This is page numbers 3449 – 3474 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was income.

Topics

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you. As I mentioned in my previous question, the budget that this organization is already working with is already over budget with the initial start-up costs, and although we are going to continue to have this money allocated on a yearly basis, there are still some costs that need to be covered to ensure that the service is provided only during the winter months, but the heating costs in Inuvik, as we all know with the Inuvik gas situation, are pretty high. So, I was wanting to get a commitment on whether or not we will see extra funding going into this with this project moving forward. Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Minister of Health and Social Services

Thank you. As I indicated, there’s $75,000, and should the budget be approved for ‘14-15, there would be $75,000 for that fiscal year as well. As far as additional costs and additional start-up costs, I’m certainly willing to have a conversation with them, but we don’t currently have anything in the budget for additional costs above and beyond the $75,000 allocated. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I mentioned how this can be the layout or the blueprint to lay out the framework for future shelters throughout the Northwest Territories and not just Inuvik.

Is the Minister willing to work with the health authority and develop a strong evaluation plan on the emergency wet shelter to move forward in looking at that as a possible blueprint to create

other emergency shelters throughout the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Minister of Health and Social Services

Just to the Member’s previous question, in addition to Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority, I’d encourage the organizations who are interested in providing these shelters to apply to the NWT Housing Corporation’s Small Community Homelessness Fund to see if there are any opportunities there given that the individuals who are often attending these facilities are homeless.

As far as this being a template, I just want to remind the Member that as a government we don’t operate shelters. The authorities fund organizations who operate shelters to meet the needs of their communities, but as the Member has clearly articulated, this shelter is working and it’s getting some really positive results, and obviously we’re interested in learning from successes of ours as well as our partners and sharing that information as much as possible.

So, it is early days. We need to really see how this plays out over the long term. Today it looks good and we will continue to monitor and share information as it comes in. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I raised the issue of unresolved property damages in Yellowknife, Behchoko and Detah in the wake of an extended power outage on December 29, 2013. As indicated conservatively, 231 residents did come forward with approximately $350,000 in damages directly related to this outage. Now, I realize that regulated public utilities in Canada are not permitted to reimburse customers for property damage caused by weather-related incidents or acts of God. However, I believe in Inuvik some years ago a power surge caused significant damage to which NTPC took ownership and compensated all customers with damages.

So with this precedent in mind, when does the act of God cease and equipment failure begin? Can the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation please explain to the House why it took over three hours to fire up the diesel-powered generators at Jackfish plant on the evening of December 29, 2013?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a triggering event out on

the line caused by some of the heavy icing events that occurred prior to the cold snap, causing one of the cross members to collapse. It had a line on it which triggered a series of cascading events. We were not alone in the country as we experienced all of these significant severe weather events. Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, and on a comparative basis when you look at the three hours it took here to get things back and running compared to the, in many cases, weeks that it took in other jurisdictions, while it was unfortunate and long, given the cold snap, on a comparative basis I think we were very fortunate that everything was up and running in the time that it did take. Thank you.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

I thank the Minister for elaborating on the triggering event and we’ve heard about cascading events, which lead me to believe that we did have faulty equipment that caused an extended outage for no reason. Again, to compare other outages across Canada, minus 30 or minus 40 to minus 3 is not comparable.

Can the Minister indicate whether his office or NTPC has performed a full cost accounting of this recent power outage to evaluate the extent of current and future damage caused either to residents or to business, and if not, why? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you. I would suggest that when the power goes out in the wintertime, while the temperature is a variable, when you have no power in some cases for weeks, it is a crisis event. Up in the Northwest Territories, here in Yellowknife and Behchoko, we had the power on in a range of three hours, and we have watched with interest as the Member has solicited his feedback and input from the public about costs. We have some direct contact with folks that have raised concerns, but we did find the letter by the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce that was sent to all MLAs, including the public, that set the framework for what acts of God and how all costs would be put onto the ratepayers helped clarify that issue and was very helpful. Thank you.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you. I’m unaware that we get our directions from the Chamber of Commerce when it comes to our business. But that letter was good, indeed enlightening to read here.

Can the Minister indicate if the concept of an income-tested or a contingency fund disaster relief directly associated with such things as an extended power outage at extreme cold temperatures has ever been discussed with this government? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

No, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I thought. Given that the reported damages of almost $2 million, and given the fact that we heard today that faulty equipment is to blame for NTPC’s diesel generators not working property, and given that this government has not performed any cost accounting with this recent disaster, how can the Minister sit here in this House and indicate very little to satisfy public outcry for financial help? What is this Minister prepared to do to mitigate the situation? Thank you.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you. The NTPC takes its responsibility as it does very, very seriously about keeping the power on. There was an enormous amount of effort and time put into place to make sure that the power was put on in what I see on a comparative basis a very timely way. The issue of acts of God versus man are a debate we can have separate from this issue and we are learning from this exercise, as well, this unfortunate incident, in terms of adding improvements and more investments into the system. We’re going to continue to provide a high quality of service. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions on the construction of the Trout Lake Airport project. As the MLA, I was very proud of the work that I’d done with my colleagues to get the airport project on the books in 2008. Construction started in 2009 and here we are five years later, it’s not scheduled for completion until next year. That’s a six-year project. Yellowknife gets a new bypass road that’s completed within the year. The government wants to build the Inuvik-Tuk highway, almost $300 million, in four years. Why is my airport taking six years?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. The work on the embankment of the Trout Lake Airport is now about 95 percent complete, but we did run into some issues with the material. The material that was being used when the construction originally started on the Trout Lake Airport was not of the quality and quantity that was acceptable to the department, so we had to deal with that issue. Now that we’ve had some delays because Trout Lake is not on an all-season road, there are certain times when we can get certain equipment into the community. But the delays are there. We’ve had weather issues, as well, but the bottom line is that that project will be finished in the fall of this year.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

That’s kind of a weak answer. The people, we want a win-win situation where we’ve got a nice capital project, the community wins, the government wins, but building for five years… That is just completely unacceptable. Working with the community and the community meetings, there’s a management team in the Department of Transportation that continually delays these.

I’d like to ask the Minister, can he do an assessment of the management team and see why this project is taking so long? Colville Lake doesn’t have an all-season road. Their airport was built in two years, so was Deline. I’d like some answers from this Minister. Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

If the material to construct the airport is good material then the issue of them being off an all-season road is not an issue. However, if the material was not proper material then that becomes an issue, and that’s all I was trying to indicate.

I will go back to the department and look at the management team. We recognize that the Department of Transportation continues to work with the Sambaa K’e Development Corporation and also the contractor. Our organization, the contractor and the local development are working together to try to get this job done as quickly as possible, and the intention is to finish that airport this year.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

I look forward to the Minister’s internal assessment, because that’s what the community is telling me, that there’s a bottleneck there every time they want to do something. In fact, this gravel haul should have been done two years ago, but it was the department that kept stalling and putting it off and then finally the weather got too warm that they couldn’t do it. I’d like to ask the Minister, can he assess the whole project and why is it taking so long?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

I will commit to reviewing the entire project, review that entire project with our senior management team from Yellowknife, and we will report back to the Member in detail as to where the delays occurred in the construction of the Trout Lake Airport.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.