Tom Beaulieu

We have not talked about moving in and starting to go into an area where the federal government is responsible. Currently, the federal government is going through elections. We can raise that with the federal government for them to take responsibility. If this Assembly decides we need to take over Fisheries and Oceans’ responsibilities, then that’s another discussion that would have to be had by all of us and the governments responsible, the federal government. I don’t think that’s a discussion we can have here and make a decision to dredge it once and then the problem is solved. It’s an...

It is a federal responsibility and the Department of Transportation is not in a position to take over areas that are federal responsibility. We can’t just move in and start to fund areas that are a federal responsibility.

Right now we go through a process. When a department from the federal government is devolved to the Government of the Northwest Territories, or any government for that matter, there is a process. If that responsibility devolves from the GNWT, then it would become a GNWT responsibility and it would come with money and personnel. Just to go in and take over federal...

We’ve had a transfer from the federal government. The federal government devolved the Department of Transportation to the GNWT. If we put in a part of the Building Canada Plan and put something in there that was actually federal responsibility, the federal government would remove it. So it would be foolish to go through that process of adding in a project that is clearly federal responsibility just to have the government remove it and we would have to plan on replacing that with something else. Thank you.

I have not had a conversation with the federal government, the departments responsible for dredging the Hay River. Thank you.

Of course, we wish to evaluate the validity of the claim prior to dissolution of this Assembly; however, if that was to not happen, we’d have to follow the contract to see what provisions are in the contract right now and how much latitude we would have to be able to move forward with a claim and make sure that the work on the Inuvik-Tuk Highway would continue. Thank you.

We are working with the contractor right now and we’ve hired consultants to look at the contract, look at the claim, look at all of the cash flow, and it’s going to take at least a couple more weeks from this point before we have all the information, all the facts in order for us to make a decision. I would say it’s at least two weeks before we gather the data. How long we take to evaluate that depends on how much data we gather. Thank you.

We can talk to the ferry operator. The ferry operator and the department do discuss how the ferry should be running back and forth on a regular basis if it’s deemed that the best way to continue to move back and forth was just based on demand by viewing the vehicles across or viewing vehicles at Tsiigehtchic, and that’s the way the ferry is going to operate and that’s something that we can discuss with the captain. So, with that, even when they do come across and they see that there are vehicles there, they still would be beneficial, and it’s not, say, few, but beneficial to the travelling...

The hours of operation are something that we’ve worked with and we’ve heard from the community of Tsiigehtchic that they wanted the hours of operation moved to certain hours. We would work with the community. If the community recommended hours that everybody supports in the community that are affected, we would have no issue moving the hours around, as long as we’re not adding hours outside of what we’re allowed to do within the standards that we follow and the guidelines that we follow to operate the ferry.

At this time we’re operating within the hours that we think the communities want. If...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents, entitled “Follow-up Letter for OQ 839-17(5): Innovative GNWT Recruitment Process;” and “Follow-up Letter for OQ 848-17(5): Human Resources Open Houses.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to pay tribute to the late J.B. Rabesca. He was known as Tsena. He was an orphan of Lutselk’e.

Mr. Rabesca was born on June 1, 1922, and passed away June 3, 2015. He was 93 years old. The elder J.B. was born in Otto Portage, married to Mary-Louise in 1950 in Fort Resolution and later settled in Lutselk’e together to raise their nine children. He was a humble man who lived a traditional lifestyle. He loved to hunt and trap, passed down his teachings to his children and grandchildren and countless community members near and far.

J.B. is survived by his...