Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will talk about the community of Tuktoyaktuk and the major changes to come in the next 10 to 20 years. Shoreline erosion has major effects on the housing infrastructure, as well as some of the roads in the community completely flooded during the fall storms. This has since eroded the shoreline on the northwest side of the community, and if there are no action plans in place some homes will collapse into the ocean, which will result in families and the GNWT losing much-needed homes. This will also create environmental issues, as a majority of the community harvest beluga and fish in and around the harbour, which will affect the social and cultural well-being of the community.
Currently some of the areas of the community are no longer suitable for building with encroachment and some homes will have to be moved to higher ground. With the completion of the all-season Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, it will have major positive and negative impacts in the community. Having access in the summer will give the GNWT a better window of access to work on the shoreline erosion, as well as set the tone for relocating homes that are immediately affected. Tuktoyaktuk will require a new land use plan to better manage development within the community's boundaries. Some action plans may include identifying some of the land parcels for development that will protect against flooding in the fall season. Today I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs.
