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[00:00:04]

AND I'LL CALL THE GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18TH TO ORDER.

[1. Opening Statement]

WE ALL READ THE OPENING STATEMENT. APPROVE THE AGENDA.

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND GENERAL NATURE THEREOF. DOES ANYONE HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY? COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,

[3. Disclosure of conflict of interest and the general nature thereof.]

MR. CHAIR. AS IS AN ANNUAL UPDATE, SO IS THIS AN ANNUAL TRADITION OF ME HAVING TO STEP AWAY BEING THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER FOR PARSONS ON THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION, WHICH IS STILL QUITE THE MOUTHFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

AND MOVING RIGHT ALONG, A PRESENTATION REGARDING GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT ANNUAL UPDATE.

[4. A presentation regarding Giant Mine Remediation Project Annual Update.]

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

SO WE'RE VERY DELIGHTED TO HAVE IN OUR PRESENCE TODAY COLLEAGUES FROM THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECTS.

AND WE'LL BE JOINED BY, I BELIEVE, CANDICE ROSS, ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT GENEVA IRWIN AND NICOLE GARBUTT TO TALK TO US ABOUT THEIR PLANS, WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT IS GOING TO COME.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR COLLEAGUES.

THANKS. ARE YOU ABLE TO BRING UP THE PRESENTATION? YEAH. AND WE ALSO HAVE ANDRE TURIANSKY WHO'S ONLINE WITH US.

TWO SECONDS WORKING ON IT.

SO I'M CANDICE ROSS, I'M ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR.

MOST OF THE TIME I'M JUST THE REGULATORY MANAGER.

SO IT'S NICE TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO GIVE YOU THIS PROJECT UPDATE.

CAN I SWITCH SLIDES? SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH A BIT OF A PROJECT UPDATE, WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR AND WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO DO IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

THEN I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO GENEVA AND SHE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR PERPETUAL CARE PLAN.

AND WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THAT WITH A PRESENTATION FROM ANDRE ABOUT OUR PROCUREMENT, EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING STATISTICS.

OKAY. SO THIS IS JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF OUR SCHEDULE AND REALLY WHAT THOSE COLORS REPRESENT IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT AND THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR PROJECT. SO YOU CAN SEE WE'RE IN 2026 RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO KICK OFF A LOT OF BIG PROJECTS, AND THINGS ARE GOING TO GET QUITE BUSY ON SITE.

AND THAT'S REALLY THE TAKEAWAY FROM THIS. SO UP UNTIL NOW, WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON REDUCING THE HIGHEST RISKS AT SITE. WE'VE COMPLETED PROJECTS LIKE THE ROASTER DECONSTRUCTION.

THE UNDERGROUND STABILIZATION IS FINISHED. WE'VE CLOSED THE UNDERGROUND.

WE'VE FINISHED THE PASTE BACKFILL PROGRAM. WE'VE CONSTRUCTED OUR NON-HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL, AND WE'VE ALSO DEMOLISHED A LOT OF BUILDINGS ON SITE.

MOST NOTICEABLY IS THE TOWN SITE. HOUSES ARE GONE.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING OUR NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT. A LOT OF WORK ON CONTAMINATED SOILS AND WE ARE WORKING ON OUR CORE AREA BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. SO IF YOU'RE DRIVEN BY SITE, YOU'VE NOTICED THAT THE MILL IS ALL ENCLOSED.

THEY'RE WORKING ON DECONTAMINATING THE BUILDING AND THAT SHOULD COME DOWN THIS YEAR, ACTUALLY.

SO THINGS ARE ABOUT TO LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT. AND THEN WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO GO.

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON OUR DESIGNS, BUT WE HAVE OUR BAKER CREEK REMEDIATION REALIGNMENT.

WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LOT OF IN-WATER WORK WITH THE NEARSHORE FORESHORE COVER. WE'RE FILLING OUR PITS, BUILDING OUR TAILINGS COVERS. SO LOTS OF WORK TO STILL COME.

SORRY. SO ACCESS TO THE UNDERGROUND WAS OFFICIALLY CLOSED IN NOVEMBER 2024 ONCE THE STABILIZATION WAS COMPLETE.

WE PUT PASTE BACKFILL INTO UNDERGROUND OPENINGS.

WE REMOVED HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FROM THE UNDERGROUND AND DISPOSED OF THEM OFF SITE AND ACCESS PORTALS HAVE BEEN AND ARE BEING SECURED SO THAT THERE'S NO LONGER ACCESS TO THE UNDERGROUND. YOU KNOW, WE'VE TURNED OFF THE VENTILATION AND HEATING TO THE UNDERGROUND.

SO THINGS ARE STARTING TO GET COLDER DOWN THERE.

AND WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE UNDERGROUND FROM SURFACE.

SO WE LOOK AT OUR TEMPERATURE STABILITY AND WATER QUALITY IN THE UNDERGROUND.

[00:05:09]

SO THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT WORK IN 2025 REALLY INCLUDED BLASTING LEVELING THE SURFACE WHERE THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS BUILT.

YOU CAN SEE IN THE SMALLER PHOTO THERE, THAT'S THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT BUILDING.

AND RIGHT NEXT TO IT IS A SMALLER BIOMASS BUILDING WHERE THE HEATING SYSTEMS ARE KEPT.

WE BUILT THE OUTFALL, WHICH IS WHERE THE EFFLUENT FROM THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT WILL BE DISCHARGED INTO GREAT SLAVE LAKE.

AND SO THAT WAS THAT IN WATER WORK TO BUILD THE OUTFALL WAS FINISHED LAST YEAR.

WE ALSO BUILT OUR WATER OR DRILLED OUR WATER INTAKE WELLS.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO PULL WATER UP FROM THE UNDERGROUND AND BRING IT TO THE PLANT.

AND WE STARTED WITH INTERNAL WORK ON THE BUILDING, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW IS FINISHING THAT INTERNAL WORK, AND WE EXPECT TO START COMMISSIONING ACTIVITIES LATER THIS YEAR WITH FULL OPERATION IN 2027.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON PROCURING THE OPERATOR CONTRACT FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, AND THAT WILL BE A FOUR AND A HALF YEAR CONTRACT.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND SAFETY IS UPGRADING THE ACCESS TO OUR SITE ALONG THE INGRAHAM TRAIL.

ONE OF THOSE IS THE ETP CROSSING. SO THAT'S ETP STANDS FOR EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT.

AND IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY TO WHERE THAT CROSSING IS.

BUT THAT'LL HELP US GET OUR AGGREGATE MATERIAL FROM ONE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO THE OTHER, AND ALSO BRING CONTAMINATED SOILS BACK ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.

WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE MOVING OUR MAIN SITE ACCESS FROM WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.

BY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OUT TO THE OTHER SITE YOU SEE THERE, WHICH IS THE BROCK GATE.

IF YOU'VE DRIVEN BY THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE ALREADY CONSTRUCTED A, AN OFFICE COMPLEX THERE AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL ACCESS THE SITE. SO WE EXPECT THAT WORK ON THOSE CROSSINGS TO HAPPEN THIS SUMMER.

ANOTHER EXCITING PART OF OUR WORK THIS YEAR IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO START INSTALLING THE THERMOSYPHONS.

SO THE THERMOSYPHONS ARE BEING USED TO FREEZE THE ARSENIC CHAMBERS UNDERGROUND.

SO IN ONE PHOTO THERE, YOU CAN SEE WE INSTALLED THERMOSYPHONS ON ONE OF OUR DAMS TO HELP WITH STABILITY.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO START FREEZING THE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS AND THAT IS SUPPOSED TO START THIS SUMMER.

AND THIS INFORMATION HASN'T CHANGED. I THINK WE PRESENTED PROBABLY LAST YEAR, BUT IT'S JUST MORE TO KEEP IN THE FOREFRONT THAT WE DO HAVE WORK COMING UP AT THE BOAT LAUNCH AREA. SO WE EXPECT IN 2029 IS WHEN WE'RE GOING TO START CONTAMINATED SOILS REMEDIATION IN AND AROUND THE SAILING CLUB, WHICH MEANS THAT THAT BOAT LAUNCH WILL BE CLOSED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL A NEW ONE CAN BE CONSTRUCTED, AND THEN THAT WILL REOPEN FOR THE PUBLIC. SO I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU OF THOSE TIMELINES.

AND NOW I'M GOING TO ASK GENEVA TO COME UP TO TALK ABOUT OUR PERPETUAL CARE PLAN.

HI, EVERYONE. NICE TO SEE YOU. I'M GENEVA IRWIN, I'M THE ENGAGEMENT MANAGER ON THE PROJECT, AND I'LL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PERPETUAL CARE PLAN.

SO WE'RE DEVELOPING A PERPETUAL CARE PLAN CURRENTLY BECAUSE AFTER REMEDIATION IS COMPLETE, THERE WILL BE SOME SYSTEMS ON SITE, SUCH AS THE FREE SYSTEM AND THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT WILL BE THERE FOR THE LONG, LONG TERM. THESE SYSTEMS WILL REQUIRE ONGOING MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE THE SITE AND SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT STAY SAFE.

AND SO WE'LL NEED A REFERENCE DOCUMENT TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.

WHAT IS THE GIANT MINE PERPETUAL CARE PLAN. SO BASICALLY IT'S A MANUAL AND IT CONTAINS ALL OF THE INFORMATION FOR MANAGEMENT MONITORING, COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND MAINTENANCE MOVING FORWARD.

SO WE'RE CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE FIRST VERSION OF THE PERPETUAL CARE PLAN WHILE THE PROJECT IS IN EARLY REMEDIATION.

THE PERPETUAL CARE PLAN WON'T START TO COME INTO EFFECT UNTIL THE PROJECT IS IN THE POST-CLOSURE PHASE.

SO WE'RE STARTING THE PROJECT LONG IN ADVANCE OVER TEN YEARS.

THERE'S STILL A LOT OF UNKNOWNS ABOUT THE FAR FUTURE OF THE SITE. SO WE'RE STARTING EARLY SO WE CAN IDENTIFY GAPS, QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED IN THE NEXT UPDATED VERSION OF THE PCP, WHICH WILL BEGIN TO BE DRAFTED TOWARDS THE END OF REMEDIATION.

[00:10:03]

AND SO WE'RE DEVELOPING THIS FIRST VERSION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PCP TASK FORCE, AND THAT INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GNWT YKDFN NORTH SLAVE MÉTIS ALLIANCE, CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, ALTERNATIVES NORTH AND THE GIANT MINE OVERSIGHT BOARD.

AND THAT GROUP WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THE STATEMENT OF WORK.

THERE ARE TEN TOPICS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COVERED BY THE PERPETUAL CARE PLAN, WHICH ARE ALL LISTED HERE.

THESE TOPICS WERE CHOSEN BY THE TASK FORCE I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.

AND WHILE WE WERE DEVELOPING THE SCOPE FOR VERSION ONE OF THE PLAN.

AND THESE ARE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE PERPETUAL CARE PLAN.

MUCH OF THE INFORMATION ON THESE SUBJECTS ARE OR WILL BE HELD IN OTHER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS.

SO THE JOB OF THE PERPETUAL CARE PLAN WILL BE TO SUMMARIZE AND DIRECT THE READER TO WHERE TO FIND ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THESE TOPICS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING AN IN-PERSON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSION COMING UP THIS SPRING.

AND THAT WILL ALLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN YELLOWKNIFE, [INAUDIBLE] DETTAH, TO PROVIDE FURTHER INPUT AND TO ASK QUESTIONS.

AND MORE INFORMATION ON THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE ONCE THE DATE IS CHOSEN.

AND I WILL PASS OVER TO ANDRE, WHO'S ONLINE. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE SLIDES FORWARD.

OKAY. YEAH. ANDRE, DID YOU HEAR THAT? NEXT SLIDE IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.

I DID NOT. OKAY, PERFECT. SO SOMEONE CAN CONTROL.

THANK YOU. SO MY NAME IS ANDRE TURIANSKY AND I'M THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WITH THE PROJECT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THE NEXT TWO SLIDES TALK ABOUT CAPACITY BUILDING OF THE PROJECT IS UNDERTAKEN.

THIS ONE FOCUSES ON FUNDING AGREEMENTS. THE PROJECT CURRENTLY HAS THREE BENEFIT AGREEMENTS SIGNED RIGHT NOW WITH OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS.

YOU CAN SEE THE THREE LISTED ON THE CONTRACT ON THE SLIDE HERE.

TOTAL THAT WAS ADMINISTERED IN 24-25 FISCAL YEAR WAS JUST OVER 7 MILLION.

AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE RECIPIENTS DOWN BELOW.

ŁUTSËL K'É DENE FIRST NATION, THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE AND ALTERNATIVES NORTH AS THE OTHER RECIPIENTS.

AND WHAT THE CAPACITY, WHAT THE CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS GO TOWARDS ARE, LIKE I SAID, CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES SUCH AS TRAINING, ECONOMIC, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, SALARY FOR POSITIONS, SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND VARIETY OF ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS ONE LOOKS AT CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING SPECIFICALLY.

SO THE PROJECT HAS TARGETS FOR SUPPORTING APPRENTICES AND FOR ISSUING SCHOLARSHIPS.

WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AN ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE ON SITE.

AND IN TERMS OF SCHOLARSHIPS, PROJECT THROUGH YOUR CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT.

SO THAT'S 7 MILLION DOLLARS THAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. ISSUE THREE SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH $5,000 EACH AND A TOTAL OF $15,000 TO OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS AND OUR MAIN CONSTRUCTION MANAGER PARSONS ISSUED FIVE SCHOLARSHIPS, $3,000 WORTH EACH, A TOTAL OF $15,000.

SO A TOTAL OF $30,000 WAS ISSUED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS IN 24-25 FISCAL YEAR.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE NEXT THREE SLIDES LOOK AT TRENDS, FIVE YEAR TRENDS, EMPLOYMENT TRAINING AND PROCUREMENT.

FOR EMPLOYMENT. YOU CAN SEE HERE AGAIN, 24-25 ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THE TOTAL WE USE FULL TIME EQUIVALENCY, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF 2080 HOURS PER YEAR. SO THE TOTAL ONSITE AND OFFSITE EMPLOYMENT WITH THE PROJECT WAS 389 FOR 24-25 FISCAL YEAR. WITHIN THAT YOU CAN SEE 42 WENT TO NORTHERN INDIGENOUS, 59 NORTHERN NON-INDIGENOUS AND 288 WENT TO SOUTHERN. YOU CAN SEE EVEN THOUGH OUR NORTHERN INDIGENOUS AND NORTHERN NON-INDIGENOUS.

SO OVERALL NORTHERN EMPLOYMENT HAS INCREASED BASED ON A FIVE YEAR TREND.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH THE PACE NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE WORK ON THE PROJECT.

AND WE HAD TO SUPPLEMENT WITH SELDON. AND SO IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROJECT DOES NOT DIRECTLY HIRE INDIVIDUALS, UNLIKE A DIAMOND MINE. WE ISSUE THROUGH DOMAIN CONSTRUCTION MANAGER ISSUES CONTRACTS, AND IT'S UP TO THE CONTRACTORS TO EMPLOY THESE INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE DO PROVIDE INCENTIVES IN OUR TENDERS, IN PARSONS TENDERS.

I SHOULD SAY TO EMPLOY, TRAIN AND PROCURE FROM INDIGENOUS BUSINESSES AND IN INDIGENOUS INDIVIDUALS.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO CONTRASTING WITH THE LOW EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS, NORTHERN, INDIGENOUS, THE COLUMN ON THE BLUE COLUMN IS THE SECOND HIGHEST IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURES FOR 24-25 FISCAL YEAR.

SO THAT WAS 122 PLUS 8 MILLION TO NORTHERN NON-INDIGENOUS.

[00:15:01]

SO 130 MILLION WENT TO NORTHERN BUSINESSES FOR THEIR EXPENDITURES.

AND 135 WENT TO SOUTHERN IN A TOTAL OF EXPENDITURES SPENT FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR WAS JUST OVER 265 MILLION.

SO EVEN THOUGH UNFORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE EVEN NORTHERN BUSINESSES ARE EMPLOYING SOUTHERNERS TO FILL IN THE GAPS.

SO THAT'S A TREND THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WHAT THE PROJECT IS DOING, WHAT WE CAN DO IS FOCUS ON TRAINING.

I MENTIONED SCHOLARSHIPS AND APPRENTICESHIPS.

THERE'S ALSO TRAINING THAT HAPPENS ON SITE AND OFF SITE.

ON SITE TRAINING IS PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTORS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT AND TO CONTINUE TO DO THEIR JOB ON SITE.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, I MENTIONED THE CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS THAT THE PROJECT DOES 7 MILLION.

PART OF THAT FUNDING GOES TOWARDS TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, INDIGENOUS TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, SPECIFICALLY THE. WITH THE FIRST NATIONS AND THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT MIND TRAINING SOCIETY, AND THAT THAT TRAINING THAT HAPPENS IS ALSO REPORTED TO THE PROJECT AND IS INCLUDED IN THIS TOTAL HERE.

SO THE TOTAL FOR 24-25 WAS JUST OVER 106,000 HOURS.

AND VAST MAJORITY 78,000 WENT TOWARDS NORTHERN INDIGENOUS TRAINING.

AND THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS, ANDRE.

I GUESS NOW I'LL JUST OPEN IT TO QUESTIONS IF YOU'VE GOT ANYTHING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? COUNCILLOR FEQUET TO START? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND THANKS, CANDICE, GENEVA THE TEAM I HAVE A FEW FOR YOU GUYS. JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS, HOPEFULLY.

YOU MENTIONED THE NON-HAZARDOUS LANDFILL WHAT DOES GIANT DO WITH ITS HAZARDOUS LANDFILL OR HAZARDOUS WASTE.

