Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you for the question. The Grays Bay port is I guess not I guess at least before the election, it wasn't a major priority for the territorial government in Nunavut. There's been an election since then so maybe that will change. But as the Member suggested, it is fairly fair off in terms of moving ahead. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I quickly Googled, because I remembered there was an announcement recently and there was a loan agreement given to the Kitikmeot Inuit Association for $7.25 million to work towards the Grays Bay port. So just some information there.
The Minister or sorry, the Member for Yellowknife North did take my question, was was it just on the Lockhart portion versus the overall. So not to repeat and to move on as per our conversation, Madam Chair.
My question is even if the business plan for this part of the road doesn't go forward or doesn't indicate that this is sound necessarily, can the Minister speak to the scientific portion of the work that's being done. So I guess, for example I mean, this is pushing it a little bit, but considering we're going into a knowledge economy and there is going to be need for a lot of these this type of scientific information that is being collected from this road as part of the work to advancing it, is there work being done on sort of that aspect of it? What does the Minister think around the scientific aspects of the investigations regardless of whether they end up in a road or not. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm certainly not speaking as a scientist any more than I am on behalf of the Government of Nunavut. But in terms of the assessments that are taking place, those assessments are environmental assessments and geotechnical assessments and assessments of the terrain, and it is information that does include scientific understanding and scientific study of what is in the area. From the perspective of wanting to determine an appropriate route, but it's one that certainly adds to our knowledge of the region, certainly adds to our knowledge of the region in a variety of ways, including traditional knowledge of the region being recorded and made available. So there is certainly a positive investment that's taking place in terms of understanding, you know, more about the territory and particularly more about an area where there's very strong indications of potential for, whether it's mineral resources, but also in terms of understanding the other natural resources that are there. So, you know, that is all good news.
Now, obviously, right now, it's coming at a high cost because it's a level of technical assessment that's with the perspective of potentially building a road, but there are, as with other projects and other infrastructure projects, there's other benefits of having more knowledge and more scientific information and data. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I appreciate the Minister answering off the cuff there on not quite a financial question.
And it is my understanding that most of that data, and all the data collected in the North, does play into a wider database that can be accessed and used by the government, so always a big fan of spending money on any sort of scientific study.
My question has to do with industry partnerships around the Slave Geologic Province road. While very important we get Indigenous engagement and involvement and even ownership in that road and its operations, has the Minister been approached by anybody to discuss potential cost sharing with industry or any of the mineral players that might be interested in the region? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so, again, the lead on delivering the project and project detail is the Department of Infrastructure. I'm not sure, again, if Minister Archie necessarily has all of her materials with her. I've not been directly approached, but I don't know that I would be necessarily. Again, I think it probably would be Minister Archie who would be the first point of contact.
I can say more from the Department of ITI, there is a lot of interest in general in the region and in being ready and available to be part of what is being envisioned out there.
So for and out there the Slave Geologic region. But let me, if I could, I'll check in and see if Minister Archie has anything she can share at this point. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Archie.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, obviously, there is interest industry. We have not discussed potential cost sharing to date yet; however, we are sharing some of our information with industry and others. And, you know, being this is the mandate of this Assembly, I do want to make note that Indigenous involvement and support are crucial to the success of this project. There may be many economic opportunities as it move forward. So, you know, we have engaged with some of the Indigenous groups as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This will just be probably a little bit of a comment. I'm glad to hear, that the Indigenous organizations are being and consulted and at the Minister's forefront. I guess I just wanted to point that out or bring up that line of discussion because this is the southern portion of the diamond the diamond mines ice road and therefore once or the sooner we can get this portion of the road constructed, the potential for the diamond mines to have more longevity and more money to put towards exploration. So just a comment on why I also strongly still support construction of this road. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Any further questions on the Capital Investment Expenditures? Seeing none, Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditure), No. 2, 20212022, Department of Infrastructure, capital investment expenditures, energy and strategic initiatives, not previously authorized, negative $45, 274,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, Department of Infrastructure (Capital Investment Expenditures), programs and services not previously authorized, negative $7,634,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, Department of Infrastructure (Capital Investment Expenditures), total department not previously authorized, negative $97,421,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 43819(2) Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022?
Agreed.
Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. It's kind of hard for me to say this, but I move that consideration of Tabled Document 43819(2) Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 43819(2) be supported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.
The motion is in order. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried. Tabled Document 43819(2) will be reported as ready for consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.
---Carried
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses. Moving on to the next.
All right, so thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. SergeantatArms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. And Members, we'll take a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 43919(2) Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022. Does the Minister of Finance have any opening remarks?
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022. These Supplementary Estimates propose a total increase of $17.2 million, $16 million of which will be offset by revenues from the Government of Canada. Notable items which are federally funded include:
$4.9 million in support of First Nations and Inuit home and community care;
$3.2 million to reduce risk in longterm care facilities during the COVID19 pandemic;
$2.8 million in support of early learning and childcare programs;
$979,000 in support of the Regional Air Transportation Initiative; and,
$800,000 to deliver the Tourism Restart Investment Program.
In addition, these supplementary estimates include:
$1.2 million to address a budget shortfall in the fire operations suppression division related to the 2021 forest fire season.
That concludes my opening remarks, Madam Chair, and I'd be happy to answer questions.
Thank you, Minister. Do you wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Thank you Madam Chair.
Thank you. SergeantatArms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, would you please reintroduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Back again, I have the deputy minister of finance Bill MacKay, and the deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board Terence Courtoreille.
Thank you, and welcome. I will now open the floor for general comments. Seeing no general comments, we'll review the supplementary estimates by department.
The committee has agreed to forego general comments on each department. Does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
All right. Committee, we will begin on page 4 with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Supplementary Estimate (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, early learning and child care, not previously authorized, $2,769,000. Does committee agree? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see we're spending $2.7 million on early learning and child care. That's great, and then it's fully offset from the Government of Canada. That's even better.
Can I just get a bit of an explanation of what this fund is and especially in relation to, I see it runs to 2025, in relation to the upcoming childcare fund and agreement we could sign. I just want to understand how, if at all, they work together. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, the Minister of ECE is eager to provide that detail.
Thank you. Minister of ECE.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So we have had an existing deal with the Government of Canada for a number of years. They have been providing us funding for early learning and child care in and around the tune of $2.5 million a year. We have re-signed that deal recently. And so that is this funding here. And this will be in addition to any funding we receive through the Canada-wide Early Learning Child Care Agreement. And so instead of being rolled up into one single agreement, we have a couple of agreements going at the same time. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry, I guess I must have missed the Minister's announcement so glad we've resigned this deal. I see the deal runs to the 2025. What is the total cost of the deal? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, let me see if Mr. Courtoreille has that, as I am trying to just going to make sure I have the correct numbers. Thanks.
Thank you. Mr. Courtoreille.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Under this funding agreement, the department would receive $5.2 million in 20212022, and then $2.7 million approximately every year annually after that for the next four years. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Okay. I would like to know how many of these funds are going to the outlying communities and how much is staying in Yellowknife with that department headquarter.
