EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Today there still is only one issue in regards to capital assets such as hotels.
There is only one consultant hired to do feasibility studies in Nunavut.
In Arctic Bay we are experiencing problems in regards to the proposed hotel.
It’s impossible to contact the researcher; he is starting to delay the process for ordering goods that should be sent by ship.
So, I would like to ask the minister, is the minister is going to rectify this problem?
In regards to the member’s question, we will take this as notice and I will make this a priority.
Question 135 – 2(1): Housing Issues
My question is for the minister responsible for Nunavut Housing Corporation.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a public announcement that said that there were $6 million owed in rent over the last 30 years, and $1 million in damages, related to public housing.
So, I am wondering if the minister can tell the House if this money has been written off, or is it set up as an allowance for doubtful accounts?
My colleague is right.
The fact that there is that much owing to the Nunavut Housing Corporation, that $6 million dollars… . I want to assure the member that as part of my discussions with my staff, this is a file that we are currently reviewing to determine our next best efforts to move on this fall.
I have been in some of those houses that are 30 years old, and they are not in very good condition.
I am wondering, for most tenants nowadays, they seem to have to sign a 10- or 12-page tenant agreement. I’m wondering, I have had some people come to me… . Do they understand the full tenant agreement?
So, I am wondering if the minister could tell this House if the people that are renting these houses, that have to sign these contracts, do they understand the qualifications, the legal implications of the contracts, when they sign them?
I guess that would depend on individual cases.
It is virtually impossible for me to state to the House if the tenants signing these agreements do not understand fully the contents of the agreement.
But, I will assure the member I will further instruct my staff to make sure that we have our tenants signing documents that are best explained to them or put out in the languages of the tenant.
Speaker (interpretation): Second supplementary. Mr. Peterson.
I went through one of those contracts and I had to read it with a fine-tooth comb. A person may have to call a lawyer for this agreement. If you do not pay attention to it, it could cost you significantly.
There is a lady in Cambridge Bay who is getting hit for a $20,000 repair bill because she misunderstood a clause.
I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the minister could tell us what the annual operations and maintenance clause is for a typical house in Nunavut that is operated under the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
It will vary from community to community and region to region.
So, I will commit to providing the figures to my colleague after I get the facts and have them separated region by region, and I guess a couple of communities for comparisons for the benefit of the member.
Speaker (interpretation): Your last supplementary. Mr. Peterson.
Just to clarify, the annual O and M for the house costs for the Nunavut Housing Corporation is $18,000 a year, but they are being rented out for $2,000 or $3,000 a year.
Is there some mechanism currently in the government that allows interdepartmental transfers from other departments to the Housing Corporation to cover off a deficit to operate the houses?
I apologize to my colleague, I did not quite understand his question. If I could get him to rephrase that for me, please.
I was just trying to determine from the minister if the cost of the Housing Corporation is $19-20,000 to maintain a house in Nunavut is different by community.
If they are rented out to individuals in the community and some people are only paying $3-4,000 rent per year, is that difference made up through internal transfers from other government departments, or does the money coming from the Housing Corporation pay the difference?
Mostly that’s covered by the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
However, there will be cases where certain individuals may qualify for some programs that they can apply to, and that will vary, but in most cases it will be the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Oral questions, Mr. Curley.
Question 136 – 2(1): Plans on Constructing Houses
As a preamble, in the smaller communities when they are building houses, usually the piles are put in by companies.
There are less and less companies that specialize in that field, and usually what’s happening is they put in gravel foundations for the houses.
We have to start using the small companies, because, of course, we know that we can use traditional piles instead of using the steel piles.
It’s possible to have gravel foundations.
As the Minister of Housing and Community and Government Services, I think that we have to seriously consider using gravel foundations for the houses because it’s better in the smaller communities.
Could the minister tell me what plans that they have for the future.
I would like to thank the member for posing this question.
Again, it’s been a concern of the other members in the House.
In the past, they used to cut wooden piles.
I would like to assure the member that I will look into the matter and see what’s best for the communities.
During that time we will also look at why they have to use certain foundations in certain communities.
I would also like you to include a cost analysis when you are doing the review.
We also have to look at the amount of money that we have used, and we also have to include large infrastructure because, of course, we know that they make steel piles to build those huge buildings.
We usually know how much a lot is going to be, and it’s going to be no less than $60,000 if you are going to be putting steel piles in it.
The people of Nunavut would be extremely pleased if you could do this review.
Are you willing to do so?
I would like to assure the member that during this review we will also include a cost analysis.
