EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): I don’t think he understood my question. (interpretation ends) Can the minister or his officials indicate how many new staff housing units have been constructed in Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak over the last three years? (interpretation) I believe he understands the question now.
In the past five years, five units of staff housing have been constructed, completed, and allocated in Gjoa Haven. There is currently another five-plex under construction in Gjoa Haven and that would be it for the three-year period.
I have combined both Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak in my line of questioning.
As the minister didn’t mention Taloyoak, I would like to know what the situation is for Taloyoak.
Mr. Barriault will respond to that question.
Mr. Barriault: Nakurmiik, Mr. Chairman.
My apologies; I didn’t give a full answer on the previous question.
In Taloyoak, the only construction that has taken place for staff housing is the current five-plex being built. So that’s for the past three years.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): I am so grateful whenever my name is mentioned.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Can the minister or his officials indicate if there have been any concerns raised with the Nunavut Housing Corporation regarding such matters as land lot availability in Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker...Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Ms. Ugyuk. (interpretation ends) You are forgiven.
Mr. Barriault will respond to that question in detail.
I do not have any specific information in terms of land development shortages specific to Gjoa Haven or Taloyoak.
I do know that in many communities, a lot of the old existing lots within communities have been used up, but with all of the construction we have done in the past four or five years, so many communities now are struggling to develop more land.
I have been speaking with the Nunavut Association of Municipalities senior admin officers to engage in some discussion on better ways to do lot development and lower the cost for homeowners as well as for the Nunavut Housing Corporation and other users.
So it is an issue that’s becoming more and more predominant in many of our communities and we wish to work closely with the municipalities to help resolve that.
We all know that in Taloyoak, they have built a five-plex and there are some road problems. When we’re looking at building the five-plex for staff housing, I hope that there’s easy access for the water and sewage trucks.
If it’s not accessible, then they won’t be able to occupy those units.
My next question is: (interpretation ends) how does the Nunavut Housing Corporation work with municipalities and such bodies as the Kitikmeot Corporation to address issues concerning land use and land lot availability?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Ms Ugyuk. Let me remind you that we are reviewing the capital expenditures, specifically the $28,841,000 which is listed on pages J-4 and J-5, broken down into various line items.
If you have any questions to the pages under review, (interpretation ends) please (interpretation) confine it to the items listed within the pages so we can have a more effective committee meeting.
Minister Taptuna, if you wish to respond, I will allow you to respond to the question.
I’ll try and respond to that question.
Of course, we work with the municipalities to try and expedite the lots needed for building public units and staff housing.
At this time, we haven’t contacted the birthright corporation of Kitikmeot Corporation. We do, in fact, work with the municipalities to best determine how to deal with lot shortages within the communities.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Taptuna. (interpretation ends) Ms. Ugyuk, capital expenditures, please.
I have concluded my questions on housing construction.
I would also like to ask this question. (interpretation ends) Can the minister or his officials indicate if capital funding is available to local housing organizations to construct modern warehouses?
(interpretation) That will be my last question.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Barriault.
The warehousing needs of local housing organizations are usually addressed through the capital planning process. We are currently in the process of identifying what those needs would be on a longer term basis, and then to create a warehouse replacement and renovation plan.
There were many new 40-by-80-foot warehouses built over a number of years.
Many of our warehousing is aging and in some cases, the housing stock that we are maintaining has doubled since the warehouses were built.
So part of the exercise we’re going through is to try to remove material that has been stored over the years that is no longer useful and to provide some cold storage as well for the local housing organizations to free up space in their heated warehouses.
Once we have done that work and finished our assessments of the buildings, we will be able to put together a multi-year plan and try to access some of the limited capital dollars to do something about that, but we’re also looking at the most cost-effective options that are available to us to meet those needs.
I have Mr. Aupaluktuq, Mr. Oshutapik, Mr. Elliott, Mr. Curley, and I believe Mr. Ningark’s name is there.
I would like to welcome the hon. minister, as well as Mr. Barriault and Ms. Kimball.
Along the lines of staffing, as raised by my colleagues here, Mr. Chairman, I believe this would also apply to modernization and improvement in regard to staff.
The Baker Lake LHO was inspected by Nunavut Housing Corporation administration a couple of years ago. It was noted that the workshop and office administration needed expansion and renovations to meet the needs of staff as well as safety concerns.
Will the 2013-14 capital include the Baker Lake housing workshop and administrative office for renovations and expansions?
We haven’t gotten that far yet to the future determination of Baker Lake’s warehousing and administrative needs.
