Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I absolutely agree that we need to make sure that there is appropriate space for kids to go to school in Tuktoyaktuk and Coville Lake and all the other places. Just to clarify, though, is this $2.325 million definitely going to get those modular classrooms up to Tuk and get them set up and going? Do we have confirmation that that is what it will take, and we will be able to do that with that amount of money? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Mr. Chair, sadly, the answer to that is no. This is one particular item that was fairly near and dear to my heart and that I was watching very closely so that these portables would be the first ones on the barge that was due to head north. Obviously with no barges heading north, there are no portables heading north. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

So I guess my question is if we approve $2.325 million at this time, is that money just going to go towards continued efforts of any kind, and we might see another supplementary estimate or appropriation come our way in the future? I'm just unclear why we're being asked now for $2.325 million and what we expect to accomplish with that money now that we have encountered these kinds of challenges with the barge?

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, this is a matter of timing of why it comes before the House. So the modular units were in Yellowknife and were due to be dismantled and then find their new home. And so that work was already underway, and so part of the costs here actually have already been incurred. And then they were to be moved -- then meanwhile, also there was site preparation underway up in Tuktoyaktuk to receive the modulars when they arrived there. And a fair bit of the cost actually was related to demobilizing and deconstructing and then preparing the site. The transportation costs was only around $120,000 of the total cost that's involved. So now all that said, obviously, that portion and any further building in Tuk is being delayed pending what happens in terms if we can find some other option within the parameters of the funding that is being proposed here. At the moment, I don't have another option to propose, but again, with those works already well underway when this came forward, we are still bringing it to Assembly for this costing and, again, there's -- you know, I know the Minister for ECE and Minister of Infrastructure are both keen to see that some solution can be found. I just at the moment don't have one. But, really, the site preparation, again, was already underway and was a large part of the cost. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I definitely appreciate the challenges and the dilemma that we're in. I'm just concerned that we're approving money for something that we might not be able to actually accomplish.

On the second one, in term of the acquisition of portables for Colville Lake, do we have a better news story on that one? Do we expect that that will actually be accomplished with the $2.824 million?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, so, again, this is a situation where there's a number of breakdowns of things. Site preparation is really about half, if not more than half, of the cost. And so the short answer should be yes, because these ones are coming up on the winter road, and so we are still anticipating that that will be ready to roll for 2025. And site preparation, as I note, that is a significant portion of the rest of that cost, so probably over $2 million or $2.4 million roughly. Obviously, we'll wait and see what the financial bill is on that. I don't know that I have a final in front of me but that is a fairly specific estimate. Costs on the winter road, then are another part of it. Some support to the community to ensure that it's their members of their community that are building and participating in the construction. But, yes, so, again, assuming everything is ready to roll as scheduled, then we are expecting this will come up on the winter road and will be good to go. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, that's good news at least. I expect we'll just continue to be having conversations about the challenges with classroom space in Tuk and hope that we come to a resolution as soon as we can. Thank you

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for providing some of the information in her previous statement which answers my question about the Colville Lake school. And I was looking at the original tendered price and now some more money going towards that, and it's going towards the site preparations, is my understanding. So that explains over and above why the additional funds are being requested. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Mr. Chair, thank you. And, yes, to be clear, the single biggest difference is on this item, and why it is back before the Assembly for supplementary appropriation, is, indeed, the side preparation, contract and tender, which was significantly higher than originally estimated, that as well as the costs of having a crane there to place units, again, in the community, and last, there are, again, some ongoing quality controls elements to the site preparation. So, really, it is all related to ensuring that the community of Colville Lake is ready to receive those units when they arrive. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from the Sahtu.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just provide some comments or some advice here. The proposed school location, not the portables, the proposed school location is -- I'm going to take a guess -- probably 40 yards away from the health centre. And the health centre is sitting on foundation, a piling foundation, and that's being proposed for the new school. And I'm told that the engineers are possibly using that to cancel that particular site. So if you say, well, your if neighbour's on piles, why shouldn't this project be on piles? So it would be a good follow-up question there as we move ahead for the site investigation for the new school. Thank you.

I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is an additional contract item. It does note further down below with respect to the major project in Colville Lake for their school, they are still in a design stage on that project, Mr. Chair, and the community did have an engagement just last spring to sort of rebegin the process of concerning where they're at in this -- what is becoming a fairly long project. I know further that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is reaching out to the community, to the chief, to see that there is sort of a renewed timeline on this. That engagement was only just in March of this year, again, with the hope that, indeed, we are at a point where design issues is clear as -- from the community side, and I believe we are still waiting on a response from the community on that letter. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My next question is further on down the list at $1.2 million there, you have the Colville Lake portables in brackets of three. Is there two or three of these portables? Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.