K'e." Is that the City of Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister McLeod.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that is a "Health Station Replacement," so that would be in Sambaa K'e in the Member's riding, formerly Trout Lake, Sambaa K'e.

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I guess I should have taken my glasses off so I could look at the fine print there. In regard to this health station replacement, why was there a carry-over? Is that because of the winter road? Because, when I went in there recently, they were all going crazy, they were building up, and it was going up pretty quick. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Member is correct. The project experienced some timeline delays due to the winter road delivery. Substantial completion, though, is expected in 2019. A multi-year construction contract is in place. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

I thank you, and I thank the Minister for that. So when in 2019? Is it going to be done in the summertime, or is it going to be done in December? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

We will have to work with the contractor to come up with an exact timeline, and we will share that with the Member for Nahendeh, and I will stop there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that. I am just trying to make sure I can get this information to the council, so I greatly appreciate the Minister getting that information. As soon as we get it, or even if the Minister or the department can get back to the community, that would be great. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Like I said, we will work with the contractor to come up with a completion timeline. I am sure Health will be aware of a completion timeline, and we will share that information with the Member for Nahendeh. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Nothing further from Mr. Thompson. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as you are aware, the Town of Hay River provides a lot of the long-term care needs for my community of Fort Resolution. I was just wondering what the timeline is on the 48-bed facility, the long-term care facility, in Hay River? It indicates a carry-over, but I was just wondering if I could get the Minister to give me an idea when the project will be actually started and when it's expected to be completed?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding is a site selection is in process, designed to start in the summer of 2018, with construction in the spring of 2019. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, so the construction would be starting next summer. I am wondering how much of the project is expected to be completed in that fiscal year? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister McLeod.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we are not sure how much would be completed. I do not even believe we have a contract in place for the construction. We do not have a design. Once we have that information, or once Health has that information, then we would be in a better position to share it with the Member and with committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on the health centre in Fort Resolution, the replacement health centre for Fort Resolution, there is almost $1.8 million in carry-over. My understanding is that it will be ready for move-in sometime early this fall. I was wondering if that is still on schedule. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on that particular project, a substantial completion was issued in March of 2018. Carry-over is required to address seasonal work site and building deficiencies. A contract is in place, and once those deficiencies are addressed, then I would assume that they would move into the facility. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Nothing further from Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess I am also concerned about the large lapses in funding for the Stanton Renewal Project and the Extended Care Project, which isn't going to be in the old Stanton hospital. Those two projects are in my riding. If I look at the total of them, it is over $40 million, which is almost a quarter of the total supplementary appropriation that the Cabinet is seeking at this point. Sorry, they're carry-overs, not lapses.

We had some explanation of what is happening with the Stanton Renewal Project, but can I get some explanation of what is happening with the Extended Care Project, why close to $9 million was lapsed, and whether that is going to affect the overall schedule for those beds? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on this particular project, the project is combined with the development of the legacy Stanton building. Construction is expected in the summer of 2019. Design is in progress. A contract is in place. Obviously, the completion of the Stanton Territorial Hospital, I think, will play a large part on this particular one going forward, but the anticipation is that the project is on time, and they should be in a position to advance the work on extended care. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I know we are getting a tour of Stanton Renewal on Friday. Is there going to be some discussion about the extended care unit and what is happening with the old hospital while we are over there as well? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.