EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
If I sidestep anything, I know you will remind me.
With respect to your comments, I appreciate those comments.
Once we have surpassed these barriers, our future will be brighter. Here in Nunavut, many of our people are undergoing training in most of our communities.
It is quite true that with respect to contracted labourers, this government has to fix that issue, especially for projects in the future.
I know for a fact that the government will have to deal with this issue because we’re basically throwing away money to southerners and southern companies. When we do a contract, the majority just goes down south.
They don’t pay taxes in Nunavut and they don’t do a lot of shopping in Nunavut either.
Due to this and other reasons, we will have to revisit the employment and contracting issues, especially with regulations.
There are a lot of companies now in the communities that can do subcontracting, so I think that’s an issue I will really review closely.
I’m not sure how many more years this practice will continue, but some of the companies are very large and they are able to bid on many contracts.
We could also do a negotiated contract between the company and we could do a sole sourced contract. We have a lot of options as it relates to contracts.
I’m not sure how long I’ll be in this portfolio, but as long as I am in cabinet, I will keep bringing up this issue. We have to allow the small communities to develop their capabilities because they have to be able to stand on their own. So when we look at the bonding requirements, they do present a barrier, but there is always room for improvement in all of these fields.
I would like to thank you for commenting on that and I totally agree with your comments.
When I was the chairman, these questions were raised and we encouraged the department to check into these issues.
We didn’t get an adequate response yesterday as to what the situation is with these 700 plus units and how many have been completed, so I am wondering if we can now get an answer.
I would first like to know the current status of these units.
I know for a fact that a majority have been completed, but we didn’t get an answer on that.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I wanted to talk about the status of construction in the communities yesterday.
I know that we made that information available, but it was just the construction schedule. We were just following that.
I cannot say what percentage has been completed.
I said yesterday that we wanted to complete it, but apparently the Inuktitut version wasn’t quite completed in time for this meeting. The information is available and I will try to submit it tomorrow.
In either process, it is still important.
I would like to ask the president of the Nunavut Housing Corporation to speak to this issue.
Once the information that was requested has been provided with the proper translation, we will provide it tomorrow.
We do have specific information for every community on a project by project basis. That information is tracked through our district offices.
As Minister Curley has noted, we are just waiting now to get the translations so that we can table this information.
Before the information is available, I suppose I cannot really ask questions on this matter.
With regard to the opening comments of the minister, the Nunavut Housing Corporation set aside $10.9 million towards the $50 million shortfall.
I’m sure they will have to look for other ways to raise funds to try to complete the project.
Have they considered trying to reduce the construction costs?
That’s the question I wanted to raise.
We have seen here in Iqaluit that there are a lot of people who may have lived on the street, but once they get a job, their life turns around.
I believe that can happen in every community. If these people are given a job, it will reduce the costs of the expenditures we have incurred, which is still growing.
You could even increase the social assistance. It could be a training program for a lot of people who are just sitting around in their homes when they could be receiving training instead.
I wanted to ask this question: have you thought of a lot of ways and options to try to meet this $50 million shortfall?
If I understood his question correctly… . I’m sorry, I have an itchy throat.
If I understand it correctly, when he referred to the $50 million that we have to use again, we have identified $10.9 million towards that, but we are still asking about the $40 million that we have to raise.
As I stated yesterday, the Minister of Finance will be bringing this issue up.
During the committee meeting… .
If we don’t want to incur a deficit, we discussed options.
With some of the carryover capital project funding that was supposed to be started last year, we have set aside quite a large amount.
I believe that about $90 million is set aside for capital projects that were supposed to be constructed and the money has just been sitting.
The Minister of Finance could include that in his consideration, but the minister will speak to his own issues since he is the Minister of Finance.
Perhaps we could carry the deficit, even though the cabinet did not want to incur a deficit.
So these are the options we will look at, but I cannot state that we will do such-and-such event when the Department of Finance is dealing with this issue.
One thing that we did agreed upon is that we will try to ensure that we raise the $50 million, but my colleague, Minister Peterson, will report on that situation.
I’m trying to be helpful, so I’m trying to fully encourage the minister and I’m very happy that they managed to find $10.9 million.
Perhaps he can work with the Minister of Education to look at how we can enlist social assistance recipients to work towards completing these units.
That’s a possibility where we could get the social assistance recipients to work on the housing, maybe by increasing their assistance.
But even getting trained and being given an opportunity to learn new skills voluntarily, I have done it myself, where I have volunteered for training and I thought I wasn’t learning anything, but I found that I learned quite a bit.
So even when you are doing some labour, it still allows you to learn.
