EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
We will look forward to that information again.
I have another question regarding Taloyoak getting an air terminal building for $400,000. Is that $400,000 going to be used for the planning stage of the air terminal building? Member Ningark stated that they have a very old air terminal building.
It’s the same in Chesterfield Inlet. Do I understand correctly that communities that are mentioned, Repulse Bay and Chesterfield Inlet, are the only two communities that need air terminal buildings, including Whale Cove? When can we expect to see new air terminal buildings for Chesterfield Inlet, Repulse Bay, and Whale Cove?
The $400,000 allotted for Taloyoak’s ATB, or air terminal building, is for planning and design.
Once that is complete, of course, we will have to submit for another capital amount for construction.
Within this government, we do have a process. We want to be able to come up with a class “A” estimate before it’s submitted for funding.
Mr. Chairman, the Nunavut government doesn’t have any means of generating its own revenue. There’s a need for a lot of infrastructure, including airports, terminal buildings, including Kugluktuk, Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet, and a number of other communities.
Mr. Chairman, I’ve got to state that this government doesn’t have the ability of generating revenue like other provinces and jurisdictions, where they have devolution.
Without that, it is difficult for this government to access money from Ottawa for major infrastructure projects like the Pangnirtung Airport, which is estimated at over $40 million. Even for marine infrastructure, it’s a huge capital cost that this government does not have any funds for, so we depend on Ottawa for this because we have no means for generating our own revenue.
It’s very difficult to get the entire infrastructure that we want as a department within these communities, transportation infrastructure.
You’re well aware that just for building basic infrastructure, it is well over $6 billion, of which we don’t have.
So we continually and constantly lobby Ottawa and our counterparts down there to take a good, hard look at our situation up here.
I do realize that there are costs associated to getting new infrastructure in Nunavut.
However, the lobbying should perhaps even get stronger yet because the needs are there.
If that’s the only means of obtaining money, then I would ask the minister’s department to lobby even stronger.
I kind of hate to ask this question, but for the record, for terminal buildings in the communities I mentioned, are they categorized as one, two, three and, if so, can you identify which community comes first?
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Not wanting to be put on the spot, I’ll have my Assistant Deputy Minister of Transportation respond to it.
Mr. Kunuk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We don’t really categorize in the communities, but once any funds are available either from the federal government or anywhere, I’m sure that we’re going to make the one that is most needed to be placed as a priority. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Kunuk. Mr. Ningark.
Mr. Ningark: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Earlier today in this House, I was asking the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Taptuna, about the rather heavier aircraft servicing my community of Kugaaruk.
We have landed many times with 737 routinely and they carry a heavy payload. We want to utilize that same aircraft to carry passengers between Yellowknife and Kugaaruk. We were told that there’s a problem with certification within the community airport.
When I made some requests or demands of the minister, his response was that right now, the small aircraft type, the light- or medium-size aircraft, is servicing that community and don’t see any problem at all.
Well, it is not uncommon to hear two air carriers, when a request is made to deliver goods from Yellowknife, such as ATVs, snow machines, and heavier types of machines, saying, “Well, maybe on the next regular flight, regular schedule,” that indicates to me and the community that they don’t have the capacity in some cases to deliver what the members of the community are requesting, meaning sometimes they are full.
It is not uncommon that when family members are trying to go home and going back home, “Look, I’m not able to get the flight because the flight is booked.” It is not uncommon also that when a member of the community wanted to go somewhere, flying south for a special occasion, only to find out that there is no room on the flight. So saying that, I find there is some capacity issue.
My understanding is that the hon. minister’s office works regularly with NAV Canada when the issue is about adding equipment needed, such as beacons and other navigational aids.
Earlier today in this House, I asked if they could try and find an approach lighting system for my community. It seems that… . Well, I don’t know what the minister wants.
This is a request, again as I indicated, from the prime public body, the Hamlet of Kugaaruk, to be able to service heavy 737 aircraft because there is a need for that, as I indicated earlier.
When your equipment from the south is not being flown in and delivered because of the bulk of that machine and aircraft may be fully loaded in those cases, then you know you need to get heavier, bigger aircraft.
Now, my question to the hon. minister, through you, Mr. Chairman, is: does the Department of Transportation work regularly with NAV Canada in addressing the needs for airport equipment, beacons, and other navigational aids?
We’re on page I-3.
Even though it is not specifically referred to in the written material, I would like to provide an opportunity to Minister Taptuna to respond, if he so wishes to do so. Minister Taptuna.
Chairman: Please.  Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I responded “yes” to his question.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Taptuna. (interpretation ends) My apologies for not paying attention, as I was busy.