DO YOU GUYS SEND IT TO KBL DOWN SOUTH OR SOMETHING ELSE? YEAH. SO THE ALL HAZARDOUS WASTE GOES OFF SITE.

FOR THE MOST PART, PEOPLE ARE USING KBL TO DISPOSE OF WASTE, BUT WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT IN OUR WATER LICENSE THAT BEFORE WE DISPOSE OF WASTE, WE INFORM THE BOARD. SO SOMETIMES THERE WILL BE OTHER DISPOSAL LOCATIONS DOWN SOUTH THAT ARE USED DIRECTLY.

COOL. THANKS. I THINK YEAH, I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL. JUST BASED ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I GET FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PROJECT.

AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, BY THE WAY, GUYS. THAT WAS REALLY GOOD, REALLY INFORMATIVE. YOU MADE ME GENERATE ALL THESE QUESTIONS AFTER BASED ON WHAT YOU GUYS SAID. SO THANKS.

FROM ALL THE IN WATER WORKS ACTIVITIES THAT YOU THAT ARE SCHEDULED THIS YEAR WHAT KIND OF MITIGATIONS LIKE SILK CURTAINS OR OTHER THINGS ARE YOU GUYS DOING JUST TO KEEP THE WATER SAFE, GIVEN THAT SOMETIMES THE CITY DRAWS WATER FROM THE BAY, AND IS THERE ANY COORDINATION WITH THE CITY JUST TO ENSURE THAT KIND OF IN THE UNFORTUNATE EVENT THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET AN ELEVATED LEVEL FOR A LITTLE BIT, HOW ARE WE COORDINATING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ON TOP OF THAT RIGHT AWAY? WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE ANY IN-WATER WORKS PLANNED FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR.

IT'LL BE IN THE FUTURE. WE DO HAVE UNDER OUR FISHERIES ACT AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS TO USE SILK CURTAINS.

I KNOW WHEN WE DID THE OUTFALL, WE HAD A SILK CURTAIN AROUND THE WORK.

SO AND WE DO ONGOING MONITORING. SO UNDER THAT WE DO REPORT ANY TSS EXCEEDANCES WE HAVE ACTION LEVELS AS WELL. SO IF WE HAVE AN EXCEEDANCE WE HAVE TO REPORT THAT TO THE BOARD.

BUT WE CAN ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY IS LOOPED IN ON ANY EXCEEDANCES AS WELL.

AND WE DO REPORT THOSE BACK THROUGH OUR WORKING GROUP. SO THEY ARE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE THERE DOES HEAR ABOUT IT.

GREAT. YEAH. THANK YOU. NO THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW.

I WASN'T SURE THE EXACT TIMING. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF LIST OF ACTIVITIES, SO THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. AND YEAH, JUST MOSTLY I GUESS MAYBE A SUGGESTION TO THE CITY AND GIANT MINE WORKING TOGETHER.

OF COURSE. YEAH. REPORTING IT AND SENDING IT TO THE BOARD, THE INSPECTOR, ALL THAT STUFF MIGHT TAKE A DAY OR TWO.

AND I GUESS THAT'S JUST WHY I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE DRAWING WATER FROM THE BAY, THERE'S THAT ELEVATED AWARENESS THAT WE JUST NEED TO BE ON TOP OF IT.

QUESTION ABOUT THE MONITORING. AND THIS IS ABOUT THE DEFUSER OUTFALL.

IS IT? DID IT END UP GOING IN THE LOCATION THAT WAS INITIALLY ANTICIPATED? AND I'M ASKING JUST ABOUT WHETHER THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES IN THE LOCATIONS OF MONITORING STATIONS, OR DO WE JUST THE GIANT MINE TEAM FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT IS IN PLACE OR WHAT WILL BE IN PLACE WHEN ALL THAT WORK HAPPENS? YEAH, WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE A DIFFUSER AT THE END OF THE OUTFALL.

IT'S JUST A STRAIGHT PIPE OUT INTO THE BAY, BUT IT IS APPROXIMATELY IN THE SAME LOCATION WE PRESENTED IN OUR PLANS.

[00:20:02]

WE DON'T EXPECT IT TO CHANGE. WE BUILT A FAIRLY LARGE GABION MAT PLATFORM UNDERNEATH THE OUTFALL TO AVOID STIRRING UP SEDIMENTS, SO WE DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING TO MOVE.

COOL. THANKS. SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT, JUST OVER TO THE EMPLOYMENT SIDE IS GIANT MINE RIGHT NOW MEETING ITS TARGETS WITH RESPECT TO NORTHERN AND NORTHERN INDIGENOUS EMPLOYEES. WE ARE NOT.

NO. COOL. YEAH. I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS THE CASE BASED ON SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS I WAS AT AND I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM.

SO THANKS. AND I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE YOU DO HAVE INCENTIVES THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT INTO YOUR CONTRACTS, LIKE WITH PARSONS OR WHOMEVER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE REALLY ADVOCATING AND TRYING TO SUPPORT NORTHERN AND NORTHERN INDIGENOUS CANDIDATES. SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE TEAM WILL BE LOOKING AT IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO UP INCREASE THOSE INCENTIVES OR MAYBE DIFFERENT INITIATIVES TO TRY TO HIT THOSE TARGETS? OR WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT SPACE? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO WE RECENTLY INTRODUCED TWO THINGS.

ONE IS IN THE PAST I MENTIONED THOSE INCENTIVES.

SO IN THE PAST THE CONTRACTORS WOULD PROVIDE COMMITMENTS.

SO NUMERICAL BASICALLY NUMBERS TO SAY, LET'S SAY THEY'LL EMPLOY 1000 INDIGENOUS PERSONS.

AND THAT WAS IT. AND THEN THEY WERE MEASURED AGAINST AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT.

NOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, AS OF FALL OF LAST YEAR, IS WE INTRODUCED A WHAT WE CALL INDIGENOUS OPPORTUNITY CONSIDERATIONS PLAN.

SO FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO RECEIVE ANY POINTS FOR THEIR INDIGENOUS OPPORTUNITY COMMITMENTS, THEY HAVE TO NOW PROVIDE AN ACTUAL PLAN THAT IS THAT IS THERE TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDE AN ELEMENT OF QUALITY TO THEIR COMMITMENTS.

SO INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING 1000 HOURS, THEY HAVE TO NOW EXPLAIN HOW THOSE 1000 HOURS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE LIFETIME OF THE CONTRACT.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S EVALUATED BY OUR MAIN CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, PARSONS, AT THE TIME OF THE TENDER PROCESS.

AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT, AND AT THE END, THE CONTRACTOR WILL BE EVALUATED AGAINST THOSE IEC PLANS.

WE HAVE SEEN AGAIN, WE HAD A NUMBER OF PRETTY BIG CONTRACTS CURRENTLY IN TENDER OR HAVE JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED.

AND WE ARE SEEING INFLUX OF THOSE IEC PLANS AND OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVE INSIGHT THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED THROUGH THOSE PLANS, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THEY ARE REPORTED ON LATER ON AND TO SEE WHAT THE PERFORMANCE IS. IN TERMS OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING IS THE PROJECT WITH THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CONTRACT THAT CANDICE MENTIONED EARLIER. WE INCLUDED A LUMP SUM OF $100,000 TO BE SPENT OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD BY THE WINNING CONTRACTOR TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO QUALITY TRAINING TO THEIR INDIGENOUS EMPLOYEES.

THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE TRAINING THAT'S ALREADY IN THE IEC THAT I REPORTED ON IN MY TREND GRAPH.

THIS IS TENDED TO, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, TO PROVIDE QUALITY TRAINING AND IT IS GOING TO BE PAID BY THE PROJECT.

SO THAT'S EXPLICITLY STATED IN THE TENDER AND WE HAVE NOT SINCE WE HAVEN'T AWARDED THE CONTRACT YET, WE HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT THAT PLAN WILL LOOK LIKE TRAINING PLAN WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT WE ARE AGAIN LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS PILOT PROJECT WILL PLAY OUT AFTER THE FIRST YEAR AND SEE IF WE CAN INCLUDE THIS IN FUTURE TENDERS.

AGAIN FOR OTHER CONTRACTS GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU.

THAT'S GREAT THOSE ARE YEAH THANKS FOR SHARING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION. THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL AND GOOD TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NORTHERN AND INDIGENOUS RESIDENTS. SO THANKS.

THAT'S ALL FOR ME. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR PAYNE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I REMEMBER WHEN THIS PROJECT STARTED, THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF EXCITEMENT AROUND THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS GOING TO BE SPENT UP HERE.

I WAS HOPING TO SEE MORE LOCAL BENEFIT. BUT MAYBE THE FUTURE WILL HOLD THAT THOUGH.

WITH THE MINES CLOSING UP NORTH, IS THERE A PLAN TO SORT OF HELP GET THE AFFECTED WORKERS UP THERE THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OFF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE GIANT MINE REMEDIATION PROJECT IN SOME WAY.

ANDRE, DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN? ABSOLUTELY. YES.

WE HAVE TWO COMMITTEES WITH OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, SENIOR AND A WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE.

THIS DISCUSSION HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

BOTH OF THOSE COMMITTEES AND IN TERMS OF ATTENDEES AND MEMBERS OF THOSE COMMITTEES THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE TO CREATE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN THOSE DIAMOND MINE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE BEING LAID OFF OR ARE NO LONGER STICKING AROUND.

[00:25:02]

AND TO TRY TO CREATE THAT CONNECTION IS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TOURISM INVESTMENT I.T.I AND WITHIN THE GNWT AND THEY ARE A MEMBER OF THOSE COMMITTEES. SO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST IS THE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY INCLUDING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER HAVE FLOWN UP TO DIAVIK IN THE PAST TO PROVIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE JOB FAIR THAT WAS HELD LAST YEAR.

AND OUR MAIN CONSTRUCTION MANAGER IS KEEPING VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE AREA, TO BE AWARE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS. IN TERMS OF WHAT GNWT ITI IS DOING IS AGAIN, THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE EMPLOYMENT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. AND THERE AGAIN, THEY HELD JOB FAIRS.

THEY ARE WORKING WITH DIAMOND MINE. AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A STANDING COMMITTEE THAT EXISTS WITH THE DIAMOND MINE GNWT TO CREATE LIKE A CONTINUATION PLAN FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES. BUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD IS A LOT OF THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE LOOKING TO EITHER TAKE A PAUSE IN TERMS OF WORKING.

SOME OF THEM ARE LOOKING TO MOVE AWAY. SOME OF THEM ARE LOOKING TO RETIRE WHETHER TO PURSUE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.

DIAMOND MINE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO REMAIN JOBLESS OR INTERESTED IN WORK.

BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE WE ARE KEEPING TABS ON THAT AS A PROJECT AND A MAIN CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AND THROUGH OUR COMMITTEES, WE ARE KEEPING TRACK OF THAT. YEAH. AND THEN WHETHER WE CAN CREATE THOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN IT IS HARDER, LIKE I SAID, BECAUSE WE DON'T DIRECTLY EMPLOY THOSE INDIVIDUALS. SO WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, IN OUR FUTURE CONTRACTS SAY YOU HAVE TO HIRE SO MANY INDIVIDUALS, FORMER MINE EMPLOYEES FROM DIAVIK, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN CREATE THOSE CONNECTIONS. AND THAT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGERS TO KEEP THE TABS ON INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND INTERESTED, AND CREATING CONNECTIONS WITH FUTURE OR CURRENT CONTRACTORS ON SITE.

BUT AT LEAST I KNOW IN THE PAST THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS OF, WELL, THIS IS SEASONAL WORK ON THE SIDE, SO IT'S NOT THE SAME AS DIAMOND MINE. BUT NOW WITH THE LONGER CONTRACTS THAT ARE COMING OUT, WE HAVE SOME TEN YEAR CONTRACTS LIKE EARTHWORKS AND PROVISION OF [INAUDIBLE] OR AGGREGATE ON SITE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT.

THOSE MIGHT SEEM A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING TO THOSE EMPLOYEES IN THE FUTURE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY SORT OF INCENTIVES PROVIDED TO EITHER THE EMPLOYEES OF CONTRACTORS OR YOUR CONTRACT OR YOUR EMPLOYEES THAT LIVE DOWN SOUTH DIRECTLY WITH YOU GUYS TO RELOCATE TO THE NORTH? YELLOWKNIFE OR BEYOND? THE ONLY, ALL OF OUR INCENTIVES FOCUS ON INDIGENOUS EMPLOYEES.

AND SO FOR INDIGENOUS EMPLOYEE FROM DOWN SOUTH TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE INDIGENOUS OPPORTUNITY CONSIDERATIONS THEY WOULD HAVE TO RESIDE IN THE TERRITORY FOR SIX MONTHS IN A GIVEN YEAR TO BE ELIGIBLE AFTER THOSE SIX MONTHS, AFTER THAT SIX MONTH PERIOD, SIMILAR TO THE CRA NORTHERN BENEFITS, TAX DEDUCTION. BUT THERE AREN'T ANY INCENTIVES FOR SOUTHERN INDIGENOUS OR SOUTHERN NON-INDIGENOUS EMPLOYEES.

THANK YOU. IS THAT A GOVERNMENT OF CANADA RECOMMENDATION OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S INTERNAL.

THIS SIX MONTH IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A PROJECT INTRODUCED THE INDIGENOUS OPPORTUNITY CONSIDERATIONS.

IS THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WIDE PROGRAM TO, AGAIN, TO IMPROVE INCREASE INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS PARTICIPATION.

BUT WHAT THE PROJECT IS ALSO DOING IN ADDITION TO THAT IS WE HAVE AN AREA OF THE CONTRACT.

WE HAVE A RESTRICTED GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, WHICH IS COMBINATION OF THE FUTURE GOVERNMENT CSCA, AS WELL AS THE K TRUSTED TERRITORY. SO TWO AREAS COMBINED IS THIS GEOGRAPHICALLY RESTRICTED AREA.

AND THIS IS THE AREA THAT WE LIMIT OUR PROCUREMENT.

IF THERE'S CAPACITY THAT EXISTS AND THOSE INDIGENOUS OPPORTUNITY CONSIDERATION BENEFITS, THEY HAVE TO HAPPEN WITHIN THIS AREA.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, I HAVE ONE.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE IN 2026, IT'S LIKE THE BIG RAMP UP TEN YEAR CONTRACTS IS ALL VERY EXCITING.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA IN TOTAL KIND OF A PEAK HERE IN NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, KIND OF WHAT KIND OF NUMBERS OF CONTRACTORS WE'RE LOOKING AT TO HAVE ON SITE? MAYBE I'LL ASK ANDRE TO ANSWER THAT ONE. MAYBE. IT'S A TOUGH ONE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF ONGOING WORKS LIKE MONITORING AIR, WATER.

WE HAVE CARE AND MAINTENANCE THAT'LL CONTINUE ON.

AND THEN THERE IS LIKE, WE'LL HAVE THE DEMOLITION.

WE'LL HAVE THE OPERATIONS OF THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

WE'LL HAVE THE OPERATIONS ON LANDFILL. I CAN'T GIVE YOU A NUMBER SPECIFICALLY UNLESS YOU GIVE ME MAYBE A COUPLE OF MINUTES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

BUT IT DEFINITELY WILL BE A LOT BUSIER THAN WHAT IT HAS BEEN TO DATE.

[00:30:04]

THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU CAN GET BACK TO US LATER AFTER THE MEETING IS FINE.

THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE ONLY PROJECT WE HAVE.

WE JUST HEARD ABOUT THEIR EXPANSION PLANS. WE HAVE MAJOR PROJECTS KIND OF IN THE HOPPER.

WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF CONTRACTORS IN THE CITY WITH NOWHERE TO STAY.

SO ANY INFO YOU CAN PROVIDE ABOUT KIND OF NUMBERS AND EXPECTED VOLUME, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING THE MAJORITY OF THESE WORKERS ARE NOT FROM HERE.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS A CITY COULD REALLY USE FOR INFORMATION. WE'RE PLANNING A COMMUNITY PLAN TO BE VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW, IS THERE 150? IS THERE GOING TO BE 1000? THIS IS A BIG LIKE THERE'S NO ROOM FOR THEM RIGHT NOW.

SO KIND OF HAVING THOSE NUMBERS I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO PLAN AHEAD.

I REALIZE THAT HOUSING IS NOT IN THE WHEELHOUSE OF YOUR PURVIEW, BUT THEY GOTTA STAY SOMEWHERE.

SO THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE. SEEING NO MORE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE CAN COME BACK IN.

[5. A memorandum regarding whether to authorize the Mayor and City Manager to enter into an agreement to renew the electricity distribution franchise agreement with Naka Power Utilities (NWT) Ltd. until December 31, 2035.]

A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT TO RENEW THE ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH NAKA POWER UTILITIES NWT LIMITED UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2035.

MR. VAN DINE. DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES. SO COUNCIL WILL RECALL THAT WE HAD BROUGHT FORWARD THE SUGGESTION AT A PREVIOUS GPC TO TO HAVE THIS QUESTION ASKED, AND COUNCIL AT THE TIME HAD REQUESTED THAT NAKA BE PRESENT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.

I'M HAPPY TO REPORT TODAY THAT WE'RE JOINED BY THE THE PRESIDENT OF NAKA CORPORATION, [INAUDIBLE] THE SORRY, THE PRESIDENT CATHY MACDONALD, THE CHAIR MR. BEAULIEU, AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, MR. BARR AS WELL AS SOME OF THEIR TEAM MEMBERS.

AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL FOR GENERATING SOME QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE FOR NAKA TO PONDER FOR TODAY'S DISCUSSION.

AND AS A RESULT, NAKA IS HERE TODAY TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED.

AND THEY'VE PREPARED A SHORT PRESENTATION ON THOSE QUESTIONS.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL JUST INVITE NAKA TO COME AND AND RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED.

