Thank you, Madam Chair. The Housing Corporation always had this number out as 95 percent is northern employment and northern contractors. I asked them about the additional, the five percent. Why isn't it 100? The five percent is with the space frames, so those have to be constructed in the South. I asked, "Why can't these be constructed in the North?" There are some Indigenous groups that are coming forward that are interested in constructing them and learning how to develop them or however. Once we're able to have those space frames developed in the Northwest Territories, it would be 100 percent then. If we're looking at specialized, I want to say, environmental assessments and whatever, that would need a specialized approach. Then, we would be looking throughout the territory. It hasn't happened. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Debates of Oct. 30th, 2020
This is page numbers 1523 - 1562 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 housing.
Topics
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. As one of those people that used to do that, I know there're lots of people in town that can do that kind of work. I'm glad to hear that. Again, sort of back to my background, I would like to know if your technical staff is being given specialized training around northern and Arctic conditions, by example, the cold regions engineering course that's provided by the University of Washington and run out of the University of Alaska. Are there any programs like that that your technical staff is being trained in? Thank you.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to comment, as well, having staff constantly update their training is a priority for me, as well. I'm curious to see what our technical staff have been doing to keep up with the training that they've been receiving. I'm going to defer this question over to President Tom Williams. Thank you.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Williams
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is in our best interests to make sure our technical staff are properly trained on northern construction. We rely on and work closely with other infrastructure, with the Department of Infrastructure on best building practices. We have sent staff, technical staff, to the cold climate workshop in Alaska in the past, constantly ensuring that we provide the technical expertise to build in the North. It's important for us because it's a big investment. Any investment in housing, we have to make sure it's a proven investment, and it's going to have the durability that we need. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
Consideration Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. My last item is just around when you're doing the major retrofits, say, of 19 units in Yellowknife. I'm assuming that's all 19 units in one location. Can you explain a little bit about: does the department, in their prioritization, look at things like project timelines and costing and try to sort of lump together? Maybe it's units in one building so that your mobilization and demobilization costs are lessened because you're doing more at once. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
That is a part of our planning, as well, and I just wanted to also include that, just outside of Yellowknife, we really try to meet the barging season and the winter road season, as well, to decrease flying in materials into the communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
Consideration Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Merci, Madame le President. Pursuant to Rule 6(2), I move that committee continues sitting beyond the hour of daily adjournment to conclude the item under consideration. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. The motion is in order and is non-debateable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Committee, we will continue sitting beyond the hours of daily adjournment to conclude the item under consideration. Member for Kam Lake.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm wondering if the Minister has a number in mind of what it would cost to ensure that every Northerner had access to a suitable, adequate, and affordable home in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to say that the number out there is quite significant. I don't want to guess because I heard the number, and I was quite shocked. I'll refer the question over to Mr. Williams. Thank you.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Williams
Thank you, Madam Chair. Coming up with a number, and I think I raised this number when you guys first started. We did do some costing of what it would cost to get out of the housing crisis in the NWT. It's a very high number. It's half a billion dollars if we want to reduce our wait lists of approximately 900 to 1000 people on a wait list. To put adequate housing in every community, we need some money big time. We rely on the core need report. I think the last report was produced this past year, and we take that into consideration when we do our capital planning of where we put our assets. Another area that is very important for us to inform the process, an endeavour that we're under right now, is the community housing plans. The development of community housing plans across the NWT is going to really inform not only existing need, it's future needs in each community.
Every community has different needs. As the Minister alluded to earlier, we travelled to 14 communities over the summer, so we've got to see firsthand. Every community, when we are doing these community housing plans -- I think we have about 14 or 15 underway right now -- they all have different needs, and they have different solutions on how to meet those needs. We're very encouraged. I know the progress and the community housing plans is not quick enough at times, but it is a very informing document that's going to help not only for this year or future years. It's going to dictate how we spend our money, and where we have to access additional money to meet those needs. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you to the Minister and Mr. Williams for answering that. I think it's a really important number to have on the record here for Northerners. I think it's really important for us to understand that we can't afford to leave any money on the table. If the feds are willing to give us money, then we need to be able to do what we can to access that money. At the 19th Assembly, we also need to support one another on both sides of the House to make sure that that money's ending up in these budgets so that it's available for the Housing Corporation to turn around and spend it on housing in communities, in regional centres, in Yellowknife, that it's available to take advantage of programs like the co-investment fund.
Here's a good question: can the Minister point to me where -- and I was very happy to hear that the Hay River Family Support Centre is being considered for co-investment fund and that Housing Corporation intends to support that, and also the Yellowknife Women's Society Arnica Inn and that Housing Corporation plans to support that through the co-investment fund. Where does that number show up in the capital budget? Does it show up in the capital budget, or is that in the Main Estimates? Thank you.
Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
Consideration Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 45-19(2): Tabled Document 181-19(2): Capital Estimates 2021-2022 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department (page 40), carried
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