Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to advise the House that yesterday the Hon. Lawrence Cannon, federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and I signed the Building Canada infrastructure plan Base Funding Agreement.
This agreement sets the stage for $185.8 million in new infrastructure funding to flow to the Government of the Northwest Territories over a seven-year period. It is notable that the Government of the Northwest Territories is the second jurisdiction in Canada to complete negotiations and sign the funding agreement.
A key feature of this agreement is the unique cost-sharing provisions, which provide for the Government of Canada to pay up to 75 per cent of the cost of eligible projects. This funding will provide a much-needed injection of almost $140 million for critical transportation infrastructure needs across the Northwest Territories.
As a first step Canada has approved the replacement of the Kakisa River Bridge. This funding will also allow the government to support priority projects like the city of Yellowknife’s bypass road, the access road to the Tuktoyaktuk gravel source at kilometre 177 and highway rehabilitation projects.
The government plans to make $6.5 million per year of this funding available to community governments to support their infrastructure needs. Our first priority is to address urgent water treatment plant needs in several communities. The balance of the funding will be made available to communities to address their own priority projects within eligible categories.
Over the life of the agreement a total of $1.8 million of the federal funding will be used to establish a climate change research and adaptation program within the Department of Transportation. The program will support research needs for both the Government of the Northwest Territories and community governments, ensuring that transportation infrastructure can cope with the impacts of climate change.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Hon. Norman Yakeleya, Minister of Transportation, for his support during the negotiations. I would also like to acknowledge the support we received from the Northwest Territories Association of Communities in determining how to move forward with community government allocations.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
