Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the restoration of the Hay River Harbour and Channel is not just a Hay River matter as it impacts all of our communities along the Mackenzie River, along the Arctic Coast and into the High Arctic. It is important that this government seeks support from all persons, businesses, fishers, communities, and Indigenous governments relying on access to the safe navigable harbour, community resupply, and transportation services, to have the federal government support this initiative.
Madam Speaker, before we head home for our mini session break, I would be remiss if I did not ask questions on the Hay River Harbour.
We need the harbour to be safe and operational so that goods can move safely up the valley to communities along the river and into the Inuvialuit settlement area. Madam Speaker, can the Minister of Infrastructure tell me what progress, if any, has been made since I last questioned her in the House. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I can agree with the Member that renewing the Hay River Harbour is very important to the residents of the Mackenzie Valley communities as well as the Inuvialuit settlement area. I can also tell the Member that since we last spoke, an interdepartmental committee is being struck to be able to start the work on putting together the information that is required to get any necessary permitting in place, ultimately building a renewed proposal to take to the federal government. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, that is good to hear. I'm glad to see that at least something was done in the last week. Finally we may have a Minister that will do what others before her were unable to accomplish since 1995.
Madam Speaker, can the Minister outline what the timeframe is for getting this information together in the form of the business case and forwarding it to the federal government for a funding decision? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'll take any compliment I can get right now. So, Madam Speaker, so right now the department's effort is focused on addressing some of the needs of the residents in Sachs Harbour. So I take this opportunity to assure the Member from Nunakput that, you know, that is a priority for us. Having said that, once we are done, we can put additional resources to put to the postmortem of the MTS 2022 sailing season of which continued operation of the Hay River's harbour is a factor. So I can't commit to a definite timeline but be assured the Member I want to be assured to the Member that work is underway. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have four days off so hopefully when I ask her next week, we'll have made more progress.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the Minister's pointed out, it will be very important, but hopefully not imperative, to get the federal government onside to secure the funding necessary for the renewal of the Hay River Harbour. Madam Speaker, can the Minister outline the efforts to date to engage with the federal government and the necessary federal Ministers? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. So as of right now we are preparing material to bring forward to Cabinet, the Premier, and Ministers to use in any engagement with federal Ministers where the opportunity to be able to discuss the need to ensure that the Hay River Harbour is operational. I've recently wrote to the Minister of Transportation as well as the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on the need to make sure Hay River Harbour is operational to be able to meet the needs of Northerners. Once we have done a postmortem on the MTS 2022 shipping season, I will be engaging with the applicable Minister in person. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And hearing her say postmortem, I'm thinking MTS might be dead.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I encourage the Minister to keep pressure on the federal government, seek support of stakeholders, and stress the importance of the Hay River Harbour in moving goods to the residents of the Mackenzie Valley and Inuvialuit settlement region.
Madam Speaker, for my last question is the Minister willing to come to Hay River and hear firsthand the concerns that Hay River residents and stakeholders have on the continued operation of the Hay River Harbour and the need for immediate action? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Just say yes? Thank you, Madam Speaker. So as the Member knows, I've already accepted an offer from both the two MLAs from Hay River to be able to go, not this weekend but next weekend, of October 29th and 30th. So I look forward to meeting with some of the residents to be able to discuss the need to remediate the I'm getting Sachs, Hay River Harbour. So thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