So I am further encouraging the minister to work with his colleagues to try to raise the amount.
If the departments work together, even as separate departments, they can look at all possible options to try to bring down the deficit and, at the same time, meet the goal of providing more units.
So I would like to further encourage the minister, prior to this issue being resolved, that he should look at his own options.
I just wanted to identify this option to the minister.
I think that was just a comment, but if you want to respond to it, Mr. Curley.
Hon. Tagak Curley (interpretation): Thank you. Yes, I appreciate your support in resolving this issue.
The Minister of Finance made a statement and I also made a statement that yes, it’s a very large fund, but we have also noted that housing is a priority and these units have to be completed and finalized, and our communities need the units, so we are thankful that we do have these units.
But we will take your comments into consideration and I thank you for providing possible solutions.
That is it for now.
I have no more names on my list and now we will proceed to the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates starting with page J-3.
Capital Expenditures. Total Capital Expenditures. $23,894,000.
Details are on J-4 and J-5.
I have a couple of questions regarding staff housing.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s substantiation sheets for its new staff housing projects indicate that the cost of new staff housing units is less than the cost of new public housing units.
Mr. Barriault: Pardon me, Mr. Chairman, I’m just trying to get to the right page so I can answer that question appropriately.
Within the substantiation sheet, we are looking at $380,000 per unit in a duplex, which would be $760,000 for a duplex.
That actually ties to the Nunavut Housing Trust report as put out by Deloitte and Touche in terms of our costing.
You refer that you’re using the numbers as put out by that report. Can we expect any significant cost overruns on the staff housing units that are going to be built?
Chairman: Thank you. Mr. Barriault.
I know on the budgets going forward that they have been adjusted to reflect the actual cost that we were incurring under the housing trust.
With respect to Sanikiluaq in particular, can you tell me the status of the staff housing units that are being built in the community?
It’s my understanding that the new school is supposed to be completed in December, and maybe even operational by January, yet the new staff housing is not being built yet.
I know, at the present time, we have teachers who are coming in from the south and living together when they don’t know each other because of lack of staff housing.
So if you can update us when the new staff housing will be built.
The staff housing five-plex in Sanikiluaq has not started construction yet.
The last of the material for that five-plex is scheduled to arrive on next week’s barge.
We are looking at other options to ensure that there is housing available to allow for the start-up of the school in December or January, and we have been in contact with QSO to ensure that we have solutions that will work in the interim.
One final question: are we anticipating a spring start-up for the construction of these units or will the construction start after the next sealift?
Mr. Barriault: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We do not know the answer at this point.
We are hoping to be able to accommodate a fall start-up, but we don’t have an answer for that one at this moment.
I don’t have anybody else on the list here.
I would just like to follow up on the member from Sanikiluaq’s question to Mr. Barriault.
You got me suddenly interested in asking a question about options that you are looking at.
Could you provide that information to us, please?
Some of the options we are looking at are vacant public housing, vacant staff housing that has been held for competitions that have not been filled yet, private rental options, as well as hotel options.
We are also looking at using material from other housing construction in order to allow us to get an earlier start while waiting for material to come in.
I don’t have anybody else on my list here. We will go back to the Nunavut Housing Corporation. Branch Summary.
Nunavut Housing Corporation. Capital Expenditures. Total Capital Expenditures. $23,894,000.
Chairman: Now we will go back to J-2.
Detail of Expenditures. Department Summary. Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Detail of Expenditures. Capital Expenditures. Total Capital Expenditures. $23,894,000.
Chairman: Does the committee agree that we have concluded with the Nunavut Housing Corporation?  Some Members: Agreed.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Yes, I appreciate the frank discussion.
I want to assure the members, all of you, that we will keep you posted if there are any changes in either budget or scheduling delays. We will be available to provide you with any information that we can.
The discussions that we have had during the last couple of days have been useful and I want to respectfully acknowledge your contribution. They are important to us.
I want to assure you that we are available at any time because we still are going to have a busy year and a half yet to try and complete the units before some of the federal deadlines are come upon us.
That would be March 31, 2012.
So we will do our best, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate the help you have just given us. (interpretation) Thank you.
I also want to thank you and your officials for showing up. I am sure this is not going to be the end of the questions for the Housing Corporation.
Sergeant-at-Arms, could you escort the witnesses and the minister out.
Now I would like to ask Minister Tootoo, responsible for the Department of Education, to make his opening remarks.
Bill 38 – Appropriation (Capital) Act, 2011-2012 – Education – Consideration in Committee
I am very pleased to be here today to discuss the proposed 2011-12 Department of Education capital projects budget.
