Debates of October 30, 2024 (day 35)

Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My next question is on a similar line but for a different project. So there's Prelude Lake Territorial Park marina anchoring system. My first question is what is the substantiation for this project?

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, a lot of our projects have to do with maintaining assets that are already existing and also ensuring safety at the same time. So the last time that the territorial park marina went through extensive renovation was in 2017. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you. I was hoping the Minister might go into a bit more detail about this one and why it's needed. In particular, why the anchoring system needs repair or building out in particular; if the Minister could go into a bit more detail about the substantiation specifically for this?

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you for that. So I can certainly go through what I have as far as detail on the background of this project for the Member. So as I said, the last extensive renovation was in 2017. That involved removing and replacing 43 boat slip sections and adjoining floating structures. Engineered design called for concrete anchors which do not provide enough anchoring support for the size and location of the structure. This has resulted in damage to the dock structure, additional anchoring weights being added, and many hours of maintenance to adjust the chains at the beginning of the boating season and throughout the year due to fluctuation in water levels. ITI has limited the size of vessels able to park at the marina to keep the dock weight manageable and safe; however, it hasn't been enough to secure the structure and mitigate the risk of movement during weather events. Maintenance on the dock to adjust chain lengths requires staff to be hunched over for long periods of time handing heavy weights with chain operating from a boat and around water putting maintenance staff at an unnecessary risk of injury. So as a result, we're looking to improve the dock's current structure so that staff won't have to be put in this type of unsafe conditions, and we can also ensure that we are putting a dock in place that is more essentially self-sufficient. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So you know, in the original design for this project do we have a contractor in place who should have built it differently; is there a reason why it's kind of not being dealt with through the contract? Was it just simply an in-house project and we need to kind of improve upon our design next time? Can the Minister give a bit of detail as to whether there was any opportunity for kind of fixing this through a contractor.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, essentially, there's a lot of history to this dock and currently we manage the marina in-house. It's a legacy asset that we do have, and so we are the contractors. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And similar to my further -- previous question, is maintenance and operation of this facility fully covered by user fees? And if not, to what extent is it covered by user fees?

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that's not information that I have readily at my fingertips. But if we can't pull it up before the Member's last question, I'd be happy to provide that information at a later date.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Minister at least just ask me what -- or sorry, let me rephrase that.

Could the Minister detail for me what the cost per slip is at least so we can kind of get an idea. Like, what's the annual cost per slip? That will I think pretty quickly give us an idea of...

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't have that information but I'm hoping that it's going to pop up on my screen. Unfortunately, I don't know the cost per slip annually for a slip at Prelude Lake. But if I can get that information, I'd be happy to share it with the Member.

Okay, thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I mean, regardless of what the Minister brings back, I think I just wanted to share the opinion on the record that I do think a facility like this should be fully cost recovered. I don't think it's the government's obligation to be offering kind of marina services, things like this, or if it is going to be doing it, it should be doing it in a cost recovery model. So I'll await the Minister's answers back on that. But at this time, I don't think -- well, I'll ask a few more questions actually while I have a bit of time.

The next one is substantiation for the Fort Simpson Territorial Park gatehouse residence. Can the Minister give Members some detail on that one and why it's being requested?

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So currently the park does not have a designated park contractor residence which, in some cases, does not provide staff to always be on site during evening hours. So to accommodate public safety, ITI has designated one campsite where the contractors set up their camper to make sure staff are able to be on site at all times however in this case the new gatehouse residence will be able to accommodate staff, would enhance visitor safety in the park, and provide a space where park staff are present at all times in the park, which is how we operate in some of our parks but in this location they don't currently have that available to them. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Those are all my questions at this time though I am kind of awaiting the Minister pulling up a bit of information for me.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my questions are about the proposed Cameron River Crossing Territorial Park, the tent pad camping area, which would actually be within my riding.

The first question, which aspects of this project are planned for 2025-2026 and over how many years is it proposed to -- the construction of the project is supposed to extend for? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, in 2024-2025 is the completion of the conceptional design access road engineering. There's also the site survey in addition to community consultation. And then in 2025-2026, we would have the building of the access road, gate installation as well. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister clarify, she mentioned 2024-2025. Is that money or work that's all -- is that money that's already been expended and work that's already been done? Or what was the reference to 2024-2025? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, that is dollars that would have been allocated in a previous capital budget. However, because of evacuation, we did have some carryovers happen so that that will be carried over into this coming capital season. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Okay. And so are you able to tell us what is the budgeted amount for the work that is to be completed in 2025-2026? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the total capital funding amount for 2025-2026 is $315,000.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And so are there any aspects of the project that are not included in that $315,000 that would have to be completed in a subsequent year and, if so, do we know how much that would cost? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you so much. So there is a carryover amount of $50,000, and that amount would need to be completed before the $315,000 can be spent.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Yellowknife North Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. But my question was does the $315,000 include not only an access road, does it include building all the campsites, does it include the outhouse, does it include the full cost of building the project? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So I -- sorry, I do understand the Member now. Thank you. So.

In 2026-2027, an outhouse and campsite development will be completed, so there will require additional funding in future years for that as well. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Do we have any idea, is there any cost estimate for what campsite development and outhouse development would be? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.