Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the Minister for that really helpful commitment at the end. The matrix that is used to evaluate the proposals is finally going to get posted to the website.
Over the last 20 years, our efforts to establish and maintain a viable secondary diamond industry have been a failure. Would the Minister agree that the easiest and best way to retain benefits is to ensure that we would collect a fair royalty for the extraction of diamonds and other minerals and that this should be accomplished through a public and independent review?
As the Member knows, and I've said it publicly, I've said it in committee, this government is committed to looking at all the taxes that are around the royalty regime. We made the decision to put that up to the 19th Legislative Assembly. Our department, I've directed them, and they have already started to do some of the legwork that is going to have to be needed to be done in the 19th Assembly so we have a full comprehensive review of what is all included in this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Earlier today the Minister of Infrastructure spoke eloquently about the transformational energy that the Taltson hydro expansion could offer the North. I spoke earlier about a new idea that SSI Energy presented to our committee with regard to a concept for district energy systems that could really be transformational for remote communities on thermal energy. I'd like to ask the Minister, simply: has the Minister seen the presentation? Has he watched the video from SSI Energy to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I have. I've actually had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Jeff Philipp and Mr. Cadwell, I believe, and he discussed his idea with me at great length here about two weeks ago.
That's good news. I appreciate that the Minister has seen the presentation and has met with Mr. Philipp. That said, Mr. Philipp publicly stated in the presentation to our committee that his company would supply, fund, and guarantee such a system. I'm wondering if, in the Minister's discussions, did they have an opportunity to talk about any potential partnerships to invest in and put in or install this type of a system into any one of our thermal communities as a pilot project, even?
First of all, I'd be very curious to see reaction from committee when Mr. Philplipp did his presentation. As we all know, he's a very high-energetic guy. I call him the Elon Musk of the North. He has a lot of ideas. He's got a lot of stuff going on there.
In our discussions with Jeff, there are a few things that he wants to try to accomplish all at once, and I suggested that we need to piecemeal this a little bit if we're going to even have a look at this thing. He wanted to know who he needed to talk to within our department, and I directed him to our energy division to sit down and have those discussions with them. One of the things I was a little concerned about was which community he wanted to do it in, and maybe we should have a look at a, bite off a little smaller piece somewhere else, but he's adamant that he thinks he wants to do it within his community of Fort Providence. He's been asked to task my department to have those discussions and see if there's anything even possible.
Well, it sounds a little bit promising. I wonder if the Minister, knowing that there are many communities that have these large generators of which a number of them are scheduled at some point in time in the future here to be replaced, will the Minister work with his colleagues, in particular the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation or in his capacity as chair for Ministerial, Energy and Climate Change Committee-of-Cabinet, have a discussion about the opportunity of replacing one of these large generators with this multi-small-generator system that is being proposed by SSI Energy?
That's why I've actually asked Jeff to go talk to our energy division to have a look at what's possible. I'm not saying we're not going to do it. The whole idea of our action plan and our 2030 Energy Strategy is we have a three-year action plan, and we know technology is going to change significantly over the next 10 years on how we're going to address the greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the Northwest Territories, and Jeff has a great idea. I've asked him to have a serious chat with our department, and when I get the feedback from that, we could seriously have a look at this thing as viable and looking at changing out something in one of these communities if it's going to work.
At present, right now, we're still moving forward with our plan around wind and solar and biomass and LNG and the Taltson and variable speed generators in different communities. We will continue to work on that. I am not saying we are not against this project. We will certainly have a serious look at it.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do truly appreciate the intentions that the Minister has, and it seems that they are well-meaning and that we are heading in the right direction.
The district energy system that was proposed is certainly a game-changer unto itself, but a portion of that district energy system consists of these new super batteries made of graphene. These being used unto themselves can be used for multiple purposes; the Colville Solar Project, the Inuvik Wind Project, even remote mines. Would the Minister make a commitment to at least have the energy division look further into the use of these new graphene batteries? They alone could be used for multiple purposes, not having to change over small communities to whole new entire system, but just the use of these graphene batteries alone. Will the Minister commit to having his energy division look at little more into the graphene batteries? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am well aware of these batteries. Jeff actually met with me probably almost a year ago and had a discussion around these things. I think he has become now the actual Canadian supplier for these things. I don't think he has actually sold any quite yet. He is working on a number of initiatives right across the country on what he is trying to do.
