Wally Schumann

Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the 18th Legislative Assembly, our government committed to explore options for renewable and alternative energy sources and to improve our energy conservation efforts. The 2030 Energy Strategy was released in 2018 to provide a long-term vision for energy use and supply in the Northwest Territories. We began implementing the six strategic objectives outlined in the energy strategy last year through initiatives detailed in a three-year Energy Action Plan.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I will provide an update on our government's progress to advance the six objectives of the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I said, we don't know the exact size of the line, yet. That has to be determined by our engagement in our pre-feasibility work, but I suspect we want to build this thing to not only supply the community of Whati and get them off diesel to lower our GHG emissions as part of our strategy going forward, but we also have to take a realistic look at the potential economic development in that region, and we will have to build in some capacity, I believe, to support some of those initiatives going forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. From 2014-2019, we actually did embankment and surface improvements, drainage improvements. They have been completed. We spent $728,000 doing that. In 2019-2020, we worked with Jean Marie and did additional embankment and surface improvement for $310,000. So we continue to work with the communities and, as funds become available, we will continue to work with them. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member's question is kind of vague. Is he trying to build the whole thing, or for the Government of the Northwest Territories, what we're doing to work with these people? Back to the Nahanni Butte access road, we were working very closely with the community with them on capital improvements through the federal GNWT funding arrangements highlighted above. The department is also working with the private sector, the community, the Mine Training Society, and Aurora College to implement the heavy equipment operation training program this year.

The department will be...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the 2020-2021 plan for chipseal is approximately 200 kilometres of chipseal in Highways No. 1, 6, and 4, and Detah access road. That's the amount of detail I have in front of me. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Prosperous Lake boat launch. Prosperous Lake is in progress. Planning, design work is included; however, the project was tendered but bid prices were too high in 2018-2019. Infrastructure is working with engineering to reduce scope of work and to delete excess requirements from the design. I forget what his other one was, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Energy Initiatives Report 2018-19"; and "2030 Energy Strategy / Energy Action Plan Report, August 2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The scope of work that is proposed for this project is installation of a series of rock-filled bench drains underneath the existing runway embankment, control site drainage, and stabilize problematic areas. This will require excavation of the runway embankment to natural ground installation of bench drains and backfill and compacting the excavation materials to finish grade. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The capacity of the power line? Wow, you are asking for some serious detail, here. What I will read out here is what I have. The design and construction of the new transmission line from the Snare hydro system to the community of Whati, the transmission line starts from the Snare port substation and spans 60 kilometres to bring hydroelectricity to Whati, where generation is currently supplied from diesel. In 2021, $5 million work was for the pre-feasibility work to include ground-proofing and transmission-line routing, environmental baseline studies, engineering, and regional engagement and...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 34, Mineral Resources Act, be read for the first time, and, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you. Do you want me to say it again? Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 34, Mineral Resources Act, be read for the third time, Mr. Speaker, and I request a recorded vote. Thank you.