David Krutko

Just a final point. I would just like to ask the Minister and the department that they keep monitoring this, because it is becoming a public safety issue where we actually had to shut down operations. People have gotten stuck on different sides of the river, especially the travelling public. Because of public safety they had to shut the operation down. I think a lot of people don’t realize that. Again, we do have to ensure that safety comes first. So I would just like to ask the Minister and the department to keep an eye on this one and hopefully they can report back next with some ideas and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It seems like we are having a chipseal theme day and I am going to fall right in line with that because I think it is a crucial item, especially dealing with gravel highways, dust control and all the aspects associated with maintenance of gravel highways and how we can cut down on the operations and maintenance appliance of calcium and other chemicals to our highways.

I think that we have to seriously find ways of dealing with these issues. I know that there is, as the Member stated, 1,400 kilometres of highways that are gravel topped and I think that we do have to find...

In regards to another issue, what we have been noticing over the last couple of years is that the water levels have been higher than usual. I don’t know if it is because of the amount of rainfall and that, but it is having an effect on the ferry operation on the Peel because it is a cable ferry and once the water rises to a certain level, you cannot operate. We notice that over especially this last summer, the water levels have been very high and because of public safety, they have had to shut down a few times because of high water but, more importantly, with the amount of driftwood and trees...

Mr. Speaker, I could recall when we built the school in Fort McPherson at that time, because there was a possibility of cost overruns, they had to cut back or cut out certain things such as the gymnasium and whatnot. I would like to ask the Minister, is there actually a process that takes away certain parts of the project if it is over budget and that you have to come in on budget that you have to basically streamline that project so you are actually on cost? Is that still a practice of government where you have to actually develop a project on cost and also that means you have to downsize the...

Mr. Chairman, the other issue I had on marine, I know it has come up several times especially from the region I represent, is dealing with the approaches in regards to ferry approaches, the amount of gravel that is being used. I know that this issue came up at a couple of meetings that were held with the department and the Gwich’in Tribal Council. Also this has come up at the Gwich’in assemblies. I know that there have been concerns raised from myself in this House about people that still had used those waterways for traditional activities such as fishing during the summer months and the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions will probably best be directed to the Minister of Public Works and Services in regard to the bidding process this government has. Like I stated, most of the projects in the past have had some major cost overruns and in some cases have doubled in cost. Back then we used to use the Class D estimates to come up with the figure or the number that we were looking at. I know that the department has made a decision to look at Class C estimates. So I’d just like to ask the Minister, have we seen more accurate costs of those facilities and now we’re...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m just supporting my colleague from the Sahtu. I know that, in most jurisdictions you go to, East Coast, you go to B.C., they have isolated communities, coastal communities who receive ferry services. It is a public service that they provide. Ferry service is a public service. I think that what Mr. Yakeleya is asking for is, has this government ever considered looking at providing services to coastal or communities that are isolated like other parts of Canada, either the east or west coasts in regards to ferry operations to those communities who can scavenge only...

Mr. Speaker, another project that comes to mind is the Inuvik Hospital which started off at $24 million and after all is said and done, the completed cost was $45.5 million. Again, double the cost.

Marine, page 11-25, activity summary, operations expenditure summary, $7.808 million. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, too, have similar issues, but not dealing with mushrooms, I’m talking more of natural products that people use for thousands of years where they make dry meat and dry fish. They basically pick berries in the fall time, they freeze it, keep it for the winter, it gets them through the whole season. Yet those traditional activities still go on in all our communities and there is a commercial market, but most if it is mostly through trade and barter and so if you want dry fish you go and see so and so, if you want dry meat you go see so and so. Through our local economies...