Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to ask a few specific questions with regard to the chipsealing from Providence junction towards Fort Simpson. I think as a reference I was using Axe Handle as a quitting point, but I just want to know more specifically, Mr. Chairman, about how many kilometres of chipseal we will be doing first thing this spring. I would like to know how many kilometres we are looking at doing this spring.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Just with respect to the airports, once again everybody worked hard on both sides of the government to relocate the Trout Lake Airport. I understand progress is going, but I don’t have questions on that. But I do want to first bring up once again the runway lighting for two of the communities in my riding. One of them is Jean Marie River and Nahanni Butte. Also, there was an airport improvement, too, on the Nahanni Butte runway. It was an opportunity to put in runway lighting, but at the same time, I still would like to have those installed in the communities...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Having, of course, any government positions in any of the communities is part of economic development of a community. Have at least one staff member with those salary dollars. I seem to recall that I had thought it was a temporary move, only because the incumbent I believe was thinking about later relocating to Fort Simpson. I don’t know if that’s still the case there. Maybe I can ask about that. In any event, despite those facts, I urge the department for any future long-term considerations that we had that position there before and I see no reason why it...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was just trying to find out the best way we can help businesses that have failed. I think one of the best ways is to conduct a post-mortem. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can look at a program or some type of mechanism within ITI where they do set up a procedure or checklist that can help future businesses by examining those that fail.

In this case it was an actual aboriginal business that had failed. I’m pleased to hear that there’s an Aftercare Program. What begins the mechanism to do a post-mortem or to look at other businesses and how we can fine tune our programs or how we could be more responsive to the needs of that business?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker Today I would like to talk about our small and remote communities and their need to have access to professional health and wellness programming and staff.

During my most recent visit to Wrigley, they commended the fact that the return of nursing to their community will become a reality. They did also request to me that having access to a mental health worker and programming is also just as important to their community. They are pleased with the efforts of the Deh Cho Health and Social Services, yet desire to see their community be provided with the resources to work...

Mr. Chairman, I certainly look forward to that commitment of providing a long-term plan and, if the Minister doesn’t mind, he can also add chipsealing in the long-term plan from the B.C. border to Fort Liard. That is something that I am looking forward to. They were actually quite excited last year when the B.C. government chipsealed all the way up to the border. The first thing they did was come to see me as their MLA and saying, when are we doing ours? When are we getting our chipseal? Having reconstruction done has been slowing things down. I had hoped to see something in the 2011 plan, but...

Mr. Chairman, just in terms of longer term plans, what work has yet to be done to do another 70 kilometres maybe not this year but next fiscal year, next summer? I know that we are able to do this section, because we did manage to replace all the culverts in that section. I know that part of the maintenance program is to continue replacing culverts. Working towards 2011 summer budget, Mr. Chairman, how much work do we have in order to do another 70 kilometres of chipsealing? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I think that is the key thing in this initiative should it move forward. Of course, there have been incidents in the past that have led to cost of repairs to those runways, but I do know that the department has, not only in those communities but in other communities, been teaching operators about safety, care and attention around lighting equipment on runways. Just once again, of course, I want to let the Minister know that it is still a priority of mine and hopefully we can work towards that goal in the future. Thank you.

I have no further questions on this page.