Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Given the importance of the day here today, I still wish to fight on behalf of my communities and constituents.
I will be doing a statement on Nahanni Butte. It has been one year since the flood in Nahanni Butte but many services have not been restored, such as the store, public radio or the community dump. The main access road that was flooded last year, reconstructed this January, is no longer passable. Sides of the road are collapsing, and the sand fill that was used to repair the road is getting people’s vehicles stuck.
You may recall last October, when people were driving their trucks through the water and ice that was forming all over the sunken road. Once again, travelling is risky and it’s unreasonable to expect community members to take that risk. They cannot get to the river to travel to the other side. It is unsafe and unreliable as so many people are getting stuck. The road to the community dump was inaccessible again this spring due to a wet road that was never properly reconstructed. Now, as things dry out, the fine silt deposited by the flood produces dust that is easily inhaled and can be a health hazard.
The government must move forward on plans to continue to reconstruct both the access road and the road to the dump. The longer we allow these issues to go unresolved, the more it will cost to fix the situation in the future. Solid waste disposal is a challenge in all of our remote communities and if the dump is inaccessible, it only makes matters worse.
With the access road in such poor condition, it is difficult for the community to rebuild, provide for itself and properly accommodate visitors. Last year the community was evacuated and people returned to the soggy remains of the place they were proud to call home. The community needs adequate resources to continue to support and rebuild. Nahanni Butte does not want to be forgotten again.
The community’s needs are important, especially a transportation link they are so proud of. The first priority is a reliable access road. From there they will be able to restock the store, repair the buildings, use the dump, tune into their radios, and make great progress on rebuilding this summer. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
