EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I am just encouraging the minister to work closely with me.
I was waiting to see and make sure nobody else had any other questions.
I just have one more question about the new Nunavut Arctic College student accommodations that are happening here in Iqaluit.
If the minister could sort of give us an update as to what’s going to be happening with the Old Residence in what they call the West 40, whether there are going to be single units there.
You have mentioned that there’s going to be food services happening, so I’m assuming that’s where the cafeteria will still be used.
But I’m just wondering, with the second and third floors as well, will they be used for housing units or office space, if the minister could explain.
I thank the member again for his question.
The plan is to keep the Old Residence as residence, the second and third floor will be a single-unit residence, the cafeteria will stay in place, and the bottom floor will be used for classrooms.
Again, relating to that, it might cross over into an O&M question, but the money that’s proposed in the budget on the substantiation sheets for the capital dollars that are going to be put into the construction of the residence, is any of that going to be spent on the old building for renovations there in terms of turning them into single-unit rooms?
No, none of the funding that is allocated for the new residence and the capital construction project will be used for renovations in the old Arctic College.
Do members have any more questions on C-3 and A-II-5?
We can now go back to C-3.
Total Capital Expenditures. $19.85 million.
Chairman: We will go back to page C-2.
Finance. Detail of Expenditures.
Chairman: Is the committee agreed that this department is concluded?
Chairman: I would like to thank the minister for appearing in front of us with his witnesses.
Mr. Minister, do you have closing comments?
Again, I would like to thank my officials for being here with me and I would like to thank all my colleagues for working on these very important projects and to better educate all Nunavummiut.
Chairman: Thank you. (interpretation) Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out.
Thank you. (interpretation ends) I would now like to ask Minister Tootoo of the Nunavut Housing Corporation to make his opening remarks.
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2009-2010 – Nunavut Housing Corporation – Consideration in Committee
The corporation’s capital plan for 2009-2010 has been set at $18,546,000 from the Government of Nunavut and additional funding of $4,290,000 from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which, from here on in, I will refer to as CMHC and conserve my energy, for a total capital budget of $22,746,000.
We are pleased with the news from the recent federal budget of the allocation of $100 million over the next two years for construction of affordable housing in Nunavut.
This is another step in achieving our goals set out in the Ten-Year Inuit Housing Action Plan.
The 2009-2010 capital estimates’ main highlights are as follows:
First, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s funding for Modernization and Improvement (M&I) Retrofit to local housing organizations, the Fire Damage Replacement Fund, the Mobile Equipment Fund, the Seniors and Disabled Persons Preventative Maintenance Program, and the homeownership programs remain at approximately the same level as last year.
Also, the corporation has responded to requests for more staff housing by adding the funding for the final units of the continuing care centres in Igloolik and Gjoa Haven and duplexes in Arctic Bay, Hall Beach, and Kugaaruk.
The corporation continues to renovate older staff housing units in communities with the greatest needs.
The corporation is also taking steps to address the Office of the Auditor General’s concern over inventories at the LHO, or local housing organization, level by conducting a pilot project with three LHOs to establish proper inventory controls which includes providing a secured compound for the proper storage of materials.
Finally, the corporation is planning on having a retrofit to the Baker Lake warehouse for the local housing association so that the facility can be used in a safer environment until funding can be obtained to construct a new warehouse.
I am pleased to report that the Nunavut Housing Trust delivery is proceeding with the last of the 725 units to be delivered this summer. Construction on the housing units is continuing despite challenges in prior years. We have learned lessons from these challenges and have remained flexible to suit community circumstances.
Across Nunavut, most construction projects are meeting or exceeding the Nunavut Northern Housing Trust targets of 60 percent Inuit employment and there are over 50 Nunavut apprentices working on job sites across the territory.
Funding for Housing Trust units has been appropriated outside of the capital estimates process and is not included in the information provided before you today.
Mr. Chairman and committee members, I thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today.