I will pursue the matter in other avenues in the House, Mr. Chairman.
I wanted to ask as a formality: can the minister update the staff and residents of Baker Lake of future plans for the renovations and expansions of the Baker Lake office?
We will consider it at that time, but so far, we have no determination on the needs of warehousing and office space for Baker Lake.
Under homeownership, as we all know in Nunavut, there are a lot more graduates pursuing post-secondary as well as other employment opportunities. With our growing population, these young adults and young people are enhancing their lives by contributing to Baker Lake by furthering their education, gaining employment, as noted.
Also, with the shortage of units and private sector rentals, my question is directed, as I have indicated, to homeownership.
Mr. Chairman, my question is the proposed budget for 2013-14 is estimated at $4 million, same as last year, 2012-13.
Does the Nunavut Housing Corporation anticipate that its 2013-14 proposed budget for homeownership programs will be sufficient to meet public demand for the programs?
Our budgets are never enough.
We want to encourage homeownership within Nunavut. Through that, we want more economic activity to be happening in Nunavut.
Homelessness and housing shortages; we do have to get people employed and the budget for homeownership is never enough.
Very understandable the budget is never satisfactory to meet the demands, but earlier, there was a statement by the Nunavut Housing Corporation in support of homeownership. I believe that would include the Nunavut Down Payment Assistance Program.
Mr. Chairman, I want to ask: the corporation’s previous down payment assistance program included an income threshold level in order to qualify for funding.
Your corporation’s new information pamphlet does not refer to an income threshold level.
Does the new down payment assistance program have an income threshold level? If so, what is it?
There is still an income threshold level to qualify for the Nunavut Down Payment Assistance Program and that level has remained the same as before the revisions to the program.
I do have a copy of the pamphlet with me and I will review it.
If we are missing that income threshold information, we will make sure to add that and revise the pamphlet accordingly. The income threshold level is $125,000 and that is adjusted based on family size and a number of other factors.
I wanted to ask a question on J-4 with respect to capital projects specific to Baker Lake.
In the 2013-14 capital estimates, $514,000 is listed, which is for modernization and improvement/ retrofit. That is the stated purpose, so I wonder if the minister can provide a brief overview of what exactly this entails and how it will impact the community of Baker Lake.
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The member is absolutely right. That is what is budgeted for, $514,000, and this is related to public units only.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Taptuna. Mr. Oshutapik.
Mr. Oshutapik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank Mr. Minister and his officials for being available to respond to quite a few of our questions.
I want to ask about this matter, which is listed on J-5, with respect to elders’ increased dependence on housing maintenance workers.
The Seniors and Disabled Persons Preventative Maintenance Program is listed at $116,000. Since this line item doesn’t specify which units, is this for NHC units?
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The allotted amount is for private homeowners.
Do you have any further questions? Mr. Oshutapik.
Mr. Oshutapik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank Mr. Minister for providing that response.
Additionally, regarding the public housing units that require modernization and improvement in all communities, they are listed from A-Z. If we had communities starting with zed, that is how it is written for all of these renovations.
So my question is: if a unit requires renovation and modernization, what criteria are used to determine that a unit is in need of modernization and improvement? Do you simply follow the age of the unit or do you base this work on the assessment of the unit?
I would like that clarified, so if you can please respond to the question.
The criteria are set through the local housing organization with consultations with the Nunavut Housing Corporation on necessary projects and improvements that’s needed on public units.
Mr. Oshutapik (interpretation): Thank you for that response.
Yes, we will now know that is how it is determined.  With respect to the same line item for M&I, at this current time, we are provided updates on the projects and we now know that contractors are required to have the proper training and accreditation.
This is also in line with the government position, and not just the Nunavut Housing Corporation requirements. How does the department determine that a contractor is qualified for the work?
I know for a fact that carpenters need certification in order to work on the building. There are also specialists for insulation installation, plumbing, and electrical work which require properly certified workers with up-to-date licences. These individuals need to be certified because that’s their job.
How do you know or get the qualifications of the individuals who work at modernization and improvement?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Oshutapik. Minister Taptuna.
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Through the Nunavut Housing Corporation and the local housing organizations, there is a requirement for some of these contractors who are local to have business licensing and qualified technicians, as you have indicated.
Mr. Chairman, I would like Mr. Barriault to respond to that question in more detail. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Taptuna. Mr. Barriault.
Mr. Barriault: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As Minister Taptuna has noted, there are some basic requirements, such as business licensing, general contractor’s liability coverage with the Workers’ Compensation and Safety [Commission].
As well, there is also some trade specialty requirements based on the legislation in Nunavut.
