Wally Schumann

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As part of our bridge monitoring inspection regime, we've been closely monitoring the side slopes on the approaches and the embankment movements of the Deh Cho Bridge. Some longitudinal cracks have appeared and we've been observing them on the bridge approaches, and as a proactive and preventive measure of our ongoing part of our maintenance program, we're working to stabilize these approaches and embankments to stop future cracking of the longitudinal cracks that are appearing.

As to the contractor that's on-site, they are called GeoStabilization International. This was...

Mr. Speaker, our government has committed in its mandate to supporting exploration and the mining sector. It is the lifeblood of our economy. Our people and businesses are innovative, self-sufficient, and resilient, and want to do their part to contribute to a strong Northwest Territories. We need the kind of well-paying, long-term jobs that come with sustainable economic development, and our government is working towards economic self-determination for all NWT residents.

Our strategic approach to unlocking the potential of responsible mining and exploration in the NWT is defined in our Mineral...

Highway patrol meets and regularly trains with other enforcement agencies. The department participated in a blitz together on a regular basis with these other agencies. In particular, recently we just did a bison awareness check stop both with ENR and the RCMP to check both commercial and public traffic on the highway, and we will continue to look at opportunities to collaborate with all enforcement agencies in the future.

As I said, we will continue to do our inspections on the winter road this coming season around the heavy truck traffic in particular to make sure people are well aware of the...

Again, we met with the joint venture group and their insurance providers to complete a discussion around the incidents that happened last year. There were a couple of trucks that went off the road. There were a number of fires that took place. The department does not have an accident investigator, as many of us know in this House, but we do have our guys that go out there and do the dangerous goods checks, secure of cargo on the loads, check the log books, those sorts of things.

I can update the House that we followed up with the joint venture operators who investigated the accidents last...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are constantly re-evaluating the use of all our parks within the Northwest Territories and we will continue to do so, so the short answer to her question is we are continually evaluating them and looking at how we are going to expand the use of the areas that are maximized. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for bringing that to my attention. We will have the department have a look at this thing and make sure it is meeting the Transportation Association of Canada signage standards, because there is a set of standards that are laid out there for placement of signs, and we will make sure that this is reflected on where they are posted on the highway.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we do our 20-year analysis on what we need going forward, we usually over-prioritize. When it comes to allocation of money, we have to prioritize what we are doing. That is what has happened on an annual basis. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With the rise in numbers that is occurring right now, the Member is accurate. A number of these people are flying in here, but the rubber traffic is also increasing, not just locally, which is a large uptick on it, but we are looking at additional loops possibly in the North Slave. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, infrastructure investments help connect residents to essential services, lower the cost of living, increase our resiliency to the impacts of climate change, and support economic development. Today, I want to provide Members an update on priority infrastructure projects being pursued by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, in 2017 the Government of Canada announced its Investing in Canada Plan, which includes over $180 billion in infrastructure investments over 12 years. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to work with our federal counterparts...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will have to get back to the department and get that information for the Member. Thank you, Mr. Chair.