Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This again is another project that I wanted to cover off in respect of how we're I believe presented with a project at a certain expense and a certain scope and then as the project evolves or develops it changes considerably in nature and increases considerably in cost. Even though the actual dollar amount that we're dealing with here, Mr. Chairman, is a negative, sorry, $153,000? Negative $153,000? Okay, $43,000. Thank you. The actual scope of the project looks a little bit like this according to the information we're provided with, and this is to upgrade the existing firefighting water supply at William McDonald School here in Yellowknife, where to comply with new requirements or something of that nature a plan was submitted for $240,000 in this current year, but we now learn that the scope of the project has expanded considerably, almost five times, and the new estimate for the cost of this water supply upgrade will be $1.14 million. So from $240,000 opening estimate we are now at a project that costs $1.14 million.
This is the kind of thing exactly, Mr. Chairman, that I draw attention to. Why is it that something seemingly of a relatively straightforward nature is not thoroughly checked against the standards and the requirements of officials or offices like the fire marshal and we're given, like I say, something that is just totally unacceptable when it comes to what we're told is required in terms of the need and the cost and then later on it just, as in this case here, which is extraordinary, is something that is approaching almost five times the original cost.
And we're still not through because the bulk of the new money, $1.14 million, Mr. Chairman, I think has already been approved in the main budget that we just passed yesterday. So maybe the Minister has some detail that could enlighten me or tell me where I'm not seeing this the right way, but again another project that starts in one place and ends up in a lot different place, Mr. Chairman.