This is page numbers 1 - 18 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 8th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was gas.

Topics

Supplementary To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 9

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also, regarding the question of housing shortages there is also competition from other sectors such as professionals, teachers and nurses, and other people who come to our communities. The government no longer provides housing which is also causing a hardship to the communities because of the limited number of units in our small communities where you are not only having to deal with the problems with the residences but also you are dealing with people coming from the outside communities. I would like to ask the Minister, what has he been doing with departments such as MACA or the Department of Education to deal with this problem which also has an impact on our communities, not only for the residents, but for the professionals who do come to assist our communities?

Supplementary To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 9

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 9

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the staff housing situation that is ongoing in the Northwest Territories was initially undertaken by FMBS and was to direct this government to move out of staff housing. What the Housing Corporation's place in this whole program is that we have become the agent in the sense of selling off some of those units in a transfer or else converting them to social housing, but as for staff housing, the Housing Corporation itself does not provide a program in that area. What we do provide, as I stated earlier, is an Expanded Down Payment Assistance Program that can help new residents coming to housing in the smaller communities but it is somewhat difficult. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 9

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 9

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the areas which the communities feel is essential, is that we somehow take off the pressure from the housing units that are in the communities that there is a possibility of developing a seniors' program to develop specific seniors' units in our communities. This will take off that pressure for the middle age and younger residents of the communities so that they can be able to occupy some of the units that our seniors are in now, but to develop

seniors' homes with four units or whatnot, a lot of our small communities will take off that pressure of the other residents. Has the department looked at the possibility of implementing a seniors housing program in our communities to offset that pressure?

Supplementary To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a program with the Department of Health and Social Services and the Housing Corporation that works together to put seniors' units in the communities. We can only meet a certain number of units per year and right now we are not keeping up with the growing demand. That is unfortunate to say that, but we do have a program and we continue to operate with the Department of Health and Social Services to come up with those units to put into the communities and they are selected based on the demand and the amount of need that has been met within the communities and unfortunately this fiscal year we have not been able to deliver any. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regarding accessing funding in the area of housing, I believe the only area we probably have is looking at social housing and also consideration for elderly units to take off that pressure from the communities. In regard to the whole area of services, we know that our population is getting older and people are living longer and there is a higher number of elders in a lot of our communities who need to find adequate units without sending our elders out to other centres. I would like to ask the Minister if he can possibly develop some scenario and look at the possibility of developing such a program so that all communities will have the ability to have seniors' units in all of the communities? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a goal that the Housing Corporation has, to try and meet all the demands and the needs out there in the communities and I am aware that at the recent senior managers' meeting that was held out at Prelude Lake, the discussion was what we can do to try and emphasize or increase the needs that we meet. I know that they are working hard to try and look at what other options or possibilities are out there, but it is somewhat difficult in the fiscal situation that we find ourselves. Operating within we have we feel right now that without other program changes we are doing the best we can, but program changes, we have been known for changing and I think that we need to review our current status as to what we can continue to offer the people of the Northwest Territories, so that is something we will continue to work on and hearing your concerns is something we could use to generate some of the activity or further push the activity in the next Assembly as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Question 2-13(8): Social Housing Shortage
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Oral questions. Again, I would like to remind the Members about organizing their questions so that you have a preamble and then supplementaries afterwards. I have heard three preambles in one question. Oral questions, Mr. Erasmus.

Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

September 6th, 1999

Page 10

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development in relation to natural gas conversion. As I indicated in my statement I was pleased to hear the Minister speak about the Natural Gas Conversion Program in Inuvik because I had been wondering about the possibility of gas conversion in other communities as well. I know that Hay River received natural gas some time ago and that natural gas is a cleaner burning fuel than oil. What I would like to know from the Minister, could he inform the House as to what the current plans for pipelines for natural gas in the Mackenzie Valley? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Community Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the recent discoveries in the Fort Liard area of significant natural gas finds there has been considerable interest by companies to bring these fields to market, get it into production and build a pipeline to link up to the existing pipeline infrastructure either through the West Coast, that is British Columbia, or through Trans Canada Pipelines which is in Alberta and bring those to the U.S. markets. The U.S. markets are the ones which make it economical because of the millions of people that increasingly require more and more natural gas, it makes it economical to spend millions of dollars building pipelines to bring this resource to market. In the Northwest Territories the city of Yellowknife of some 17,000 people at this time does not present a significant market that would make it economical for anyone to propose spending millions of dollars to link up to natural gas fields to bring natural gas to the city. That is the state of affairs at this time regarding the city of Yellowknife. Generally in the Liard and Mackenzie Valley, increasingly pipeline infrastructure will be built and as more natural gas discoveries, oil is discovered in the Liard, southern Mackenzie area, more money will be spent building up the infrastructure and that will make it increasingly more accessible for the Sahtu, the northern part of the Deh Cho, the southern part of the Mackenzie Valley to bring their resources to market as well. Thank you.

Return To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Supplementary To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 10

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has indicated that resources in the Sahtu and other areas would be brought to market as well. Is there opportunity for those

communities in those areas, the Sahtu and those areas along the pipeline route? Would some of those communities be able to benefit from cheaper fuel or does this fuel have to be refined first before it is useable in the North?

Supplementary To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Depending on the type of fuel that is found, for instance in the Inuvik region, as you see the natural gas is of the nature that can readily be brought right to the town of Inuvik and used by industry and consumers there. In Liard there is a possibility there, to provide out of one of the production wells an alternate form of fuel that could be used by the community and there are suggestions that the company and the community may come to an agreement on making available for local consumption some of the fuel that will be produced at one of the fields. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Supplementary To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Are there currently plans or applications to build further pipelines up to the Beaufort or from the Beaufort through Mackenzie Valley to reach the markets that the Minister had indicated earlier which are primarily the large markets in the U.S.? Are there applications or plans to build a pipeline to reach those markets? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are significant discoveries already in the Mackenzie Beaufort area. There is always someone, some company that is continually reviewing the economics of bringing those significant finds to market either by pipeline or by ship. So they are always looking at it. At this time, there is no application being made to undertake such an initiative to bring those resources to market from the Beaufort area. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Supplementary To Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Question 3-13(8): Plans For Natural Gas Pipelines
Revert To Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 11

Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Should someone apply to build a pipeline to bring those resources south or perhaps even for the gas that is going to be taken out of the Liard area? Is it possible for us to make it a condition of extracting that resource that a pipeline could be built say over to Yellowknife so that we can cut the costs of fuel in our largest community and decrease the cost of doing business here? Is it possible to do that?