Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I am the Minister, I'm not directly involved in that process, so I'd have to find out more detail on it on exactly who's all involved in this. And just to be clear, the EIA is heading a lot of this work with that stuff, so it's not necessarily all municipal and community affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Well, apologies to the Minister. I thought leading meant both departments were playing a more or less equal role. But the Minister has worked to update emergency plans, incorporate recommendations from after-action reports. So has the Minister made any steps with the EMO and with those emergency plans to incorporate the SPCA and organizations involved in animal wellness into emergency plans? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the government is not responsible for agencies to make up their emergency plans. It's the responsibility of NGOs and agencies to make up their own emergency plans. And at the end of the day, we have to work with those NGOs to make sure that they're completely involved and that there's communication on what steps to take in case there is an emergency. For the finer detail of some of the questioning there, Mr. Speaker, I'd have to get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you. Well, I suppose I will have to take questions to the Premier. But this emergency supports framework, how does the Minister understand this working then? Because it sounds like it's not a system-wide framework that's going to change things. It sounds like these are still up to individual things, at least according to his understanding. So can he clarify what this framework is supposed to do from the perspective of his department? Thank you.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have stated many times, a lot of this work is being done in a Canadian standard. We're not inventing our own wheel here and trying to make up our own plans. Working with agencies like that are, you know, collaborative approach. It's not about the department going to these NGOs and essentially forcing them to work with the government. They have their own needs, they have their own requirements, and at times it may not even involve the government support. So, again, there's multiple departments involved in this work, and we'll continue to work with the group to -- the EIA and NGOs in order to make sure that everybody's informed and working together with emergency plans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask questions of the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. A moment ago, my colleague was asking about security estimates and what would happen in a hypothetical case of a mine bankruptcy, and the Minister stated both that they would use the security deposits but also if that wasn't enough then it might have to come back to the government and we might see some supplementary appropriations being requested in this House.
Can the Minister confirm whether the securities it holds will cover the entire cost of a potential cleanup operation in the case of a company sort of failure or bankruptcy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the security that is put forward for any given remediation plan is set by the respective board that would be associated with that regulatory process or proceeding, and that is also based on the approved remediation plan that would also have been approved by the board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister confirm whether there is always an approved remediation plan approved before an operation is allowed to get underway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as part of the regulatory proceedings process, the board process approves the remediation plan as well as the associated securities of that plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister also tell us whether the formulas that are used to calculate security estimates, whether they're based on real-world evidence? Is it tested in comparison to what things cost in real life, or is it just based on a theoretical formula? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Environment and Climate Change provides estimates to the board. The board then takes those estimates that are provided and are the ultimate authority that sets the appropriate securities around that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of health.
As she's aware, residents of Inuvik have been advocating for a CT scan up there for several years now. I understand there is an RFP either out or going out for a schematic design on this. Can the Minister update the House, please, on that RFP. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time, where we are is we're finalizing the preliminary feasibility study, and I'm actually going to be briefed on that next week for the CT scan. And this would be part of the larger RFP that we talked about in the capital of the long-term care and the midlife upgrade. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And it's good to hear. Certainly, that was leading into my second question about the larger picture. So it is still the intent in that the CT scan design is part and parcel of the design for the addition for the long-term care as well? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we were moving along with the planning parts of the long-term care plan for the Inuvik hospital; however, part of that planning came up with infrastructure needs within the current structure of our hospital. So looking at the age of the building, knowing that we were going to be adding on, there are some other things within the facility that are going to need upgrades. So that has delayed the RFP, and we're hoping to have that out hopefully within the new year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank the Minister for that. That is certainly positive news that I'm sure the residents will be happy to hear. Knowing that we are still in the design phase, although this long-term care has certainly been kicking around for a few years now, can the Minister speak to, you know, if she's -- how confident she is that we can get this in the capital plan and get this rolling prior to the end of this Assembly, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Member's questions. As the health Minister, you know, I -- as a Member, you know, I know that this has been kicking around for many, many years, and changes to our bed projections have changed over the last two governments. And so what we are -- you know, we're moving forward with a data-driven process, and that data-driven process has landed us to the 20-bed addition to the current hospital. And so that is where we're moving forward with the midlife upgrades and the feasibility study with, you know, possibility of adding that CT scan into this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to ECC Minister. It's regarding the statement that I did yesterday on Rayrock Mine.
First, I want to ask the Minister of ECC, can he confirm whether territorial testing of the surrounding water near the Rayrock site has been completed to assess potential contamination and ensure the safety of Behchoko residents? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Rayrock site was -- there's a site there that's a 12-square-kilometer area around the former mine site. This site was excluded from the devolution agreements under Part B of section 7 and remains under the control of the Government of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. So how is the government working with the responsible authorities, just like he said, to share clear and accessible information with the community of Behchoko about testing results and the impact on the surrounding area? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, between 2018 and 2020, CERNAC worked in collaboration with the Tlicho government on a remedial action plan. That action plan was put into action in 2024 and is projected to take three years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you for the information. Will the government commit to working with the responsible authority to provide regular updates to the community of Behchoko as the Rayrock Mine remediation project moves forward? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is not directly involved in the remediation of this site. You know, it is a collaborative effort between the Tlicho government and the Government of Canada. I think that, you know, we're happy to reach out and see if there is information available and direct the appropriate participant within the process to relay that -- ensure that information is relayed to the Tlicho government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year, the Minister of Infrastructure committed, of course, to chip sealing the bypass road in Inuvik as part of the project on the runway. That was received with open arms, I should say, in Inuvik. It's been something has been trying to get done for the past several Assemblies. So now, Mr. Speaker, I'll ask this Minister of Infrastructure, since portfolios have changed, if he too will maintain that commitment to ensure that the bypass road in Inuvik will get its chip seal in the life of this Assembly, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry, I was waiting for the light to come on there. That was last year's Minister. I can't commit to anything -- no. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to take away that commitment at all. I'll work with the department to commit to trying to make sure that we're completed that by the end of our Assembly as the previous Minister has done so also, and I share the same response there, that I think it's important that we finish that off there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Just one quick follow-up, Mr. Speaker. I heard a "trying to commit" in there, so just to ensure that we did get a commitment from the Minister to ensure that that does get paved in this Assembly -- or chip sealed.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't run the chipping machine but we'll work on it, and hopefully we can commit to getting that done. As I stated, whatever the previous Minister said, I will try to stick with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. No? Go ahead; you've got one left.
Well, I thought I was done. But I think I got a "hopefully" and a "maybe" in there that time. I'm not sure, Mr. Speaker. But, again, I appreciate the Minister's support on this. And, again, looking for the commitment to ensure that we do get this done.
Yes, we're committed to looking at getting it done.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a priority of mine is public service in the sense of how we serve the public. So I did see from the BearNet recently service improvement boot camps and individual workshops for staff. So my question today is for the Minister of Finance. These programs have been going on for quite some time now, about six years. How many of these programs are fully subscribed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of Finance.