What I said during my appearance at the standing committee remains relevant as education remains a key participant in the Government of Nunavut’s capital program.
The department has a significant capital presence in our 25 communities having 43 schools across Nunavut, which represents a considerable capital investment in educational infrastructure in every community.
As I indicated during standing committee, we have 8,667 students from kindergarten to grade 12 in Nunavut – 1,510 in the Kitikmeot region, 2,889 in the Kivalliq region, and 4,268 in the Qikiqtani region.
The Department of Education’s proposed capital budget for 2011-12 is $10,152,000, with an ongoing project budget of $50,190,000 from 2012-13 to 2015-16.
This budget reflects the realities of our GN-wide fiscal position.
Mr. Chairman, the $10 million for this upcoming fiscal year will be divided into a number of projects.
Our one new project is an addition to Repulse Bay’s Tusarvik School.
The school is currently overcrowded, with an enrolment of 272 students, or 103 percent utilization of its capacity of 263 students.
Mr. Chairman, the planning stage for this initiative will cost approximately $50,000 for this upcoming year.
Mr. Chairman, the department initiated a program to assess all schools during the 2010-11 fiscal year to address the current conditions of each school as a result of emergency and urgent situations over the past few years requiring immediate attention.
As a proactive measure, this assessment focuses on both special needs and the general health and conditions of our facilities. 13 out of our 43 schools have been assessed to date.
The assessment team is taking longer due to the condition of the schools.
The original plan was to spend one day per school. It is actually taking two to four days as the assessment team is making on-site repairs and mechanical adjustments during the assessment process. Some of the common issues they are finding are:
Poor general maintenance (broken belts, leaks, missing filters);
Out-of-date inspections on safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems;
Lack of barrier-free access for our special needs students and staff;
Out-of-date inspections on vital equipment, such as boilers and generators; and
Poor maintenance on the school air handling units.
Other issues include heating and ventilation systems that need to be cleaned and balanced, heating issues and safety issues, such as stairs, railings, barrier-free washrooms and access for special needs students and staff.
Projects identified will go to tender and be coordinated by the Department of Community and Government Services.
Mr. Chairman, we have budgeted $1.5 million for the ongoing life cycle repairs initiative for our 43 schools in 2011-12.
This initiative allows our department to identify issues within our schools and prepare a repair or replacement program in a proactive manner.
Projects falling into this category are approved by the deputy minister.
For example, carpeting and flooring were replaced in Grise Fiord, Igloolik, Cape Dorset, and Hall Beach schools to make them more environmentally safe and healthy for our students.
The total cost for these four schools was $555,000 for materials and installation.
Boilers were delivered this sealift season and are being replaced this fall in the Hall Beach and Pond Inlet schools to help alleviate heating issues.
The cost for these projects is $390,000.
Mr. Chairman, the department has allocated $1.5 million from ongoing life cycle to assess the current health and building code issues in Qiqirtaq High School in Gjoa Haven.
This project will identify and effect repairs to health and safety issues during the 2011-12 fiscal year as the renovation project has been deferred to the 2012-13 fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, the department also has a minor capital budget. This funding allows for a variety of small capital projects to occur across the territory.
Projects are primarily health/safety related but include projects not identified in the capital planning process.
Projects falling into this category are, again, approved by the deputy minister.
During past fiscal years, the following minor capital projects were undertaken: Office renovation in Cambridge Bay was $90,000; Iqaluit-Aqsarniit-Playground Paving was $11,000; Chesterfield Inlet-Victor Sammurtok School-Funding shortfall for the special needs washroom was $6,000; Nunavut-Core Solutions-Capital Database was $8,000; and the Rankin Inlet-Office communication wiring was $28,000.
Inuksuk High School will also receive continued improvements and renovations during the 2011-12 year.
The planning for the summer of 2011 has begun and will include floor replacement and painting.
The Department of Education has budgeted $3,450,000 for this project for the upcoming fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, as an update to the Inuksuk High School renovation project, the work continued on schedule this past summer and included the:
Renovation of the orange pod section of the school;
Installation of a new chair lift for special needs students and staff;
Installation of new entrance doors;
Installation of a new special needs washroom; and
Installation of new communication wiring.
Mr. Chairman, the department gathers information from hamlet, district education authorities, communities, schools, and the Department of Community and Government Services to develop, plan, and manage our capital properties.
Through our comprehensive facilities database, we are able to analyze school utilization and their physical condition along with planned program requirements to determine our capital requirements.
Mr. Chairman, the department reviews requests for school buses each year.
