Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. I mean, I appreciate the department is looking at that. If it is minor, that would be great. If it is major, I know that there are certain sections that the department is working on, and I have to give credit to both sides, the Providence side and the Simpson side, for the work they are doing on it. I have given the Minister a hard time about the potholes, so I appreciate the work they are doing on that.

When we talked about Highway No. 1 reconstruction, does the department have a plan that shows which section the work is going to be done on, and is it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the Minister of Education did a Minister's statement on the response to Aurora College foundational review, and in there she talked about that the associate deputy minister will guide the college in the formation into a polytechnic. Among the first steps will be including an overall vision for post-secondary education in the North. Can the Minister please advise: is this the direction of the department and Cabinet as we move forward, that this associate deputy minister will be the one coming up with the vision? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the department for making this change. You know, if the engines are going to be quieter, that means the hearing of the staff is going to be not impacted as much. If we are saving 20 percent, I think that's a great, you know, fuel. That's a great start to looking to maybe extending the hours of the ferry operation later on, but I won't be asking that question here today. I thank the Minister and the department for all the work they are doing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd just like to clarify a couple of things, and then I'll have some other questions. When the Minister talked about the highway culverts, bridges, and chip seal overlay and he talked about Trout Lake River and Jean Marie River bridges, is that supposed to happen this fiscal year, or is it the year after? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate the response from the Premier. Mr. Speaker, how, if at all, has the approach for identifying and registering rights-based cabins differ in regions with settled claims and unsettled claims?

Thank you. I greatly appreciate that. I guess the question is: when are we going to start looking at doing the changeover? I believe tomorrow our season is done. I think that is the last email I got, and I thank the department for keeping it open for such a long time with the challenges that we are facing. When is the ferry engine going to start to be replaced? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we talk about levelling the camp, the sites, and that, and the roads and widening them, we are talking about gravel. Correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week you heard me ask about rights-based cabins to the Minister of Lands. I am going to actually move my questioning to the Premier. Can the Premier advise what consultation has been done by the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs with Indigenous governments about the process of determining what cabins in their area are rights-based cabins? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is great to hear. I greatly appreciate the department following up on their commitment to the community, and I am looking forward to working with the Minister and the community on this project.

In regard to the bulldozer going into Fort Simpson, is there a reason for us buying a D6 dozer and not utilizing local contractors? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister just clarify? In the book, it said "estimated completion." I am assuming this is going to be work done during the summertime. Is this when the work is going to be done, or as we are moving forward on the process? Like, I understand that you are consulting with them, designs are going to be happening, but April 1st, is that going to be the next part of the project? Thank you, Mr. Chair.