Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let’s talk about tourism in the Northwest Territories. More so, let’s talk about how the tourists travel to our smaller communities in the North.

Year round we have people from the South and all over the world attracted to the Northwest Territories, to the Mackenzie Delta and to the Beaufort communities. Some fly into Inuvik, but the majority of them drive the ever popular Dempster Highway. Yes, let’s talk about the Dempster Highway and the need for more funding to make this a safer highway.

I’d like the Minister to address why the lack of funding. Where did the funding...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 5, 2014, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following persons be approved by the Legislative Assembly as sole adjudicators:

Honourable Ronald L. Barclay;

Mr. Paul D.K. Fraser;

Mr. Ronald Perozzo;

Honourable J.E. (Ted) Richard;

Honourable Marguerite Trussler.

Thank you.

Thank you. Will the Minister expedite the Dempster widening project so that the work will happen this summer? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recall at the end of our last session, the federal government just approved the Building Canada Plan of which in our plans $40 million was set aside for work on the Dempster Highway at $4 million a year.

I’d like to ask the Minister, when will those funds roll out and begin on projects like the Dempster Highway widening project?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also mentioned resurfacing. I’d like to ask the Minister, why was there no funds in the operation and maintenance to resurface the Dempster Highway from Fort McPherson to Wrangling River at kilometre 173? Thank you.

Thank you. I’d like to ask the Minister, is his department ready with their plans to follow through with the work on the Dempster Highway Project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s almost like trying to tell the Minister, oh, take over Transportation and you do it within your funding. That’s basically what he’s telling the school boards.

Will the Minister ensure he works with the Beaufort-Delta Education Authority and other authorities throughout the NWT to ensure they have adequate resources?

The communities are well aware of the program and they see what promise this program has, but with 18 new students both in Aklavik and Fort McPherson, there is a big increase in the demand that that takes on.

Will the Minister make sure that he provides the funding that he gave the pilot projects this year to the schools for next fall?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Lorna Storr from Aklavik, one of the longest serving teachers in the Mackenzie Delta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to thank Mr. Yakeleya for bringing this motion forward.

Many of our residents who do travel down as an escort from our communities, many of these communities are faced with 35 percent unemployment rates. So, many residents don’t have any part-time or full-time positions. There are many challenges, especially for long periods of time, two, three or four weeks at a time. More and more people are faced with many medical issues and they have to stay in Edmonton or other cities down south for long periods of time. As time goes on, they need toiletries and...