I am speaking under the airport improvements, just to ensure that I’m not being called out of order.
So the indication and answer is yes, they work regularly with NAV Canada. NAV Canada is just an entity that deals with the needs for the Hamlet of Kugaaruk’s airport or community airport, meaning navigational aids.
That’s what we need, as indicated by one of the airlines during the Kitikmeot mayors’ meeting in Cambridge Bay.
Now, having established that Mr. Minister is working regularly with NAV Canada, will the minister now communicate with NAV Canada and talk about the needs in my community of Kugaaruk, other navigational aids, along with the airline that has serviced the community in the past?
Yes, we’re constantly communicating with NAV Canada and Transport Canada on many issues, not just one community.
I would like to remind you that we’re on page I-3. Economic Development and Transportation.
Total Capital Expenditures. $20,075,000.
Go back to page I-2. Department Summary. Economic Development and Transportation.
Does the committee agree that we have concluded the review of the Department of Economic Development and Transportation?
Minister Taptuna, while we are on the conclusion of the review of the departmental capital estimates, do you have any closing remarks?
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the fact that the standing committee and the Committee of the Whole put a lot of work into this and we take the recommendations very seriously.
At the same time, I want to thank my staff for trying to do some very difficult projects with the funding allotted to our department.
I know that we go through a very difficult planning process and making efforts in trying to complete our projects on time, but I do know for a fact that at times, so many things are beyond our control.
I appreciate the suggestions and recommendations that come from the committee.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Taptuna and your officials.
We will continue the review and we have ample time.
At this time, we are going to be reviewing the Department of Education.
Minister of Education, Minister Aariak, I would ask that you go down to the witness table to start with your opening comments. We can resume.
Minister Aariak, you can now make your opening comments.
Bill 41 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2013-2014 – Education – Consideration in Committee
My opening comments are written in English, so I’ll read them in English.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to be here today to discuss the proposed 2013-14 Department of Education capital projects budget.
Capital projects are considered to be any improvement that increases the value and life expectancy of buildings.
Our government has many capital priorities in the area of education. With 43 schools across Nunavut, there is a substantial capital investment in educational infrastructure in every community in Nunavut.
We have 8,525 students from kindergarten to grade 12 in Nunavut; 1,480 in the Kitikmeot region, 2,975 in the Kivalliq region, and 4,069 in the Qikiqtani region. 96.5 percent of our students are Inuit.
The Department of Education’s proposed capital budget for 2013-14 is $16,910,000.
This budget reflects the reality of fiscal restraint which is being implemented throughout the Government of Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, the majority of the $16.9 million for this upcoming fiscal year will be allocated to a number of existing projects.
We have one new project: the planning of a new middle school for Baker Lake.
The planning stage for this initiative will cost approximately $50,000 this upcoming year.
We know that children begin learning long before they start school, and that experiences from 0 to the age of 6 can have a substantial impact on a child’s life.
The Department of Education is committed to providing our children with every opportunity to learn during those early years.
This means providing space dedicated to early childhood programs in any renovated or new Department of Education building.
Early childhood programs include licensed child care facilities, such as preschool programs and full-time daycare, language nests, Aboriginal Head Start programs, and/or parents and tots programs.
Having daycare facilities in our schools provides quality care and supports early childhood development that benefits the whole community.
As we plan for the new school in Baker Lake, we will include space for a daycare facility.
Projects across Nunavut that will continue during the 2013-14 fiscal year include:
Renovation of the Qiqirtaq School in Gjoa Haven will continue, with a budget of $9.3 million;
Continued work on the planning and design of the addition to the Levi Angmak School in Arviat, with a budget of $1.5 million;
Work will continue on the renovations at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, with a budget of $100,000; and
Completion of the school renovations in Qikiqtarjuaq, which includes upgrade of the school and community learning centre, has a budget of $50,000.
To help curb these reactionary measures, we initiated a program to thoroughly assess all of our schools beginning in 2010-11.
This assessment was in the area of both special needs and the overall condition of the structures.
The assessment team spent four to six days at each school and now all our schools have been assessed.
Mr. Chairman, now that the assessments are done, my department has action items for repairs and upgrades for each school.
We will work with Community and Government Services to act on the items identified in the action item list.
We have increased our budget to $5 million for the ongoing life cycle repairs initiative for our 43 schools in 2013-14.
Life cycle items are the major components of a building, such as foundations, boilers, generators, roofs, siding, flooring, wall finishes, windows, and air handling units, that need periodic replacement based on length of time these items should last in a building.
