Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate the deputy minister's detailed response. With that, I have no further questions in this particular division. Thank you.
Thank you. Anything further from committee? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. In the Minister's opening remarks, I was kind of dazzled with all the millions of dollars that he was talking about. I am wondering how many millions of dollars are going towards the Slave Geological Province road in 2019-2020? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As far as I know, we don't have any more than some staff time going towards this, and some small planning that we are doing, some announcements that we expect to be coming later in the year around this project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell us whether there is any money in 2019-2020? I understand this is the O and M budget for the planning that needs to know done for the Frank Channel bridge. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister. Sorry. Who am I directing this to? Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the Frank Channel bridge, we are doing some preliminary work using our own-source funds through the 2018-2019 fiscal year. We do have some applications in through a number of federal infrastructure programs, including the Northern Trade Corridors Fund, to seek funding. We also have applications in for smaller amounts, to do some planning work, through agencies like CanNor, and we are expecting at some point to hear back on those in the coming weeks and months. In terms of specific money in 2019-2020, there is some staff fund time allocated in the strategic infrastructure division to work on advancing those applications and those projects, but I would have to go back, and the Minister would have it commit to coming back with a more detailed number on how specifically we would prorate that to that project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I would like a commitment out of the Minister. If he could just sort of identify how much in terms of the O and M budget is being devoted to these two projects, the Frank Channel bridge and the Slave Geological Province road, I would find that information helpful. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we can do that and provide the Member with that detailed information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. I am just wondering, I understood that there had been money in previous budgets for the Frank Channel bridge. I am just trying to understand why we are still planning for it and we are not actually doing the work. Can the Minister's officials explain what's happening? Why we continue to spend money on planning rather than doing the work? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As you know, there was an allocation towards the Frank Channel bridge originally through the old program, the federal program. When we went out and did consultation with the community of Behchoko and industry, it was clearly relied to us at that point that there was a need to have a look at the realignment and a possibility of a new bridge at that point with discussion with these people, one without a top on it because it's a chokehold for industry going north from there. It is the only choke point in the Northwest Territories for industry. With that, we have decided to go back and reallocate those funds and have another look at replacing the Frank Channel bridge. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that. Well, not only is it a problem maybe for the supplies that are going to the diamond mines, but it is a public safety hazard. I have driven across that bridge. It is unsafe. There are not even stop lights at either end. It is an accident waiting to happen. Can the Minister tell me what kind of priority that project has within his department? Is it being given the same level of effort and so on as the Slave Geological Province Road? How much of a priority is this Frank Channel bridge with the department? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I said in my comments there about the consultation with industry and looking at replacing it, we made the decision to have a look at that. We have spent some money on the Frank Channel bridge to try to get a little more life out of it while we look at trying to access funding from the federal government to replace this thing. It is roughly $60, $70 million, if I remember correctly the number for it. We presently have an application out of the National Trade Corridors Fund, which we would have shared with committee on our application around with that and the Slave Geological Province. We are waiting to hear back from the federal government. Hopefully, that will be before the federal election takes place. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. That is helpful from the Minister. If the Minister had to put a priority on the planning work that needs to be done on the Frank Channel bridge versus planning work that needs to be done for the Slave Geological Province road, which one is the highest priority? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I have clearly stated, we have put in both of our applications for both these projects with the federal government. Both of these projects are of high priority for our department. Safety is number one. As I have said, we spent money on this Frank Channel bridge right now to get some life out of this thing, but the Slave Geological Province is also a clear mandate to the Government of the Northwest Territories, and one that I have been committed to trying to secure funding for. Based on our applications, the Slave Geological Province is my preferred priority over the Frank Channel bridge. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Minister putting that on the record that is his priority and for the department, his work on the Slave Geological Province road over the Frank Channel bridge. I am glad that he put it on the record, because I don't think that should be the priority. The Minister even said public safety should be number one, so I really don't understand why the Minister is putting the Slave Geological Province Road as a priority over the Frank Channel bridge. That is what he said. You can check Hansard if we want, but I disagree with that priority and I don't think that is in the public interest. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Would the Minister care to retort?
Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Let's make it quite clear on the record. That is why we are sitting here today, discussing these things. This was based on an application for the National Trade Corridors Fund, the amount of $400 million that was carved out for the three northern territories. Based on that application, that is where my priority would be. It would be under the Slave Geological Province. It doesn't mean that the bridge is not a priority. This fund is just for the three northern territories with a carve-out, as I have said. There are only a certain amount of dollars left in there. The federal government has changed the rules around our application process and changed the cap on it, which we have done our two applications for this. If we are not successful to get the money for the Frank Channel bridge through that process, we will certainly be chasing other avenues through the federal government to replace this bridge. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Anything further from Mr. O'Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I am confused probably at the best of times, but now I am really confused with regard to what the priorities of the department and the Minister are. It seems like when it comes to applying for federal money, the Slave Geological Province road planning work is a priority over Frank Channel. Can the Minister tell us, with his own money, with the department's own money, what is the priority? Is it replacing the Frank Channel bridge or is it doing the planning work for Slave Geological Province Road? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. If we are going to sit here and play on words, let's make it quite clear. I have been mandated to access funding for the Slave Geological Province road. That is a part of my mandate commitment. It is in the mandate agreed by all Members in this House. We are out there clearly trying to get funding for the Slave Geological Province, and Frank Channel bridge is clearly part of the application for the Slave Geological Province. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Final brief word, Mr. O'Reilly?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. The Minister well knows my views on this, that the mandate is so broad you could drive trucks through it. Here is a clear example of the Minister driving some trucks through the mandate. Look, if the priority is public safety, and I believe it should be, the Minister and his department should be working at replacing the Frank Channel bridge. The Slave Geological Province road should wait. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Any further comments from the committee on the $75-million activity? Nothing further from the committee. I will call this activity. Infrastructure, asset management, operations expenditure summary, activity total, $75,890,000. Does committee agree?