We are having a look at these things. They have not been installed anywhere in Canada yet, but we have to have a serious look at how we are going to tackle these battery situations across the Northwest Territories, particularly around the wind and solar aspect of it. Most of these systems need a battery. The Member is well right that these things load up and keep power a lot longer. They can't freeze these things, so we have to have a serious look at it, and I have directed our energy department to have a look at it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my questions today, they are for the Minister of Finance on the Indigenous Career Pathways Program and the secondary program here, the Indigenous Management Development and Training Program, as well. My experiences have found that the Sahtu Region, with the government and the agencies, runs a workforce of 375 employees. Given that amount, in preparation for the readiness and awareness of these programs, can the Minister commit to the designing and promotion of a brochure for the delivery and awareness of these two programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a news release that went out in October of 2018 that talked about a couple of new programs to open new career pathways for Indigenous Northerners. As far as there being brochures to promote that, I am not quite sure if I have seen any brochures yet, but I could follow up. I am sure that information is also available on our website with the proper information for those that want to take advantage of these programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister for that reply. I find it very encouraging, the inspiration on these types of programs that we see in this institution, and sharing that with the smaller communities would really create awareness of the opportunities that are out there, but they all are subject to fulfilling your education and so on. It will encourage the youth to visualize themselves in taking over some of these opportunities as the age group of the workforce goes.
My next question is: after the development of this brochure campaign profile, can the Minister share that with the schools, the EAs, and other agencies within the Sahtu, and the whole territory, for that matter?
One of the things that we are very proud of in the Northwest Territories is the number of Aboriginal people in our workforce, Indigenous people. We continue to try and enhance those numbers. There is a lot of value that is brought to the positions. We continue to promote that. If there is an opportunity in this particular situation to promote these programs at, say, educational fairs and things like that, I am not sure of exactly the details of our department's plans on promoting the program. I will follow up, and I will share any information that I can gather with the Members and Members of the Assembly.
I am glad for that answer on the issue of promoting these two initiatives. In doing so, it will create inspiration to our youth that there is opportunity out there beyond post-secondary classes.
Our group is promoting a youth inspirational tour in the Sahtu sometime this spring, April or May. Can the Minister commit to providing some promotional brochures about the program and the criteria and so on, so that we can distribute the pamphlets during our Sahtu tour?
The Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning Unit attended career fairs, and that goes back to the Member's first question, in many different regions. Recently they attended the Aklavik Healthy Living Fair and the Fort Providence Skills 4 Success Career Fair. They plan to attend a career fair in Behchoko that would be attended by all high schools. Again, that is an opportunity to promote some of the opportunities. They recently finalized the guidebook on careers in health and social services professions, an NWT- focused career guidebook, which will be shared with all schools. Any opportunities that our departments have to share information on potential opportunities and training, they will do so at a number of fairs that they attend across the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Infrastructure regarding his earlier Minister's statement about Taltson Hydro Electricity Expansion. I recall that last year the MLA for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh questioned the government about why they weren't consulting with local Indigenous groups in the Fort Smith area regarding the expansion of Taltson. The answer was that there were no customers for the hydro power that could be generated by an expansion, so there was no point in consulting because there was no customer.
I see that there is money now for consultations, and I wonder if there is now a customer. My understanding is that the plan is to ship the energy north towards, presumably, the diamond mines, but given that this might not be completed until the mines are all shuttered, I want to know: do we have customers who have signed on the dotted line for this power? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have clearly laid out in my Minister's statement today, we had two parts to this. We were going to clearly have a look at the regulatory process, the environmental process, the engineering around this thing, and then the Aboriginal participation on it. They need to build a business case on that. That will be some of the ongoing work that we will be working on, and hopefully, in the coming months, as I said in my Minister's statement, with more federal funding to help us support this, we will be able to look at all of those aspects. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That leads me to my second question. The Minister stated that there was an application for more federal funding. I think that in the last Assembly there was about $15 million spent on looking at expanding Taltson. I know we have another couple of million now. What is this federal ask, and how much of it would have to be GNWT dollars?
