Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.
Debates of Oct. 25th, 2022
This is page numbers 4771 - 4832 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.
Topics
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, throughout this whole process here, I've heard the Member speak about having a separate region. It is a whole-of-government approach. So it's not just me as Minister of Infrastructure that could separate all the capital by making up a region, so it is a government approach. And I'm sure that this is something our Cabinet -- or we can have that discussion on. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. Time is up. Are there any further questions, comments? Member for Yellowknife North.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Can someone just give me an update on the Fort Simpson LNG plant and whether that is on time and on budget for 2025-2026 completion?
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 25th, 2022
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Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Madam Chair. So the planning for the Fort Simpson LNG project, so right now the project is on track but the flooding that happened in 2021 has caused some major delays. So after the flooding, we identified ongoing erosion area, the project scope was reevaluated and revised to be able to include relocating the existing diesel power plant. So the assessment work continues in this regard, including a climate lens cost estimation work and ultimately federal supports will be required to be able to move in project forward and help mitigate any potential rate impacts.
And if I can, Madam Chair, I'd just if, I can get Mr. Jenkins to just speak a little bit further on where we're at right now. I'm just trying to give you a high-level overview on what we're doing. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jenkins
Thank you, Madam Chair. So as the Minister mentioned after the spring 2021 flooding, really the project scope has been reevaluated and revised and recombined this with the relocation of the existing diesel power plant in the community, that project. So we continue to work with the Power Corporation in 2023-2024. We're going to continue to do that assessment work to combine those two projects together. And obviously we'll have to look at the costs and what the costs would be for combining those projects together, and then putting together a federal funding application for that work. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4814
Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Yeah, thank you. I guess I heard that -- well, there's two projects here and now they're going to be put together, and I get there was some relocation due to flooding and we actually haven't secured federal funding I heard yet. So can I just get -- 2025-2026 seems pretty ambitious to build a whole new LNG plant that we don't have money for yet. So is that timeline realistic? Thank you.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to ask Mr. Jenkins to speak a little bit more in detail about the timelines. Thank you.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jenkins
Thank you, Madam Chair. So we have received some ICIP, Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program funding for the Fort Simpson Liquefied Natural Gas Project. That was announced back in 2019. We've not put forward a funding application for the plant relocation project. So we're in a position now where, due to the recent events, we would be combining those projects. We feel it's best to combine those projects. And we would need to revisit our costs and apply for federal funding. That costing work and the climate lens work, which is a requirement in a lot of that federal funding applications, that work's underway. The climate lens work is a requirement. It did confirm that the current power plant location is at risk of flooding. I don't think that's a surprise to anyone. But we do have to jump through several hoops and provide the rationale for Canada in that regard.
I think that if we move forward with the funding application the following year, obviously we'll have to revisit the timing schedule. It is dependent on the equipment we need to order, the infrastructure we need to order, and the amount of time it takes to get that equipment. But in terms of permitting and other aspects, this is -- infrastructure's located within the municipal boundaries. So it doesn't have some of the same requirements as projects that are outside. So we do think that the timing could work at this point in time. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you. Is it possible to make an estimated cost for the Whati transmission line public yet? Thank you.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4814
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4814
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4814
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jenkins
Thank you, Madam Chair. So at this point in time we're working with the Tlicho government to do technical refresh study, and a part of that is determining the most optimal route. So accordingly the -- depending on the route, the length, the terrain, a number of different factors will come into play when we develop cost estimates. So unfortunately we would not have a cost estimate at this point in time. Once we do the updated routing, we'll have to go back and develop that updated cost estimate, which would support the federal funding application. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 4814
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Yeah, thank you. I'm just trying to understand what it means when a project in the capital plan has, you know, ICIP or one of the federal funding pots in it. Does that actually signify that there's been agreement to get that money? I mean, the Whati transmission line, I hear that once we have a route we will then apply to get federal money. But -- so is it just we put a bracket that that's the hope of the pot we will get out of, or is there actually a bit more of a commitment or some preliminary agreement that this would actually get funding? If I could understand what that means, thank you.
Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 312-19(2): Bill 48: Arbitration Act - Deletion of Clause 77, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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