Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Vice-President Jim Martin respond. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Debates of March 10th, 2021
This is page numbers 2439 - 2492 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
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Martin
Thank you, Madam Chair. As mentioned previously, the Housing Corporation has invested in a number of biomass systems in the past, and they've been very successful projects. We do want to continue with those type of investments for sure. We are currently conducting a couple of feasibility studies right now, looking in Inuvik as well as Fort Simpson for possible district energy systems. We could certainly continue to look in other communities, as well, for possible future investments as we continue to work closely with the federal government for additional federal funding opportunities. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. No further questions? Okay. Any other questions under finance and infrastructure services? Member for Great Slave.
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just looking at the line item again for infrastructure planning and maintenance services at almost $2.6 million on 379. I'm just curious to know if there're any efficiencies that the department sees could be made by, perhaps, sharing, and maybe it's not this particular area, but sharing some of the work with the Department of Infrastructure around their tendering of projects, et cetera, and whether or not we're somewhat duplicating that, and could there potentially be looked at restructuring a bit so that the Department of Infrastructure could take on a bit of that work? Thank you.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Vice-President Jim Martin to respond. Thank you.
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Martin
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Housing Corporation does have a very close working relationship with the Department of Infrastructure, and we do certainly work closely with them. In terms of larger projects, the commercial-like projects, when you get into the 17-plexes and larger buildings of that nature, there's a number of codes that do need to be considered, and Infrastructure does have that specialty and expertise in dealing with the larger, commercial-like buildings. We do continue to collaborate with them closely on these larger builds, and the Housing Corporation's main focus has certainly been in the smaller builds. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. I'm going to offer the Minister a little bit of free advice. This district heating system that the Housing Corporation is putting in, I think part of it is actually in my riding over on Woolgar. Why don't you guys offer a tour for the MLAs when it's finished? This is a really good news story. Can the Minister offer a tour for the MLAs and media to promote some of the good work that you guys are actually doing? Thanks, Madam Chair.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. Always trying to make the Ministers look good. Look, I have a wood-pellet boiler in our house. We've had it for five years. It raises a couple of issues for me. Our insurance company cancelled our insurance over the holidays on us because we have a wood-pellet boiler, even though we've been with the same company for five years. We had some renovations done on the roof, and all of a sudden, they started to ask questions about our heating system. Then they cancelled the policy on us. One of the issues is trying to get home insurance is a barrier, period. I've raised this on the floor before. Is the Housing Corporation doing anything on the issue of home insurance and how that district heating systems or biomass might influence the ability for homeowners, even maybe renters or whatever, or you guys to even get insurance coverage? Thanks, Madam Chair.
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Williams
Thank you Madam Chair. Home insurance, it can be cost prohibitive at time. We recognize that. Again, all you have to do is suffer one loss, and you understand why you have insurance. As a government, we're self-insured, so it really doesn't impact us with our assets. Certainly, in our home ownership programs, certainly, we have to look at it. We are working closely with the Department of Finance, trying to find solutions. I've said, as someone who's suffered a loss in my own home, I was sure glad I had insurance because I certainly didn't have $100,000 to do the repair. All you need is one loss. I think it's more educating people on the merits of insurance and educating the insurance companies, the providers, that they are losing out on a huge market if they don't adjust their policies for our realties here in the North. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Okay. Thanks, Madam Chair. I just wanted to make sure that is on somebody's radar. While I am at it, of course, I am going to call out my insurance company, Aviva: thank you very much for cancelling our policy over the holidays. Look, wood pellets are good, but what is even more important I think in the more remote communities is wood chips, the ability to do wood chips, because you don't have to pelletize them. You can go down and harvest willows beside the river, and you can turn them into wood chips and burn them. I think Fort McPherson had done some work on this. What is the Housing Corporation doing in terms of looking at wood chips as a potential biomass source? Thanks, Madam Chair.
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