Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we had had a number of discussions with Avens on the 48 beds, but in light of the fact that we have to accommodate or come up with a plan to address 258 beds across the Northwest Territories, not just in Yellowknife, and we wanted to be able to roll those out across the Territories as a whole as opposed to putting the 200 beds in Yellowknife immediately and then having a significant deficit across the Territories, we have decided to move forward with a plan, or we're proposing to move forward with a plan, that puts the 72 long-term care beds in Yellowknife with designing starting in January 2018, construction in fall 2019, and we're hoping those beds are available as soon as April 2021.

We're looking at 48 long-term care beds in Hay River for the South Slave. We're hoping to get that in the capital plan for this capital plan. Planning is going to begin immediately; design, March 2018. We're hoping to see construction in 2019 and beds available as soon as 2020. The money that's in here is the planning money for 48 long-term care beds in Inuvik. What we're hoping is to see that work done, permafrost studies, all those types of things done. Capital plan submission March 2018 for the 2019-2020 budget; designing 2019; construction 2020. Beds available as soon as April 2023.

Then we are looking at 48 long-term care beds, which is a net new 28 to replace, to move forward in Simpson as part of a long-term care facility and health centre. Feasibility study in October 2017. Capital plan submission, March 2019. Planning could start as soon as 2020. Design 2021, construction 2022. Beds available by 2026.

Then, the last in line, because we had dealt with Yellowknife first with the 72 beds, is 48 beds in the Avens compound. The project is required to meet the remaining 2026 bed requirements for the Northwest Territories.

Recognizing that we are moving forward with Avens later in the plan as opposed to the front of the plan, we have put money into this budget to construct a laundry facility and a kitchen facility to help them be sustainable over that time. Also, they approached us indicating that the cost of that site that they have blasted is proven to be difficult, and we have agreed to cover their cost, $1.1 million for that site, so that they are no longer financially on the hook.

In discussions with Avens, it has become clear that they are certainly interested in exploring that site for other purposes, other needs. Avens is still part of the big plan.