Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Most of us know February is Valentine’s Day month, but it is also Heart Month. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation and similar organizations around the world recognize Heart Month every February. It is an opportunity to raise funds for life-giving research and to alert people to the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Most, or all of us probably, have known elders who spent their whole lives working hard and eating traditional food, and in their 80s or even 90s they’re still out there cutting their own firewood and looking after themselves. Some of them could probably...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just some comments from a territorial view in terms of where things are at with the Deh Cho, the riding I represent. For the most part, I think this budget is a status quo budget. There’s nothing really extraordinary about the budget, but it’s a responsible one in that we’re still experiencing a downturn in the economy so we have to really watch in terms of balancing our revenues and expenditures. For the most part, it’s a responsible budget, and at the same time, we have to give the Minister credit for leading a team on this effort to come up with a budget that’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past Friday I was honoured to present a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award to a respected elder and advocate for Dene languages and culture, Mr. Daniel Sonfrere. Mr. Sonfrere is highly respected for his lifelong determination to preserve and promote the Dene language and culture.

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Mr. Daniel Sonfrere continues to work tirelessly for the preservation and promotion of the Dene language. As part of a committee of six elders, all of them fluent in the Dene language, he works with a translator and linguist to record and preserve our language...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps just to build upon that, is there, at some point, plans for a more festive opportunity for the communities to be involved with signalling another ceremony? I know there have been discussions in terms of another celebration this summer. Could the Minister update in terms of how the Department of Transportation might be involved with that opportunity?

I wanted to know if the Department of Transportation has any prepared plans in terms of helping the people that perhaps have been laid off, or in terms of trying to help them with making the transition to other employment opportunities. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to rise just to honour the original ice bridge workers from Fort Providence. For over 50 years, generations of workers braved extreme cold and deathly cold conditions to build and maintain the ice bridge across the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence. They did this for the last time in the winter of 2011-2012. With the opening of the Deh Cho Bridge, there will no longer be an ice crossing at Fort Providence.

Building ice roads is hard and dangerous work. It involves long days and nights in all kinds of weather, and the risks of being the first and the...

Thank you. Switching to the big bridge that is in operation now, I just want to understand what are some of the immediate short-term and long-term plans for the maintenance of the bridge. For one thing, or a couple of things, I know there are concerns about eventually bison perhaps stopping the flow of traffic. Another concern is just the traffic lights. At what point do you see perhaps the establishment of those additions to the bridge? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I rose to at least honour the people that made it possible for us to transport goods plus drive over the Deh Cho ice bridge for a long time. So my question is to the Minister of Transportation.

I’d like to know the status of the crew that used to make the ice bridge, at the same time just the status of the crew that operated the ferry and what are the plans for them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s not very often I rise and recognize individuals from my constituency, but I’d like to recognize a friend, hockey player, husband, and leader Chief Lloyd Chicot of Kakisa, who has been a long-serving leader for the Dehcho First Nation.

Mr. Speaker, what is the status of the ground ambulance and highway rescue services funding review? This has been going on for some time there. Mahsi.