There has also been a significant increase in the costs of providing busing services in our communities.
After our review last year, we provided a new bus for Pangnirtung as well as a special needs bus for Gjoa Haven. Pond Inlet also received a new bus by way of a transfer from Arctic Bay.
The department has sent out a regional survey asking if there are any new bus requests. Mr. Chairman, at this time, we have not received any requests for this fiscal year. In the event that there are no requests, we will recommend a replacement program to update, or replace, or repair our older buses.
We are noticing a substantial increase in costs of operating buses.
The Department of Education has received submissions on tenders this past year ranging from a 6 percent to a 105 percent increase over the 2009 operating costs.
This will undoubtedly factor into our budgeting practices over the next few years.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to update my colleagues on several ongoing projects to improve and upgrade our learning facilities.
The addition to the Peter Pitseolak School in Cape Dorset is scheduled for completion this fall. The Department of Education has budgeted $50,000 for the upcoming fiscal year to cover off any warranty issues.
Nuiyak School in Sanikiluaq was too small for the number of students attending the school.
Construction on the new school began last summer and we anticipate completion in December of this year.
Again, the department has budgeted $50,000 for the upcoming fiscal year to cover off any warranty issues.
Inuksuit School in Qikiqtarjuaq required an addition and renovation to the existing school.
Construction on the renovation began in the summer of 2009 and we expect it to be completed this fall.
The Department of Education has budgeted $742,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, I have said this in the past and I want to re-emphasize it now: we cannot spend more than our means.
There are many implications to project costs, including staffing, associated housing requirements, building utilities, and ongoing maintenance that must also be considered when we look at creating new facilities, as well as adding to existing structures.
Mr. Chairman, again I am pleased to be here today to discuss the Department of Education’s capital budget for 2011-12 and the subsequent four years. I look forward to your questions, comments, and discussions.
Chairman: Sergeant-at-Arms, can you please escort the witnesses in.
Minister Tootoo, please introduce your witness.
To my left is Ms. Kathy Okpik, she’s the Deputy Minister of the Department of Education. No stranger to the Members of this House, unlike the individual on my right.
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 2011-12 capital budget of $10,152,000.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education’s capital estimates for 2011-12 include seven community-specific projects which are ongoing from previous years and five projects for which no specific communities or regions are identified.
Members note that final year funding is being requested for three community-specific projects in Cape Dorset, Igloolik, and Sanikiluaq.
The school renovation project in Iqaluit is an ongoing multi-year project that can only progress during the summer when there are no students on the premises. Meanwhile, the school addition project in Qikiqtarjuaq is in its final year of construction and the school addition project in Repulse Bay will go to the design stage.
Although these projects all appear to be proceeding according to schedule, the standing committee encourages the minister to keep members and communities informed and up to date with any information regarding delays or changes in plans.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee continues to have concerns with the department’s lack of communication with communities and district education authorities on the status of projects, especially those identified in the 2012-16 five-year capital plan, and appreciates the minister’s commitment to address this issue.
For example, the school renovation project in Gjoa Haven first got underway in 2004 but has been delayed a number of times since then.
Several materials and supplies that have been ordered for the project are already on site, but as the project is not scheduled to proceed in the upcoming 2011-12 fiscal year, the materials will be at risk of damage or even vandalism in the interim.
Meanwhile, urgent renovation needs remain unaddressed. Although members recognize that the scope of this project has evolved over time, the continual changes to the project’s timeline can lead to confusion and misunderstanding at the community level. This must be addressed.
Mr. Chairman, the issue of adequate housing for teaching staff has been raised in a number of Nunavut communities.
While the standing committee recognizes that there is considerable pressure to meet housing needs across the territory, members encourage the minister to work with his cabinet colleagues to identify and prioritize situations where the lack of housing has an impact on service delivery, especially in such critical areas as education and health.
Standing committee members appreciated receiving from the minister a breakdown of recent minor capital expenditures as well as a listing of some of the smaller projects that have been undertaken with this type of funding over recent years.
However, the standing committee recommends that the minister and his officials ensure that such details are included in documentation, such as the substantiation sheets which are provided for standing committee review.
Mr. Chairman, the standing committee is in full support of the department’s ongoing life cycle repairs project which addresses repair issues, many of which relate to health and safety concerns in a timely manner.
Members encourage the minister and his officials to work with communities and DEAs to continue to identify where such repairs are necessary.
The standing committee recognizes that the Department of Education is taking a proactive role with its schools assessment project and its special needs assessment project.
Members recognize that the rate of progress in this area is directly affected by the number of repairs and adjustments that must be made as the assessments are underway.