Government of Nunavut tables $338-million capital budget
CBC
The Government of Nunavut has tabled its capital budget.
The nearly $338 million in capital estimates allocates money to projects across the territory for the next five years.
The budget, Bill 10, was brought forward by Finance Minister Lorne Kusugak in the legislature on Wednesday. Details of each department's plans for spending will be debated over the fall sitting, which runs until early November.
The largest chunk of the budget will be allocated to the Nunavut Housing Corporation with just over $110.5 million to spend.
However, the details on how the housing corporation will spend those funds is not laid out in the budget. Those details will be questioned early next week when the Nunavut Housing Corporation appears before the Committee of the Whole.
Community and Government Services (CGS) will get the next biggest piece of the budget with $103.4 million in capital projects.
David Joanasie, minister of community and government services, appeared before the committee Wednesday to talk about the details of the budget.
Joanasie said CGS capital estimates are broken down into two categories: community infrastructure and enhancing service capacity.
"Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental of community life," said Joanasie. "As communities grow and regulations change, so do the demands on our existing, aging infrastructure."
A total of $31 million is being put toward improvements in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements in seven communities. The project allocations are as follows:
"These improvements are required to mitigate risks to community water security and to ensure the critical infrastructure that services homes, businesses and public assets in Nunavut communities," said Joanasie.
Five projects are planned to fix Rankin Inlet's failing utilidor system. In March, MLA for Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet Alexander Sammurtok, tabled a letter from Mayor Harry Towtongie saying the communities utilidor system had reached critical capacity.
Joanasie said CGS is investing $27 million into fixing Rankin Inlet's infrastructure with the following projects:
The City of Iqaluit will receive $4 million for infrastructure improvements in water, wastewater, roads and operations.
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