It costs the community to have workshops. They have one option, they go into the community and say,"This is what we have come up with," and it costs the community money, because they go back with some other plans and they come back with that one plan again and there is really no focus on -- "Well, we have three options here, what is your option?" The consultants are good for that and it costs the community a lot of money to do that. I think it should be noted because the government is spending quite a bit on it and the community is also wasting a lot of money just to support consultants for doing this work.
Mr. Chairman, the other one is that on January 29 we were at the Hay River Reserve and we met with Mr. Evans and Jim Haining, with regard to planning for the next four years on what we see as a priority for the communities. I believe the Minister received a letter from me with a motion which was recommended by your department that if you have a priority list that you want to implement, then have the communities come up with a motion supporting that. We have done that. One of the priorities for the reserve is for them to be considered within the next four years, to see if they could get a recreation facility on the reserve.
We have $700,000 this year for Fort Providence which is for a water treatment plant. That was in the works for about five years and this was supposed to be the year that they were getting it. We have been living with a small tank that supplies the water trucks. The floor has been caving in, and last year Municipal and Community Affairs put a little money into the plant itself because it was not very stable. There were holes in the cement that had to be covered with gravel and general patch-up work to ensure that the operation and delivery of water would be adequate for that one year. I am glad that we are finally going to be getting a new plant.
The community of Fort Providence has also suggested that because the government is in a deficit position, and that we are in restraint, they have decided that at this point in time -- if we look at the capital books from the previous years it says that Fort Providence, for example, will be getting a treatment plant. There are a number of years where there is approximately two million dollars, until 1997, for a core water and sewage service. Because of the financial situation of the government they have decided that there is no urgency for something like that to go ahead and we could back off on it. Whenever the opportunity arises where there is financial stabilization by the government they will wish to be considered for a core water and sewage system. That is their wish.
I thought I should let you know that the community has been able to compromise to say that they are willing to make this sacrifice and continue with their water delivery services and sewage services. The only thing that I want to tell the Minister is that we are short on the delivery of water services, and for the pump-out systems too. Because of the demand we have people working two shifts, working overtime, working on Christmas and on holidays. I would just like the Minister to know that we probably need the third water truck pretty soon if we are going to keep up with the demands of the community. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.