Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday my colleague Mr. Menicoche and I talked about the Mackenzie Valley proposed highway up from Wrigley to Norman Wells. We did talk about the exploration that is happening in the Sahtu. There is not only tens of millions but hundreds of millions of dollars being invested into that area. We talked about the infrastructure such as the Mackenzie Valley winter road.
I want to ask the Minister, because of all the recent reports and community concerns in light of all the investment going into the Sahtu region, and going through the Nahendeh region, is the Minister willing to come with me to the Sahtu communities and talk about a better plan on how we look at upgrading the Mackenzie Valley winter road to a stage where we can look at an all-weather road going into that region.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I intend to drive the winter road as soon as session is over, weather permitting. Maybe the Member could accompany me on that journey. Any opportunity that I get to get into the Member’s riding and the Sahtu to talk about opportunities there, I would certainly be more than happy to take him up on his offer.
Just this morning we continued the dialogue with industry. I met with MGM this morning in regard to concerns about the winter road, and the regulatory environment and a number of other issues. We all need to be continuing that dialogue and working to develop those resources. We have to get more wells drilled in the Sahtu so we get a better understanding of what is actually in the ground there.
I certainly am up for the challenge. If the Minister wants to go for a ride, let’s go for a ride.
I want to ask the Minister, I appreciate your response and want to ask, the oil companies in the next five or six years are spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the Sahtu. I’m not too sure what else we need to prove that, hey, let’s start building a road here. I mean, we have some other projects, but this is where we’re spending the money in the Northwest Territories, which can come into billions of dollars.
I want to ask the Minister, part of our trip to the Sahtu, that we sit down with the communities, with the chief and say, there are hundreds of trucks coming through on this period of time, this is what we need to do. Cut down the hill, widen it, even look at presenting a paper to the federal government and say let’s start working on the Mackenzie Valley road from Wrigley north. Is the Minister willing to look at that?
We continue to work on the planning activities for the Mackenzie Valley Highway. As I mentioned yesterday in the House, we have got some further funding from CanNor to allow us to continue the work on the environmental assessment process, and other studies and consultations that will be required in advance of a Mackenzie Valley Highway being constructed. Certainly, again, an opportunity to get into the region. I certainly enjoy spending time in the Sahtu and if there are opportunities there to get into to talk to stakeholders in the region, I certainly will take the Member up on his offer.
Would the Minister also look at preventative measures next year for the Department of Transportation as advising these hotshot rookie drivers of semi-trucks that you need to listen to the people in the North, maybe put on chains and then the tires on some of them? I’m not too familiar with the Sahtu hills and driving through this region here. Can the Minister put together a policy that all drivers would know when they come into the Sahtu, driver beware?
In talking to industry and to the department, we certainly understand that communication is key to the operation of the winter road in the Mackenzie Valley. I think there were a number of lessons learned this winter and this season. This season isn’t quite over but as we get into next season, I think a meeting, a readiness session on the use of the Mackenzie Valley winter road is certainly something we can look forward to helping undertake. Also, again, I think we need to continue that work with industry. I think there’s going to be even more activity taking place next winter, so the more preparation and communication we can do up front, the better the end product.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also part of the planning is the safety of the roads. I want to ask the Minister if he would seriously consider looking at some routes in the Sahtu where there would only be a one lane section, because these roads are really, some of the areas are real goat trails and we need to really put some strong safety issues into those areas. I ask the Minister if he would consider looking at the route also for safety measures.
Yes, we are looking at that. Again, given what’s happened here this winter with the weather and the traffic, I think we need to be looking at all of that. Certainly, from our perspective, safety of that road and the safety of the travelling public is the number one priority.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
