Jorge Barrera and Terry Kruger
Northern News Services

Yellowknife ( Jun 12/00) - A committee will decide how power generating facilities will be split between the NWT and Nunavut.

On June 6, the steering committee organized to oversee the split between the NWT Power Corp. (NTPC) and the new Nunavut Power Corp. met for the first time.

The committee is headed by delegates from the GNWT and Nunavut governments along with representatives from both power corporations.

One of their main tasks is the distribution of NTPC's assets and liabilities.

"We're currently in the preliminary stages to consummate the division of Power Corp.," said Rob Malcolm, Assistant Controller General of the Nunavut ministry of finance and member of the steering committee.

Roughly, the assets and liabilities of NTPC, which was legislated to generate power for the entire North a dozen years ago, are to be split 67/33, with the bulk remaining with NTPC.

"Really it's a lot more complicated than that, " said Lew Voytilla, secretary of the GNWT financial management board. He's also a member of the steering committee.

"We have a complicated formula to work it out accurately."

The steering committee expects to have the details ironed out by February 2001. Division is to take place on April 1 that year.

"We'll be presenting our work to both governments for approval," Voytilla added.

Nunavut Finance Minister Kelvin Ng, and NWT Finance Minister Joe Handley will review the steering committee's findings.

The steering committee will be working within the framework of the Transition Agreement between GNWT and Nunavut and the Report and Recommendation of Assets and Liabilities drafted during the territorial division.

"This committee has to do the number crunching and interpretation of the year-old document," said Voytilla

Both Voytilla and Malcolm are optimistic about the process.

"It's a very co-operative environment," said Malcolm.

"Everyone has different perspectives," he added. "But at the end of the day it remains amiable and professional."

While the division talks go on, NTPC has an internal study under way looking at how it will look after division.

"The 100 employees that are located in the east...will become employees of the Nunavut Power Corporation April 1st, 2001," said NTPC president Leon Courneya.

"The question remains is on the western side, what the impact will be. To the operational employees working in Inuvik, Smith and Simpson will probably be very little."

Courneya said most of the impact of division will be felt at the Hay River head office. He also voiced hope that NTPC could strike a deal with its Nunavut counterpart to continue to provide some services after division.