Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are maintaining Highway No. 7. We’re hoping that all of the areas that were identified as very bad spots are going to be attended to sooner rather than later, although our concentration is going to be in around fixing that highway and finishing the chipseal to Liard from BC, from Liard over to Nahanni, and there will be lots of BCP money going in there.

Other areas where there are soft spots – and it was a major concern when we were in Fort Liard, where it’s very bad and we’re aware of it – the guys and the department from Simpson seem very aware of it so we will be...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I do.

Of course, we’re continuing the maintenance work on the highway and making Highway No. 7 as passable as possible. We’re always striving to improve that road. So, with this money we’re also going to improve any areas where there have been problems. The people know exactly which areas are problems, and for the first package of work that we intend to do we intend to spend an additional $12 million over the next four years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has quietly spent $12 million on Highway No. 7 to date.

---Laughter

For this coming year, we have $3 million in the capital plan and we’re going to concentrate on that serious area that the Member referred to, kilometres 169 to 170. We’re fixing that area. A lot of that money is going to go to strengthening the road from Liard to approximately where the Nahanni Butte turnoff is, and also there’s some finishing work still to be completed between Liard and the BC border. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will look at that solution. We will have our engineers… I suppose it will have to do with the city, also. The engineers and the city will take a look at that, the flashing light.

Yes, we do.

Again, I can reiterate the fact that we will continue to work with MACA and HSS to develop some sort of emergency highway coverage. We’re working with the highway emergency and learning protocol, like I’ve indicated previously. We think it’s needed. It’s a matter of figuring out the logistics of how, how to do it. So, I mean, once the three departments are able to determine whose responsibility this would lie under. Right now it’s shared. The responsibility appears to be shared. We’re responsible for the highway, MACA is responsible for the municipal service that has the emergency vehicle, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We determine price by the actual price of the products and the transportation of those products and, of course, the distribution once they are in the community. We look at those and, recognizing that the fuel was not actually in the community yet, we are looking at the rack price of fuel down south and when we are going to buy, anticipating the transportation costs in there, and we were very comfortable with the reduction. We could anticipate more reductions, as well, later on in this winter road season. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Recently, the Member and I spoke to the mayor of Aklavik on the Willow River Bridge. Three-quarters of the bridge is in Inuvik and a quarter of that bridge is still sitting in Fort St. John. The plan is, of course, to bring that bridge and place it over the river, bridge the river with it. That’s what we’re hoping to do and that’s what the community wants to do to have that access road to the gravel source.

Right now, since we’ve had the discussion, our people in the Beaufort-Delta, DOT people have been talking to the community and we’re finding we’re getting more...

Mr. Speaker, in support of our Government’s NWT Biomass Energy and Greenhouse Gas Strategies, the promotion and use of biomass technologies remains a priority for this government in its efforts to reduce energy costs and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

With the ability to reduce the fossil fuel usage of a building by 80 to 90 percent, the Department of Public Works and Services’ early adoption of, and continued use of, renewable biomass energy technology is something I wish to highlight today.

By March 31st of this year, the Department will have installed 22 biomass systems in seven...