That's correct, Mr. Chair. The interim facility will be modular, as well as the future facility will also be a modular unit that's able to be moved in on skids and won't require an actual built foundation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2025
This is page numbers 2861 - 2936 of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st 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 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 23rd
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 23rd
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 23rd
Page 2897
Kate Reid Great Slave
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Minister for taking me along the winter road back in 2024. It was a really eye-opening experience. It showed how we work really carefully with Indigenous governments and other partners to monitor that road. So I'm happy to see this here.
Could the Minister please just tell me how much the new construction is slated to cost? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 23rd
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 23rd
Page 2897
Jay MacDonald Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this is a project that's going to be tendered in the not too distant future, and it would provide information that we wouldn't necessarily release to the public. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Julian Morse Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first question I have is, we know that the 2023 Wildfire After-Action Review noted that more effective fire behaviour modeling software is needed. Is the department planning for wildfire modeling software upgrades to support the new fire centre's new coordination centre? Will that form part of the capital plan in future years, or is it part of the plan right now, or can the Minister give us some updates on that?
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Jay MacDonald Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the software development upgrades are an ongoing process. That type of software and how it interacts across the country is an ongoing evolution, if you will, and there is work already underway towards updating that software and will be incorporated into the new fire centre once it's built as part of our standard procedures. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Julian Morse Frame Lake
Thank you. And I wanted to similarly ask some questions about the Gordon Lake patrol station. So I'm just looking at the most recent mobile core Bathurst caribou management zone, and the patrol station is on there. It looks from the map that the patrol station is not on the main winter road route. I could be wrong about that. But is there talk of relocating the station to the winter road, or am I just simply mistaken?
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Jay MacDonald Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, ECC has been operating the Gordon Lake facility for over a decade, and this location is ideal as it is in the lower end of the caribou mobile zone and south of most of the wildlife harvesting activity and is a pinch point for the traffic moving through south and north. So it's strategically located. We have other locations along the winter road where our officers camp and work from, but that's our primary location that everyone has to pass through in order to get up to the winter road and to return. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Julian Morse Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I Appreciate that, that further clarification and substantiation.
Just want to say, you know, yeah, it's definitely important. The department is putting resources into enforcement on the winter road. I think -- I don't need to emphasize the importance of caribou in the territory. And so this one is important to me, and I'm happy to see them making this investment. Thank you. That's it for me on this page, thanks.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
The Chair Richard Edjericon
Thank you. Is there any further questions from Members? Oh, sorry, I'm going to go to the Member from the Sahtu.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Daniel McNeely Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is the first capital budget after the experiences of the evacuation of Fort Good Hope. And there's some situations that was experienced, particularly with fuel supply. So having learned from the shortage of fuel storage and capacity and having the airplanes go all the way back to Fort Simpson to refuel, burns up mold // fuel and de-mold // fuel. So given those types of experiences there, is there anything in this capital budget to reflect what we experienced during that wildfire season? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Jay MacDonald Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the issue that the Member is referring to was related to our fixed-wing scooping aircraft and retardant dropping aircraft, and those are fueled typically through a contractor at one of our airports that are able to accommodate that size of aircraft. Our primary focus when it comes to fuel from the department perspective is helicopter fuel. We have a number of dispensing units in different communities across the territory and in other locations. We have drum fuel operations that are contained in storage buildings. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Daniel McNeely Sahtu
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that reply. My other question is, is the Deline fuel tank farm at the airport sufficient for unexpected fires that we experienced with the consumption aircraft fuel during that season? I just want to know if that tank farm's adequate. Thank you.
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Committee Motion 83-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 385-20(1): 2026-2027 Capital Estimates - Department of Infrastructure - Deferral of Estimates, carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 24th
Page 2897
Jay MacDonald Thebacha
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, our attack aircraft, in other words, our water bombing or retardant bombing aircraft would not be able to land at the Deline facility. The runway doesn't have sufficient capacity to support those aircraft. So primarily they're landing at the bigger centres: Inuvik, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Yellowknife, and Fort Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chair.