And I look forward to a meaningful discussing and we will be pleased to hear your comments and answer any questions that you may have.
Hon. Hunter Tootoo: Yes, I do.
Chairman (interpretation): Sergeant-at-Arms, (interpretation ends) could you escort the witnesses in.
My witnesses are no strangers to this House, they may be for some of the new members here but I’m sure that they’re familiar with most of the people here in the Chambers.
On my right is Mr. Peter Scott, who is the President of the Nunavut Housing Corporation, and he has many years of service in housing in the NWT and Nunavut.
On my left, Mr. Chairman, is our chief financial officer. Some former members may remember him in his capacity with the Department of Health, but we have since enticed him over to the Housing Corporation and he is doing some great work for us at the Housing Corporation, and that’s Mr. Eric Whitworth.
Does a member of the Regular Member’s Caucus have opening comments?
I’ll try and read slowly for the benefit of our translators.
I am pleased to provide opening comments on behalf of the Regular Members’ Caucus as the Committee of the Whole begins its consideration of the proposed 2009-2010 Capital Estimates of the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Mr. Chairman, the ongoing shortage of housing in Nunavut’s communities is an issue of significant concern to all Members of the Legislative Assembly.
The announcement in January’s federal budget that Nunavut will receive $100 million over two years in new funding for the construction of housing units is welcome news.
Members look forward to the announcement of the delivery model that will be used to determine where new units will be constructed.
Members encourage the Nunavut Housing Corporation to recognize that all communities are in need of new housing and to allocate units in as equitable a manner as possible.
In 2007, the Legislative Assembly approved over $8 million in supplementary funding for the corporation to provide to LHOs to assist with meeting forced growth pressures, including the costs associated with new housing units.
Members recognize the importance of ensuring that the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s budget keeps pace with forced growth.
Mr. Chairman, the Report of the Auditor General of Canada on the Nunavut Housing Corporation was tabled in the Legislative Assembly last year.
The report contained a number of observations and recommendations concerning the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s implementation of the Nunavut Housing Trust Delivery Strategy.
In light of the federal announcement of new funding for housing construction in Nunavut, it is essential that the Nunavut Housing Corporation act on the Auditor General’s recommendations.
Members look forward to their upcoming hearings on the Auditor General’s report, which are scheduled to take place in May.
This will provide an opportunity for members to scrutinize in detail the Auditor General’s recommendations and the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s responses.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s current business plan indicates that it will “Work with NTI and other stakeholders to lobby the federal government to fund the remainder of the Nunavut 10-Year Inuit Housing Action Plan.”
In January of this year, the minister announced in the Legislative Assembly that the Nunavut Housing Corporation will be undertaking a housing needs survey in March and April.
Members look forward to the minister’s response to the Legislative Assembly on the results of this survey.
Members also recommend that the Nunavut Housing Corporation use this opportunity to evaluate the special needs of disabled and elderly residents across the territory with respect to such issues as accessibility.
Members are aware that in 2007, the Nunavut Housing Corporation issued a request for proposals for the development of a housing strategy for Nunavut.
Members note that the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s response to the Auditor General’s recent report indicated that the corporation has been “working with a proponent on their proposal and expects a report in the fall of 2008.”
Members urge the minister to table this in the Legislative Assembly as soon as possible.
Mr. Chairman, the Nunavut Housing Corporation administers a significant number of programs to assist homeowners and potential homeowners in Nunavut.
According to the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s recent annual reports and other information provided by the corporation, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s expenditures on its homeownership programs have increased from just over $2.1 million in 2004-05 to $3.7 million in 2005-06 and $7.4 million in 2006-07.
A number of these programs are funded through the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s capital estimates.
The number of Nunavutmiut benefiting from these homeownership programs has increased significantly, as illustrated by the change in the number of approved applications for Nunavut Housing Corporation programs from 174 in 2005-06 to 320 in 2006-07.
This is an increase of over 83 percent.
