We’ve got about $340,000 earmarked for Detah/Ndilo. That’s mostly in the homeownership side of it to help homeowners improve their programs. I think we still have some vacant units out there that we’re needing to deal with right quick here too. So $340,000 that we have earmarked for Detah/Ndilo in this upcoming year. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. NWT Housing Corporation, information item, finance and infrastructure services, infrastructure investment summary, agreed?

Agreed, thank you. Let’s turn back, then, to page 3-10, NWT Housing Corporation, information item, infrastructure investment summary. Agreed?

Agreed, thank you. Does the committee agree that this concludes consideration of the NWT Housing Corporation’s budget for capital?

Agreed, okay, thank you. Thank you, Minister McLeod, Mr. Stewart and Mr. Anderson. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms if he would please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Is committee agreed we’re ready to move on to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs?

Agreed, thank you. I’d like to ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Robert C. McLeod, if he’d like to bring witnesses into the Chamber.

Yes I would. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Does committee agree?

Thank you. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.

For the record please, Minister McLeod, could you introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. To my left I have Mr. Tom Williams, the deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. To my right I have Ms. Eleanor Young, who is the assistant deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. To start off, do we have any general comments on the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have one comment and one question, I guess. I think the Minister is well aware that as communities accept more and more responsibility for their own affairs, they are also, at the same time, gaining more and more buildings and infrastructure, therefore, more and more costs. This infrastructure budget has remained the same for quite some time, but the responsibilities of communities have grown. This infrastructure budget can’t stay the same forever. So my question to the Minister is: When are communities going to see an increase in the infrastructure budget so that they can, as we are doing as a government, they need to do some of the deferred maintenance and so on that is required? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member is correct; the infrastructure budget itself hasn’t changed from the $28 million in 2000, but what we’ve done is we’ve heard from the communities and they are challenged, they are getting more and more buildings and they’re challenged with the O and M side of it. But we have made it a little more flexible with the capital budget where they’re able to use 10 percent towards their O and M.

As far as increasing the infrastructure budget, their biggest concern right now was the O and M side of it. We’re working with Canada to try to find out what our share of the new Building Canada Program is going to be. Until we hear that, we’re not anticipating any change to this particular budget. Maybe there might be some we look at next year.

I think we’re challenged for the next couple of years as far as our fiscal situation goes, but we’ve heard loud and clear from the communities that they appreciate very much the infrastructure they’ve been given over the years and the flexibility to choose their own projects, but their biggest challenge was the O and M. So we’ve put in there that they are able to use 10 percent towards their O and M. Thank you.

Okay, I didn’t really hear from the Minister when or if – I hope it’s when – there will be

an increase to this infrastructure budget for communities. Is that in the future anywhere? Thank you.

The earliest that there would be an increase to the budget is 2017. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Next for general comments I have Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have a comment I’d like to make on this department. The communities are very thankful for this capital funding that they got. Gone are the days when they put in a wish list of what they’d like to see in their communities. Now the communities make their plans of what they’re going to do and every year you see the communities building, building up their infrastructure and a lot of people working in the communities. I just wanted to thank the department and hope this keeps going in the future. Thank you.

Thank you for that general comment, Mr. Blake. Mr. McLeod.