Agree.
Thank you, committee. Please turn to the next activity found on page 238 to 241, corporate management. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chair, over the review of both our capital budget and our business plans that set up for the main estimates, we have shared concerns a number of times with regard to carryovers of projects. The committee has been concerned over the amount of carryovers. In one particular year, I think last year, about almost half of the capital projects, the amount of the capital projects, ended up being carried over. The committee has made the recommendation that the department develops a better tracking system to lower the carryover amounts and to ensure that the money gets spent when it is supposed to. We know that this has a fairly impactful or has a large impact, especially on small communities as it relates to employment opportunities, so it is critical that we find ways to make sure that we are getting these funds out the door year after year.
I just want to ask the Minister: is the department developing any kind of mechanism to track carryovers and then, let's say, even substantiate them a little bit better in the budget process so that Members can have a better understanding and grasp on the impacts that carryovers have on the territory, I guess. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That certainly is an area that we have been working on in 2018-2019. We will continue to work on it in 2019-2020. Some of the things you will see in this budget will help us address that issue going forward in 2019-2020. One of those areas is the strategic infrastructure division that we have proposed here in the budget.
The intent there of that division is to off-load a lot of the work around these large federal Infrastructure investments like the recently announced investment for Mackenzie Valley highway from our line staff who are focused on delivering the day-to-day infrastructure needs to support the other areas of government operation, for example, our client-managed capital and our own highway and airport and transportation-related infrastructure. That is one of the areas where we are making some changes to address the issue that has been raised by committee when we went through our business plan review but also, I think, previously during Committee of the Whole.
The second area is in regional operations. We put enhanced tracking and monitoring of the client-managed capital in place, doing regular tracking, working with our client departments to look for those areas that are adding delay or risk, and finding ways to mitigate them. Some of it is a result of processes within our department. Some of it is outside of our control and around programming decisions and decisions by third-party stakeholders who are involved in some of the projects. We are looking at ways where we can reduce those bottlenecks, as well.
The second thing we are doing is looking at adding additional capacity in the area of project delivery at the front line where our project officers are delivering those projects so that we can keep them moving along, as well. Also, we are enhancing front-end work we are doing around budgeting and planning in terms of having more detailed projects developed through the planning-study process before we seek the appropriation.
There are a number of ways we are working on this. In particular, this year, in 2019-2020, we have put a lot of effort on reducing the carry-overs on some of the ones that were a chronic issue for committee around the area of our culvert, bridge, and gypsum programs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the deputy minister for that detailed response. We noted during business plan reviews that there were a number of reasons for carry-overs. It seems as though the department has taken a lot of progressive and proactive steps in trying to overcome some of those challenges. There still are some challenges with regard to outside capacity outside of government, you know, in the form of contractors, et cetera. I am just wondering: although this, to some degree or a greater degree, is outside the department's abilities, have they been given any insight or do they have anything to offer as it relates to how we can work with communities and contractors to build capacity to help deliver on-the-ground projects for the territory? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. You know, that is an ongoing challenge right across the board. Let's take example we are trying to move forward with the Bear River Bridge. The Hamlet of Tulita, which is right there at the doorstep, we are working closely with everyone in that community. They have formed a Bear River Working Group Committee amongst all the user groups within the municipality, be it Indigenous groups or the municipal government, to try to be able to figure out a way to capitalize on this. Our department and our ADM is working closely with them.
One of the other things I think that we looked at and it came up in the House a couple times is around some of these projects and have a serious look at some of the ones that we can break out to utilize a little bit more local capacity instead of having these projects that are too large for some of these, you know, smaller to mid-sized companies that can't capitalize on it. We are continuing to engage with the people across the Northwest Territories and the contractors and through the NWT Construction Association and such and the Chamber of Commerce to try to address some of these things. We will continue to work on that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the Minister for the reply. I appreciate that there is some effort being built around this. We have seen in other areas and from other departments, too, we have seen the success of certain training programs that have worked well, as well. You know, given that we are fairly good at knowing what projects that we are going to deliver over the next handful of years through our capital asset management plan, et cetera, and just knowing all of these big applications that we have to the federal government for shared funding, are there ways in which, knowing that we have all of these projects that we need certain skill sets built, we can start to use Aurora College or ECE and others to start developing training programs to build up skill capacity in these areas? Are there discussions that the department is having internally and externally to make this possible? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. You know, I believe education has worked on their document. Skills 4 Success is going to identify a number of these jobs. I think it was 36,000 or 38,000 jobs in the next number of years coming forward. We know that the population of the Northwest Territories is aging. We have already stepped up to the plate, I think, on some of these things as you take the ITH or the Canyon Creek-type projects where we have worked with the proponent who implemented their training programs.
We have given a lot of updates to committee on the number of people who have been trained on these projects. I think it is a number as high as 400-and-some individuals who worked on the ITH projects, with a great focus on trying to get more women into the workforce and these untraditional types of occupations. We are working closely with industry on these things around the training side of things.
You know, I think, hopefully, going forward, you see, even on the Tlicho Road going to Whati, you are going to see some of this stuff taking place, as well. We have really, you know, looked back on the history of these other two projects and how we can implement these things into other projects going forward because there will be some larger projects coming forward, as the Member stated. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