Members understand that approximately 425 applications have been approved in the 2008-09 fiscal year to date.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation has allocated $2,116,000 in its 2009-2010 capital estimates for homeownership programs.
It is unclear if this amount will be sufficient to meet demand.
Members encourage the Nunavut Housing Corporation to regularly evaluate its homeownership programs in order to determine which are successful and which are not.
Members also look forward to the Nunavut Housing Corporation announcing whether its staff condominium program will be reinstated.
In September of 2008, the former minister announced in the Legislative Assembly that as a result of oil spills and fuel leaks in various communities throughout Nunavut, the corporation and local housing associations have compiled a Nunavut-wide report resulting from fuel tank inspections.
The minister indicated that the corporation is developing a strategy for the acquisition and replacement of outdated fuel tanks in its public housing stock and that such a replacement strategy “will likely involve a five-year action plan.”
The minister indicated that the corporation has already ordered 260 new fuel tanks.
Members recommend that the minister table a copy of this action plan in the Legislative Assembly.
Members also support the introduction of a new program to assist homeowners with the cost of purchasing new fuel tanks.
Mr. Chairman, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed capital estimates for 2009-2010 include $4.75 million in funding for new staff housing units, including units associated with the GN’s new continuing care facilities in Gjoa Haven and Igloolik.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s capital plan includes over $13 million in funding in 2010-11 for new staff housing units associated with the Rankin Inlet Correctional Centre and the Clyde River Cultural Centre.
It is important that the Nunavut Housing Corporation work closely with departments to ensure that budgets adequately account for the incremental operating costs that accompany new units.
Mr. Chairman, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed capital estimates for 2009-2010 include $900,000 in funding for a project to construct fencing in three communities to secure compounds for the outside storage of LHO housing materials. While members recognize the importance of inventory controls and security, the Nunavut Housing Corporation has not demonstrated that this particular approach is the most appropriate solution.
A number of members have observed that fencing is only a short-term remedy given the ease with which fencing can be damaged.
Members recommend that the Nunavut Housing Corporation broaden this initiative and examine other solutions that have a greater potential for long-term success, such as the construction of economical and enclosed warehouses or garages.
This approach would also better meet the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s stated goal of helping LHOs to protect materials from damage or theft.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the 2009-2010 Capital Estimates of the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt.
I would like to remind all members that they each have 10 minutes to make their general comments.
I appreciate the effort to build much needed homes by this government and their counterpart, the federal government.
In recent years, Kugaaruk has been constructing, in the last three or four years now, homes for their community and there is a long list of people that want to move into a home.
We have many overcrowded homes in the community, but we should never compromise the safety of the people, of the tenants in Nunavut wherever the community may be.
One family home in Kugaaruk burned down just before the final inspection. A second home that has been occupied for 12 months, the tenants complain about mould in the house.
And Mr. Chairman, another home in the Hamlet of Kugaaruk, within six to seven weeks, was leaking to a point of making the showers useless because every time the showers were being used, it would leak to the floor to the point of making the drywall spongy and it was going into the floor.
I have been to the home a number of times.
Every time you walk into the bathroom, the floor was spongy and the water would come out.
I am talking about a brand new home.
Regardless of how much we need a home, we should never compromise the safety and standards of a home in a community where our people will be using and paying for. So that’s my comment, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Ningark: I don’t think this is an appropriate time to ask questions.
If there are no more general comments, members could ask questions on pages L-3, L-4, L-5, and L-6.
Does the Housing Corporation have a plan in place or are they trying to come up with a plan to replace the aging and deteriorating units that are in our communities?
I would like to thank the member first off for his opening comments.
I think there are very good issues that he raised in there and I look forward to discussing and addressing those issue as we move forward.
In regard to the aging units that we have, I had an opportunity… was it about a month and a half ago when Minister Strahl was up here or less than that, not even a month a half ago, but it seems like it’s been a long time ago.
