Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There will be engagement if it's shown that the Tin Can Hill site is viable as an option for the new campus. Right now, they are undertaking a phase 2 environmental assessment. The phase 1 assessment showed there is moderate potential for contaminated soil or groundwater and so that work is happening. I believe that we were expecting it to be done this fall but because we were evacuated, the expectation is for the spring. So once that information is in, that will be provided to the board and to the college. They will look at it and make a determination if they want to pursue that spot or not. So at this point, engagement isn't necessary because we don't even know if that's going to be the location. Once we get that information and the board makes a decision, then the city process kicks in, and there is going to be significant public engagement. I know that the Member raised issues about traffic and things like that, and those are real concerns. And those are the kind of things that will be addressed through that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We see this time and again where, you know, stuff is being done behind the scenes or things are advancing before it really is taken out to the public for that engagement. I think a good example of that was the five options presented to us for the airport terminal building at which point committee told the Minister right off the bat two were not viable.
So given that, I'm kind of you know, I have to wonder why we had all this kerfuffle if we haven't even picked that as the site yet. However, I would like to know has the department done a comprehensive assessment on areas such as the downtown or the capital site as proposed areas for the new build, has it only been looking at Tin Can Hill, and if so, why not? Thanks.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of sites were looked at. There's a number of different options for postsecondary campuses. Some campuses are all located in one area. Some are located in downtowns with buildings located on different blocks of the city. And so the model that was chosen for the for Aurora College North Slave Campus was a model where we wanted to be close to downtown, close to transit, close to places that people can live, but all in one place so that students can live near the school and somewhere near, you know, outdoor areas as well, so that people maybe coming from the smaller communities might feel a bit more at home. And the master plan discusses a number of other locations.
There are reasons why this was the preferential site. There's some locations around the ledge here where the land was not perhaps of the size that would allow for future expansion. Here in the capital site, there's requirements about, you know, sight lines to the ledge and things like that. So there were a number of reasons why that was chosen as a preferential site, but a number of spaces around the city were looked at. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They may have been looked at, but I don't think they were really considered given that I have not been able to find any information on why Tin Can Hill was selected out of all of these groups.
The Minister speaks to the fact of the lack of area for expansion around the capital site and sight lines and things like that. Well, the sight lines, we can change. We're consensus. We can pass things so that we can look at a building across Frame Lake. I think we'd all be fine with that.
When we talk about the expansion piece, this would actually be an opportunity for once the Akaitcho land claim is settled for the Indigenous people of this territory and area to become the future landlords of the polytechnic. So to say, yes, the capital site is restricted in space and expansion size, yes, in and of itself it is. But we're not getting another building. We're too small. So start there, and then you can expand into the Akaitcho. So with that being in mind, can the Minister speak to whether there has been any conversations with the Akaitcho whose impacts it is their land that the North Slave Campus will end up on. Have they shown any interest in the polytechnic university and potentially being the future landlords? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've met with chiefs from Yellowknife on a number of occasions to discuss the economic opportunities that could arise from the North Slave Campus. It is much too early to nail down what those might be. And it's difficult to plan to make a longterm plan when, you know, a part of that plan the land that we could potentially use is sort of unknown what the status of it will be. Perhaps, you know, a future Indigenous government doesn't want wouldn't want to partner with the college. However, I'm very open to that. I think that would be great. You know, when we do things in the North, if we can create economic opportunities for Indigenous governments, I'm all for that. So as we progress forward with this, those are conversations that will continue to go on. And I've made that commitment to the chiefs as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So reading through all that, the answer's no, there was no discussion about them being the landlords of the future facility.
I guess where I kind of struggle with this, we're talking about economic development. We're talking about land claims. We know at some point the land around Frame Lake, because it will be settled and hopefully sooner rather than later, not that I think anything progressed during this Assembly; however, when that land is settled it will be developed. And at that point, there will be buildings, there will be things put on it. I really can't see the ec dev part of the YKDFN not wanting to see buildings near the hospital.
