Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the Building Canada Plan last year the GNWT received a little over $300 million with just under $300 million of those dollars going to the Department of Transportation. Just under $300 million was put into bundles of under $100 million each, sorted out into the three bundles. Bundle number one has been rolled out and construction is underway. I'd like to ask the Minister of the Department of Transportation, when will the department be rolling out bundle number two? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department is currently seeking approvals required for bundle two. The current plan is to ask for supplemental funding for bundle two in the May/June session so work can proceed this summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'd like to ask if the Minister has been in touch with his federal counterparts or infrastructure counterparts from the federal government, and if they recognize the urgency of the approval of these bundles so that the constructions companies that will be doing the work can do their planning for the summer.
Both the federal government and the territorial government have recently gone through an election, which slowed down the process for approvals on this. Now the new governments are in place and bundle two is underway. I have recently met with Minister Sohi in Ottawa, and the new federal government has indicated they're all ready to approve the projects and get them out the door as quickly as possible.
I wonder if the Minister would be able to provide us some sort of a status on bundle number two from the Canada Building Plan, sort of like a status that gives us the next steps so that people out there that are in the business of construction can hear firsthand what type of schedule they're looking at in order to do their planning.
Bundle two will be considered by the Financial Management Board very soon.
Masi. Final supplementary. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm assuming we're beyond that, where we have gone to the federal government, the federal government has approved one bundle. This is a matter for holding out the second bundle. I think I need to know, and I think the people need to know, when. If it's approved, then if it's going to approval, what is the anticipated time that we can approve it? It's very important that people in construction have things like bridges. I know that there's two bridges that go between Hay River and Fort Resolution that need to be replaced. There's going to be some heavy hauling if the pellet plant goes through in Enterprise and that the deal with the Forest Management Agreement in Fort Resolution is complete, then those bridges have to be in good condition in order to do the haul. They're planning on doing that over several years. I just want to get a better indication than it's going to the Financial Management Board. I'd like to get some timeline, some sort of assurance that there will be some work this summer.
If the Financial Management Board approves bundle two, then the officials at the Department of Transportation will seek federal approval on bundle two from Infrastructure Canada. As far as the bridges go, they are also in bundle two's application, so the Member can be reassured that that is in there. We would then be in a position to return to the House for the May/June session to seek approval from the Legislative Assembly for the funding of bundle two.
Masi, Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
