Debates of August 16, 2007 (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke on the condition of Highway No. 8, also known as the "Dumpster Highway." I closed my statement by saying we deserve to drive on a nice highway. That was wrong, Mr. Speaker. We deserve a highway that's not dangerous. Some of the most beautiful country in the world you can't really look at it because you don't want to take your eyes off the road, otherwise you'll have a building named after you.

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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transportation has been on that highway. I'd like to know his honest assessment of Highway No. 8. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was very happy to take the opportunity to go to Inuvik and to the northern reaches of our great territory and drive on the infrastructure that we do have over there. My opinion, it would be moot at this point but I can give the Member some facts, and the fact is that we have spent $35 million on the Dempster Highway over the years, and the last two years, Mr. Speaker, we have spent $5 million upgrading that piece of infrastructure and we've been very happy with the contractors that work there and work hard on our highways. We are working towards safe transportation infrastructure and that’s important to our communities and the regions and our people, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you where that $35 million is and the $5 million they spent recently. It’s in the ditch.

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Because they are not getting the work done properly and it’s no fault to the contractor; they are given a contract to go by. So they go by that contract and I agree with the Minister, they do work hard, and that’s not what I’m getting at. What I’m getting at is the money that is going into the Dempster Highway has to stay on the Dempster Highway and not go into the ditch, because that’s the way it’s happening and the highway is still dangerous. I’d like to ask the Minister if he’s instructed his department to look at ways they can improve the highway and allocate more funds into it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. No, we are extremely happy to be using our resources and the money that we do have allocated to the Dempster Highway for culvert replacement, road widening, geometric improvements, improving the sight lines around the corners, and a lot of the money too has been expended on our passing zones by the application of calcium. So we are working hard to improve this piece of infrastructure. I have driven it, Mr. Speaker, and I can appreciate the frustration of the residents of Inuvik and of the Mackenzie Delta riding as well. There is a long piece of road that goes all the way to the Yukon and it's 670 kilometres long and I can appreciate the frustration of people driving for long hours on gravel road, but our section, Mr. Speaker, is 270 kilometres long and we’re spending as much money as we can on that highway and upgrading and improving it and I did receive many, many positive comments during my tour. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway

I think the positive comments on his tour were coming from the fellow Minister. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister, with business plans coming up, if they can commit 125 kilometres from Inuvik to Tsiigehtchic. My colleagues were with me on that road; we’re still wondering where the dust control is. It was dusty all the way. I’d like to ask the Minister if he could commit his department to doubling the amount of money they put on the Dempster and in particular fix the road between Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic, because it is a dangerous little stretch of road and it’s not very wide, there are no sight lines. Would he commit to that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Our priority right now is to do the 44 kilometres from the border towards Midway Lake and that’s where we’re expending our efforts. We’ve got regular O and M funding that does, as well, address some of the issues of that particular section the Member is talking about, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know it’s difficult right now for the Minister to commit any extra funding to the Dempster Highway, but I would like to see him make a recommendation to the department to double the amount of money that they allocate to the Dempster Highway. Would he be able to do that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The challenges of my department and many other departments is how to best allocate the resources of the Government of the Northwest Territories. I can tell the Member that my personal experiences on the Dempster are leaning toward extra recommendation of funding for that portion. Mahsi cho.