Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have had community consultation already with the community on this project. We are out for design work right now on moving that forward, and then we will probably be going back to the community for some more consultation once the design is laid out. We are hoping to have the plans ready by December. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I greatly appreciate that the department has gone and reached out to the community, is consulting with them, and going back there. I think it is a very positive step moving forward. Can the Minister advise when this project is going to be done? This fiscal year coming up, or is it just through the design process? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, this is a multi-year project. I will just read what we have got going on here. Phase I will focus on the layout of the pull-out and a pavilion, completing the design and the structure. Work includes surveys, assessment, estimates, drawings, as well as work with the communities to gather comparative information for the signage, which is important. The second phase will be completed in 2019-2020, which will consist of construction and implementation of the project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister just clarify? In the book, it said "estimated completion." I am assuming this is going to be work done during the summertime. Is this when the work is going to be done, or as we are moving forward on the process? Like, I understand that you are consulting with them, designs are going to be happening, but April 1st, is that going to be the next part of the project? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It would make sense for us to try to do this work in the summertime, so I would anticipate that would be starting in April. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate that information from the Minister. That looks good. I am looking forward to seeing that kiosk there. It has been a huge issue to the community, so I greatly appreciate that.
With regard to the Blackstone Park Campsite betterment, can the Minister expand a little bit further on it? Is it work about the roads, or is it the campgrounds that are going to be enhanced, or is it going to be a combination of all? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have had the pleasure of actually staying at this campground this summer when I went on holidays, so I am very familiar with it. The campsites will be resurfaced, levelled, and expanded to accommodate larger RV traffic, which is actually an issue there right now when I was there. Campsites with pull-out through entrances will be widened so that larger RVs can pull through safely and upgrade site infrastructure tent beds. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we talk about levelling the camp, the sites, and that, and the roads and widening them, we are talking about gravel. Correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There would be gravel, for sure, but at the top of there would actually be site preparation, and the construction work would go in part of that as well. It would be different types of gravel, but yes, gravel would be included. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am just trying to understand if there was chipseal going to be in there, but I totally support the fact that we are putting gravel in, and we are making it better. I have been the campground, as Minister Schumann has been in there, and it is a beautiful site. It has an opportunity to have a better impact for tourism in the region. I thank the Minister for his answers. No further questions, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Schumann.
Comment noted. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Any further questions, committee? If not, we will return to page 38. Industry, Tourism and Investment, tourism and parks, infrastructure investments, $3,102,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you. We will now return to page 35. Industry, Tourism and Investment, departmental total, total capital estimates, $11,530,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you. That concludes the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you to the Minister and his witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Have a seat, Minister Schumann. Thank you, committee. We have agreed to now consider the Department of Infrastructure. Does the Minister have witnesses he would like to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is assistant deputy minister of regional operations Jayleen Robertson. On my right is Paul Guy, deputy minister of Infrastructure. On our far right is Kevin McLeod, assistant deputy minister of asset management. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. I will now open the floor to general comments, if any. Seeing none, we will defer the departmental total until after consideration of activity summaries, which start on page 42. Infrastructure, asset management, infrastructure investment, $129,905,000. Any questions on information items, pages 43 and 44? Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. How much of this $129 or $130 million is federal funds and how much is NWT funds? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We don't have that exact breakdown in front of us right now, but if the Members were to go to page 43, where it says "Investing Canada plan", those ones are 75-cent dollars. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. So, "Investing in Canada plan". Oh, the "Building Canada Plan," I'm guessing? The BCP? Okay. Then I see you have engine retrofits and replace engines on a couple of ferries here. I know that with technology the way it is, you can get a lot more mileage, or rather, a lot more efficiency out of engines nowadays. Are these retrofits or replacements going to save money in the long run? Does the Minister know how much? Will it cut down on greenhouse gases, et cetera? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The intent of those projects is to upgrade the engines in the ferries that we served as part of the highway system. Part of it is to reduce the emissions, both the greenhouse gases as well as some of the other gases that are used in water and cleaner technology. Modern engines are much more efficient and generate less pollutants. There is also an operating efficiency that we gain through those as well. We have some initial information on the one that we just recently completed, which we will ask ADM Robertson to speak to. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Assistant deputy minister Robertson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the deputy was saying, we are working to replace the engines in the Lafferty, which is a very similar project to what we had done on the Louis Cardinal just this year. It's very early. At this point, we have been running them for the whole season, but reports are that there's quite a bit of fuel efficiency, as much as up to 20 percent, as well as there's an increase in power at the same time. They are extremely quiet and they are working very well on the Louis Cardinal, I understand. We are working to do a similar type of project at the Lafferty Ferry. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Robertson. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Thank you. Next on the list, we have Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if I could just ask the Minister to explain the difference in these two project names, "Highway Culverts, Bridges and Chipseal Overlay" and "Bridges Rehabilitation." Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Bridges Rehabilitation project is an ongoing project that started with the federal government. That's in the Building Canada Fund process that we go against all the other jurisdictions for that funding to improve our bridges. The Bridge and Culvert program that is part of the capital program is a smaller program. It updates and rehabilitates the current bridges in our inventory and all culverts that are greater than 1.5 metres in diameter.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm wondering, again, on those two same topics if the Minister could explain the estimated completion. One is 2023-2024 and one is 2019-2020. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. For 2018-2019, we have the Buffalo River Bridge. For 2018-2019, we have the Frank Channel Bridge for pre-engineering, environmental design, and new bridge. In 2019-2020, rehabilitation works are deferred. Hay River to Pine Point Bridge, 2019-2020. For construction, the year two of two, repair and concrete pairs, abutments, strengthen steel, rehabilitate concrete bridge deck, replace bearings and deck joints, and repaint steel stresses. In 2019-2020, we have Oscar Creek Bridge, Jean Marie Bridge, and Trout River Bridge. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
