Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to ask the Minister: is there anything that is holding back the ferries? Are they waiting for any parts or anything at this time, or are they just doing the final preparations for the ferry? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Last week, as I kind of figured, the water dropped significantly in my riding of Tsiigehtchic and also in Fort McPherson. Is the department starting the work on the landings and making everything ready so that, once a ferry is launched, they are ready for service?

Mr. Speaker, I recommend to the department that they look for someone else that has traditional knowledge up in my riding that could assist them, but, you know, already the Peel River has dropped. There is no ice there. If the conditions are right for the Peel River, would the department look at launching the Peel River ferry first?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, it's that time of the year again in my riding on the Mackenzie and Peel River. Rivers are clearing with ice as we have break-up there. Mr. Speaker, my constituents are eager to travel either to communities or travel to Whitehorse on the ferry system. I'd like to ask the Minister: when will the Abraham Francis and Louis Cardinal ferries be ready for operation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that sounds good. Actually, I just got a report this morning here, during session, that the Peel River is actually clear of ice and the Mackenzie just has a little bit of shore ice, so we're now looking forward most likely next week, Friday, I guarantee the water will drop. Would the ferry be ready for operation if the conditions were good for low water?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister at least speak to the RCMP "G" Division to see if they would be open to providing this service in the spring and fall as the community requested? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I mentioned in my Member's statement, the community is very happy with the services that have improved over the last year here, but in the government's mandate, the department has committed to supporting the developing of policing action plans for each community. Is the Minister aware of how the need for resident RCMP officers is reflected in Tsiigehtchic's 2017-2018 community policing action plan?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it took a bit of work for me to get into Yellowknife from Tsiigehtchic in time for committee meetings and the start of this sitting. When you’re travelling to and from our small communities, especially during freeze-up and break-up, you have to be ready for anything.

Spring and fall make our rural and remote communities especially vulnerable to isolation. That means that communities that don’t have resident RCMP officers might be stuck without them, and with no way to get them quickly and in an emergency. The people of Tsiigehtchic have brought these...

I am not asking for year-round coverage. The RCMP do come around every other weekend, but I would like to ask the Minister: what other actions will the Minister take to work with the RCMP to advance public safety goals in Tsiigehtchic, particularly having resident RCMP officers during times of break-up and freeze-up as of the fall of 2017?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister: is the Minister aware of requests from Tsiigehtchic and other communities to have resident RCMP officers during times of break-up and freeze-up? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.