The construction of an all-weather highway down the Mackenzie Valley to the Arctic coast is vital to connect our communities, and to access a wealth of natural resources that are critical for growing the NWT economy and ensuring Canada remains prosperous within the global economy.
Mr. Speaker, the northern most segment of the Mackenzie Valley all-weather highway, the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway, is our first priority for construction. This highway has received much attention recently as the Government of the Northwest Territories approaches some key decision points concerning the next steps for construction of this segment. At the same time, the Department of Transportation is reaching significant and notable milestones in planning the southern section of the highway from Wrigley to the Dempster Highway. The recent exploration activity in the Sahtu has drawn much attention to the southern portion of the Mackenzie Valley and we need to also continue our planning efforts to focus on the next construction priority: the road from Wrigley to Norman Wells.
I’m very pleased to announce the department initiated the second planning stage for the Mackenzie Valley Highway at the beginning of February.
Four project description reports for highway segments passing through land claim settlement areas have been combined into one scoping document and submitted to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board for initial review. The department requested the application be referred to an environmental assessment. Last week the
Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board initiated the environmental review process for the proposed all-weather highway from Wrigley to the Dempster.
The project description reports for the southern segment of the highway were completed through partnerships with CanNor and Aboriginal land claim organizations. The partnerships delivered environmental and engineering information to support the regulatory review process for the all-weather highway project.
The Department of Transportation has engaged the federal government in discussions on funding for additional planning activities required to move the project through the EA process. In support of this work, CanNor recently contributed $600,000 for the next stage of environmental and engineering study activities.
A memorandum of understanding to create a partnership for Stage 2 Planning Activities was signed with the Gwich’in Development Corporation in January 2013 and a similar MOU is anticipated with the Tulita District Investment Corporation shortly.
While we work through the planning process for the all-weather highway, we have also been busy upgrading the Mackenzie Valley winter road. Through federal partnerships, such as the Building Canada Plan, the Department of Transportation has already invested over $100 million in incremental infrastructure improvements on the winter road.
The winter road’s grade and alignment have been improved significantly at key locations and the installation of permanent bridges has helped to stabilize the road’s operating season in the face of warming weather. Improvements in safety have been achieved by installing signs to indicate speed limits, distance and changing surface conditions.
Mr. Speaker, since 2005, the department has been collaborating with industry through annual contribution agreements to improve the level of service on the road to accommodate increased heavy traffic associated with resource development needs. This year the GNWT received $1.2 million in contributions from industry to advance the winter road construction effort.
This additional funding has allowed the department to accelerate the construction of ice crossings to deliver earlier access to the winter road, strengthen the road surface to better receive heavy equipment, and accommodate the demobilization of rigs and other gear at the latest possible date in the spring. Unfortunately, advance planning cannot account for the added measure of unpredictable and sometimes severe weather conditions experienced this year.
To improve safety, the department has increased the number of vehicle inspections and enforcement patrols, and is providing information packages to industrial drivers new to the winter road experience. Additional signage marking all the crossings will help new drivers understand and communicate their locations as they travel the route. We will continue to engage industry and work with them to improve winter road safety.
Mr. Speaker, while the capital investments required to complete the highway are substantial, the benefits that will accrue from this investment are significant and national in scope. The completion of the all-weather highway will improve access to our communities, help maximize the exploration investments from resource development companies, provide greater certainty for further exploration, and create significant employment opportunities for Northerners during construction and ongoing maintenance.
Mr. Speaker, strategic investment in our transportation infrastructure that will support economic development is an investment in a strong, prosperous Northwest Territories. The Department of Transportation is pleased to be moving the Mackenzie Valley Highway into the environmental assessment phase and closer to realizing the dream of an all-weather highway down the entire length of the Mackenzie Valley. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
