Wally Schumann

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Transportation is reviewing the recent proposal from the hamlet of Aklavik, which was done up by some consultants for them, to finish up the bridge span on Willow River to access the granular the Member is talking about. The department is anticipating a large number of applicants for this small amount of money that we have. We anticipate it exceeding by $500,000 again probably this year. We are reviewing the community of Aklavik’s proposal, and we will be getting back to the Member as soon as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The department and the federal government are partners, and we are certainly open to receiving any ideas and encouraging all Canadians to help in order to celebrate this historic event. We look forward to any ideas of how we want to do this grand opening.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have stated last week in the House on my update, the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway construction project remains on schedule within the approved budget of $299 million. The project has employed over 500 people at the peak of this winter’s construction season. Approximately 74 per cent of the workforce came from the Beaufort Delta region. As the winter construction season has come to a close, the company will be preparing to move on with next season’s surfacing of the top layer of gravel on the highway and finishing off the remaining three-and-a-half kilometres of...

I will commit to the Member that I will go back to the department and get that exact information for him, who the northern local contact is, contractors that will be assisting on this contract. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I probably have to confirm to see if that’s public knowledge if I can mention that in the House today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we have GST and they have GST and PST, and probably some other taxes that’s relevant to all contractors bidding on work probably in British Columbia. As far as contractors coming north and us, we all have the same contracts stuff we have to abide by. We’ve got to have workers’ compensation, you’ve got to have your permits in place, and pay GST and the payroll tax and all those number of things. There should be no impediment, any difference back and forth.

The reason that I made that decision is based on a negotiated contract policy, and there’s things in there that I base my decision on and that’s what I did.

Like I said, we will review it and get back to the Member as quickly as we can. The other thing is the Member has already invited me to tour his region. I look forward to going out to site and having a look at this road and Willow River and everything else this entails.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have said to the Member and to the House, we will be reviewing it and getting back to the Member shortly. The scope of this project, though, is well beyond the capacity of the CAP program. This $1-million funding that we have for all the communities in the Northwest Territories is a limited pot of money where a number of communities access for seasonal employment and opportunities for their communities. The Hamlet of Aklavik has asked a significant ask on this program. We will review it and get back to him as soon as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The department anticipates the road will lead to opportunities in the Beaufort Delta, including lowering the cost of living to the community of Tuktoyaktuk, lead to more affordable housing, and promote economic development and tourism in the region.