Erin Fletcher
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Mar 15/04) - Making do and stretching dollars is what's in store for Beaufort Delta communities in need of new infrastructure, said Floyd Roland, GNWT Minister of Finance.

Floyd Roland, GNWT Minster of Finance, told Beaufort Delta communities there won't be much money to meet local infrastructure needs. - Erin Fletcher/NNSL photo

Roland, along with Premier Joe Handley and a variety of other ministers, gave community leaders the news during a regular Beaufort Delta Interim Regional Council meeting on self-government held at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex in Inuvik, March 9 and 10.

Although he could not speak to the specifics of the budget before its release Wednesday, Roland did say there won't be a lot of extra money to help communities improve things like public buildings or water and sewage services.

"We are one of the fastest growing economies in Canada, but as the government of the NWT we are not seeing a lot of revenues coming in to help with an increase in expenditures," said Roland.

"There's a good side to being busy and there's a bad side and we have to meet the gaps in the social envelope," said Roland.

The GNWT continues to get further and further behind on capital projects in need of replacement, said Roland.

"It continues to be a problem with us," he said. "But what we can do is do the best we can with what we have."

Some projects will get done, said Roland, pointing to the completion of the water filtration facility in Tsiigehtchic, the new Aurora College campus site in Inuvik and the renovations to the Holman health centre.

Sachs Harbour will get a new water treatment facility and health centre next year and Fort McPherson's water treatment facility should be a go.

Not enough

Community leaders say that's not good enough.

"There are deliverance issues in our communities that need to be addressed and we can't wait until the pipeline to do that," said Eddie Dillon, chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation.

Dillon said money is not being distributed fairly to small communities across the territory. "The community sees needs for capital projects and when it does get approved by the legislative assembly it gets cut," said Dillon.

While Sachs Harbour mayor Andy Carpenter Jr. is happy to see a much-needed water plant will be included in the budget, he's concerned the community won't be able to run it, especially with rising insurance and energy costs.

Roland will be addressing the legislative assembly with the details of this year's budget March 17 in Yellowknife.