Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With regard to the Minister's remarks in his opening address, the terminology of chip-seal surface, asphalt surface, pavement surface is all the same. The terminology is used synonymously to reflect basically a pavement surface that motorists come to know as hard top, as the Minister says. The application of that surface can vary depending on the construction technique.
In some of the sections we have considered under the Highway Investment Strategy, Mr. Chairman, the process would be in some areas to reconstruct the base, the gravel portion directly below the asphalt surface to make sure it can hold the pavement. In some cases, the application of the asphalt or pavement surface directly on the existing surface and in the case of Highway No. 5, the highway to Fort Smith, the majority of that highway has the capacity to be prepared quickly and surfaced with an asphalt product. There are some areas that would require more of a structural reconstruction just to ensure the pavement will stay after it is applied. That is the intention.
For most that are familiar with the highway system, the majority of the highway system today is chip-sealed, Mr. Chairman, as the Member indicated in his original question. Hopefully that helps answer that.
In regard to the second issue of aircraft emergency intervention service at airports, the federal government has proposed through federal regulation to reinstitute emergency response, firefighting response, at some airports in Canada. This firefighting response is currently in the regulatory process, has gone through a Gazette 1 stage, is subject to the Minister's review of the responses to the Gazette 1 regulatory response. We anticipate to hear from the federal government and the Minister of Transport Canada with regard to the next version of the actual regulation. There has been indication that the regulation we reviewed would see some amendment, which included some exclusions and some assessment of the nature and type of equipment and personnel that would be applied at the airports.
With regard to the specifics in the Northwest Territories, we are looking at five airports today that would have to be upgraded from the current situation. Those are Fort Smith, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, Inuvik and Hay River. The current department estimate to provide that service is $2 million in terms of capital, plus an ongoing investment of about $425,000 annually in O and M costs.
One of the issues coming before the Minister currently is the timing of the requirement to comply with the new regulation. At this point, we do not anticipate compliance being required for approximately two years. That would give time and, one of the big concerns being equipment acquisitions across the country, it would give enough time for suppliers and purchasers to manage the overwhelming demand for this new type of equipment across the country.
The federal Minister of Transport has increased the budget for the Airport Capital Assistance Program, which is a national program of funding airport safety improvements, from $35 million annually to $38 million annually on the basis that the additional funding would be used and dedicated to this new regulation. Of course, we have yet to see any of that funding or the final terms of the regulation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.