GOOD AFTERNOON, YOUR WORSHIP, COUNCILLORS AND GUESTS.

MY NAME IS CATHY MACDONALD. I AM THE CEO OF NAKA POWERS UTILITY HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE.

IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY AND WITH ME IS STEPHEN HAS MENTIONED IS MR. DARRELL BEAULIEU. HE REPRESENTS OUR MAJOR SHAREHOLDER.

HE HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH NAKA POWER, AND HE'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE SHORTLY.

ALSO WITH ME IS VIC BARR. HE'S THE MANAGER OF NAKA POWER UTILITIES.

HE'S GOING TO RESPOND TO YOUR SUBMITTED QUESTIONS.

WE RECEIVED FIVE IN PARTICULAR REGARDING OUR REPORT THAT WAS SUBMITTED IN JANUARY, AND WE ALSO RECEIVED A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED ON MONDAY TO PAST.

SO WE'RE GOING TO RESPOND TO ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE DO HAVE COLLEAGUES IN THE OUR SUPPORT BEHIND US AS WELL.

AND KNOW THAT IF THERE'S FURTHER QUESTIONS THAT COME FROM THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTIONS TODAY, YOU CAN ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US AT ANY TIME OR DROP BY OUR OFFICE.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE THERE. OKAY. AND WE'RE HAPPY TO RESPOND.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

OKAY. I'LL LET MR. BEAULIEU SPEAK NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CATHY. [INAUDIBLE] I'M DARRYL BEAULIEU. I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE, ACTUALLY NDILǪ, AND BEEN A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY.

I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE CITY COUNCIL HERE JUST RECENTLY DENENDEH INVESTMENTS NOW HOLDS 51% MAJORITY OWNERSHIP OF NAKA POWER UTILITIES.

AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WHEN I LOOKED ACROSS THE COUNTRY WE'RE ONE OF TEN INDIGENOUS UTILITIES IN CANADA AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE LONGEST. DENENDEH INVESTMENTS, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, REPRESENTS 27 FIRST NATIONS ACROSS NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

AND WE'VE BEEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ATCO, WHO'S OUR OPERATIONAL PARTNER SINCE 1987.

WE'VE HAD OFFICES IN YELLOWKNIFE AND HAY RIVER AND WE HAVE ABOUT 27 EMPLOYEES LIVING AND WORKING HERE AND IN THAT TERRITORY.

[00:35:07]

SO THE CURRENT FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS OF COURSE, IS WITH THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE AND WITH THE COMMUNITIES OF WEKWEÈTÌ, SAMBAA K’E, K’AT’LODEECHE FIRST NATION, FORT PROVIDENCE, DORY POINT ENTERPRISE AND RIVERWOODS. SO THROUGH REGULAR ENGAGEMENTS. NAKA AND THE CITY HAVE BUILT, YOU KNOW, A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP AND WHICH WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE.

SO AS CATHY MENTIONED TODAY, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.

THAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE HERE.

THANK YOU. MERCI. THANK. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. I WILL GET INTO THE QUESTIONS WITH COUNCIL.

THIS ADVANCES THE SLIDES. AND IT WORKS VERY WELL.

AMAZING. OKAY, SO TO START WITH I JUST WANT TO THANK COUNCIL FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FRANCHISE REPORT THIS YEAR.

WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL AS WELL AS POINTING OUT SOME SOME THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CLARIFY.

SO APPRECIATE THAT. TO START OFF WITH, THE INTENT OF THE FRANCHISE REPORT EVERY YEAR IS TO BE HELPFUL TO COUNCIL ANF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY AND INSIGHT INTO THE OPERATIONS OF NAKA IN YELLOWKNIFE. IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

IF I LOOK BACK AND I THINK WE GOT THIS IT GOES BACK A LONG WAYS PROVIDING THIS REPORT.

SO WE'RE HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE IT. THE FIRST QUESTION WAS RELATED TO THE CUSTOMER BREAKDOWN.

OKAY, SO THERE WAS A TABLE THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE FRANCHISE REPORT THAT BROKE DOWN THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS IN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THE INTENT OF THIS TABLE IS TO SHOW THE TREND OF CUSTOMER GROWTH AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN THE CITY.

SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK THE 2024 [INAUDIBLE] NUMBERS, WHICH WAS THE AVERAGE.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE CUSTOMER NUMBERS EVERY MONTH OVER THE YEAR, THE AVERAGE WAS THE TOTALS THAT YOU SEE THERE OVER THE OVER THE 12 MONTHS OF 2024.

NOW THE ERROR, WHAT WE MADE WAS WHAT WAS POINTED OUT BY COUNCIL WAS THAT THE TOTALS DIDN'T ADD UP TO WHAT WAS AT THE BOTTOM.

SO THE BOTTOM WAS 11,279. AND WHAT WE HAD TOTALED WITH THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAD IN THE ORIGINAL TABLE TOTALED TO 11,571. NOW WE LOOKED AT THIS CLOSER. WHAT WE DID WAS WE IN ORDER TO PROVE TO BE ACCURATE, AS AT A POINT IN TIME WE PUT THE NUMBERS IN THERE IN THE TABLE FOR THE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL STREET LIGHTS SENTINEL LIGHTS UP TO DATE AS A POINT IN TIME OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2025. HOWEVER, THAT'S NOT HELPFUL IN THE WAY THAT WE INTEND IT TO BE TO COUNCIL, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A TREND OF HOW MANY CUSTOMERS, HOW MUCH ENERGY GROWTH IS HAPPENING IN YELLOWKNIFE. SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE RECONCILED THAT TABLE AND UPDATED IT, AS YOU SEE HERE RIGHT NOW BASED ON THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS OVER THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2025, WHICH ADDS UP TO 11,298, WHICH I'M JUST MAKING SURE THAT'S 100% CORRECT BECAUSE IF THE AVERAGE OVER THE YEAR IS 11,297, BUT IF YOU ADD ALL THOSE NUMBERS UP, IT'S 11,298.

SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT FOR COUNCIL'S REFERENCE.

THE SECOND QUESTION WE HAD WAS RELATED TO SUSTAINABILITY.

AND THIS IS A SIMILAR RESPONSE TO THE CUSTOMER BREAKDOWN.

SO WHAT WE DID AGAIN WAS WE LOOKED AT THE 2025 REPORTING AND THERE WAS INCLUSIONS IN THAT REPORTING THAT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE 2024 REPORTING.

SO WE DID WAS WE UPDATED OUR CALCULATION TO BE CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR.

SO THE NUMBER THAT YOU SEE THERE IS 2024 REPORTED.

SO THE NUMBER BASED ON THE UPDATED CALCULATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CALCULATIONS ARE CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR, PROVIDED THAT UPDATED NUMBER THERE, WHICH SHOWS VERY LITTLE CHANGE.

ONE THING THAT WE DO SEE IN AS WE AGGREGATE OUR AMALGAMATION OR OUR, OPERATIONS THROUGH AMALGAMATION IS THAT WE TRAVELED MORE OUTSIDE OF YELLOWKNIFE. SO WE DO HAVE SOME MORE FLEET USAGE THAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TRAVEL TO, YOU KNOW, SOME BIG PROJECTS WHERE YOU WORK ON PINE LAKE AND PINE POINT OR FORT PROVIDENCE, ENGINE REPLACEMENTS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. SO THE FLEET FROM YELLOWKNIFE THAT WE HAVE BASED HERE IN THE CITY TRAVELS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY A LITTLE MORE THAN IT USED TO.

RELIABILITY WAS ALSO A STRONG TREND IN THE QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL.

[00:40:06]

SO THERE'S A FEW SLIDES ON RELIABILITY. THIS TOUCHES ON ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF THEM.

AND THIS ONE IS SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE RELIABILITY AND WHAT HAPPENED IN 2025.

SO WHAT HAPPENED IN 2025 WAS WE HAD AN ISOLATED EQUIPMENT FAILURE.

SO WHEN THE NIVEN SUBSTATION WE HAD A FAILURE, ONE OF THE PRIMARY PIECES OF EQUIPMENT IN THAT SUBSTATION THAT IS A OUTLIER EVENT, THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WAS NEARLY 25 YEARS OLD.

IT GOES THROUGH A REGULAR TESTING AND MAINTENANCE. WE DID NOT NOT EXPECT THESE TYPES OF EQUIPMENT TO FAIL ON A ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AND IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE RELIABILITY OVER THE YEARS IN YELLOWKNIFE, YOU DON'T SEE THIS TYPE OF FAILURE OCCUR AS FAR BACK AS YOU CAN.

THERE'S GOING BACK A LONG WAYS YOU DON'T SEE THIS MAGNITUDE OF FAILURE WITH A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

THE UNDERLYING PERFORMANCE OF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IS, IS WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO POINT OUT TODAY.

SO IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THAT OUTLIER EVENT OUT OF THE SCENARIO AND LOOK AT THE RELIABILITY OF YELLOWKNIFE'S DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THROUGHOUT 2025, YOU SEE THE EXCLUDING EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN THE TABLE THERE, WHICH IS VERY MUCH ON TRACK WITH WHAT WE SEE WITH HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YELLOWKNIFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

THE OTHER GOOD THING ABOUT THE YELLOWKNIFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IS IT'S QUITE ROBUST, AND IT OPERATES AT WHAT WE CALL AN N MINUS ONE CONDITION, WHICH MEANS THAT IT'S GOT BUILT IN REDUNDANCIES.

SO WHEN THAT EQUIPMENT FAILURE OCCURRED, WE WERE ABLE, BECAUSE OF THE CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM AND THE SUBSTATIONS IN YELLOWKNIFE, TO ISOLATE THAT SUBSTATION ENTIRELY AND REROUTE THE POWER THROUGHOUT THE CITY SO THAT WE COULD RESTORE ALL CUSTOMERS.

NOW, IT DID TAKE SOME TIME TO DO THAT, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE OF THE CAPACITY OF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

THE NEXT QUESTION WE HAD WAS ALSO RELIABILITY FOCUSED, BUT SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT BRUSHING AND ASKING WHETHER BRUSHING WAS A DRIVER OF RELIABILITY ISSUES IN YELLOWKNIFE. BRUSHING AND TREE CONTACTS IS NOT A PRIMARY DRIVER OF RELIABILITY ISSUES IN YELLOWKNIFE.

WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN AN ASSESSMENT IN 2022, DONE BY A THIRD PARTY TO LOOK AT THE BRUSHING IN YELLOWKNIFE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS SAFE.

RIGHT. THAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITIES UTILITY. IT'S ONE OF OUR MANDATES TO PROVIDE SAFE IN ADDITION TO RELIABLE POWER.

SO WE DID HAVE THAT ASSESSMENT COMPLETED. AND THEN WE HAD ENGAGED A CONTRACTOR TO START COMPLETING THAT WORK.

THEY WERE ACTUALLY SCHEDULED TO BE HERE BEFORE THE WILDFIRES IN 2023.

HOWEVER, WE ALL MOST OF US HAD TO LEAVE THE CITY DURING THAT TIME.

THE CONTRACTOR WAS HERE SHORTLY THEREAFTER IN THE THIRD QUARTER AND THE FALL OF 2023 TO START WORK ON THAT BRUSHING.

AND THEY FINISHED THE WORK IN 2024. AND ON AN ONGOING BASIS WE LOOK AT BRUSHING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THROUGH OUR ANNUAL PATROLS AS WELL AS OUR TECHNICIANS ARE ALWAYS DOING WORK AROUND THE COMMUNITY.

WE ALSO GET FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS ON, ON ISSUES.

SO THAT'S HOW WE ADDRESS THAT ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

NOW LOOKING AT THE UNDERLYING PERFORMANCE OF THE SYSTEM, JUST ZOOMING IT OUT A BIT AND SAYING LIKE, OKAY, WHAT, HOW DOES YELLOWKNIFE BENCHMARK AGAINST OTHER UTILITIES IN CANADA, OTHER PERFORMANCE, OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN CANADA? SO EVERY YEAR, ELECTRICITY CANADA PRODUCES A REPORT THAT SHOWS A RELIABILITY INDEXES OF UTILITIES ACROSS CANADA, SO THEY BREAK IT INTO THREE REGIONS.

THERE'S URBAN UTILITIES, WHICH ARE PRIMARY URBAN CENTERS LIKE TORONTO, VANCOUVER, SASKATOON AND THE CITY OF RED DEER.

LIKE THESE MORE CONCISE OR MORE CONSTRAINED OPERATIONS THAT HAPPEN JUST WITHIN CITIES, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MOST COMPARABLE TO YELLOWKNIFE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE PRIMARILY OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY. WE WORK OUT OF HERE, WE'RE BASED OUT OF HERE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS IS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IS HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE. THERE'S ALSO URBAN RURAL UTILITIES.

THIS IS OPERATIONS LIKE ATCO ELECTRIC AND ALBERTA, FORTIS, BC, WHERE THEY HAVE MUNICIPALITIES BUT ALSO COVER A LARGE AMOUNT OF RURAL AREAS.

AND THEN YOU HAVE NORTHERN UTILITIES AND THAT INCLUDES US NTPC, ATCO ELECTRIC YUKON, YUKON ENERGY CORPORATION.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE YELLOWKNIFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM COMPARED TO THIS, AND ALSO WHAT WE DID HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMPARISON IS DIRECT AND CLEAR FOR COUNCIL IS WE PULLED OUT LOSS OF SUPPLY BECAUSE IN YELLOWKNIFE, NAKA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WHICH DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY LOSS OF SUPPLY EVENTS DUE TO GENERATION.

SO IN THE CANADIAN NUMBERS, WE PULLED THAT LOSS OF SUPPLY OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMPARISON IS DIRECT.

[00:45:02]

SO COUNCIL CAN SEE THE CLEAR PICTURE HERE. AND WHAT WE DO SEE HERE IS THAT FROM A SAFETY AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, THAT YELLOWKNIFE HAS VERY STRONG RELIABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO ITS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

NOW, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THESE TERMS, SAIDI AND SAIFI, WHAT THAT MEANS IS SAIFI MEANS THE AVERAGE FREQUENCY THAT A CUSTOMER COULD EXPECT TO SEE AN OUTAGE IN IN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

AND WHAT THAT NUMBER MEANS IS ON AVERAGE EVERY YEAR DUE TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM A CUSTOMER CAN EXPECT TO SEE ONE OUTAGE PER YEAR BASED ON THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, AND THE SAIDI IS THE DURATION. SO ON AVERAGE, WHAT WOULD THE DURATION OF AN OUTAGE BE FOR A CUSTOMER IN YELLOWKNIFE DUE TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, AND THAT DURATION IS 0.49, WHICH IS HALF AN HOUR ON AVERAGE.

WE ALSO HAD A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL REGARDING CUSTOMERS FRUSTRATION REGARDING THE ENERGY COSTS OF BILLS, AS WELL AS THAT IS ALSO AGAIN TIED INTO RELIABILITY A BIT.

SO WHAT WE DO HERE IS CUSTOMERS DO REACH OUT TO US.

THEY DO CONTACT US. THEY EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS WITH US.

WE HEAR THEM OUT. WE LISTEN TO WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.

WE CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS AND DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE UTILITY SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE IS NOT A ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING. AND WE DO THAT CONSISTENTLY. ANOTHER THING TO NOTE IS THAT IN 2025, WE KEEP TRACK OF THE HEATING DEGREE DAYS FOR THE PURPOSES OF REGULATORY FILINGS AND RATE SETTING.

SO WHILE WE ALSO WILL NOTE IS THAT 2025, THE DECEMBER WHAT WAS SPECIFICALLY NOTED TO US BY OUR REGULATORY TEAM WAS A DECEMBER IN 2025 WAS ONE OF THE COLDEST MONTHS THAT WE HAVE ON RECORD IN 25 YEARS.

NOW, I DON'T MEAN IT HIT A PEAK LOW, BUT I MEAN ON AVERAGE, HOW COLD IT WAS ON AVERAGE OVER THAT MONTH IT WAS ONE OF THE COLDEST MONTHS.

AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE REACHING OUT TO US AND ASKING, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH MY POWER BILL IS IT'S CONSUMPTION.

AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT DRIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE USING SPACE HEATERS IN THEIR HOME TO STAY WARM, IF THEY HAVE HEAT TAPE THAT'S ON THEIR WATER LINES AND IN THEIR HOME, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

AND THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO ALL CUSTOMERS ON THEIR MY ACCOUNT.

AND THEY CAN SEE THEIR 12 MONTH USAGE HISTORY.

NOW ZOOMING OUT ON COSTS AND YOU KILL UTILITY COST DRIVERS.

WE CAN SEE HERE IN THIS SLIDE THE 10 YEAR CHANGES IN ELECTRICITY RATES IN YELLOWKNIFE OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS.

THE BLUE PORTION ON THE BOTTOM IS NAKA'S DISTRIBUTION COST TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

NOW WE ARE ARE PLEASED AND PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE VERY.

WE HAVE MANAGED THOSE COSTS VERY WELL AND IN FACT, THEY'VE BEEN BELOW INFLATION OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS.

THE YELLOW PORTION OF THE BAR GRAPH IS GENERATION TRANSMISSION COSTS AND NTPC WHOLESALE.

AND THE RED LINE IS THE INFLATION TREND OVER TEN YEARS.

NOW, REGARDING RELIABILITY SPECIFICALLY, THERE ARE SOME PRIMARY DRIVERS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OUTAGES IN YELLOWKNIFE.

BY FAR THE LARGEST ONE IS LOSS OF SUPPLY WHEN IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE INDEX OF SAIDI AND SAIFI.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM AN INDEX PERSPECTIVE, THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE WHENEVER YOU LOSE SUPPLY, YOU'RE LOSING 9,000 CUSTOMERS, RIGHT? WHICH IMMEDIATELY HAS A BIG IMPACT ON THE INDEX.

