Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just two short summer months ago, Highway No. 7 was described by the media and local drivers as a bog with the consistency of clam chowder. To my dismay, this summer Highway No. 7 was described as a war zone by tourists, local drivers and the media.
I know that the engineers would offer this more technical description of Highway No. 7, the road is composed primarily of frost susceptible soils, structurally weak and most vulnerable to load-induced damage during spring thaw. The roadway becomes saturated, causing extensive pot holing, slick running surfaces and major...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, further to my Member’s statement and questions earlier today, I wish to table two documents that relate to the disrepair and poor driving conditions on Highway No. 7, also known as the Liard Highway. The first document is a letter dated September 29, 2010, from the Western Arctic Member of Parliament, Mr. Dennis Bevington, to the Honourable Jim Prentice, federal Minister of Environment, seeking much needed assistance for making repairs to the highway.
The second document is a CBC Radio transcript dated June 29, 2010, in which Ms. Joanne Deneron of Fort Liard...
Thank you very much. I think that’s a strategy, I think there’s got to be federal involvement. Can I ask the Minister when is his next opportunity that he would be meeting with his federal counterpart or federal-provincial meeting of Transportation Ministers, because I think that’s the point that it’s important to raise the condition of Highway No. 7, especially in light that we want Canadians and tourists to visit our new Nahanni National Park Reserve and get them there and make it easier for them, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke about the condition of Highway No. 7. That’s the highway that runs from B.C. over to Fort Simpson, and of course the proximity community is Fort Liard. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation, can you please provide me an update about the status of the repairs to Highway No. 7 for this construction year? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, this now leaves Liard with one transportation company that provides service to the community. This certainly doesn’t reduce costs or improve services.
I am really interested in learning from the Minister later this afternoon about the status of this year’s work and his future plans of making sure that the highway can meet the grade needed. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise also to commend Tony for his outstanding work as our Commissioner for the past five years. I’d like to acknowledge his commitment and his charismatic nature. I think when he first became Commissioner he actually came up to me and said there’s one place I haven’t been to yet and it was Trout Lake. He did make it to Trout Lake and he did get to see Joe Punch in that community and I’d like to thank you for that.
I like Tony’s story. It’s about a dream that not only youth have, but any youth listening, I can say that dreams still come true. Tony told me this...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. That is the kind of working with the communities that I like to see and continue on. When will the Minister or his department begin those consultations or community meetings with the different communities in my riding? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I am just looking for assurances that the work will get done this year. I know that we ran into weather issues last year and weren’t able to complete much of the reconstruction and very little of it, actually. I am looking for reassurances by the Minister that this work will be done early in the year and we don’t end up late into the fall season when there are weather issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of Pages from Fort Smith this week. A Page named Paige McKay, and Julia de Pelham. I recognize the chaperone, Ms. Megan Okrainec. Welcome and I hope you enjoyed your week and had a great experience. Mahsi cho.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support the motion. I think that the federal government was premature in cutting off the funding. Healing had just begun, people were just getting comfortable speaking out and having an opportunity to do so along with all the other people that they grew up with in the residential school system and their families. The second generation, the younger children, are just as impacted as well, Mr. Speaker.
In my own riding alone, I spoke in the House about taking down the Deh Cho Hall. It was formally known as Lapointe Hall. It was part of the...