Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a couple of questions for the Minister of Transportation.
As I mentioned earlier in the session here, many people in the Mackenzie Delta depend on the Rat Pass channel. We have many elders in the Mackenzie Delta who live in their bush camps year round. Some of them are in their 70s and 80s and they depend on the Rat Pass receiver to communicate with their loved ones in the communities. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation, will the Department of Transportation continue paying the $10,000 for maintaining the receiver on the Rat Pass channel. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Transportation, Minister Ramsay.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are currently exploring options to keep that service available to residents in the Mackenzie Delta, and as soon as we come up with a solution for that, I’ll be happy to share that with the Member. Thank you.
We’re running out of time here. NorthwesTel needs to have an answer right away. Also, we have many people, contractors who maintain the highways who depend on the Rat Pass channel as well. My next question is: What is the alternative the department is planning to replace the Rat Pass channel with? Thank you.
The department is currently exploring options. With the advance in technology there may be other solutions there. But certainly, we understand the importance of the Rat Pass receiver to the residents and operators using that road up in the Mackenzie Delta, and again, we are going to explore every available option to keep that service up and running. Thank you.
Madam Speaker, $10,000 is a small price to pay for emergency services in the Mackenzie Delta. Will the department confirm today that they will continue paying that $10,000 for the safety of our residents? Thank you.
As I mentioned to the Member in response to his previous questions, we are exploring options. Whether it’s $10,000 or not, I won’t be able to comment on that right now. We haven’t worked out a solution. But our objective, Madam Speaker and to the Member, is to keep that service up and running and we’ll endeavour to do that. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Your final, short supplementary. Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that. No further questions at this time. Thank you.
