No further questions, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Further questions on page 5-4, Mr. Bromley.

Very briefly just to follow up to, again, that interesting series of questions and discussion. If I could ask the Minister to commit to providing committee with the anticipated savings over the next three years in deferred maintenance and that result from buildings planned to be torn down. Also, an estimate of the rate of increase of deferred maintenance on an annual basis so that we can actually try and grapple with the question

that Mr. Dolynny raised. That would be useful. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m not sure about all of the specifics of that question, but we can certainly provide a breakdown of where we are now, the items that need to be dealt with sooner than later. Once they’re dealt with, obviously, bad aspects of the deferred maintenance come off the list. So we can do a bit of an analysis.

What might actually be useful here is if I offer the committee a briefing on deferred maintenance and that we can all get on the same page. I’m happy to come before committee, whether it’s P and P, Economic Development and Infrastructure, whichever committee would be most appropriate to give a comprehensive briefing and a discussion on deferred maintenance if the committee would like that.

We have had briefings in the 16th Assembly. I’ll leave it up to committee to get back to the Minister on that offer.

But specifically, I think it would be useful to know, for example, knowing what buildings we anticipate being brought down over the next three fiscal years, we know what their deferred maintenance is and the contribution to the sum of deferred maintenance costs. So it would be useful to know that as specific examples. Also some general estimates on the rate of increase of deferred maintenance on an annual basis, and that could be general. I’m not really asking about specific projects as much as just some numbers which help us understand this. The crux of the matter before us is allowing us the information on which to, you know, critique or assess or support our deferred maintenance budget from year to year. Thank you.

We’re happy to give that. Some of it will obviously be forecasted. I mean, the true impact is sometimes not known until the building is gone or the construction activity is done, and we don’t include it in our numbers for actual reduction until those items have happened. But we can do some forecasting. We can clearly identify some of the buildings that we know today will likely be coming down during the life of this Assembly, two schools in Inuvik being examples. So we’ll take a stab at that and we’ll try and get the information, and we’ll have an opportunity to discuss that with committee, and if they need more, we’re happy to try and get that too.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Next I have Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have a question for the Minister relative to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, and I appreciate

that this is an asset that is not one that belongs to Public Works. It does belong to Education, Culture and Employment, but it’s my understanding that PWS is undertaking the repairs to the kitchen at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, or the cafe there.

I guess I would like to know from the Minister where this project is at. It’s been a very long time since the fire and the kitchen was destroyed. I would have thought that we would have been able to replace the cafe kitchen by now. So if I could get an update as to where that project is at, it would be very helpful. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Abernethy.

Thanks, Madam Chair. There were some delays. There were some issues around design and whatnot and some budget issues as well. I believe for certain aspects of it, in particular the chimney systems, a contract has been awarded. The kitchen is out for tender right now, but with the chimney we were notified, I believe it was last week, about some issues that they’re having with the chimneys that I shared with Members. Those issues have been dealt with and they should be proceeding with the chimney and moving to the kitchen once the RFP is concluded. Just as a note, the work is scheduled to be completed this fiscal year.

That was my next question, was when we might expect to see it reopened. So if it’s going to be finished within this fiscal year, I’m hoping April 1st I’ll be able to be over there and

have lunch. Thank you.

I like to go for lunch.

I’m not sure that was an invitation, but okay. Any further questions on this page? Okay. Public Works and Services, activity summary, asset management, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $19.2 million. Agreed?

Thank you. Moving on to page 5-7, Public Works and Services, activity summary, Technology Service Centre, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.560 million. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Within this section of infrastructure upgrades on 5.8, we talked about the term evergreening. So again, for the sake of getting proper definition to the next series of questions, if the Minister could provide the proper definition for the term “evergreening”.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Abernethy.

Thanks, Madam Chair. All equipment, all of the computer equipment and technology that the users, the staff in the GNWT use, has a lifecycle as determined by the CIO’s office and it is replaced on that lifecycle. That lifecycle is basically what evergreening is. When a piece of equipment hits the end of its lifecycle, it is replaced.

CIO meaning Chief Information Officer. I guess the question many would have is as we’re replacing this equipment, which is basically a natural attrition and prudent business practice, the old equipment, equipment that in terms of lifecycle it might have some use yet. What does the department do with the remaining equipment?

Some of it is recycled, they auction some off, but for the actual specific details I’ll go to the deputy on what we do with the specific items.

Again, I heard the word “auction off,” but I’m thinking on a bigger picture that we have a number of NGOs out there that obviously are in need of equipment, they’re on very limited budgets for the most part and what is deemed near the end of our lifecycle for a government may be very appropriate for a lot of our NGOs throughout the Northwest Territories.

I believe a lot of these NGOs are not even aware that they could have some of these assets available to them. Does the Minister or department do any type of outreach programs informing NGOs throughout the Northwest Territories, especially our smallest communities, that they could have access to reasonably good, refurbished, if need be, equipment so that they can do their job better? Thank you.

I will ask that the chair go to Deputy Minister Guy, who has actually some specifics that address the questions Mr. Dolynny has just asked. We do those types of things and auction wasn’t really the right term. We have stuff in our warehouse that’s available to be acquired once it’s gone through any other means of disposal. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Guy, please.