Jan 19, 2026 Governance & Priorities Committee

[1. Opening Statement]

[00:00:04]

AND I WILL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 19TH, 2026 TO ORDER.

THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE ARE LOCATED IN CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY.

FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT HAS BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND OF THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION.

WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE MÉTIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS AND INUIT WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

MR. CHAIR, TO ADD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.

IS THERE ANY CONFLICT TODAY? SEEING NONE. NEXT, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM DEPUTY PREMIER WAWZONEK REGARDING AN UPDATE ON MAJOR PROJECTS.

[4. A presentation from Deputy Premier Wawzonek regarding an update on Major Projects.]

ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I SEE YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING THAT PRELOADED. SO I'M HERE TODAY WITH A NUMBER OF FOLKS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY AND SUPPLY CHAIN.

WHAT WE'LL DO IS I'LL INITIALLY START THE PRESENTATION.

OH, BOY. I'M SUPPOSED TO HAND THIS TO YOU, AREN'T I? IT'S ALL YOU.

IT'S SMOOTHLY. SO QUICK PRESENTATION OUTLINE FIRST.

I'LL GET US STARTED WITH THE FIRST FEW SLIDES.

AND THEN WE DO HAVE SOME FOLKS HERE WHO ARE THE DEPARTMENT LEADS.

AND SO I THOUGHT I'D TURN IT TO THEM TO SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROJECT. THIS SHOULDN'T TAKE US TERRIBLY LONG. WE WANTED TO ENSURE THERE'S LOTS OF TIME FOR QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGHOUT. SO JUST TO KIND OF SET SOME OF THE CONTEXT FIRST, WE HAVE A FEW SLIDES ON THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. THIS MAY WELL BE SOME INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH, BUT NONETHELESS A BIT OF AN UPDATE.

SO OF COURSE, PROBABLY NOT TERRIBLY SURPRISINGLY, THAT THERE'S REALLY TWO DOMINANT INDUSTRIES IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES WHICH WOULD BE PUBLIC SECTOR AND THEN OF COURSE, MINING AND MINERAL RESOURCES.

BUT REALLY SPECIFICALLY THE DIAMOND MINES RIGHT NOW IS WHAT'S CERTAINLY, FROM A GDP PERSPECTIVE, DRIVING THE MINERAL RESOURCE SECTOR. AND TOGETHER THEY ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 41% OF THE TERRITORY'S GDP.

THEY ARE ALSO THE REASON THAT WE CONTINUE TO SIT VERY HIGH RELATIVE TO THE REST OF CANADA IN TERMS OF WAGES AND WAGE LEVELS.

SO THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY THE AMOUNT THAT THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES MAKES ON AVERAGE IS A GOOD NEWS STORY BUT WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S COMING FROM TWO SECTORS ONLY, THAT CERTAINLY ATTENUATES SOME OF THAT GOOD NEWS.

NO SURPRISE WHEN WE WOULD SAY THAT THE MATURING DIAMOND MINES CONTINUE TO BE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT RISK.

2026 OBVIOUSLY, IS THE PLANNED CLOSURE FOR DIAVIK WHICH WILL CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE.

AND SO YOU SEE IN THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SHOWING WHERE DIAMOND PRODUCTION DECLINES THAT STARTS TO GO DOWN FROM THE FIRST YEAR WITH DIVE BEING THE TINY LITTLE SLIVER OF YELLOW THERE THAT YOU SEE BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS OR GOES INTO CLOSURE.

THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK THAT HAPPENS IN CLOSURE, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFERENT. IT IS NOT THE KIND OF GDP PRODUCTION THAT WE WOULD SEE.

AND CERTAINLY A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AS WELL THEN, IS IN 2031 AND IS STILL PROJECTING 2027 RIGHT NOW IN THE GRAY ON THE TOP BUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMIC ECONOMY.

SO THIS IS A QUESTION I FIND THAT I GET FREQUENTLY IS WHAT WILL YOU DO TO FIX THE ECONOMY? AND LET ME JUST SAY, AT THE FOREFRONT, I'M HAPPY TO BE IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A QUESTION THAT IS MINE ALONE.

IT IS NOT A RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S CERTAINLY A RESPONSIBILITY THAT I HAVE, BUT IT CERTAINLY WON'T BE A SOLUTION THAT COMES FROM THE IN AND OF ITSELF, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOME ENABLING WORK WHICH IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAVE ME IN FRONT OF YOU MOST OF, MOST OF THE HOUR HERE TODAY OR HOWEVER LONG YOU'VE GIVEN ME THE, THE THREE STRATEGIC AREAS OF FOCUS ON THIS SLIDE AND FOR THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS DEPARTMENT REALLY ARE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS, ENERGY CORRIDORS AND THEN INCLUDED IN THERE IS PARTNERSHIP.

SO THE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR IS PROBABLY NOT TOO SURPRISING, THE TWO MAJOR ONES BEING TALKED ABOUT AS THEY HAVE BEEN FOR A VERY LONG TIME, THE MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY, THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC CORRIDOR AND THEN ALSO FOR ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE, CERTAINLY TALTSON HYDRO. BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS UNDERWAY IN TERMS OF INTERTIES AND EVEN LOOKING AT WHAT ALTERNATIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES SMALLER COMMUNITIES MAY HAVE. SO MICROHYDRO BEING PROBABLY A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT.

BUT PARTNERSHIP AND THIS SORT OF HEARKENS BACK TO WHAT I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SLIDE.

THIS IS NOT SOLELY OR EXCLUSIVELY A SOLUTION THAT WILL COME FROM THE WE WILL CERTAINLY REQUIRE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BE INVOLVED, BUT ALSO MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS IN TERMS OF THEIR SUPPORT AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES, INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS ON WHOSE LANDS VERY FREQUENTLY THESE PROJECTS ARE GOING TO BE PROPOSED TO TAKE PLACE. AND THERE'S DIFFERENT FUNDING POTS AVAILABLE FOR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WILL TAKE A FUNDING STACK THAT REQUIRES THAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIP.

[00:05:01]

AND. OH, RIGHT. THE THREE MAJOR PROJECTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

SO AND HAPPY TO BE HERE TO GIVE A BIT OF AN UPDATE.

THERE'S OFTEN A LOT OF INCREMENTAL WORK THAT IS HAPPENING ON ANY ONE OF THESE PROJECTS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BUSY DOING INCREMENTAL WORK, NOT THINKING THAT YOU NEED TO STOP AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT SEEMS LIKE ONE SMALL STEP.

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL STEPS. SO IT'S IT'S GOOD TO COME BACK AND HAVE A CHANCE TO TO KIND OF UPDATE EVERYBODY OF WHERE WE'RE AT.

MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY, JUST AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.

OF COURSE WE WILL KNOW, PEOPLE HOPEFULLY KNOW HERE THAT THIS CONNECTS FROM WRIGLEY RIGHT NOW AT THE END OF THE ALL SEASON ROAD.

AND THE FIRST STAGE THAT WE'RE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR WOULD GET AS FAR AS NORMAN WELLS, AS THE LONGER TERM VISION, BUT CERTAINLY TO GET ALL THE WAY UP TO THE DEMPSTER, WHICH CONNECTS INTO INUVIK AND ULTIMATELY TUKTOYAKTUK, I CAN SAY THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST FROM THE INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE ROUTE, AND I WON'T GO INTO GREAT DETAIL. THERE'S MORE COMING IN THE OTHER SLIDES, BUT CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BOTH WHAT PHASE ONE, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO THE LONGER TERM VISION OF A PHASE TWO, WHICH WOULD CONNECT REALLY JTFN TO THE FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROPOSAL OR FOR OPERATING SUPPORT HUB IN INUVIK AS WELL. ARCTIC ECONOMIC SECURITY CORRIDOR, SO PEOPLE HAVE POINTED OUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN THIS NAME CHANGE, THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC AND SECURITY CORRIDOR FROM THE SLAVE GEOLOGIC PROVINCE, FROM VARIOUS OTHER ITERATIONS OF THE NAME OVER TIME.

SOME OF THIS IS WHEN NOW, PRIME MINISTER CARNEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS BACK IN THE SPRING, USING DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY. I THINK PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY RIGHTLY ALIGNED THAT WE NEED TO THINK OF THIS AS A STRATEGIC CORRIDOR.

IT'S MORE THAN A ROAD JUST TO RESOURCES FOR US.

IT CERTAINLY HAS MUCH MORE POTENTIAL FOR THE WHOLE REGION THROUGH TO AND INCLUDING OUR FRIENDS IN NUNAVUT BUT ALSO FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE.

SO THIS THIS IS NEW, IT'S A NEW NAME. BUT THE BROAD REGION THROUGH WHICH IT'S GOING IS HAS NOT CHANGED.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST TALTSON HYDRO EXPANSION.

AGAIN, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT GAME CHANGING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ENERGY SECTOR IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

WE RIGHT NOW, FOR THOSE WHO MAYBE DON'T FOLLOW THE ENERGY SITUATION, WE HAVE ONE HYDRO GRID ON THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE, ONE HYDRO GRID ON THE SOUTH SHORE OF THE LAKE, NARY THE TWO SHALL MEET.

AND WHEN ONE OR THE OTHER IS RUNNING ON DIESEL, WHICH, BECAUSE OF LOW WATER AND BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE IN BOTH CASES HAVE SOME FAIRLY OLD INFRASTRUCTURE, OFTEN WIND UP RUNNING ON DIESEL ON ONE OR THE OTHER, AND THEY CAN'T BACK EACH OTHER UP.

SO ONE HAS POWER TO SPARE AND THE OTHER IS ON DIESEL, THE OTHER HAS POWER TO SPARE, THE OTHER IS ON DIESEL.

SO FROM A FUNDAMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, PROVIDING REDUNDANCY WOULD BE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

AND THERE'S POWER TO SPARE DOWN ON THE TALTSON SYSTEM THAT IS REALLY AT THIS POINT, JUST BEING DIVERTED AROUND AND KIND OF SPILLING INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL DAMMING, WE CAN BASICALLY DOUBLE YELLOWKNIFE OR THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HYDRO CAPACITY.

AND IF THEY'RE CONNECTED, WE CAN BE MOVING THAT POWER TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. SO I THINK THAT BRINGS ME TO THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROJECT.

SO, MR. CHAIR, WITH YOUR LEEWAY, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO OUR TWO FOLKS FROM STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND AGAIN, HAPPY TO POP BACK UP WHEN THE TIME COMES. THANK YOU, MINISTER.

SO I AM MIKE O'SHEA I'M THE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE.

I'LL BE RUNNING THROUGH MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY AND THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC AND SECURITY CORRIDOR, AND THEN PASS IT OVER TO ANDREW STEWART OVER THERE.

SO I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL AT LEAST SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THE MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY.

RIGHT NOW, OUR FOCUS, AS THE MINISTER SAID, IS ON PHASE ONE, WHICH IS A 320 KILOMETER HIGHWAY CONNECTING WRIGLEY TO NORMAN WELLS. THE ULTIMATE GOAL, AS WE SAID, IS TO COMPLETE PHASE TWO AS WELL, WHICH CONNECTS THEN UP TO THE DEMPSTER HIGHWAY AND THEN INUVIK, TUK AND ULTIMATELY TO THE ARCTIC COAST THERE.

SO CONSTRUCTION OF THIS HIGHWAY WILL DELIVER ON GOVERNMENT COMMITMENTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

IT WILL IMPROVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES, FOSTER SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AMONG SOME OF THE REMOTE COMMUNITIES.

AND THE ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF THE ALL SEASON HIGHWAY ARE THEY'RE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE IMPORTANT AS WE SEE EVERY YEAR WITH YOU KNOW, REDUCED, REDUCED WINTER ROAD SEASONS AND LOWER WATER ON THE RIVER.

HAVING THAT CONNECTION WHERE PEOPLE CAN DRIVE UP ALL YEAR IS JUST BECOMING MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT.

SO YEAH, AS I SAID, SOME OF THE BENEFITS HERE OF THE MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY, IT WILL BE A YEAR ROUND HIGHWAY CONNECTING SOUTHERN CANADA TO THE ARCTIC OCEAN.

SO THAT IMPROVES AND PROTECTS OUR SUPPLY CHAINS THROUGHOUT THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. WE ESTABLISH A RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION LINK BETWEEN THOSE ISOLATED COMMUNITIES OR CURRENTLY ISOLATED COMMUNITIES IN THE MACKENZIE VALLEY AND, YOU KNOW, DOWN TO SOUTHERN NWT AND THEN DOWN TO THE REST OF CANADA,

[00:10:08]

THERE WILL BE MAJOR COST SAVINGS FOR THOSE NORTHERN COMMUNITIES.

IT WILL ALSO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT RESOURCE EXPLORATION, DISCOVERY IN THE AREA, DEVELOPMENT MORE PRODUCTION OF THE REGION'S MINERAL OIL AND GAS RESERVES. IT'LL STABILIZE THE COST OF LIVING FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES AND IMPROVE THE ACCESS TO GOODS AND SERVICES, REDUCE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION COSTS, AND STIMULATE LOCAL WORKFORCES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA.

IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED STRENGTHENING OF CANADA'S ARCTIC SOVEREIGNTY AND SECURITY.

SO, AS THE MINISTER MENTIONED, CONNECTING THE BASES HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE WITH THE DEFENSE UP IN INUVIK SO IT WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'LL HAVE THAT ALL SEASON HIGHWAY THAT CAN BE USED FOR DEFENSE AS WELL.

SO WHERE ARE WE AT ON THE PROJECT RIGHT NOW? THERE THERE IS A LOT GOING ON AT THE MOMENT.

YOU'LL NOTICE ALL THREE OF THE TOP THREE MILESTONES ON THIS LIST ARE ALL ONGOING AT THE MOMENT.

SO ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SIDE OF THINGS WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PROCESS WITH THE MACKENZIE VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEW BOARD.

WE EXPECT THAT THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF 2026.

WE CURRENTLY ARE WORKING ON AN ADDENDUM TO OUR DEVELOPERS ASSESSMENT REPORT THAT WE ANTICIPATE SUBMITTING IN THE SUMMER, AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOME SOME PUBLIC HEARINGS AND BACK AND FORTH AFTER THAT.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE WORKING WITH FIRST NATION, SO THE FIRST NATION GROUP OUT OF WRIGLEY ON, ON, WE HAD INITIALLY HAD A HAD A ROUTE FOR THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE ROAD.

THEY HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH WHERE THAT ROUTE WAS GOING.

SO WE'VE DEVELOPED A WORK PLAN TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM ON FIGURING OUT A ROUTE FOR THAT SOUTHERN PORTION THAT WORKS FOR THEM AND WORKS FOR US AND MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED. SO THOSE THAT WORK WITH PKFN IS ONGOING RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF TRIPS PLANNED UP THERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO TO WORK THROUGH THIS.

AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK IS ONGOING RIGHT NOW AS WELL.

WE HAVE SOME MAJOR GEOTECHNICAL WORK THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING KICKED OFF HOPEFULLY A LOT OF IT HAPPENING THIS YEAR AND THEN CONTINUING ON INTO THE FUTURE. AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'RE WE'RE HOPEFUL TO GET THE REGULATORY AUTHORIZATIONS TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR INTO 2027. AND FROM THAT POINT, MOVE FORWARD WITH PROCUREMENT AND THEN CONSTRUCTION.

SO THAT'S THE MVH. SO ARCTIC ECONOMIC AND SECURITY CORRIDOR THE AESC, IT IS A PROJECT THAT I'M SURE YOU KNOW, WAS INCLUDED ON THE SECOND TIER PRIORITY LIST OF FOR THE PROJECTS OF NATIONAL INTEREST BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA.

