Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a follow up to my Member’s statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. I’d like to ask the Minister: what is the Department of Infrastructure’s current intention for winter services on the Louis Cardinal and the Abraham Francis Ferries. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago, I told this House how a disruption in the ferry services on the Peel River had stranded residents, tourists, and essential supplies, cutting them off from their homes and their travel destinations.

Now, it seems like no sooner than the Department of Infrastructure gets the ferry running again, that once again staring down the barrel of serious service disruption in the region. I am referring to the cancellation of ferry services for both the Louis Cardinal ferry on the Mackenzie and the Abraham Francis ferry on the Peel River. I have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister just said the third week of November for light traffic and mid-November for heavy traffic, so that does add up to me just like some of his other numbers there. The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is this keeps the cost of living down. How does the Minister expect to keep the costs of living down in the region when they take out the ferries and rise up the costs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I mentioned in my statement, with the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway November 16th, I know a lot of my constituents - and I’m sure a lot of tourists - are awaiting the opening so they could be the first to travel this road. I’d like to ask the Minister what the department’s rationale is for this decision that will contribute to the isolation of small communities in the region.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Colleagues. Mr. Speaker, it is in this government's mandate to make strategic investments in infrastructure and to lower costs of living. Cutting ferry services and driving up the cost of living especially as the mercury drops is quite the opposite. Residents want to see continued ferry service and, Mr. Speaker, it just makes sense. It would keep communities connected, Northerners getting the supplies they need, and to make it clear to tourists that our small communities are open and accessible. The tourism will only grow in importance once the Inuvik to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will ask the same question because I did not get an answer there. Can the Minister give me an example or examples of other contracts ever put on hold during the winter months, like we are having in the case of Fort McPherson?

Mr. Speaker, this is a problem that we constantly run into, having contractors underbid projects. Mr. Speaker, it's not the fault of the new contractor that just took on this project here, the reason being that the first contractor underbid this project by quite a lot. I would like to ask the Minister: when does the Housing Corporation expect that the Fort McPherson nine-plex will now be completed and opened to residents?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Jessica Andre, one of my constituents who took part in the Northern Youth Abroad, and also the two Pages Thomas Norbert and Shaylene Shae. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Glad to see there are a few projects in my riding, especially the James Creek campground; not the campground, but the new maintenance camp that will be built. It is a good opportunity, like we did in the past, to hopefully negotiate with one of the Gwich'in companies to install this. It is getting a little ahead here, but also there is a bunch of work planned on the Dempster as well, which from what I recall is resurfacing from Tsiigehtchic northbound towards Inuvik.

I am really looking forward to that, but I am disappointed. I know I was hoping to see, it is a little...

That probably would have been possible if the department actually gave the contractor the price they were initially trying to get, which included all the costs for working through the winter months, but I will leave that there. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister give me other examples of when the Housing Corporation stopped construction through the winter months?