THE OTHER THINGS THAT OCCUR THAT IMPACT THE SYSTEM BY JUST NUMBER OF OUTAGES THAT OCCUR ARE FOREIGN INTERFERENCE.

AND WHAT FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IS, IS WHEN A WILDLIFE PRIMARILY CONTACTS THE POWER SYSTEM.

AND I THINK WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH WHAT ANIMAL THAT IS IN YELLOWKNIFE, IT'S A BIRD AND IT'S A RAVEN.

THEY'RE QUITE COMMON. THOSE CONTACTS IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN YELLOWKNIFE.

THE OTHER ONE IS SCHEDULED OUTAGES. SO THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO WORK ON THE SYSTEM.

AND WE NEED TO. AND WE TAKE AN OUTAGE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SYSTEM SAFE FOR OUR TECHNICIANS TO COMPLETE WORK ON THEM.

WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT THOSE THINGS AS FAR AS LOSS OF SUPPLY, WE ARE CURRENTLY COLLABORATING WITH NTPC WITH THE GNWT.

THEY'VE ISSUED POLICY DIRECTIVES TO LOOK AT INTEGRATED POWER SYSTEM PLANNING.

AND THEY'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP LONG TERM PLANNING TO HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THESE THINGS. SO WE'RE ENGAGED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AS WELL.

WE ALSO HAVE RECENTLY WORKED WITH NTPC ON A COORDINATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THAT HAS TO DO WITH HOW THE SYSTEMS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.

ANOTHER ONE THAT WE DO TO ADDRESS FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IS WE'VE UPDATED ENGINEERING STANDARDS TO REDUCE BIRD CONTACTS.

[00:50:07]

AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THAT FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDARDS PERSPECTIVE, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT COMPLICATED.

IT'S JUST THERE'S SOME RUBBER TUBING THAT WE PUT ON THE CONDUCTORS, AND IT HELPS WITH BRUSH CONTACT SO THAT IF A RAVEN CONTACTS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT PERFECT, RIGHT? BUT IF A RAVEN CONTACTS A CONDUCTOR, IT MIGHT BE ABLE TO TOLERATE A BRUSH CONTACT.

WHEREAS IF THE CONDUCTOR IS BARE AND IT'S ENERGIZED, IT WON'T TOLERATE ANY OF THAT.

THERE'S ZERO TOLERANCE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO.

WE ALSO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW TRENDS ANNUALLY. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR TRENDS ALL THE TIME.

WE HAVE A DASHBOARD THAT WE LOOK AT AND IT'S A HEAT MAP.

SO IT SHOWS LIKE WHERE ARE THE OUTAGES HAPPENING IN YELLOWKNIFE AND THE MORE OUTAGES THAT HAPPEN IN THAT LOCATION, THE BRIGHTER IT'S LIKE AN INFRARED, RIGHT? LIKE THE BRIGHTER THE COLOR, THE MORE IT STANDS OUT. SO WE LOOK AT THOSE, WHERE ARE THESE OUTAGES HAPPENING? SO WE LOOK AT THOSE TRENDS AND WE SAY, OKAY, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THIS YEAR? AND WHAT WE SEE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS WE'VE TAKEN WE'VE UPDATED OUR ENGINEERING STANDARDS AND LOOKED AT THESE ANNUAL TRENDS IS OUR FOREIGN INTERFERENCE COUNT OF OUTAGES IS DECLINING. SO THE SUCCESS OF THIS IS A LITTLE BIT LAGGING BECAUSE YOU INSTALL IT AND THEN YOU WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

BUT WE ARE SEEING SUCCESS IN THAT. A FORWARD LOOKING MEASURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AROUND FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IS CALLED INTEGRATION OF AUTO RECLOSERS.

AND IN THE FRANCHISE REPORT, THERE WAS A PRETTY GOOD DESCRIPTION ON WHAT THESE [INAUDIBLE] RECLOSERS ARE.

AND JUST FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFIT, I CAN JUST RECAP IT BRIEFLY.

BUT WHAT AN AUTO RECLOSER DOES IS THERE'S TEMPORARY FAULTS AND PERMANENT FAULTS ON ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

A TEMPORARY FAULT IS SOMETHING LIKE YOUR RAVEN, RIGHT? THAT CONTACTS THE CONDUCTOR, BUT IT'S GOING TO CLEAR THE CONDUCTOR AFTER IT CONTACTS IT, IT'S GOING TO FALL TO THE GROUND.

RIGHT. TYPICALLY. RIGHT. SO WHAT THE AUTO RECLOSER WILL DO IS IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECLOSE OR AUTOMATICALLY CLOSE A CIRCUIT BACK IN FOLLOWING THAT TRANSIENT CONTACT.

IT'LL TRY TO DO IT THREE TIMES. THIS IS VERY, VERY COMMON IN UTILITY SYSTEMS ACROSS THE WORLD THAT THEY HAVE THESE BUILT IN.

THE YELLOWKNIFE SYSTEM, BECAUSE OF ITS SMALLER SCALE, HAS NOT HAD THIS FUNCTION AVAILABLE.

NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT INTEGRATING SOME OF THESE FUNCTIONS, AND WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE COORDINATION STUDY WITH NTPC ON INTEGRATING SOME OF THESE FUNCTIONS INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN YELLOWKNIFE. ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE IS SCHEDULED OUTAGES.

SO WHAT WE DID AROUND THIS IS WE HAD OUR CREWS GO AND TRAIN IN LIVE LINE WORK SO THEY CAN WORK ON THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN AN ENERGIZED STATE.

AND WE'RE CHANGING THE PHILOSOPHY ON HOW WE DO MAINTENANCE IN YELLOWKNIFE AS A RESULT OF THAT TRAINING.

THE TRADITIONAL WAY IS TO MAKE THE SYSTEM SAFE.

YOU TURN IT OFF, YOU GROUND IT, THEN IT'S SAFE TO WORK ON.

WHAT THE NEW APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING WITH THIS CAPABILITY TO DO LIVE LINE WORK IS AN ENERGIZED FIRST APPROACH IS WHAT WE CALL IT.

SO IF WE CAN DO THE WORK SAFELY AND WE CAN DO IT ENERGIZED THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT FIRST OUTAGE WILL BE SECOND.

IF WE CAN DO IT SAFELY ENERGIZED, THAT'LL BE FIRST.

SOME OTHER QUESTIONS WE HAD WERE AROUND NET METERING.

SO THE GNWT AND THEIR 2025 POLICY DIRECTIVES HAVE ASKED THE UTILITIES AND THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD SPECIFICALLY TO LOOK AT THE COMPENSATION RATES AROUND NET METERING THAT WAS IN DIRECTIVE NUMBER FOUR OR PART OF DIRECTIVE NUMBER FOUR.

SO AS A PART OF THAT REVIEW PROCESS, WHAT WE DID WAS ENGAGE A THIRD PARTY TO DO A JURISDICTIONAL REVIEW TO LOOK AT HOW ARE OTHER UTILITIES DEALING WITH THIS, THIS SITUATION, BECAUSE OTHER UTILITIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED NET ENERGY METERING AND THEREAFTER MOVED TO NET BILLING STRUCTURES OR OTHER OTHER COMPENSATION MODELS FOR NET TO REPLACE NET METERING.

THE EVIDENCE THAT WE THAT WE FILED WITH THE INTERVENER PROCESS IN THAT PROCEEDING THROUGH OUR JURISDICTION REVIEW WITH THAT THIRD PARTY INDICATES THAT NET METERING CAN RESULT IN COST SHIFTING, WHERE NONPARTICIPATING CUSTOMERS BEAR A GROWING SHARE OF THE SYSTEM COSTS.

SO THAT MEANS THAT IT'S NOT SCALABLE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

SO BUT WE DO SUPPORT AND IN OUR PAST FILINGS, WHEN WE DID OUR INITIAL REVIEW OF THE NET METERING PROGRAM IN 2014, NAKA'S POSITION WAS THAT WE DO SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLES.

HOWEVER, TO ACCOMPLISH IT, WE RECOMMEND TRANSITIONING TO A NET BILLING PROGRAM FOR COMPENSATION TO SUPPORT AFFORDABILITY, FAIRNESS AND ACCESS FOR ALL CUSTOMERS. AND THAT POSITION IS ALIGNED WITH THE GNWT POLICY, THE REGULATORY EVIDENCE AND THE OBJECTIVE OF ENSURING EQUITABLE TREATMENT FOR ALL CUSTOMERS OVER THE LONG TERM. ANOTHER QUESTION WE HAD WAS RELATED TO CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND SYSTEM COSTS.

[00:55:02]

HOW PART OF THIS QUESTION WAS TIED TO LONG TERM CONTRACTS AND THE INVESTMENT THAT'S RELATED TO THAT.

SO JUST I PUT IT UNDER FOUR HEADINGS TO JUST DRAW SOME ATTENTION TO WHAT I THINK ARE SOME OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THIS QUESTION.

SO ONE OF THEM BEING STABILITY. SO LONG TERM CONTRACTS, WHAT THAT DOES FOR UTILITIES IS IT ALLOW THEM TO MAKE SYSTEM WIDE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE PLANNED AND APPROVED THROUGH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. AND IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE THE ASSURANCE AND STABILITY TO SAY THAT IF WE MAKE LONG TERM INVESTMENTS IN THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE LONGEVITY IN OUR BUSINESS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS.

AND THERE ARE LARGE INVESTMENTS. SO IF WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE DONE IN THE PAST, THE CASE IN POINT IS THE 25 KV CONVERSION.

SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT CONVERSION THAT WAS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE BETWEEN 2004 AND 2012.

IT COST $25 MILLION. IT'S A BIG INVESTMENT. SO BUT ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT IS THAT TODAY WE STILL SEE THE BENEFITS OF THAT INVESTMENT.

WE HAD NORTHERN ENERGY INNOVATION, WHICH THROUGH YUKON UNIVERSITY HERE IN THE CITY, AND THEY WERE DOING ASSESSMENTS OF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

AND WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT WAS THAT THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN YELLOWKNIFE IS IN A GOOD PLACE TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH AT THIS POINT.

AND OVER THE NEXT OVER THE PREVIOUS TEN YEARS THAT WAS ONE OF THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THIS QUESTION IS THAT NAKA HAS INVESTED 24 MILLION IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN YELLOWKNIFE, AND THAT'S NET OF CONTRIBUTIONS.

SO I BELIEVE THE QUESTION WAS ASKING TO NET OUT CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH CUSTOMER PROJECTS.

SO WE'VE INVESTED OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, 24 MILLION IN THE YELLOWKNIFE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER PROJECTS SUCH AS THE EV, CHARGING THEIR TRIGGER IS A LOCAL CAPACITY INCREASE THAT'S MAINLY ATTRIBUTED TO THAT CUSTOMER. CURRENT RULES REQUIRE THAT THE CUSTOMER FUND THE SITE SPECIFIC UPGRADES THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS ARE NOT SUBSIDIZING PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.

SO WE DO HAVE A MODEL THAT LOOKS AT CUSTOMER VERSUS SYSTEM COSTS.

AND WHEN WE HAVE A CUSTOMER COME IN AND ASK FOR A PROJECT, WE DO RUN THROUGH THAT MODEL AND, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN APPLY THE MINIMUM INVESTMENT AT LEAST THE MINIMUM INVESTMENT LEVEL.

AND ALSO LOOK AT WHAT SYSTEM COSTS ARE POSSIBLE BASED ON WHAT THEIR REQUEST IS AND WHAT THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT IS.

IT CHANGES FROM PROJECT TO PROJECT. IN 22 THROUGH OUR MOST RECENT GRA WITH THE CITY YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT WE DID UPDATE OUR MINIMUM INVESTMENT LEVELS. SO WE INCREASED THEM THEY WERE IN OUR REGULATORY FILINGS.

I CAN ALSO TALK TO YOU AFTER, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT AND WHAT WE DID. AND ALSO OUR INVESTMENT POLICY AS I WAS JUST ALLUDING TO, WE'RE, ALL THEY NEED. THEY DO NEED TO BE REVIEWED FROM TIME TO TIME.

SO THAT'S, WHAT WE DID IN OUR LAST GRA FILING WAS REVIEW THEM.

AND WE ARE OPEN TO REVIEWING INVESTMENT RULES TO ENSURE FAIRNESS AND FLEXIBILITY AS WE SEE INCREASED ELECTRIFICATION.

OVER THE UPCOMING TERM, THROUGH THE NEXT THREE YEARS, 26 TO 28, OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM IS LOOKING TO INVEST AN ADDITIONAL 18 MILLION IN YELLOWKNIFE. NOW WE'RE AWARE THAT THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE HORIZON FOR THE CITY.

SO THAT'S LOOKING AT SETTING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SOME OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS THAT COULD BE OCCURRING.

INCLUDES POTENTIALLY NEW SUBSTATION IN THE SYSTEM, UPGRADES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT MORE ADDITIONAL AUTO RECLOSERS IMPLEMENTING AUTOMATED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS A FOUNDATIONAL PIECE OF GRID MODERNIZATION, AND ALSO ADDITIONAL STREET LIGHTS AND STREETLIGHT REPLACEMENTS.

THERE WAS ALSO A QUESTION REGARDING THE FRANCHISE FEES AND THE FRANCHISE STRUCTURE, THE FRANCHISE STRUCTURE, OR THE FRANCHISE FEE STRUCTURE FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE HISTORICALLY IS BASED ON A TIERED PERCENTAGE OF GROSS REVENUES.

NOW WHAT, WHAT THE INHERENT ISSUE WITH THIS IS THAT IT CREATES A BIT OF A ISSUE WHERE WE'RE REGULARLY FORECASTING AND THEN DOING TRUE-UPS WOULD LEAD TO THE CHANGES THAT MAYBE COULD BE WHAT COUNCIL IS NOTING AND CHANGES TO THE RATE THAT APPEAR TO BE OCCURRING.

SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR THE FIRST 5.25 IS CONSISTENT.

THE FIRST 33.5 AT 3% IS CONSISTENT. WHERE THE FORECASTING COMES INTO PLAY IS IN THAT BALANCE OVER 875. SO WE'RE GOING TO FORECAST THAT. AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND ESTIMATE WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS GOING TO BE. NOW, HOW MUCH WE ARE, HOW CORRECT WE ARE.

[01:00:03]

OR HOW ACCURATE THAT IS BASED ON WHAT OCCURS IN THE CITY IN A GIVEN YEAR WILL THEN INFORM THE NEXT RIDER THAT COLLECTS THE FRANCHISE FEES.

SO THAT MIGHT BE WHAT YOU'RE NOTING THERE AROUND.

IT SEEMS TO CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME. SO WHAT WE DID THROUGH OUR MOST RECENT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY REGARDING THE FRANCHISE RENEWAL IS PROPOSED A FLAT RATE, WHICH IS MUCH MORE SIMPLE TO TO ADMINISTER. AND WE'LL ELIMINATE THAT TRUE-UP SITUATION THAT WE SEE.

ALSO OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS, IF WE ASSUME 2% ANNUAL GROWTH FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

AND THIS IS AN ASSUMPTION. TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.

YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON FOR THE CITY, POTENTIALLY. BUT IF WE WERE TO SEE 2% GROWTH OVER THE ANNUAL GROWTH OVER A TEN YEAR TERM, THE CITY WOULD RECEIVE A FRANCHISE PAYMENT TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 15.4 MILLION.

THAT'S MY RESPONSE TO ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS, AT LEAST AS I HAD THEM BEFORE THIS MEETING.

AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS. AND I'LL LEAVE IT TO CATHY TO GIVE SOME CLOSING REMARKS.

AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VIC. A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE, I KNOW.

HE COVERED A LOT OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT VIC HAS BEEN WORKING WITH NAKA NOW FOR THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS AND REALLY KNOWS THE SYSTEM. SO HE WAS THE BEST ONE TO SPEAK TO IT.

AND BUT AGAIN IN CLOSING, WE'RE WE AT NAKA POWER UTILITIES ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR OVERALL PERFORMANCE HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE AND THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.

DARRELL HAD MENTIONED A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WE LOOK AFTER.

SO WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

AND SOMETIMES WE DO SOME TRANSMISSION AND GENERATION TOO IN THE OTHER LOCATIONS.

IMPROVEMENTS ARE CONSTANT IN LIFE, THERE'S NO QUESTION, ESPECIALLY WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND CHANGING GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES.

THIS IS WHAT WE TOO HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY.

KNOW THOUGH, THAT WE. AT NAKA WE DO WANT TO ENSURE AN ONGOING ELECTRICAL SAFETY SYSTEM THAT'S AFFORDABLE.

CUSTOMER RATES AND RELIABILITY PERFORMANCE, OF COURSE, IS IMPORTANT.

WITH THIS WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SIGNING ANOTHER FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH YOU AND WORKING TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL OF THE EXCITING PLANNING THAT'S COMING FORWARD WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND AGAIN, A PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CATHY, AND THANK YOU DARRELL FOR THAT.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? COUNCILLOR PAYNE.

IF YOU COULD, MAYBE. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANKS GUYS FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

IT WAS GREAT. VERY INFORMATIVE, LIKE YOU SAID.

JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS. DO RESIDENTS IN YELLOWKNIFE GET CHARGED THE SAME KILOWATT PER HOUR RATE AS OTHER CUSTOMERS IN YOUR OTHER NAKA COMMUNITIES.

I WILL LEAVE IT TO VIC. OKAY. THE RATE IN YELLOWKNIFE IS BASED ON THE COST OF SERVICE TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF YELLOWKNIFE. AND IT'S NOT THE SAME AS THE RATES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NWT.

NOW, THE TERRITORY DOES HAVE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS IN PLACE THAT NORMALIZE THOSE COSTS.

AND YELLOWKNIFE IS THE BENCHMARK RATE ACROSS THE TERRITORY.

