Debates of Oct. 20th, 2008

This is page numbers 1767 to 1822 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 2nd 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 going.

Topics

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 110-16(2) Supports For Former Residential School Students

Minister’s Statement 111-16(2) Recognition Of Small Business Week 2008

Minister’s Statement 112-16(2) Foster Family Appreciation Week

Minister’s Statement 113-16(2) Meeting Of Housing Ministers

Tabling of Documents

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 93-16(2) Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2009–2010

Committee Motion 82-16(2) Recommended Funding Increase Of $1,400,000 For Highway #7 Km 0–254.1 Liard Highway Under The Department Of Transportation (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 83-16(2) Deferral Of Consideration Of Education And Culture Activity In Education, Culture And Employment Capital Estimates (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 84-16(2) Deletion Of $12,000,000 From Public Works And Services For GNWT Multi-Use Facility And Records Storage/request For Market Disruption Analysis/ Technical Evaluations (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Defeated)

Committee Motion 85-16(2) Recommendation To Advance By One Fiscal Year The Diamond Jenness School Renovation Under The Departmentof Education, Culture And Employment (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 86-16(2) Recommendation To Advance By Two Fiscal Years The Jh Sissons School Renovation Under The Department Of Education, Culture And Employment (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 87-16(2) Recommendation To Include An Extension To The Mangilaluk School In The Five-Year Capital Plan (Committee Motion Carried)

Committee Motion 88-16(2) Concurrence Of Tabled Document 93-16(2): Capital Estimates 2009–2010 (Committee Motion Carried)

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 82-16(2) Recommended Funding Increase Of $1,400,000 For Highway #7 Km 0–254.1 Liard Highway Under The Department Of Transportation (Td 93-16(2)) (Committee Motion Carried)
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

I guess I just have one last question. Mr. Bromley sort of alluded to the fact that there’s a bit of a discrepancy here, and I’m having the same difficulty. In the capital budget for ’08–09 we approved $800,000 for this current year, and it earmarked $15 million for this project in ’09–10. Now that $15 million is gone, and there is nothing for that particular school project in the ’09–10 budget. I’m having difficulty understanding how — I think it was February we passed the capital budget — in February of this year we expected, I would presume, construction with a $15 million tag to start in ’09–10, and now, all of a sudden, we’re not going to be able to do anything until at least ’10–11 or main construction in ’11–12.

My question is: was there an expectation in February of this year that construction for this school project would start in ’09–10?

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll refer that question to Minister Michael McLeod.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Michael McLeod.

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is important, I think, to point out that initially Diamond Jenness was targeted for a midlife retrofit. Our department, the Department of Public Works and Services, did a midlife review and a technical evaluation on the project. We provided a report that indicated it would cost around $21 million to retrofit the building completely. We were prepared to move ahead. However, the midlife retrofit would not accommodate any new program areas or new changes in design. It would be renovated to the specs and design that it is currently in, and we

would not allow for any other areas that were wanted to enhance what is already there.

Since then there has been, including when we did the visit, a real desire by the community and by the administration of the school to change where some of the walls are located and the systems that needed to be upgraded in terms of air and water. Those types of things were recognized. We needed the Department of Education to go back and do a program review or an education program requirement assessment. That is currently being conducted. From there, once we’ve had a good understanding of what we need to accommodate in this facility, it’ll come back to Public Works for design. Once the design is done, then we’ll move to construction.

We’re probably looking at a $30 million plus project now if we accommodate all the different areas that need to be addressed, including the area that was mentioned by the Member for Hay River South for construction programs and things of that nature. There are a lot of things that the communities are interested in incorporating into this facility. The initial assessment that we did as Public Works was only to do the retrofit and leave things the way they were.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks for the explanation. To the time required to develop and design.... So we have an educational program at the end of this year. We know what the technical upgrades and requirements are. What is the time period to get to a working design that can be used for determining construction?

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Aumond.

Aumond

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is really going to depend upon what changes to the school are going to be resulting from the education program. If we don’t have to change too much of the structure itself or the way the school is laid out, then we can probably proceed quite quickly. If we’re going to have to be moving or changing the way the school is laid out or moving classrooms around, undertaking more extensive electrical or structural work than we would have if we were just doing a midlife retrofit, then it will take longer to design those. Until we see the program, it is going to be very difficult for us to say with some degree of accuracy how long that process might take.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

I understand the difficulty in giving me a time frame. Can I get a rough idea of whether it’s between three months and three years, or three months and one year? I won’t hold you to it, but an estimate would be helpful.

Aumond

We will endeavour to undertake this as expeditiously as we can. If we’re able to come up with a solution that would allow us to proceed

faster than we would normally, we will look for that. But again, until I see what the program looks like, it is going to be very difficult to say with any certainty how long it will take.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

I don’t know how to rephrase that question. I guess my last question would be relative to…. Well, it kind of has to do with planning, but if money were available, could construction start in the summer or fall of ’09?

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We indicated to the committee late last week, or sometime last week, that if things moved ahead, if the educational planning and other design work was done and it was in everyone’s best interest, we would attempt to fast track what could be done early.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Next on my list is Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Chair. I’m just trying to get some information on the two schools in Tu Nedhe. I didn’t have an opportunity….

An Honourable Member

Inuvik?

October 19th, 2008

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Tu Nedhe.

An Honourable Member

Oh, sorry. I didn’t see them in the capital plan.

Laughter.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

They’re not there.

I know that under one actual program and one planning document, in the 20-year assessment, there is a midlife retrofit scheduled for all of the buildings that belong to the GNWT, including the Deninu School and Lutselk’e. My first question is: what’s the plan for midlife retrofit in those two schools? If it’s occurred recently and I’m not familiar with it, then I’d like to know that as well. But, first of all, the midlife retrofit schedule for the Deninu Ku’e and Lutselk’e schools.

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Aumond.

Aumond

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do have some deferred maintenance work — it’s quite a major job — scheduled for ’09–10 for the school in Fort Resolution. The school in Lutselk’e had quite an extensive project not so long ago. We have nothing on the books for deferred maintenance at this time, although we are doing maintenance on the school there.

The issue with midlife retrofits is something we’re going to try to work more stringently into the new

capital planning process, as deferred maintenance now takes priority over incremental infrastructure. You will see midlife retrofits coming back by way of deferred maintenance through that capital planning process.

We do have a project in Fort Resolution for the Deninu school this summer. In Lutselk’e we have some minor maintenance coming as well this summer, but there was an extensive project done within the last six or seven years, so that school is in fairly good shape.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

So as a result of technical assessment, the Deninu probably got scheduled for some deferred maintenance in ’09–10. Has Public Works completed a technical assessment of Lutselk’e school in this go-round? I know the deputy minister advised me just now that there has been some major work done, but I’m just wondering if there was a technical assessment done on that school as well.

Aumond

I’ll have to confirm, but I believe there was a technical assessment done on the Lutselk’e school this summer. We had a technical assessment on the Deninu school last year. The focus of the deferred maintenance is to take care of the priority 1, which is the critical work that needs to be done now to address mostly the structural integrity of the assets, or life-safety concerns. That’s how we’ll probably be proceeding.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I’m familiar with the date of the Deninu school. I believe the Deninu school was built in 1972, so I guess it’s 36 years old. I know there was some retrofit work done on the school. Could the deputy minister advise me when the Lutselk’e school was built — the current school?

Aumond

Mr. Chair, I don’t have that information with me.

Debates of Oct. 20th, 2008

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