Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Braden.

Mr. Chairman, I don't have all the history with me but I don't recall a number, a final number of $9.1 million being discussed for a Deh Cho replacement project. I seem to remember something in the neighbourhood of $4 to $5 million. Could the Minister just fill me in a bit on the history of how this project has gone to $9.1 million? Again, I regret if I've missed something. Perhaps the Minister could just bring me up to speed, but this looks like a new and substantially enlarged project, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When we were saying the $3 million was to start the process of renovations, it was going to cost, to renovate the building, would have cost somewhere between 12 to $17 million, not four to five million dollars. When we were able to negotiate a bit longer period with the fire marshal, because we said it's not reasonable to put this much money into a renovation project that you're only going to get an extra 10 to 15 years out of at the most, we were able to reach an agreement that if we did some upgrades to the sprinkler systems, some safety issues to make sure that those are dealt with in the short term, that we could invest in a new building for less money which should last us for, again, the 30 years that we expect new buildings to last us. So we think this is a far better way to spend the money.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps just a small correction and maybe I wasn't heard properly, I wasn't talking about a $45 million project. The numbers I recall are maybe $4 to $5 million. I just wanted to make sure that the numbers that I was talking about were coming across clearly: $4 to $5 million, not $45 million. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That's all.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. That was a point of clarification for the Minister. Mr. Dent, do you have any comments? Thank you. Members, we're on 7-8. Mr. Yakeleya.

One comment and question to the Minister on this Deh Cho Hall. Is the department looking at other departments, maybe the feds or aboriginal organizations, that could be in this new office building, that base sort of the whole Nahendeh riding that's located in Fort Simpson? Or right now, is this the plan, the office that we have, is this the building that we're going with, to have this building be on time, on budget and on schedule to say that's what we planned? Is there any room there for an expansion? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At this point we're reasonably confident that this project will move ahead with the budget we have. I've already seen sketches of what the project will look like and Public Works is working on the details of the contract. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say that I'm certainly glad that the old residential school is being torn down and putting something new up there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. That was more of a comment. Members, we're on page 7-8, infrastructure acquisition plan, advanced education and careers, tangible capital assets, total tangible capital assets, $6.312 million.

Infrastructure contributions, total infrastructure contributions, $100,000.

Total activity, $6.412 million.

Total department, $40.445 million.

Does the committee agree that consideration of Education, Culture and Employment is concluded?

At this time I'd like to thank Minister Dent, Mr. Daniels, and Mr. Devitt today. Sergeant-at-Arms. Thank you. Does the committee want to continue on with Transportation?

---Laughter

We'll continue with Transportation after a short break.

---SHORT RECESS

I would like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Next on the orders we have Transportation. I would like to ask the Minister of the Department of Transportation if he would like to provide the department's opening comments on the main estimates. Mr. Menicoche.