BUT THE RATES AS FILED IN OUR REGULATORY PROCEEDINGS FOR COST OF SERVICE ARE NOT THE SAME.

SO WOULD LIKE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER.

WOULD OUR RATES HERE BE HIGHER OR LOWER THAN SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES? THE RATES IN YELLOWKNIFE ARE ONE OF THE LOWER ONES IN THE TERRITORY.

OKAY. THANK YOU. RIGHT NOW DOES DOES OUR RATE GO? DOES IT FLUCTUATE MONTHLY OR DO WE ARE WE ON A PRETTY STANDARD RIGHT NOW, AND IF SO, WHAT IS THE RATE THAT WE PAY? STEVE COUNCILLOR PAYNE I'D HAVE TO TAKE AWAY THE THE EXACT TO DATE PER KILOWATT HOUR, LIKE TOTAL, INCLUDING GENERATION I WOULD HAVE TAKE THAT AWAY.

IT WOULD BE IN OUR YEAH, I COULD TAKE THAT AWAY AND WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

THE RATE IN YELLOWKNIFE DOES NOT FREQUENTLY CHANGE.

NOW, GENERALLY, THE LAST TIME WE SET BASE RATES, AS YOU SEE IN OUR RATE SCHEDULES WAS 2012.

AND THE REST OF THAT IS REGARDING RIDERS AND THE RIDERS CAPTURE THINGS LIKE CHANGES IN PURCHASE POWER.

AND BECAUSE WE HAVE A SHARED SYSTEM, THE RATES WILL CHANGE IN IN REGARD TO CHANGES IN EITHER ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS.

[01:05:05]

RIGHT? SO IF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM HAS CHANGES THAT NEED REQUIRE UPDATE TO RATES THAT'LL BE WE'LL UPDATE OUR OWN RATES.

IF THE THE PURCHASE POWER SIDE, THE GENERATION TRANSMISSION SIDE CHANGES, THEN ONE OF THE RIDERS NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO CAPTURE THOSE COSTS AND FOLLOW THEM THROUGH.

IT'S A FLOW THROUGH. NAKA DOES NOT MAKE A PROFIT.

WE DON'T MARK IT UP ON THE PURCHASE POWER. IT'S SIMPLY A FLOW THROUGH TO RESIDENTS ON THE WHOLESALE COSTS.

THEY DON'T CHANGE TYPICALLY. HOWEVER, OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS, WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF REGULATORY FILINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE ELECTRIC UTILITY SPACE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. SOME HAS TO DO WITH POLICY DIRECTIVES, SOME OF IT A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH THE HAY RIVER FRANCHISE PURCHASE AND SALE.

SO WE HAVE SEEN SOME CHANGES RECENTLY. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN REGARD TO IT SEEMS TO BE CHANGING MORE FREQUENTLY THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST.

YEAH. I MEAN, I'M JUST I ASKED THE QUESTION SO PEOPLE CAN KNOW WHAT RATE.

I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE, I THINK WE WERE PAYING 12.9 CENTS A KILOWATT HOUR, BUT THAT WAS ALMOST 30 YEARS AGO.

AND THE LAST NUMBER I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WAS ABOUT $0.41 A KILOWATT HOUR, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS WITH THE RIDERS ATTACHED OR WITHOUT THE RIDERS. AND WITH THE RIDERS I MEAN, DOES THAT GO TO THOSE? A LOT OF THOSE RIDERS GO TO NTPC OR DIRECTLY TO NAKA? THE RIDERS DO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE DID HAVE SOME ENGAGEMENT RECENTLY ON THE RIDERS FROM MEDIA, AND THEY HAD PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE TO TRY AND EXPLAIN, HELP CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE RIDERS ARE DOING.

SO WHAT WE DID IN RESPONSE TO THAT WAS WE UPDATED OUR WEBSITE.

SO WE DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, LIKE WE UPDATED IT AND THERE'S EXPLANATIONS ON THE RIDERS ON OUR WEBSITE.

PERSONALLY, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THE COLLECTION OF RIDERS.

IF THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO DETAILS ON WHAT EACH OF THOSE RIDERS DOES, AND HAVE A DETAILED DISCUSSION ON THAT, AND HAS AN INTEREST OR A DRIVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN ENGAGE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I MEAN IT FOR THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE AND WE SPEAK HERE FOR THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? I MEAN, I KNOW MYSELF PERSONALLY, I'VE, MY LAST THREE BILLS CAME TO $2,100 TOTAL.

RIGHT. SO THERE HAS BEEN IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S BEEN QUITE AN INCREASE IN THE BILL RATES.

I MEAN, YOU'VE SAID YOURSELF THAT DECEMBER'S BILL HAD HALF THE TOWN TALKING, RIGHT? SO AND MY HABITS DON'T REALLY CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

I'M NOT WHAT YOU WOULD CALL SOMEBODY WHO CONSERVES, BUT TO HAVE A BILL THAT WAS WELL OVER $800 IN DECEMBER.

AND LAST YEAR MY BILL WAS 390. RIGHT. SO THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT RIGHT THERE.

LIKE I'M NOT PUTTING IT ON YOU GUYS AT ALL. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE SYSTEM IS A PRETTY COMPLICATED SYSTEM.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THEY GET CHARGED FOR THEIR POWER AND WHY THERE WOULD BE SUCH A DIFFERENCE.

AND I KNOW IN THE END IT ALL COMES DOWN TO CONSUMPTION.

BUT TO HAVE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IN YEAR TO YEAR OR MONTH TO MONTH, LIKE IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM, IT SEEMS PRETTY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. AND MY QUESTIONS ARE JUST TRYING TO GET SOME MORE UNDERSTANDING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT.

YES. YEAH. THANKS FOR THE QUESTION, STEVE. WE DID SEE A NUMBER OF THESE INQUIRIES RECENTLY, PARTICULARLY IN JANUARY, RELATED TO THEIR DECEMBER, DECEMBER BILLS.

IN DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN THAT THROUGH THOSE INVESTIGATIONS, WE DID LOOK AT WHETHER RATE INCREASES WERE A DRIVER OF THAT.

WHAT WE FOUND IN THE CASES THAT WE LOOKED AT WAS THAT IT WASN'T OKAY.

SO GENERALLY LIKE WHAT WE DID SEE WAS, WAS HIGH CONSUMPTION USES, ALTHOUGH.

ALTHOUGH IF YOU HAVE A CUSTOMER WHO'S SAYING I DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING.

IT'S THE SAME THING I DID THIS YEAR AS I DID LAST YEAR.

THEY SHOULD CONTACT US AND WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEIR SERVICE THAT COULD BE CAUSING THAT ADDITIONAL CONSUMPTION TO BE OCCURRING, LIKE THERE COULD BE A DRAW SOMEWHERE OR SOME OTHER ISSUE.

I MEAN, WE'RE HAPPY TO INVESTIGATE THE UTILITY SIDE OF THAT FOR THAT CUSTOMER TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO RULE OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE NAKA'S UTILITY SYSTEM IS NOT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THAT ERROR. AND ONE, I'LL GIVE YOU GUYS PROPS.

I DID GET A CALL RIGHT BEFORE MY DECEMBER BILL CAME OUT FROM ONE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES.

I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WAS JUST INQUIRING IF I HAD A GROW UP AND UNDER MY HOUSE OR SOMETHING,

[01:10:01]

BUT IT WAS SHE'S LIKE, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW YOUR POWER BILL THAT'S COMING OUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE SURPRISED.

SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A VERY COOL THING TO HAVE.

LIKE IT SPEAKS TO THE COMPANY ITSELF. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT LIKE THE, BASE OF YOUR COMPANY IS CUSTOMER CARING. AND I REALLY FELT LIKE THAT THAT LADY AND I WISH I COULD REMEMBER HER NAME.

YOU SHOULD GIVE HER A LITTLE BUY HER LUNCH OR SOMETHING.

BUT SHE WAS LIKE, I WAS PRETTY IMPRESSED BY THAT.

SO I KNOW A LOT OF YOUR EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF BEING UP HERE AND THEY'RE ALL GOOD PEOPLE AND I APPRECIATE WHAT NAKA BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND I KNOW IT'S NOT ALL YOU GUYS. I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE ABOUT 25% OF OUR BILL IS ACTUALLY ABOUT 75% IS NTPC.

SO IF WE SHOULD BE [EXPLETIVE] ON ANYBODY, IT SHOULD BE NTPC.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR PAYNE.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. HOLY, THOSE ARE BIG POWER BILLS.

JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS. WHEN I MOVED HERE ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO, I THOUGHT THE RAVEN THING WAS A JOKE. SO I DO ACTUALLY REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEVEL OF EFFORT YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO INFORM RESIDENTS THAT THAT'S A REAL THING UP HERE.

WHAT WAS THE LIFE CYCLE OF THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT FAILED AT NIVEN? SORRY. COUNCILLOR FEQUET ARE YOU ASKING WHAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FAILED? WHAT WAS THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT FAILED? IT WAS 25 YEARS OLD. SO THAT'S THE LIFE CYCLE OF IT.

THAT'S ROUGHLY THE EXPECTED LIFE CYCLE OF THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. OKAY, SO IT WAS 25 YEARS OLD AND THAT WAS THE EXPECTED LIFE CYCLE.

IT WAS NEAR END OF LIFE. OKAY. SO IT WAS NEAR END OF LIFE. OKAY. THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. SO MAYBE JUST FOR [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTS, MAYBE COULD YOU SHARE NAKA'S PROCESS AND FORMAL PLANS OR YOUR APPROACH WITH RESPECT TO ASSET MANAGEMENT? JUST KIND OF MOVING, MOVING FORWARD AT A BROAD BRUSH.

I'M NOT LOOKING FOR GRITTY DETAILS BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE CAN LOOK THOSE UP IN SOME OF YOUR FILINGS, IN SOME OF THE APPENDICES THAT HAVE LIKE THE CAPITAL PLAN AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS.

YES, YES. ALL OF THIS INFORMATION ON OUR CAPITAL PLANNING AND WHY WE DO, ESPECIALLY THE BIGGER PROJECTS, THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD HAS A THRESHOLD FOR US TO FILE FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, A BUSINESS CASE FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT ARE IN EXCESS OF $100,000.

SO IT'S ALL PUBLICLY FILED, AND THERE'S BUSINESS CASES TO JUSTIFY EACH OF THOSE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT ARE IN EXCESS OF $100,000.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT POWER INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT'S NOT REALLY A BIG NUMBER, LIKE $100,000 THESE DAYS WITH, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IS NOT IS NOT DOESN'T GO THAT FAR.

RIGHT? SO WHAT WE DO AROUND ASSET REPLACEMENT IS WE DO TRY AND THE GOAL IS TO REPLACE END OF LIFE ASSETS BEFORE THEY EXPIRE. AND WE DO DO REGULAR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND TESTING.

WE HAVE SUBSTATION TECHNICIANS WHO GO AND DO TESTING ON THIS EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS CONTRACTORS WHO COME IN AND TEST THE CONDITIONS OF POLES AND THEIR DETERIORATION. AND THIS IS ANNUAL WORK THAT HAPPENS ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

IT'S NOT PERFECT. WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES IS THERE ARE ALL INDICATIONS THAT A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY UNTIL IT DOESN'T.

AND THAT'S THE UNFORTUNATE SITUATION THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES IN LAST YEAR WITH THE SUBSTATION.

OKAY. THANKS FOR THAT. AND THE INTEGRATED POWER SYSTEM PLANNING INITIATIVE THAT'S GREAT THAT THERE'S GNWT DIRECTION AND BUY IN AND WONDERING IF YOU COULD GIVE US AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE TIMELINES IN THE PROCESS FOR THAT INITIATIVE AND WHEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE OR RECEIVE KIND OF AN UPDATE ON HOW THAT'S LOOKING, BRINGING EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND HARMONIZING FOR EFFICIENCY, OPTIMIZING ALL OF THOSE THINGS? I'M SURE IT'S TRYING TO TACKLE.

ABSOLUTELY, A BIG PART OF THE INTEGRATED POWER SYSTEM PLANNING INITIATIVE IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

SO RECENTLY IN FEBRUARY IN YELLOWKNIFE, WE HAD THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES FOR THE NWT AGM.

AS PART OF THAT, WE HAD A PRELIMINARY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSION WHERE BOTH UTILITIES AND THE GNWT PRESENTED AND GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS THE INTEGRATED POWER SYSTEM PLAN. WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE? SO THAT OVERVIEW WAS PROVIDED TO COMMUNITY LEADERS AS WELL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS THROUGH THAT WEEK.

THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, I ATTENDED ONE OF THE SESSIONS ON WEDNESDAY, AND THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE DID HAVE REPRESENTATION AT THAT MEETING.

GOING FORWARD, WHAT WE NEED TO DO AROUND IT IS NOW HAVE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND THIS,

[01:15:05]

THIS ENGAGEMENT AND POWER SYSTEM PLANNING. AS FAR AS WHAT DO THE COMMUNITIES FORESEE WITH YELLOWKNIFE? I'M VERY HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION HERE, AND WE MEET WITH THEM.

WE'VE BEEN INVITED HERE TO TALK ABOUT CITY DEVELOPMENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND I THINK WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION THROUGH THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO POSITION OURSELVES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AS WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY COULD OCCUR IN THE CITY OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCGURK. OH, SORRY. NO. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE ANSWERS. YEAH, REGARDING THE FRANCHISE REPORT AND THE CO2 EMISSIONS.

YEAH, ALL THE DATA IS GOOD TO SEE. YEAH, JUST A COMMENT ON THE INTERRUPTION AND PARTICULARLY THE NIVEN INSTANCE. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN OUTLIER IN TERMS OF LIKE, NOT TOTALLY WHAT YOU EXPECTED, BUT YEAH, JUST, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY FAIR TO SAY WITHOUT THIS, THIS ONE FAILURE, WE DID A GREAT JOB THAT FAILURE HAPPENED. AND RESIDENTS AND CUSTOMERS CAN'T JUST DISMISS IT LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S COMING NEAR END OF LIFE. I THINK INCORPORATING THAT IN YOUR DATA AND TAKING FULL OWNERSHIP OF IT IMPACTS DECISIONS HOW YOU MAKE IN THE FUTURE.

SO JUST, YEAH, IT'S JUST SOME FEEDBACK THAT SAYING THAT THIS ONE INSTANCE THAT CAUSED A DISRUPTION, WE'RE GOING TO IGNORE AND GIVE YOU DATA WITHOUT THAT THAT HAPPENED AND IT HAD AN IMPACT.

WITH REGARD TO THE 18 MILLION INVESTMENTS PLAN FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS AT LEAST IN THE CITY, WE'VE SEEN CAPITAL PROJECTS COST TRIPLE OR MORE RECENTLY, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT NAKA HAS SEEN AS WELL? AND JUST LOOKING TO COMPARE THAT $18 MILLION NUMBER TO THE $24 MILLION NUMBER OVER TEN YEARS? LIKE IT LOOKS SIGNIFICANT, BUT IF THOSE COSTS HAVE TRIPLED LIKE WE'VE SEEN AT THE CITY, THEN IT ISN'T QUITE AS BIG A NUMBER AS IT LOOKS.

WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER OUR CAPITAL PLANS, ESTIMATES ARE INHERENTLY HAVING A MARGIN OF ERROR IN THEM.

BUT WE DO TRY AND DO FOR THESE, THESE FILINGS IS PUT TOGETHER THE BEST INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME TO BE AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE.

WE DO, AT THE END OF THE DAY, END UP WITH VARIANCES.

THEY'RE RARELY TRIPLE THE COST OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATE THEY ARE.

SOMETIMES THEY'RE UNDER, SOMETIMES THEY'RE A BIT OVER.

BUT LOOKING AHEAD AT THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND THAT IS BUILDING IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING COULD OCCUR WITHIN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

IT'S GOING TO KICK OFF SOME, BIGGER INVESTMENTS IN THE YELLOWKNIFE POWER SYSTEM, AND I APPRECIATE COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE RELIABILITY INDEX.

ABSOLUTELY IN THE CONTEXT, FULL OWNERSHIP OF THE PERFORMANCE OF ITS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND NOT AT ALL INTENDING TO DISCOUNT THE EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN ANY WAY. MERELY TRYING TO TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT OF THAT ISSUE.

YEAH FOR SURE. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. AND A QUESTION DO YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF A CHANGE FROM NET METERING TO NET BILLING.

CURRENTLY IT'S LIKE 1 TO 1 PEOPLE GET CREDIT FOR WHAT IS SORT OF THE ROUGH BULK OR WHOLESALE POWER RATE LIKE WHAT WOULD THAT CREDIT BE IF THAT SYSTEM WERE TO CHANGE? AS FAR AS WHAT THE NET BILLING COMPENSATION RATE WOULD BE, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS WE WORK THROUGH THE POLICY DIRECTIVES FROM THE GNWT THAT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE WELL INVESTIGATED THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONALS AT WORK IN THE REGULATORY SPACE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN I'M AN EXPERT IN, AND I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT. AND WE'LL HAVE TO ANYTHING THAT ANY RATE, THAT IS APPROVED OR THAT IS CHARGED TO CUSTOMERS OR IS DETERMINED, WELL, IT WILL ULTIMATELY BE APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD.

AND PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THESE PROCEEDINGS, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVENE AND ASK QUESTIONS AND PUT THEIR VIEWS FORWARD.