There are different costs to a lot in each of the communities, but some are under $60,000 to develop a lot.
But I would like to assure the member that I will look into it.
Question 137 – 2(1): New Billing System
One of my colleagues asked me earlier about when the bills are going to go out in Inuktitut.
Last week, I asked about power bills as well, and the minister had indicated they are on the new system now.
Under the old system, under the old billing format, there was a breakdown on the bill that showed you what the rates were, and the hours of usage times the rate equals the amount that you were billed.
I think it was the same for the subsidy.
The amount that he used over the subsidy, it was at a different rate as well.
I would just like to ask the minister if that information is still going to be available under the new system.
Speaker (interpretation): Minister of Power Corporation, Mr. Simailak.
At this time I do not know, but I would like to tell the member that we will look into it.
The reason that I asked that question…. As I had indicated last week, that same day I got my bill was the first one in a couple months, and it didn’t have that rate breakdown on there.
It showed you what you’re being charged per kilowatt hour and I had a number of residents of Iqaluit ask me the same thing.
It doesn’t show that on there and it appeared that their bills had gone up as a result, for whatever reason.
I don’t know if that is just that time of the month or time of the year that the rates, the usage is higher.
I would just like to confirm with the minister that they can comfort the power utility users out there that there was no increase on the bill and that the rates are going to be coming out, as always has been, on the future bills.
There has been no increase in the power rates.
And it is still basically the same.
I will look into it, but I can assure the member that there has been no increase in the power rates.
Question 138 – 2(1): Financial Support for Beluga Hunting
I will direct my question to Mr. Akesuk.
Hunters are going to be going beluga hunting pretty soon and usually there are businesses that sell the beluga meat and it creates economic wages to local residents.
I would like to ask the minister if he is going to be supporting this.
In regards to financial support, we will, of course, have to look into it carefully because maqtaq is very popular and there is money available in my department, with economic development, to provide financial support to the hunters.
We would also work with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
But, if it is for economic development we will definitely have to work with the economic development department on this issue.
Some communities have a hard time selling the beluga meat.
Is it possible for the small businesses to get financial support so that they can start intersettlement trading.
We will have to see what we can do and see what monies are available for intersettlement trading, either through my department or through Economic Development.
I would like to assure the member that I will look into this and see which departments will be able to provide financial support.
I will look into it and keep the member updated.
Question 139 – 2(1): Update on Funding Available for Contaminant Clean-up
We have heard that there was $3.5 billion that the federal government has to give to the Nunavut government in regards to cleaning up contaminants.
I wonder if the minister can tell me when that funding will be coming from the federal government.
Speaker (interpretation): The Minister of Environment.
The Nunavut government has requested that amount of funding for clean-up of contaminants.
We have some concerns about the communities with contaminants that have to be cleaned up.
At this time, there has been some infrastructure that has to be looked at again to find out what kinds of contaminants are contained in them.
The funding that is going to be used for the contaminant cleaning, we will have to review all of the communities and we will request that funding from the federal government.
I will instruct my officials on how we can get some funding for that $3.5 billion.
Once I get that information, I will inform the members in the communities.
Question 140 – 2(1): Grading of Sealskins
I had a question to the Minister of Environment.
It is in regards to how it is good that the hunters are able to get some funding from his department for sealskins that they sell.
At times when the hunters deliver their sealskins to the renewable resources officer, it is just returned.
I believe that Nunavummiut should be given understanding and clarity as to what kinds of sealskins are taken at the local level by Renewable Resources.
For some questions from the members this morning…. At this time, I would like to tell the members that the sealskins that are being sold are from different years.
North Bay is the buyer of the sealskins, and there are some sealskins that are returned for various reasons.
We have done a study as to why they don’t buy them.
So what they do is they have a guideline that was in 2000, a price list that was struck in 2000.
So, what we have found out is which furs are bought and which ones are not, in accordance with the grading.
So, when they have an auction in North Bay, what we do is we try to understand which ones are not bought and which ones are popular.
Our officials have compiled information as to which ones are not bought and which ones are.
The minister mentioned the guidelines, or the grading of the sealskins that are bought and not bought.
I wonder if the minister can provide me with the grading so the community of Sanikiluaq can have the understanding of the grading system.
I wonder if the minister could provide me with the system that they use.
Hon. Olayuk Akesuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will provide the members with the system that they use and give information to the members on the quality of the grading that is used when they have an auction.
We will commit to do that.
I would like to ask the minister again….
At times, when we use a certain calibre rifle, sometimes there is more damage to the skin than others.