But when Minister Strahl was here, one of the things that we pointed out specifically to him, when we took him to some of the units that we’re building with the Housing Trust funding that we’ve got from them over the last three years, and gave him an indication of what we need, as you pointed out in the Ten-Year Inuit Housing Action Plan, we’re saying we need just over a billion dollars.
Also, in the report, it has been identified that we have around a thousand units in our inventory that need to be replaced and I think these are the exact units that the member from Hudson Bay is referring to.
Some of these units were built, I think they’re older than me, and when they were designed and built, they were built with two-by-four construction.
They weren’t designed for any plumbing, electrical or heating systems in them.
As time moved on and these things came out that we have been forced to retrofit because we haven’t had the resources to replace them, when you add in a heating system, when you fix the floor, when you make it from a two-by-four to a two-by-six insulation on the walls, that just made these units smaller and smaller every time something like that was done.
In some of these units, we had the opportunity to take Minister Strahl into one of them and showed him that he’s not the shortest, he’s taller than me, and in some of these units, he had to duck down to go from one room to another.
That’s just the state they we’re at and I stressed with him that as we put out this first $200 million from the Housing Trust and now the $100 million that they have announced is like a down payment or an instalment payment towards dealing with that exact issue of having to replace those aging units.
I also told him that we don’t have a choice. We have to keep people and we have to spend money to keep these houses so that they are safe for people to live in because we can’t afford to shut them down.
We don’t have enough houses and we’ve got no place for those people to go.
So we have made our case with the federal government and I’m hoping, with this new funding that they have announced, that we can be able to move forward to be able to secure more funding in the future to deal with that exact thing of replacing some of these ancient housing units that we have in our inventory.
Mr. Ningeongan (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I’m sure the minister responded to some of the questions that the member asked in regard to old units.
I do want further clarification with respect to funding for retrofitting old units.
In Chesterfield Inlet, I have been informed that a number of units which have been renovated suffer from thermal leakage through the floors.
I was wondering if the Housing Corporation has a policy as to when a unit would be replaced rather than be renovated.
I didn’t quite understand the response that was provided, so I would like clarification on that.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Ningeongan.
As I indicated in my earlier response, the corporation, over the years, is forced to modernize and improve and just keep some of these older units liveable because we can’t afford to replace them, we don’t have the resources to be able to just replace.
Like I said, we have around a thousand units like that in our inventory that we would like to be able to replace, but the Government of Nunavut doesn’t have the funding for that and that’s part of what we’re trying to continue lobbying our federal counterparts to provide us with funding so that we can be able to afford to replace those units.
He’s got no more.
I would like to move to report progress, Mr. Chairman.
(interpretation) Sergeant-at-Arms, (interpretation ends) can you escort the minister and his witness out, please.
Speaker (interpretation): Going back to the Orders of the Day. (interpretation ends) Item 21.
I’m sorry, I went ahead of myself.
Mr. Pauloosie: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 1 and the capital estimates, and would like to report progress.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Pauloosie.
Now, we will go to Item 21.
Orders of the Day for March 24:
This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 24, at 1:30 p.m.
