EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Those vehicles are used for our maintenance staff to travel back and forth to the different client departments within the community, for after-hours calls. They’re used for emergency management at the fire marshal’s office. We use them for our Informatics Division that provides services to client departments.
What we do is we’ve got an asset management software database that tracks the cost to maintain the vehicles and the age of the vehicles.
When the costs of repair and maintenance exceed a certain percentage, we basically go out and replace those vehicles. This is what the fund is for; it’s to use to replace aging smaller vehicles.
Mr. Mikkungwak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) I thank you very much for your response.
In addition, looking at Nunavut as a whole, I know that Nunavut has a very cold environment and the winter is longer than the summer season.
When we’re talking about summer, it’s either going to be a pickup or SUV vehicle.
I will refer this to my deputy minister because it’s very difficult to answer.
The types of vehicles that we purchase depend on the nature of work that those vehicles are used for.
For argument’s sake, for fire or emergency vehicles, we typically need the designed four-by-four trucks, plus we need the proper equipment or radio equipment if they need to go into those vehicles.
Informatics, for example, if they have to go to different departments to repair their computers and some other technology, then typically we use smaller four-by-four vehicles.
Chairman: Mr. Mikkungwak, you have 34 seconds.
I’ll try and do my question here in less than 34 seconds now.
In its proposed 2015-16 capital estimates, as we’re talking about vehicles, your department includes $2,867,000 in small capital funding for building and equipment upgrades.
However, your department’s substantiation sheet does not indicate what projects will be undertaken during the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Can you provide a breakdown on how this funding has been spent to date?
I mentioned earlier that we do have a detailed list compiled for what this money was spent for in the past fiscal year, and we did commit that we would share this listing with the Chairman of the committee.
In terms of 2016-17, we can’t predict whether an emergency is going to happen.
Basically, I can’t give you a list because this is just a fund that’s used to do minor repairs if something should happen throughout the year.
If we didn’t have this minor capital, that means we would have to continue to come back to the Financial Management Board on a regular basis looking for funding to take care of those emergencies.
Basically, what I can say is that it is used for building maintenance. It is used for boiler replacements.
It is used in a situation where an emergency comes up within a community that needs to be addressed immediately. Those monies are typically spent each year. We do keep a record of all those expenditures annually, so we are able to provide the members on an annual basis what those monies have been spent for.
Branch Summary. Community Services. Total Capital Expenditures. $24,902,000.
Chairman: Now we’re on to J-5. Community and Government Services. Branch Summary.
Petroleum Products Division. Mr. Enook.
I would like to ask a question on this. Since spring, our government has been saying that the price of fuel is cheap at this time and they pre-purchased the fuel for Nunavut.
As soon as the minister and his officials said this, I started expecting the fuel price to go down instantly this coming fall.
Can we expect to see the fuel price going down in our communities some time in the future?
We’re now working on the fuel prices.
I was asked a question during the official sitting.
The officials will first have to look into how much gasoline and other fuel products such as diesel fuel we have left over from last year’s delivery. Once we figure that out, we will be making an announcement on how much the fuel prices will be.
Can the minister tell us when we can expect to see the fuel price to go down?
We have to carefully consider this. Perhaps this coming month, we will be able to make that announcement to Nunavummiut.
Just to remind members, questions on capital estimates.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): It’s okay.
Next on the list, Mr. Mapsalak.
Fuel tanks are usually replaced and they do improvement work on fuel tanks.
I would like to ask a question in regard to the Naujaat fuel tank farm that has been improved. I believe that they are constructing a fuel tank farm in Coral Harbour.
With that, do you also include a fuel dispenser where they pump fuel to the vehicles or where the vehicles gas up? Would it be for fuel like gas or diesel? Do you include the dispenser or pump-out when they start working on the fuel tank farms?
My deputy minister will respond to your concern.
In some situations where our tank farms are aging tank farms, we don’t have separate dispenser units for gasoline and usually they can only dispense one product. If the diesel truck is being filled, they can’t dispense gasoline at the same time.
As we expand and upgrade our tank farms, we are putting gasoline dispenser units in the community so that when we’re dispensing any other product, it’s not impacting the dispensing of gasoline.
The reason why I am asking about these dispensers is because I am wondering if that equipment is included with the updating or renovation of the tanks, or I assumed they were included as capital items.
To cite this example, in Naujaat, we have only one fuel dispenser that services the local fleet of vehicles, whether it is heavy machinery requiring this fuel we call (interpretation ends) diesel (interpretation) in our dialect, plus vehicles requiring gasoline and they can only be served one at a time due to having only one (interpretation ends) ticket meter (interpretation) in English.
