Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Why is it so hard to get commitment for getting essential worker status for the teachers? We need help. They need help. Like the Minister said, 800 teachers across the territory have done so much for the students and did their jobs well, but they are asking for help right now. They need to get out. It's been a year almost. Some of them have not been returned home. They need support to get them out for holidays and giving them a little bit of break during spring break. I am asking this Minister to talk to her colleague, to talk to the NWTTA, and get them on the list for rapid testing and support for them when they travel so they don't have to pay for their hotel when they come back into the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I just want to take the opportunity to say that, where the vaccine has been given in the small communities, every adult over 18 has received the vaccine. Of course, that includes teachers, so the teachers in the smallest communities have, in fact, been vaccinated. In terms of leaving the territory, nobody is a prisoner here. They are eligible to apply for a self-isolation plan for when they come home, isolate for 14 days. If it is non-essential travel, then they, like everyone else, will have to pay the cost of isolation, but if it is essential travel for family reasons or for medical reasons, then the government will pay their isolation costs. We do for them what we do for everyone else. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister acknowledge and agree that Highway No. 5 should have continuous cell service installed along its entire 273 kilometres? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Finance is well aware that the territories, including the Northwest Territories, are certainly behind some of our other provincial colleagues, anyways, in Canada in terms of providing cellular coverage on highways. In being aware of that, we are beginning to take steps to find out what options there may be available, to explore what can be done to expand the coverage. The simple reality, Mr. Speaker, is there is no private market for this. There is no way of earning any sort of revenue or profit on this. For this to go forward, there would have to be significant government support of the project, which takes certainly some consideration and planning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Does the Minister agree that installing cell service along Highway No. 5 will help enhance the highway's safety and help grow the NWT economy?
Certainly, having cellular coverage over our highways would certainly improve safety. There is no question about that. I have not heard of the tourism aspect of it before today, so that is certainly an interesting aspect to have understood. We are taking steps, as I implied with my last answer. We are taking steps right now to have expressions of interest with respect to the highway through to Behchoko, between Behchoko and Yellowknife. It's my hope that, with that information, we will be able to look more broadly at other highways in the Northwest Territories.
Will the Minister commit to including Highway No. 5 in any future contract negotiations for new cell service along highways in the NWT?
As I said, there is right now an expression of interest open really to explore what options there might be, to see whether it's possible or how it would be possible to increase and improve cellular coverage on the highways in the Northwest Territories. Once we have that information in hand, I will certainly be sharing it with my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly, with a view to seeing, again, what we can do to improve coverage for all of the territorial highways. However, again, the first step is to get the information for that first stretch and to see what that can bring to us as some options.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to installing cellular service along Highway No. 5 within the life of the 19th Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Would that it be so easy. I cannot make that commitment at this point. What I am going to commit to, again, is that we are going to get the information with respect to the stretch of highway between Behchoko and Yellowknife and to see what that costing might be, what those options might be. Once we have that in hand, we can start to look at other stretches of highway in the Northwest Territories. Again, it's not lost on me, the aspect of safety, and it's not lost on me the costs or the fact that we are behind coverage compared to the rest of Canada. There is a lot of attention on this issue right now in terms of cellular coverage, not only here but elsewhere with the federal government, so it certainly is my hope that there may be some options for us. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are in follow up to my Member's statement on conflicts of interest in GNWT employees with regards to outside activities. My questions will be directed to the Minister of human resources. Can the Minister provide the number of GNWT employees who were approved for an outside activity form? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that this number could well be into the hundreds. The requirement of having these forms is for any employee who is taking part in any outside activity. That could be anything as simple as volunteering as a sporting coach to having self-employment or to having some additional part-time employment, being on a board, et cetera. This is a good opportunity to make it clear that all employees should be filling out those forms, but it's really a number that is quite likely into the hundreds, if not beyond that, and it's done department by department. I have not had the opportunity here today to necessarily gather up the total number. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I can only imagine the vast number of outside activity forms that have been approved within each department, and there are many departments and many employees. Can the Minister provide a process each department has to perform prior to approving an outside activity form?
Again, this is something that comes out through each department, where any employee who wants to take on any kind of outside activity, employment, service, volunteer, anything of that sort, obviously needs to be outside of their regularly scheduled hours of duty, and they are expected to notify their deputy head in writing. Quite often, each department has their own form that they would fill out in order to examine and explore the nature of the activity. The point here is to avoid, certainly, conflicts of interest, but also the appearance of conflicts of interest. That would then be approved either by the deputy or possibly delegated to a senior manager.
