Thank you, Madam Chair. And in fact, I have said that before in this House, I'm pretty sure too, and I do agree, that it is cost to doing business that is higher in the North. And I've said it to my colleague beside me that isn't here today that I would rather see us overpay Indigenous groups to do work than to be overpaying southerners that are coming in and that money is leaving.
My next question has to do with - and, again, a little bit - like, maybe not sort of more what's missing maybe from this list. Given my statement earlier about the flooding issues in the North, you know, my concern is the Dempster Highway and I note that it's not here as a particular line item, and I get that this is just carryovers from, you know, stuff that hasn't been spent. However, can the Minister speak to whether or not we believe we'll have to come back for more supplementary estimates given that the Dempster Highway is becoming much more fragile and there is potential that we are just at the start of our season and things could be happening later in the season that might cause more repair work to be needed. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, obviously, you know, I appreciate the comments with respect to the Dempster. I know other colleagues raised roads and that in the Beaufort Delta region as well, and I'm live to the fact that I know the three premiers from the northern territories also raised concerns around ensuring viability of the Dempster going forward. So, you know, wanting to assure the public that there's an awareness of the need to maintain that roadway. That said, Madam Chair, with respect to this list, obviously it is not on this list because it's not one of the projects that was needing a carry over or that is seeing a new project coming in as supplementary appropriation. We are heading into the more formal capital planning stage with the - you know, infrastructure acquisition plan being put together and shared with committee and then followed closely on that would be the capital plan that we see here in August. So that is an ideal opportunity to look at whether or not there is need and whether or not it needs to be advanced at that time. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm looking at the actually the community access road improvement, the regional, there's a million dollars being carried over there. I do understand that that one is hard to always budget for because of, you know, if a community doesn't follow through on what they had proposed it may not get spent. Is that million dollars earmarked already for projects, so is it being carried over to a specific community project, or will it be put back into the fund for application again? And I guess I'm just wondering where does that million end up going. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I - Madam Chair, I understand that - that there - sorry, Madam Chair. I understand that this one does combine with other areas, but this million dollars simply wasn't enough to enter into a contract for individual projects. There are - there is roadwork that's underway already, but this is one particular - this amount of funding was simply - you know, wasn't being utilized, so. And that's why we're looking to carry it other so that it is still available given the obviously ongoing need. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
So I'm thinking I heard that it just goes back into the general coffer for the fund itself, and I'm looking over to just have someone confirm that for me.
Minister.
Just waiting on the light, Madam Chair. Yes, that is correct, Madam Chair.
All right. Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Now I want to look at - I'm just all about the highways. Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway, in your own area, for the $2.932 million that's a carryover.
Over the last week, I noted on social media that there was - people were reporting that they had seen new holes opening up and that - maybe I'm mixing up the Dempster. But at this point, I know that the Inuvik to Tuk has its own issues and I'm concerned that the $2.9 million will not be enough going forward to properly rehab - or sorry, I know this is a carryover as well. So maybe I'm not asking properly. But can the Minister speak to whether or not we think we have enough money for the upcoming year to do the proper rehab of the ITH? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That is correct, this is a carryover only. It's not the total project in and of itself. So completion of the complete overall is not expected until 20272028 in its entirety. But this does begin the work of engineering, survey, and design, and this will be enough - or at least it's anticipated to be enough to complete that stage of the project, and then with a project to go out to procurement thereafter. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Sticking with roads, I'm looking at the Tlicho AllSeason Road to Whati. There is a $4 million carryover, which I kind of find interesting because as a committee we travelled to Whati, we talked about the road with them, and at the time there was, you know, a lot of concern about how narrow the road was and the dust suppression issues, etcetera, which I do want to thank the Department of Infrastructure did seem to get quite quickly on dust suppression after we left. However, given that people feel the road was constructed too narrowly, then now we're carrying over last money. So can the Minister speak to why there is the $4.99 million being carried over on the Whati Access Road? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Madam Chair, if I might get - put this one to Mr. Courtoreille to give a more detailed explanation, please.
