Norman Yakeleya

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize a founding member of the N.W.T. Seniors’ Society, Mrs. Esther Braden, and also the executive director of the Seniors’ Society, Ms. Barb Hood. I want to thank them for their ongoing hard work on behalf of all seniors in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I too have driven the road to Dettah, and I understand what the Member is saying. I want to thank him for bringing this issue to my attention.

Mr. Speaker, as Members are aware, there are high transportation needs right across the Northwest Territories. I’m committed to looking at all requests. I too would direct my department to continue working with the leadership in Dettah and with the Member here in terms of looking at this particular need in terms of their safety. It’s our priority in the department to provide safe and reliable roads for the travelling public. I would be happy...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Minister of Transportation’s Annual Report to the Legislative Assembly for 2007 on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (1990). Thank you.

Document 19-16(2), Minister of Transportation’s Annual Report to the Legislative Assembly for 2007 on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (1990), tabled.

Mr. Speaker, the question is on all our infrastructure systems, on roads in the North here.

We’re asking as a precautionary measure for vehicles to slow down because there’s some structural damage that we need to have replaced at the Kakisa Bridge. Like any other, it’s not a fail-safe bridge, so we’re asking members of the public to slow down when they cross the bridge.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for raising this issue.

Mr. Speaker, the Kakisa River Bridge is in dire need of being replaced, and it is being looked at. It is an old bridge that shows some deteriorating structures to it. It is in the plans to replace that bridge.

We are asking drivers to slow down when they come to the bridge. It may be annoying to them, but they need to slow down to be safe on that bridge. I, for one, am fearful that a terrible accident may be in the waiting. I’ve asked my department. My colleagues here are all aware that this bridge is in dire need to be replaced as soon as...

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the spectacular question.

Laughter.

I would ask my colleague that he and I would work on this very closely. We are working directly with N.W.T. Tourism. We’re all working on this issue here. Hopefully, we would make the fact of the announcements in terms of when we could unroll this licence plate out to the people of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the polar bear licence plate is internationally known and has played a significant role over the years in promoting the Northwest Territories. I’d like to thank the Member for being persistent on this issue and for the suggestion and working with this government in terms of changing our licence plate to “spectacular.” I’d like to advise the House and the Member that the N.W.T. Tourism group is working with the Department of ITI and the Department of Transportation in terms of promoting this licence plate, and it’s going through its process of establishing such a logo for the...

Mr. Speaker, as Minister of the department I’m sure that any type of work that this department does will be quality work. It will be a long-lasting investment. It will be a good investment. The people in Dettah will be very happy with the department in terms of working on their roads.

Mr. Speaker, I will instruct my department to look into our transportation plans across the Northwest Territories, and I assure the Member here that the Dettah access road is in these plans in terms of improving the access roads right across the North. I’m working very closely with my colleague the lead Minister for the funding that the Member alluded to in terms of all of the priorities that we’re being asked for. I certainly would again reassure him that I will instruct my officials in the North Slave regional operations to set up a meeting with the leadership of Dettah, and I also invite...

Mr. Speaker, the bridge remains safe to the travelling public. The signage on the bridge is as much as we can do, and if we can, to do more. I’m satisfied that the signage that we have there, the message we have out for the public — to slow down when they cross the Kakisa Bridge — is there. We’ve been monitoring that traffic.

I myself have driven that road. I have crossed that bridge at five kilometres an hour. I myself am satisfied that all we can do now is up to the public to make wise choices, in terms of travelling all our roads in the N.W.T.