SO IT RECOGNIZES ITS POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM NORTHERN INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO THE CORRIDOR WILL CREATE YEAR ROUND ACCESS TO THE SLAVE GEOLOGICAL PROVINCE REGION OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

THIS WILL ENABLE RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL MINERALS RESOURCES AND IT WILL SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY TRANSMISSION.

AND SO IT WILL ALIGN THE NWT AND CANADA'S ECONOMIC AND CLIMATE PRIORITIES.

FROM THERE, IT WILL CONNECT TO THE GRAYS BAY ROAD AND PORT PROJECT, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STAGE OVER IN NUNAVUT. SO THAT PROJECT, ONCE BOTH OUR SIDE AND THEIR SIDE IS COMPLETE, WE'LL PROVIDE A CORRIDOR ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ARCTIC OCEAN AND GRAYS BAY PORT UP THERE, WHICH WILL PROVIDE, AGAIN THAT CONNECTION FROM SOUTHERN CANADA UP TO THE ARCTIC OCEAN.

SO THIS WILL ENABLE, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THAT DEFENSE AND INFRASTRUCTURE, DUAL USE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT OUR DEFENSE NEEDS AND ENSURE THAT CANADA'S PRESENCE IN THE NORTH IS PERSISTENT, RESILIENT AND INDIGENOUS LED.

THERE'S THERE'S ALL SORTS OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE SLAVE GEOLOGICAL PROVINCE.

AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THE DIAMOND MINES ARE NOW.

SO EKATI, DIAVIK, GAHCHO KUÉ, THEY'VE SUPPORTED KIND OF THE NWT ECONOMY TO A LARGE PORTION OVER THE LAST 20, 25 YEARS. AND THEN THIS REGION ALSO HOLDS A NUMBER OF OTHER CRITICAL MINERALS, AND THIS ROAD WILL HELP ACCESS THEM.

SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MINERALS LIKE LITHIUM, COBALT, ZINC, COPPER, RARE EARTH ELEMENTS, ALONG WITH THE DIAMONDS AND GOLD THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCOVERED THERE.

[00:15:05]

SO WE ARE IN THE PROJECT PLANNING STAGES RIGHT NOW.

WE, WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP WITH THE TŁĮCHǪ GOVERNMENT AND THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION.

SO THROUGH THAT WORKING GROUP, WE'RE WE'RE EXPLORING WHAT THE MODEL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR KIND OF INDIGENOUS LED PROJECT.

HOW THAT GOVERNING IS GOING TO WORK, I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE AWARE, BUT AT GEOSCIENCE CONFERENCE, THERE WAS AN MOU SIGNED BETWEEN THE TG AND THE YKDFN AND JUST, YOU KNOW, EMPHASIZING THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THE DESIRE TO WORK TOGETHER AS ONE TO GET THIS PROJECT COMPLETE. SO FROM HERE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PHASE.

SO WE'LL FOLLOW KIND OF THE SAME APPROACH THAT WE'RE DOING ON MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY THERE, WHERE WE WORK THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT. WELL, AT THE SAME TIME, DOING SOME OF THAT DEVELOPMENTAL WORK WITH, YOU KNOW ROAD DESIGN, GEOTECH WORK ALL THE PRELIMINARY WORK THAT'LL GO INTO INTO THE FULL DESIGN AND THEN THROUGH THE PERMITTING AND PROCUREMENT AND CONSTRUCTION PHASES FOR IT.

AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE ARE ON TO THE PROJECT.

SO I WILL HAND IT OVER TO ANDREW. THANKS, MIKE.

ANDREW STEWART, STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY AND SUPPLY CHAINS.

I'LL JUST TAKE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF TALTSON AND THEN WE CAN GET TO QUESTIONS.

IT'S BEEN A LONG STANDING PRIORITY FOR THE GNWT AND THE SEVEN INDIGENOUS PARTNERS WE HAVE AT THE TABLE.

THAT INCLUDES THE AKAITCHO DENE FIRST NATIONS GROUP, THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY MÉTIS NATION AND THE SALT RIVER FIRST NATION.

THE BROAD VISION HERE IS TO COLLECT, CONNECT 11 COMMUNITIES AROUND THE GREAT SLAVE LAKE AREA TO ONE INTEGRATED GRID, AS THE MINISTER HIGHLIGHTED, THERE ARE LONG WAYS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

IT'S 320KM TO INTERTIE THOSE TWO SYSTEMS. THERE'S A BUNCH OF CAPACITY IN THE SOUTH SLAVE THAT COULD SERVE PROSPECTIVE INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTH. SO IT'S A, IT'S A BIG PRIORITY, AND IT'S THERE'S A LOT OF COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THOSE GROUPS TO IDENTIFY A PATH FORWARD. IT CHECKS A LOT OF BOXES FOR VARIOUS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE IGS, THE GNWT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. IF WE CAN CONNECT THESE SYSTEMS TOGETHER, WE CAN SET THE STAGE FOR CLEAN, RENEWABLE POWER TO PROVIDE CRITICAL METALS AND COMMUNITIES WITH ENERGY.

THAT INCLUDES ELECTRIFICATION OF THINGS LIKE TRANSPORTATION AND INDUSTRIAL LOADS OF COURSE.

IT WILL BE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE SEVEN INDIGENOUS GROUPS.

WE SIGNED AN MOU BACK IN 2021 AND THEN AGAIN IN 2024 TO LOOK AT WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER.

WE USED A BUSINESS CASE DOCUMENT THAT WE DEVELOPED COLLABORATIVELY TO SOURCE FUNDING FROM THE CRITICAL METALS INFRASTRUCTURE FUND.

AND THAT CONTINUES TO SOURCE THE KEY WORK THAT'S UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW THAT I'LL GET INTO.

IT'S A LONG TERM PROJECT. THIS IS REALLY A READINESS EXERCISE.

WE'RE TRYING TO ADVANCE THE COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN THE SEVEN GROUPS THAT ARE AT THE TABLE AND THE GNWT TO DEVELOP THE BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, WE NEED TO FILE A REGULATORY APPLICATION.

WE'VE GOT A 320 KILOMETER INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDOR FROM TWIN GORGES JUST NORTH OF FORT SMITH, ABOUT 60KM AN OVERLAND TRANSMISSION LINE TO THE SOUTH END OF GREAT SLAVE LAKE.

AND THEN ANOTHER 160KM OF SUBMARINE CABLE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE NEED TO DEPLOY TO CONNECT AT YELLOWKNIFE.

SO THE PARTIES ARE DIRECTLY ENGAGED IN THIS, GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH THE TECHNOLOGY ENGAGEMENT IN THE NORTH SLAVE LOOKING AT LANDING AREAS AND SUBMARINE CABLE ALIGNMENT IS A KEY AREA OF FOCUS FOR THE YELLOWKNIVES AND THE GROUP.

AND THEN IN THE SOUTH SLAVE LOOKING AT THE CORRIDOR FROM THE TWIN GORGES FACILITY UP UP TO THE SOUTH END OF GREAT SLAVE LAKE IS IS A KEY AREA OF FOCUS FOR THE OTHER INDIGENOUS PARTNERS.

SO COLLECTIVELY, WE'RE GETTING READY TO ISSUE A STANDING OFFER AGREEMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE WORK TO BE DONE STARTING IN FEBRUARY THAT WILL BE ISSUED, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR IN PLACE TO HELP DRIVE THE KEY WORK PACKAGES THAT WILL GO OUT TO DEFINE THE BASELINE INFORMATION, THE [INAUDIBLE]. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PARTNERS ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED, LOOKING AT A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT AND HOW THEY CAN

[00:20:07]

AND SO WE'RE IN THAT PLANNING STAGE. HOPEFULLY BY 2028, WE'LL BE IN A POSITION TO DO DO PROCUREMENT AND PROCEED TO CONSTRUCTION. BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO HAVE REGULATORY APPROVALS, APPROVALS IN PLACE AND PERMITS TO PROCEED.

AND WE NEED TO HAVE A CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT TO ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WELL FUNDED TO WORK THROUGH THE PLANNING AND THE EA AND THE COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENTS PHASE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE DOLLARS TO PROCEED TO CONSTRUCTION.

AND SO THAT'S A KEY AREA OF FOCUS FOR THE GROUP RIGHT NOW.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS TO DEFINE THE COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENTS THAT THEY CAN LIVE WITH.

WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE CUSTOMER MARKET.

AND LOOKING AT CUSTOMERS NORTH AND SOUTH OF GREAT SLAVE LAKE THAT ARE PART OF THE CRITICAL METALS SPACE IN THE NWT, AND HOPEFULLY FILLING THAT GAP FOR CLEAN ENERGY TO HELP DRIVE FUTURE INVESTMENT IN THE SLAVE GEOLOGICAL PROVINCE AND THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC SECURITY CORRIDOR OVER THE LONG TERM. LEGACY IS A KEY ISSUE TO THE PARTNERS, AND ALL THE INDIGENOUS PARTIES AT THE TABLE HAVE AGREED. A FOUNDATIONAL PIECE OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE THE WILL SUPPORT THAT PROCESS.

THE MINISTER HAS BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON A BILATERAL BASIS TO TRY TO MOVE THAT FORWARD, AND WE'VE HAD RECENT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE NEW FEDERAL MINISTER RESPONSIBLE, LOOKING AT A PATHWAY THAT COULD SEE RECONCILIATION AND A AND A FORWARD LOOKING APPROACH TO RESOLVING LEGACY ISSUES WHILE WE GET THROUGH THE COMMERCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT.

THE IGS ARE MEETING REGULARLY ON THEIR OWN TO TRY AND GET COMFORTABLE WITH HOW THAT PARTNERSHIP COULD LOOK, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THAT. AS I MENTIONED, PROCUREMENT WILL GET UNDERWAY HERE IN FEBRUARY TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE BASELINE PACKAGES WE NEED TO DEVELOP TO FIGURE OUT ROUTING, LOOK AT SUBSTATION LOCATIONS, GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT IN PARTICULAR.

AND SO ALL OF THAT WILL ULTIMATELY FEED A REGULATORY APPLICATION ONCE THE PARTNERS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS, THEY'VE SEEN ADEQUATE PROGRESS ON LEGACY. AND WE'VE COMPLETED THAT BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK.

AND SO THAT'S A REALLY QUICK SNAPSHOT. THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING, OBVIOUSLY.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT FOLKS MIGHT HAVE. AND I SUSPECT THE MINISTER MIGHT WANT TO JOIN ME HERE OR TAKE OVER.

DEPUTY PREMIER BEING TAGGED BACK IN AND OVER TO COLLEAGUES FOR QUESTIONS.

WE'LL START WITH COUNCILOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIR, AND THANK YOU TO THE MINISTER AND HER COLLEAGUES AT STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE INFORMATION.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE MACKENZIE HIGHWAY.

DO WE HAVE A COST SHARING AGREEMENT ENVISIONED BETWEEN WHAT WILL BE COVERED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WHAT WILL BE COVERED BY THE TERRITORIAL? MS. WAWZONEK. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

SO THERE'S NOT A FORMAL AGREEMENT IN PLACE AT THE MOMENT.

SO TYPICALLY ARE A LOT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE 75-25 BUT NOT ALL.

SOME FUNDING WE GET IS 100% DOLLARS. AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE WHAT WE THINK ARE 100% DOLLARS OR 75% DOLLARS, THE MINUTE THERE'S A COST OVERAGE, IT'S ALL ON US.

SO WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE YOU KNOW, A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE COST IS CERTAINLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO THERE'S, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES HERE WHERE IF A PROJECT FALLS UNDER SOME OF THE DEFENSE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, THEY MAY BE AT A HIGHER RATE OF, OF COST SHARING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAN OTHERWISE.

BUT YEAH, AT THE MOMENT WE DO NOT. BUT THIS IS WHERE SOMETHING THAT I REALIZED AS I WAS SITTING HERE AND JUST LISTENING, WE DON'T HAVE IN THE SLIDES IS THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS OFFICE. SO WE NOTED THAT THE AESC IS NOW KIND OF IN ITS IN THEIR PURVIEW, IF YOU WILL BUT THE MINUTE THAT OFFICE WAS ANNOUNCED, I ASKED THE FOLKS HERE AND THEY IMMEDIATELY DID SO WAS TO GET IN TOUCH AND PUT OURSELVES SORT OF AT THE AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE OF MAKING THAT CONNECTION POINT.

I'VE NOW HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THEM IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, AND WE'RE MEETING AGAIN AT ROUNDUP, AND THEY'RE MEETING WITH THE FOLKS IN ROUNDUP.

SO THEY'RE NOT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT STRUCTURES WITHIN THEIR OFFICE IN TERMS OF HOW THEY DO THINGS.

AND SO BEING ON THAT THAT LIST WITH THE AESC IS OBVIOUSLY HELPFUL.

BUT REALLY THEY ARE THERE TO FACILITATE MAJOR PROJECTS IN THIS COUNTRY.

SO I'VE NEVER CONSIDERED US TO BE IN ANY KIND OF SECOND TIER AND CONTINUE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT ALL THREE OF THEM AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL, IT'LL UNLOCK A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING THAN NOT.

THANKS. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. THEN IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME, EXCEPT BEING THAT WE WON'T BE RECEIVING ANY SECURITY DOLLARS FOR TALTSON,

[00:25:05]

I'M ALWAYS AIMING FOR $100 [LAUGHS]. YEAH, I AGAIN, I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO PRESUPPOSE IT.

BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COMES ALMOST NATURALLY FROM WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS PEOPLE SAYING YOU CAN'T BUILD ALL THREE, YOU CAN'T AFFORD ALL THREE, YOU CAN'T DO THEM ALL AT THE SAME TIME. TO WHICH I SAY, WE NEED ALL THREE AND WE NEED IT ALL THREE 25 YEARS AGO. AND WE PROBABLY NEED ALL THREE EVEN MORE TODAY. WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING GEOPOLITICALLY RIGHT NOW.

BECAUSE, I MEAN, I CAN'T EVEN KEEP UP SOMETIMES WITH WHEN I OPEN MY PHONE, WHICH I DO REGULARLY.

SO AND I THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REALIZES THAT, AND I THINK THEY REALIZE THAT THAT IS NO MORE, MORE TRUE THAN EVER IN THE NORTH. SO I DO THINK ALL THREE ARE CRITICAL.

I, THEY WON'T GET BUILT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THEY DON'T NEED TO GET BUILT AT THE SAME TIME.

THEY PROBABLY WON'T. IF YOU KIND OF PULL THE NEXT STEP SLIDES OUT.

THE. THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING CONCURRENTLY, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME THING HAPPENING AT ANY ONE MOMENT IN TIME.

SO THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT ALL GOING TO PUT SHOVELS IN THE GROUND AND START BUILDING A HIGHWAY AT THE EXACT MOMENT IN TIME, BUT THERE IS A PATHWAY BY WHICH YOU MAY SEE CONSTRUCTION ON PHASE ONE OF THE MVH, PERHAPS PHASE TWO OR AESC NEXT.

AND IT CAN ACTUALLY BE, I THINK, QUITE COMPLIMENTARY.

SO IT'S BEEN A ROUNDABOUT QUESTION ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.

SO MAYBE I'LL JUST STOP AND WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE. AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT MINISTER.

YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE IS SOME EFFORTS BEING DONE AT ROUNDUP.

CAN YOU PROVIDE A LARGER, I GUESS, MORE INFORMATION UPON THE LOBBYING EFFORTS GOING ON TO GET ALL THREE PROJECTS? IT MAY BE ON THE NEXT LIST OF ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM MAJOR PROJECTS.

