Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the pages in attendance today from the community of Great Slave, Gianne Mercado and Jozuard Mercado. I apologize if I have not said their names right. But it's really great to have them back and it's actually kind of strange because I'm not used to having people open the doors or bring me water anymore, so I do really appreciate their hard work. And I hope that they're getting a good experience. Thank you.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also wanted to recognize my constituent Ms. Natasha Takazo. Your work is very much appreciated and I just wanted to recognize her. Mahsi.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber and I hope you're enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to have people with us in the Chamber. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These questions are for the Minister of MACA.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, I saw a convoy of Samaritan's Purse volunteers and equipment arrive in Hay River to assist those needing supports to evade flood damage. Prior to the arrival of Samaritan's Purse to Hay River, the Hay River Metis Government Council, the Hay River Old Timers Hockey Club, and many volunteers have been providing that assistance.
Other than volunteers, can the Minister confirm what is being done to support abatement efforts for those properties impacted by flooding and who is covering the cost? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we lined up four abatement companies to get in there, into the community, as soon as it was safely to do so.
In regards to the cost, the GNWT government is coordinating emergency work with, and the GNWT will cover the cost for those who prefer to coordinate the work themselves, there's an opportunity to submit backup documentation and seek reimbursement for work through an eventual claiming for disaster assistance. But if they use the four companies right now, that will be covered by the GNWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently we have victims of the flood in the South Slave using up their savings while waiting on this government to provide some temporary financial assistance.
Can the Minister confirm what efforts are being made to assist those residents impacted by flooding with some temporary financial relief while they're waiting on assessments to be completed? Has this government identified funds to provide this assistance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, advance payments can be issued based on the detailed damage assessments. So in other words, we ask the impacted residents to reach out to our pathfinders, register, then we get our assessors in there, and then we're able to do that. Then we work with the community members to make sure that they understand what we're doing, then if they need to go do an advance it takes seven to ten days to get it done. So we work with them on that there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the level of damage to homes and property varies from minimal water damage to the complete loss of one's home.
Will the Minister confirm if the assessments in some way be prioritized to facilitate timely financial compensation to those most in need? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Damage assessment reports are being provided by the assessment contracting to MACA as they become completed. So in other words, as soon as the assessors are completing their report, it's given to our pathfinders. From that time, the damage assessors are at the home to the time their reports are provided to the homeowners can take several weeks. We ask the people to be patient. We have seven assessors on the ground, and they are working hard to get this work done. But we also want them to take the required time that they need to go through with the assessment. So what we're trying to do is we're going as fast as we can. We are quicker than we learnt from our last flood experience. We have assessors lined up. They're working with people. As they register, we're meeting with them. We're explaining the process. So once the process is done, if they need an advance then we work with them on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, victims of flooding are wanting to know what will be covered under DAP and if there are restrictions on who they can use as contractors.
Can the Minister confirm when residents will expect to see a standardized list of items with values and approved contractors? Thank you.
Thank you, and I thank the Member for that question.
So the first part is in regards to the standardized list. Last year, we developed a standardized list. We provided that to the people that were impacted. Then we put a value to it. This year, we have that standardized list but because of inflation, we want to make sure that it's more current information. We should have that information available early next week and pathfinders into the insurance companies, the MLAs, and to the assessors as well. So we'll have that information available.
In regards to contractors, should an individual wish to use a contractor, that's their choice. We have the abatement companies, those four there like I talked about, but there may be other abatement companies out there available where people can use. As well as for contractors for work and that, we encourage them if they have somebody they want to use, to use them and that there.
One of the questions, or comments in the Member's statement was, you know, there's people in their homes that are not doing that. We're telling people to get in there, get the work done, you know, if they need to hire contractors, work there, but, you know, make sure you register, take pictures, and keep track of the time you put into repairing their homes or businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Infrastructure Minister related to my Member's statement on highway washouts.
Can the Minister explain the extent of the damage and the type of repairs completed at the washout locations in order for traffic to flow through? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have experienced unprecedented water levels on multiple sections of our highways, Highway 1, Highway 2, Highway 3, and 5, all have been impacted.
On Highway 5, we've had a washout to the bridge approach at Preval Creek and closed the highway briefly to repair. On Highway 1, we saw highwater levels breaching the road surface in multiple areas. Kilometre 56, we reduced the highway to one lane, installed multiple pumps to move water to the other side of the highway. Kilometre 84, Escarpment Creek, CN were pumping water over the rail bed and it impacted our highway. We again pumped the water over the highway to be able to bring that water level down. At Kilometre 236 to 238, our road surface began to deteriorate, and we dug two trenches to reduce the water level and protect the integrity of the highway. We also experienced washout at this section and installed Bailey Bridge to allow us to reopen that highway. On the Kakisa access, we replaced a culvert and plan to install an additional culvert this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for that response.
Can the Minister let us know if these sections will require major repairs to ensure proper width and compaction? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our highway crews are still working to keep the highways open, and I'm happy to report that they're making good progress so far. We have not been able to complete a full inspection of these areas as we only can do that when the water fully subsides. However, from what we've seen so far, there does not appear to be significant damages to our highway embankments. We will have some areas that will require the shoulders to be replaced due to the erosion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these are natural disasters, and I'm just not sure if insurance claims will be an issue here in these circumstances. Does the Minister have the necessary funding for these type of emergencies? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, the only insurance we have on our highway systems is for liability but it doesn't cover damage. The Department of Infrastructure is not currently funded for emergency situations. The funding for these repairs will come from our budgets.
