Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I have with me my deputy minister, Steve Loutitt. And I also have my ADM for asset management, David Moore.

Thank you, welcome. The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?

Committee, the Department of Infrastructure begins on page 52. We will defer the departmental totals and review the estimates by activity summary beginning at page 53 with asset management, and there is information items on page 54 and 55.

Infrastructure, asset management with infrastructure investment, $82,792,000. MLA Great Slave.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the GNWT continued to collaborate with Tlicho government to ensure that we have local employment. We also are looking at working with the federal government to continue the bridge. It's a project that is funded under the National Trades Corridors Fund.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you for that. Sorry, I just -- okay, maybe I can rephrase. When do we expect to hear a decision on whether or not the additional funding has been awarded for that project? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to ask Mr. Moore to give an update on where we're at. He's the guy in charge with all of our federal engagements. Thanks.

Thank you. Mr. Moore.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Great, that's amazing, and I will hope to hear that news when it gets received by the department and shared with the rest of us. I think that's great.

I guess I have a question on around escalating costs around our road contracts. Considering that the supply chain is within Northwest Territories itself, can the Minister of the department speak about how why we're seeing such huge increases in our budgeting for these projects given that, really, it's gravel and dirt that's already here in the territory. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, inflation is a growing national and international concern. So Infrastructure continues to monitor the impacts of inflation by commodity prices as well as construction materials as we find realistic ways to be able to adjust these rising costs of capital projects that are critical for the Northwest Territories' economic development as well as our residents. Madam Chair, I'm going to see if Mr. Moore wants to add anything further. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Moore.

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I'd like to keep on the conversation about roads and can the Minister or the department speak to what is the reconstruction work on the Inuvik to Tuk Highway, and how much is that going to cost this year? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we have engaged with the federal government on the Inuvik-Tuk Highway. It's the Kilometre Zero to Tuk 139. There's, you know, a number of potholes. There's loose gravel, soft shoulders. So I mean, these require additional annual program to be able to protect this investment. You know, everyone's aware how much money we spent to build the Inuvik-Tuk Highway. So we have an application for the ongoing rehabilitation of the Tuk that is consistent with some of the other highways. These sections include some of the rising of the low profile sections, the culvert rehabilitations, ponding, erosions. So these are a number of things that we are working with the feds to be able to look at the application and perhaps hopefully get some funding announced soon. Thank you.