I CAN TRY. SO ROUNDUP THIS YEAR HAS A MIXED PREMIERES GOING ON AS MINISTER CLEVELAND IS, AND HER OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT ARE KIND OF THE LEAD FOR OUR PLANNING. I'LL BE THERE. AND THEN MINISTER MCDONALD IS ALSO THERE FOR FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS.

SO AS AND NORTHWEST TERRITORIES POWER CORPORATION IS GOING THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS GONE IN THE PAST, BUT THEY WENT, I THINK, LAST YEAR, AND IT WAS QUITE HELPFUL TO START TO SOLIDIFY THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO BUY POWER FROM LARGE PROJECTS IN PARTICULAR, FOR EXAMPLE. BUT YEAH, AS FAR AS LOBBYING ON ALL THREE, THEY HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TOP OF MIND FOR THE PREMIER'S OFFICE MYSELF MINISTER MCDONALD.

MR.. CLEVELAND AND THE MINUTE I SAY THAT PEOPLE WILL ASK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS, I MEAN, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE OTHER AREAS THAT THEY'RE ALSO SPEAKING ABOUT, BUT I CAN SAY THAT ALL MINISTERS ARE SPEAKING ABOUT THESE, PERHAPS EACH FROM THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE. SO, FOR INSTANCE PREMIER'S OFFICE WOULD BE THE SORT OF LEAD CONNECTION POINT IN WITH D&D.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND WITH THE PREMIER WE MET WITH THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE, AND THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN IN ALL THREE.

RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE ARE STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE INTEREST IN IN ENERGY AS WELL AS IN BOTH OF THESE CORRIDORS.

THAT CONTINUES, THAT OFFICE, THEIR OFFICE CONTINUES TO MEET WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

WE CONTINUE TO MEET WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. MAJOR PROJECTS OFFICE HAS BEEN OUR LEAD.

BUT AGAIN, WHEN PREMIER'S OFFICE IS SPEAKING TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE, I GATHER THE MAJOR PROJECTS OFFICE IS QUITE CLOSELY CONNECTED.

SO AGAIN, THE TOPIC COMES UP. SO YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO SHARE INTERNALLY WHERE WE ARE AT IN DIFFERENT PIECES.

THOSE GET THEN SHARED WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, CONNECTEDLY AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

ALL I CAN SAY IS THERE'S A THERE'S ALWAYS AT THE FRONT OF MIND FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE IT'S WE JUST CAN'T WE CANNOT LET 2026 PASS US BY.

THERE'S TOO MUCH HAPPENING IN THE WORLD TO TO NOT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY.

AND I CERTAINLY CONCUR WITH THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTIONS. NOTHING FURTHER FROM ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. NEXT WE HAVE DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, MINISTER, FOR SOME QUESTIONS ALREADY ANSWERED.

SO I DID TOUCH ON PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN THE SLIDES THERE, AND I KNOW MAJOR PROJECTS AND THE FEDS.

IT'S ALL THEY'RE ALL SAYING IT WILL HAPPEN WITH PRIVATE MONEY.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING HERE. ARE WE LOOKING AT OR HAVE YOU ENGAGED WITH PRIVATE SECTOR? I APPRECIATE THIS MAY NOT BE A LOCAL PRIVATE SECTOR BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING WITH A B BEHIND IT FOR A LOT OF THESE. SO JUST YEAH, ANY KIND OF ANYTHING HAPPEN ON THE PRIVATE INVESTMENT SIDE? YEAH. THANKS. THAT'S. YEAH, THE MAJOR PROJECTS OFFICE AND REALLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION ON MAJOR PROJECTS IS UNLOCKING PRIVATE CAPITAL.

AND PART OF THE WORK THAT THAT I'M DOING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS ARE CERTAINLY ALSO HAVING A MAJOR ROLE HERE IS TO EXPLAIN THE FACT THAT IN THE NORTH, THINGS MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND THIS ISN'T LIKE BUILDING A HIGH SPEED RAIL IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO.

AND THAT YOU WILL UNLOCK PRIVATE CAPITAL. BUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT MIGHT NOT BE IN TWO YEARS.

THIS MAY BE A SLIGHTLY LONGER LEAD TIME, WHICH ISN'T NECESSARILY WHERE A KIND OF TRADITIONAL MARKET MIGHT BE LOOKING TO PUT THEIR DOLLARS IN.

BUT IT'S WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO THE WELL, YOU DIDN'T BUILD THE TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY WITH PRIVATE CAPITAL, BUT PRIVATE CAPITAL HAS CERTAINLY COME IN ON THE BACKSIDE TO BOOSTER THE ECONOMIES OF EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY AND REGION THAT'S BEEN BUILT BECAUSE OF IT. THAT'S THE SCALE OF

[00:30:02]

THAT SAID THAT SAID, WE WERE AT THE TORONTO INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE IN THE FALL.

FIRST TIME OUR GOVERNMENT, AT LEAST THAT I'VE BEEN AWARE OF HAS HAS BEEN THERE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE. AND I MEAN, EVERYONE WANTED TO TALK TO US AND BY EVERYONE.

AND THESE ARE THE BIG MULTINATIONAL MAJOR, YOU KNOW, ALL PURPOSE CONSTRUCTION TYPE COMPANIES WHERE, I MEAN, THEY ARE BUILDING THE THINGS WITH A B BEHIND IT. LOTS OF INTEREST ON IN THESE PROJECTS FROM THEM.

WE DON'T WANT TO BE PREMATURE ABOUT IT. WE ARE LOOKING AT WE ARE DOING A PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY ON ON WHETHER OR NOT A P3 MIGHT WORK FOR AT LEAST FOR THE MVH.

THAT'S NOT CONCLUSIVE AS OF YET, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE.

RIGHT NOW, DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING PROBABLY MORE ON THE EAST SIDE TO SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THEY MIGHT HAVE.

AND AS ANDREW SAID, WE'RE JUST AT THE POINT OF TRYING TO BRING THE PARTNERS IN TOGETHER SO THEY COULD HAVE THEMSELVES A BUSINESS ENTITY THAT THAT STARTS TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS AND DECIDES, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY WANT TO SEE THEMSELVES. BUT A LOT OF INTEREST FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND PROBABLY MORE ON THE BUILDING AND THE DELIVERY AND THE MAINTENANCE AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ELSE. BUT BUT IF THAT CAN HELP BUILD THE THING, THEN IT'S BEEN OUR VIEW THAT YOU WILL SEE PRIVATE SECTOR BENEFITS FROM THIS, JUST THAT IT'S NOT IN A TWO YEAR, IT'S A 5 OR 10 YEAR.

BUT THAT'S THAT'S STILL GOOD THROUGH. THANKS.

AND THEN AS RECENT AS GEOSCIENCE THERE ARE STILL DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE ARCTIC SECURITY CORRIDOR.

YOU KNOW, WINTER ROAD, OUR SIDE ALSO ON THEIR SIDE.

SO I HEARD TODAY, LIKE THE PLAN AND THE PITCH IS ALL SEASON ROAD ALL THE WAY.

SO IS THAT IS THAT KIND OF WHAT WE'RE GOING WITH? BECAUSE I HEARD A DIFFERENT VERSION OF GEOSCIENCE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE KIND OF. WHAT ARE WE ALL TALKING ABOUT? IS IT THE SAME THING AS NUNAVUT? ARE WE NOT QUITE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING? YEAH. SO YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT A TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR.

IS THAT, LIKE, FUNDAMENTALLY SO SOME FORM OF ROAD, I'VE NOT HEARD IT BEING DESCRIBED AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE POINT IS, ALL SEASON RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A WINTER ROAD THAT MELTS EVERY YEAR TO THE TUNE OF 25 MILLION.

WHICH IS NOT REALLY THE KIND OF INVESTMENT WE THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GIVE SOME OPTIONS THAT ARE BETTER THAN THAT.

ALL SEASON ROAD HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PLAN. EXACTLY WHERE THE ROUTING WILL BE IS WHAT I THINK HAS CHANGED THE MOST.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE ROUTING THAT WAS PROPOSED ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO NOW WAS NOT NECESSARILY A ROUTE THAT WAS EVER GOING TO BEST ALIGN WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT VALUES THAT WE WANT TO BALANCE OUT. PRIMARILY AMONGST THEM BEING THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIGENOUS RECONCILIATION AND ECONOMIC RECONCILIATION SPECIFICALLY, BUT ALSO THAT THERE'S OTHER VALUES LIKE CARIBOU CALVING GROUNDS.

SO THE EXACTLY WHERE THE CURRENT ROUTE WILL FALL, I CAN'T SAY, BUT IT'S BEING DEFINED WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND AND AND WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE DIFFERENT POSSIBLE ROUTES FOR YEARS.

LANDED ON ONE AND NOW WE'RE SAYING MAYBE WE NEED TO JUST REEVALUATE THAT. BUT THAT'S THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING NOW AND WITH WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY.

AWESOME. THANK YOU. VERY EXCITING STUFF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILLOR FOOTE. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.

JUST A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS. THIS ONE COVERS THE OVERALL SCHEME.

ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO SHORTEN UP CRITICAL PATHS IF ALL PROJECTS OF ALL PROJECTS, IF THE CONDITIONS FAVOR EXPEDIENCE? YEAH. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO LET THOSE GUYS ANSWER. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY YES. BECAUSE, I MEAN, I ASKED THAT AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE SILLY, BUT I ASK IT ALL THE TIME.

AND SO LIKE, THAT'S THAT'S SORT OF WHERE YOU HAVE THE I HAVE THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO SIT WHERE I DO AND JUST SAY, I GET TO SEE THE OVERARCHING PICTURE OF IT. THE POOR FOLKS IN THE ROOM ARE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO AND SEE BUT IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME TO DO THESE THINGS.

SO SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES. I WILL SAY, I DO THINK THERE'S A REAL SENSE OF URGENCY IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

I THINK THERE'S A REAL SENSE OF URGENCY WITH US, WITH CERTAINLY WITH MINISTERS.

I HOPE THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY IN COMMUNITIES IN YOUR GOVERNMENT, OTHER GOVERNMENTS THAT THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO SORT OF BE BE REALLY PUSHING FAST.

WHICH IS HARD WHEN WE DO HAVE THESE ARE MAJOR PROJECTS.

THEY ARE BIG THINGS. WE'VE KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT THEM FOR A LONG TIME, BUT TAKING IT TO THE NEXT STEP IS GOING TO TAKE SOMETIMES A BIT OF ABILITY TO TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO TRUST ONE ANOTHER IN WAYS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEFORE. BUT WE REALLY DO NEED TO MOVE WITH SOME URGENCY.

I DO THINK EVERYONE'S FEELING THAT, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT IN THE WRONG WAY, WHICH IS WHERE THE TIME BECOMES A BIT OF TENSION.

YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE STILL FOLLOWING THE REGULATORY PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN A CO-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING PERMITTING IN A WAY THAT TAKES ALL THINGS INTO ACCOUNT. BUT YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IS THE REALITY OF THE WORLD TODAY, WHICH PUTS A BIT OF URGENCY ON US. YEAH. FOR SURE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. LAST QUESTION, DOES THE CURRENT ISSUE WITH THE SURGE TANK CORROSION IMPACT THE OVERALL READINESS TO PROVIDE SURPLUS CAPACITY AT TALTSON, OR IS THAT JUST A SHORT TERM SNAG? I GET TO TALK ABOUT TALTSON.

[00:35:05]

AND BUT TWO SECONDS TO KIND OF QUICKLY EXPLAIN WHY.

BECAUSE I THINK ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THE ARGUMENT OF WHY WE NEED TO GET MOVING ON THE TALTSON EXPANSION IN A WAY.

SO FOLKS MAY KNOW THERE WAS AN ENHANCEMENT TO TALTSON DONE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WAS SUPPOSED TO GO FROM 18 TO 22.

WILDFIRES DELAYED, EVERYTHING WAS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.

GOOD NEWS STORY. AND THEN WILDFIRES CAME ALONG AND WE HAD TO DELAY BRINGING THE SYSTEM BACK ONLINE.

BROUGHT THE SYSTEM ONLINE. LO AND BEHOLD, WE ARE NOW A STUDY PROJECT FOR UNIVERSITIES BECAUSE A STRANGE THING HAPPENS WHEN YOU LEAVE SOMETHING TO THE WINTER.

AND THE LITTLE WIDGETS THAT MOVE INSIDE THE GENERATOR MOVE JUST SLIGHTLY WITH THE COLD.

THEY HAD TO DISMANTLE THE WHOLE THING. START OVER. OKAY, GO TO WATER IT UP.

GOOD NEWS. DISCOVER THAT THE SURGE TANK HAS CORROSION.

THESE ARE, THESE ARE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT BUILT IN THE 1970S, WHICH IS WHEN I COME BACK TO THE URGENCY OF FIXING THE SYSTEM, CONNECTING THE GRID AND MODERNIZING THE GRID IS THAT WE'RE RUNNING ALL OF US ON 1970S PIECES OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT JUST HAVEN'T BEEN SUFFICIENTLY NOT NECESSARILY MAINTAINED.

I THINK THEY'VE BEEN MAINTAINED, BUT NOT REPLACED AND NOT BROUGHT UP TO SPEED. AND IT'S REALLY URGENT TO DO IT.

SO IT RIGHT NOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO BE PROBABLY ONLINE BY THIS SPRING.

WE'RE NOT PROBABLY ONLINE THIS SPRING. BUT YEAH, IT TELLS THE STORY OF WHAT IF WE HAD BEEN CONNECTED, IF THE TWO GRIDS WERE CONNECTED, THEN ALL THE DIESEL WE BUILT DURING OUR LOW WATER WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE. AND THE DIESEL THEY'RE BURNING NOW WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.

THEY'D BE RUNNING ON OUR HYDRO. BUT HERE WE ARE.

ALL RIGHT. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILMAN MCLENNAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANKS FOR COMING. AND YEAH, THANKS FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM PUSHING SEVERAL LARGE BOULDERS UPHILL.

AND MY APOLOGIES, BUT I'M GOING TO DRAG YOU BACK TO THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC SECURITY CORRIDOR.

DOES THE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOTAL YEARLY COST TO MAINTAIN SUCH AN ALL SEASON ROAD IN A REMOTE AREA LIKE THAT? YEAH, THANKS FOR THAT. SO I MEAN, INSOFAR AS WE MAINTAIN ROADS LIKE THAT ELSEWHERE IN THE TERRITORY.

SO THERE'S THE NUNAVIK HIGHWAY, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO MAINTAIN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THE [INAUDIBLE] IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT GETS USED AND EVEN THE WINTER ROADS THAT GET BUILT EVERY YEAR. SO I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME.

BUT I WILL SAY THAT THERE ARE THESE ANALOGOUS SITUATIONS THAT WE CAN USE TO COMPARE.

SO FIGURING OUT WHAT THE COST WOULD BE IS BASED ON THOSE EXPERIENCES.

THANK YOU. AND BASED ON THAT, IS THERE AN UNDERSTANDING OF SORT OF THE LEVEL OF PRIVATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT NEEDED IN THAT 5 TO 10 YEAR WINDOW TO ALLOW THOSE OPERATIONAL COSTS TO BE PAID FOR AND NOT SADDLED ON GOVERNMENT? YEAH. THANKS. SO I MEAN, I WOULD EXPECT AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT MAINTENANCE OF THE HIGHWAY IS STILL LIKELY TO BE A GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY, WHETHER IT'S A GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY IN THE INUVIK TUK STYLE, WHICH IS THAT IT IS PURELY AN ASSET OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND WE PAY A CONTRACTOR ANNUALLY, OR WHETHER IT'S IN THE TASER STYLE, WHICH IS A P3 PROJECT, AND IT'S BUILT IN. AND SO YOU CAN LOOK ON OUR BUDGET DOCUMENTS, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A LINE ITEM IN THE LONG TERM BORROWING THAT SHOWS THE [INAUDIBLE].

AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE THIS CONSISTENT PLANNED OUT AMOUNT THAT WE PAY. WHEREAS IF YOU GET INTO THE FINER DETAILS OF OUR SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S AN AMOUNT EVERY YEAR THAT SEEMS TO GO UP FOR THE FOR THE INUVIK TUK STRETCH OF HIGHWAY.

BUT THEY'VE HAD SOME PRETTY AWFUL WEATHER. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT DEPENDS ON HOW WE STRUCTURE THE PROJECTS.

I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY THE FINAL DELIVERY MECHANISM HERE TODAY.

NOR DO CAN I NECESSARILY SAY WHAT ROLE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS MIGHT PLAY LONG TERM IN WANTING TO BE PART OF, OF SERVICING THESE STRETCHES OF ROAD. SO YOU KNOW, WE DO LOOK AT THE TOTAL O&M AND WE'VE CERTAINLY BUILT INTO CAPITAL PLANNING PROCESSES A BETTER PROCESS FOR BRINGING THAT O&M TO THE FOREFRONT.

I JUST DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME NOW, BUT IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE PART OF A FINAL DECISION BEFORE IT GOES FORWARD.

AND LAST THING I'LL SAY IS I DON'T NECESSARILY AGAIN, BACK TO I DON'T THINK THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT HERE IS GOING TO BE ON THAT.

IS IT GOING TO PAY FOR ITSELF IN A YEAR STRETCH? IT WILL BE A LONGER TERM THING. THE GOAL, OF COURSE, IS TO SEE THE ECONOMY DEVELOP OTHER RESOURCES SO THAT OUR TAX REVENUES INCREASE, OUR CORPORATE TAX REVENUES, INCREASE OUR PRIVATE TAX REVENUES INCREASE, SO ON AND SO FORTH, WHICH THEN INCREASES THE FISCAL CAPACITY OF THE GOVERNMENT TO DO THINGS LIKE PAY FOR MORE STRETCHES OF ROAD.

THANKS. YEAH, VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT O&M IS IS IN THAT THINKING.

AND THEN JUST A FINAL ONE, JUST HAVING FLOWN FLOATPLANES ALL OVER THIS AREA, KNOWING HOW MANY LAKES AND RIVERS AND HOW CHALLENGING AND REMOTE THIS AREA IS ALONG THIS ROUTE. I'M NERVOUS ABOUT POURING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, TIME AND POLITICAL CAPITAL INTO WHAT? LIKE NOT SAYING IT WILL END UP THIS WAY, BUT, LIKE, COULD BE A CANAL TYPE PROJECT THAT, LIKE, OPERATES FOR A FEW YEARS, AND THEN THERE ISN'T THE SUPPORT AND MONEY AND THEN IT JUST TURNS INTO A HIKING TRAIL.

WHAT MAKES THE GNWT CONFIDENT THAT THE TIME, MONEY AND POLITICAL CAPITAL BEING INVESTED IN THIS PROJECT IS IS WORTH IT?

[00:40:07]

YEAH. I MEAN, THE LONG TERM O&M OF IT. LOOK, I, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON THIS.

I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU LOOK AT A MAP OF THE COUNTRY AND YOU SEE THAT THE ONLY ROAD THAT REALLY GOES NORTH OF LIKE, KIND OF 62 DEGREES IS OVER ON THE DEMPSTER, WHICH IS OVER ON THE WESTERN END OF THE COUNTRY, TUCKED UP KIND OF BESIDE ALASKA. AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, 40% OF THE LAND MASS, WHICH IS ALL THREE TERRITORIES HAVE REALLY NO CAPACITY FOR MOVING AROUND, FOR PROVIDING ANY KIND OF ACCESS TO EXPLORATION, ANY KIND OF ACCESS FROM A SECURITY PERSPECTIVE.

SO THE ROAD, IN MY VIEW, IN THAT SENSE, BOTH OF OUR ROADS, ONE THAT'S A LITTLE MORE KIND OF, WE'LL SAY WEST CENTRAL AND ONE THAT'S A LITTLE MORE CENTRAL ARE BOTH PRETTY ESSENTIAL.

SO JUST STRATEGICALLY IN TERMS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE INVESTMENTS, THERE ARE MULTIPLE MINERAL RESOURCE PROJECTS AND EXPLORATION HITS THROUGHOUT THAT AREA THAT HAVE SPUN AROUND, AND THEY'RE POSITIVE.

AND IF THEY WERE ELSEWHERE IN THIS COUNTRY, THEY'D BE DEVELOPED.

BUT THE QUESTION BECOMES, WELL, BUT THE ECONOMICS, THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF DEVELOPING THEM DOESN'T MAKE SENSE WHERE THEY CAN GO AND PUT THEIR INVESTMENT DOLLARS ELSEWHERE, TAKE A RESOURCE PROJECT THAT IS LOWER VALUE BUT EASIER TO ACCESS THAN ARE HIGHER GRADE RESOURCES HERE.

BUT THEY'RE MORE EXPENSIVE TO ACCESS. SO AGAIN, BACK TO I DON'T I'M NOT GOING TO SUGGEST THAT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS QUICK.

BUT ZERO FROM ZERO WILL BE ZERO AND ZERO FROM SOMETHING WILL BE MORE.

YEAH. THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING AND FOR THE UPDATE AND ALL THE WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANKS, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

CAROLYN ET AL. FIRST QUESTION. I JUST NOTICED ON THE FIRST SLIDE, THE MAJOR PROJECT SLIDE WHERE IT HAD THE SUMMARY, I GUESS THE BULLETS FOR EACH OF THE PROJECTS, OBVIOUSLY TWO OF THEM ARE LINKED IN A BULLET EXPLICITLY WRITTEN ON THE PAPER TO ARCTIC SOVEREIGNTY AND SECURITY. AND I NOTICED THE NEW TWIST ON THE MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY OR THE NEW THE NEW WORDS USED IN THAT PRESENTATION, WHICH WERE GOOD TO SEE. I'M JUST CURIOUS. THE TALTSON HYDRO EXPANSION, I GUESS, BY VIRTUE OF NO MENTION ON THIS SLIDE.

I GUESS THERE IS NO CURRENT THINKING OF HOW IT'S BEING LINKED TO SOVEREIGNTY OR SECURITY.

AND THE REASON I'M ASKING THAT IS I RECOGNIZE THERE'S LOTS OF MONEY FLOATING AROUND IN IDEAS IN THAT SPACE.

SO, YEAH. IS IS THAT TRUE THAT IT'S NOT IN ANY WAY KIND OF SUPPORTING THOSE GOALS? THANKS FOR THAT. I MEAN, I DID WE JUST RUN OUT OF ROOM ON THE SLIDE PERHAPS, BUT NO, I, I I'M JUST KIDDING.

IT'S LOOK, I DO THINK THE TALTSON FACILITY AND THE ENERGY EXPANSION THERE IS ACTUALLY QUITE CLOSELY TIED TO THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC SECURITY CORRIDOR, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF YOU CAN START TO CREATE RESILIENCY AND NOT JUST THINK LIKE THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE PUT FORWARD.

AND WHEN WE SPEAK TO OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT IT, IF YOU ARE CONNECTING THIS TO HYDRO GRIDS, BRINGING 70% OF THE POPULATION OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ONTO A SYSTEM THAT IS HYDROPOWER BASED AND HAS REDUNDANCY, AND IT HAPPENS TO BE IN AND AROUND THE LANDING OR STARTING POINT FOR THAT ROAD.

YOU KNOW WHETHER PHASE THREE OF TALTSON BRINGS SOME SORT OF LINE UP THE SECURITY CORRIDOR ITSELF, WHETHER IT'S SIMPLY THE BEGINNING OF A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN START TO ACCESS SOME SORT OF OF, YOU KNOW, ENERGY RENEWABLES. AGAIN, I CAN'T NECESSARILY SEE INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT THAT HIGHWAY WOULD BRING. BUT A LONG TERM VISION OF THE HIGHWAY IS THAT IT DOES HAVE AN ENERGY COMPONENT, THAT IT DOES HAS TELECOMMUNICATIONS ON IT.

BUT WITHOUT CONNECTING OUR TWO GRIDS, WE'RE NOT WE WILL NOT BE IN A POSITION TO PROVIDE ANY KIND OF MEANINGFUL ENERGY UP, UP THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR WITH TWO HYDRO GRIDS WHERE WE START TO HAVE SOME RESILIENCY AND SOME SUSTAINABILITY.

WE ARE SO IN THAT SENSE ALONE IT CERTAINLY DOES.

BUT BEYOND THAT, TALKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT IS FLOATING AROUND, A BIG THING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES CONTINUE TO BE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS INTERTIES. SO WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS FROM ALBERTA SAYING, HEY, GEE, DO YOU GUYS WANT TO CONNECT INTO US? AND I SAY, WELL, YES, EXCEPT THE PROBLEM IS SOUTH SIDE OF THE LAKE DOESN'T NEED YOUR POWER.

NORTH SIDE OF THE LAKE NEEDS YOUR POWER, AND THE CLOSEST PLACE FOR US TO CONNECT TAKES US DOWN TO WHERE YOU GUYS ARE BURNING COAL. AND I DON'T REALLY WANT THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE'RE WE'RE STUCK WITH NO, NO VIABLE PATHWAY FOR HAVING INTERTIES DOWN TO ALBERTA.

SO FROM A FUNDING PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS OUR INTERTIE PROJECT, ALONG WITH SOME AGAIN, NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM PROVIDENCE OR WATTIE OR SOME OF THE OTHER SMALLER ONES, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR INTERTIES, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF STILL INTEREST IN SHORING UP ENERGY SYSTEMS. AWESOME. THANKS. AND THANKS FOR THAT COAL COMMENT. I DON'T THINK I EVER REALIZED THAT BEFORE, SO IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HAVE ON THE PUBLIC RECORD. [LAUGHS] NO,

[00:45:04]

I NOTICED IN THE TALTSON IN THE THIRD, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND THE REGULATORY STEPS ARE TOGETHER.

AND IN THE OTHER TWO, IT'S NOT AND I DON'T KNOW, I WAS JUST ASKING IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL OR NOT, BECAUSE THERE ARE PROVISIONS WITHIN THE MACKENZIE VALLEY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT TO HAVE INTEGRATED PROCESSES WHERE THOSE TWO THINGS CAN KIND OF BE DONE IN OVERLAPPING OR PARALLEL ISH TIMELINES.

AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH ANY OF THESE THREE PROJECTS TO REALLY PUSH THE REGULATORS TO EXPLORE THAT AND MAKE THAT WORK, BECAUSE THE LEGISLATION ALLOWS FOR IT. SO I JUST SAY I'D BE REMISS TO NOT LET THESE GUYS ANSWER A QUESTION.

SO. THANKS. THANKS, MINISTER. OF COURSE, THE REGULATORY PROCESS, THE EA AND THE PERMITTING PHASE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK UNDERWAY TO LOOK AT HOW THOSE THINGS CAN BE STREAMLINED.

AND EA INITIATION PACKAGE WAS ORIGINALLY THE PLAN.

NOW THERE'S MORE OF AN INTEGRATED COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT'S EMERGED.

WE HAVEN'T GOT INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT OF COURSE WE WILL BE PLANNING ON THAT BASIS IN HOPES THAT WE CAN TAKE THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY GONE A SIGNIFICANT WAY THROUGH THE EA PROCESS. SO OUR HYDRO ASSET WAS WAS VERY MUCH THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE MACKENZIE VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEW BOARD AND HAD A RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL.

THAT DESIGN IS IS UNCHANGED. AND SO THE TRANSMISSION LINE CORRIDOR IS THE MAJOR NEW ELEMENT.

BUT IN A NUTSHELL WE ABSOLUTELY WOULD LIKE TO STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS AND, AND HAVE APPROVALS FOR BOTH THE TRANSMISSION AND HYDRO ASSET.

COOL. THANKS. AND MAYBE ON A SIMILAR QUESTION, JUST WITH THE ARCTIC ECONOMIC AND SECURITY CORRIDOR RECOGNIZING IT'S NEW ISH IS THE THINKING, ALONG WITH ITS INDIGENOUS PARTNERS, OF DOING DIRECT ENTRY TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT? YEAH, I GUESS I'LL SPEAK BOTH TO MVH AND AESC, BUT ON THE MVH FIRST, JUST BECAUSE IT'S FIRST IN MY NOTES WE ARE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

SO IT'S ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED. SO IT'S IT'S IN THE PROCESS.

SO THAT'S WHY IT'S KIND OF KEPT SEPARATELY THERE.

WITH THE ASK WE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CERTAINLY LOOK AT WHATEVER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO US WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS ON THAT ONE TO, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH THE PROCESS THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED AND DOES STREAMLINE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR GROUP.

I THINK THE I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE MAJOR PROJECTS OFFICE.

JUST RECOGNIZING THAT BILL C-5 IS LARGELY, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T AFFECT OR STAYS AWAY FROM ALL THE LEGISLATION IN THE TERRITORIES.

JUST CURIOUS, MPO'S ROLE UP HERE WITH ANY OF THESE THREE MAJOR PROJECTS.

AND YEAH, HOW WE HOW WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US OR SUPPORT OR BE INVOLVED.

THANKS. I MEAN, I MEAN, I'LL, I'LL TAKE ALL THE HELP THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE US AND NOT TO BE WORRIED ABOUT IT LIKE I WHEN WE'VE MET WITH THEM.

THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH THEM WAS REALLY A OKAY, ZOOM OUT, LET'S GET A MAP OUT AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ENTIRE ARCTIC SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE EVERYTHING IS AND WHICH IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT? I MEAN, A LOT OF OFFICIALS AND BUREAUCRATS, EVEN EVEN PRIVATE SECTOR FOLKS FROM DOWN SOUTH, DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THESE THREE PROJECTS FIT TOGETHER, LET ALONE WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE NUNAVIK SIDE, LET ALONE WHAT THIS CORRIDOR. SOMETHING THING IS OVER IN NORTHWESTERN, YOU KNOW, IN SOUTHERN, SOUTHERN YUKON AND NORTHERN B.C.. I DON'T THINK THEY SEE HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER AS A COUNTRY.

AND SO GIVING A MINUTE FOR THEM, THAT WAS THE FIRST MEETING WAS REALLY LET'S SITUATE OURSELVES AND UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY AND THE NEED IN THE NORTH.

AND WE'VE BUILT FROM THERE IN THE CONVERSATIONS OF SORT OF DRILLING DOWN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE UNIQUENESS OF EACH OF OUR THREE PROJECTS, WHY EACH ONE IS DIFFERENT, AND EACH ONE IS ESSENTIAL, EVEN IF THEY COME IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SCALE OR TIMELINE.

WHAT SORT OF ONE OF THE NEXT STEPS THAT I'M HOPING TO SEE FROM THEM IS SOME SUPPORT IN TERMS OF STRUCTURING THESE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH TALTSON GETTING THE MOU PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH TO A PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A JOINT VENTURE OR PARTNERSHIP, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, NOT FOR ME TO DEFINE, BUT FOR THEM TO DEFINE.

BUT HAVING SOME SUPPORT FROM AN ENTITY LIKE MAJOR PROJECTS TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S A GROUP OF FOLKS WHO BUILD AND DESIGN LARGE THINGS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND SPECIFICALLY [INAUDIBLE] FROM THE ENERGY SECTOR.