The ticket meter servicing both singularly isn’t particularly effective, especially one meter serving both fuels requiring dispensing, either (interpretation ends) diesel or gasoline.
(interpretation) Doesn’t the department review local situations to try to improve them? Sometimes it is the harvesters who pay the price as they have to wait long periods to buy fuel, especially with the increasing number of vehicles. Obviously, we have a fair number of vehicles now.
Has the need to have separate meters been reviewed for our communities?
This is not the first time that I have heard about this issue, but I will refer the question to my deputy minister.
As we expand and upgrade our tank farms, we are certainly putting in separate dispenser units.
In order to do it with some of the tank farms without major upgrades, there’s still a fair amount of work that is done to reconfigure the piping so that we can be able to have a different dispenser.
Our approach for now as we move forward, as we upgrade our tank farms, is that we take this into consideration and we actually do have separate dispenser units for gasoline.
Mr. Mapsalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the deputy minister for his response.
If we’re going to be reconfiguring the tank farms, especially the new dispensers, how long will it take to get dispensers set up in all the tank farms in all the communities?
How many years would it take to do that kind of upgrade on the tank farms?
As I mentioned earlier, as we do upgrades on the dispensers of the tank farms, we are installing separate dispenser units.
I can’t give the member a timeline on when all communities will have a new gasoline dispenser unit. This will be determined as we upgrade the tank farms and as the funds become available.
Next name on the list, Mr. Rumbolt.
On J-6, there is a line item for Sanikiluaq for $100,000 for bulk fuel storage capacity increase. In previous years, over $6 million has been spent on this project. When I left the community about 12 or 14 days ago, they were still welding and building tanks in the community.
I’m just wondering if the department can give us an update today on what the completion date is for this project.
I don’t know the dates personally, but I will refer this to my deputy minister.
Based on my knowledge, the new tank that they’re building this year should be commissioned to be able to do resupply. I do know that the vessel is in Arviat and that when she’s finished, she’s going back into Sanikiluaq. That’s my understanding, but I’ll have to get some more clarity for that.
The vessel will be discharging fuel into the new tank later this month.
I just want that update to be sure that we do get a resupply soon because we’re getting late in the season and I know there’s still a lot of construction being done on the tank.
I would just like to thank the minister and his officials for that information.
I’m not sure if gas dispensers are capital items because I don’t know the value of them, but Mr. Mapsalak asked about gas dispensers and it was allowed, so I’ll ask.
I’m just wondering if they have any plans for updating or getting different gas dispensers for Arviat. Every time one goes down, it takes anywhere from six months to one year to have it repaired and then we’re stuck with one dispenser for the whole community. Right now, they’re both repaired and both working well, but is there anything in the plans to get a more robust or better gas dispenser?
I will refer your concern to my deputy minister. Thank you.
I’m pleased to be able to inform the member that we did make a commitment to purchase the more robust dispenser units.
Some are in Rankin Inlet.
They have been ordered and they should be in the community within the next three to four weeks. That’s my understanding.
I don’t know if it’s just my hearing, but he said he ordered for Rankin Inlet and I was asking about Arviat. Can he clarify that, please?
Deputy, please respond. It’s for Arviat.
Total Capital Expenditures. $6,950,000.
Chairman: Go back to J-2.
Community and Government Services. Details of Expenditures.
Total Capital Expenditures. $31,852,000.
Chairman: Are we agreed that the Department of CG&S is concluded?
Minister, closing comments.
I would like to thank the members for dealing with the capital estimates for our department.
I thank you very much. I would like to thank you for your concerns and your questions.
I would especially like to thank our deputy minister and my assistant deputy minister for responding to some of your questions.
Regarding the documents the standing committee wanted, we will make sure that you get the documents that you requested.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the minister and officials out.
>>Committee recessed at 17:12 and resumed at 17:20
Bill 03 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2016-2017 – Education – Consideration in Committee
I would now like to ask the Minister of Education if he has officials that he would like to appear before the committee.
Hon. Paul Quassa: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I do, please.
For the record, minister, please introduce your officials. Minister Quassa.
With me to my left is my Deputy Minister, Kathy Okpik, and to my right is Barry Cornthwaite, Manager of Capital Planning.
Please proceed with your opening comments. Minister Quassa.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to be here today to present the proposed Department of Education capital projects budget for 2016-17.
With 42 schools throughout Nunavut, this represents a significant capital investment.