This initiative allows us to prioritize issues within our schools with the assistance of the Department of Community and Government Services and prepare a repair or replacement program in a proactive manner.
Some of the projects initiated in 2012-13 included:
Siding replacement at Joamie School in Iqaluit at a cost of $500,000;
Standby generator replacement for both schools in Kugluktuk at a cost of $450,000;
Roof replacement at Clyde River’s Quluaq School at a cost of $300,000; and
Piles repaired at Leo Ussak Middle School in Rankin Inlet at a cost of $180,000.
Mr. Chairman, my department also has a minor capital budget.
This funding allows for a variety of minor capital projects across the territory. We have budgeted $500,000 to cover the repairs, renovations, and upgrades approved under the minor capital budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year.
Projects are primarily health and safety-related but also include small projects not identified in the capital planning process.
Mr. Chairman, we gather information from hamlets, district education authorities, communities, schools, and the Department of Community and Government Services to develop, plan, and manage our capital priorities.
Through our comprehensive facilities database, we are able to analyze school utilization and their physical condition, along with planned program requirements to determine our ongoing and future capital requirements.
Each year, we review requests for school buses and departmental vehicles. We have in place a 10-year replacement plan for buses. In 2012-13, we provided a new bus for Chesterfield Inlet.
In 2013-14, we have budgeted $185,000 for approved busing requests.
I look forward to your questions, comments, and discussion as we review the Department of Education’s capital budget for 2013-14 and the subsequent four years. (interpretation) Thank you.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Aariak. (interpretation) Before we move on, do you have witnesses that you would like to bring to the table? Minister Aariak.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Yes. Thank you.
Minister Aariak, for the record, please introduce your witnesses. Minister Aariak.
Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my left is Kathy Okpik, Deputy Minister, and to my right is Murray Horn, Director of Corporate Services.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Aariak. Welcome. Let me ask now ask if the chair of the standing committee has opening comments.
I’m the co-chair, next best thing, but I do have opening comments.
Chairman: Please, Mr. Elliott.
I am pleased to provide opening comments on behalf of the Standing Committee on Social Wellness as the Committee of the Whole begins its consideration of the Department of Education’s proposed 2013-14 capital budget of $16,910,000.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education’s capital estimates for 2013-14 include five community-specific projects, four of which are ongoing from previous years, and five projects for which no specific communities or regions are identified.
Members note that funding is being requested for phase 2 of the long-term school renovation project in Gjoa Haven, which first got underway in 2004 but was delayed a number of times due to changes to the project scope.
Extensive delays and changes to capital plans often lead to confusion and misunderstanding at the community level.
The standing committee encourages the minister to keep DEAs and communities informed and up to date on the status of projects and, wherever possible, to provide an explanation for changes to the plan.
Also planned for 2013-14 are the final stages of the two school projects in Iqaluit and Qikiqtarjuaq, the school addition project in Arviat, which will proceed to the design stage, and planning for a new middle school in Baker Lake.
The standing committee recommends that the minister and her officials provide additional detail on what projects are under consideration in the upcoming year and how they will be prioritized.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee continues to support the department’s ongoing life cycle repairs project, which addresses repair issues in Nunavut’s schools, many of which relate to health and safety concerns.
Now that assessments have been completed on all Nunavut schools, members encourage the minister and her officials to work with DEAs to identify where such repairs are urgent and with the Department of Community and Government Services to ensure that issues are addressed in a timely manner.
Mr. Chairman, the issue of adequate housing for teaching staff continues to be a major concern in several Nunavut communities.
Nunavut’s Education Act, which came into force in July of 2009, mandates a specific pupil-teacher ratio which, in turn, requires appropriate staffing levels.
In addition, until sufficient numbers of Nunavummiut have been qualified to replace those teachers who are retiring, staff will have to be recruited from other parts of Canada.
It is critical that adequate housing be available for teaching staff or hiring efforts will be compromised.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee recognizes that efforts are being made within the department to address urgent housing needs, such as the plans to convert portable classroom units into housing units once school renovations are complete, or by grouping teachers into shared units.
However, members continue to hear of situations where teachers are living in uncomfortable conditions which, in turn, affect their ability to properly deliver educational programming.
The standing committee strongly urges the minister and her officials to work with their counterparts in the Department of Community and Government Services and the Nunavut Housing Corporation to plan for housing needs in this area and to develop a long-term strategy which will ensure that housing issues are not a barrier to teachers being able to provide the level of education that the children of Nunavut deserve.
