Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. It’s in regard to his Minister’s statement, where he mentioned the signing of an agreement for $185 million with the federal government in regard to the Building Canada Fund.
Again, I see that they did mention the access road to the Tuktoyaktuk gravel source, but one thing I noticed is missing is the access road in Aklavik.
I’d like to ask the Minister: exactly what do we have to do to access this funding, by way of the Building Canada Fund, so we also can develop the access road to the Aklavik gravel source?
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was very excited to be able to have the document in the plan for the funding agreement on the Building Canada Fund signed off before the end of our time here in the session. A number of projects are waiting to be brought forward. At this point the agreement consists of the funding criteria, and it describes what will be accepted.
As to what projects will be brought forward, so far there’s only been agreement on one project. We have had discussions on how we would flow money to the municipalities. We haven’t finalized that, but that is the next stage. The next stage will be to bring projects forward.
As to the Member’s question about how does he get projects into the Building Canada plan, that is something he would have to work out with the Department of Transportation, as they are responsible for bringing forward infrastructure projects that relate to transportation issues.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we do have $185 million now. There is a pot that we can access. Knowing that Tuk was able to develop their proposal, I believe they did receive some seed money from this government. I’d like to ask the Minister: is seed money available to communities to develop their proposals and bring that forward so we can also get on the list for the Building Canada Fund?
Mr. Speaker, the community of Tuk had put together a small team to work toward developing a proposal and the general guidelines of how they would move forward. They did receive some money through our government — I believe it was around $50,000 — and I think we’ve already responded, through the Premier, that there would be a commitment to provide support in that area.
I’m sure the Department of Transportation has been listening very keenly.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, time flies around here pretty quickly, and we are looking at getting into our business plans early this fall. In order to get anywhere with next year’s budget, we do have to have something in place by then.
I’d like to ask the Minister: is he willing to commit resources by way of manpower — either from his Department, Municipal and Community Affairs, or Transportation — to work with the community to develop this plan over the next couple of months so we can have something ready for this fall’s business plans review, so we can get something in it?
Again, it’s a question of urgency, so I’ll ask the Minister if he can commit to human resources along with a $50,000 contribution.
Mr. Speaker, it’s difficult for me as the MACA Minister to commit any money on behalf of my colleague for Transportation. However, I certainly expect that he’s listening and he would take it as notice.
Mr. Speaker, I think, first of all, we need to see a request from the community with a small indication of how they want to move forward. I think there’s been some discussion already in terms of what we need to have done to bring this project more into focus. We need to see some firmer plans, we need to see some price tags, and we need to see some more legwork done.
I will follow up on the Member’s question. However, as the MACA Minister, I can’t commit for another department. The money for Municipal and Community Affairs is already committed to go to community government, so I don’t have any room in that area.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my questions on this matter over the last number of days and weeks, I did request that the Minister of Transportation make an attempt to go into Aklavik along with me and meet with the community and the general public on exactly where we can go next on this matter.
I’d like to put out a formal invitation to the Minister of MACA; he can also tag along with us. I’d just like to know, with your busy schedule, if we can maybe look at a date to go into Aklavik in the next couple of weeks — hopefully, sooner rather than later. I’d just like to formally ask the Minister here, to formally invite you, to the community of Aklavik and also to set a date when we can meet with the community on this matter.
I didn’t realize I was tagging along with the Minister of Transportation, but I’d be pleased to go into the community. In fact, we’ve had other invitations from community leaders in Aklavik.
We plan — or at least I plan — to be in Inuvik for some of the ceremony for the 50th anniversary.
Hear, hear!
The Minister of Transportation indicates he’s going to tag along with me for that.
Laughter.
So at that time, while we’re in the area, I would be very pleased to come into the community to have discussions about gravel, infrastructure, water plants, sewer lagoons, dumps — whatever the community wishes to discuss with us, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
