For the record,

committee, Total Tangible Capital Assets: $1.28 million.

Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Total Tangible Capital Assets: $1.28 million, approved.

Total Activity, $1.28 million. We have a question on the floor. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a question on the Shell Lake bunkhouse, $300,000. I’m not familiar with the infrastructure that’s on the ground there at Shell Lake. Are there further capital needs required at the Shell Lake Compound to move the offices out there?

Thank you,

Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you,

Mr.

Chairman. These funds are identified to

upgrade the bunkhouses and the fire operations that operate there on a seasonal basis. The other work to occupy and move the original office out to Shell Lake has been taken care of, and there’s no funding requirements coming forward that should come before this House.

Thank you,

Mr. Miltenberger. I see no other questions here. That’s Total Activity: $1.28 million. Sorry; there’s a question. Mr. Krutko.

Just a question on the last response. On asking the Minister a while back on this particular matter, for the office space, I was told there’s a contract let and he won’t be able to move there until the end of June, if not later. What contract’s been let, how much is the contract for, and what work is going to be done so you can move the office there? I thought that was the

original question I asked earlier. That was what I was told, so I’m just wondering what’s going on there.

What contract is let? How much money is being expended on the contract? As I mentioned earlier, they expect to have the work completed by the end of this month or later so that they can move out there.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Bohnet.

Well, I’d just like to know where that surplus money comes from. Is it all these vacant positions in our communities? Where is it coming from?

Mr. Chairman, we’ll get back to the Member with the exact detail, but this has been planned for some time by the office, and they’ve been getting their house in order to be able to do this with the resources they have. I’ll commit to provide that information to committee.

Thank you,

Mr. Miltenberger. Okay, anything further on this page? We’re on page 10-6. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the area of Forest Management, I wanted to ask the Minister and the department about what I noticed previously: that under these commitments the government’s spending in excess of $500,000 a year to lease office and warehouse space in Fort Smith. If we’re spending that kind of money, I’m wondering: have we got it in the capital plan anywhere? That’s half a million dollars a year. Maybe we should build our own building in Fort Smith instead of spending that type of money on a lease. Have we done any of that work, and where is that at in the capital plan?

Mr. Chairman, the Member is correct, and I comment on his astute observation. We’re currently renting space from the federal government. They’ve just increased the rent by 50 per cent or so, and they’re going to be increasing it every year from here on in, they tell us. So in fact, that project is before the Capital Planning Committee

to look at getting a northern-

owned building, since we’re already spending the money on lease and rent. That is in the works and

will be making its way through the appropriate channels.

That’s good, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to the Minister for that, and I look forward to seeing that at a future date.

Thanks, Mr. Ramsay. Any further questions? Page 10-6, Forest Management, Total Activity: $1.28 million.

Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Forest Management, Total Activity: $1.28 million, approved.

Moving on to page 10-8, Wildlife Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Total Tangible Capital Assets: $485,000. Mr. Krutko.

I’d just like to ask the Minister what’s the urgency of jet boats? We have people shelved, on the line, and we’re purchasing toys for people to play with. I’m just wondering what the priority of these jet boats is, yet people’s jobs have been lost in this department.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you,

Mr. Chairman. My recollection was that these were also approved in the interim appropriation, but the need is, of course, to allow the staff — the many good staff we do have on the job, on the land — to have decent, safe operating equipment in the summer. There’s extensive work done on the various lakes and waters and rivers that cover the land. Some of the boats they do have are very old, not worth repairing and don’t have the necessary capacity.

For $55,000 — most jet boats I know of go for maybe $28,000. Is this the Cadillac version, or will $28,000 suffice for a jet boat?

Mr. Bohnet.

I’m just wondering when they’re going to purchase a jet boat for Shell Lake.