SO TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT, THERE WOULD BE GREAT OTHER ANOTHER AVENUE THAT WE WOULD SEE THEIR SUPPORT FROM IS SOMETIMES TO ALSO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR US WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT THE MAJOR PROJECTS FOR US MIGHT NOT BE FUNDED FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR THE WAY SOMETHING DOWN SOUTH MIGHT BE,

[00:50:04]

SO AGAIN, SOME OF IT IS A BIT OF TRANSLATION WORK THAT MIGHT SOMETIMES NEED TO HAPPEN IN ADVOCACY WORK. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. BUT YEAH, SO HELPING TO STRUCTURE THESE ARRANGEMENTS, HELPING TO STRUCTURE WHAT THE PROJECTS CAN LOOK LIKE, HOW THEY GET FINANCED, HOW THE FINANCE GETS STACKED. THAT IS, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT THEY, I KNOW HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO.

AND WE'RE HOPING TO TO SEE THAT FROM THEM. AWESOME.

THANK YOU. AND THANKS FOR EVERYBODY'S RESPONSES SO FAR.

JUST ONE MORE QUESTION. AND I'M ASKING THIS BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE IN THE REGULATORY SPACE, JUST OF SOME OF THE SOME OF THE BARRIERS IN THE REAL LIFE CHALLENGES THAT HAVE COME UP WORKING ACROSS THE MACKENZIE VALLEY AND RECOGNIZING THAT WHAT THE TALTSON PROJECT LARGELY BEING IN THE SOUTH OF THE LAKE AND ACROSS THE LAKE IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE NOT SETTLED LAND CLAIMS RIGHT NOW.

SO IT'S VERY TRICKY FOR A LOT OF THOSE GROUPS WITHOUT READINESS AND CAPACITY AND CONSISTENT FUNDING AND THOSE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, ARRANGEMENTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON IS OBVIOUSLY A REALLY BIG PART OF FINDING ECONOMIC RECONCILIATION AND A BIG WIN.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS THAT COMMERCIAL EXPERTISE BEING PROVIDED BY THE TO THOSE GROUPS? AND I ASK THAT FROM A RECENT RECOMMENDATION WHERE WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF GROUPS SOUTH OF THE LAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, OFTEN WHAT THEY REALLY JUST NEED IS SOMEONE WHO'S EXTERNAL FROM ANYBODY ELSE, WHO'S BEING GIVEN TO THEM TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROCESS WITH THE EXPERTISE.

AND THAT WAS A A SMOOTHER WAY, I GUESS, TO MOVE FORWARD, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNICAL, REGULATORY, ENVIRONMENTAL OR FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS.

AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS ABLE TO SPEAK ON IN THE CONTEXT.

WEARING MY COUNSELOR HAT IS LIKE JUST KNOWING HOW THE GAME IS WORKING THESE DAYS AND WITH ITS INDIGENOUS PARTNERS.

WELL, THANKS. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND I MEAN, I THINK WHEN I WAS EARLIER SORT OF SAYING THAT THERE'S AN URGENCY AND THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE THE URGENCY, IT'S IT'S ALSO IN SEEING THE HOW CAN WE STEP BACK TO CREATE THAT SPACE, BUT TO NOT LEAVE A VOID? THAT IS THE THAT IS THE TRICK.

SO THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL, LET ME START WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

DON'T SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT I CAN READ THEIR BUDGET AND THERE IS A LINE ITEM IN THERE THAT WAS RATHER SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF FUNDING AND SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS IN THE REGULATORY PROCESSES. SOME OF THAT'S FOR THEIR OWN SYSTEMS INTERNALLY.

BUT SOME OF THAT, I UNDERSTAND, WILL BE TO SUPPORT INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS TO BETTER PARTICIPATE IN, MORE EFFECTIVELY PARTICIPATE. THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A NEED FOR OUR OWN CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE NORTH TO BE AVAILABLE AS THE ADVISERS, BRINGING ADVISERS IN FROM DOWN SOUTH OBVIOUSLY CAN BRING GREAT PERSPECTIVE, BUT SOMETIMES BRINGS A PERSPECTIVE THAT THAT STILL NEEDS SOME CONTEXTUALIZATION.

SO HAVING THE FUNDING THERE TO HIRE AN EXTERNAL STILL NEEDS TO HAVE THE RIGHT EXTERNAL PERSON THERE.

BUT WE CERTAINLY DO PROVIDE SOME FUNDING THERE.

I KNOW WE'RE GOING INTO OUR OWN MAIN ESTIMATES PROCESS LOOKING AT YOU KNOW, WHERE CAN WE WHAT CAN WE DO OR WHAT CAN WE, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE FUND AREAS THAT MIGHT HELP SUPPORT THINGS LIKE THAT? FROM WITHIN, OBVIOUSLY A FAIRLY SMALL OPERATING BUDGET. BUT YEAH, SO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES THAT. WE'VE CERTAINLY GOT SOME FUNDING THERE. BUT AND LOOKING AGAIN TO TO WHERE WE MIGHT LAND, KIND OF WANT TO TURN THIS BACK OVER TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST HOW OUR CURRENT FUNDING IS WORKING TO DO THAT. SO, ANDREW. THANKS, MINISTER.

YES, OF COURSE. WE WANT TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS.

WE HAVE CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS THAT GO ANNUALLY TO SUPPORT SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES, AND THAT INCLUDES COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, WORK ON LEGACY, WORK ON TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE.

BUT IT IS A FINE LINE, AS THE MINISTER SAYS, WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE A VOID, BUT WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES AND THE CONTEXT TO THE PARTIES THAT THEY HIRE, ULTIMATELY, SO THAT THEY CAN GET GOOD INDEPENDENT ADVICE AND PARTICIPATE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT INCLUDES US. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE BALANCE THAT WE TRY TO STRIKE.

MR.. THAT'S ALL FOR ME. THANKS, GUYS. THANK YOU.

THEN JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR MYSELF. ONE IS MINISTER, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ENERGY DURING YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU YOU SORT OF LEANED INTO SOME OF THE OTHER SMALLER PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE TERRITORY.

IF YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE, I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITHOUT THAT CHANCE. SO IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE OTHER SMALLER NON ENERGY PROJECTS.

WE CAN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT ENERGY PERHAPS ON ANOTHER DAY, I REALLY ENERGY IS AN AREA OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES POWER CORPORATION. BUT EVEN WITH STRATEGIC ENERGY AND IT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST COST DRIVERS FOR PEOPLE IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COST DRIVERS FOR BUSINESS AND A HUGE COST DRIVER FOR THE GOVERNMENT.

SO YOU KNOW, EVEN AS THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE OUR OWN FISCAL SITUATION, GETTING OUR ENERGY SYSTEMS TO A PLACE THAT IS MORE SUSTAINABLE WOULD BE HUGE.

[00:55:01]

BUT AND WHILE IT CONNECTS 70% OF RESIDENTS AND THEREFORE THE BUSINESSES ASSOCIATED, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES NOT ON THAT.

AND EVEN BEYOND THAT. SO WE ARE LOOKING TO CONNECT FORT PROVIDENCE AND KAKISA THAT DISTRIBUTION NETWORK TO THE HYDRO FACILITY IN THE SOUTH RIGHT NOW.

LOOKING TO GET TRANSMISSION LINES AS FAR AS RIGHT NOW ON THE NORTH SIDE'S GRID.

SO ADDS INCREMENTALLY IN TERMS OF RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, BUT ALSO INCREASES THE VIABILITY OF, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OTHER INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS, COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, AS YOU TAKE THE GRIDS FURTHER OUT BECAUSE SOME OF THE EXPLORATION YOU KNOW, FISHERY, YOU KNOW, SO ON AND SO FORTH, TOURISM ARE NOT NECESSARILY ON, ON THE GRIDS RIGHT NOW.

SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THE TRANSMISSION PROJECTS.

THERE'S ALSO THE WORK THAT I HOPE FOLKS DON'T FORGET.

THIS IS HAPPENING. THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A LIST OF ABOUT TEN, JUST OVER TEN DIFFERENT POLICY PROPOSALS THAT WAS TRANSMITTED FROM THE GNWT TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. I WANT TO SAY ROUGHLY A YEAR AGO NOW, IT'S A GREAT LIST.

IT STARTS OFF WITH SOMETHING LIKE INTEGRATED SYSTEMS PLANNING WHICH IS A FANCY WAY OF SAYING THAT WE HAVE AN ACTUAL MEANINGFUL PLAN FOR THIS WHOLE TERRITORY OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO FIX OUR ENERGY SYSTEM. HUGE UNDERTAKING BUT VERY EXCITING WORK.

AND THINGS LIKE BEING AN INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCER. SO FOR IF, LET'S SAY DELANEY, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE TO GET A MICROHYDRO FACILITY, THEY ARE ON GREAT BEAR LAKE OR LUTSELK'E.

YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY INTERCONNECT THAT SYSTEM IN TO THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS THERE? IT'S NOT, YOU DON'T JUST PLUG IT IN THE WALL. RIGHT.

BECAUSE PEOPLE MIGHT SOMETIMES THINK, WELL, YOU JUST PUT IT IN AND THEN THERE'S POWER. IT IS MORE COMPLICATED. SO ALL OF THESE TYPES OF THINGS, IT'S IT'S REALLY EXCITING WORK THAT'S HAPPENING. IT'S ALL HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. BACK TO THE THEME OF URGENCY.

I MEAN, IT COULD IT'S IT'S EXTREMELY EXCITING.

BUT YEAH, IT'S KIND OF URGENT TOO. BUT IT'S HAPPENING.

SO I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

YEAH. IT'S ALWAYS ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU NEED THE BIG THINGS, BUT YOU NEED A LOT OF LITTLE SMALL THINGS TOO, TO ADD UP. SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO BACKSTOP A LOT OF THIS WORKS IN TERMS OF THE LOGISTICS MOVING PEOPLE IN AND OUT.

D AND D INVESTMENT IS YELLOWKNIFE AS A NASH SITE IS THE AIRPORT? SO I KNOW THAT THE AIRPORT ISN'T ON THIS MAJOR PROJECTS LIST, BUT HOW DO YOU SEE THAT LINKING IN? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE GOVERNMENT LEANING INTO IT OR TRYING TO GET PRIVATE INVESTMENT INTO INVESTING IN OUR AIRPORT IN YELLOWKNIFE.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT OF STAKE IN, BUT DON'T HAVE REAL STAKE PER SE IN TERMS OF OPERATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENT, BUT SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOES, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BACKSTOP ALL OF THIS OTHER CONVERSATION.

THANKS. SO I YEAH, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND DON'T WANT TO PURPORT TO, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT THIS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SEEING AN URGENCY ABOUT SOVEREIGNTY, SECURITY AND DEFENSE ACROSS THE THREE TERRITORIES, BEING THE ARCTIC AND SUBARCTIC OF CANADA AND IS REALIZING JUST HOW LACKING WE ARE IN, YOU KNOW, ENABLING INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SOME MIGHT CALL IT DUAL USE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THE DEFINITION FOR THAT TERM IS 100% SHORED UP JUST YET.

BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE DEFENSE BUT FOR A PARTICULAR TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR EXTENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE DOESN'T OPERATE WITH THE SAME CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY AS IT DOES ELSEWHERE, AND IT HAPPENS TO BE SOMETHING LIKE AN AIRPORT THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ALSO USE.

WELL AND THE AIRPORT IS PROBABLY A GOOD EXAMPLE.

THERE'S A LOT OF INVESTMENTS, OF COURSE, ALREADY HAPPENING UP ON THE INUVIK RUNWAY. BUT THE YELLOWKNIFE AIRPORT IS ALSO UNDER SOME STRAIN AND IS WELL NIGH READY FOR SOME CAPACITY. SO AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

I THINK THEY'RE AWARE OF THE SECURITY NEEDS. AND YEAH, AS FAR AS WHERE IT FITS IN FOR US, I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE IT ALL AND I DON'T. AND I DON'T MEAN THAT KIND OF FACETIOUSLY.

I MIGHT HAVE BEEN KIND OF GLIB ABOUT THAT FIVE YEARS AGO.

I DON'T THINK WE CAN BE ANYMORE. I THINK THERE IS THERE'S A LOT OF URGENCY IN THE WORLD TO TO SAY, OKAY, LET'S TAKE A HARD LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE, AND LET'S JUST START TO ACTION OURSELVES TO GET THERE AND AND WRINGING OUR HANDS ABOUT WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IS NOT IT'S NOT THE TIME FOR THAT. IT'S TIME TO JUST ACTUALLY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED AND TO TO PUSH FORWARD. I DO THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEES IT, AND A LOT OF THE JOB THAT WE HAVE, ALL LEVELS OF OUR GOVERNMENTS, IS TO TAKE WHATEVER OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE TO SOMETIMES TRANSLATE THE NEEDS OF THE NORTH, WHICH MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE QUITE THE NEEDS OF THE SOUTH, AND TRANSLATE THE URGENCY SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY THEN TURN THAT INTO ACTION ON A FEDERAL LEVEL. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I GUESS MY LAST QUESTION, AND I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT AS GOVERNMENTS, BUT MAYBE FOR THIS, CONSIDERING YOU'RE IN FRONT OF GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE COUNCILS, GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEES, WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY NEED FROM US AS MUNICIPALITIES COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT THIS WORK GOING FORWARD? IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FEDS, IN YOUR OWN WORK AND WORK WITH INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS.

WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US TO MAKE THESE PROJECTS REALITY?

[01:00:04]

ONE, FIRST ONE, MAYBE BE SORT OF TANGIBLE WHEN THERE ARE REGULATORY HEARINGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AND OR PUBLIC HEARINGS OR EVEN JUST COMMUNITY INFORMATION SESSIONS, REALLY, FIRSTLY, GETTING INFORMATION OUT SO PEOPLE KNOW AND THEY CAN ATTEND.

SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE. AND I'M CONSCIOUS THERE'S LOTS OF FOLKS IN THE ROOM.

SO THAT'S GREAT. BUT ALSO THOSE REGULATORY HEARINGS THEMSELVES WHEN THEY ARE UNDERWAY THAT IF PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF PROJECTS THAT THEY PLEASE SHOW UP AND SAY, SO IT'S TOO EASY TO WAIT AND TO NOT SHOW UP AND TO LET SOMEONE WHO'S UNHAPPY SHOW UP, BUT TO TO HEAR IF THERE IS, IN FACT, A GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT FOR SOMETHING THAT IS TREMENDOUSLY POWERFUL, EITHER WRITING A LETTER OR OTHERWISE.

SO SO IT'S THAT ROLE, PARTICULARLY AS LEADERS WHO THEN YOU EACH HAVE YOUR OWN NETWORKS THAT YOU, THAT YOU CAN SPEAK FOR OR ON BEHALF OF. SO SHOWING UP AND DEMONSTRATING THAT THERE'S SUPPORT FOR A PROJECT IS HUGE.

A LITTLE ZOOMING OUT, A LITTLE HIGHER. SECOND SUGGESTION IS, AS I ALLUDED TO PREVIOUSLY CONVEYING THE SENSE OF TRANSLATION SOMETIMES AN URGENCY TO FEDERAL COUNTERPARTS, FEDERAL COLLEAGUES, ALL OF YOU, I KNOW, HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT WITH FEDERAL MINISTERS, WITH COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. AND GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT WHAT MAY BE DIFFERENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER I'M TALKING ABOUT RETURN ON INVESTMENT TIMELINE, WHETHER I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DOUBLING OUR HYDRO CAPACITY TO 60 MEGS DOESN'T SOUND REALLY EXCITING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY DEAL IN MASSIVE SIZES.

BUT FOR US, IT'S HUGE. AND IT COMES WITH A CONNECTED GRID.