>>House adjourned at 17:24
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Pages 285 – 341
Opening Prayer 285
Ministers’ Statements 285
Members’ Statements 289
Returns to Oral Questions 292
Oral Questions 293
Revert to Item 5: Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery 311
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters 311
Report of the Committee of the Whole 340
Orders of the Day 341
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 285
034 – 3(1): Qulliq Energy Corporation Apprenticeship Program (Tootoo) 285
035 – 3(1): World Tuberculosis (TB) Day (Curley) 286
036 – 3(1): Energy Retrofit Project (Kusugak) 286
037 – 3(1): Elders Advisory Committee Meeting (Shewchuk) 287
038 – 3(1): Baffinland Tour (Taptuna) 288
066 – 3(1): Pauktuutit Annual General Meeting (Arvaluk) 289
067 – 3(1): Kugluktuk Hosts Soccer Tournament (Taptuna) 289
068 – 3(1): Importance of Recreation for Youth (Ningark) 290
069 – 3(1): Baffin Regional Youth Council (Elliott) 290
070 – 3(1): Support for Pangnirtung Fisheries (Komoartok) 291
071 – 3(1): Rankin Inlet Hockey Champions (Kusugak) 292
Return to Oral Question 019 – 3(1): Medical Travel for Inuit and Non-Inuit (Curley) 292
058 – 3(1): Status of Sanikiluaq Water Fill Station (Rumbolt) 293
059 – 3(1): Housing Issues in Kugaaruk (Ningark) 293
060 – 3(1): Backup Generators for Airports in High Arctic (Arvaluk) 296
061 – 3(1): Medical Travel for Inuit and Non-Inuit (Schell) 297
062 – 3(1): Client Services Coordinator for Nunavut (Elliott) 298
063 – 3(1): Completion Date of Multiplex Units in Iqaluit (Okalik) 300
064 – 3(1): Transportation for Elders (Pauloosie) 303
065 – 3(1): Specialist Services in Baker Lake (Aupaluktuq) 304
066 – 3(1): Problems with Access Housing Units (Ningeongan) 305
067 – 3(1): Increase Funding for Sports (Ningark) 307
068 – 3(1): Electrical Code for MAP Units (Schell) 309
001 – 3(1): Recommendation to Rename and Expand the Scope of Work of the NHC’s “Fencing Secured Yards” Capital Project (Rumbolt) 313
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2009-2010 – Nunavut Housing Corporation – Consideration in Committee 312
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2009-2010 – Justice – Consideration in Committee 317
Bill 01 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2009-2010 – Education – Consideration in Committee 328
Before we proceed, I would like to ask Mr. Curley to say the opening prayer.
Good afternoon, Premier, Ministers, and Members of the Legislative Assembly.
Good afternoon, Nunavummiut.
Before we proceed, I would like to inform members that we currently have only two pages in the House.
I ask that members not direct the pages to go outside the Chambers and especially not upstairs to your staff since we have don’t have enough pages.
I wanted to notify members of that first of all.
Minister’s Statement 034 – 3(1): Qulliq Energy Corporation Apprenticeship Program (Tootoo)
Hon. Hunter Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker and good afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, I would like inform my hon. colleagues about one of the highlights that came out of the Workforce Connex Nunavut Forum held in Iqaluit on March 2 and 3 of this year.
Tradespeople!
Mr. Speaker, trades have often been overlooked as careers or satisfactory jobs.
However, two tradespeople, both from the Qulliq Energy Corporation, changed some minds at the forum.
Albert Netser, a Journey Lineperson, and Cody Dean, an Apprentice Lineperson, spoke about their successes in the trades field and stole the show at the forum.
Mr. Speaker, both are a product of Qulliq Energy Corporation’s apprenticeship programs.
Albert Netser was one of the first to attend Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Boot Camp and to complete the four-year apprenticeship program in April of 2006.
Mr. Speaker, Qulliq Energy Corporation is committed to Inuit employment and creating opportunities for employment by producing talented tradespeople in Nunavut with a four-year apprenticeship program for linepersons, mechanics, electricians and parts persons.
There are currently four filled apprenticeship positions within the corporation.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank and congratulate Grant Penny, Line Maintenance Supervisor for the Qulliq Energy Corporation, who was instrumental in the creation of the apprenticeship training and certification infrastructure at the Qulliq Energy Corporation and can be credited with the achievement of the graduation of Nunavut’s first linepersons.
Minister’s Statement 035 – 3(1): World Tuberculosis (TB) Day (Curley)
Today is the World Tuberculosis Day. World Tuberculosis Day falls on March 24 of each year.
This day was designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis is still prevalent in much of the world, including Nunavut, and can lead to death.
Dr. Robert Koch, in 1882, discovered and opened the path towards diagnosing and curing tuberculosis.