Wally Schumann

Mr. Speaker, strong economies must encourage economic diversity. While our economy relies on the resource sector as its foundation, our government has committed to fostering an economic environment in which small business can grow and thrive. Today I would like to highlight some of the commitments that have been met by the ongoing work of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Mr. Speaker, we committed to increasing the number of immigrants working in the NWT and to increase investments by immigrants. Together with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, we have done...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Four and a half million dollars from BCP and roughly $3 million from various other programs; like I said, the culvert replacement and the chipseal. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

At all our runways, we already have a number of stockpiles of gravel specific to airport runways, so this is already in place. With an effective maintenance plan in place and a drainage management plan in place, this helps extend the life of all the runways in the Northwest Territories. We also have an EK35 program which we put on all the runways, the gravel ones, in the Northwest Territories to help tighten up and stabilize and bind the gravel that's on the runway and keep the dust down.

To specifically answer the question of what we're doing in Nunakput, in the 2018-2019 capital plan we have...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To give you a high level on it, there is $67 million allocated for this road this year. We are still going through the environmental assessment process. We have to get the permits in place once that is done. Most of the cost is going to be around engineering and construction of this in the first year, depending on who is selected as the proponent to build this section of highway. Some people might escalate the speed of construction of road versus the others, and there are also some soft costs internally tied to it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We can certainly share the resurfacing, distress repairs, and the drainage improvements with the Member for sure, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to update the Member, because I know this Oscar Creek bridge has come up a couple of times. In 2017-2018 we're going to do pre-engineered design for a new foundation and access, and tender and award that. Then in 2018-2019 we are going to construct and move the existing bridge to the Mackenzie Valley highway alignment and proceed with that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll have to take that under advisement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We cannot release those names publicly until after the first meeting, but we can let committee know the names of those people. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This stuff was put together internally, and we will get those figures together and present them to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, on the crosswalk right outside here by the Assembly, by the Nova Hotel, that should all be installed by November 1st. The crosswalk should be put into place. We're in ongoing discussions with the City of Yellowknife on them taking over this section of highway, but we are also trying with the City of Yellowknife to figure out a sidewalk along this section of highway, and those discussions are ongoing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.