Members are concerned that the current lack of adequate and appropriate housing for teachers and other essential school staff is having a negative impact on the delivery of education across our communities and schools.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the proposed 2013-14 Capital Estimates of the Department of Education. I am confident that individual members will also have questions and comments as we proceed.
Before we go to E-3 for the Department of Education’s capital estimates, are there any general comments?
I would like to talk about something that has been a concern of the people and me. On page 1, I noticed that when Baker Lake is going to get a school, they would have a daycare, according to the minister’s opening comments.
I’m sorry, but I just wonder when Chesterfield Inlet will be getting a new school. I’m not exactly sure whether they’re going to get a new school.
Are they going have to wait for a while? They have wanted a daycare because their present daycare is very old and it used to be used as a three-bedroom house by the public and they had tried to get a daycare for quite some time.
Because the house is so old, it cannot be used.
It seems like Chesterfield Inlet is going to have to wait for a long time for a new school. If they get a bigger building, they would be able to have a daycare alongside the school.
I think the building is going to have to be destroyed before they get a new school with a daycare because there are people who work and they have to have a place for a daycare.
So for that reason, I just want the minister and her department to think about getting a daycare for Chesterfield Inlet and I will be asking questions on that.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I thank Madam Minister and her officials.
Along with my colleague, Mr. Rumbolt, there was a visit from Repulse Bay to Sanikiluaq to see what the design is like.
Yes, I know what they went to go see in Sanikiluaq because they wanted to build a bigger high school in Repulse Bay.
We expect that high school because there was a visit.
They figured that they were going to finally get a new school and there was also an assessment team.
The monies for planning and design are no longer here.
I just wondered what happened to it because we expect and we hope to have the design work done. This is very unfortunate for the people of Repulse Bay because what they did was they give them expectation and they didn’t follow through with their expectations.
I am sure that when they came back home, they were telling everybody that we are going to have a building put up.
I don’t want that happening again in Inuit communities.
This is coming from my heart and I wanted to talk about it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you very much for getting because we hear that were getting another school in Baker Lake. The population in Baker Lake is increasing.
The DEA in Baker Lake, on their behalf, I saw thank you to the Government of Nunavut and we will be expecting that new school. If it’s able to be completed and if the budget is not taken out, it will finally be finished.
When I was a child, Mrs. Anowtalik, an elder, told me that the people of Nunavut will finally start getting the needs in the communities fulfilled. She said to me that some will be hard, but we will eventually get what we want.
I always tell the children and the young people that too as well and I am happy that we are getting a new school in Baker Lake because there are a lot of children in Baker Lake.
As an example, they have been going to science camp regularly in Baker Lake.
That is good to see and on behalf of Baker Lake, I thank you very much to the department.
I just wanted to make a statement that way.
There’s the NTEP program in Nunavut and they also have one in Baker Lake, but we have to plan for other things, such as… .
As an example, for the social services students, we also would like to have student counsellors so that they can plan for the students.
Yes, I thank you very much to the government on behalf of Baker Lake.
I thank the officials.
Also on behalf of DEA, I thank you to hear the good news about Baker Lake.
I know that the people of Baker Lake will want a daycare beside the school that is going to be built.
I would just like to say “thank you very much” on behalf of Baker Lake.
Also, I will be asking other questions to the Department of Education, but I also wanted to say “thank you” first of all.
I just have a very brief comment.
When we get to questioning the minister on their budget, I will be asking a number of questions on the ongoing life cycle repairs on one school and one or two issues with the other.
Considering the working relationship between the departments of Education and Community and Government Services, I would just like to ask that the Minister of Community and Government Services be present during my questioning in the event that the Department of Education is unable to provide the answers I seek.
I have no more names on my list at this time for general comments.
Before we go to page E-3, I wish to thank my colleagues tremendous assistance as you make my job as the chairperson easier, especially when the rules are followed properly, so for that I thank you.
At this time, let us proceed to E-3. Education.
Branch Summary. Corporate Services. Total Capital Expenditures. $16,910,000.
I referred to this in my general comments and I wish to ask the minister about this matter.
On a different note, for those communities that won’t be receiving a new school in the near future, it seems that we will be waiting for quite some time.
This also applies to communities where the daycare facilities require extra maintenance, and I wonder whether or not we have enough grounds to start reviewing these daycare facilities separately, especially if the community won’t be getting a new school down the road. This may lead to some communities waiting for a long time to get more daycare spaces in their community.
I wanted to know if this is an issue the department has taken into consideration and whether or not future plans have been made to meet the needs of the smaller communities that don’t get large capital projects often. This tends to result in capital projects too few and far in between.
I would like to get a response on this first.
Minister Aariak.  Hon. Eva Aariak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.