Wally Schumann

As I said, the community is responsible for the construction of the ice crossing through a service contract that they have with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Once an ice crossing is constructed and ice thickness can handle heavy equipment, specialized ice road construction equipment, such as the Sno-Cats and plow trucks, are brought in either from Fort Simpson or Fort Liard. The reason we do this is because the Nahanni Butte Dene band doesn't have this equipment in place. We're there to help them if they were to go out and purchase this type of equipment, that we would certainly...

At the beginning of every winter road, we take safety as the number one priority, and the Member's point is well-noted. One of the things that I have asked the department already to do is look at engineered solutions, particularly around the Deh Cho Bridge, as safety is a priority, and we want to protect this asset, as well as the residents of the Northwest Territories travelling in the public.

I have asked the department to look at what it would take to install one of the posted speed limit signs that is permanently mounted there, with the radar one that tells you your speed when you are...

This question has been raised in the House a number of times, especially around the Ingraham Trail. As we have stated in this House, I have said that we worked with all people. Let's use the Ingraham Trail for an example. We work with the City of Yellowknife, the RCMP, and the highway patrol, and the residents on the Ingraham Trail. In this situation that the Member is talking about here today around the Deh Cho Bridge, we would be working and coordinating particularly with the RCMP on what they can do to help increase patrols around the Deh Cho Bridge and what additional resources they can do...

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is following through on its mandate commitment to strengthen connections with public and private sector partners in transportation infrastructure. As the primary aviation hub of the Northwest Territories, the Yellowknife Airport hosts a number of businesses and industries that employ Northerners and contribute to economic growth, provide services that support our growing tourism sector, and provide essential services to our communities and residents.

Maintaining our relationship with partners at Yellowknife Airport is vital to its growth...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 34, Mineral Resources Act, be read for the second time. This bill sets out a framework for mineral prospecting, exploration, development, and production in the Northwest Territories. It governs the issuance of interests in minerals and related instruments. Also, it ensures the collection of geoscience information and provides tools for facilitating the progress of exploration and mining.

This bill requires engagement with Indigenous governments and organizations as part of certain processes, including in establishing...

There are a couple of things that I can answer. I will answer them all. The Ingraham Trail, we had our recent meetings and followed up with the City of Yellowknife and the RCMP and the highways divisions. Around the Deh Cho Bridge, the Member has sent me an email on this particular issue. I have already reached out to the RCMP's traffic divisions to see if they can provide additional resources to this. I have also asked the department, ourselves. We have directed the highway patrol to provide a presence of enforcement in this area as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The division that looks after the highways, and highway patrol in particular, has a couple of roles that they follow. One of them is to follow the weight restrictions of the highway and particularly around the heavy truck traffic and how that has to be patrolled and followed by the heavy truck traffic in the Northwest Territories. They also do patrols out on the highway systems in the Northwest Territories. They have authority to stop heavy truck traffic, but they do not have the authority to stop civilian traffic for speeding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to get back to the Member on what exact piece of equipment, why we brought it in, and why we brought it there. I do know that we have a labour and equipment contract, an as-and-when one with Tsiigehtchic with Arctic Red River Development Corporation. I can look into that matter, what specific piece of equipment the Member is talking about.

I think that might be a little premature, about doing a SEA. These guys haven't even put a drill in the ground yet, but they are very bullish, as I said, on their project. The department has demonstrated time and time again that we want to focus on getting benefits to residents in the Northwest Territories, to the people working, to small businesses, and getting all benefits we can out of resources from these types of projects. We will be following these guys closely.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am well aware of the Astro gold project in the Sahtu. They have been doing some work out there. They actually accessed our geodatabase that we have housed in the Northwest Territories geoscience department. In discussions with them, when I was talking to them at roundup, this actually came from a presentation when the Premier and I were at PDAC, and the department laid out a water-till sample that they did in the Sahtu region, and that is where these guys got some actual information to start having a look at that district. Evrim also used our Mining Incentive...