Mr. Chairman, I’m wondering if the Minister and the corporation have contemplated design-build for this type of unit.

Well, we’re looking for more innovation. I mean, if somebody wanted to put in a proposal to do a design-build, I mean, we’re always looking at ways where we can get… At the end of the day, as long as we get a quality product out there, how we come about it, I don’t think that’s set in stone. If there’s an opportunity for someone out there to do a design-build, I mean, we’d obviously welcome that too. I think that would all be part of this expression of interest that we’re proposing to put out.

Staying on the same line of questioning, Mr. Chairman, I’m wondering if there are construction regulations, or standards, perhaps is a better term, that is preventing this unit from being delivered at an economical rate per square foot.

It has to meet standard building construction practices. It has to meet industry standards, but it is not one that is preventing us from getting it out there. We just need

to make sure that we get a quality product. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, there is a lot of work being done in the public housing area in the area of replacements and retrofit and possibly, well, replacement is new public housing units. I recognize that retrofits are just maintaining the same units and retrofitting them if they’re within economical repair, and the ones that are being replaced, my assumption is that they’re beyond economical repair. Is there any possibility that those units could be put essentially on the market for individuals that perhaps could do some renovations to the unit and keep the unit or the corporation assisting maybe this type of clientele who would go for the smaller unit? Some of these units, the detached units that are being replaced may be the right size unit. I’m wondering what types of discussions has the Minister had with the corporation in that area of the disposition of the units that are being replaced.

Mr. Chairman, on the retrofit of public housing units, can the Minister tell me if there’s been any discussion with the corporation on the disposition of materials that are coming off the units that are being retrofitted, possibly to give the materials to individual homeowners that may otherwise not be eligible for regular repair programs? In a sense, for clarity, I’m saying that if they take replacing the siding with a better grade of siding on the retrofit of these public housing units, can that siding be given to an individual or individuals in the communities that are otherwise not eligible for any assistance through the Housing Corporation due to various reasons? Thank you.

Mr. Chair, we have heard of stories where a contractor would be taking a unit apart and are approached for some of the materials that are coming apart. For the most part, I mean, it’s the contractor’s responsibility to dispose of this material and if they can give it away or if somebody comes and takes it, then that would be something to do.

We could probably have the discussion of maybe making it a condition of the contracts where houses are being retrofitted that they allow people to come and take the material. I’ve heard of cases where contractors allow people to actually take the unit apart and just keep whatever they salvage out of it, which worked well for a lot of people. It is something. We hear the term, “thinking outside the box” and “doing things differently,” “being a little innovative,” and if this is one of the ways that we can assist in helping people using some of the old material, then it’s something that we would consider.

I encourage the Minister to put that provision in the contracts. I think it’s very important. There are a small percentage of people in the communities that could use those materials and assist their own housing needs even though they may not be eligible for the regular programs. Thank you.

I will take the Member’s advice and in my discussions with the officials when we’re done this process, we’ll look at making it a condition of the contract where it’s appropriate and where it would help people in the communities. Thank you.

Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to just ask a few questions about the plans for Dettah and Ndilo and the situation there. I understand, from the material provided by the Minister, that there will be 13 retrofits planned and four new units for Dettah/Ndilo next year, 2011-12. Are these units on this plan completely separate from those scheduled for the 2010-12 year? Thank you.

Minister of Housing.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, the Member is correct; they are completely separate from the ones that are going there now. Thank you.

Thanks for that confirmation. We are seven months into the year 2011. The last I understood, the units planned for this year had not started construction. Obviously, we are into the winter season now. I am wondering, first of all, what is the status of construction for the 2010-11 year. What are the expectations for carryover into 2011-12?

Mr. Chairman, we are just in the process of trying to finalize some of the

contractual details. That is one of the challenges we face when we enter into these particular type of contracts. The Member is correct again; there will obviously have to be some carryover into the next fiscal year. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I realize there are challenges and in negotiating a construction by local businesses I hope that is a policy of the Housing Corporation throughout the Northwest Territories. I certainly appreciate any progress on that front, because I think that work is obviously quite critical to the communities.

