Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about Highway No. 6 and the work that has been done and the work that’s planned for the coming years. With that I have some questions for the Minister of Transportation. With respect to future work on Highway No. 6, can the Minister tell me what is planned for 2011-2012 for Highway No. 6?
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve been working in the area of the Member’s riding on Highway No. 6 for a couple of years now and there’s been quite a bit of work done in that area. We’ve really been pleased with the cooperation that we’ve had from the community of Fort Resolution. A lot of the work has been focused on reconstruction and chipsealing. There are more dollars identified through some internal reallocation for the next coming year that will focus on more of the same. We expect that some of the work in 2011-2012 will be in the area of kilometre 62 and kilometre 67 around Little Buffalo River. We’ll be conducting some engineering activities, some geotechnical assessments. Our plan is to start right away and we should have them completed by March of this next calendar year. Throughout this winter we expect to produce some gravel for this section of road and other materials that will be required for the base of this highway. We should expect to see a tender coming out in early April.
Can the Minister give me a brief update of what’s planned for Highway No. 6 for future years beyond 2011-2012?
That’s a difficult question as there is a considerable amount of work and investments that are required on Highway No. 6. We only have one year left in our term and that’s basically all I can commit to.
The work should continue. We have a plan. We have the resources identified that will be required. It will be roughly around $15 million to complete all of Highway No. 6 and, of course, that will be proceeding as money is available as the next government comes forward and budgets are identified. There is a lot of work that has been done already that will be used as a basis, the engineering and the testing of the road will guide us. That information will move forward as funding is identified in the new government, as I stated previously.
With respect to the work going on and knowing sometimes that projects are bid without a great amount of consideration given to local businesses, can the Minister commit his department to pay closer attention in the area to ensure that as many local businesses and labour can be used as possible?
As with all our projects and the contracts that are out there, we work quite hard to ensure that the community leaders are informed and aware of our plans. We try to get out prior to the contracts being let, to ensure that happens. There’s also that information provided to the labour force and also the contractors in the area and surrounding communities.
We want to continue to work with the successful contractors to ensure that process happens, and that the maximum amount of business opportunities and labour opportunities are provided to the community. Our staff will continue to do that. It has worked quite well.
Of course, any time there seems to be any friction or glitch in the system, we’re always made aware of it from MLAs and other community leaders. It keeps us on our toes and we’re happy to keep working with communities.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Looking at the economies of scale, can the Minister commit to working with the communities so that once the highway from 22 kilometres south, Little Buffalo River to Fort Resolution, has been chipsealed, that the same contractor can continue to chipseal the community?
That again is a difficult commitment to make. We do provide the information to communities, and on many occasions the communities have taken the opportunity to piggyback their initiatives along with what is happening on the highway alongside the community. We’ve had good discussions with some of the communities already about chipsealing and other types of road servicing. We have provided the same courtesy to the community of Fort Resolution and they have taken advantage of it and plan to do some chipsealing in their community. We do provide advice, and technical staff are made available so that the communities can ask questions or help guide and plan what their initiatives are. We’ll continue to support that. As for ensuring the same contractor is going to have the contract next year, I can’t guarantee that.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
