Mr. Speaker, the Nahanni Butte road program is a public access road program. The Aklavik road is a community access road program. I would work with the Members here in terms of the issue with Aklavik in terms of seeing what could be done, and I would have to take this up with my colleagues in terms of these programs. There are two different programs we’re looking at in terms of this issue.

Air transportation is a critical service in the Northwest Territories. In many N.W.T. communities, airport support is the only real mode of transportation for residents and for bringing community re-supplies. Having a runway of the appropriate length provides the opportunity for air carriers to use the most appropriate type of aircraft to serve the N.W.T. communities.

Recognizing the importance of continuing to look at means to improve air services and to ensure continued compliance with Government of Canada aviation regulations, I am pleased to advise Members that the Department of...

Mr. Speaker, that’s a hypothetical question, and I’m not too sure. I’d have to speak with my colleagues in terms of what the cabinet’s or the government’s position on this question here.

The cancellation of the contracts was based on the fact that the price almost tripled, in terms of the required work that was done.

Bid bonds are sometimes required on some of the contracts they do within the Department of Transportation. We are removing the bid bonds from the re-scoping of the new tender’s work, in that we’re not going to require bid requirements on the re-tendering of this contract.

The prices were too high, and with the processing system inside the department, the contract was cancelled by the headquarters.

Mr. Speaker, the Member’s correct that the decision to cancel the contract was done on the advice of, recommendations and discussions with the regional office.

Mr. Speaker, on the programs we talked about, I would be happy to work with the Member in terms of his issue he’s pressing today for the department and this government. Of course, the department is always looking at ways to improve mobility and reduce the cost of living and have the benefits that go into any communities down the valley here. I’d be happy to sit with the Member, sit with my colleagues here, to see where we could look at requests the Member is asking for from the department, put it in our projects and see where we can move forward with it.

I did receive a letter from the Aklavik...

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for Mackenzie Delta for the question in regard to the Aklavik gravel source.

In 1996 the community of Aklavik applied for funding under DOT’s programs in terms of a local program. They fit the funding of what they wanted, and the department responded in terms of assisting Aklavik through an ATV trail.

Since then, Aklavik has gone through many discussions with the department and has requested that the department, along with the government, look at an all-weather road to the gravel source, as the Member has indicated. They want to see where this fits in terms of the...

Mr. Speaker, the Member brings up a very interesting proposal. With all the infrastructure in the Northwest Territories in terms of the Peel River crossing, the Mackenzie crossing, the Bear crossing, we have some models out there. We have industry wanting to come in.

This department is looking for partnerships in terms of improving our infrastructure down the Mackenzie Valley, the Beaufort, in through the South Slave. We’re looking for partnerships. I’m interested in looking at partnerships. I’m interested in sitting down with the Member for Mackenzie Delta, with cabinet here, and looking at...

Mr. Speaker, the Member for Mackenzie Delta is correct in terms of the needed infrastructure across the Northwest Territories, especially the issue that he’s brought up. In the future I do see bridges across the Mackenzie, across the Liard, across the Peel, across the Great Bear. In terms of these needs, of course, we rely heavily on the federal government.

Mr. Speaker, I’m looking forward to the day when we can announce some of these bridges that are desperately needed to get across the rivers and to deal with climate change and the amount of traffic that’s coming into our communities.