So that being said, can the Minister commit that they will go back and reengage or the department will reengage on the location of the polytechnic university? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a lot of engagement to come. So after we get the report back from the phase 2 environmental assessment, that'll determine the next steps. And before there's any shovels in the ground, there will be a significant amount of engagement, hopefully partnerships with Indigenous governments, hopefully economic opportunities that will be realized. So with only, you know, a couple weeks left here, I can't make any commitments to go out and, you know, do more engagement on this. But all of that work will happen. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the finance minister confirm if the government intends to repeal and replace the Affirmative Action Policy before the start of the 20th Assembly, including any actions that may occur during the election period? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a suite of things that have happened in the Department of Finance for the human resources over the last four years, and certainly the Affirmative Action Policy and the work we've done to review it is part of that. Seeing it to its end would certainly be nice towards the end of this Assembly but, Mr. Speaker, the Member's already noted, we only just were able to table the report in terms of what we heard and what we've been recommended to do and, as such, it really would not be appropriate at this point to be making a change at the dying days of this Assembly and before the 20th, so. And certainly not during an election period, Mr. Speaker. So I expect that there will be no changes to the Affirmative Action Policy before the 20th Assembly. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm whether the government's work that has gone into repealing and replacing the Affirmative Action Policy will be lost after the end of this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
No, it will certainly not be lost, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is very committed to this work. And as I said, this is really the work that's gone on is part of what has already been going on and what's already in place under the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework, the Human Resources Strategic Plan, the Diversity and Inclusion Framework. So while this policy is certainly connected to those things and that work is ongoing, as such it is connected. And the work is ongoing, and it will certainly not be lost. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if the future Affirmative Action Policy will also include an appeal board, an appeal board process for applicants to consider if they wish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, right now what we do have is there are staffing appeal regulations that come in under the Public Service Act. There are staffing appeals that are reviewed by staffing officers who are independent from the public service, independent from the Department of Finance. So there is a process in place. That said, I know there's often concerns raised, and it was raised during the review process, about whether or not this is sufficient or adequate to make sure that people are, in fact, benefitting from the processes we have in place. So that was part of the review and that was part of the recommendations, and that will certainly be taken into consideration, again, as work goes is ongoing at all times in the department to improve its processes. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us what she thinks the next government or next Minister should do on this file when it comes to any potential changes to the Affirmative Action Policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oh, Mr. Speaker, I can't I can't tell you what I think. Or what I think the next Minister can do.
Mr. Speaker, there's been a fulsome review that was conducted. I would commend people to if they are interested in this area, to look at what we heard the What We Heard report, to look at the recommendations therein. It is the recommendations that are saying to bring in an Indigenous employment policy that would really refocus on an area that we know that the Department of Finance would like to see improvements, that we know it's an area that the public service remains underrepresented. And it does include some recommendations as to how we might change that or how we might structure that.
It also speaks to some of the other issues that Member this Member has raised, other Members have raised around, you know, other demographics here in the Northwest Territories. So there's a lot of information in there, a lot of suggestions and recommendations in there. I can only commend them to the next government, Mr. Speaker, and perhaps put something in the transition binder about how they might want to go about thinking of this. But, really, beyond that, Mr. Speaker, it's not my place to say. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the socalled public engagement on the environmental guideline for contaminated site remediation. It also includes the arsenic remediation guidelines. These revisions have taken 20 years, Mr. Speaker. On the heavier same web page, the review period is now about seven weeks, not including the evacuation period. So can the Minister explain why this public engagement is so short and at the very end of the life of this Assembly? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Environment and Climate Change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public engagement period for this guideline was opened on August 4th, 2023, and has been extended until October 15th, 2023, due to the evacuation. The standard GNWT engagement period is between four to six weeks. Given the evacuation, the department has extended this engagement timeline just well beyond the sixweek period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Well, let's talk about that public engagement period. The extension might allow for more meaningful public input on the guideline but communications from the department, in my view, need to be improved.
Can the Minister tell us whether he is prepared to improve public communications, including a further extension, some plain language materials on this important policy document, and maybe even a public meeting or a webinar? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do not believe a plain language summary is required. Mr. Speaker, the guidelines provide a short overview of the methodology and approach taken, which is accessible on Have Your Say web page. The Have Your Say web page provides an email address that is monitored daily. Any specific questions the public might have are reviewed by staff and responded to as required and in a timely manner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yeah, merci, Monsieur le President. I spent about an hour and a half looking at the material last night. Way over my head, so it's definitely not plain language. But the new guideline would reduce the acceptable limits for arsenic in soil related to all uses compared to the 2003 guidelines. However, the new guidelines would allow Yellowknife residents to be exposed to, in some cases, three times as much arsenic as those people living outside of Yellowknife.
So can the Minister try to explain why it is okay to expose Yellowknifers to, in some cases, three times as much arsenic compared to those that live outside of Yellowknife? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Revisions to arsenic criteria were undertaken through a structured and scientific risk assessment process to determine approximate background criteria based on the evaluation of new data and methodology since 2003. This process includes assessment of human health risk, and it was concluded that these levels of arsenic are safe for Yellowknife residents. Human health risk assessments look at all exposure pathways. Examples include how people use the land and where they can get their food, whether it is from the land or grocery store. And these are all factors that determine the level of the risk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. That's great. So public contractors get, you know, six weeks to look at stuff that may have been taking 20 years to develop. You know, very technical stuff. Not good. This is not good public engagement, Mr. Speaker.