That is probably the reason why they are not sold, because of the damage that it did to the skin.
Perhaps the minister can tell me whether that is part of the grading.
The guidelines are set already as to which skins will be bought.
I mentioned that when they do the grading of the skins, and when they do an auction down south of the sealskins…. When they have an auction down in North Bay, all the grading system is in place and it is written in an information form.
So, I will provide the members with the grading system and the various kinds of sealskins that they auction.
There are some that come from Nunavut.
As far as I can understand, there are about $400,000 to $600,000 in number that we spent, and sometimes we either lose that money or gain a little bit of money during the auctions.
So, those types of information will be in place when I give the information to the members.
There is a certain amount set, such as the highest price of seal skin, about $60.
It can reach $60.
It could also be sold for below $60. I also know that depending on the quality of the seal, if it’s not properly done or cleaned, sometimes the price goes down.
If the skin is in good condition it could sell for more, but if it’s not of good quality then it is less.
It doesn’t seem to make sense, so I would also like to hear how they grade them that way.
The member asked how we can best help in selling those sealskin products.
They are also selling them at North Bay, and we are looking into giving out information as to how we can have better quality sealskin to be sold in North Bay.
What we can do is can look at the Marine Mammal Protection Act in dealing with the sealskin to be sold in the United States to help the people of Nunavut.
Item number 9.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters, Bill 2 – Appropriation (O&M) Act, 2004-05, with Mr. Arreak in the Chair.
We will break for lunch for one hour before Committee of the Whole.
>>House recessed at 11:41 and resumed at 12:51
Chairman (Mr. Arreak): Mr. Kilabuk, do you want to move to the table?
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: Mr. Chairman, yes, I do.
Chairman (interpretation): Mr. Minister, if you can introduce your officials.
To my left, he will be here with me, and also another official will join us, Assistant Deputy Minister, Shawn Maley.
Members, there is a correction for page 8, and we will be expecting to receive the correction for that page.
We are dealing with Community and Government Services.
(Interpretation ends.) G-6, G-7, G-8, G-9, and G-10.
(Interpretation.) So, those are the pages that we will be considering.
We will start off with questions.
Mr. Curley had a question.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I have forgotten the question I was supposed to pose.
I would like to ask the witness, do we now have any geese in Nunavut, in Rankin Inlet?
I stated earlier on that I was going to introduce my officials.
My Deputy Minister, Tom Rich, and to my right, Mike Rafter.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Minister. Are there any questions on pages G-6, 7, 8, 9, and 10?
I would like to…. G-9 is included on that page, right?
I would like to ask the minister and his witnesses if they could update us on the progress we’re making with the water and sewage subsidy funding program.
That was a program that we inherited from the Northwest Territories.
When I was mayor of Cambridge Bay, we had a very difficult time understanding how it worked.
For the benefit of our community, if he could explain and make any progress in updating and figuring out how that program works, so it doesn’t work against communities like Cambridge Bay that have a large number of private sector housing.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you also.
Taking into account the concerns from the communities, and also our partners, this is a topic of review within the department right now, for us to get a better handle on the situation, an understanding of the concerns that have been expressed by the municipality. So, this is a topic under review right now.
Can the minister give us some indication how long the review will continue.
Will it be completed this year or within a couple of years?
I expect to have the recommendations come forward sometime this fall.
Are our senior administrative officers and their officials from various hamlets involved in the reviews and the discussions?
Folks with the hands on experience?
They have been consulted with, however, there are new SAOs who may not have taken part in the process.
Those would be the SAOs that have been excluded as part of the consultation. But, the SAOs have been consulted with.
It’s good to hear that there is a review going on.
In Cambridge Bay, when I first became mayor in January 2000, one of the first letters I had was a letter from your predecessor asking about getting our financial matters in order. A lot of it was attributable to the inequity that existed in the water and sewage subsidy program.
So, it is a problem for our community.
Could you, on the same page, update us on the Nunavut Association of Municipalities’ insurance program.
How is that working?
Can you update us, please?
As a matter of fact, NAM is progressing very well and right on schedule. So, to date we have been very pleased with progress.
By 2006-07, the funding that has been committed to the program will be in its final year, with the outstanding, in the 2006-07, $500,000, to bring it right up to the committee funds of $5 million.
Mr. Peterson: That’s good to hear.
That’s the way that the program was supposed to operate in the final years.
As long as we don’t have any major catastrophes like an ice arena or a community hall burning down. I haven’t seen any reports for that happening, and I understand the Nunavut fire strategy is working very well with the municipalities.
