This is page numbers 3035 - 3094 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 know.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I see that we have the funding for the Great Bear River bridge in here. I believe that's 75-cent dollars and I see it's estimated completion is 2024-2025. Can I just get a bit of an update on where we're at with the Great Bear River bridge and whether the estimated completion date in here is accurate. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes, we are looking at the Great Bear River bridge as one of our major infrastructure projects. So where we're at now is we're still in the early stages of doing consultation with the communities that are impacted up along the Mackenzie Valley Highway there. And I'm just going to get Madam Chair, David to speak about more detail as some of the processes that's required and where we're at in terms of timeline. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Moore.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Moore

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, work continues on this important project, which of course will be instrumental to the region and territory.

Currently work is underway on design and regulatory and permit approvals. Those are continuing and will continue into 2022. We are also working and engaging local folks in the Sahtu and elsewhere on the project where, you know, opportunity potential opportunities lay for local businesses and contracts when this project evolves.

Secondly, we are also looking towards work on procurement and that decision is yet to be determined. There's different paths that can follow there, for 2022-2023, with an expected opening in 2026 as we have on our website. So that remains valid. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm sure we'll have many more questions as we get to the procurement phase of the bridge.

I see that there's a couple deferred maintenance lines in here, and I know there's also deferred maintenance in the operations budget. Can I just get an updated figure on how much in this capital budget is being spent on deferred maintenance and how much our backlog is in deferred maintenance. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just trying to look at the deferred maintenance. So right now, the program is intended for completing repairs to buildings that get delayed or backlog because of budget limitations or lack of funding. So the facility condition is about 20 percent of the total infrastructure portfolio per year. You know, I believe I've said the number in the past, the total value of deferred maintenance to capital delivery is about $6.8 million which includes $1.8 million carried forward. So this is -- every year we have an annual allocation of $5 million. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, can I also get an updated figure of -- I recognize we're spending about 5 million a year. We had to carry some over. I'm not sure why we didn't spend it all. I understand there's three categories of deferred maintenance and the most urgent category has quite a significant cost to it. Can I just get that updated figure for that. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the backlog cost, is that what the Member's asking, sorry? Thank you, Madam Chair. So right now, we have three different categories and the first one is called "currently critical". There's about $10 million that's allocated to that. The "potentially critical" is 16 million. And the "necessary but not critical" is 553. So yes, we do have a big deferred maintenance request from all of government assets. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I get an updated figure of, I believe this is the section, how much is being spent here on highways and roads maintenance. Yeah, I know there's some new bridges and obviously I don't want the figure included of the Great Bear River bridge but just a total being spent here on maintenance in the capital budget. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm going to see if -- if Mr. Moore has the number, figure. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Moore.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Moore

Thank you, Madam Chair. The number, the value that we put into maintenance every year varies, of course, by site and by asset. In general, for the next calendar year we're putting about $80 million into maintenance of our transportation system. But that also includes a little over $15 million which goes into things like bridges and bridge culverts in our highway system.

We continually inspect our transportation system and things like bridges and culverts are inspected on a three-year cycle to ensure they are maintained properly. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. And perhaps I could just get -- you know, that's a fairly large figure. I know if we look at the kind of plans that that number does fluctuate and there's hundreds of millions to be spent maintaining our transportation system.

I know the Minister spoke previously about kind of our roads and highways being in good condition according to our grading system and perhaps there was some criticism or disbelief of that. But can I just get a sense of that amount of money we're spending on road maintenance, whether we consider there to be a backlog, you know, of deferred maintenance or a backlog making sure our roads are maintained presently. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes, it's about $5 million -- well actually it's about 4.9 but closer to 5 so I re-reference that. So some of the projects address backlog relate to end of life of existing building, mechanical, electrical, structural components. Building code relate primary life and safety issues. Roof exterior, envelope failures, additional issues related to some of the building and fire codes. And so yes, we do have -- cost the department quite a bit of money each year to look at some of those.

I'm wondering if, Madam Chair, if David has the number. It's about -- okay, no it's about $22 million for reconstruction. $16 million for bridge and culverts and $30 million on O and M every year. So it's about $68 million total. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Did you want Mr. Moore to -- or we're back to Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I guess I'm just -- you know, we spend $68 million a year maintaining our transportation network. Obviously we need to do that and perhaps there's a debate whether it's in good condition or terrible condition. I'm just trying to get a sense, you know, we don't really have a roads report and we don't track roads in the same way we do assets with deferred maintenance. I just want to get a sense of spending $68 million a year maintaining our transportation network is enough money or whether the department considers, according to the prescribed highway standards, that there is a significant deficit in how much money we're spending on maintaining our roads and transportation. Is $68 million not enough? And I believe it's -- there's hundreds of millions to be done -- to bring our roads up to standard but I would like to get the department's view on that, Madam Chair.