I also understand that crucial delays can happen in Cabinet decisions during the prime construction season. I think that is something that the Minister might take up to see if progress can be made and the timing of those decisions. What are the cost implications for construction during the winter as opposed to during a more appropriate construction season? Will that affect the amount of projects that are able to be completed? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, that would depend on some of the terms of the contract. There are many cases. There are some cases where there are cold weather clauses that kick in. If you are building in a particular type of year, obviously the cost is going to be higher. It is a cost that is the cost of doing business in winter when the construction season is a lot different. There will be costs. As to exactly how much, we wouldn’t be able to give that information to the Member until after these are completed or we make some progress on them, then we will have a fairly good idea of the actual cost of this. I will be willing to share that with the Member. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, thanks for those comments from the Minister. I think, Mr. Chairman, this highlights a situation that we faced in all of our infrastructure in other departments. I think the government has been quite progressive. They have had an infrastructure subcommittee. I believe the deputy ministers tuned up that process quite a bit. We also, as a House, have implemented a new process for our capital budget. That has allowed that implementation.

I am wondering, it is different for the Housing Corporation, I understand. I appreciate this opportunity to discuss this now, but my understanding is that we don’t actually approve this budget until perhaps the winter session because it is somehow related to O and M.

I suppose this is a convoluted way of saying it would be great if we could begin negotiation now with the sort of okay of the House on this budget so that we don’t have these construction delays and higher costs during the 2011-12 season. Is the Minister working on this? Is there any solution to this dilemma in sight that we could actually allow negotiations to...

Again, horribly important here to get our local businesses and people employed. They sometimes take longer to negotiate. We are talking capacity building and another very important and identified role of this government. Is there potential? Is the Minister thinking about how we can tune up this approval process and budgeting process to allow that early discussion and negotiation to happen? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, the Member raises a very good point. It is a concern that we have heard from Mr. Chairman himself on the process. We feel that with presenting our budget now, or as an information item for next year, will give us a head start on the planning. Members will have a fairly good idea of the project that we are planning, because you used to not be able to see this until the actual budget in budget session and then you approved it then, and then the planning started. That is the reason we have had so many delays and carryovers. Now, as part of this process, we can start the planning right now, have everything in place pending approval of our budget, because ours is a contribution through Finance. We see this as an important first step.

I think we will continue to improve on that. I think we are going to see the delivery of our infrastructure probably improve dramatically by using this process, presenting it to committee as an information item, having committee’s input on it and then, once we are done this process, we start the planning instead of waiting for five months from now to start the planning.

That is one of the reasons we have run into so many delays in the past where we have had materials going into the community on the last barge when the snow is there. I think this is going to prevent us from doing a lot of that. We have started the process, Mr. Bromley. We see it as an opportunity to make a great improvement on the time and delivery of our infrastructure. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, that is good news indeed. I understand it allows the planning. You have to reserve space for shipping and do the planning for ordering and so on. Does it allow negotiation of contracts for construction? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, it does allow us for earlier tendering. Then if there are expressions of interest out there for negotiated contracts early enough, then we can start the process a lot earlier using this process that we are in now. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, that is good news. I guess two things that I would appreciate it if the Minister could keep working on this to fully realize those opportunities, perhaps working with the Minister of Finance. Is the Minister working perhaps through local housing organizations? What is the

outreach process for early notice to local businesses or community development corporations, if that is what they are called and so on, to ensure that they are alert to this possibility of early negotiation a year ahead of time or whatever? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, through our district offices, we try to get the information out there as quickly as possible and, again, having a pretty good idea of the potential projects for the next building season will give us an opportunity to get some of the information out there quicker so we can, if there are any expressions of interest out there, we would obviously hear about those a lot sooner.

The infrastructure budget is obviously a tabled item, so the information is available and will be available, so they would be able to realize the number of projects that might be coming out in their particular region. Whereas before you almost had to wait until the budget session in February/March to see what was coming to your region during the summer construction season. This process here is going to give us a good head start on being able to accomplish things a lot quicker and get things out there, get materials or everything in place and be ready to build at the beginning of the building season instead of at the end. Thank you.