I am curious as to who approves the outside activity forms within each department and their qualifications as to which outside activity is actual or perceived. Can the Minister provide that information?
This is another occasion where, although the Department of Finance, specifically within human resources, may give guidance on the matter, it does go down to each department. Each department does have their individual deputy minister specifically assigned to undertake the approval of these forms and then may well delegate that to senior managers.
Mr. Speaker, there does need to be some flexibility certainly. We would want to ensure that when there is an individual in a particular region making an application or making a request of this sort that the individual making the approval understands the nature of the activity at issue so that they can indeed assess whether or not there is any appearance of conflict.
Again, this is something that perhaps hasn't come up very often in the House. I think it's valuable to have this issue raised, because understanding the nature of conflicts and the appearance of conflicts is one that we certainly do take seriously. I do appreciate the questions, and I am confident that, as others may be listening, that deputies will be paying attention to ensure that they are following the process appropriately.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for all those answers. They're very much appreciated. Can the Minister commit to reviewing all approved outside activity forms from GNWT employees and corroborating with listed outside agencies to ensure that there is no actual or perceived conflict of interest? I believe this may require the services of the Integrity Commissioner in looking at these. Mahsi.
As I had said earlier, they may well be into the thousands, the number of forms. I am not going to be in a position myself, personally, to do this. The Integrity Commissioner, of course, monitors the activities of MLAs here within the House, but what I certainly can do is go back to the Department of Finance and speak to those in human resources and ensure that we are doing our best to communicate department by department and to individual regions in what it is to understand the nature of a conflict, what it is to understand the appearance of conflict, and ensure that those materials are adequate, up-to-date, and regularly communicated so that those who are charged with making this decision and reviewing these forms have the best possible knowledge of how to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Can the Minister please outline the plan for the upcoming fiscal year with respect to highway projects and any plans for reconstruction efforts? What I would like to hear is: What is different about this upcoming year versus other years, and has there been an increase to budget for road works in the North? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard three questions in there, so I will try my best to get at least one of them. Several highway reconstruction/rehabilitation projects are planned for the upcoming fiscal year, such as work on Highway No. 1, Highway No. 3, Highway No. 4, Highway No. 7, and Highway No. 8. Tlicho highway construction is progressing, and it is on schedule for completion and opening by this November 2021. Two hundred kilometres of chipseal overlay has been planned for sections on Highways No. 3 and No. 6 and the Dettah Access Road, as well as the Rae Access Road.
No, there has not been an increase to the budget. The total budget for infrastructure for fiscal year 2020-2021 is $169 million. I have got a list of some of the highway projects that I would be able to provide the Member with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, that would be great if the Minister could provide that. Can the Minister provide us with an update on the tendering for the Prohibition Creek Access Road, a project which is currently infusing $15 million of federal infrastructure money into the Northwest Territories? Can the Minister outline how that project will lead to increased training and economic opportunity for Northwest Territories residents?
The department continues to advance development of the Prohibition Creek Access Road. It's a 13-kilometre all-weather road starting from at the end of Canyon Creek access road south of Norman Wells. Twenty million dollars in funding has been secured under ICIP, the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, to be able to support this project. This is based on a 75-25 funding model between Canada and the GNWT. There are a few activities that need to be completed prior to construction, including some of environmental and geotechnical work that will inform the final design. Following this, a final decision on procurement contracting approach will be made. We hope that the construction on this project will be starting early 2022. We are excited to see the project move to the construction phase and having its economic benefits and training opportunities start to become a reality.
I know I sound like a bit of a broken record, but I am always going to continue to bring up infrastructure and repeatedly ask the same questions. Can the Minister provide a timeline for the completion of the Great Bear River Bridge, including any unforeseen delays or difficulties due to the COVID situation?
There have been delays in scheduling some of the face-to-face public meeting in Tulita due to COVID-19. Engagement with groups and communities in the Sahtu, including a project update presentation, will resume when COVID travel restrictions are lifted, when we're able to do some video conferencing. The staff are working with the community to arrange for video conferencing that can reach as many participants as possible, so we have additional support as required from the community for land reserves, and the next community meeting should be able to assist us with that.
Prior to tendering work, the Department of Infrastructure will host an industry day far in advance of the construction tender in order to promote the integration of local, regional, northern businesses' opportunities on this project. Timing and logistics for this industry day will depend on the COVID-19 situation, which could be late 2021 or early 2022.
