Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I talked about housing for Hay River, and I've got questions for the Premier. I'm going to be a realist here because I am not holding my breath on the Housing Corporation coming up with any solutions for the community. We have a solution in front of us. We've got 50, 60, 70 apartments and up to 122, and for some reason, this government just does not see it. I don't want to hear that anybody has died in Hay River because of exposure or freezing to death, as well, so that's why I keep after this subject. I would like to ask the Premier to confirm: what departments are...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to talk about Highway No. 3 from kilometre 4 to probably before the bridge. It's a washboard there, and whenever I drive it there, you've got to slow down. I am just wondering if the Minister can tell me what plans there are to work on that road, to ensure that we get that washboard out of there and try to make it so traffic can actually go the speed limit on it. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just looking at the highway reconstruction here, I see we have Highway No. 1. Can the Minister tell me if there is any work slated for between kilometres 0 and 82? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I was hoping to get up a little earlier because the Minister was saying "yes" there quite a few times. It might be a little late, now. Anyway, I'd just like to talk a bit about the bridges that are kind of set to go here. In the North here, we always talk about resource development, and one of the things when we talk about resource development is that we have to think about the roads. We have to think about what weights those roads can take. We have to think about the bridges themselves, whether we have a high-load corridor here. In some areas, we don't have that. I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to move on to Highway No. 7. We talk about tourism, and I think that Highway No. 7 is -- I have not driven it for a while, but I do talk to people who are on it. Sometimes, it's not too bad, and other times, she is pretty rough. I am just wondering what is the long-term plan to get that road up to a certain type of facility that can take the bigger trucks and not be beaten up like it has been? I know that there are some pretty bad washboards. There has been some. When you are driving along there, you are doing 80 kilometres an hour, and all of a sudden, you have...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to hear that because, from zero to Enterprise, the road is narrow, once you get past Enterprise, there are shoulders there all the way into Yellowknife. I think it's important. It is a main highway coming into the territories, and I think it's important that we do widen that road and possibly even straighten it at certain points. The next, the one highway I see here missing is Highway No. 2, which is from Enterprise to Hay River, and that highway gets a lot of use with large transport vehicles during the winter, due to fuel haul. That road is windy. Has...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know the Hay River Bridge is open-span, but the Buffalo River Bridge does have a canopy over it, and the government did put money into it a few years ago. Can you tell me if there is any indication that that bridge will be looked at in the near future to ensure that it becomes open-span, as well? Because we do have development in the Pine Point area, and I think that it would be prudent to have an open-span system there and going in toward Fort Smith, as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.

No further questions. Tshank you.

We are dealing with electrical, fuel, and propane equipment. Some of these components require tradespeople when things go sideways. Are those persons, whether it be staff or contractors, qualified to provide the camp maintenance service if there are even camp maintenance services available? My understanding is that we are expecting those monitoring the border to provide some or all of those functions. This just does not make sense to me, so I am just asking the Premier what the department is doing to ensure that those services are provided in a safe manner and that we have got qualified people...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Premier and I differ on types of camps that should be at the border. She comes from a mining background, and I'm from the other side of the tracks, which is oil and gas. We are used to something fairly comfortable.

I've been getting complaints and concerns about the accommodation at the border, and partly because it is a tent-type facility similar to a weather haven facility. I understand the camp will be there for the rest of the winter. Just to alleviate some of the concerns by the people that are staying there because they're talking about possibly...