Wally Schumann

After session, I am actually going up to Inuvik, here, right away, for the Arctic Energy Conference, which is in its second inaugural year, which we will participate in. If he wants to have a discussion with the Member as a sidebar of what kind of opportunities we can have around having a conference in Norman Wells, I would gladly sit down and have those discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I said in my Minister's statement today updating on all the corridors, the Mackenzie Valley Highway application is in the National Trade Corridors Fund application. We have not heard anything on that submission, but we expect something in the coming weeks on that. Hopefully, we will be able to secure funding on some portions of that highway, and we will be able to move on to the next planning stages of that and the environmental studies for the project as we prepare for whatever key phases are approved through that funding process, be it the Bear River bridge or sections of the highway.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Northwest Territories Manufacturing Strategy: What We Heard, January 2018." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Looking back in my notes, we have done a significant amount of brushing over the last few years through the Building Canada Innovation Program money, through the provincial-territorial infrastructure component of our allocation. We are continuing to forecast brushing for this fiscal year of kilometres 161 to 168, and in the future 2020, we are looking at 168 to 175. What I can also say on that is, we also have the new bundle three approved for the new Building Canada plan, and we are looking at spending another $22.5 million on the Dempster. I suspect, going through our...

One other thing I want to clarify around this letter is that it is posted on the web site. It is a clear, open document. It is available for everybody to read. As far as the Project Assessment Policy goes, that is the Department of Lands' responsibility. It is not my responsibility, and I am not aware of any criticism around the environmental assessment towards our department. I can look into that, but I am not aware of any criticism towards us, and I am going to remind all Members that Lands is the lead on the policy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to clarify something. I think the Member said that I sent the letter. I didn't send the letter; the regional superintendent sent the letter on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure. This was done as a formal correspondence on this file. It was a required course of business through the environmental process, and the letter was sent respecting the firewall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, May 31, 2018, I will move that Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development Investment Corporation Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have stated, I know the two sections going forward between now and 2020, with Bundle 3 approved now, we will have to have a look at, as I say, conducting the surveys with our crews going forward, and I suspect, I've been up there. I've lived in that region. I know what the willows are like on the side of the highway, and I'm almost certain that brush cutting is going to be part of our reconstruction going forward until the end of 2024 until our fiscal funding runs out with the federal government.

I want to comment that I know what is going on with this file. We know what is going on. I am staying away from the firewall side of things. I don't need to be involved in that. That is Lands' role. We are the proponent. We are proposing the road. We are going through the environmental process. The environmental process allows us, as the proponent, to ask questions, and that is what we are doing. That question has been posted on the web site.

This Cabinet is committed to a fair and open and comprehensive process. We believe that has been followed through the environmental process that is laid...

Let me clarify something here. I said that the letter was sent respecting the firewall, and it was on behalf of the department through our North Slave regional superintendent. We believe all protocols were followed with respect to the environmental assessment. The only thing that I am aware of is that I had a discussion with my deputy about the environmental assessment, about the buffer size. Besides that, I didn't know much more about the environmental assessment process, and the department is handling that with respect to how the process is set up.