Our schools host a total of 8,612 students from kindergarten to grade 12: 1,638 in the Kitikmeot region, 2,682 in the Kivalliq region, and 4,292 in the Qikiqtani region.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education’s proposed capital budget for 2016-17 is $26.28 million.
The majority of the $26.28 million for this upcoming fiscal year will be allocated to a number of existing projects.
Capital projects across Nunavut that will continue during the 2016-17 fiscal year include:
Renovation and addition to the Qiqirtaq School in Gjoa Haven is in its final year with a budget of $3,630,000.
The project includes five additional classrooms, an expanded gymnasium, complete with change rooms and the stage, a daycare, and a special needs washroom.
Those will be the additions for the Qiqirtaq School in Gjoa Haven.
Work is continuing on the new high school project in Igloolik with a budget of $12,855,000.
The new school will have 12 classrooms which are made up of seven standard classrooms, one language classroom, one multipurpose classroom, one science classroom, one library/computer classroom, and one trades classroom.
Again, the design includes a special needs washroom and a daycare.
The Inuksuk High School was a unique renovation project that took place over five years during summer breaks.
The project is complete and we have budgeted $100,000 for the final year of a three-year warranty review.
The new high school project in Naujaat is in its final year with a budget of $2,700,000.
The new school will have 12 classrooms which are made up of six standard classrooms, one home studies classroom, one trades classroom, one science classroom, one multipurpose classroom, one business classroom, and one language classroom. The design includes a special needs washroom and a daycare.
(interpretation ends) The Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure [Project] will continue with a budget of $800,000.
This project involves replacement of Internet-capable devices that require regular replacement to ensure they are capable of working with updated software, such as computers, modems, routers, SMART boards, and printers.
The budgets for the school construction projects in Baker Lake and Arviat have been realigned to allow the department time to review future school enrolments.
We have budgeted $5 million for the ongoing lifecycle repairs initiative. Lifecycle 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. (interpretation) In collaboration with the Department of Community and Government Services, this initiative allows us to prioritize issues within our schools and prepare a repair or replacement program in a proactive manner.
These projects are approved by the deputy minister.
Mr. Chairman, my department has a minor capital budget. This budget covers projects that are primarily health and safety related as well as small projects not identified in the capital planning process.
We have budgeted $925,000 to cover the repairs, renovations, and upgrades under the minor capital budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year.
Each year, we review requests for school buses and departmental vehicles.
In 2016-17, we have budgeted $270,000 for approved requests.
Mr. Chairman, we have worked hard to move forward with the recommendations made in the Auditor General’s report on safety of schools and child care facilities in Nunavut.
All licensed early childhood facilities have received first aid kits, carbon monoxide detectors, and emergency evacuation backpacks that contain first aid kits, foil blankets, flashlights, and emergency contact information cards.
(interpretation ends) All our schools now have wall-mounted EpiPen training kits/storage units, emergency response guides for allergic reactions, the Crisis Response Manual, the Emergency Response Manual, and the Fire Safety Manual.
Mr. Chairman, through our regional school operations offices, we work with schools and district education authorities to develop effective document collection and storage practices so we can show compliance in the areas of fire evacuation drills, fire alarm testing, and fire inspections.
Certainly, this information will be included in the Safe Schools Manual.
(interpretation) That concludes my opening comments. I look forward to your questions, comments, and discussion as we review the Department of Education’s capital budget for 2016-17.
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 proposed 2016-17 Capital Estimates of the Department of Education.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education’s capital estimates for 2016-17 include four community-specific projects which are ongoing from previous fiscal years and four projects for which funding will be allocated to meet various Nunavut-wide capital needs during 2016-17 in the areas of information technology, ongoing maintenance and repair, and for such items as school buses.
Mr. Chairman, as we are all aware, the Peter Pitseolak School in Cape Dorset burned down in early September, at the very beginning of this school year, reducing the department’s current education infrastructure stock from 43 schools to 42 schools.
This is a devastating loss to the community as well as to Nunavut as a whole.
I would like to commend the minister, his staff, and the staff of the Department of Community and Government Services for working with community representatives, the district education authority, parents, and students to address this issue quickly and efficiently.
It is also important to acknowledge the contributions from across the territory and other parts of Canada which have helped the students to be able to continue their academic year with as little disruption as possible given the circumstances.
Mr. Chairman, the tragic destruction of Cape Dorset’s school brings home the need for safety and security for our schools, our students, our education staff, and the community at large.
