Wally Schumann

To date, we have approximately removed 500 tonnes, so that is a significant amount. We are looking at possibly committing an additional 500 tonnes, but to date, out of that 500 tonnes is included 10 barges and one tug so far.

As the Member clearly laid out a scenario that could possibly work, it is something very similar to the Whati road, where we did a joint proposal or joint exploratory work with the Tlicho government on the road to Whati. That ended up resulting in a road that is going to get built here in the next couple of years. If that is something that the YK Denes communities and Lutselk'e want to consider, I would strongly suggest that they request a meeting, and we can sit down and have those discussions, how we can figure out if there is an opportunity there that we can maybe work into our strategy...

I meet with industry stakeholders all the time, and I am sure everyone that I even met at roundup would love to have a road to their project. The reality on the ground is this government has a mandate commitment, as I have said in my previous statement, and we will continue to focus on those. If Avalon would like to pursue a road, I am sure that they would like to have a conversation with myself and Indigenous governments that would be affected in that region, and I could sit down and have a conversation with them, but where that project would go from there would be dependent on a number of...

I could certainly have that discussion with the department. We don't know exactly what they're going to do yet. We know the opportunity they are looking at is a mini micro mine, very, very small-scale, but we can certainly have those discussions and see what the opportunities are for generating some type of resource revenues out of the mini mine that they are proposing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think, depending on where they are in their cycle, if they are very close to starting up, our analysis unit does some forecasting for royalty revenue for the following year's budget.

Marine Transportation Services is proceeding with the scrap metal cleanup through a cost avoidance plan, and to date we have had proceeds from that sale of $600,000.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the deckhand for asking the question. To address the concerns of both hazardous materials as well as a review of the highest and best use of assets, including decommissioning barges, tugs, and other equipment the Marine Transportation Services identified to clean up scrap metal mostly located in Hay River at this point. That work has already commenced. There was an RFP out in July, and it started in late 2018, and we suspect that that will be completed by the fall of 2019.

Yes. As I have said, I would be willing to have a discussion with any mining proponent in the Northwest Territories that is looking to do investments in the NWT. What we can clearly do is have an open dialogue, conversation, about what they are thinking. If they are proposing a road in that region, we can clearly lay out what would need to take place to do that. I am not saying that this government or that future governments would support building a road strictly to one mine. That is not what I am saying. I am just saying we are open to having a conversation with them and clearly lay out a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have spoken in this House many times, the lack of infrastructure is holding back some of the economic opportunities for the Northwest Territories. This particular road that the Member is talking about is an interesting concept, but this government has identified three strategic corridors in our mandate, and that's what we continue to keep our priorities on.

I would have to check into that, but my suspicion, talking to Mr. Bubar and his new partner, is Avalon would still be the lead on this project through engagement and the permitting process and the work that would have to be completed, and I would suspect that their new concept of a new mini, micro-mine concept, that they will have to engage our Indigenous partners and have discussions with them, as well, and update them.