Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee would like to consider Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2018-2019, with the Departments of Infrastructure and Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. First we will take a short recess.

---SHORT RECESS

I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, over the last few weeks Members of the Legislative Assembly have been working hard on reviewing the departmental capital budgets for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

As part of their review, Members of this House have recommended that investments to capital projects needed to support the implementation of junior kindergarten be advanced in 2018-2019.

I have considered this request with my Cabinet colleagues and offer the following commitment:

$1.255 million to advance projects associated with the implementation of junior kindergarten in 2018-2019. This amount includes the re-investment of the $400,000 identified for the synchro-lift at the marine transportation facility in Hay River, which will now be funded from the Marine Transportation Services Revolving Fund.

The additional funding for junior kindergarten projects and a negative supplementary appropriation related to the synchro-lift funding will be included in 2018-2019 Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2018-2019, which I will table for consideration by the Legislative Assembly during the October 2017 session. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, and we have agreed to begin with the Department of Infrastructure. Minister of Infrastructure, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?

Yes, I do.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses for the record.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Jayleen Robertson, assistant deputy minister; and on my right, is Mr. Paul Guy, deputy minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Minister. The Department of Infrastructure can be found beginning on page 43 in the capital estimates. We will defer the departmental total until after consideration of the activity detail, but first I will open the floor to general comments, keeping in mind that we will have time for further discussion when we have the activity detail. Opening comments. First, I have Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Glad to see there are a few projects in my riding, especially the James Creek campground; not the campground, but the new maintenance camp that will be built. It is a good opportunity, like we did in the past, to hopefully negotiate with one of the Gwich'in companies to install this. It is getting a little ahead here, but also there is a bunch of work planned on the Dempster as well, which from what I recall is resurfacing from Tsiigehtchic northbound towards Inuvik.

I am really looking forward to that, but I am disappointed. I know I was hoping to see, it is a little complicated; the way it used to be for public works, they were responsible for schools and buildings like this. It would have been nice if it was pretty simple. Just keep schools under education. For that project, I am very disappointed, as I said before. It is between this department and the ECE that the decision was made to postpone Moose Kerr School. For the past six years, as I mentioned, it has been on the books on the red flag list to be up for major retrofit or replacement. For it to be taken off just over the summer months is pretty disappointing, but hopefully we can correct this injustice, if you will, by next year. I will be sure to ask questions again a little later. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Next, Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am looking at Highway No. 1 and some of the concerns. Again, it talks about reconstruction. I have a section of road from N'Dulee Crossing all the way to Wrigley that I would love to trade Highway No. 3 for at any given day and so would the residents because there are some lines of sight that are problems. It's like a rollercoaster on that road and your stomach can actually go up to your throat in some points.

I'm trying to look at the Minister and I'll be asking some questions about Highway No. 1 and what they're going to be doing on that and the extent. I have to give credit where credit is due. The maintenance is done and the department is working with the contractors to do a good job, but again, there are a lot of issues with that part of the road that need to be fixed. As well, I'll later on probably be asking the Minister, I don't know where he's going to find it, but I asked him some questions and I'd like to get some information on where he got the cost analysis and if he could share that information with me.

Overall, I'm quite happy. Highway No. 7, which was always a big issue for the former Member for my riding, I see Highway No. 7 has been worked on getting improved. I mean, there are a few more issues there, but I'd like to thank the department for that. That will be the direction where I'll be asking some questions on that. Those are my comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Anything further for opening comments or general comments from committee? Seeing none, we can move into the detail. The first activity summary can be found on page 44, with information items on pages 45 and 46. Infrastructure asset management. Do we have comments or questions from committee? Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I note that this area of the department includes airports. Where can I find the Yellowknife Airport infrastructure item? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Because it's a revolving fund, that will be coming forward through the business planning process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was aware of that and I'm pleased that we have that clarity from the Minister; however, business planning is a closed-door process and members of the public won't be able to see or hear exactly what is being planned for this, so what is the plan to allow for transparency on this plan? The government was quite keen on selling the changes to the airport based on enhanced infrastructure services, et cetera. When are we going to see detailed plans on infrastructure improvements at the Yellowknife Airport?

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we bring forward the business plan for the YZF, it will be published publicly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.