Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I’ve indicated in this House before, the waterways in Hay River are very important. It’s important to keep the waterways in Hay River open to industry, to commercial fishing, to the community flood safety.

My questions today will be for the Minister of Transportation. What has the Department of Transportation done over the last year to do any kind of dredging program in the Hay River area?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use my Member’s statement today to thank the Minister of ITI for coming down to Hay River on Friday and opening up the new federally certified egg grading plant. I’d also like to congratulate John and Janet Penner and Bruce Ramage on their investment in this facility in the egg industry. I’d like to also extend congratulations to the Wallington family for their hard work, and our local operators of the facility: Glen, Mike and Kevin. Thank you very much.

It’s a great news story for a northern business to be able to put northern products on northern tables. It...

Another concern that the trucking industry has indicated to me is the new bridge and the tolls. Has the department begun its discussion with this industry on how the tolls will be assessed and how it will be operated once the bridge is completed and ready to roll?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the biggest or most important industries is the trucking industry in the Northwest Territories, to get those products to people in the Northwest Territories, getting food on their table. I have several questions for the Minister of Transportation.

As I was discussing earlier about innovation, this industry has been innovative and created new tri-drive, triple-axle trucks. They are not currently recognized in the Northwest Territories. Is the Department of Transportation looking to recognize this innovative new part of the trucking industry?

I know the fishers are appreciative of this type of funding. I have a question for the Minister.

I know that the fishers on the Great Slave Lake are busy doing their job of catching fish and don’t have time to look at the innovative ways that maybe are being done on the Great Lakes, being done in other areas, other countries.

What is the department doing to assist this industry in looking at new and innovative ways to put more northern product on northern tables?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated in my Member’s statement, I’m glad to see the egg grading plant facility in Hay River open up on Friday. I have questions for the Minister of ITI concerning what the department is doing to encourage this kind of sustainable developing for putting northern products on northern tables.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the winter season progresses, the trucking industry is trying to get all the product up North here. I’m just wondering if the department has actually set a date on that opening of the Deh Cho Bridge.

That’s good to hear. I have another question for the Minister in the area of these regulations. I’m wondering if, while we’re making these changes to the regulations, we have looked at other jurisdictions, our neighbours to the south and west of us, such as Alberta, BC and Yukon. Are we paralleling our regulations? Currently, I understand there’s a difference in regulations whether we have licence plates on the back or the front. Is the department looking at having a common or similar to the jurisdictions’ regulations to the Northwest Territories, ones that we’re making changes to?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is about the budget to this type of innovation and looking at different… Does the government and ITI have anything in their current budget to look at any of their innovative ways to increase the productivity of the Great Slave Lake for fishing? Thank you.

As the Minister knows well in the House, probably, that I’m strongly concerned about the fishing industry and the lack of the fact that we’re using this great resource we have, especially in the Great Slave Lake where we have a sustainable quota and that we’re not even using a good part of that quota. What is the department doing to help this industry to develop?