Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier our Minister of Transportation made a statement about three of the major corridors that this government often speaks of. The government talks about investing in these highways, but what that really means is the people of the Northwest Territories investing in the highways. We are asking the residents of the NWT to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on these highways. I’d like to know what are the direct fiscal benefits that our residents are going to see from these investments? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Increasing the number of communities connected to the public highway system is a key objective of expanding the transportation system. Transportation of goods and materials by the roads continues to be the most cost-effective way to deliver essential services to the communities. Construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Tlicho all-weather road will add several communities to the highway system and greatly increase the window of access provided by winter roads to many other communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The other part of this equation that we always hear is that it's going to benefit industry and bring industry to the Northwest Territories. What other benefits to the industry can we expect to see from these roads?
Replacing existing winter roads will help us adapt to the pressure of climate change, which is reducing the window of access into more of these remote communities. Our winters are getting shorter and increasingly, warmer weather means that we cannot open up our winter roads as usual, as we've seen this year. This winter, our roads were late in opening resulting in an increased cost to our communities, delays in resupply, and decreased access to both residents and businesses.
Are there any of the benefits that the Minister would like to elaborate on?
---Laughter
As I've said in this House before, the Department of Transportation is pursuing funding from the New Building Canada Plan to fund these new projects. With access to this funding, it will bring economic benefits to all Northerners and communities, and help us tackle the climate change issue and other issues facing the remote and small communities.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to make sure got four questions in.
---Laughter
Finally, I'd just like to ask the Minister: how does the department intend to pay for all of these highways? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The department has a number of asks into the Federal Government through the Building Canada Infrastructure Projects. One of them is the P3 Project Plan through the FPT process for the Whati Highway. We have the Mackenzie Valley Highway, which is through the New Building Canada Plan Fund as well, and we also have the bundle three project through the FPT process with the federal government.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
