I am here to present the Capital Estimates, 2016-2017 of the Government of the Northwest Territories. These estimates represent $292 million in appropriations

for government and $28 million for community infrastructure investments in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

These estimates do not include appropriations for housing infrastructure proposed by the NWT Housing Corporation in 2016-2017, totalling $22 million. The appropriation for these investments will be sought during review of the 2016-2017 Main Estimates by the 18th Legislative Assembly. The NWT Housing Corporation’s proposed 2016-2017 Capital Plan, however, has been included in the estimates document as an information item for review and comment.

Including the proposed housing investment, the total planned infrastructure investment in 2016-2017 will be $342 million.

Major highlights of these estimates include:

• $91 million to seek appropriation authority to

record the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link Project on the GNWT’s balance sheet;

• $69 million for highways and winter roads across

the NWT. This includes funding for the Inuvik- Tuktoyaktuk Highway and the first bundle of highway projects submitted under the new Building Canada Plan;

• $60 million for health facility replacements,

renovations and information system upgrades, including funding required for the renovation of the Stanton Territorial Hospital project;

• $28 million to continue to contribute to

community infrastructure needs;

• $20 million to begin replacing the current air

tanker fleet that support forest fire operations.

Members have expressed concerns over the lack of funding allocated to NWT schools in government capital plans. In response to these concerns, these estimates include $400,000 to provide planning study funding for the J.H. Sissons and Mildred Hall school renovations in Yellowknife.

Looking ahead, the GNWT is facing the difficult challenge of maintaining existing assets, improving housing stock and meeting legislative requirements unless steps are taken to free up fiscal resources.

Regardless of this challenge, the GNWT will continue to ensure our limited capital funding is used to support the territory’s essential infrastructure base so that programs and services can continue to be delivered, aim to make investments in strategic infrastructure that will better position the territory and all of Canada to maximize economic opportunities of the North, and to look at options to mitigate the impact of climate change.

I am prepared to review the details of the 2016-2017 Capital Estimates document. Thank you.