I would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Thank you. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Julie Mujcin, director of Finance and Administration. On my right is Tracy St-Denis, assistant deputy minister.
Thank you. There will be no general comments. Committee, we will start on page 35, Industry, Tourism and Investment. I will defer departmental totals until after consideration of activity summaries and begin on page 36. Industry, Tourism and Investment, economic diversification and business support, infrastructure investment, $8,428,000. Any questions? Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have some questions about the fish plant in Hay River. Could we get some details on any sort of timeline? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson.
Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members may not be aware, but we did our submission to the federal government and we completed a schematic design on this thing and we are moving forward on the design and development of it. We have not heard back as of yet from the federal government on our application. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. When does the department expect to hear back from the federal government? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. From everything I'm hearing, shortly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have nothing further with the fish plant. This is the same thing I ask every year, and we're always waiting to hear back from the feds. Hopefully, it is shortly.
I would like to know about the collections station. Could the Minister discuss those a little bit? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As committee knows, our strategy is to have a collection station north of the lake and south of the lake, and presently we are in discussions with the community of Fort Resolution about how we can move that forward. Hopefully, that will be the first one out of the gate when we get going. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. Once again, can I get a timeline? So far, it's a five-year project, I think four or five years, this Great Slave Lake Commercial Fisheries Revitalization Strategy, and there hasn't been any ground broken on anything yet, so can we get some timelines as to these collections stations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our plan is to have these collection stations up and running before the plant opens in 2020. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. Could the Minister describe these collection stations? Are they just a reefer truck? Is it going to be a physical building? Could we get some details on that? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As we are working with Fort Resolution, presently, I can tell you right now, we are working with the small craft harbours in the communities. So they can look at the dock, and we'll be looking at doing the infrastructure around the outside of that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. Are these contingent on federal funds as well, then? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Yes, it is. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. Is this part of the decision that may be made soon, or is this a different pot of federal money? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is from a different pot of money. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be attending the Fishermen's Federation AGM coming up next month, so I think I will save the rest of my questions for there, because it seems to be a waiting game. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. It's more of a comment, but I will see if the Minister wants to reply.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it is a little bit of a waiting game. We've done our due diligence. Our submissions are in, and we are waiting for a response from the federal government, and we will continue to move forward on our process on the schematic design, and the design development of the fish plant, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. Are all the funds in these capital estimates, the $8.4 million, are those all GNWT funds, or does that include the expected federal money, too? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That includes federal expected money as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. What's our portion, and what's the federal portion? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We don't have a calculator in front of us, but $8.428 million. It's a 75-25 split; so, 25 ours, 75 feds. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. I understand, with the actual fish plant, there are issues with either the sewer or the water going to the plant in Hay River, or something. They need to upgrade the pump station. Has all of that been worked out, or does the Town of Hay River also need to do some work before this can happen? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Ms. St-Denis.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have been in discussions with the community. The community is looking to secure funding from a federal agency to assist them. They have a larger project; not just the fish plant, some other aspirations, as well, but we're not anticipating this impacting moving forward for our project.
Thank you, Ms. St-Denis. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. Nothing further.
