David Ramsay

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Member described, there is a variety of reasons why that would happen. There were some issues with the work at Bob’s Creek and Strawberry. We continue to work with Pehdzeh Ki Contractors on completing that work and there was a lot of activity, as the Member knows, in the Sahtu. Last winter there was a lot of competition for equipment and workers, and I think that led to some of the work being pushed back or delayed and would result in some of the numbers that we see here in terms of carry-overs.

I guess the positive side to this is there is a lot of work...

Mr. Speaker, later today, at the appropriate time, I will be tabling the NWT Economic Opportunities Strategy Advisory Panel’s “What We Heard” report.

This report summarizes more than 80 engagements with our territory’s residents, private sector, governments and other stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges that they see for the NWT economy.

The advisory panel’s report documents what people had to say, it includes informed observations based on the perspectives and expertise of individual panel members, and it provides 90 recommendations to guide the drafting of the final Economic...

Mr. Chair, again, we will get that number for the Member on what the initial budget was. I carry over almost $3.4 million.

Getting back to the Detah access road, we had an opportunity to meet with the Yellowknives Dene and the Akaitcho leadership just last week. One of the issues we talked about was the Detah access road and the importance to get that project complete. I gave the chiefs the assurance that we are going to continue to work to try to get some additional capital dollars from the federal government. When we do, certainly the completion of the work on the Detah access road will be a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the Member could just repeat the beginning part of his question, I’d see if I have that number.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Agricultural Products Marketing Council, 2012/2013 Annual Report;” “NWT Tourism 2013-2014 Marketing Plan;” and “What We Heard and Recommendations: Report of the NWT Economic Opportunities Strategy Advisory Panel.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are up to approximately 20 percent of the entire length of Highway No. 7 that we will have some calcification of calcium chloride. Again, we will sit down with industry, and I know the folks we have on the ground in the region are always talking to industry and community leaders down there about working together and trying to come up with solutions. We will continue to do that and hopefully we can have more of Highway No. 7 have that application of calcium chloride for the safety of the travelling public. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the entire length of Highway No. 7 it’s 254 kilometres long. There are going to be nine sections, about 53 kilometres in total that will have the application of calcium chloride and the dust control applied to it. We believe that will greatly enhance safety.

We’re working with industry on a plan for the access road to Liard, and I know the Member mentioned 250 trucks. There’s a possibility of two wells being drilled near the community and it could, in fact, be upward of 700 truckloads going into the community or near the community of Fort Liard. So we’re working on a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Return to Written Question 17-17(4), I wish to table the following document, entitled “Business Development and Investment Corporation Activities.”

I also wish to table the following document, entitled “Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Motion 8-17(4), Secondary Diamond Industry.” Thank you.

We certainly look forward to the day where we can have a biomass facility in the Member’s riding. We are supportive of that happening. We’ve worked with the proponent there for, I believe, close to two years. We’re hopeful that at some point in time we will see that plant go ahead so that we can harvest some biomass in the Member’s region and other regions around the Northwest Territories and produce biomass here in the NWT. So we continue to work toward that.

At the end of the day, investment decisions will have to be made by the proponent. There are a number of agreements that the proponent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We had started out working with the community on plans for a community celebration for the Deh Cho Bridge. We hope to be involved in that ceremony this summer. We had talked to NWT Tourism about promoting the bridge in their literature, and we want to continue to work with the community of Fort Providence in advancing tourism initiatives in the area.

We believe that there is a lot of potential there with the bridge, and I’ve mentioned previously as a Regular Member and as Minister, it would be a good idea for us to work toward some type of bison interpretative centre...