Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly, once we have arranged our discussions and some final discussions with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, our staff, this government on this side here, then we would produce the concession agreement for the Members here. I cannot say right now as to when those timelines would be stated as we still need to meet with the bridge corporation and work on some of those issues that would see a conclusion to this concession agreement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning I was notified and am happy to report to the House that I heard from the president of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, Mr. Michael Vandell. We were advised the last couple of hours by Transport Canada that their navigable waters to construct the Deh Cho Bridge across the Mackenzie River was approved by the navigable waters protection office of Transport Canada. This is good news for the Northwest Territories. Now the corporation can close the financial arrangements under the public/private partnership and make preparations to begin construction...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll certainly check my records with the department in terms of what type of decisions were made on this issue here, and certainly look within this government here to see if there’s any plans to move the position back into Fort Simpson. As the Member is well aware, there are other regions also that are looking at present areas in terms of where other regions are making positions and that affects other regions without any type of regional presence by our department.

I’ll certainly get the information for the Member, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll certainly again ask the Member from Twin Lakes that I certainly want to work on this issue. It’s an important issue, I know, for the people in the Mackenzie Delta. It’s something that I’ll bring up with the department in terms of a list of priorities of our infrastructure needs and across the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize one of our fine staff members from the Department of Transportation, Mr. Harris Beaulieu.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my discussions with the department, I’ve been told that this machine was used at the Mackenzie crossing, in terms of experimental project, and that it was used only the one time. However, if he needs the specific dates and times, I certainly will go into sending that over to the Member for him for his review.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll have to work closely with the Member from Nunakput in terms of the types of cheques that he’s referring to and requires other Ministers to be involved or requires the federal government departments to be involved in this issue here. So I would ask if the Member could be more specific in terms of what type of cheques so that I could have some direction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, even though we did haul the machine to the area the Member is referring to, it is going to sit there. It is not in the budget. It has been reduced in terms of our transportation. We are looking at ways we could bring the machine in and possibly use it in the future. However, again, we are going through the process of planning priorities. We will see if this is something that is really needed. I will continue working with the Members in terms of making this machine available to the people of the Delta area.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie ice bridge crossing machinery I think the Member is referring to is right now at what I have been told is the location that the department feels is the only location that it can be stored at. I did check into it and asked about other areas that it can be stored in. It is not being used right now. That is where it can be stored in terms of safety and security reasons.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue has come up in my discussions with the Member from Nunakput. Certainly, our department is making arrangements to see how best we can serve the community of Paulatuk in terms of this specific issue on the issuing of driver’s licences.