Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The problem with the theme day is sometimes your questions get asked and answered ahead of you getting your opportunity, so bear with me. But I'm really excited to hear that one of the routes that the Minister says they're looking at is the west side of the lake. I just want to emphasize that given my statement today, about allowing for future development, I would prefer that versus going across the lake; therefore, we could have expansion off the power lines on the west side of Great Slave.
That being said, can the Minister please tell me where the total costs for the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project is at; how much of that funding is secured and how much are we still waiting on? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave.
Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Power Corporation.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and I'm happy to know that the Member's quite excited about one of the two routes because when we first had these discussions, there was several routes that were contemplated. So, you know, we will continue to engage. Right now we have the federal government has allocated about $20 million to the GNWT to advance this Taltson expansion project. So funding is being used right now to develop Indigenous partnership, talk about some of the planning, the regulatory and feasibility work that needs to be done. So in addition, additional support from Canada will be needed to move this project to the construction phase.
Mr. Speaker, we don't have that final number yet. We're still such in the early stage of looking at this project. And, you know, I'm sure it will cost a lot of money. I just don't have that in front of me right now without having some of the work done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess it's good that there's been no final number before now so that we don't have to listen to how the cost of the supply chain has driven that number up and that's the reason why nothing has advanced on the project. So I'd say that's a good thing here.
Can the Minister speak to how much of that $20 million will be retained using northern businesses and how much of it is sole sourced to former bureaucrats? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm always happy to hear good things that are happening on this side. So I mean, when you hear that that's very exciting that we're doing good things, such as working with Indigenous groups, looking at MOU, starting all this planning work, until we know the exact costs of what's the project going forward, I don't have that number in front of me, Mr. Speaker. That's very technical, and I just won't be able to answer that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister was responding to my question before that one. I asked how much of the $20 million that has already been secured and is being used towards all the work that she's listed, like the regulatory and the prefeasibility, how much of that is being retained with northern businesses and how much is being sole sourced to former bureaucrats? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I really don't have that number in front of me. I'd be happy to get back to the Member and respond so I'm just going to have to take notice on the costs. I just don't have that in front of me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Notice is given. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