But it's not clear what these new arsenic soil remediation guidelines would mean for the Giant Mine remediation project. Although that work was finally approved under an environmental assessment completed in 2014, the soil remediation was based on the old potentially unsafe 2003 arsenic soil remediation guidelines. So can the Minister tell us whether the new, much lower, arsenic soil remediation guidelines will be applied to the Giant Mine Remediation Project? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Giant Mine Remediation Project has been aware of the potential change to the GNWT environmental guidelines for contaminated soil or remediation. Current remediation activities, as defined by the closure and completion plan and the water license, are based on the 2003 guidelines, which were adopted by the land and water board at the time. It is important to note that both the 2003 and the revised 2023 guideline allow proponents to carry out a site-specific assessment to determine suitable criteria using soil remediation based on consideration for site factors and conditions. The Giant Mine Remediation Project undertook a sitespecific assessment and was considered with the 2018 human health and ecological risk assessment. As such, the Giant Mine Remediation Project will continue to apply the 2003 guidelines. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Tlicho highway is designed and intended to provide yearround road access to the Tlicho region. It is the Tlicho's wish to eventually have allseason road extended to Gameti and Wekweeti. In this Assembly, we saw the completion of most of the portion to Whati; however, the last 10 kilometres are not completed. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what happened to the final section of the Tlicho AllSeason Road to Whati? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. We have applications in to the federal government to complete the rest of that highway. We started we completed phase 1. We are working with the Tlicho partnership as per our cooperation agreement. So, I mean, yes, we are looking into it. And thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Tlicho highway to Whati was built only to the preexisting Whati access road used to connect Whati to the winter road. The access road does not meet modern engineering standards that consider things such as ponded water, drainage, and drivability. It is not up to the same standard as the rest of the Tlicho AllSeason Road. With this in mind, the community government of Whati would like to see this deficiency corrected.
Can the Minister tell me when will this section be constructed and, if it's not in the works, commit that it will be included in the next capital budget? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I became Minister of Infrastructure, I was quite surprised that we didn't finish the road all the way too so I mean, I it's a 12 kilometre access coad that needs to get into the community of Whati. We have taken steps over the few years in preparation for the Whati access road improvements. This has included things like surveying, design work, and securing necessary permits. Mr. Speaker, I anticipate that this work will start within the year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there seems to be no reference to the Tlicho AllSeason Road in the 20242025 Capital estimates. This is very troubling as the highway has been left incomplete in terms of connecting Whati with an allseason road. The last few kilometres are missing. There is an access road that is substandard. It would not be allowed to remain if it is would not be allowed to remain if it was on the major road into Yellowknife. The Minister must ensure the concerns of Whati are heard. Will the Minister invite the representative of Whati to the next working group meeting? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to note that once we get the funding, then it'll be put on the books. So we're just anxiously awaiting for the federal government to be able to perhaps respond to our proposal and get the rest of that highway completed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reason why I brought this up is because the community of Whati are very concerned, especially the leadership. So that's why I brought this up at this time. And they would like to see the work completed as soon as possible because it is if you drive on it, it is not good. The last section leading to the Whati road, to Whati to the community of Whati is not drivable. So that's why I brought it up because the chief from Whati would like to see this completed as soon as possible. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, that is what we're working at. I do want to note that this project's into two phases. The phase that we're going to start will consist of road embankment improvement, some of the ditching, drainage culvert installation, signage, replacement of the culvert with a short span bridge. This is our next phase, Mr. Speaker. This is something that we are looking for funding. And, you know, I'm anticipating that work is going to start right away. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are related to my Member's statement on housing and are for the housing minister.
Housing NT did not notify communities, nor residents, of the Rapid Housing Initiative Program despite the cries for help from all communities dealing with severe housing shortages. Can the Minister apprise this House, and the residents of the Northwest Territories, as to why Housing NT were not involved in the rollout of the Rapid Housing initiative in the NWT? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for asking the question as well too. Within the housing portfolio, I did create a position that was specifically would conduct the engagement between the Indigenous governments and the communities as well, and to be working with us, the stakeholders, NGOs, so they would have an opportunity to apply for federal funding. To date, we have been quite successful. There has been 17 applications throughout the Northwest Territories. And one of them had actually been submitted by the Member's riding, the Deh Gah Gotie Nation. They're receiving $4.8 million to construct 18 units and to be also looking at six duplexes from Housing NWT, and we'd be looking at transferring the six units over to the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for that. She's mentioned only one community. And I've asked why, you know, it was for the whole of the Northwest Territories because there was many communities that were missed as per my Member's statement.
Mr. Speaker, although this may have been a federal program, shouldn't Housing NT be aware of any programs initiated by the federal government and received a head's up from the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories and also from the NWT senator? Mahsi.
