Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Projects planned for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 are going to be on the reserve. We’re looking at Fort Simpson, Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Buffalo River, Enterprise, Deline, Fort Providence, Lutselk’e, Tuk, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Whati, and Jean Marie River. There will be more communities added as the detailed energy audits and plans are completed.

I noted the Minister mentioned Aklavik, but I’m not too sure what type of project you’re talking about. You were talking wood pellets. It’s going to be very expensive not only to get it in there, but to store it and have the...because it’s an isolated community in which you have to take into account large storage facilities. Maybe you can elaborate on that.

One thing we also have to keep in mind is out of the energy plans that were done by communities, there are only three communities that have done their energy plans. The majority of those are large communities. There are 30 communities out there

that still have not even gotten around to developing their energy plans. I think in order to access a lot of these capital projects, you have to have that concluded. I’d like to ask the Minister what efforts are being made to ensure that the work is being done in communities so that they’re able to develop these energy plans to find ways to reduce the high cost of energy use in a lot of our communities and also reduce our consumption of fossil fuels in those high cost communities.

There are over the next two years, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, $450,000 in this particular Alternative Energy Fund to work with communities to complete their community energy plans so that we’ll have a clearer idea of the projects that may make the most sense and fit in with the priorities, including Aklavik.

Maybe the Minister can elaborate on the Aklavik project, since you mentioned it. What project is it?

I’m not in a position to give many specifics other than we want to work with every community to look at the type of alternate energy project that makes the most sense. If it’s biomass, if it’s wind, those are things that have yet to be determined.

Again, I’d like to ask the Minister, in regard to reducing the high cost of fossil fuels, that there are motions coming forward by way of trying to get us off certain types of fuels. And for myself I think that in a lot of our diesel communities where we have a high dependency on diesel fuel, it’s finding ways to break that dependency. I know for a fact that we have a residual heat system in Fort McPherson and the government has done everything in its power to not use that system. It’s already in place, it’s there, but there are no real plans to expand this project to other community facilities or to look at ways of doing that in other communities. I think in regard to Aklavik they have to replace the existing shop facility for the Housing Corporation or the local housing authority, which is right next to the new power plant. I’m wondering if that can be considered as something going forward for residual heat in that housing shop, which is right next to the brand new power plant that was put in place in Aklavik last year.

There are plans to work with communities that are appropriate for residual heat. I know Fort McPherson -- the Member has raised the issue -- is one of the communities that there is an interest in commitment to looking at making sure the residual heat not only is working, but if there is a possibility for expansion to other buildings, we want to look at that as well. We want to leave no energy saving stone unturned

here in our quest to get off fossil fuels or to be as efficient as we can.

Last question. In regard to this project coming forward by way of a supp, why was it not built into the capital planning process you’re talking about developing the Energy Plan, looking at the different plans that have been put in place by the government so you actually have a plan of how we’re going to lay out this infrastructure and not just pick out a couple projects at a time? I still feel this government has to make more investment in the northern part of the Territories. All the projects to date have been south of Yellowknife, around Yellowknife and Hay River and Fort Smith. I’d just like to know what this government is doing to ensure these are part and parcel of the overall capital planning process. It doesn’t have to come through by way of a supp. I’d just like to know what we are doing to ensure that these projects are part of the budgetary process that we follow and not have to come forward by way of a supp, which again is not previously authorized. It should have been planned out through the capital planning process.

In the normal course of events that is what the plan will be. But if the Member will recollect, when we came forward to brief committee in September it was basically in the concept stage that we thought that we could reorder the capital planning process, identify $20 million a year over three years with a proposed list of projects. The commitment was that while it was coming in after or at the same time as the capital planning process was being approved and we hadn’t had a chance to look at this collectively that we would, for the first go around, come back during this particular budgeting process to finalize the detail on some of the projects, which is what we’ve done. From here on in it should be built into the regular planning process.

I lied. It’s not my last question. You mentioned that it’s going to be coming forward by way of the capital planning process. Like I say, there’s been a lot of capital infrastructure, especially in Fort Smith where I mentioned the electric heat. I believe there’s also a project at the college. I’d like to know, can you give us a breakdown of exactly how much of these type of dollars by way of unique projects like electric heat, wood pellets are in place and where those capital expenditures are being spent to date and why is it all focused in the south of the Northwest Territories?

Out of that $20 million a year, this is $2.5 million. We have about $6.9 million that looks at a whole host of other projects. For the first year, Lutselk’e, Whati hydro, that Fort Providence transmission line, Bear

River feasibility, natural gas conversion feasibility, the Hydro Strategy, in-stream hydro projects, we’re looking for some money for the electricity review. We have another $3.8 million for different biomass and wind energy in the Beaufort-Delta. We’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible. As well, we have the $3 million a year for the commercial power subsidy for the small communities. I recognize the Member’s concern, but I just want to make sure that everybody is aware that there are a broad range of areas that we’re trying to address.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. We are on page 6, Public Works and Services, capital investment expenditures, asset management, not previously authorized, $2.5 million.

Total department, $2.5 million.

Finally, page 7, Transportation, capital investment expenditures, highways, not previously authorized, $6 million. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you know, this project is a community access road project. There was also a motion passed in the House regarding the Aklavik access road to their gravel source. I’d like to ask the Minister if there is going to be any capital dollars available for that project to go forward in the next fiscal year.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I understand there is planning work underway, but possibly I’d ask Minister Michael McLeod if he wanted to just speak to that project on the Aklavik project, what’s happening with the gravel source in Aklavik.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d have to ask the Member to repeat the question. I apologize.

Thank you, Mr. Michael McLeod. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I mentioned, there was a motion passed in this House supporting both the Tuk access road project and the Aklavik access road project. I’d like to know if there are any capital dollars allocated in next year’s budget for the Aklavik access road.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.