This is page numbers 3721 – 3766 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 women.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. McCormick.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Mccormick

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As previously stated, the assets will be disclosed in the financial statements of Marine Transportation Services. The assets would be recorded as a liability. The amounts included in special warrants, et cetera, would be recorded as liabilities, the assets as assets. The difference between the assets and the liabilities of the revolving fund are the accumulated surplus. That is where we build up operating room to make debt repayments, purchase new assets, and that. They would be shown on the financial statements of MTS. The assets are ultimately owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories. We are not a separate legal entity. We are a division of a department. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Nothing further from Mr. Beaulieu. Seeing nothing further. Yellowknife Airport Revolving Fund. Mr. Vanthuyne followed by Mr. O'Reilly. First, Mr. Vanthuyne.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple questions to get us straight here on the revenues first. The non-aeronautical revenue, is that the new landing fee? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne, would you like to clarify? Mr. Vanthuyne.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it is called the Airport Improvement Fee. Page 264, aeronautical and non-aeronautical. I am wondering if the non-aeronautical is the new Airport Improvement Fee revenue. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Clarification from the Minister. The only visitor in the gallery, His Worship, Mayor of Hay River. Welcome. Mr. Vanthuyne asked an exceedingly complex question. The witnesses are diligently flipping pages. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

We have it straight here. The non-aeronautical fees are things like parking, leasing, and AIF, Airport Improvement Fee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you for the clarification. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Okay. I appreciate that. In the aeronautical, which I know we have charged for some time, even before we developed the Airport Revolving Fund, there is a significant jump being proposed from last year to this year. Is that because we have made an increase to those aeronautical fees? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. McCormick.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Mccormick

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The biggest difference there would be these are an information item strictly related to the Airport Revolving Fund. The 2017-2018 estimates would be for a partial year after revolving funds came into effect; 2018-2019 would be for a full year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Further, Mr. Vanthuyne?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. That makes sense. I guess what doesn't make sense there is that we are pretty close on the non-aeronautical fees. Sorry. It is about $1 million difference. Okay. That makes sense. Now, we are going down to the bottom. It looks like, once we look at our accumulated surplus at the end of the year, there is going to be close to $3 million there. At what point are we going to start to undertake some capital projects based on the plan for capital improvements to the airport, Yellowknife airport? When are we going to start investing some of this money? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, for those of you who have been out at the airport lately, the gift shop renovation is already underway. We have a contract for a 20 year master plan for long-term strategic planning awarded to Stantec, and that is an expected completion in October of 2018. The relocation of the oversight baggage facility to create more passenger queue space at the checking area, we expect completion in the spring of 2018; development of a tender to secure a contractor to complete design and geotechnical work for the new de-icing bay; implementation plans for beginning and finalization for installation of common-use terminal equipment and automatic check-in, expected in the summer of 2018; design work underway for additional parking space near main terminal and a text-message-based vehicle pickup lane; and discussions with businesses interested in expanding their cargo profile at the Yellowknife airport are ongoing; and a number of other smaller initiatives, thank you. We are also looking at the CATSA program, which is probably the number one issue that is out there, so that initiative is being looked at, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. For the record, can you explain what CATSA is? Is that an acronym, Minister?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it's good to hear that there are some investments that are going to be made, but, as the Minister noted, probably the most important one is the bottleneck at security. Is there any further detail? I mean, I know you are looking at it, but that is the most important to residents and tourists. Is there any update that we can be provided with regard to when improvements will be made at the security section of the airport? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this CATSA Plus is what they are looking at putting in here in early summer of this year, and we are probably one of the first smaller airports to probably get this in Canada. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cory Vanthuyne

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is all good, and I know that the resolving fund will continue to generate significant revenues, but it seems to me that the stuff that we are even proposing here for 2018 is already going to likely be in excess of $3 million. In instances like that, does the account just go into deficit for certain periods of time until further revenues are generated that bring it back to either even or a surplus? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. McCormick.