Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is through the ISSS division. This is a project that will replace the system that is currently being used in the Department of Infrastructure to manage different drivers' licences, and it is intended to incorporate facial recognition technology into that licensing process. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I also see the $1.1 million for the Enterprise licensing and permitting. My understanding is that that budget line is to bring most, if not all, of our licensing and permits online into one system. Can I just, perhaps, have a bit of a distinction between SIMS and Enterprise? Is one for the DMV and one for other licensing? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Generally, I think the Member is accurately stating it. Just by way of a bit of a further example, the secure image management is quite specific to the DMV because it involves, as I said, facial recognition and the printing of actual licences that have people's photos on it. The Enterprise licensing and permitting system is intended to be the e-service delivery in order to access licensing and permitting across departments. It is really meant to be a direction in terms of getting us onto a single unified platform for all of the GNWT's general permitting and licensing, the difference simply being that that's a platform whereas the other one, as I understand it, is the technology required to do the facial recognition. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions on page 10? If there are no further comments, does committee agree to move to the detail contained in the tabled -- Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. There is $1 million in here for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk fibre link. Is any of that money available, or is it going to be used for a distribution system within Tuktoyaktuk? Or is the line going to run into Tuktoyaktuk and then it's going to sit there and nobody can access it? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Much like all of the other opportunities that are being provided through the fibre optics projects, if this does proceed, and I don't know that it's at a stage of being confirmed as a procedure, it would run as a point of access and then it would be up to partnering with the Internet service providers to support the last mile. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Look, what do I know? Is there an Internet service provider in Tuktoyaktuk right now, and are they going to hook up to the fibre link? I just don't want this to end up being another community where the fibre link goes by, or to it, and there is no way for people to access it. What is going on with this project? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I actually had the opportunity to speak with Northwestel just today. There are quite a number of projects that I think they are looking to advance. There are projects that they are looking to advance on their own, and some that they are looking to partner with various levels of government on, so, while I can't sit here right now and promise that all of Tuktoyaktuk housing and facilities will be linked to high-speed fibre in the immediate future, I can certainly say that this project will get a long way in terms of figuring out exactly what is required. It would certainly get that fibre as far as Tuktoyaktuk, which would certainly be a good starting point, and then we will be continuing to develop a plan, as I've already committed to doing in the House, to describe and to discuss the role of the GNWT in terms of making sure that there are those last connections, as much as we can support that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake. Are there any further questions on this page? If there are no further comments, does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
2020-2021 Supplementary Estimates No. 2 (Infrastructure Expenditures), Department of Finance, capital investment expenditures, information systems shared services, not previously authorized, $6,874,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, $6,874,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now move on to page 11. I will now open the floor to general comments on the Department of Health and Social Services capital investment expenditures. Questions? If there are no comments, does committee agree -- oh, sorry. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As is the case with the Mangilaluk School, the laundry and kitchen facilities upgrade for AVENS has been on this list for as long as I've been here. Can the Minister tell us what the delay is in doing this upgrade and when this upgrade will actually happen? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Minister of Health and Social Services can provide more detail.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The project was put on hold by AVENS, as they were pursuing other facility development options on the new AVENS campus that would incorporate all the planned kitchen and laundry facilities, as well.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you. So this project continues to be on hold, and there is no end date for it to be spent. Is that correct? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The AVENS has indicated that they are expecting to have a decision on the project by early this summer. So we are waiting to hear about a decision from them, but the plan is to sit back down, and we sat back down a couple of months ago, and we went through their overall plan, including the Minister of Housing and Finance. So that is still on the table. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you for that response. This question is for the Minister of Finance. Is there a limit to the number of years that funds can be carried over before they are added back into the general pot and the projects have to be defined and justified starting over again? I'm just wondering about that. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There is no specific limit in terms of years. Carry-overs have to meet the requirements of the Financial Administration Act and the Financial Administration Manual, which requires that either the project is under way in some fashion -- I'm actually drawing a blank as to the criteria, but there has to be some action being taken. Money doesn't just get to sit around when there is not something to show for it. So, in that sense, although it can continue to carry over, it wouldn't be carrying over in the absence of some steps being taken or some movements being made. Again, either the project is under way, or there are contracts already in place to get it under way. One of those two things needs to be happening in order for it to automatically be eligible for a carry-over. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Are there further questions under this? Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just wanted to ask, first off, about the Stanton Legacy Building renovations and what the deadline is on that.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll turn to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The design is near completion and it is expected to be tendered this fall. It is a multi-year contract, so the progress is -- sorry, which one is she asking about? The Stanton Legacy? There are two. There is the base building or the building modification.
I'll just clarify. Member for Kam Lake, can you just clarify which one?
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm wondering when the building will be completely renovated, done, and ready for us to start using as a long-term care facility. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The design and process is still under tender and, as this is a multi-year project, we are still waiting to work out some of the details on the design. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm also wondering the same for the long-term care facilities in both Inuvik and Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The design is still under way for the 48-bed long-term care facilities in Inuvik and Hay River. However, as a result of continuing rising constructions costs and permafrost challenging soil conditions in Inuvik, the original cost estimates for the projects are currently under review. You know, we've looked at the designs for the facilities, and, due to COVID, there are potential changes to how we plan the facilities going forward, for example, the size of the facility and the types of common areas. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am going to move on to the community counselling information system. I am wondering if the Minister could explain to us what that is and how that's different than the electronic patient system that our primary clinics and health centres currently use. Thank you.
