David Ramsay

No doubt, we are at the forefront of the climate change and the impact climate change is having here in the North. We have had the experience in Inuvik. We have had a similar experience and it’s an ongoing issue in Hay River. I know the Members from Hay River would know that. We’ve also had a small dip in one of the runways here in Yellowknife that we’ve had to remedy as well.

As far as work, the Northwest Territories, given our location and fact that we are on the front line of climate change, we can have a lot of impact in helping others deal with it, as well, and taking a look at how we can...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have done a great deal of work in that regard. We have had a geophysics summit on the Inuvik Airport back in 2011, I believe it was. For a more detailed response, I am going to go to Deputy Minister Neudorf with the technical answer for that. Thank you.

We do appreciate there will be impacts on the smaller communities in the Sahtu as well. In the past, we have had a runway length study that we did. We are in the process of updating that study so we can ensure that runway lengths are going to fit the required need in the area as development continues to move forward.

In the past we have worked with the communities. Fort Good Hope is an example; I’m working with the community to see the runway extended there. I know there is some interest from Deline and I had the chief in my office this morning, talking about that again. So we’re anxious to see...

Mr. Chair, I believe the Member is getting to the issue of frost and friction on the runways and the inability of large aircraft to land. I know Inuvik experienced a few days like that last winter where it was a clear day but the runway couldn’t accept large planes. That’s something that we have avoided in Norman Wells where we have gone to the grooving of the runway in Norman Wells and we don’t experience that frost and friction. So that is something. It is not an inexpensive fix, but going forward I think we are going to take a look at how the grooving works again this winter in Norman Wells...

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left I have Russ Neudorf, deputy minister of Transportation. To my right I have Ms. Jayleen Robertson, director of environment and communications with DOT. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Member for his question. We’ve looked at that facility the Member talks of and we have made some improvements to the facility. I want to assure the Member that some of those improvements have been made. If the Member has specific concerns going forward, I’m more than happy if the Member wants to bring those concerns to our attention. We have no plans to expand the facility, but like I’ve said, we’ve taken some steps to improve things there. If the Member hears any further complaints or concerns, please bring them to our attention and we’d be more than happy...

Mr. Chair, as the Member knows, I have a great deal of respect for the community leadership in Deline. I never would underestimate their ability to raise money and to deliver on a project.

I think, at the end of the day, the House would still have to approve any funding that went into a runway extension in Deline. I think, perhaps as the next step, we could sit down with the community leaders, talk to them about what they believe the economic drivers are or the impetus to get the runway extension done and, again, continue the dialogue, because we really need to do that. We have to get a better...

Thank you. No, it’s not and we are making every effort to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I can assure Members that I know there are folks out there and the Member wanted to bring some witnesses, but the highway is safe. Highway No. 3 is safe. If you look at the collision rates between 1993 and 2012, collision rates per million vehicles have gone down over half in terms of the volume of collisions on Highway No. 3. I think that means that our highways are safe. We have statistics to back up the fact that there aren’t as many collisions on that road as there were in the ‘90s and that number has been steadily coming down.

The Member seems to… I don’t know if something is...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Member for his questions today. Certainly, the airport at Norman Wells, as I mentioned in response to one of the other Members earlier, we believe it is capable of handling the traffic that it does currently. That’s not to say that it could be impacted further down the road when we see more activity in the Sahtu.

Through the Corridors for Canada plan, we have I believe it’s $15 million earmarked over a few years to look at the development of that airport, specifically commercial development and availability of land for commercial use at the airport. I do...