Mr. Speaker, the Member asked about the Great Bear River Bridge schedule. Right now, we have the project regulatory permits in place, and the projected timeline is March 2022, fiscal year 2022; tender and award construction contract for April to July of 2022; construction period, July 2022 to December 2025; bridge open to traffic, January 2026. Seasonal deficiencies and final demobilization will occur just shortly after.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am really excited to one day be able to drive across that bridge, as I have spent a lot of time in Tulita, so I am pretty excited to hear that. My last question just has to do with funding. Will the Minister commit to pressing for 100 percent dollars for northern infrastructure funding, particularly for northern highways? Will she commit to being a thorn in the side of every FPT table that she is on to impress upon them the urgency for this money for the North? It must start now, not in years, or we will lose too many businesses in the meantime. Thank you.
No pressure. I will do what I can. I do continue to engage with the federal Ministers assessing federal funding opportunities. I did raise the issue of 100 percent funding, particularly with the new construction of projects like the Mackenzie Valley Highway with Minister Omar Alghabra, the new federal Minister of transportation, so we had an introductory call on January 28th. He is aware of some of the issues, and I will continue to pressure some of my federal counterparts.
I do want to make it clear, however, that many of the federal funding pots have very defined cost-sharing guidelines that do not contemplate any 100 percent federal funding. At this point, I am not willing to risk 75 percent federal funding on important projects by submitting applications that do not meet some of the program criteria. The issue of 100 percent highway projects will remain a topic of discussion with the federal government and myself as Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of education. As to my colleague from Nunakput's concerns of teachers and travel, most of our teachers in the regional centres in our small communities are providing what I feel is an essential service to our children. What is the plan for approving travel this spring break, since it was such a hot topic during Christmas? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The plan for spring break is going to be very similar to the plan for Christmas. Thank you.
We know that the CPHO has said, when we question whether the vaccine is going to loosen or take the border controls away, that she is not commenting that far. Has the department started consulting with the regional school boards or surveying if we will have a large amount of vacancies in September due to some of them not being able to travel for December and for their spring break? As we know, a lot of the teachers in our communities leave the summer and go back home to their families throughout Canada.
COVID has really changed a lot of things, but there are few who have been upended as much as teachers and students. There are things like the tourist industry, but schools across the world have been feeling this. I understand and I appreciate the sacrifice that teachers are making because not everyone is from here. I'm lucky that my family is in the territory. I don't have to go outside of the territory to see them, but that's not the case for everyone. Most of our teachers are from outside of the territory. A lot of them are young, and this could be their first time really away from their family. It is a big sacrifice, and I appreciate that.
The territory always loses teachers. It's tough to get teachers here, and it's often difficult to keep them. It's a different way of life, especially if you're used to a big city. You come up, and you're living in small communities. It can be difficult, and the weather, a lot of different factors. We often lose teachers at Christmas. Sometimes teachers just don't come back after the Christmas break, and often teachers don't come back after a couple of years. We fully expect that there will be turnover, as there always is, and we don't have any hard numbers at this point about how many teachers will not be returning. I have heard anecdotally that teachers have said that they won't be, but I can't point to any statistics. However, I would assume that it might be a higher number than normal.
One of the questions that I have for the Minister is: Trying to plan for the future, we don't want to plan in August or in July or June. If we do have a low uptake of teachers who are coming into the territory or applying for jobs or recruiting because of all of our restrictions, say if our border restrictions are still in place, is there a possibility that we will get more e-learning or Northern Distance Learning-type classrooms for some of our kids that could potentially have a teacher but have the kids in the classroom and the teacher may be on the screen with some support?
The last thing we want to do is move toward more distance learning. Our goal is to fully staff all the schools with all the teachers and have in-person instruction. We've been lucky, more so than the rest of Canada, more so than many places in the world, that we've been able to have so much face-to-face learning, and we want to keep that going. Staffing has already started for the upcoming year, and so hopefully we're making these moves early so that we can attract more teachers. There is a lot of planning that has to be done. Everyone who is involved in education, the teachers' association, the school boards, are all aware that this is a concern. It has been brought to my attention, and I take it seriously. I have these discussions with the department, but our hope is that we are going to continue to be able to attract teaches to the territory.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About the main road that I mentioned earlier, we know there has been a lot of traffic and a lot of collisions. We have a few people passed on Highway No. 3, and so far, we had about six from our home community of Behchoko. [Translation ends] I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure: Would the Minister of Infrastructure please provide this House with a 10-year breakdown of the vehicle accidents on Highway No. 3 between Yellowknife, Behchoko, and Fort Providence which involve tractor-trailer units? The Minister may not have the information, but if detailed information could come forward, that would be very helpful. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
