This is page numbers 5413 - 5452 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 work. View the webstream of the day's session.

Topics

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Stewart.

Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. $34,000 of that is from Environment and Natural Resources and $3,000 from the Department of Infrastructure.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. What work is ENR doing, then, that's going to contribute towards the Slave Geological Province Road? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. We have provided a table to committee to try to respond to a number of questions that were asked during our briefing. The ENR money, wildlife studies include barren-ground caribou and grizzly bears, so it's just some wildlife studies that are going on. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess I'm trying to figure out here: is this ongoing activities within the department? Are resources being diverted from within ENR to support work on the Slave Geological Province Road? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. This is all very important work. We want to make sure that we cover all our bases, and I can assure that there's no money being diverted from any other department program that ENR offers to go towards the work on the Slave Geological Province. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that. Just for the record, I object in principle to ENR contributing towards the Slave Geological Province Road when there's no new money for the caribou crisis in the 2019 budget. It's just beyond belief to me that money is being used within the ENR department that should be working towards caribou protection to support a project that will ultimately take away from the range, the habitat of the caribou, when they're in a crisis position. This is just rather ironic to me, and I don't expect an answer or a response from you, Minister, but I just object, in principle, to us using money even within the ENR, even if it's federal money, for a project that will ultimately hurt caribou. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. The Minister would like to respond, so I will give him an opportunity. Minister.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I do appreciate the opportunity to respond, and I note the Member's objection. I assured Members that there was no money being diverted from any other programs that ENR offers, and the money that's going towards this is to do our work on the wildlife. It's not going into the actual construction of the road, and I think we've made that quite clear. As I've directed my department to do, I have asked them to come forward. We have done some budgetary exercises for some of the work we need to do on the caribou as a result of the discussions with the Tlicho Government and the Yellowknives Dene First Nations. I've directed them to come forward with the plan and a budget for dollars because I had made commitments to our Aboriginal partners that we were going to do this. I just wanted an opportunity to say that there's not money coming out, actually, in our budget to go towards construction of the road. It's to go to the work that ENR is tasked to do. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I sort of have the same line of question to provide funding for the Taltson expansion. This one is more money, and there's small time to spend the money. I am assuming that there will be another agreement in place for the three organizations mentioned earlier by the honourable Minister for Infrastructure. I'd like to ask if that is the case, that this is for the engagement for the three political bodies, the NWT Metis Nation, the Akaitcho Territorial Government, and also the Salt River First Nations, if those are the three bodies that will be signing a contribution agreement for this engagement? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Through you, I'd like to defer to Minister Schumann.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

This funding is going to help support the development of the Taltson Hydro project. As I've said, it's going to go towards the terms of hydro power engineering, transmission engineering, as well as the regulatory and environmental process and the further development of the engagement strategy to the respective project with the Indigenous governments, and funding will also help us use to research the potential of private partners and the creation of a financial model. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There's a lot of work there. How much of this is for the Aboriginal or Indigenous engagement? Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister Schumann.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Out of this amount, roughly $675,000 will be for further engagement and participation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.