Wally Schumann

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there has been construction completed recently just outside the Legislative Assembly and the department has worked with the City of Yellowknife on this project as well as the developer of Nova, and an unofficial group of representatives of the Niven Lake Community, Ecology North, and a former MLA. They've all agreed that we need to provide an active transportation corridor from the Niven Lake area and access the downtown area. The city continues to hold the leading role in developing this overall city wide footprint on this issue, and we will continue to meet with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my previous life I was actually a member of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, so I do know a little bit about them. In the early days of being the Minister of ITI I have not been contacted by them and I have not been aware of the score card as of recently, but I'd be willing to sit down and have a conversation with the federation at any time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As this is early days in my portfolio, I will be reviewing all available capital that's available to all people of the Northwest Territories, and I'm sure, if there's a need to either lower it or raise it, I will make sure I inform this House.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following eight documents entitled "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 109-18(2): Highway No. 1 Maintenance," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 131-18(2): Building Canada Plan Bundle No. 2," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 132-18(2): Hours of Operations for Fort Simpson Ferry Service," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 244-18(2): Information on the Fort Simpson Ferry Service," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 269-18(2): Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 292-18(2): Highway No. 7 Resurfacing Contract," "Follow-up...

To address the bridge cost to start with, that would be a significant cost; I couldn't tell the Member exactly what that would be. We would have to take on a planning study and look into what the infrastructure would cost for that, and even if we did do that, that would be a significant amount of money as we know what the previous bridges in the Northwest Territories have cost. We'd have to go back to Infrastructure Canada to assist with that, and under the fiscal pressures that this government is seeing it's probably something that would have to be rolled out in a 20-year study of our needs...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The one thing I can convey to the Member is that even though we are looking at doing this as a budget reduction for the next fiscal year, this year coming up that we will continue to have the winter ferry operation for this fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has been looking at this very operation as a possible budget reduction, just because of the significant cost of it, and part of this conversation has been talking LNG and propane suppliers and the grocery suppliers of the Beaufort Delta region. From the conversations taking place at present, there is a significant chance that the closure of this ferry would not interrupt the services of either the LNG or propane delivery or the food delivery to the Beaufort Delta region. The department has had a number of conversations with these people, and we continue...

What I can do is I will commit to the Member that I can pull together that information on how we came up to that number and supply that to the Member.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to capture opportunities for investment in transportation infrastructure by working to secure funding to advance the Tlicho allseason road. Mr. Speaker, according to the Tlicho chief, Alfonz Nitsiza of Whati, the project will provide culture strength to the Tlicho people aside from economic benefits. This project is not only a source of future prosperity but is also a source of pride for the region. The road has been discussed by the Tlicho government as far back as 1980s, and their support is evident...

As I said, we have a committee that will be reviewing the process and see if it’s working effectively to keep electronics out of our dumps in the Northwest Territories. Upon that review, we can have those discussions and if the Member would like, he can have input probably in that discussion as well with the committee.