This is page numbers 4757 - 4776 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 going. View the webstream of the day's session.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my questions today, they are for the Minister of Finance on the Indigenous Career Pathways Program and the secondary program here, the Indigenous Management Development and Training Program, as well. My experiences have found that the Sahtu Region, with the government and the agencies, runs a workforce of 375 employees. Given that amount, in preparation for the readiness and awareness of these programs, can the Minister commit to the designing and promotion of a brochure for the delivery and awareness of these two programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Finance.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a news release that went out in October of 2018 that talked about a couple of new programs to open new career pathways for Indigenous Northerners. As far as there being brochures to promote that, I am not quite sure if I have seen any brochures yet, but I could follow up. I am sure that information is also available on our website with the proper information for those that want to take advantage of these programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thanks to the Minister for that reply. I find it very encouraging, the inspiration on these types of programs that we see in this institution, and sharing that with the smaller communities would really create awareness of the opportunities that are out there, but they all are subject to fulfilling your education and so on. It will encourage the youth to visualize themselves in taking over some of these opportunities as the age group of the workforce goes.

My next question is: after the development of this brochure campaign profile, can the Minister share that with the schools, the EAs, and other agencies within the Sahtu, and the whole territory, for that matter?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

One of the things that we are very proud of in the Northwest Territories is the number of Aboriginal people in our workforce, Indigenous people. We continue to try and enhance those numbers. There is a lot of value that is brought to the positions. We continue to promote that. If there is an opportunity in this particular situation to promote these programs at, say, educational fairs and things like that, I am not sure of exactly the details of our department's plans on promoting the program. I will follow up, and I will share any information that I can gather with the Members and Members of the Assembly.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

I am glad for that answer on the issue of promoting these two initiatives. In doing so, it will create inspiration to our youth that there is opportunity out there beyond post-secondary classes.

Our group is promoting a youth inspirational tour in the Sahtu sometime this spring, April or May. Can the Minister commit to providing some promotional brochures about the program and the criteria and so on, so that we can distribute the pamphlets during our Sahtu tour?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

The Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning Unit attended career fairs, and that goes back to the Member's first question, in many different regions. Recently they attended the Aklavik Healthy Living Fair and the Fort Providence Skills 4 Success Career Fair. They plan to attend a career fair in Behchoko that would be attended by all high schools. Again, that is an opportunity to promote some of the opportunities. They recently finalized the guidebook on careers in health and social services professions, an NWT- focused career guidebook, which will be shared with all schools. Any opportunities that our departments have to share information on potential opportunities and training, they will do so at a number of fairs that they attend across the Northwest Territories.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Infrastructure regarding his earlier Minister's statement about Taltson Hydro Electricity Expansion. I recall that last year the MLA for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh questioned the government about why they weren't consulting with local Indigenous groups in the Fort Smith area regarding the expansion of Taltson. The answer was that there were no customers for the hydro power that could be generated by an expansion, so there was no point in consulting because there was no customer.

I see that there is money now for consultations, and I wonder if there is now a customer. My understanding is that the plan is to ship the energy north towards, presumably, the diamond mines, but given that this might not be completed until the mines are all shuttered, I want to know: do we have customers who have signed on the dotted line for this power? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have clearly laid out in my Minister's statement today, we had two parts to this. We were going to clearly have a look at the regulatory process, the environmental process, the engineering around this thing, and then the Aboriginal participation on it. They need to build a business case on that. That will be some of the ongoing work that we will be working on, and hopefully, in the coming months, as I said in my Minister's statement, with more federal funding to help us support this, we will be able to look at all of those aspects. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

That leads me to my second question. The Minister stated that there was an application for more federal funding. I think that in the last Assembly there was about $15 million spent on looking at expanding Taltson. I know we have another couple of million now. What is this federal ask, and how much of it would have to be GNWT dollars?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Yes, we clearly announced that we had $1.2 million with the federal Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister Leblanc. We don't have an application as such. We are hoping that there is going to be something in the coming months that the federal government will get behind and help support this project. I would probably closely watch the federal budget to see if there is going to be any extra funding in there.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

I just saw on the Minister's statement it said that the GNWT has put in a request for additional financial support, so I guess it is not an application per se. It is just a request.

I know that the Minister says that phase two is looking at an interprovincial connection and I have asked in this House before about talks with Saskatchewan and I understood that that was one of the customers they were looking at. Have there been any recent talks with Saskatchewan that the Minister can update us on?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I believe that the department has not talked to Saskatchewan lately, as we have changed our refocus on joining the North/South Slave grids at the present application.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is: how do we expect to pay for this expansion? I know that it might pay for itself over time, but the budget just came out yesterday. We are almost right up against the debt wall. You know, maybe at the beginning of this Assembly, this was viable, but our borrowing limit is almost maxed out. How does the Minister think that this is going to be paid for? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I have said, we have a lot of work to do. We have to work with our Indigenous partners and do all our preliminary work that needs to be done. So it would be kind of pre-emptive on how we are going to pay for this if we can't prove that there is a viable project, but I'm sure the Minister of Finance has been in discussions with his federal counterpart on looking at different ways that we may have to change our borrowing limit on this.

There are different opportunities on financing this project, and that is what we need to scope out. It might be through the federal infrastructure bank. It might be private equity. There are a whole bunch of different business cases that could be presented to finance this type of project. There are a number of things that need to be done, as I have clearly said. We will continue to hope that we get some more federal funding to move this project out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement last year, I have a couple more questions for the Minister responsible for Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost two years now since the windbreak has been taken from kilometre 4 on the Dempster Highway because it is deteriorating. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister: when will the department replace this windbreak at kilometre 4 on the Dempster Highway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Infrastructure.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My recollection on the kilometre 4 windbreak was that, in discussions with the Gwich'in Tribal Council, they asked us to take this down, but I would have to follow up with the department if there have been in any more discussions with the GTC and see if they want us to replace this, or what the procedure is going to be moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

As I recall it, I believe the community of Fort McPherson actually asked to take it down because it was an eyesore because it was falling apart at the time. You know, it was probably built before we had pressure-treated wood. Will the Minister ensure that this work takes place this summer, as it is really affecting road closure due to high winds?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

I can certainly follow up with the department and get them to have a conversation with our superintendent in the region to reach out to the local community and talk to our contractor on that section of the highway to see what is happening on the ground and get back to the Member on what our plans are moving forward.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

I know last year the department was saying that they haven't noticed any more closures than usual, but this year, because we have had more snow, higher winds, we have had this troubling spot at kilometre 4, to be specific. Once the Minister finds out from his department that this really is a problem, like I am bringing up, will the Minister ensure that they work with the community or the contractor over the summer to ensure this work is done?