Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to taking a drive with me to the community during the summer months to see the highway first hand, Highway No. 6? Hopefully it will be raining then. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need to do something to that highway before it disappears into the muskeg or, worse, before a bad accident occurs on that highway. Can the Minister commit to having his officials look at the situation taking into account the potential impact of the Tamerlane project that is being considered right now on the other side of the area of the highway from Fort Resolution due to the potential for high volume traffic for employees at Tamerlane? Can the Minister advise if there will be anything moved up in the capital plan to cover the 56 miles of gravel highway leading...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will be speaking about the deplorable condition of Highway No. 6 and the serious safety issues affecting the residents of Fort Resolution.

Mr. Speaker, the road is very soft in some spots and which, as you know, may cause rollovers. The roadbed is below grade in many sections, which means the road does not drain freely and gets very slippery with a little bit of rain and a little bit of snow.

I want to make it clear that I know the highway workers do their best to keep the road in a passable...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the Premier for his sessional statement, as well. In my own priorities for what I thought that the government should be doing during the upcoming strategic planning process, I would like the government to look at targeting various areas across the Territories. Some of the main areas that I would like to see targeted, for example, in our goal of having healthy and educated people across the territory, I have always felt that it would be a task that would be difficult to achieve, that we are trying to target everybody across the Territories from the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently there is $34 million in the capital plan for chipseal and pavement overlay. Can the Minister tell me how much of the $34 million has been earmarked for Highway No. 6, if any?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to providing all of the options, examination of those options on this issue, to the Legislative Assembly for the February session?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today, I spoke of the need to reprofile the senior citizens’ facility in Fort Resolution to handle extended care. I can tell you that a facility lends itself to doing this. So there is only a minimum capital cost involved, but there would also be a requirement for some dedicated nursing staff. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services inform the Assembly whether the department has considered expanding the level of services available through the Fort Resolution seniors’ facility to handle extended care patients?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(English not provided).

In my Member’s statement today, I want to speak about the need to reprofile the seniors’ facility in Fort Resolution to meet long-term care needs of our elders. As it stands now, Mr. Speaker, as soon as an elder gets too sick or infirm to stay in Fort Resolution, they are sent to extended care in Yellowknife, Fort Smith or Hay River. This is far away from their home, their family and community, as well as the traditional foods they need for their diet. In short, Mr. Speaker, we are penalizing elders who live in small communities who do...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer. I know that many elders from Fort Resolution have lived in, and are living in, extended care situations in Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Smith. Can the Minister tell me whether the department has done any cost-benefit analysis and the feasibility of repatriating these elders to Fort Resolution and caring for them in their own home community in the seniors’ facility in Fort Resolution? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of constituents of mine in the gallery, Kara King and Arthur Beck.

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