David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We were just before the House earlier this session with the Department of Transportation’s capital plan. On highways it was just over $23 million.

Yes, we have, and I’ve mentioned this in a previous response to the Member, is that we hope that come 2014 there is a new infrastructure plan put forward by the federal government that the Government of the Northwest Territories can avail itself of to cover off situations where we can partner with the federal government on getting programs like dredging in the port of Hay River done and other infrastructure projects around this territory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve supplied $60,000 in a contribution to help work with the Canadian Coast Guard and the Town of Hay River to advance this project along, but we certainly need to be looking at the federal government for an infrastructure program so that we can get the work done that’s required in the port of Hay River.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to follow up on Minister Miltenberger’s response to Member Bromley. To the backdrop of all of this is the fact that the Government of the Northwest Territories has never had to do an EA on a project of this size and this nature. That has led us to do it incrementally. That is a component to this, too, that I just wanted to put out there.

As the Member knows, there are a number of areas of concern on Highway No. 7. In fact, several years ago the section from the BC border to the community was chipsealed. The surface wasn’t such to hold the chipseal in place and needed to be reconstructed. We had reconstructed 20 kilometres of that portion of road. We need to look at the reconstruction to the Liard junction, I believe 38 kilometres. At that time we certainly will look to see if we have any further capital dollars to allow us to chipseal the portion from Fort Liard to the BC border. That is certainly in the plans, but it will...

I’m always optimistic, I guess. That would be my first response.

In response to the Member, we are going to conclude the environmental assessment. That report will come in in January. We’re also going to be getting three separate cost estimates on the project. We need to determine the funding arrangement with the federal government. There are a number of decision points here that have to be made, and they’ll be made with Members of the House, with committee, with Regular Members as we move the project forward. That’s our anticipation, is that we’re going to get that cost estimate. We’ll get the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his question. Certainly, as we move forward I have made a commitment in this House in the past that Highway No. 7, if and when we find additional capital dollars, we would try to identify funding for Highway No. 7 as we move forward. That is still our intention.

In response to the Member during the capital plan review, we haven’t abandoned the Detah road. We do need to identify more funding to complete the work that is required on the Detah road. We’re hopeful that, again, in 2014, that there’s a new infrastructure plan with the federal government that will enable us to conclude the work that’s required on the Detah road.

This is a question that’s come up numerous times in this House over the past nine years. I’d be more than happy to get the Member and committee the information that the department has gathered over the years. It is our belief that over the course of the bridge and the collection of the tolls, that businesses will not be disadvantaged in the long-term because of paying the tolls.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have that information on our website. We have had numerous discussions with transportation companies here in the Northwest Territories and in the South, in advance of the tolls being charged on the Deh Cho Bridge. For a breakdown of those meetings and discussions, I would be more than happy to get the Member and committee some detailed meeting times and organizations that we’ve met with.