THANK YOU. AND THEN THE LAST ONE. YEAH, YOU TOUCHED ON IT SORT OF GROWTH DEMANDS SORT OF ON THE HORIZON FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS MENTIONED IN THE $18 MILLION SORT OF TO HELP ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THAT AND PAST PROJECTS THAT HAVE FACILITATED A SYSTEM THAT COULD BE READY FOR THAT. JUST TO COMMENT ON NAKA'S ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT GROWTH AND HOW TO BALANCE THAT SORT OF GROWTH IN THE SYSTEM WITH MAINTENANCE AND SORT OF THAT ONGOING ASSET MANAGEMENT TO THE EXISTING SYSTEM, IS THAT IS NOT THE COMPANY TO PROVIDE SOLID POWER DISTRIBUTION

[01:20:01]

UNDER A GROWTH SCENARIO. LOOKING AT A GROWTH SCENARIO, WHAT IT DOES IS WE LOOK AT OUR CORE WORK. AND WE, WE STAFF ACCORDING TO OUR CORE WORK.

AND THAT'S PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE WILL NOT OVERLY INFLATING COSTS BY HAVING TOO MANY PEOPLE THAN WHAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE CORE SERVICE TO THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

A COUPLE OF THINGS REGARDING TO A GROWTH SCENARIO.

NUMBER ONE IS WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH A NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS WHO COULD SUPPORT US IN LARGER POWER LINE CONSTRUCTION INITIATIVES.

AND NUMBER TWO IS WE'RE FORTUNATE THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ATCO LIMITED THEY OWN LARGER UTILITY ASSETS.

THEY'RE THE LARGEST UTILITY IN ALBERTA BETWEEN ELECTRIC AND GAS, AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT EXIST WITHIN THOSE UTILITIES AS WELL THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP. AWESOME GOOD TO HEAR. YEAH. THANKS AGAIN VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND FOR THE ANSWERS AND FOR THE THOROUGH PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO CATHY, DARRELL AND VIC FOR THE PRESENTATION. AT THE VERY LEAST, THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT EXERCISE IN BUILDING TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE DISTRIBUTOR, WHICH I HAVE PLENTY OF, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUOUSLY BUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIP OVER THE LIFESPAN OF THIS FRANCHISE. I ALSO LOVE TO HEAR THAT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GENERATOR IS GOING POSITIVE AND GROWING.

TO THE HOT TOPIC OF THE HOUR, THOUGH THE SUBSTATION EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN NIVEN AT THE VERY LEAST, AS WAS DISCUSSED, WAS A DEMONSTRATION IN THE NEED FOR A CONTINUAL INVESTMENT IN OUR CAPITAL ASSETS OR YOUR CAPITAL ASSETS.

COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE OTHER SUBSTATIONS IN THE CITY AND WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR LIFESPAN CYCLE? SURE. THE VFI'S IN THE EXISTING IN THE OTHER SUBSTATIONS IN YELLOWKNIFE THEY WERE DEVELOPED THROUGH THE 25 KV CONVERSION IN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE. NIVEN WAS THE OLD.

I BELIEVE IT WAS THE OLDEST ONE. OKAY. NOW THE OTHER ONES WERE DONE THEREAFTER AS THE OTHER SUBSTATIONS WERE CONVERTED, BUT THEY'RE ROUGHLY WITHIN THE SAME VINTAGE. NOW WE DO AS I MENTIONED, WE DO REGULAR TESTING ON THEM.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY INDICATION THAT THERE'S ANY ISSUES WITH THEM, HOWEVER, AS BEING IN AN EFFORT TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN OUR UTILITY SERVICE AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTRICITY SERVICE AND ITS CRITICAL NATURE TO RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE ABOUT THOSE DEVICES.

AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SUPPLY CHAIN AND GETTING AND ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE DEVICES REPLACED AS THEY NEED TO BE.

SO WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT THIS IN A PROACTIVE MANNER AS FAR AS HOW ARE WE GOING TO REPLACE THESE EXISTING VFI'S IN THE OTHER TWO SUBSTATIONS? THANK YOU. VERY INFORMATIVE ON THAT ONE. FOR THE 2026, 2028 18 MILLION ALLOCATION WOULD THE SYSTEM UPGRADES TACKLE SOME OF THOSE NEEDED POSSIBILITIES WITHIN THE EQUIPMENT, OR WOULD THAT HAVE TO BE ANOTHER CAPITAL ALLOCATION WITHIN THE FUTURE OF THIS FRANCHISE? IT IS POSSIBLE THERE'S SOME OVERLAP.

OKAY. AND THAT'S ALL FOR ME. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

THANK YOU. BECAUSE NAKA IS A DISTRIBUTOR, NOT A SUPPLIER I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD REMOVE A LOSS OF SUPPLY FROM THE TABLE, COMPARING RELIABILITY AVERAGES, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT GIVE RESIDENTS A MORE FULSOME PICTURE IF THEY COULD SEE THOSE NUMBERS ALONGSIDE YOUR APPENDIX ON THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY PERFORMANCE. BECAUSE I THINK FOR US, A LOT OF OUR QUESTIONS COME FROM RESIDENTS HAVING FRUSTRATIONS AROUND OUTAGES AND NOT ALL OF THEM ARE WITHIN YOUR CONTROL.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO GET THOSE NUMBERS.

THE REPORTS BY ELECTRICITY CANADA THAT YOU REFERENCED APPEAR TO BE BEHIND A SUBSTANTIAL PAYWALL.

AND I'M NOT WILLING TO SIT HERE AND PAY $800 FOR EVERY YEAR.

I'M WONDERING IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD EITHER UPDATE YOUR RESPONSES OR SEND SOMETHING TO US LATER.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. IN OUR APPENDICES, WE DID PROVIDE A FIVE YEAR OVERVIEW OF THE RELIABILITY IN YELLOWKNIFE, WHICH INCLUDES AND EXCLUDES LOSS OF SUPPLY. SO IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO TAKE A LOOK AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU GOT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

YEAH. NO, SIR, I WAS REFERRING TO THAT AS. IF YOU THE OTHER TABLE, THE FIRST TABLE THAT JUST LIKE THAT COMPARES IT TO THE CANADIAN AVERAGES. YEAH. YOU SAID THAT YOU'D REMOVED THE LOSS OF SUPPLY FROM THOSE NUMBERS, FROM THE REPORTS FROM ELECTRICITY CANADA.

SO I WAS WONDERING IF ALONGSIDE THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY PERFORMANCE THAT YOU PROVIDED, YOU COULD ALSO INCLUDE LOSS OF SUPPLY AVERAGES FROM ELECTRICITY

[01:25:10]

CANADA. YES WE CAN. TO PROVIDE SOME MORE LIKE SHOWS US WHAT NTPC IS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS.

YES. THE TABLE I BELIEVE IS THE IS THE BEST DIRECT COMPARISON AS FAR AS WHAT'S OCCURRING LOCALLY, BUT CERTAINLY IF THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CEA OR THE ELECTRICITY CANADA RESULTS.

FIVE YEAR RESULTS, WHICH INCLUDES LOSS OF SUPPLY, THE AVERAGES OVER THE REGIONS, INCLUDING AN AGGREGATE OF CANADIAN UTILITIES THAT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING I CAN PROVIDE. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. THANK YOU.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR FOOTE. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. NO QUESTIONS HERE, JUST A FEW MUSINGS ON THE RECORD FOR ADMIN AND NAKA UTILITY.

I CAN SUPPORT THE TEN YEAR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, AND I RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF STABILITY FOR BOTH THE CITY AND NAKA IN PLANNING AND FORECASTING. BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT SOME EQUITY ISSUES IT CREATES.

THE FRANCHISE FEE, ACTS AS A HIDDEN REGRESSIVE TAX, TAKES A LARGER SHARE FROM LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH SIGNIFICANT COST PRESSURES.

I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME INCONSISTENCIES IN HOW THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUITY IS APPLIED.

NAKA IS COMFORTABLE WITH SYSTEM WIDE COSTS, SOCIALIZATION WHEN IT BENEFITS THE BROADER GRID, LIKE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS BEING RECOVERED FROM ALL CUSTOMERS THROUGH UTILITY BOARD RATES NOT BILLED TO INDIVIDUALS.

AT THE TERRITORIAL LEVEL, GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS ENSURE MANY DIESEL BASED COMMUNITIES EFFECTIVELY PAY YELLOWKNIFE RESIDENTIAL RATES, USING US AS THE BENCHMARK. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RESIDENTS SEEKING FAIR NET METERING COMPENSATION OR WHEN CUSTOMER SIDE UPGRADES ARE REQUIRED, SUDDENLY THE CONCERN BECOMES PREVENTING OTHER CUSTOMERS FROM SUBSIDIZING THEM.

IT'S NOT A CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF EQUITY, AND IT RISKS PLACING DISPROPORTIONATE BURDENS ON HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE SIMPLY TRYING TO REDUCE THEIR BILLS. SO WHILE I SUPPORT THE AGREEMENT OVERALL, I WANT THESE CONCERNS ABOUT FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY, AND THE CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF EQUITY TO BE CLEARLY REFLECTED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR FOOTE. ALL RIGHT.

FOR MYSELF, YOU TALKED ABOUT BRUSHING RISK BASED ANALYSIS.

YOU HAD A THIRD PARTY LOOK AT IT. WAS THAT ONLY TO DO WITH LIKE POWER INTERRUPTION OR DID YOU FACTOR IN LIKE FIRE RISK TO THOSE TO THAT REVIEW. BOTH. OKAY, GREAT. I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION HERE.

YEAH, SO I BEEN HERE SINCE 2005. AND THERE'S LARGE SWATHS OF THE CITY WHERE I HAVE SEEN NO BRUSHING OR NO MAINTENANCE ON THOSE EASEMENTS.

RESIDENTS WANT TO FIRE SMART AND DO THE STUFF THEMSELVES, BUT THEY CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S YOUR EASEMENT. SO I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT THIS TEN YEAR AGREEMENT, BUT I REALLY NEED TO SEE MORE AGGRESSIVE TREATMENT OF THOSE ISSUES.

I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CALL WHEN OUR RESIDENTS HAVE TO CALL WHEN THE POWER'S SPARKING ON TREES.

SO I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CIRCLE BACK TO THAT ANALYSIS AND HAVE A LOOK AT ALL EASEMENTS.

THERE'S NOT THAT MANY IN THE CITY. AND THE ONES THAT NEED SOME ATTENTION BECAUSE THERE'S NUMEROUS THROUGHOUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I'VE HEARD THIS ISSUE WHEN THIS WAS COMING TO COUNCIL.

I HAD TWO EMAILS TO ME ABOUT OVERGROWN EASEMENTS BEHIND THEIR PROPERTIES AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IT THEMSELVES.

SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CIRCLE BACK TO THAT.

ECHOING COUNCILLOR FOOTE STATING THERE. WE'VE HAD, I KNOW OF TWO BUSINESSES THAT DID NOT EXPAND INTO LARGE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THE $300,000 UPGRADE TO THE POWER SYSTEM.

SO SIMILAR TO EQUITY BEING FIRST IN THE DOOR SHOULDN'T BE PENALIZED.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME GOING FORWARD, SOME DIFFERENT APPROACH TO HOW IS THIS SHARED? LIKE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY BENEFITS IF I UPGRADE AN ENTIRE SECTION OF POWER.

SO YES, THE THING THAT BUSINESS IS DOING MAY BE THE IMPETUS FOR THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT JUST US.

IT FEELS LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY, LIKE IT'S PREVENTING THINGS FROM GROWING. I HAVE A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS REACHED OUT. THEY CAN'T INSTALL EVS IN THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH POWER. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND $50,000 TO UPGRADE FROM THE TRANSFORMER TO THEIR HOUSE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S EQUITABLE AND FAIR, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY INCENTIVIZING THINGS WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT. MORE USES OF POWER IS A GOOD THING BECAUSE IN THEORY THEY USE MORE POWER, GENERATE MORE REVENUE. BUT THESE ARE BIG IMPEDIMENTS.

BECAUSE WE KEEP TRYING TO OFFLOAD THAT CAPITAL COST ONTO JUST THE FIRST PERSON TRYING TO DO SOMETHING. AND WE HAVE HEARD BACK FROM RECENT POWER OUTAGE A NUMBER OF FOLKS APPLIANCES BURNED OUT, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS FAIL.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SHARE ANY NUMBERS AROUND REIMBURSEMENT, BUT EVERYONE I'VE TALKED TO HAS SUBMITTED THAT HAS TRIED TO SUBMIT A CLAIM HAS GOT DENIED.

SO I HAVE NOT MET A SINGLE PERSON THAT HAS EVER RECEIVED COMPENSATION FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY [INAUDIBLE] UTILITIES.

SO DO YOU HAVE ANY NUMBERS ON THAT? ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT HOW THAT REIMBURSEMENT CURRENTLY WORKS OR COULD BE IMPROVED?

[01:30:08]

REGARDING REIMBURSEMENT? THERE IS A NATURE OF CONFIDENTIALITY TO RESPECT CUSTOMERS PRIVACY IN REGARDS TO THEIR INITIAL OR THEIR SPECIFIC INQUIRIES REGARDING ANY ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE REGARDING THE POWER SYSTEM.

WE HAVE, I CAN SAY THAT WE HAVE AND WE DO IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS WHEN THERE ARE DAMAGES UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAVE SEEN IT. I'VE PERSONALLY APPROVED THOSE INSTANCES.

AWESOME. IT'S GOOD TO HEAR. IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SHARE, I DON'T, COMMUNICATE MORE HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS.

BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY PUBLICLY, IT'S NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE ON THAT THAT PROBLEM EXISTS OR EVEN HOW TO DO IT.

AND KIND OF WHAT, WHAT LEVEL OF INFORMATION PEOPLE ARE GOING TO NEED TO KIND OF DO A CLAIM? YES. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE GENERATION OR YOU, THE PUBLIC DOESN'T CARE WHO, HOW IT GETS THEIR HOUSE. THEY JUST CARE THAT THEIR BOILER IS JUST FRIED OR THEIR FRIDGE IS COOKED.

SO THEY WOULD LIKE AN EASIER PROCESS OR A MORE EASILY, AN EASIER WAY TO COMMUNICATE THAT.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT I'M HEARING IS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION WITH THAT PROCESS AND IT'S NOT MEETING WHAT THEY FEEL IS THE NEED. SO YEAH, THAT'S ALL I HAD. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? THANK YOU FOR COMING.

GETTING GRILLED IN PUBLIC, I APPRECIATE THAT.

SEEING GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THIS. WE'LL MOVE THIS TO COUNCIL MEETING.

AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. WE HAVE WELL PAST OUR 90 MINUTE MARK, SO WE WILL TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK AND WE'LL COME BACK TO OUR NEXT ITEM.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER.

IF EVERYONE CAN GRAB THEIR SEATS. THANK YOU. WHERE ARE WE? A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO SELECT PROPERTIES TO AUCTION FOR TAX ARREARS, WHEN TO HOLD THE AUCTION, AND WHAT MINIMUM PRICE TO ESTABLISH FOR EACH PROPERTY. MR.

[6. A memorandum regarding whether to select properties to auction for tax arrears, when to hold the auction, and what minimum price to establish for each property.]

VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO THIS IS A ANNUAL OCCURRENCE.

CERTAINLY UNDER THE TERRITORIAL LEGISLATION. WE HAVE A PROCEDURE BY WHICH WE NEED TO BRING FORWARD TO COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF THESE OF THESE MATTERS. WHAT COUNCIL MAY RECALL IN REVIEWING THE MEMO IS THAT THE NUMBERS ARE ROUGHLY CONSISTENT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

THIS YEAR THE NUMBERS ARE APPROXIMATE, SO NO MAJOR SPIKES TO REPORT.

AND THE TENDENCY TYPICALLY IS TO DO THIS PROCESS MOVE FORWARD.

AND AS WE GET TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR OR THE, POINT BUT WITH WHICH WE GO TO AUCTION, WE TEND TO GET A HIGHER SUCCESS RATE AS WE GO.

SO WE HAVE NO NEW ANOMALIES TO REPORT TODAY BASED ON PREVIOUS YEARS THAT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE SEEN.

AND I HAVE MR. PANDOO READY TO RESPOND TO ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU SIR. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE TAX ARREARS LIST? COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. JUST A QUICK COMMENT SLASH REQUEST AND THEN A QUESTION.

THE TABLE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ON PAGE THREE OF THE MEMO.

PAGE 36 OF THE PDF IS REALLY HELPFUL. I JUST IT GIVES US A LITTLE QUICK SNAPSHOT IN A VERY HELPFUL FORMAT.

AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER DOING THIS ALSO FOR THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE WHEN IT COMES UP EACH YEAR BECAUSE IT'S SO HELPFUL AND I KNOW WOULD HAVE AVOIDED SOME QUESTIONS THIS, TIME AROUND, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SUBSEQUENT AGENDA ITEM.

JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLY, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING MONEY, THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD SEE THAT USED IN OTHER MEMOS AND STUFF. MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE POLICY ITSELF.

I FULLY SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF. JUST HOPING WE CAN GET SOME CONTEXT ON THE TWO YEARS AND WHY IT IS WE WAIT TWO YEARS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE YEAR TO GO THROUGH THE AUCTION PROCESS. AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS I WAS JUST KIND OF VIEWING THE AMOUNT AND IT'S A COUPLE HUNDRED GRAND, SO IT'S ABOUT HALF A TAX POINT ISH. I DIDN'T ADD IT UP SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE A RECEIVABLES PAYABLE AND WE'RE TRYING TO TIGHTEN PURSE STRINGS AND MAXIMIZE THINGS.

SO JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY REASON OR CONTEXT AROUND THAT TWO YEAR INSTEAD OF JUST DOING IT AFTER A YEAR.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. GREAT QUESTION.

AND I'LL OFFER A COUPLE OF QUICK POINTS AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO MR. PANDOO. SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE, LEGISLATION THAT'S LAID OUT THAT WE'RE ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES FOLLOWS IS VERY PROCEDURALLY BASED AND THERE ARE SOME TIME ELEMENTS. SO WE'RE TAKERS IN TERMS OF THE WAY THIS IS ADMINISTERED AND IT'S PRETTY WELL STRUCTURED.