Yes, we clearly announced that we had $1.2 million with the federal Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister Leblanc. We don't have an application as such. We are hoping that there is going to be something in the coming months that the federal government will get behind and help support this project. I would probably closely watch the federal budget to see if there is going to be any extra funding in there.
I just saw on the Minister's statement it said that the GNWT has put in a request for additional financial support, so I guess it is not an application per se. It is just a request.
I know that the Minister says that phase two is looking at an interprovincial connection and I have asked in this House before about talks with Saskatchewan and I understood that that was one of the customers they were looking at. Have there been any recent talks with Saskatchewan that the Minister can update us on?
I believe that the department has not talked to Saskatchewan lately, as we have changed our refocus on joining the North/South Slave grids at the present application.
Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is: how do we expect to pay for this expansion? I know that it might pay for itself over time, but the budget just came out yesterday. We are almost right up against the debt wall. You know, maybe at the beginning of this Assembly, this was viable, but our borrowing limit is almost maxed out. How does the Minister think that this is going to be paid for? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I have said, we have a lot of work to do. We have to work with our Indigenous partners and do all our preliminary work that needs to be done. So it would be kind of pre-emptive on how we are going to pay for this if we can't prove that there is a viable project, but I'm sure the Minister of Finance has been in discussions with his federal counterpart on looking at different ways that we may have to change our borrowing limit on this.
There are different opportunities on financing this project, and that is what we need to scope out. It might be through the federal infrastructure bank. It might be private equity. There are a whole bunch of different business cases that could be presented to finance this type of project. There are a number of things that need to be done, as I have clearly said. We will continue to hope that we get some more federal funding to move this project out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement last year, I have a couple more questions for the Minister responsible for Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost two years now since the windbreak has been taken from kilometre 4 on the Dempster Highway because it is deteriorating. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister: when will the department replace this windbreak at kilometre 4 on the Dempster Highway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My recollection on the kilometre 4 windbreak was that, in discussions with the Gwich'in Tribal Council, they asked us to take this down, but I would have to follow up with the department if there have been in any more discussions with the GTC and see if they want us to replace this, or what the procedure is going to be moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I recall it, I believe the community of Fort McPherson actually asked to take it down because it was an eyesore because it was falling apart at the time. You know, it was probably built before we had pressure-treated wood. Will the Minister ensure that this work takes place this summer, as it is really affecting road closure due to high winds?
I can certainly follow up with the department and get them to have a conversation with our superintendent in the region to reach out to the local community and talk to our contractor on that section of the highway to see what is happening on the ground and get back to the Member on what our plans are moving forward.
I know last year the department was saying that they haven't noticed any more closures than usual, but this year, because we have had more snow, higher winds, we have had this troubling spot at kilometre 4, to be specific. Once the Minister finds out from his department that this really is a problem, like I am bringing up, will the Minister ensure that they work with the community or the contractor over the summer to ensure this work is done?
If this does prove out to be a situation that needs to be addressed, depending on what the cost is, I suspect that this is something that we can possibly look at doing from within, but I will not commit to doing that until I get the exact details. I'm sure, if it is a situation where we need to address it to keep the road open for the residents of the Northwest Territories, we will have a serious look at doing it.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know that windbreak I'm talking about, it can't be more than a couple of thousand dollars we are talking about. We are holding up goods that are coming into our region, and also not to mention all the extra hours to maintain that highway. You know, we are talking about 20- to 30-foot drifts here, you know, in that one specific area. It is pretty easy that the cost of this windbreak is not more than what it takes to open that road, and not to mention all the goods that are waiting to go by. Will the Minister ensure that this is done over the summer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I said, I will get all the information pertinent to this information that we need to make a decision on this. If it clearly needs to be done and it is something we can finance without going for an appropriation from our Finance Minister, we will certainly look at doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
