Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much. I am shocked by the short answer.

---Laughter

I remember having a discussion with the Minister and he did mention that the federal government has some type of program to assist municipalities. Maybe if he could

comment on that again. I guess what I'm asking for, Mr. Chairman, is if he can forward that information to me so I can forward it to the Village of Fort Simpson.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Chairman, the comments I had made with the Member was more in line of what our previous discussion was with some of the questions that just came about regarding ambulances. But my point was that there is some money, through the federal government, for highway rescue vehicles or rescue vehicles and we can point him in that direction. I didn't mean to be very short in my answer. I should point out again that this year there is some money through the new allocation through the...Oh, it's not this year, it's next year. Not this coming fiscal year, the next fiscal year, we'll have a $3 million allotment for tax-based municipalities to use on capital projects. That might be some assistance there, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you for that, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

No, that's fine.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. I have Mr. Villeneuve and then Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a quick question about the $250,000 reduction in granular materials for community operations. I know the department has taken the lead role in working with other departments to figure out what the government's needs are as far as granular materials in all the different communities and future requirements. I guess I just want to ask the Minister, while this review is ongoing and probably will be ongoing for some time now, how is the department going to address the needs that are still going to be out there? Those needs are going to be coming to the brunt of community priorities or to the forefront of all community priorities here in the upcoming months, coming the summer construction period and everything like that. When this review comes out, is there going to be any money available for granular materials once the review is done? How are the communities going to address the funding for materials during the review? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Chairman, there is money calculated into the community government formula for communities to use for gravel for their roads and, in some cases, for property development. It should be pointed out that this money was more money that was set aside towards emergency-type situations. We still can accommodate those if need be. We have a process for that to come forward for emergency funding situations with FMBS. It should be also pointed out though that our responsibility, our calculations that are included in the formula for community governments are strictly geared towards roads and not development. There are other areas of community needs for gravel which fall under other departments, and those departments are responsible for those needs.

Our granular study is on the way. We have moved forward on that. We have hired a consultant and we're expecting to have the final report some time in March, towards the end of March, and we'll share that with the Members.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you. I just wanted to give some reassurance to the communities that they will have dollars available in the communities' core budget with not just with respect to roads and lot development, but anything over and above that, like access roads and whatever the community uses it for other than roads and lot development, that there will be adequate dollars there. Are those dollars matched, are they the same as last year's dollars or is there any indication of what those might be? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Minister.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, the money that's in the community governments' allocation is the same as last year. There have been no changes to the formula. The formula is being reviewed this year, I should point out. But if there's a need for new subdivisions or new roads in communities, usually the process is to include them under the capital planning process or, I should say, regional operations as an infrastructure contribution.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Villeneuve.

Fine, thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just quickly, the information that the Minister has committed to supplying Mr. Menicoche, I would like to be copied that as well. Maybe other tax-based Members would like that information as well. I won't speak on their behalf, but I'm sure that they would be interested in seeing it though. So I'll ask for myself, if you could commit to that and supply it to the rest of the Members. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, we will agree to that.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We're back on page 4-21, community operations, grants and contributions, grants, total grants, $350,000.

Contributions, total contributions, $6.019 million.