AND, SO WE FOLLOW WHAT I'LL ALSO SAY IS THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES IN RECENT MONTHS ABOUT THEIR INTEREST IN LOOKING

[01:35:08]

AT WHAT THE OPERATIONAL IMPACTS OF THIS APPROACH HAS BEEN FOR MUNICIPALITIES.

SO WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGING IN A TECHNICAL LEVEL WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ON POTENTIAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING PROPERTIES THAT WERE THE OWNER MAY HAVE DISAPPEARED. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. PANDOO. BUT THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION AND MR. PANDOO COULD YOU ELABORATE? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

WE ARE JUST FOLLOWING THE ACT. SO UNDER THE ACT, TO BE ELIGIBLE, THE PROPERTY HAS TO BE IN ARREARS FOR TWO YEARS TO MAKE THAT LIST.

SO THIS IS A PRESCRIBED UNDER THE PROPERTY ASSESSMENT TAXATION ACT.

AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING THAT. I HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO READ THAT. SO I WAS ASSUMING AND HOPING THAT WAS THE CASE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND YEAH, I DEFINITELY SUPPORT ANY ADVOCACY WE CAN DO THROUGH NWT ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES OR OTHER CHANNELS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US TO BECAUSE I'M, AWARE OF ALL THOSE WEIRD ONE OFF SCENARIOS WHERE THINGS HAPPEN THAT THE OLD LEGISLATION DIDN'T REALLY ANTICIPATE.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT. THIS IS A GREAT METHOD FOR HOLDING RESIDENTS ACCOUNTABLE TO PAYING THEIR TAXES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THAT. RESIDENTS AND ADMINISTRATION.

I'M JUST, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SOME PROCEDURAL THINGS IN THE POLICY.

SO THE, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE TAXPAYERS WITH ARREARS, LESS THAN $100 ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PROCESS. AND I'M WONDERING WHEN THAT $100 RATE WAS SET, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEA.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I DO NOT, BUT MAYBE MR. PANDOO DOES. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. THERE'S NO OFFICIAL LINE OR DECISION THAT WAS MADE AROUND THE $100.

THIS IS MORE OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT PICK THE $100, THE LIST IS GOING TO BE VERY LONG AND BALANCING THE RISK AND EVERYTHING ELSE. I THINK WE PICKED THE $100.

YEAH, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY, SO IT'S NOT A SPECIFIC POLICY.

IT'S JUST A YEAH, PRACTICAL. [LAUGHTER] THAT MAKES SENSE.

YEAH. OKAY. I THINK IF WE EVER WERE TO LOOK AT, INSTATING A FORMAL POLICY AROUND THAT, I AM VERY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT COUNCIL'S APPETITE IS FOR EXAMINING WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS CAN MEAN A LOT TO ONE FAMILY.

AND IT CAN BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS.

AND IF THEY ARE PEOPLE HAVE AN ARREAR AMOUNT THAT IS UNDER A CERTAIN THRESHOLD THAT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE GRACIOUS TO GO TO THEM FIRST ABOUT A PAYMENT PLAN BEFORE PUBLICLY LISTING THEM ON THIS IN THIS DOCUMENT. BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S A FUTURE CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE COUNCILS.

IT'S OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ROOM TO LOOK AT THAT THIS YEAR.

THANKS. THANK YOU FOR ROUND TWO. ANY MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE ROUND TWO? SORRY COUNCILLOR FEQUET. I HAVE A COUPLE. SO IN THE POLICY, IT SAYS CITY WILL BID MINIMUM PRICE OF PROPERTY IF IT REMAINS UNSOLD AFTER PREVIOUS AUCTION. HAS THE CITY, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE DONE THAT IN THE PAST? HAVE WE BOUGHT SOMETHING? MR. VAN DINE. YEAH.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. PANDOO TO REPLY. THERE ARE SITUATIONS IN WHICH WE'VE ENTERED INTO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH A PARTICULAR PROPERTY OWNER IN SUCH TIMES THAT THEY HAVE NOT COMPLETED OR SATISFIED THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. WE'VE TAKEN THE PROPERTY BACK. IN THAT SITUATION, BUT WITH FOR TAX PURPOSES, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. PANDOO. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. UNDER THIS PROCESS, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE EVER DONE.

BUT THIS IS JUST MY KNOWLEDGE GOING BACK TWO YEARS ONLY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THEN IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO YEARS, WHICH IS LEGISLATED AND THEN WE WILL ENTER INTO A PAYMENT PLAN.

SO THAT'S FOR THE NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? SO WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE ENTERS THE PAYMENT PLAN, THEY GET OFF THE TAX ARREARS LIST AND THEY DON'T FOLLOW PAYMENT PLAN.

WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP FOR US? MR. PANDOO, DO YOU MIND RESPONDING? SORRY. COULD YOU JUST REPEAT THE QUESTION, PLEASE?

[01:40:03]

SO A NUMBER OF FOLKS, I'M ASSUMING DO PAYMENT PLANS TO GET OFF THE TAX ARREARS LIST.

IF FOLKS DON'T FOLLOW THAT PAYMENT PLAN, DO WE ESCALATE IT OR DOES IT THEN GO BACK ON THE TAX ARREARS LIST AND WE START ALL OVER AGAIN.

SO A BIT OF A PROCESS QUESTION. SO I WOULD SAY IT GOES BACK TO THE LIST AGAIN IN THE ARREARS.

AND BUT WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO REFOLLOW THE FULL PROCESS AND WE GO BACK AND KIND OF, I MEAN, WE DO FOLLOW A LITTLE BIT OF THE PROCESS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THEM AND OFFER ANOTHER REPAYMENT PLAN.

THANK YOU. READ MY MIND THERE. I WAS GOING TO SAY HOW MANY TIMES DO WE DO IT AND WE HAVE A CHOICE.

THE REASON I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS IS THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES ON THIS ARREARS LIST THAT HAVE BEEN ON THIS ARREARS LIST THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL. I FEEL LIKE MAYBE LIKE A BIT OF A PIGGY BANK. SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH IS THERE ANY WAY BESIDES, I GUESS, BUYING THE PROPERTY? IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY THAT WE CAN OURSELVES KIND OF GET IT OFF THE ARREARS LIST? IF IT DOESN'T SELL AT AUCTION, I GUESS. IT'S HYPOTHETICAL, BUT LIKE, I'M SEEING SOME FREQUENT FLIERS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHICH ARE THE LARGE SUMS ON THE BIGGEST O'S ON THAT LIST. SO KIND OF WHAT OTHER TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX DO WE HAVE TO GET THEM OFF? MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO THOSE ARE EXACTLY SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ARE DISCUSSING WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. AND WE'RE NOT LEADING THAT PROCESS.

THE GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES IS AND SO SUFFICE IT TO SAY, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST UNIQUE TO YELLOWKNIFE.

BUT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. PANDOO TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADMINISTRATIVELY THAT WE'RE DOING UNDER OUR CURRENT AUTHORITIES TO KEEP AN EYE AND WHAT DISCRETION WE MIGHT HAVE IF, IF ANY. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER GONE THAT FAR TO GIVE IT A THINK AS TO WHAT WE COULD DO.

BUT DO REMEMBER THE PROPERTY ASSESSMENT TAXATION ACT IS VERY PRESCRIPTIVE.

SO AT THIS TIME, UNDER THIS PROCESS, WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING WHAT THE LEGISLATION SAYS.

I KNOW THEY EVEN AFTER THE AUCTION, PROPERTY OWNERS DO HAVE A 30 DAY REDEMPTION WHERE THEY COULD COME BACK AND MAKE PAYMENTS.

AND I KNOW THIS IS BEING DISCUSSED AS WELL AT THE GNWT AT THE MOMENT, BUT I, YEAH, I WOULDN'T BE HESITANT TO OFFER ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I'VE GIVEN IT A THOUGHT YET.

AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE INTERNALLY HAD A CONVERSATION ON THAT.

ALL RIGHT. THANKS. LAST ONE AND THEN I'LL TOSS IT TO COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

SO IF SOMEONE'S IN TAX ARREARS, ARE ARE THEY THEN STILL ELIGIBLE FOR DEVELOPMENT PERMITS, BUILDING PERMITS, BUSINESS LICENSES, LIKE CAN THEY STILL DO ALL THOSE THINGS IF THEY'RE IN ARREARS WITH THE CITY? MR. VAN DINE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE ANSWER IS YES.

SO SO RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION THAT WE WOULD NEED TO CONSIDER IF COUNCIL'S INTERESTED IN US CONSIDERING THAT.

OF COURSE, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY THE SEPARATION BETWEEN YOU KNOW, POLITICAL DECISIONS OF COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ADMINISTRATION. BUT THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WE CAN CONSIDER AND AND GET BACK TO COUNCIL WITH AN ANSWER.

LAST ONE. WHEN A PROPERTY SELLS SO IN ORDER SELLS A PROPERTY IF THEY OWN TAXES.

I'M SEEING HEAD NODS. DO WE COLLECT TAXES IN THAT TRANSACTION OR DO WE NOT? LIKE, CAN IT JUST CARRY OVER TO OWNER TO OWNER? MR. VAN DINE. IT COULD BE A CAFFEINE DEFICIT. MR. PANDOO. CAN YOU RESPOND? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

NO, IT DOESN'T CARRY FROM CARRY ON BECAUSE WHEN WE THE PROPERTY DOES GO TO THAT POINT, THERE IS REASONABLE COST AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S TIED TO IT THAT GETS COLLECTED.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE [INAUDIBLE] QUESTIONS. COUNCILLOR FEQUET ROUND TWO. STILL HAVE A QUESTION OR NO? NOT A CAFFEINE DEFICIT. [LAUGHTER] JUST WORKING ON THINGS IN MY BRAIN HERE.

COUNCILLOR MCGURK JUST KIND OF RAISED A QUESTION OR THOUGHT FOR ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE $100 LEVEL LIMIT THRESHOLD WHEN WE BOTHER DOING THIS.

I THINK WHAT IT RAISED FOR ME IS I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE UNDER THAT $100 LIMIT.

LIKE, IS IT 50 OR IS IT 5? AND I GUESS I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY DATA THAT'S AT YOUR HAND RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE IT IN A FORMAL LIST SOMEWHERE FOR REGISTRATION ROLL, FOR TAX PURPOSES, ALL THAT STUFF.

BUT I MEAN, I WOULD JUST, I GUESS, MAKE THE COMMENT THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADD TOO MUCH WORK IN ANY WAY TO THE WORK PLAN. BUT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, IF THAT NUMBER COULD BE INCREASED TO ALLOW LESS ADMINISTRATION FOR STAFF TO WORRY ABOUT,

[01:45:08]

AND THE RISK IN DOLLAR VALUE IS REALLY NEGLIGIBLE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST MOVING UP TO 500, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HALF THE AMOUNT OF WORK, RIGHT? WHATEVER. LIKE I JUST I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF LOOKING AT BOTH FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS AND FOR US.

SO WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH $100 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE WHEN WE HAVE $50,000 AND $60,000 TABS OWING.

SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT I WOULD PREFER WE FOCUS ON FOR SURE.

SO JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT COMMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. OH MY BRAIN IS NOT WORKING.

[LAUGHTER] COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I GUESS THIS KIND OF GOES TO THE OVERALL ISSUE OF WHAT WE'RE TACKLING, WHICH IS PATA.

AND I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT HAS COMMITTED IN THE LIFESPAN OF THE 20TH ASSEMBLY TO TACKLING THAT.

AND WE'RE ABOUT TWO YEARS OUT FROM ITS FINALIZING.

HAS THERE BEEN MUCH ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON WHAT THE FUTURE OF PATA WILL LOOK LIKE.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO THERE HAD BEEN A WORKING GROUP ESTABLISHED INVOLVING NWT ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPALITIES SOME OF THE, AND IMPLICATED COMMUNITIES AT THE SAO LEVEL WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF BOTH MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND FINANCE.

FINANCE DOES HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PATA, AS COUNCIL MAY BE AWARE THERE HAS BEEN SOME EXCHANGES THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN KICKING AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND IT IS REMAINS UNCLEAR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE LIFE OF THIS ASSEMBLY WILL TACKLE THIS ONE HEAD ON. WE HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN A, A FULL, A FULL KIND OF A PRESEASON.

AND IF SOMETHING HAS COME INTO MY INBOX THAT I'VE MISSED THEN I WILL RETRACT THAT, THAT STATEMENT.

BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE AS HAS OTHER ISSUES AROUND IT.

THESE ISSUES KICK UP AROUND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT GRANT PROGRAMS THAT, THAT COME FORWARD AS A RESULT OF TERRITORIAL PROGRAMING AND MUNICIPAL PROGRAMING.

SO THERE'S A FAMILY OF THINGS I WILL ENDEAVOR TO LOOK INTO CHECKING WITH MY CONTACTS AT MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND WITH FINANCE IF THERE IS NEW INFORMATION, THEN PERHAPS WE COULD SCHEDULE INVITE THEM TO AN UPDATE AT GPC IN FUTURE AS TO WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE AND TIMELINES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE ADMINISTRATION. AND OF COURSE, I KNOW MACA IS SMALL BUT MIGHTY, BUT AND I GET RECREATIONAL SPORTS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT THESE KIND OF HOUSEKEEPING PIECES OF GOVERNANCE LEGISLATION ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

AND AS YOU SO ELOQUENTLY PUT, HAVE BEEN ON THE BOOKS TO ADDRESS FOR YEARS, NOT ONLY WITH PATA, BUT CTV. SO IF ANYBODY FROM MACA IS LISTENING, PLEASE PUT A LITTLE EMPHASIS TO YOUR MINISTER AND TO THE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE TO GET THIS ONTO THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TAX ARREARS. SEEING NONE AND SEEING GENERAL SUPPORT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO IT.

MOVE THIS TO COUNCIL. NEXT IS REGARDING WHETHER TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS SET FORTH BY THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR AWARDING THE 2026 GRANT FUNDING AND CONSIDERATION FOR THE

[7. A memorandum regarding whether to adopt the recommendations set forth by the Grant Review Committee for the awarding of the 2026 Grant Funding and consideration for the 2026 - 2028 Multi-Year Funding Recipients. ]

2026 TO 2028 MULTI-YEAR FUNDING RECIPIENTS. MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO THIS IS AN ANNUAL DISCUSSION AMONGST COUNCIL.

I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE, I WAS NOT ATTENDING THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, SO I MAY HAVE TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. WHITE TO GET INTO THE GRANULARITY OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HELD THERE.

BUT I WILL REMIND COUNCIL THAT THEY IN BUDGET 2026 DID GRANT ADDITIONAL DOLLARS INTO THE ALLOTMENT OF OF THIS FUND TO ALLOW DOLLARS TO GO FURTHER AND TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS POTENTIALLY, AND TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOME MULTI YEAR CONSIDERATIONS.

SO WITH THAT IN MIND THE MEMO SORT OF LAYS OUT THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS HELD THE DECISIONS TAKEN AND THE COMMITMENT TO EXPENDING THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AS WELL AS TRYING TO ADVANCE WHERE POSSIBLE MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENTS.

THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE GRANTS? COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH.

THANKS TO STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK PUTTING TOGETHER THE PACKAGE FOR THIS ONE.

THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT TO GO THROUGH. SO THANKS FOR THAT.

YEAH, IT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION. THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS YEAH IT DEFINITELY HELPED KEEP ORGANIZATIONAL FUNDING SORT OF WHERE THEY'VE BEEN AT AND SEEING SOME NEW ORGANIZATIONS APPLY WHICH IS GREAT, BUT SORT OF A COMMENT RELATED TO THAT.

VERY HAPPY TO SEE COUNCIL INCREASE THE COMMUNITY GRANT FUNDING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2016 THIS YEAR.

[01:50:06]

BUT I THINK SORT OF THE OTHER HALF OF THAT IS, IS A REVIEW OF OUR FUNDING CRITERIA.

AND, GIVEN OUR DISCUSSION LAST WEEK ABOUT THE TAX EXEMPTIONS THIS IS TO GET AHEAD OF INCREASED APPLICATIONS AND A GROWING DIVERSIFICATION OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE APPLYING INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO ALLOW COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S ALSO GROWING APPARENT. ALONG WITH OUR TAX EXEMPTION CRITERIA DISCUSSION THAT THE CITY WILL NEED AT SOME POINT TO REVIEW HOW BEST TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND WHAT OUR GOALS EXACTLY ARE. CLARITY IS KEY, PARTICULARLY IN ORDER TO ENSURE RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS KNOW WHAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE, WHERE IT CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT AND WHERE IT CAN'T.

GIVEN OUR FINANCIAL REALITY THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF TAX EXEMPTIONS AND GRANTS, DESPITE GOOD WORK AND EFFORT ON CREATING POLICIES, STILL LACKS CLARITY, ESPECIALLY IN REGARD TO COUNCIL'S OBJECTIVES.

IT IS GREAT TO SEE COMMUNITY SERVICES SEEKING INPUT FROM RESIDENTS ON WHAT PROGRAMING THE CITY SHOULD OFFER.

THANKS FOR THIS WORK. AND TO RESIDENTS THERE'S A SURVEY UP ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW. JUST PUTTING AN IDEA OUT THERE THAT PERHAPS ANOTHER PROJECT FOR THAT DEPARTMENT DOWN THE ROAD COULD BE A DISCUSSION WITH RESIDENTS AND COUNCIL AND HOW BEST THE CITY CAN SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND WHERE THAT FOCUS SHOULD BE, PARTICULARLY IN REGARDS TO THE TAX EXEMPTION POLICY AND THE GRANT FUNDING POLICY.

THIS COULD BE PARTICULARLY TIMELY GIVEN SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ON THE HORIZON AND PRESSURES THAT ASSOCIATED GROWTH WILL CREATE.

TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'LL BE AN ONGOING EFFORT FOR STAFF AND COUNCIL TO TRIAGE ADAPTATION METHODS TO THAT GROWTH.

AND THERE'LL BE OTHER THINGS THAT WILL TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME, BUT JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE, SOMETHING HOPING TO SEE THE NEXT COUNCIL TACKLE IN TERMS OF REFINEMENT AND CLARITY AND IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION SUPPORT SYSTEMS. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCGURK. THANKS TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND COMMITTEE FOR THIS.

IT'S ALWAYS REALLY NICE TO SEE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY.

I APPRECIATE COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN COMMENTS, AND I THINK IT WAS NICE TO SEE AN ABSENCE OF REALLY, I GUESS, CLEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY NECESSARILY CLEAR ALIGNMENT WITH OUR GOALS AS AN ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE FUNDING PROCESS. I NOTE THAT ALL OF THE MULTI-YEAR, ALL THE RECIPIENTS OF MULTI-YEAR FUNDING ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A VERY HEAVY INPUT FROM VOLUNTEERS, SO ARE VERY WELL ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S, I THINK THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF HAVING CLEAR GUIDELINES FROM US, THAT IT IS HEARTENING TO SEE IT REFLECTS COMMUNITY WILL. SO BASICALLY THAT'S IT.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO APPROVING THIS. THANK YOU.

COUNCILLOR PAYNE. THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. MR. CHAIR, SORRY, I'VE NEVER I'VE NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH A MR. SPEAKER BEFORE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM. [LAUGHTER] YEAH, NO, NO JUST A QUESTION.

FOLK ON THE ROCKS IS GETTING $20,000. WHERE ARE THEY AT REPAYING THE CITY THE MONEY THAT THEY OWE US? MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

SO THEY HAVE BEEN MAKING PAYMENTS BACK TO RECOVER.

COUNCIL WILL RECALL THAT THERE WAS A RESOLUTION PASSED WHICH MADE THE CONSCIOUS DECISION TO DO A PAYMENT REPAYMENT SCHEDULE. WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE FOLK ON THE ROCKS SOCIETY AND THE FOLK ON THE ROCK SOCIETY HAS, REQUESTED THAT THAT PAYMENT SCHEDULE BE ADJUSTED TO DEAL WITH RECENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY'VE INFORMED US ABOUT IN ADVANCE, IN GOOD FAITH. WE ARE LOOKING AT AND INCLINED TO ENTER INTO A REVISED AGREEMENT WITH FOLK ON THE ROCKS TO CONTINUE WITH THE PAYMENT OR TO ADJUST THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE TO MEET CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WE WILL LIKELY COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH PRIOR TO ENTERING INTO SUCH A REPAYMENT PLAN ASKING COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THAT, TO GIVE US COUNCIL SUPPORT IN ADJUSTING THAT REVISED PAYMENT PLAN. BUT I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THEY HAVE BEEN MAKING PAYMENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

IT'S BEEN ADJUSTED TO REFLECT SOME OF THE CONTEXT SITUATIONS THAT THEY BROUGHT TO US IN ADVANCE.

AND WE CAN REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL IN A FUTURE GPC.

OKAY. THANK YOU. IN REGARDS TO. OH, I'M GOOD WITH THAT ONE THAT ANSWER.

THANK YOU. IN REGARDS TO NWT ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE THE WHOLE GNW OR THE WHOLE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

[01:55:11]

DO WE HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC ON. I WAS ON THE GRANT COMMITTEE FOR A COUPLE TERMS OR A COUPLE YEARS THERE.

AND I KNOW WE ALWAYS LOOKED AT THE ORGANIZATIONS AS A WHOLE, IF THEY WERE PROVIDING SERVICES TO, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITIES. I MEAN, THIS IS YELLOWKNIFE TAXPAYER MONEY.

SO I'M WANTING, YOU KNOW, TO BE PRETTY TRANSPARENT ON WHAT WE'RE GIVING OUT.

SO IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT NWT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS AROUND WHAT FUNDING THEY GET? MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WILL INVITE MR. WHITE TO RESPOND. AND PRIOR TO HANDING THAT OVER TO MR. WHITE IT THERE'S THIS YEAR'S REVIEW. LAST YEAR COUNCIL WILL RECALL THAT THE TIMING OF THE GRANT REVIEW CYCLE WAS AN ISSUE THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF.

SO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPLICATIONS ARE TAKEN IN SO THAT THINGS LIKE SNOW KING AND OTHER EVENTS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS IT ACCORDING TO THEIR, CYCLE. AND SO WE'RE, CONTINUING TO LOOK AT, THE GRANT REVIEW PROCESS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

IN THAT SAME VEIN THE, QUESTION THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT QUITE IN THE DETAIL YET, BUT JUST FOR COUNCIL'S BENEFIT IS A QUESTION WITH RESPECT TO OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS COULD GET, WHICH I THINK IS ADJACENT TO THE QUESTION BEING POSED.

AND IF THERE ARE OTHER LEVELS OF FUNDING, HOW ARE THEY DISCLOSING THAT OTHER LEVEL OF FUNDING SO THAT THE CITY CAN MAKE PRUDENT DECISIONS ON WHERE IT'S GOING TO TAKE ITS LIMITED RESOURCES. SO WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT IT.

I'LL INVITE MR. WHITE TO RESPOND SPECIFICALLY WHETHER WE HAVE CURRENT PROGRAMING GUIDELINES WITH RESPECT TO AN NWT ASSOCIATION VERSUS A YELLOWKNIFE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. VAN DINE. THE GRANT FUNDING POLICY 4.2 THIRD BULLET DOWN INDICATES THAT FUNDING MUST BE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED, TO PROGRAMS, PROJECT OR EVENTS DELIVERY IN YELLOWKNIFE.

THANK YOU. SO WHEN IT CAME TO ANY OF THE GRANTS THAT WERE GIVING OUT TO NWT ORGANIZATIONS, IS IT SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF WE HAVE GRANT MONEY OR IF THESE THE REQUEST IS FOR SOMETHING DIRECTLY LOCATED IN YELLOWKNIFE.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO I BELIEVE WHAT WE'RE UNCOVERING IS A QUESTION OF TRANSPARENCY TO THE PUBLIC ON.

SO WHEN THESE ISSUES ARE BROUGHT TOWARDS THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE, AS MR. WHITE HAS POINTED OUT WE ARE FUNDING ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT THERE ARE YELLOWKNIVER'S PARTICIPATING IN THOSE NWT ACTIVITIES.

AND THEREFORE WE'RE, I BELIEVE THE COMMITTEE IS ON A GOOD STANDING TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THOSE CAUSES.

I GUESS THE QUESTION OF TRANSPARENCY THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING UP IS, YOU KNOW, IS, IS YELLOWKNIFE PAYING FOR YELLOWKNIVER'S OR YELLOWKNIFE PAYING FOR YELLOWKNIVE'R PLUS? AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION TODAY.

BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED MORE PRECISION, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY.

MR. CHAIR, IF I CAN JUMP IN. GO AHEAD MAYOR. YEAH, JUST.

I WAS AT THE MEETING, SO. AND I KNOW COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN AND COUNCILLOR FOOTE COULD SPEAK TO THIS TOO.

THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES. THIS WAS VERY MUCH PART OF THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEES DISCUSSION, COUNCILLOR PAYNE. SO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THESE NWT ORGANIZATIONS, WE HAD THE SAME, YOU KNOW, INITIAL AS WE WERE ALL REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS AND ANY APPLICATION THAT IT'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A BROADER SCOPE THAN BEYOND YELLOWKNIFE.

WE VERY CLOSELY LOOKED AT, DID THE APPLICATION SPEAK TO SOMETHING HAPPENING IN YELLOWKNIFE AND THEN FOCUSED OUR FUNDING OR OUR PROPOSED FUNDING TO COMMITTEE NOW, BASED OFF OF WHAT THOSE YELLOWKNIFE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES ARE, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SAME CONCERN AS YOU.

WE DON'T WANT TO BE SPENDING YELLOWKNIVER TAXPAYER MONEY TO FUND A BROADER NWT ORGANIZATION, SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION. IT WAS VERY MUCH PART OF COMMITTEES DISCUSSION AND OUR DECISION MAKING AND RECOMMENDATION TO OUR GPC COMMITTEE.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I'M VERY SATISFIED WITH THAT ANSWER. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. YEAH. JUST TO ADD TO THAT GOOD ANSWER FROM THE MAYOR.

JUST SOME MORE CONTEXT IN THE GRANT APPLICATION, IT DOES ASK, IS YOUR ORGANIZATION IN YELLOWKNIFE SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF YELLOWKNIFE? IT ASKS SPECIFICALLY WHERE YOUR PROGRAMING IS TAKING PLACE.

SO THERE ARE A COUPLE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS SERVING RESIDENTS OF YELLOWKNIFE,

[02:00:04]

AND IT'S A VERY LIVE DISCUSSION EACH YEAR TO ENSURE, YEAH, THERE'S, YEAH, PARTICULAR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE EVENTS IN YELLOWKNIFE THAT SERVE PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE TERRITORY.

SO IT'S, YEAH IT'S DEFINITELY A LIVE DISCUSSION EVERY YEAR.

AND I THINK PART OF THE THING I BROUGHT UP ABOUT CLARITY IS THAT THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT HAPPENS IN THE ROOM WITH THE PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDING DOES SERVE RESIDENTS OF YELLOWKNIFE, BUT THERE DOES LACK SOME.

WHEN DOES AN ORGANIZATION QUALIFY AND WHEN DOES IT NOT? THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT SORT OF HAPPENS IN THE ROOM AND MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES SERVE, BUT THERE'S NOTHING SORT OF WRITTEN DOWN. IT'S A BIT GRAY, BUT REST ASSURED THAT COMMITTEE IS DEFINITELY THAT'S A BIG ONE.

AND YEAH, IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGER TOPICS OF CONVERSATION FOR SURE.

AND THEN JUST ONE MORE PIECE OF CONTEXT REGARDING FOLK ON THE ROCKS, THEIR PREVIOUS THREE YEAR MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT WAS FOR $15,000 A YEAR.

THEY APPLIED FOR 30 FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND WERE PROPOSING THE COMMITTEE PROPOSED $20,000.

THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YEAH. JUST TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION I THINK IT'S AMAZING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO RUN THIS PROGRAM AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S LITERALLY ONE OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS THAT WE PROBABLY TALKED THE MOST ABOUT AND WERE MOST EXCITED ABOUT IN OUR INITIAL INAUGURATION DAYS OF HOW TO LEVERAGE THE COMMUNITY. SO THIS ALWAYS IS A POSITIVE AND HAPPY THING TO DISCUSS.

I DO AGREE THAT I THINK THE TAX EXEMPTION POLICY AND THE GRANT FUNDING POLICY ARE TWO TOOLS, AND MAYBE THERE'S MORE THAT SHOULD BE KIND OF ALIGNED BOTH WITH COUNCIL'S INTENT AND VALUES, BUT ALSO WITH EACH OTHER. SO THAT MAYBE IF WE CAN'T SUPPORT ONE ORGANIZATION OR TYPE OF ORGANIZATION THROUGH ONE PROGRAM, MAYBE THERE'S A MECHANISM TO HELP THEM IN ANOTHER WAY. AND SO THEY SHOULD BE ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER IN SOME WAY, WHATEVER THAT WAY IS TO BE DETERMINED. BUT ALSO CLEARLY THE CRITERIA THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO, TO COUNCIL.

ONE OF THE OBSERVATIONS I HAD WHEN LOOKING AT THIS LIST IS THAT A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR TO COUNCILLOR PAYNE'S COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SEVERAL OR MANY ORGANIZATIONS WHO OBVIOUSLY ARE, YOU KNOW, BASED IN YELLOWKNIFE, HAVE A VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP IN YELLOWKNIFE AND DO A LOT OF ACTIVITIES IN YELLOWKNIFE. AND I'M IN NO WAY TRYING TO SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE FUNDING THOSE.

I'M JUST COGNIZANT THAT THERE ARE ALSO ORGANIZATIONS ON THIS LIST WHO HAVE GUARANTEED FUNDING, AND THERE'S MANY, MOST WHO DON'T. AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S A DISTINCTION.

I'VE NEVER BEEN ON THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE, BUT A POINT THAT I DISCUSSED WITH SOME OF THE MEMBERS IN THE COMMITTEE, JUST BECAUSE TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO HELP TO BE MORE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THESE CRITERIA ARE, BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WHERE $140,000 MORE WAS ASKED FOR THAN WE COULD GIVE.

AND I THINK THAT IF PEOPLE START TO LOOK AT THIS LIST AND WHO'S ON THIS LIST, WE'RE GOING TO GET A FLOOD OF APPLICATIONS.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT I'M AWARE OF WHO ARE, COULD BE APPLYING BASED ON THIS LIST OF WHO'S GOT APPROVED, WHO ARE NOT APPLYING. AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY DO THAT WORK TO CLARIFY BOTH OUR VALUES AND THE CRITERIA THAT ARE, CAN TRANSPARENTLY BE SHARED WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WOULD DEFINITELY JUST VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR LOOKING AT THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER AND ADDING THEM TO THE WORK PLAN FOR PROBABLY THE FUTURE COUNCIL.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? SEEING NONE AND GENERAL SUPPORT, WILL BRING THAT FORWARD. NEXT ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION REGARDING MINUTES OF THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETING ON MARCH 3,

[8. A memorandum regarding minutes of the Heritage Committee meeting of March 3, 2026. ]

2026. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIR. AS A PAST CHAIR AND MEMBER OF THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE, I HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOR THIS.

AGAIN, SMALL BUT MIGHTY LITTLE COMMITTEE. RARELY DO I SEE SOMETHING SPICY COME OUT OF IT, BUT THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE BIT HERE.

THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE. HISTORICAL SITES, INVENTORY AND THE REVIEW OF ITS CURRENT LIST.

I SEE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECOMMENDATION TO BRING THAT FORTH AS AN ACTION ITEM.

WILL THAT HAPPEN BEFORE THE END OF THE LIFESPAN OF THIS CURRENT COUNCIL.

MR. VAN DINE. I'LL INVITE DIRECTOR SETTA TO OR ACTING DIRECTOR SETTA TO RESPOND TO THIS.

I THINK IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, CAN WE GET BACK TO COUNCIL ON THIS IN WRITING? WE CAN. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY NOT AN ISSUE ON THAT ONE.

THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE OTHER ACTION ITEM IS TO BRING FORTH THE POLICY REFLECTING COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS, REPORTING, FOLLOW UP REPORTING AND

[02:05:07]

CONSIDERATION FOR PAST FUNDING. WE'VE RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED THIS ON THE CAB COMMITTEE.

I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA, NOT ONLY FOR HERITAGE, BUT I ALSO THINK FOR GRANT AS WELL.

I THINK THIS IS A CONSISTENT POLICY APPLICATION THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT FORTH FOR ANY TIME WE ALLOCATE FUNDING.

SO THAT WAY, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THESE CONCERNS THAT WERE JUST BROUGHT UP, WE HAVE A FULL IDEA OF WHERE THIS MONEY WAS GOING. I SAW, FOR EXAMPLE, AN N.W.T. ORGANIZATION THAT WAS PROVIDING UPWARDS OF 20 SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE GRANT REVIEW, AND WE HAVE NO IDEA IF THAT MONEY WILL BE GUARANTEED TO STICK WITHIN YELLOWKNIFE UNLESS WE HAVE SOME FORM OF REPORTING MECHANISM. SO. OF COURSE, AS I SEE THAT WE HAVE THIS CONSIDERATION FOR AN UPDATED POLICY, WE SHOULD DO A FULL UPDATE OF CONSIDERATION FOR REPORTING AND PAST FUNDING FOR ALL COMMITTEES.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. ANY MORE COMMENTS? COUNCILLOR FEQUET. JUST WANTED TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THAT SEGUE OF I KNOW THE MAYOR ET AL ARE WORKING ON OUR TERMS OF REFERENCE, SO GREAT PLUG TIMELY PLUG. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

ALL RIGHT. SEEING NOTHING ELSE. MOVING ON. A MEMORANDUM REGARDING A REPORT REGARDING MAYOR.

[9. A memorandum regarding a report regarding Mayor Hendriksen’s travel to the Arctic Summit, Whitehorse, YK, from February 22 – February 25, 2026 and Northwest Territories Association of Communities (NWTAC), Yellowknife, NT from February 26 – February 28, 2026. ]

HENDRIKSEN TRAVELED TO ARCTIC SUMMIT, WHITEHORSE, YK, YUKON, NOT YK FROM FEBRUARY 22ND TO FEBRUARY 25, 2026, THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, ASSOCIATED COMMUNITIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES FROM FEBRUARY 26 TO FEBRUARY 28, 2026. ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE TRIPS? SEEING NONE.

AND NEXT ITEMS ARE IN CAMERA. CAN I HAVE A MOTION MOVE IN CAMERA?

[IN CAMERA]

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

WE'LL MOVE IN CAMERA.

ALL RIGHT, SO BUSINESS ARISING FROM IN CAMERA.

WE HAVE APPOINTMENTS TO THE DEELOPMENT APPEAL BOARD.

AND PETER'S AND MATTHEW YAP WILL BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

AND ALSO THE BOARD OF REVISION FOR FOLKS NANCY LAMB, BEN MCDONALD, TODD SLACK, AND CHRISTINE SUE.

OF NOTE, I WANT TO THANK DAVE NICKERSON FOR EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE ON THAT COMMITTEE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING YOUR CITY OUT.

SO THAT IS EVERYTHING. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING? COUNCILLOR MCGURK. SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR PAYNE. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.