Wally Schumann

Highway No. 1 is broken into two sections. The first section is from the Providence Junction at Highway No. 3 to Redknife, which is maintained by the Providence crew. That is managed by the North Slave region. From Redknife to Fort Simpson is the second section of Highway No. 1. That is run and operated through the regional staff in the Fort Simpson office. The maintenance on Highway No. 1 is done in accordance with the NWT Highway Maintenance Manual, which provides guidelines for various summer and winter maintenance. The supervisors in both regions are well-experienced and considerably...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories joined Canada-wide efforts to recycle end-of-life electronics with the launch of the new Electronics Recycling Program on February 1st. Electronics can contain hazardous chemicals and heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, and mercury. These chemicals and metals can make their way into our environment if we do not properly manage the disposal of our old electronics. This new program is integral to leading environmental stewardship in the Northwest Territories, a priority of this Legislative Assembly. Old electronics will be collected at the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Increasing the number of communities connected to the public highway system is a key objective of expanding the transportation system. Transportation of goods and materials by the roads continues to be the most cost-effective way to deliver essential services to the communities. Construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Tlicho all-weather road will add several communities to the highway system and greatly increase the window of access provided by winter roads to many other communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The department has made over 230 commitments during the environmental assessment, and each one has been implemented, monitored, and reported on. Most of the commitments are also being tracked through the regulatory approval, such as land use permits and water licences. These permits and licences come with all typical monitoring and reporting, so there's constant and timely feedback. We track the status of all commitments on a real-time basis, and any issues or potential issues are brought forward to the management group on a timely action.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is a national level strategic project that is much more than a construction of a highway. Both contractors, EGT and Northwind, are gaining experience in major construction project management, logistics management, human resource management, media relations, and financial management. This experience will give them the confidence to take on further challenges that will enable them and the people who work for them to be successful. This capacity building benefit will assist northern companies to become strong and capable, and have the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Beginning in 2014, the federal government launched a review of the Canada Transportation Act. The purpose of this review was to look forward 20 to 30 years to identify priorities and potential actions in transportation that would support Canada's long-term economic well-being, including that of the Northwest Territories, or NWT, and northern Canada. During the review process, many Northerners contributed, including the Department of Transportation who developed a formal submission highlighting the opportunities and challenges of the NWT transportation system, and met...

The department has a number of asks into the Federal Government through the Building Canada Infrastructure Projects. One of them is the P3 Project Plan through the FPT process for the Whati Highway. We have the Mackenzie Valley Highway, which is through the New Building Canada Plan Fund as well, and we also have the bundle three project through the FPT process with the federal government.

Replacing existing winter roads will help us adapt to the pressure of climate change, which is reducing the window of access into more of these remote communities. Our winters are getting shorter and increasingly, warmer weather means that we cannot open up our winter roads as usual, as we've seen this year. This winter, our roads were late in opening resulting in an increased cost to our communities, delays in resupply, and decreased access to both residents and businesses.

The department is working closely with many regulators that have mandates regarding the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, including the Inuvialuit Land Administration and the Inuvialuit Water Board, as well as the departments of Lands and Environment and Natural Resources. Recognizing that the new highway will change access to fantastic nearby fisheries, the department has provided funding and other resources to fishery managers to create a fisheries management plan along the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway corridor. To satisfy wildlife commitments that came from the environmental assessment, DOT is...

Delivering meaningful training opportunities contributes to a sustainable future of northern residents who wish to enter into the construction industry. To date, the contractors' training focuses have been on operating heavy equipment. As I mentioned earlier this week, more than 70 people from the region are now trained as heavy equipment operators, and more than 30 individuals have been trained as Class 1 and Class 3 drivers with air brakes. Another heavy equipment operator training course is going to be available for Beaufort-Delta residents in the 2016 season. Nine seats are available in a...