SO SOMETIMES TRANSLATING THAT THE NEEDS THAT MIGHT NOT SOUND AS EXCITING WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH DIFFERENT SIZE AND SCALE DOWN SOUTH ARE ACTUALLY IMPACTFUL.

AND THAT WHILE 5 BILLION WON'T CHANGE A LOT ON A HIGH SPEED RAIL DOWN IN THE QUARTER IN ONTARIO, IT WILL BE GAME CHANGING UP IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

SO ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU INTERACT WITH LEADERS FROM FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS, EVEN EVEN PROVINCIAL COUNTERPARTS, CITY COUNTERPARTS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE FOUND THAT OTHER MINISTERS FROM OTHER PROVINCES, REALLY, THEY ALL STAND UP AND SAY, HEY, WAIT BY THIS, I'M SEEING ALL THIS, BUT DON'T WORRY, I WANT TO JUST MAKE A POINT THAT TERRITORIES MIGHT WHAT I'VE JUST SAID MIGHT NOT APPLY TO THEM. AND I APPRECIATE THAT THEY DO THAT. SO SO YEAH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN CARRY THAT MESSAGE, ALL OF US, I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S THE LAST MY QUESTIONS. FINAL CHANCE COLLEAGUES, ANYTHING FURTHER FOR MINISTER WAWZONEK? WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY.

AS YOU SAID, THE COMMUNICATIONS IS SO IMPORTANT.

SO THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS TOO. THANKS.

[5. A memorandum regarding whether to: 1. collaborate with the GNWT to investigate the feasibility of hosting 2035 Canada Winter Games; and 2. direct Administration to establish an administrative working group to review, analyze and develop recommendations with respect to the advisability of hosting the 2035 Canada Winter Games.]

I'LL JUST IN FOR FOR BREVITY'S SAKE WE DID PRESENT A MEMO TO COUNCIL IN IN, IN DECEMBER LAYING OUT THE POSSIBILITY AND A PROPOSAL AND A COMMITMENT TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR WITH AN APPROACH.

I BELIEVE WE ADVERTISED OR PUT IN THE WINDOW IN DECEMBER AN APPROACH THAT WAS FAIRLY ROBUST.

IT WAS A FAIRLY LARGE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE THAT MIRRORED WHAT THE CITY HAD ADOPTED IN PREVIOUS APPROACHES TO THIS.

OUR THINKING HAS EVOLVED A LITTLE BIT SINCE THEN, AND WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AROUND APPROACHING THIS EXERCISE AND CAME QUICKLY TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE AN ABUNDANCE OF SENSE TO REPLICATE OR DUPLICATE EFFORT AND ACTIVITIES ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS OF THE SAME GROUPS AROUND THE SAME ISSUES, AND THEN REPORTING BACK TO TWO DIFFERENT, TWO DIFFERENT DECISION MAKERS.

SO WITH THAT, WE ARE PROPOSING TO DO TWO THINGS AS HAS BEEN PUT OUT OR BEEN DESCRIBED BY YOU, MR. CHAIR. WE ARE LOOKING AT GETTING COUNCIL'S AGREEMENT TO WORK WITH THE GNWT MORE DIRECTLY AT A WORKING LEVEL, AND THEN ALSO ESTABLISH AN INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE BODY TO DO SOME OF THE ANALYSIS.

WITH THAT, WE BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SOME OF THE MORE AMBITIOUS TIMELINES THAT ARE SET OUT FOR US, THE CANADA WINTER GAMES, SORRY, CANADA WINTER GAMES WORKING GROUP AND ASSOCIATION IS LOOKING FOR US TO TO GIVE AN INDICATION AS A TERRITORY AND CERTAINLY AS THE CAPITAL CITY VERY SOON. AND WE'RE WE BELIEVE THAT THIS APPROACH WILL HELP US NOT ONLY MEET THOSE TIMELINES, BUT HOPEFULLY COME OUT WITH A QUALITY OF ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOTH THE GNWT CABINET AND FOR FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE QUESTION.

I'LL JUST PAUSE THERE, MR. CHAIR. I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED MORE EXPLANATION OF THAT AT THIS JUNCTURE, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND YEAH, SO, COLLEAGUES, JUST FOR CLARITY AND, YOU KNOW, CONFIRM THIS WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE DIRECTOR OF LEGAL SERVICES BEFOREHAND, TOO. SO IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, THAT WOULD SUPERSEDE THAT

[01:05:06]

SO WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ADMIN OR IS THE MEMO CLEAR AND YET COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANKS FOR THE YEAH. ALIGNMENT OR.

YEAH. ALSO APPRECIATE THE INTERACTION WITH THE GNWT.

YEAH. GOOD DAY. LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. THAT'S GREAT. JUST CURIOUS.

COMMONLY IN SORT OF OUR TERM THREE YEARS WHEN THINGS ARE ADDED TO THE WORK PLAN, WE'RE ALWAYS TOLD THAT SOMETHING WILL HAVE TO BE DELAYED OR TAKEN OFF.

SO JUST CURIOUS WITH THIS PROPOSED WORK FROM STAFF, WHAT IS GOING TO GET DELAYED OR TAKEN OFF THE WORK PLAN? GREAT QUESTION, MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

SO I'LL BEGIN BY SIMPLY SAYING THAT I THINK IF WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED WITH THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, THAT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WORK FOR US TO ADD IT ON TO THE AGENDA.

AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE NOTED IN THE, MEMO THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED AND HEAVY LIFTING BY DIRECTOR WHITE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IN THE PREPARATION OF THE DOCUMENTS WE ARE KIND OF IN A POSITION WHERE WE WOULD BE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING A TECHNICAL REVIEW AND REVIEWING DOCUMENTS THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PREPARED. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT UPDATING AS OPPOSED TO GENERATING TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS FRESH AND NEW.

SO WITH THAT, WE THINK THAT THE WORKLOAD WILL BE A BIT MORE MANAGEABLE.

AND OF COURSE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, WILL BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY LEVERAGE AND FIND SOME SYNERGIES BETWEEN EFFORTS THAT THEY ARE UNDERTAKING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO POACH, SO TO SPEAK, AND, APPLY FOR OUR OWN PURPOSES.

THE A FULLER ACCOUNT OF WHAT THE OPERATIONAL IMPACT OF THIS MIGHT BE.

IT WILL BE FACTORED INTO OUR PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL LATER IN THE FIRST QUARTER ON THE OVERALL WORK PLAN UPDATE.

AND I'LL JUST INVITE MR. WHITE, IF HE'S GOT ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD WITH RESPECT TO WORKLOAD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. VAN DINE. I GUESS I'LL JUST ADD THAT THIS IS BEEN IN FRONT OF US FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW.

SO WE'VE HAD THE, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO MESH IT INTO OUR 2026 PLAN AND DISCUSS IT AS A SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. OKAY. THANK YOU.

AND SO THIS WORK WOULD BE FOCUSED IN COMMUNITY SERVICES.

IT WOULDN'T TAKE UP THE TIME OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

MR. VAN DINE. ACTUALLY, NO, IT WOULD BE A FAIRLY BROAD BASED.

IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND INVESTMENT, OUR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GROUP AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS AS WE TRY TO GAIN ALL OF THE RELATIVE INFORMATION RELATED TO FACILITIES RELATED TO LAND USE RELATED TO OTHER STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS.

SO IT WOULD BE A BIT BEYOND COMMUNITY SERVICES, BUT WE WOULD BE RELYING ON COMMUNITY SERVICES TO BE ON POINT.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT OTHER WORK IS GOING TO GET PUSHED AND AT SUCH A CRITICAL TIME FOR THE CITY WITH A LOT GOING ON, I'M WARY TO SUPPORT THIS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT YEAH.

WHAT OTHER WORK IS GOING TO GET PUSHED? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION THAT COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN ALREADY ASKED. SO I AM SIMILARLY WARY.

A QUESTION THOUGH. JUST READING THE MEMO AND LOOKING AND RECOGNIZING I THINK IT WAS LIKE JUNE OR MID-SUMMER TIMELINE, THAT THEY WANTED A RESPONSE BACK. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK IN HERE.

WITH MY EXPERIENCE HOSTING GAMES 2008, THE ARCTIC WINTER GAMES, FIFA WORLD CUPS, THERE WAS AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT.

THERE'S A LEGACY ANALYSIS. THERE'S SOME PROBABLY UPDATES TO SOME VENUE CONDITIONS.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK, IS THE CITY CONTRIBUTING ANY COSTS OTHER THAN STAFF IN-KIND SUPPORT? IS THAT THE PROPOSAL? MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR.

SO AND THE I GUESS TO RESPOND, IT'S WORK THAT'S GOING TO HOPEFULLY ALLOW COUNCIL TO ARRIVE AT A DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WANTS TO PROCEED AND WHAT CONDITIONS IT WOULD WANT TO PROCEED WITH SUCH AN ENDEAVOR.

AND SO, IN THAT LIGHT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILLOR FEQUET REFERENCED ARE PIECES OF WORK THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BECOME SUBSEQUENTLY AND IT WOULD BE DEPENDENT AND CONDITIONED UPON RESOURCES BEING MADE AVAILABLE.

I BELIEVE MR. BRENNAN IN HIS PRESENTATION IN DECEMBER, DID REFER TO DOLLARS AVAILABLE FROM THE CANADA WINTER GAMES COMMISSION.

THE GNWT WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERING WHAT FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS IT CAN MAKE TO THIS ENDEAVOR.

[01:10:04]

BUT AGAIN CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE WORK WOULD BE HAPPENING POST A DECISION, SHOULD THE DECISION BE POSITIVE.

BUT NOT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED WILL BE DONE BEFORE THAT DECISION IS TAKEN.

YEAH. APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LEGACY THING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FLESHED OUT, BUT I JUST.

YEAH, IF WE COULD GET AN ANSWER TO IS THE GNWT COVERING ALL COSTS OTHER THAN FOR ANY STUDIES, ANY ANALYSIS, BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE IN ORDER TO DO RISK ASSESSMENT, IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE A DECISION, YOU NEED A BUDGET. IN ORDER TO DO A BUDGET, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, ROUGH COSTS MIGHT BE FOR VENUE UPGRADES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO I JUST WANTED CONFIRMATION WHETHER THIS IS GOING TO COST THE CITY ANY DOLLARS OTHER THAN STAFF TIME.

YEAH. MR. VAN DINE. SO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE, THAT THIS PHASE OF THE WORK WOULD NOT COST MORE THAN JUST STAFF TIME. COUNCILLOR FEQUET. OKAY, SO I'LL TAKE THAT AS CONFIRMATION THAT THE CITY IS NOT EXPENDING ANY DOLLARS OTHER THAN STAFF TIME. THANK YOU.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES? I GUESS MY ONE QUESTION GOING BACK TO COUNCILMAN MCLENNAN HADN'T THOUGHT OF IT UNTIL COUNCILMAN MCLENNAN BROUGHT IT UP.

BACK TO THE ISSUE OF WORK PLAN. WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE WORK PLAN TO COME BACK TO US? I KNOW IT'S NOT IN OUR TENTATIVE FORECAST AT THE MOMENT.

JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN GAME THESE THINGS TOGETHER.

OUR COMMITMENT TO COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR WAS TO COME BACK IN THE FIRST QUARTER.

AND SO WE'RE WE WILL BE HOPEFULLY PROVIDING A DATE ON THE GPC FOR FORECAST VERY SOON.

AND OKAY, SO WITH THE Q ONE, WHAT IS? IS THERE, IS IT THE SIMPLE WAY? IS THERE FLEXIBILITY TO TABLE THIS IDEA UNTIL WE CAN LOOK AT THE WORK PLAN IN TOTALITY, OR DO WE NEED TO.

IS ADMIN FEELING LIKE WE NEED TO MOVE TO MOVE WITH THE GNWT BEFORE MARCH 31ST.

THERE IS SOME URGENCY TO MOVE FORWARD, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT FORWARD AND WHY WE PRESENTED IN DECEMBER 8TH.

I BELIEVE THE CANADA WINTER GAMES COMMITTEE IS OFFICIALLY HAS A INDICATION FROM THE TERRITORY SCHEDULED BY THE END OF MARCH.

AND SO WE'RE UNDER THAT SCENARIO. WE'RE ALREADY UNDER THE GUN A WEE BIT.

THAT BEING SAID I DID MAKE A REQUEST FOR THAT TO BE EXTENDED.

BUT WE DO NOT HAVE WORD BACK UNLESS MR. BRENNAN HAS ANY INFORMATION ON THAT FRONT.

IT'S NOT A COMMAND FOR PERFORMANCE, EITHER. MR. BRENNAN, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO PROVIDE. ADDITIONALLY, YOU CAN, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO. BUT YOU'RE MOVING. SO I'M ASSUMING YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW THINGS, IF THAT'S OKAY.

BY ALL MEANS. YEAH. SO REQUEST HAS BEEN PUT INTO THE CANADA GAMES COUNCIL TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE TO JUNE 30TH.

I ASSURE YOU THAT THE GNWT WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF ANSWER BY JUNE 30TH, THOUGH, WITH OR WITHOUT THE CITY.

I GUESS WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU GUYS. THIS IS WHY WE NEED YOU ON THE COMMITTEE. IT WAS MYSELF AND CITY MANAGER, MR. VAN DINE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT JOINING US BECAUSE WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO THE EXACT SAME WORK, SO LET'S DO IT TOGETHER. ALL WE NEED IS A BODY FROM THE CITY TO HELP US WITH ENGAGEMENT, CONSULTATION. YOU GUYS HAVE PEOPLE YOU NEED TO ENGAGE WITH.

WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAME ENGAGEMENT. I THINK THEY'RE THE SAME PEOPLE. STAFF TIME IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR.

WE WILL FUND THE WE NEED A CAPITAL BUDGET. WE NEED NO [INAUDIBLE] BUDGET.

WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE BY JUNE 30TH.

FUNDED BY GNWT AND TO ME, THIS IS A LET'S JUST WORK TOGETHER, SEE IF WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION FOR YOU GUYS TO MAKE A DECISION.

AND FOR MY LEADERS ACROSS THE LAKE TO MAKE A DECISION WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. SO THANKS.

THANKS FOR THAT ADDITIONAL CONTEXT, MR. BRENNAN. YEAH.

OKAY. WITH THAT LOGIC, I AM OKAY WITH THIS MOVING FORWARD TO COUNCIL MYSELF, BUT MAYBE BETWEEN.

YEAH, WE'LL COME IN SECOND. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

MAYBE JUST TRY TO TEASE OUT FROM THE ADMIN SIDE JUST WHAT ARE THOSE TANGIBLE? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MR. BRENNAN MADE IT PRETTY CLEAR THERE. TO ME, IT'S NOT A HUGE LIFT THAT WE'RE SEEKING FROM THE CITY.

BUT THEN THERE'S OTHER FACTORS. SO MAYBE IT'S JUST ALSO A TIMING PIECE THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AT THIS JUNCTURE.

SO BEFORE IT COMES TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK, IF WE CAN TEASE THAT OUT.

BUT COUNCILLOR COCHRANE, OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIR. IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM THE DECISION THAT WE MADE IN DECEMBER, THIS IS JUST A LEANER AND MEANER VERSION OF IT THAT WE'RE COMING TOGETHER AND TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE. IT'S NOT ADDING MORE WORK. YEAH, IT'S TAKING UP SOME STAFF TIME.

BUT IN MY OPINION, WE BASICALLY MADE THE DECISION IN DECEMBER FOR THIS TO GO FORWARD. IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY ABSURD FOR US NOT TO HAVE IT.

