Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It is well known that one of the greatest factors contributing to the high cost of living in the NWT is transportation. This is true even for communities that are on the highway system. Although for most cases, having a road does help. What is a real shame is that we have not kept up all the highway investments made in the past and as a result we are not getting the benefits and lower costs of living as we should be seeing from our existing infrastructure. I am, of course, thinking of Highway No. 7.
The poor condition of Highway No. 7 is not just an operations, maintenance and safety issue, it is also a cost of living issue. For example, the suppliers for the general store in Fort Liard now refuse to ship freight using the shorter route via Fort Simpson and instead insist on taking the long way around through Grande Prairie and up the Mackenzie Highway to Fort Liard because of the bad experiences they have had in the past on the No. 7 mudway. Imagine now how much extra fuel is being wasted to ship each load of goods hundreds of unnecessary kilometres. The financial cost is, of course, being passed on to the Fort Liard residents.
The poor state of the highway is also affecting a number of businesses that need to access it for their operations, such as Beaver Enterprises and the contractors who provide postal and medical travel services between Fort Liard and Fort Simpson. The costs increase because of travel delays and extraordinary wear and tear on vehicles and equipment. Community residents also bear the cost of extra damage to their vehicles and they need to fly instead of drive when the road is impassable.
Just a few days ago, a long-held dream of mine came true: to ride the washboard of Highway No. 7 with the Minister of Transportation. I was very pleased, as were my constituents. The Minister heard from a constituent who was very happy to see him take the initiative to come out and see and feel what the residents have been experiencing. Even though the conditions had been driven for several days, the road was still very rough and as soon as it rains, we know from experience, it will only go from bad to worse.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I want to thank the Minister for making the trip and I hope now that he has himself dodged the potholes and rattled over the washboard, that he too will champion our cause.
To invest in a highway is to invest in a lower cost of living for the future. I look forward to the day when I see Highway No. 7 on the government’s books. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
