This is page numbers 5517 - 5566 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

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my question was have we asked for money to pay for these overruns or are we passing these off to NWT residents? But, you know, I guess the final thing is, as a Member of the 19th Legislative Assembly, am I going to be able to go the celebration party of the opening of the wind turbine in Inuvik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

I hope it's blowing there too, Mr. Speaker, because, you know, there was a lot of work that was put into this Inuvik Wind Project. You know, we've secured the funding from the federal government. So I mean, we've had to go back and request further funding to be able to complete this project. Right now we have -- we're hoping that this fall, or to the spring of 2023 to address some of the issues. So I will give the Member enough notice so that she can come with me to the Inuvik Wind Project and have the opening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Question 1408-19(2): Snare Hydro
Oral Questions

March 1st, 2023

Page 5521

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Snare Hydro System is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, which is perhaps not something to celebrate, and that's approaching the end of its life and replacement costs of hydro systems are in the billions of dollars, Mr. Speaker. Not a number any of us are happy to see. I know the system is actually -- it's something like seven turbines at four different locations that have been built up over the years at different times. But I'm hoping the Minister can provide me with what is the end of life for any of the current infrastructure at Snare? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll just keep standing here. But it is a common practice for hydro utilities to upgrade and overhaul hydro infrastructure, to ensure we have continued operations of hydro assets in a safe and reliable manner with no foreseeable end of life date. Northwest Territories Power Corporation will continue to manage its assets, complete maintenance and overhauls to hydro infrastructure so we can extend the life of the hydro assets. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, I guess I'm happy to see that there is no current end of run but I'm not sure that's exactly how dams work. I think at some point they just eventually need to be replaced. I note that we are doing a complete overhaul on the Taltson system, which is going to be shut down, and the result of that will be some more efficient turbines to get some more power out of that. Are there any overhauls planned on the Snare Hydro System? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to correct the Member to say that we have six hydro turbines that are ranging in size from 8 megawatts to 500 kilowatts. So I want to talk a little bit further because I think this is important.

Over at the Snare Rapids plant, we have completed a large -- an overhaul on unit number 2 back in 2022, and it's expecting to complete an overhaul on unit 1 in the next five years. Over at the Snare Falls plant, we completed an overhaul in 2017. At the Snare Cascades plant, which is owned by Tlicho and we lease it through -- at the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, an overhaul is expected to be completed in the next five years. And finally at our Snare Forks plant, Northwest Territories Power Corporation completed an overhaul on unit 1 in 2021, and we're expected to complete an overhaul in unit 2 in the next five years. So we are doing work at the Snare plants. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's a lot of overhauls; I'm glad to hear that. I'm curious whether there is any plans to increase capacity on the Snare Hydro System or whether any of these overhauls will actually result in that? I note that about 20 percent of our power here is actually from diesel at Jackfish because of water levels and lots of different problems that occur at Snare over time to time. And there's no way that that system has capacity to open up another mine on it, allow for electrification of vehicles, or population increases. So are there any plans to increase capacity in the future on the Snare Hydro System? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to see that the Member has did his homework too, because capacity building is so important. So I'm happy that the Member raised this question with me.

There is no plan to increase at the Snare system; however, the Department of Infrastructure, which I wear my other hat on as well, is looking into updating the hydro -- I can't even say it. Hydrology work right across the Northwest Territories, including the North Slave region. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we all know in this House that the current makeup of NTPC's board of directors consists solely of deputy ministers from our government, and it has remained that way for seven years.

Does the Minister have any timeline for when a new group of board of directors will be appointed at NTPC? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Sounds like a theme day here. Minister responsible for NTPC.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm starting to -- yes, there's definitely a theme happening here, right? Anyways, I want to -- so the Northwest Territories Power Corporation governance review, it continues, Mr. Speaker. Recommendations from that review will inform some of the decisions and on the next steps in this regard. So we expect this work to be completed within the life of this Assembly. So I think that's very good news, Mr. Speaker. The Member had talked about this being a seven year process. And, you know, we are getting to this. So I'd like to, you know, reassure that we are working on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I know this current NTPC Minister was not the Minister when the decision was made to appoint deputy ministers to the board of directors; however, can the Minister tell us if Cabinet or NTPC has anticipated that it would be seven years and counting for the NTPC board of directors to be solely deputy ministers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can only speak to what has been done since I became the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. And I want the Members to know that I support the undertaking of this governance review which will be able to determine the decision in this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, it was stated in 2016, by the NTPC Minister of the day, that appointing deputy ministers to the board of directors was a cost saving measure that would save $1 million per year.

Can the Minister confirm if that turned out to be true and provide some dollar figures for how much money this decision has saved NTPC over the last seven years? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation did benefit from some of the cost reduction in things like public relations, donations, public association dues, professional development, retainers, utility advisors, consultant contractors - I can just go on. Especially in our board chair. So in the period of 2014 to 2022, the savings range from approximately $415,000 to about half a million dollars. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide the House with an update on the status of the Taltson Hydro Expansion and if she expects more funding confirmed in this year's federal budget? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Good progress continues to advance the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project with our Indigenous partners, Mr. Speaker. That's very important key to this project going forward. So we have now focused on two routes. So one is right across the lake here and the other one is right around the western side of the lake, and we hope to have a preferred route this year. We are working to collect Indigenous knowledge, environmental engineering information to be able to support the future regulatory applications. As well, Mr. Speaker, we continue to work towards a final business case for this project.

Taltson has been a key federal item that is related to Budget 2023, and we have had strong signals from federal ministers that they are supportive of this project. Mr. Speaker, you know, when we were down in Ottawa as Cabinet and attending FPTs, we continue to hear a theme from the federal government that, you know, we need to reduce GHGs and work together. But we don't want to get -- we'll not get confirmation of what's in the federal budget before it's announced other than to say that, you know, we've been working together and pushing it as our agenda. It is a mandate of this Assembly so that is something that is a priority for us in this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't around in 2019 when the MLAs got together and they went to a retreat and they put in all their wish list into a bucket, and then they came up with 24 recommendations. But part of those recommendations was very clear, that there will be no power increase. In the Northwest Territories, we got the highest power rates in Canada, next to Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and so on. And right now, in last year, just after the budget was ended, this government made an announcement to increase the power rates by 20 percent over a two-year period.

Mr. Speaker, now that the public utilities board has squashed the power corporation's excessive demands for power rate increases, what is the Minister's plan to make up for revenue shortfalls that this increase was supposed to cover? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for NTPC.