[01:15:06]

AND UNLESS THEY SAY YES TO THE EXTENSION, THIS COULD PASS US BY AND I WOULD PREFER NOT SO FULLY SUPPORT THIS GOING FORWARD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEVER ABSURD. ABSURD TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT FAIR POINT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES? THERE YOU GO.

OKAY. SO WE WILL MOVE THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.

[6. A memorandum regarding whether to extend for an additional five years of Residential Intensification Tax Abatement; for the property located at 4914 50th Street, under Development Incentive Program By-law No. 4534.]

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THE MEMO, I THINK, LAYS OUT THE QUESTION RELATIVELY CLEARLY, BUT I WILL INVITE DIRECTOR CHARLSEY WHITE TO MAYBE HIT THE HIGH POINTS FOR COUNCIL AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

AND WE DO HAVE MANAGER ALAIN HERE AS WELL TO ASK ANY OR PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WITH RELATED TO THE DETAILS OF THE APPLICATION.

GO AHEAD DIRECTOR WHITE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO WE HAVE AN APPLICATION HERE THAT WAS INITIALLY APPLIED FOR BACK IN 2022 AND WAS GIVEN PROVISIONAL APPROVAL SUBSTITUTE. THEY HAD TO COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DO A NUMBER OF ITEMS AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.

BUILDING PERMIT, ALL OF THAT HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED.

AND OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED ON THE ASSESSMENT.

SO WE HAVE THE IMPROVEMENT NUMBERS AS WELL, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE INCLUDING TODAY IN THIS MEMO.

SO AS THE APPLICATION FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEAR TAX ABATEMENT WAS APPROVED BACK IN 2022, PART OF THAT, AND AN OPTION AVAILABLE WITHIN THE BYLAW, IS THAT THE APPLICANT CAN ASK COUNCIL FOR A FURTHER FIVE YEAR TAX ABATEMENT AND COUNCIL, AT YOUR SOLE DISCRETION, CAN APPROVE, DENY OR APPROVE AS A DECLINING OR A FULL 100% TAX ABATEMENT.

SO THAT IS WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY.

ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION IS THAT IT BE APPROVED FOR AN ADDITIONAL FIVE YEARS.

SO WE'RE TALKING TEN YEARS TOTAL, AND THAT THE ADDITIONAL FIVE YEARS BE AT A DECLINING TAX ABATEMENT AMOUNT.

AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT IS REALLY TAKING A LOOK AT THE TOTAL AMOUNT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE NEW ASSESSMENT VALUES.

NET BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE CITY, AS WELL AS FINDING A MEDIUM WHERE WE HAVE REVITALIZATION, WE'RE SUPPORTING NEW DEVELOPMENT.

IT ALSO SHOWS AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS WHO MAY BE CONSIDERING OR CONTRIBUTING TO THE DOWNTOWN.

AND IT IS KIND OF THE MIDDLE GROUND, SO THAT WE DO START TO SEE SOME OF THAT TAX COME INTO THE COMMUNITY AT THAT SIX YEAR MARK.

SO THAT'S REALLY THE RATIONALE BEHIND IT. AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES ON THIS MEMO? COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO FIRST OFF, JUST SORT OF A MORE HIGH LEVEL QUESTION ON THE STRUCTURE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.

IN REVIEWING HOW THE OLD DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES COMPARE WITH THE NEW ONES.

THERE SEEMS TO ME TO BE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN VALUE OF THE INCENTIVES FOR REUSE OR ADAPTIVE PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS.

MY READING OF THE BYLAWS, THE NEW INCENTIVES ARE MUCH LESS VALUABLE, BECAUSE THEY ONLY APPLY TO THE INCREASE IN ASSESSED VALUE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS VERSUS THE ENTIRE TAX IS DUE. JUST LOOKING TO CONFIRM THAT THAT UNDERSTANDING OF THE TWO BYLAWS IS CORRECT.

MR. VAN DINE. I'LL INVITE DIRECTOR WHITE TO RESPOND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO ON THE SURFACE, THE ANSWER IS YES.

YOU'RE READING THAT CORRECTLY. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS THE NEW BYLAW IS STACKABLE.

SO NOT ONLY COULD YOU HAVE THAT TAX ABATEMENT OVER THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD, WHICH IS ONLY ON THE IMPROVEMENT AMOUNT THAT IS ASSESSED, BUT YOU ALSO COULD THEN GET ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR, SAY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS FOR MIXED USE IN THE DOWNTOWN FOR COMMERCIAL FOR.

SO ALL OF THOSE PIECES CAN BE STACKED ON TOP OF THE TAX ABATEMENT WHICH EQUAL IS EQUAL TO OR COULD EXCEED DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT YOU WERE DOING. SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU. AND IS IT POSSIBLE TO ASK BOREALIS A QUESTION ON HOW THE IMPACT, LIKE WHY THEY CHOSE TO USE THE OLD DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AND WHAT IMPACT WOULD THE NEW DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES MAKE THIS PROJECT VIABLE, OR DOES IT REQUIRE THAT OLD INCENTIVE? MR. VAN DINE.

I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BOREALIS HERE THAT AND IF THEY'RE COMFORTABLE ANSWERING THE QUESTION,

[01:20:04]

SO INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN TRYING TO RESEARCH WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE NEW INCENTIVE, IT WAS JUST A LOT EASIER FOR US TO GO WITH THE OLD WHAT WE KNEW.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. UNDERSTOOD. GOOD TO HEAR.

YEAH. JUST LOOKING TO REVIEW THE SETUP OF OUR INCENTIVES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T MAKE A CHANGE THAT MAKES IT LESS FEASIBLE.

AND THEN A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THE AFFORDABLE UNITS.

SO THERE ARE EIGHT AFFORDABLE UNITS PROPOSED.

WHAT WOULD THEY BE RENTED FOR? WHAT WOULD A ONE BEDROOM BE RENTED FOR? WHAT WOULD A TWO BEDROOM BE RENTED FOR? IS THIS FOR THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM BOREALIS AGAIN? I ASSUME SO. OKAY. DO YOU HAVE THAT ANSWER RIGHT NOW OR.

I ACTUALLY DON'T I'M WAITING TO MEET WITH THE HOUSING DIRECTOR OF THE YWCA.

AND THEN WE'LL COME UP WITH A NUMBER. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN WILL STILL BE LOWER THAN I THINK IT'S $2,200 ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

IT WILL BE LOWER THAN THAT, BUT I JUST DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER ON ME RIGHT NOW.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. UNDERSTOOD. AND JUST THIS IS A PRETTY LIKE, BASIC QUESTION, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR MY IGNORANCE HERE, BUT WHY DO THESE AFFORDABLE UNITS NEED LIKE A MANAGEMENT AGENCY? LIKE AS A LANDLORD, I ASSUME YOU TAKE CREDIT CHECKS OF SOME KIND FROM POTENTIAL TENANTS.

COULD YOU NOT JUST PICK A RENT $2,000 THAT'S BELOW THAT AMOUNT, TAKE INCOME STATEMENTS AND THEN JUST ASSIGN THOSE UNITS TO PEOPLE WHO MEET QUALIFICATIONS, SUCH AS 30% OF LESS THAN 30% OF INCOME. LIKE WHY DO YOU NEED SOMEONE ELSE TO MANAGE AFFORDABLE UNITS? GO AHEAD. SO THE REASON SO IN THE BYLAW, ESSENTIALLY IT SAYS THAT THE HOUSING NEED WOULD BE THE MANAGING PARTNER FOR THESE UNITS SINCE THEY HAVE DECLINED IT.

I'VE WORKED WITH THE Y FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS OR SO.

I WANT TO GIVE THEM A PRIORITY. THAT'S WHY. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

OKAY. AND A QUESTION FOR ADMIN. SO OUR BYLAW REQUIRES A MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR AFFORDABLE UNITS.

MR. VAN DINE. I'LL INVITE DIRECTOR WHITE TO RESPOND.

OUR OLD BYLAW REQUIRED THAT OUR NEW BYLAW IS MORE FLEXIBLE.

BECAUSE THERE IS MORE THAN JUST THE GNWT HOUSING.

WHO HAS THIS SERVICE AS AN WHETHER IT'S NGOS, OTHER GOVERNMENTS.

SO THE BYLAW IS WORDED DIFFERENTLY. THANK YOU.

SO BUT BECAUSE THIS INCENTIVE IS BEING UNDER THE OLD BYLAW, THAT'S WHERE THIS APPLIES.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. OKAY. UNDERSTOOD. AND THEN WHAT WOULD BOREALIS DO IF NO PARTNER COULD BE FOUND TO MANAGE THE AFFORDABLE UNITS? GO AHEAD. EXACTLY WHAT YOU SUGGESTED. WE WOULD LOOK AT PEOPLE'S SALARY 30% BELOW THEY WOULD GET THE LOW INCOME OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SORRY. OKAY. AND WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE UNDER THE OLD BYLAW? MR. VAN DINE. YES. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT WE HAVE DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO JUST READING THROUGH THE MEMO THERE, IT SAYS BASICALLY WE ASK, NO ONE WANTS TO DO IT. THEN WE CAN WAIVE THAT REQUIREMENT.

SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, IS THAT WAIVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR MANAGING THOSE 10% AS AFFORDABLE OR WAIVE THE AFFORDABLE UNIT REQUIREMENT? I'M UNCLEAR WHAT THAT MEANS, MR. VAN DINE. I'LL JUST INVITE DIRECTOR WHITE TO RESPOND.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO THE MANAGEMENT OF, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE MINIMUM AFFORDABLE BE PROVIDED.

OF COURSE, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO GO ABOVE THAT, WE WOULD ACCEPT THAT AS WELL.

THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN YOU DID PROVIDE SOME RATIONALE ON THE DECLINING.

SO JUST SO I'M CLEAR, BECAUSE WE'RE BETWEEN TWO BYLAWS HERE, AND I'M GETTING CONFUSED. SO THIS IT'S UNDER THE OLD BYLAW.

SO THIS IS THE FULL TAX ABATEMENT, OR IS THIS ONLY ON THE APPROVED PORTION? BECAUSE I KNOW THE NEW BYLAWS IS IMPROVED PORTION. SO I'M JUST ARE WE TALKING FIVE YEARS DECLINING FROM THE WHOLE APPRAISED ASSESSED VALUE, OR IS IT FIVE YEARS DECLINING ON JUST THE IMPROVED VALUE? MR. VAN DINE. AND DIRECTOR WHITE AGAIN. IT IS ON THE WHOLE.

OKAY. THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR NOW. I THINK MAYBE SOME MORE I'LL COME BACK.

I'LL MAKE SURE TO LOOK BACK YOUR WAY. NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

[01:25:03]

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. NO, I'M JUST TRYING TO ADAPT HERE.

MOST OF MY QUESTIONS GOT ANSWERED. SO THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES.

WHEN DO YOU HOPE TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW THOSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS WILL BE MANAGED? GO AHEAD. I'M MEETING WITH AN ORGANIZATION TOMORROW.

I BELIEVE THE HOUSING DIRECTOR FOR THE Y IS AWAY ON VACATION UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.

SO BY THEN, I SHOULD HAVE A PRETTY GOOD ANSWER.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. OKAY. YEAH. AND ONLY TO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

I MEAN, WHERE MY BRAIN IS TRYING TO GET TO, I THINK.

I'M NOT SURE YET ON THE DECLINING VERSUS THE FULL IN MY MIND YET, BUT EITHER WAY, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I GUESS, IS I MEAN, I GUESS WE JUST GOT CONFIRMATION, ACTUALLY, FROM COUNCILLOR WARBURTON THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS NO MATTER WHAT, WHETHER YOU GUYS MANAGE THEM OR YOU GET SOMEONE. SO.

OKAY. YEAH. I JUST NEED TO KEEP THINKING HERE.

KEEP THINKING. DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON, I'M COMING BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT.

YEAH. SO I'M INCLINED TO ACTUALLY GO FOR THE FULL ABATEMENT FOR THE FULL FIVE YEARS.

THE COMPANY IS DOING TO BE CLEAR, THESE ARE AFFORDABLE MARKET HOUSING UNITS.

THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THEY GOT TO OFFER THAT REBATE FOR THE ENTIRE TIME.

SO I THINK IT'S FAIR THAT WE OFFER THE TAX ABATEMENT THE ENTIRE TIME.

SO YEAH, THAT'D BE MY CHANGE. WOULD BE I WOULD WANT TO DO IT FOR THE FULL FIVE YEARS VERSUS DECLINING OVER FIVE.

YEAH. COUNCILMAN MCLENNAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH. I WOULD ONLY SUPPORT THE DECLINING ABATEMENT AS IT IS EXTRA OVER AND ABOVE THE FIVE YEARS AND IT'S ON THE FULL AMOUNT, NOT JUST THE INCREASE IN IMPROVEMENT. YEAH. VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE PROJECT AND THE WORK AND I.

YEAH WOULD FULLY SUPPORT EXTENDING IT FOR FIVE YEARS WITH THE DECLINING YEAH.

JUST FOR THE EXCELLENT REUSE OF FACILITIES AND THE COMMITMENT TO OFFER THOSE THOSE HOUSING UNITS, HOWEVER IT'S DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYTHING ELSE FROM COLLEAGUES, COUNCILOR FEQUET? YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK WHERE MAYBE MY BRAIN WAS TRYING TO GO BEFORE WAS JUST I AGREE TO THE DECLINING LIKE THE FIVE YEAR ABATEMENT IS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE INITIAL FIVE YEARS.

SO OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THIS IS A BONUS THAT'S WHY IT'S DISCRETIONARY.

IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FACTORED INTO THE FINANCIALS. I DEFINITELY WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE COMPANY FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'VE DONE. AND SO I THINK FOR ME, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DECLINING OR FULL IF THERE WAS ANY OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNITS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD CERTAINLY PUSH ME INTO GIVING THE FULL FIVE YEAR TAX ABATEMENT IF THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY ONCE YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH THE FOLKS WHO WOULD MANAGE THOSE UNITS. SO I'M DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THE DECLINING INCREMENTAL, JUST TO BE CLEAR, AND WE'D BE WILLING TO GO TO THE FULL IF IF THERE WAS SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO TO DO EVEN BETTER IN THAT AFFORDABLE MARKET HOUSING SPACE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER COUNCILLOR FOOTE? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I JUST KIND OF WANT TO ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE RYAN HERE JUST SAID.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OPPORTUNITY, MAYBE FOR MORE HOUSING UNITS IN THE FUTURE, IF POSSIBLE.

BUT I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THE ECONOMICS A LITTLE CLOSER, BECAUSE PRELIMINARILY, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A REALLY GOOD DEAL FOR THE DEVELOPER, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CLOSE THAT GAP UP A LITTLE BIT IF WE CAN.

THANKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. A QUESTION TO THE ADMINISTRATION.

DO WE HAVE PRECEDENT? HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE OFFERED THE DECLINING VERSUS THE FULL? DO WE HAVE NUMBERS? MR. VAN DINE. THIS IS IN THE INNOVATIVE, INNOVATIVE, FRESH CATEGORY.

BUT I'LL LET DIRECTOR WHITE GIVE US THE A DEFINITIVE RECORD ON THAT.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO AS FAR BACK AS 2009, WHEN THIS OLD BYLAW.

SO WE'RE TALKING THE OLD BYLAW CAME FORWARD. THERE HAVE BEEN ZERO, FIVE YEAR EXTENSIONS.

THERE HAVE BEEN TAX ABATEMENT, WHICH WERE THE 100% FOR THE FIVE YEARS.

SO THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, YES. AND THERE'S SOME WHO ARE STILL I THINK THEY STILL HAVE TWO YEARS LEFT OF THE TERM.

