Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do maintain a watch on all our highways, and members of the public can access that through the Drive NWT website. It is now being kept up to date almost immediately or instantly. So certainly do want to point people to that as a resource.

With respect to Highway No. 8, I have -- my latest update for the highway in its entirety is that it was in a fair state. We do have a grader out doing some ice blading from Tsiigehtchic to Rengleng River. And, again, Mr. Speaker, certainly do appreciate getting updates from folks who are driving. Again, we -- in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there's, I know, some movement in this space with respect to a capital plan coming out of the airport in -- well, I think in just the next couple of months or next few months anyways. I'm not sure. Perhaps Mr. Loutitt may have -- or deputy minister Loutitt might have more details on whether or not or to what extent that includes the revolving fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there certainly is a cost benefit analysis that does form part of the business case for any large project, and that would want to take into consideration O and M costs which, in turn, would reflect higher costs depending upon the source of energy or the volatility of the energy source. So Mr. Speaker -- or sorry, Mr. Chair, the short answer is I would think we would -- the answer's going to be yes, but maybe not on every single item or every single smaller project, but on larger projects it will be. Where I think this might -- the rub of the question, though, is on...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the summer student call I believe has gone out already and very happy to have the chance to encourage potential summer students, who may be eligible, to reach out to the department. It's a bit of a two-part process where obviously departments create these summer student positions and can then go to the Department of Finance and access the bank of names of persons who have contacted and put themselves forward. But to the extent that a student may have an area of interest, an area of expertise, an area of training, an apprentice, if they were talking to the folks in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly don't want people to think there's not something in place. As of April of 2021, the Good Building Practice for Northern Facilities Fourth Edition was released by the department, and certainly would expect and consider it appropriate for all private developers in other levels of government and really any other non-GNWT bodies to be using this as their reference place. It does, in it, describe and explain what the model codes are and gives some guidance as to what we have found to be appropriate and workable for northern infrastructure. So certainly do want to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, all positions that were reduced within the Department of Infrastructure were in Yellowknife with one exception. There was an airport manager position in Hay River that had been vacant for several years, and that has also been eliminated for these main estimates. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I'm expecting there may be some. I can't necessarily say with certainty at this moment, and the reason being that the energy strategy update is still being drafted. It is an item that I believe we will have something forward for within this fiscal year, and once we have the new updated strategy that outlines a bit more, that certainly puts us in a better position to be specific as to what areas of net zero will require funding. I mean, there's certainly with respect to any significant energy infrastructure changes, whether it's the Taltson Expansion, if that is an area...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, at this point, these -- the changes in the winter road budget at this point in time related to the Mackenzie Valley winter road stretch and the Tlicho winter roads. In no small part, the Tlicho winter road, for example, that contract was for three years and came due for its renewal. And so with that, that new process of contractual review and engagement, that would then lead to the change here. There is, if I'm not mistaken, a contract in place right now for the winter roads within the Beaufort Delta regions, broadly, so when that does come up, it may well be, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do have a bit of information with respect to some of the work that was underway in Norman Wells. I don't know that we have a full evaluation done or an analysis done, which would certainly be helpful in order to determine what that might look like for others. But there was a program that was undertaken with Arctic Energy Alliance staff for a winterization walkthrough. It really is an opportunity to help, particularly folks from low or medium-income households, understand some simple solutions. So examples in that regard would just be even insulating window plastic...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, happy to answer it, Mr. Chair. I realize that the question will come, so we will just keep things moving. The Tlicho winter road contract has seen increases in the last couple of years, and I think the Member was already getting to the situation which is to say ongoing climate change conditions, ongoing supply chain challenges, ongoing labour force challenges, all of which are leading to increase in the costs of building the winter roads. We do rely on the contractor which does exist under the Tlicho Infrastructure Cooperation Agreement, and we do work with the...