To perform electrical work, you must be a licensed electrician. To perform work on oil-fired appliances, such as furnaces and boilers, you have to be a licensed oil burner mechanic.
So within those provisions of the codes and the Building Code of Nunavut, we make sure that those are included in the contract requirements.
Likewise, local housing organizations have skills and training to be able to perform this type of work.
So there are limitations that they can do with the training and certification they have. When work is contracted out, we ensure that these qualifications are met.
Other work does not require the same stringent requirements. Some of the carpentry repairs, if they’re more cosmetic, do not need to have structural expertise you would get from a journeyman carpenter, for example.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Barriault. Do you have any additional questions? Mr. Oshutapik.
Mr. Oshutapik (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This will be my last question because my colleagues would like to have the opportunity to ask questions. When you’re limited for time, it’s not too much fun to ask questions.
As we are all aware, the communities outside of Iqaluit are smaller.
When a community has a small population, the criteria that you just mentioned are not being followed.
I am not usually one to speak hearsay, but I would like to speak about what I have seen in regard to plumbing, electrical, and boilers.
This occurred, but not recently, in a smaller community.
When it comes to oil burner workers, there are some individuals who have never gone to oil burner training courses. This individual was asked to work on a furnace. That’s what the public notices.
That’s why I have asked those questions.
Who ensures that the contractors have the qualifications? That’s why I had asked that question. I will leave it at that.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Oshutapik. I didn’t hear a question, but I will give you an opportunity to speak to it, Minister Taptuna, if you so wish.
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Nunavut Housing Corporation will make the best efforts to get qualified companies and individuals who do this type of work.
If we’re given notice that these things may be happening, we would like to be notified about that.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Taptuna. Thank you, Mr. Oshutapik. Mr. Elliott.
My questions are in regard to the minister’s opening comments on page 2 regarding the Nunavut Housing Trust and CMHC Affordable Housing Initiative.
It’s nice to know that we have almost all of the houses complete to date, but I think there are a few unanswered questions I was hoping to get today since we are going to continue on with… .
It’s nice to see one of the priorities I know that the Premier had in her letter to our Member of Parliament when she was re-elected was the need for more public housing.
We’re now looking at, on J-5, $8 million towards public housing.
Through the whole Nunavut Housing Trust, in terms of what we were told and from our questions that we had asked, we were informed that the Government of Nunavut, through the Nunavut Housing Corporation, was going to move from stick-built construction to SIP houses. That’s why there was a huge investment for telehandlers and we were led to believe that this was going to be a cost-saving measure.
In terms of the $8 million that we will approving for new housing units across the territory, will that be for stick build or would that be used for the new SIP houses that we were supposed to be following?
The SIP, or structural insulated panel, construction that was initiated in, I believe, early 2009 was intended to provide housing which is much more energy efficient, and it was designed to be built using telehandlers.
From our experience, when you’re shipping Styrofoam panels, you’re paying a lot to ship volume, and that is an expense that may have not been foreseen when that project was devised prior to my start with the housing corporation.
We know, ourselves, if we were building again, importing Styrofoam panels is not a cost-effective way to business; it’s very expensive for freight.
The telehandlers, meanwhile, are a very useful tool. If you go to any construction worksite anywhere in North America or anywhere in the world, you will see them in use.
Whether there would be future SIP panel construction or not, they’re a very valuable tool for local housing organizations or any construction-based organization.
Our intention for the spending of the $8 million within this budget is to go through a design-build process, whereby a contractor will provide the design based on our performance specifications.
We will specify insulation levels, room sizes, and so on, and then from there, the contractor will be responsible for all stages of the construction and the material supply. They will be responsible for material, for labour, and will assume all the risk related to that.
We have had good success in doing that with the 24-plex that was built here in Iqaluit across from the Arctic Ventures store, and as well with the 33-unit apartment building that has recently been constructed and turned over in Rankin Inlet.
Do you have any additional questions? Mr. Elliott.
It’s too bad in terms of the experience that the Nunavut Housing Corporation has that no one actually thought that Styrofoam would have been more expensive right from the start in terms of shipping it up with the experience that the Nunavut Housing Corporation actually has, but I guess it’s good that we have learned from our mistakes.
In terms of one of the things that we were told as well through the whole process, and Mr. Barriault did mention the fact that it was rated higher for and hopefully saving money on higher insulation ratings. At one point, I remember one of our discussions that there was going to be… .
You said 2009 is when we started, so I thought it was a two-year study period that was going to be done on whether there was a cost savings in terms of fuel with the SIP houses.