SO THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF THOSE, BUT NONE WITH THE EXTENSION OR DECLINING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION. SO WE'RE SETTING PRECEDENT. INTERESTING. WHERE I STAND ON THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR A RECOGNITION OF THE EFFORT, BUT ALSO A CLEAR INDICATION AND INCENTIVE TO FUTURE DEVELOPERS TO TRY TO AIM FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN OUR DOWNTOWN CORE AND BEYOND.

I, WITH DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON HAS DONE THE SAME.

I WOULD SUPPORT GOING FULL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[01:30:03]

THIS IS NO BYLAW. IT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE. SO UNLESS THE PROJECT IS ALREADY STARTED UNDER THE BYLAW, WE'RE NOT THERE.

YES, I KNOW SOME ARE. STILL COULD STILL. BUT I JUST IN TERMS OF LONG TERM ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANY OTHER COLLEAGUES YET? DEPUTY MAYOR? GO AHEAD. THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. SO RIGHT NOW, WHEN SOMEONE PUTS IN A DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION, SAY THEY WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING AND THEY DO, THEY APPLY. LIKE DO THEY KNOW THEY HAVE THE FIVE YEAR TAX ABATEMENT AT THAT STAGE OR IS THAT THEY APPLY FOR IT? LIKE WHEN DO THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THE ABATEMENT? I GUESS, LIKE WHAT PART OF THE PROCESS? MR. VAN DINE.

I'LL INVITE DIRECTOR WHITE TO RESPOND. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

SO WHEN WE HAVE OUR PRE-CONSULTATION MEETING, WE IDENTIFY UPFRONT IF SOMEONE IS WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING MEETS ANY OR ALL OR SOME OF OUR CRITERIA, WE WILL PUT THAT IN FRONT OF THEM AS THEY ARE GOING THROUGH THAT DEVELOPMENT PERMIT PROCESS.

THEY CAN APPLY AT THAT TIME. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S CONDITIONS.

YOU HAVE TO FULFILL ANY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

YOU HAVE TO GET, YOU KNOW, YOUR FINAL ON YOUR BUILDING PERMITS. BUT ONCE THAT'S DONE, THAT APPROVAL IS GIVEN AT THE TIME THAT THEY APPLIED.

SO IN THIS CASE, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, IT WAS IN 2022.

IT'S 2026. BUT WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT APPLICATION.

SO THEY KNEW IN 2022 THAT THEY AT LEAST HAD THAT FIVE YEAR, 100% TAX ABATEMENT.

THANKS. GO AHEAD. AND COULD THE AT THE SAME TIME HAVE APPLIED FOR AN EXTENSION AT THE EXACT SAME TIME LIKE THE FIVE YEAR THE ADDITIONAL FIVE YEARS.

RIGHT. LIKE COULD THEY APPLY FOR THAT AT THE SAME TIME OR IS THAT AT THAT LATER? MR. VAN DINE. DIRECTOR WHITE, PLEASE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO, YES. AND THEY ALWAYS HAD SAID THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE MIGHT DO, BUT THEY A NEW THAT A NEW DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES BYLAW WAS COMING.

SO MAYBE YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THAT OR BE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ASSESSMENT IS.

RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT ALSO PLAYS INTO THE NUMBERS WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH FINANCING. WHO AM I TALKING TO? SO YES, THEY COULD HAVE THEY MADE NOTE OF IT, BUT THEY'RE APPLYING NOW.

SO WE GOT THE LETTER IN DECEMBER AND WE ARE BRINGING IT FORWARD TO YOU IN A TIMELY MANNER.

THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANKS THE FACT THAT IT CAN IS GREAT BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY THE PART OF THE PROCESS FINANCING PROCESS THAT IT'S MOST HELPFUL BECAUSE YOU CAN IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUY AND HOLD SOMETHING FOR 30 YEARS, THIS IS YEAH, GREAT TO HEAR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COUNCILOR FEQUET? THANKS, MR. CHAIR. YEAH, JUST A QUESTION. I KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS UNDER THE OLD BYLAW, BUT SINCE THE NEW BYLAW IS IN PLACE COULD ADMINISTRATION MAYBE SPEAK TO WHETHER IF THE DEVELOPER DECIDED TO APPLY UNDER THE NEW BYLAW THAT IS ALSO NOW IN PLACE BECAUSE YOU CAN STACK THEM? ARE ARE WE CONSIDERING THIS UNDER BOTH OR.

I'M SEEING A HEAD SHAKE. SO THAT'S BECAUSE I JUST RECOGNIZED THERE WAS THE APPLICATION FOR THE TAX ABATEMENT FOR THE EIGHT UNDER AFFORDABLE MARKET HOUSING UNITS, AND I WAS WONDERING IF A FUTURE APPLICATION WAS GOING TO BE COMING IN.

BUT I'M JUST FOR THE RECORD, IT SOUNDS LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE TREATING THIS ONLY UNDER THE OLD BYLAW.

SO THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION. LET'S GET THE OFFICIAL ANSWER JUST FOR THE RECORD, MR. VAN DINE. SO I'LL LET DIRECTOR WHITE CORRECT ME, BUT THE SO BIG BALL THEY HAVE THEIR FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT THAT THEY HAD WERE APPROVED IN 2022 AND NOW THEY'RE ASKING FOR THE SUBSEQUENT FIVE YEARS UNDER THE OLD BYLAW.

SO THEY ARE BEING CONSIDERED TOGETHER AND DEFINITIVELY AND COMPLETELY FOR THIS PROJECT SINCE 2022, THEY ARE GETTING THE FULL MONTY THAT IS AVAILABLE.

DIRECTOR WHITE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? SO THERE IS A CLAUSE IN THE NEW BYLAW THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE WHO APPLIED UNDER THE OLD BYLAW THE OPTION TO PICK OLD BYLAW OR NEW BYLAW.

THIS APPLICANT PICKED OLD BYLAW. IT IS ONLY BEING CONSIDERED UNDER THE OLD BYLAW AND NOT ANY TERMS UNDER THE NEW BYLAW, NOR CAN THEY APPLY AGAIN IN THE FUTURE UNDER THE NEW BYLAW UNLESS THERE IS NEW DEVELOPMENT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. COUNCILLOR FEQUET ANYTHING FURTHER? AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR THAT EDUCATION. VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. AND WITH THAT THEN SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME FOR SOME AGAINST YOU KNOW, DECLINING FULL. SEEMS LIKE THE MAJORITY SEEMS TO BE MORE IN THE DECLINING THAN THE FULL RIGHT NOW.

SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AS IT IS, WE HAVE SOME MEMBERS MISSING AS WELL.

SO I WOULD SAY IF THOSE WHO OF YOU WHO ARE LOOKING POTENTIALLY TO MAKE THIS A FULL, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD BRING AS A MOTION WHEN IT COMES TO COUNCIL.

SO MOVE THIS FORWARD AS A RECOMMENDATION IS THE MEMO TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.

IF YOURSELVES ARE INTERESTED IN BRINGING FORWARD A MOTION, START CRAFTING A MOTION. BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND THANK YOU FOR TO ADMIN AND TO THE APPLICANT FOR COMING FORWARD.

NEXT, WE'VE REACHED OUR 90 MINUTE MARK, SO WE'LL TAKE OUR TEN MINUTE BREAK.

WE WILL COME BACK AT 149. AND I WILL CALL OUR MEETING BACK TO ORDER.

[01:35:08]

[7. A memorandum regarding whether to approve a Community Plan Amendment to change the land use designation of portion of Lot 32, Block 568 and Plan 4452 from Engle Industrial Business District to Kam Lake.]

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR.

I'M GOING TO INVITE DIRECTOR WHITE TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT, BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY A DOWN PAYMENT, I GUESS, IN TERMS OF WORK AND PROCESS TOWARDS THE KAM LAKE AREA DEVELOPMENT 2.0 THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED TO COUNCIL ON A FEW OCCASIONS, BUT PERHAPS DIRECTOR WHITE CAN WALK YOU THROUGH THE PARTICULARS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO COUNCIL, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MOTION, AS IDENTIFIED IN THE MEMO FROM COUNCIL TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD. AND THIS IS STEP ONE. REDESIGNATION IS TAKING IT FROM THE ANGLE AND PUTTING IT INTO KAM LAKE.

THE RATIONALE IS DOING AN AREA DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE WHOLE OF THE PARCEL THAT IS IDENTIFIED IN THE SCHEDULE THAT'S ATTACHED IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THEM UNDER TWO DIFFERENT DESIGNATIONS, BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE CONFLICTING LAND USES. ONE IS MUCH MORE HEAVY INDUSTRIAL.

THE OTHER WE POTENTIALLY ARE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE AGRICULTURAL.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A CONSISTENT LAND USE POLICY.

SO IF YOU BUY AT ONE END OF THE STREET, YOU'RE UNDER THE SAME RULES AND REGULATIONS AS AT THE OTHER END OF THE STREET.

HYPOTHETICALLY, IF WE BUILT A STREET, WHICH WE PROBABLY WILL. SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM.

WE THOUGHT ALSO ABOUT WAITING UNTIL THE COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE WAS DONE.

HOWEVER, THE TIMELINES DIDN'T TRACK IF WE WANTED TO GET THIS MOVING FASTER.

SO THIS IS MOVING FORWARD. IT WILL STILL HAVE TO IF SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL, GO TO THE MINISTER, BUT IT WILL BE AHEAD OF THE COMMUNITY PLAN AND IF IT'S SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL, WILL INCLUDE THAT CHANGE AS PART OF OUR SCHEDULES IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN AS WELL.

SO JUST A HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP AHEAD OF THE OTHER PROCESS, BUT THAT GETS US MOVING FORWARD FASTER AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL, TATS IS HERE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION IF REQUIRED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES? SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GOOD FROM THE MEMO. WELL, COUNCILLOR FEQUET GREAT FROM THE MEMO.

JUST ONE. JUST TRYING TO REFRESH MY OLD BRAIN.

WHERE WERE THOSE OTHER LITTLE COMMUNITY PLAN AMENDMENTS WE DID AND APPROVED A WHILE AGO? DID THEY ALL GET WRAPPED UP? PERFECT. SEEING NODDING JUST TO CONFIRM FOR THE RECORD.

SO YEAH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THE VERY CLEAR MEMO.

IT'S ALWAYS NICE WHEN YOU CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS BEFORE THEY'RE EVEN ASKED, SO WELL DONE. NEXT WE HAVE A MEMO REGARDING WHETHER TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR

[8. A memorandum regarding whether to approve the recommendations for funding by the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness (CAB).]

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO THE COMMITTEE MET LAST WEEK MADE A SERIES OF DECISIONS WITH RESPECT TO ALLOCATIONS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. AND THE AMOUNTS ARE LISTED IN THE MEMO A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THIS PROVIDES TO THE RECEIVING ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE LOOKED FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE PREDICTABLE FUNDING IN ORDER TO HELP THEM SATISFY AND DO THE WORK THAT THEY DO.

AND ALIGNS WITH THE EVALUATION THAT WE HAD DONE ABOUT ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO WITH RESPECT TO PROVIDING LONGER TERM FUNDING.

THE AMOUNTS ARE LISTED THERE, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE WITH RESPECT TO THE ALLOCATIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES? SEEING NONE, THEN WE WILL BRING THAT FORWARD TO OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

AND FINALLY WE HAVE OUR WATER FACILITIES. UPDATE MR.

[9. Water Facilities Update.]

IT'S BEEN WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN STEPS TO TO ADDRESS AND EXAMINE OTHER FACILITIES.

AND I'LL LET MR. GREENCORN DESCRIBE WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE THEN.

THANKS FOR THE CHANCE TO UPDATE. AS MR. VAN DINE SAID, WE'VE MOVED PAST PHASE ONE, WHICH WAS NOTICE AND MITIGATION TACTICS IN THE VARIOUS FACILITIES, AND WE'VE MOVED ON TO PHASE TWO, WHICH IS A BROADENING OF TESTING, RETESTING, A BROADENING OF TESTING AND OTHER FACILITIES AND POTENTIAL INSPECTION AND REMEDIATION PLANS, IF NECESSARY. SO SINCE COUNCIL WAS LAST UPDATED, WE HAVE PROCURED EXTERNAL EXPERTISE TO HELP US IN THIS ENDEAVOR.

THAT'LL PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING AND ACCESS AND JUST STRICTLY EXPEDITING THE PROCESS, FRANKLY WHILE KEEPING OTHER WORK PROGRESSING IN THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT.

IN SAYING THAT AFTER OUR MEETINGS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH CPHO, WE'VE HAVE AN APPROVED PROTOCOL.

THEY WERE VERY GREAT. NOT GRATEFUL IS NOT THE WORD, BUT APPRECIATIVE OF OUR PROCESS.

[01:40:05]

SO THAT WAS GREAT. WE'VE BEEN KEEPING THEM IN THE LOOP, ALL STEPS OF THE WAY.

SO WE NOW HAVE AN APPROVED PROTOCOL A FACILITY PLAN AND LOCATIONS IDENTIFIED.

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 80 TESTING LOCATIONS THAT THAT WE WILL BE TAKING SAMPLES FROM.

WE'RE CURRENTLY WAITING FOR THE LAB TO ASSEMBLE ALL THE BOTTLES THAT'S NECESSARY FOR ALL THE TESTS WE'RE DOING.

AS PER CPHO SUGGESTION, WE'RE DOING TWO TIMES SAMPLING PER LOCATION FOR AVERAGING AND CONTINUITY.

ONCE THAT OCCURS WE'LL BE SUBMITTING TESTING EACH DAY RATHER THAN ALL AT ONCE.

SO THAT WILL ALLOW THE EXPEDITING AND TRICKLING OF TESTING AS IT GOES RATHER THAN ALL AT ONCE.

WE WANT TO GET AHEAD OF IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WE ARE PUTTING A RUSH ON THE LAB TESTING SO THAT WE GET RESULTS BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AND THEN THOSE WILL FLOW INTO THE NEXT STEPS.

WHETHER WE HAVE TO TAKE FURTHER MITIGATION METHODS OR PROVIDE CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FOR THOSE FACILITIES, WHICH WILL ALL BE CHARTED PROPERLY AND PROVIDED ON THE CITY WEBSITE ONCE THOSE RESULTS BECOME AVAILABLE.

SO ANYBODY SEEKING INFORMATION OR REAL TIME RESULTS, OR AT LEAST UP TO THE MINUTE INFORMATION, SHOULD LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE AND THE DEDICATED LANDING PAGE FOR THIS AND WE WILL UPDATE.

IF RESULTS COME IN ON A DAILY BASIS WE'LL UPDATE THEM ON A DAILY BASIS OR MULTIPLE TIMES PER WEEK AT WHATEVER THE SCHEDULE HAPPENS TO BE.

SO THAT IS IT. WE ARE ALSO ON THE END OF THAT.

IF THERE, AS I MENTIONED, IF THERE ARE MITIGATION OR SORRY, NOT MITIGATION, BUT REMEDIATION AND FURTHER STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE WE'LL DO THAT IN A, IN A PLANNED AND SYSTEMIC MANNER. AND IF CAPITAL ADJUSTMENTS OR ALLOCATIONS ARE REQUIRED, WE'LL BRING THOSE THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS.

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANKS TO STAFF DIRECTOR GREENCORN CITY MANAGER, ETC.

FOR THE QUICK RESPONSE TO EVERYTHING ONCE WE KNEW ABOUT SOMETHING, BUT THEN ALSO THE CLEAR COMMUNICATION TO OUR RESIDENTS.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MY COLLEAGUES SEEING NONE.

THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. WITH THAT, WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF OUR MEETING.

CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? COUNCILLOR COCHRANE SECONDED BY COUNCILOR FEQUET.

EVERYBODY HAVE A LOVELY DAY. HAVE A GOOD ONE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.