Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2023-2024, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, capital investment expenditures, junior kindergarten to grade 12 school services, not previously authorized, $15,159,000. Does committee agree?

Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2023-2024, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, capital investment expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $15,159,000. Does committee agree?

Please turn to page 11. Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2023-2024, Department of Environment and Climate Change, capital investment expenditures, corporate management, not previously authorized, $581,000. Does committee agree?

Supplementary estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2023-2024, Department of Environment and Climate Change, capital investment expenditures, environment management monitoring and climate change, not previously authorized, $581,000. Does committee agree?

Supplementary estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2023-2024, Department of Environment and Climate Change, capital investment expenditures, regional operations, not previously authorized, $281,000. Does committee agree?

Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2023-2024, Department of Environment and Climate Change, capital investment expenditures, wildlife and forest management, not previously authorized, $4,761,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you. Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2023-2024 Department of Environment and Climate Change, capital investment expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $6,204,000. Does committee agree? Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I had a few questions about the previous line item. I guess the $1.6 million for the Fort Smith Territorial Fire Centre, I believe this is the first time that the Legislative Assembly is approving any money for this project, which is exciting news. I remember we all went and got a tour of the old fire centre but I guess I just have some basic questions. Do we have a cost estimate of what a new territorial fire centre will cost us? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, let me just briefly again, I -- I'm sorry, I don't have a o'clock in my line of sight but I -- the reason this is the first time coming in is prior to now, what we were anticipating is that this would actually ultimately be an operations expense and it would have gone as a design and build to an external proponent. If that had been the case, then the work would have been undertaken this summer by the external proponent. And it would have shown up later in operations budget of the GNWT. Now that said, because it hasn't gone that way, which is fine, we will be taking it on as a capital project for the GNWT. It would have been paid from one budget or paid through the other but it's going to be paid by a capital budget.

And so by advancing some money here in the supplementary estimates, we avoid losing this construction season. Part of that work actually is to develop a final budget for the project, was to do some of the final design work that is required. There's some land available. There's been some initial technical work done but the final design work is required, and that is part of what we're looking to have this advanced to complete that with a view to then having the project in the capital estimates in time for August. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just get a bit more understanding, then, of how this is going to be procured. Will this be normal public procurement, and then I guess the intention is this $1.6 million will be intended to get us design and then we will go out for a public tender? Is this a design bid built essentially, I'm asking, or a design build; what kind of procurement are we using? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, this is the advanced work to then be able to put it out for a design build through a public procurement process. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you. Is there any federal money for this type of thing? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't know that I have federal money allotted to this as of yet. Certainly there are always chances to go and ask but, at this point, Madam Chair, I don't -- there's no indication at this point that we have federal dollars attached to it and given that we don't have a final budget, I think it would be arguably premature to go and ask just yet. If we're going to ask, let's know what we're asking for. Thanks, Madam Chair.