Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today, my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure in regard to the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway. Would the Minister commit to meeting with the mayor and the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation chair to come up with a plan to address the concerns in the letter that was sent to the Minister's office? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am travelling with the Infrastructure team to the Beaufort-Delta the week of November 17th. I will get in touch with the Member to see if we can make some time to be able to discuss the letter that was sent to me on Friday. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
We'll invite you to Tuktoyaktuk on November 18th. The GNWT is currently sitting on $450 million capital plan that seems to have trouble getting out the door. Why can't the GNWT look at projects that are to be done by the local contractors around the territory, to prioritize them, help them stimulate our regional economies during this pandemic? The ITH would be a great place to start. What is the GNWT planning to find the necessary funding?
We are currently doing some assessment on the condition of the road. Once we get that back, we will be able to determine and perhaps even build a case for the project and then determine what is the next step. I understand that the letter from the community identifies a bunch of specific areas along the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway that do need some work. That is something that we can build a case for once we get the report.
With our new regional energy project going to get underway, M18, IRC, we will have many heavy loads on the ITH. Wear and tear from tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers coming with LNG into Inuvik to service community. Having no budget and funding in place to get that road ready prior to that happening, that needs to be done. We could to studies, it's studied. We had the former Minister there in the community herself come and do the road, so we've seen some potholes and lost -- you see it's low and the grade is level with the highway. I think there are certain places, and it's probably between $5 million to $10 million worth of work coming up. February, coming up in the budget sessions, I'm asking for $10 million for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway to get that service done. Is the Minister willing to work with the community and myself to get that project started?
The process would be to define the scope and the need, then come up with a plan and then cost it out and then come forward with a supplementary. That's the process of looking at some funding for this work. I don't know how much it's going to cost, but it's something that we can work with the Member on.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. In 2015, when we got that road approved in this House, I could tell you, when we had the Prime Minister attend, in the day it was Stephen Harper who came and told us that we were getting the funds. The GNWT said it was the ITH, the Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik Highway, but he corrected everybody that it's the Dempster Highway. It's an extension of the Dempster Highway. The funding that we get for the Dempster, it would be easier to keep it as just the Dempster Highway, not unless the community wants to rename the road. I think the investment of the federal government in regard to all the oil and gas they have up there, we could get out of debt. Just help me help you. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister, did you have any comments? Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
