Statements in Debates
Obviously, we wouldn’t be representing all of our fellow Members here if we didn’t mention Highway No. 7 during highway discussions. Mr. Menicoche is travelling this week. My question for Highway No. 7, obviously Hay River being part of the Deh Cho loop and promoting that, I’m just wondering if the department is expecting to continue their upgrade and early maintenance of Highway No. 7 so we have a fabulous year like we did last year. Does the department have any additional funds expected to be worked on Highway No. 7 and will they continue to make sure this maintenance happens earlier in the...
I just want to go back to the bridge topic. I missed one of my notes here. I’m just wondering about the corporation, the corporate companies and registration of the tolls. Have we registered most of the northern companies as far as for the toll system? Are we still in the middle of that system? How much flack are we talking with the tolls of collecting and getting operators up to speed on the registration of the tolls?
Thank you. I’m just wondering also along those lines of any kind of other business case that we’ve looked into the government of the benefits of the Tuk-Inuvik highway. Is there an operational cost that the department has been working with, maybe, the Department of Health or Department of Justice for transportation costs that we would be saving in the creation or the building of this road? Has a business case been completed for this?
My next question on the bridge is we have agreements in place with the utility, I know there are a couple of utility companies, the telephones and maybe potentially the power company that are looking to use the bridge. Is there typically a chargeback to that or is it something we provide for those utility companies?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I’ll start my questions with the Deh Cho Bridge and the process of operation there. I’m just wondering how the department is handling the maintenance of the Deh Cho Bridge this winter and has that cost been exactly what we expected. I’ve heard that we have staff on 24-hour call to salt and gravel the bridge. Have there been any additional costs than what we expected on the Deh Cho Bridge?
That’s all. Thank you very much.
My other question is about the Merv Hardie. I’ve heard that they need to potentially do an upgrade to the engines and stuff like that. Would that be an operating cost or would we be capitalizing any kind of major engine repairs to that ship? Obviously, we’d do that before we would send it up to Tsiigehtchic, I would assume.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just had one more follow-up question. My question was about Highway No. 7. Again, Mr. Menicoche is probably happy I’m asking this question. About the maintenance – and we talked about spring maintenance and getting maintenance done early – I know that was a large issue and I think that was probably one of the successes of last year’s roadway, was to get the maintenance done earlier. I’m just wondering if the department has the same commitment to get that maintenance on Highway No. 7 done early in the springtime.
My next line of questioning would be toward the Sahtu winter road. Obviously, some of the other Members had talked about the closures and some of the difficulties there. I’m just wondering what kind of feedback the department has gotten with some of the corporate companies. I know some of the corporations have provided us money for the winter road to get that up and operational as soon as possible. Have we seen much flack from that when the closure was going on, and do we expect that corporate sponsorship to continue?
Thank you. Yes, I’m just looking for a little more detail on that business case. I’m wondering if the department would be… Obviously this is a capital project, I understand, but I’m just wondering if the department would be investigating some of the additional business case savings that the territorial government would have. Obviously, it’s easier if we’re saving similar to the toll system, it would be an easier case if we could say that we were saving $2 million a year in transportation costs because we don’t have to fly in and out of the community, items like that. Is the department looking...