Thank you. Total department, not previously authorized, $208,024. Agreed?

Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, operations and maintenance, resource management and economic development, not previously authorized, $1.161 million. Agreed?

Thank you. Total department not previously authorized, $1.161 million. Agreed?

Thank you. Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, capital, community operations, not previously authorized, $2.963 million. Agreed?

Thank you. Total department, $2.963 million. Agreed?

Thank you. Department of Public Works and Services capital, asset management, $1.813 million. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam

Chairperson, I wonder if we can get an explanation of what the office renovations in Yellowknife are for?

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. $685,000 is for the Laing Building upgrade and fit up of offices, $827,000 is for Hodgson Building upgrade and fit up of offices, $125,000 is for the Career Centre relocation to the Joe Tobie Building, and $126,000 is the total for minor office space projects in various buildings throughout Yellowknife.

Thank you. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Laing Building upgrade and fit up of offices, could the Minister tell us what the previous expenditures on this building were in the last two and three years, and what the projected expenditures are in future years? My concern, Mr. Chairman, is that this building was originally intended to be taken off the market and all of a sudden, the government, because of other circumstances regarding the Lahm Ridge Tower, this building is back in the planning stage again and the question becomes, originally, the building was to be taken off because it was deemed unfit for and too costly to bring up to grade. Now, all of a sudden, we find ourselves back in the situation where we are upgrading this building. Could the Minister tell us what kind of expenditures have been and what are anticipated to be made on this building?

Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not have that detail with me. It would most likely be better put to the Minister of Public of Works. I expect that the Minister will be bringing forward a paper to look for funding to upgrade the building, but I would be working from only a vague memory if I were to start quoting numbers here today, Mr. Chairman. I must say that to date, no paper has appeared in front of the FMB for consideration that would renovate the Laing Building.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Ootes.

I guess I am just concerned because again, my understanding was this is going to be a several million dollar project in the long run. We are looking for money for education. Yesterday, we passed a motion for $5 million. My thought would be well, wait a minute here, if this is going to be a couple of million to renovate a building that in the first place we were not going to do, then, here is part of the money, in my opinion. I do not have a problem if we said, well, let us look at this and be serious. The Minister does not have the information that applies here and I am concerned about that. Possibly, should we put this off until we can get some answers on that?

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is important to point out that this is capital monies that were approved in last year's budget that were not spent by March 31st, so this is a capital carry- over, this is not ongoing funding that would be available to put into a program. This is capital dollars that were committed. However, I believe that not all of this money will be spent unless there is subsequent approval for a significant amount of renovation work to the Laing Building. As I said, that has not yet been considered and definitely not yet approved by the FMB.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Ootes.

Am I to understand this is a $685,000 is a carry-over from last year, presumably on renovations that were started last year, is that correct?