Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. That just will fall under our general annual maintenance in that area. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.
Okay, I don't think I have properly understood that. Those -- I just -- I think it would reassure folks who are concerned about this if we knew that they were going to take a look at that section. So if you're telling me the general maintenance is going to address these concerns, then I guess we'll go from there. But just to confirm that they will be addressed through general maintenance. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the current schedule for this year, like I said, is from kilometer 59 to 61 for the projects, you know, for the improvements. That section that the Member is speaking of would be addressed through our annual maintenance and probably this coming summer. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.
Okay. That is helpful. There's also a concern about a lack of guardrails at these sections and other sections as well, where if there is a slip on the road, that you can fly right off of it. So is there a plan to improve -- do those safety improvements to the highway and install guardrails? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yeah, guardrail and replacement projects are for, yeah, in the North Slave region. There is some work being done. I don't know if it's that particular area, but I can find out and let the Member know.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.
Okay. Thank you. And I appreciate that this is relatively detailed, but it's also relatively important because, like as I said, there were some high profile accidents and loss of life this summer. So I will await that additional information from the Minister and the department and make that information available to my constituents when it is made available. So I'll hold the Minister to that. But nothing further. Thank you.
Okay. Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the item, the project various highway chip seal overlay program, the chip seal overlay for 100 to 150 kilometers each year territory wide, can the Minister please say how much is allocated for that item for 2026-2027? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Annually, throughout all our road system that -- where we do repair or anything like that, we've got 175 kilometers that is scheduled for replacement repair of chip seal and on our road system there. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to back to the Member from Great Slave.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Sorry, I think the Minister might've misheard me. My question is how much are we spending on this particular program for the 2026-2027 year? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. This year's program is $10 million.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is that an ongoing $10 million, or does that increase with inflation annually? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So far it's been $10 million annually.
Okay. Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And so that's for 175 kilometers, is that what the Minister said previously? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is correct.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Does the Minister have the amount of detail around which highways are planned or projected to be resealed in 2026-2027? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Yeah, thank you. So this year we have scheduled
Highway No. 1, kilometer 25;
Highway No. 3, kilometer 74;
Highway No. 4, kilometer 60.7;
Fort Providence Access Road, 5.3 kilometer; and
Dettah Access Road, 11.3 kilometer.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you to the Minister for that detail. How many outstanding highways are assessed to require chip sealing? Like, it seems like this is a rotational basis. I assume the department does the areas of greatest need first. I'm just curious how much is sort of on the docket, so to speak. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's an ongoing maintenance program. I mean, one section of the road might be good one year; the next year it's not, or, you know, the ground's not stable. So general maintenance, chip seal breaks apart so, yeah, it's an ongoing thing. We don't always have a rough estimate of -- well, we have a rough estimate but it could change. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from Great Slave.
Yeah no, thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the Minister has proved my point, which is it's an ongoing task; it'll never end. And I'll just leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Any further questions? Okay. Seeing none.
The Department of Infrastructure, asset management, infrastructure investments, $129,683,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Members, please turn now to page 61, programs and services with information items on page 62 and 63. Are there any questions? I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So the item metering and pumping equipment overhaul, this is a territorial project, it looks like. Can the Minister please tell me how much we are providing to this overhaul project in 2026-2027. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is an annual thing that we do for all our fuel services division to check all the fuel pumps, re-certify them, and all that. Just looking for a price here on what we're doing.
It's $200,000 this year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I believe that this has to do with all of the communities that are serviced by MTS, is that correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Yeah, everywhere our fuel services division operates, essentially, 13 communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I appreciate the Minister's comments thus far. Some of the information I have here in front of me seems to imply that this is -- started out last year as a -- or I guess the current year we're sitting in right now as a pilot project, is that correct, Mr. Chair?