Infrastructure is working closely with MACA. There are many GNWT costs that are likely to be eligible for federal reimbursement and the departments are working together to better understand the overall impact to GNWT infrastructure, including the highway system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister.
Mr. Speaker, I know there will be First Nations development corporations or businesses looking to partner with established businesses or companies to secure contracts to repair the damaged sections. Will the Minister consider negotiated contracts for these repairs? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department would consider any requests to a negotiated contract as per our policy. Keeping in mind that timelines to inspect, engineer, the availability of contractors, may preclude entering into negotiated contracts if we want to get this work done this year. Many repairs are already underway due to the urgent requirements to keep our highway system open. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board.
Mr. Speaker, similar to my first question to the Minister of NTPC, will the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board commit to work with the Minister of NTPC to have public hearings regarding the impact of increasing electricity rates in the Taltson hydro zone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Public Utilities Board.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Public Utilities Board is a quasi judicial board that has the public's opportunity to provide input on rate applications. They also control its own process, meaning the board is responsible for deciding whether the public hearings might be held as a part of their process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment the Public Utilities Board on their neutral oversight as they are the body who oversees power rates increase in the NWT. Examining the submission from NTPC must have the citizens input into their decision on increases to relate fairness in the process. Would the Minister agree with that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Member for your compliment.
I agree with the Member's point, that citizens should have a role in the process. The Public Utilities Board exists to ensure that the public has the opportunity to provide input into the process. Individuals can make those submissions to the board. There is an entire process set up for the public. Almost everything that the board receives as a part of the process is considered public information. They run an open transparent process for anyone who would like to participate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public utilities hearings must be made in the communities facetoface, especially for the Taltson hydro zone. Would the Minister agree with that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to emphasize that the Public Utilities Board is an independent agency here in the Northwest Territories, but it's not for me as the Minister to direct the board as to where they should hold public hearings. The board is responsible for making those decisions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, once the decision is made for any increases in electricity in the Taltson hydro zone by the Public Utilities Board, it must have a balance of input from both sides of the equation before implementation happens. Would the Minister agree with that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's important that the board is to consider public input before making decisions. They're very open and transparent processes that the board operates in order to follow the opportunities that come forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about the development of regulations for discharges from the Alberta tar sands tailings.
Can the Minister tell us why no information on these discharge regulations has been shared with this side of the House, or the public, since I last raised this issue a couple of months ago? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, according to the Alberta work plan to develop regulations to allow for the release of treated oil sand tailing water technical report to fill the knowledge gaps are expected to be shared with ENR this fall. No information other than the work plan and the RFP to hire contractors to fill knowledge gaps have been shared with ENR. These documents are public and presently out there.
Our next scheduled update from the Alberta mining/water science team is scheduled for early June. We will be working, once we have new information and we will make sure we get that to committee and to the Member. Thank you.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Although I'm pretty skilled on internet searches, it would be great if the Minister could start providing that kind of information to this side of the House.
Clearly, we're downstream from this mess, and there's a lot at stake for us with regard to the potential impacts on water quality, aquatic life, and human health. The only thing I've seen happen is the release of two $60,000 Requests for Proposals for water quality expert advice to review what Alberta's doing.
Can the Minister tell us what, if anything else, is going on? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ENR has regular meetings with the Alberta government and their staff on the development of regulations. To date, there hasn't been any significant new information to share.
Alberta has made it clear that no decisions to develop a regulation has been made and that they will wait to fill knowledge gaps before deciding to proceed.
Regarding what ENR is doing, we are seeking expert technical support to support our review of the information we receive from Alberta. These Requests for Proposals have been and are expected to be posted shortly with the goal of having expert technical support in place prior to receiving the information from Alberta this fall. So we'll be proactive getting the people in place so that we can get this information. Once it's given to us, we can look it and provide information on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that, but I shouldn't actually have to go on the Open NWT contract website to actually get that kind of information. Hoping that he can start sharing that a little more proactively with this side of the House.
I've also raised the issue of the refusal of the Government of Alberta to allow GNWT to have a seat on a couple of technical committees on downstream water quality. The Minister said he was going to get in touch with the federal government to try to secure these seats, but there hasn't been any updates.
Can the Minister tell us what is going on with regard to securing these seats on the committees and whether there was any contact with the federal government in this regard? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, previously I spoke in this House saying that we've reached out to the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. To date, we have not received a response from him. So to give an update saying that we're getting more information, we're not getting any information.
The Member asked for getting well, we need update committee. We can update committee once we have information to provide. He talks about the website. We have other issues and other challenges, and we're more than willing to share information once we have current and important information there.
To address our interests, the Government of Alberta has agreed presently to have monthly meetings with the deputy minister and assistant deputy minister level to share information about committee and decisions that are being made. So right now, we're still trying to work on getting those seats there. Reached out to the federal government. We haven't got a response there. But in the meantime, our department with our deputy minister and assistant deputy minister, we're having those communications with Alberta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