Municipalities have staff in the long-term fire departments who are working hard at getting trained and inspecting buildings, so it’s good to hear.
On the same page, down on the municipal lands officer program, there has been a big concern in our community over the years that the $67,000 that was provided to the hamlets, at least our hamlet, was insufficient.
That funding was coming from, I think it was coming from the government of Canada and NTI, but the program ended last year. Then the government stepped in and picked it up, but I see there is no budget for it this year.
There’s a general budget.
Could you update it on where the funding for that program will come from?
Hon. Peter Kilabuk: Thank you, Chairman.
Yes, the member is correct that there is nothing showing in the 2004-05 because when the federal funding ceased, the Government of Nunavut took over the program and put in funding required to continue this program.
You’ll notice next year this will then again come under the federal government contribution for that same amount.
Mr. Peterson: Thank you, Chairman.
Is it then that consideration is being given to increase the amounts to municipalities to increase the wages, salaries, and supporting equipment and lands also required in the community?
I think we all realize and understand that when you are in a municipality, land is a critical issue, and you need people that are very well qualified and have the tools to do the job.
I’m just wondering if the Government of Nunavut will possibly be considering supplementing what they get from the federal government.
I would also inform this House and the member that despite all of our efforts to try and find more money… . Because we realize and are well aware that there has been inadequate funding provided under this program.
We are continuing to work on a new agreement which we hope is successful.
More funding can be identified from other sources, not only from the Government of Nunavut.
Mr. Peterson: I’m not sure what page I can look at here but now I will just ask a question for the Government of Nunavut, for your department, in discussions with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
They have a green funds program, a federal program that was transferred to FCM for administration and its programming, that has to be matched by municipalities.
I know in Nunavut, probably the only municipality that can match the green funds is Iqaluit. But if any municipality in Nunavut wanted access to green funds could they come to your department for matching funds to apply for a grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, from their green funds program?
I’m just going to ask my deputy minister to give a little more detailed response to that question.
Mr. Rich: Thank you, Chairman.
We don’t have a specific matching fund available for communities if they wanted to access the Green Fund.
What we can suggest to communities is two things.
One is that at some points in time they have made use of reserve funds, where they have substantial accumulated reserve funds, and with permission from the minister can use some of those reserve funds to do special projects and match special projects, particularly if they are not on an ongoing basis.
The other thing is at certain points in time we do have small grants available for various projects that can partner sometimes with other departments also. So, if it’s in recreation it might partner with CLEY.
If it had to do with roads, or something like transportation, it might partner with funds that were available.
The other possibility is that at times it may match some of our strategies that we are doing in terms of improving municipal infrastructures such as water or sewage facilities.
Again, we are more than willing to collaborate with the community if there is an ability to get matching fund and combine the sources.
Last September, we had a joint effort between the Departments of Community and Government and Transportation, as it was then called, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, in Cambridge Bay.
They worked together to do an RFP for review of the sewage lagoons, metal waste dumps in Cambridge Bay.
There was a study undertaken over a 3- 4-month period.
Part of the reason why we worked together in a partnership is so that everybody would have input, so that depending on what the study recommendations would be, the proponent being the hamlets and the Government of Nunavut could possibly access the Green Fund program.
So, I am hopeful that will occur. But, the Green Fund folks always say that you require matching funds and that it is virtually impossible for most hamlets in Nunavut to do that.
It means sometimes the reserve funds are not there to do it.
I just thought I would ask that question and make those comments.
Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.
The member’s comments are well taken. This is, again, a matter that we are willing to explore further with the municipalities that may have these great ideas that they would like to forward to us.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I was talking about the land officers yesterday, and like I said yesterday, I do not think that they do proper inspections.
I was using the five-plex building in Rankin Inlet as an example.
They were having a hard time getting certified because it is situated on a lot and another lot adjacent to it; they issue of building permits, and I would think that would be a part of the job of the lands officer and not the contractor.
Could you elaborate on how this whole system works?
I will have to ask my deputy minister to give a further explanation of that.
You are certainly right, that is part of the duties and responsibilities of the municipal lands officer.
The municipal lands officer obviously works closely in conjunction with the senior administrative official in the community and with the community council.
It is the responsibility of the council, ultimately, to approve the plan for the lot.
When the particular design comes in, it is inspected and approved.
What often happens in the construction programs is there can be variations in the actual siting on the lots when the construction company undertakes its work.
Then you fall into an area of when inspections are done, and whether or not, in fact, the contracting firm did its work precisely as they said they were going to do on the plan.