Frederick Blake Jr.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out two significant events happening this weekend in the Mackenzie Delta and lnuvik Region.

First, let me mention hockey players. As many as 300 youth ages 4 to 17 will flock to Inuvik both yesterday and today to participate in the Annual Gwich'in Cup. This event is held each March and has six divisions and welcomes all youth. Teams are made up on registration numbers; players are put on teams not by community, but by age. The weekend hockey competition and skills takes place today, Friday, right through to Sunday.

Mr. Speaker, I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this motion is somewhat premature, as we have been told. This should have been done next week, if we needed to. Now this motion cannot be brought up again during this session. Cabinet is putting a lose-lose situation. If Cabinet votes for this motion, they will be seen as negotiating in bad faith at the negotiating table. Also, if they don't support the motion, they will and have already been labelled as not supporting our employees, which is far from the truth.

I will support this motion, but it is very difficult to after how our Premier was treated by...

I know last year the department was saying that they haven't noticed any more closures than usual, but this year, because we have had more snow, higher winds, we have had this troubling spot at kilometre 4, to be specific. Once the Minister finds out from his department that this really is a problem, like I am bringing up, will the Minister ensure that they work with the community or the contractor over the summer to ensure this work is done?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement last year, I have a couple more questions for the Minister responsible for Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost two years now since the windbreak has been taken from kilometre 4 on the Dempster Highway because it is deteriorating. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister: when will the department replace this windbreak at kilometre 4 on the Dempster Highway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know that windbreak I'm talking about, it can't be more than a couple of thousand dollars we are talking about. We are holding up goods that are coming into our region, and also not to mention all the extra hours to maintain that highway. You know, we are talking about 20- to 30-foot drifts here, you know, in that one specific area. It is pretty easy that the cost of this windbreak is not more than what it takes to open that road, and not to mention all the goods that are waiting to go by. Will the Minister ensure that this is done over the summer...

As I recall it, I believe the community of Fort McPherson actually asked to take it down because it was an eyesore because it was falling apart at the time. You know, it was probably built before we had pressure-treated wood. Will the Minister ensure that this work takes place this summer, as it is really affecting road closure due to high winds?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on future units, will the Minister ensure each unit has its own meter so we never have this issue again? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That leads me to my next question: how long will it take to install meters on each unit, and when can people expect to move in?

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Mackenzie Delta we are looking forward to offering families new housing units. There is a four-plex in Aklavik and a duplex in Fort McPherson that has been completed before Christmas and is ready for new tenants.

We are happy for the units, Mr. Speaker, and encourage the NWT Housing Corporation to build more units so that families can be accommodated. Mr. Speaker, the newly completed units, however, are sitting empty. This is due to the fact that there were issues with power meters on the units. Since a completion of the units, there has been no...

Instead of waiting a few months with the four-plex in Aklavik, can we simply let more people move and divide the power bill into four instead of letting people wait three to four months? These people could move in right away and share the cost of the power bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.