The standing committee notes that a number of planned expenditures under the department’s proposed 2016-17 capital budget will address safety issues and members fully support the department’s efforts in this area.
Specifically, committee members have noted that a number of the department’s proposed initiatives will directly address deficiencies highlighted in the Auditor General’s 2013 report on the safety of schools and child care facilities in Nunavut.
The standing committee recommends that the department continue to provide regularly updated action plans documenting its progress on addressing the Auditor General’s recommendations and the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Public Accounts.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee recognizes the Department of Education’s longstanding commitment to include daycare space in any new school built in Nunavut.
However, with the lack of new school projects appearing on the government’s five-year capital plan, many communities still face the growing need for safe, secure, and comfortable daycare spaces.
Currently, there are a number of communities which have no operating child care facilities whatsoever.
This situation must be addressed.
Early childhood education is critical to the success of our education system.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee appreciates that the process for planning, designing, and constructing a new school is a time-consuming one, usually well over five years from start to finish.
The committee recognizes that the current practice for prioritizing capital projects for schools takes into account such factors as current student enrolments and existing school capacity.
However, members encourage the department to put additional emphasis on community population trends and future needs as part of its capital planning process.
Members have further noted that final cost projections for some projects appear to change from year to year.
While cost estimates are understandably refined through the planning and design process, members encourage the department to provide additional information to clarify and explain how projected changes in cost were determined.
Standing committee members have noted that a number of projects that were listed in previous five-year capital plans are no longer listed as future projects in documents accompanying the Department of Education’s 2016-17 capital estimates.
While members recognize that funds need to be realistically allocated within any given fiscal year, it was felt that the government needs to be more transparent in providing information to community representatives regarding the status of projects which may have been realigned or deferred.
Mr. Chairman, during the minister’s appearance before the committee to discuss his department’s draft capital estimates for 2016-17, the minister and his staff addressed the issue of housing for education staff.
Members appreciate that the ability to hire and retain staff is affected by the availability of adequate housing, which in turn has an impact on the quality of programming that can be delivered to Nunavut’s students.
While it is recognized that the government as a whole faces many pressures with respect to housing needs, standing committee members encourage the minister to work closely with the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation on establishing a long-term housing strategy for education staff across Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, computer technology is becoming a standard tool in the delivery of education across Canada. Members are in full support of the minister’s plans to update equipment across Nunavut’s schools as technology evolves.
The standing committee recognizes that the success of using modern technologies relies on access to adequate bandwidth and such components as dedicated servers in individual communities.
Members support the department’s efforts to work with the Department of Community and Government Services in this area.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening comments on the proposed 2016-17 Capital Estimates of the Department of Education.
There being none, we will now proceed to the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates starting on page G-3.
I thank the minister and his staff.
Within the opening comments, it’s got the IT Infrastructure Project involving the replacement of Internet-capable devices.
It’s a question that I frequently bring up and I’ll bring it up again.
Do all Nunavut schools have adequate access to the Internet and effectively access relevant learning resources and, if not, what steps are being taken to improve Internet access?
The first question, not all schools have that. However, let us be aware that we are always working to get them all connected, but they don’t all have it yet.
We have started to look into which will be the priority through our prioritizing plan and what equipment needs to be changed in Nunavut schools.
Right now, not all schools are Internet-capable, but the majority of them are.
I take every opportunity I can to highlight the very important need of Internet access and bandwidth access across the territory, and I realize that the Department of Education isn’t the lead department on that, but I think it’s one of the most highly impacted.
We all realize that Internet access has become an important tool in many institutions and workplaces across the world, if not this territory.
To what extent does Nunavut’s curriculum and educational programming rely on the use of computer technology?
However, right now, we don’t have a good response to that question.
I do understand that and like I said, every opportunity I get, I’ll be highlighting the importance of increasing bandwidth across the territory.
I’m just going to go into earlier this year, one of my fellow MLAs received communications as Chair of the Standing Committee on Community and Economic Development regarding the preplanning studies that were approved under Community and Government Services’ budget.
In that correspondence from the Minister of Community and Government Services, it has a couple education projects, the Resolute Bay gym addition stated as the department’s third priority and the Iqaluit Trois-Soleils addition designated as the second priority.
I think we all realize, with the recent occurrence in Cape Dorset, the impact on the capital budget it’s probably having for your department.
My first question would be: how are those priorities impacted by the incident that happened in Cape Dorset?
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank you for asking for more information on that.
Yes, the communities of Coral Harbour and Resolute Bay, as the member mentioned, are both still under the preplanning stage.