So I was wondering if we could get an update on that, whether there has been empirical data collected to actually show that they are saving money on heating fuel.
I’ll have Mr. Barriault respond to that question in detail.
Although the material was ordered in 2009, a lot of the construction only started at that point. Many of the units were not turned over until 2011. The very last ones are actually being constructed right now in Taloyoak and hopefully will be ready within the next few days.
So it is a little early to have much data to be able to compare and actually see what the results are. We are tracking that information and we will be able to report back at some point, hopefully in the near future.
Mr. Barriault mentioned the telehandlers and how useful they are in the different communities. I’m just wondering: do all of the housing associations still own those telehandlers and they’re actually the property of the housing associations to use how they see fit?
At one point, there was talk of them being sold, I think, at a price tag of $100,000. $110,000 is what we purchased them for. I’m wondering: are they owned by the Nunavut Housing Corporation or are they an asset of the Nunavut housing associations?
The telehandlers are owned by the Nunavut Housing Corporation and the local housing organizations do make good use of them.
As well, one of the things that came up was there was, I think, over 1,000 sea cans across the territory at a price tag or resale value of $3,000, which would be $3 million that could be added to possibly new construction. At one point, we were told that constituents could actually purchase them. Is that still an option or what’s actually happening?
If we could get an update with the sea cans that are across the territory at this time.
Minister Taptuna, if you would like to respond.
Although it’s not within the capital discussions here, I’ll have Mr. Barriault respond to that in detail.
As we have noted earlier, we have finished most of the construction under the Nunavut Housing Trust and Canada’s Economic Action Plan. Since then, we have been taking stock of surplus materials as well as sea cans, and making sure that we get the best possible use and return on our investment on this product.
So our first use for these sea cans is identifying what use the local housing organizations may have for them. We don’t want them to be derelict in the communities. At the same time, we do want to make use, first and foremost, for cold storage for our own operations.
From there, we’re identifying what we have as surplus for sea cans and we will be making them available for sale to government departments and as well, from there, to the general public.
We do not intend them to be causing a clutter within the communities, so we have to be organized, I guess, in the fashion that we do disclose of them.
Many are very close to being available for sale now to the public, so you should be seeing notices locally in some of your communities in the very near future.
Thanks to the minister for the update because I know he had mentioned it in his opening comments, opening the door for questions on this.
At one point, when we received an update there, the housing corporation was working on a detailed list or itemized list of what was in the communities, which I think would be nice to know, possibly, a dollar figure as to how much excess stock is in there.
Again, it may not seem like a viable question, but at the same time, at one time, when talking to one of the managers who was doing a rough estimate, he felt that with the excess materials in the community from the projects that we were doing in Arctic Bay specifically, there was enough to build another five-plex, which is quite a considerable amount of money, which could be used, again, to help.
Every dollar counts. So if there was an estimated dollar figure of what’s out there in terms of stock, it would be nice to know, Mr. Chairman.
At this time, the Nunavut Housing Corporation is working on logging the stock that’s out there and at this time, we do not have clear information on the entire necessary inventory that’s out there to make any kind of determination on what the cost of the inventory is actually out there.
Once we have that, we will surely make it available to the committee member.
Again I’m a little surprised that we don’t have that dollar figure yet since the project is actually almost finished, but it should be finished.
I guess my last question is around an issue that’s come up. With representing three communities, it has been coming up in all three of the communities and it is based around some of the new public housing units.
I know that Mr. Barriault was talking about the idea of a 24-unit complex.
One of the issues we’re finding in the High Arctic is the number of single individuals who are applying for housing.
I think, at the last housing association meeting I went to, there were 50 individuals who would need one-bedroom apartments of sorts, not necessarily two bedrooms, and then the other side of the coin was the concern that small families were having where single individuals were being put into a two-bedroom unit where maybe that’s not the best allocation of assets.
So is there any thought by the Nunavut Housing Corporation to look into single-unit… ? I’m not talking about single-unit homes, but I’m talking about single-bedroom, maybe apartment is a better word for it.
The committee member is absolutely right. There is a big demand for one-bedroom units, what we would call bachelor apartments.
In Nunavut, there are 663 requests for one-bedroom units.
For two-bedroom units, there is a request and demand for 593 units.
In total, there are 1,417 units requested by the communities.
This, of course, involves family units. At this time, the demand for bachelor apartments is still the highest on the request list from each community.
Mr. Curley: Thank you, Iksivautaaq.
In order to try and move along, I’m going to speak in English to make my point clear and understandable to the minister and his staff.