Thank you. Mr. Courtoreille.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Whati Access Road is, again, another project that we're pursuing with the Tlicho government under the ICA agreement. That work I understand is underway this summer and it's still expected to be completed in the fall of 2028, which was the original completion date. It's a 13kilometre road that they're looking to widen and improve to highway standards. Thank you.
Thank you. All right, are there any further questions under this section? Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. So there's a line item here, Tlicho AllSeason Road, Whati, $4.2 million. You know, I thought the road opened in November last year. What's this money for if the road's already opened and people are driving on it? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Madam Chair, again, if I could just put that one to Mr. Courtoreille, please.
Thank you. Mr. Courtoreille.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There's a small holdover amount that was carried over for warranty work or to complete deficiencies. I understand that we've since received a final completion for the road, and it is now formally complete. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. So if it's formally complete, why are we being asked to authorize another $4.2 million for this road? Thanks.
Thank you. Minister.
Mr. Courtoreille's doing well, Madam Chair. I'll turn it to him.
Mr. Courtoreille.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I understand that there's still potentially some warranty work that could be undertaken this summer, and this was just a small amount to hold over. That was approved last year in the event that we do have to undertake that work. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, okay, I guess this is above my pay grade or something where - is this like some kind of holdback or something in case something goes wrong, and why are we being asked to put up money, $4.2 million, wouldn't it be the contractor that should have to do this? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I mean, I would say it is probably comparable to the idea of a holdback if that is one way of - if that's a more familiar way of putting it. But - so you would hold on to the money until you're satisfied, a project of course reaches the stage of being considered to be fully complete, that doesn't necessarily mean that you are entirely releasing all funds under a holdback or the warranty amount. So this is the last, hopefully, tail end of that and with this summer season available, that should be enough to not only be substantially complete but in order to confirm that, indeed, all work was done to allow that this amount of money will not need to be carried forward further. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay. I know it's almost the end of the day, but why are we being asked to authorize $4.2 million if there's potential deficiencies on the part of the contractor? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Madam Chair, again, it's a carryover amount. So it's an amount that is under this contract for this work and, you know, this is our - it's our asset right now. If there is work that needs to get done on it, we would need to ensure that it needs to. But that is the case, this is part of the contracting process. The money is still there. It hasn't been released. And it won't be released until we're sure that there are no deficiencies. If there's no deficiencies, the money does move out. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay. All right. So is this money for the access road off the highway to the community? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is the last of the main highway. So, again, the highway has substantial completion, but you would still have an amount under the contract owed, just wanting to ensure that, of course, you have done due diligence to ensure that there's no deficiencies. If there are, you do hold back a payment to the contractor. When we're assured that there's no deficiencies, then the final payments would flow. So that level of assurance and due diligence hasn't been done yet and so that's why we're asking to just carry this forward to ensure that that is complete. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay. All right, so I have another question, though, about something that isn't in here. Back in March of 2022, this House approved a sup that included $9.5 million for the Redknife River culvert replacement. And this was sup for 20212022, No. 3, and it was an unusual arrangement in that De Beers was putting up some of that money under a fisheries authorization for Gahcho Kue. But I see that GNWT now has an ongoing public engagement around this Redknife River, you know, replacement of the culverts and stuff and that closes, I think - or closed just in April it looks like. And a contract for this work was signed back in August of 2022. What's going on and why is this not carried over in some way in this list? Maybe it's some other part of the sup but why is this work not being carried over in some way? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I know that this project has not disappeared certainly, but let me just turn to perhaps Mr. Courtoreille again and see if he's - or perhaps we'll start with the deputy minister and see if he's aware of the state of the bridge or what amount has been spent. In short, we don't - I don't necessarily have in front of me the cash flow of every project. So it may be that we have to go away and get the cash flow of the project because I know that project has not - certainly not disappeared.
Actually, Madam Chair, I may have the answer now. There is work underway, and so it may well be that the amount that we have put forward has, indeed, allowed us to proceed under the 20232024 season. There's more work expected here in this coming summer season, but it won't be the end of the work that is required. So, again, I - the portion that would be GNWT would be the amount that would need to be carried over if necessary, but it may well be that has been adequate to do the work that's required. I can get a full - a detailed breakdown of the project. I just don't have it with me. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
