Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions today for the Minister of Transportation in regard to the ferry operations and the Dempster Highway, specifically working with the gas situation in Inuvik. I just want to get an update on what’s happening with the Mackenzie ferry and what are the timelines he’s looking at in terms of operations at the Mackenzie ferry. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The operation in the Mackenzie Delta and in the Beaufort-Delta area is going to be enhanced this coming winter. We’ve put $400,000 into upgrading the Louis Cardinal so that it can operate in winter conditions and in ice conditions. We’ve set up two spray pumps so the ice crossings can be prepared as soon as possible. The anticipation, Mr. Speaker, is we will run both the Abraham Francis and the Louis Cardinal. The Abraham Francis is a cable ferry able to operate in ice conditions. So we will run both of those ferries until we get the ice crossings in place.
This is going to be a great advantage to the residents in the region. They won’t be faced with higher prices for goods that have to be airlifted over and into the region. So I think it’s going to be very beneficial not only for the situation with the gas in Inuvik but also for the consumer in the region, I think, and businesses as well. This coming fall I think it’s going to be a tremendous advantage. Thank you.
I know we’ve done some upgrades to the Louis Cardinal ferry at the Mackenzie Crossing. Have any upgrades or any enhancements been done to the Abraham Francis? I know it’s a smaller river and a smaller crossing, but would there been any disruptions in the crossing at the Abraham Francis that would affect all the investment that we put into the Louis Cardinal ferry to have a different impact on the opening of the road during this time?
As I mentioned, we have put $400,000 into upgrades on the Louis Cardinal. They include some frost fighters, some control system upgrades so the ferry is able to operate in winter conditions.
Again, with the Abraham Francis, it is a cable ferry and it can operate in winter conditions. We expect it will be able to perform in winter conditions for us and for the travelling public in the region and businesses in the region this coming fall.
We have also put $1.4 million in O and M funding into the region to maintain continuous service at both of those crossings during the freeze-up period. That was fully supported by MECC in response to the gas situation in Inuvik, but again it’s going to have more of a profound impact than just the gas situation in Inuvik. I think it’s going to be good for residents there to not be paying higher prices for goods this coming fall. Thank you.
In regards to the Dempster Highway there, has there been any additional costs for, not the upgrade, but mostly the maintenance for the transportation and the propane, and as soon as the LNG gets going with the Power Corp, are there going to be any extra maintenance costs to offset the extra wear and tear on the Dempster Highway for the next fiscal year or even as soon as it starts operating?
There would be some small costs associated with maintenance for the Dempster and I can get the Member those figures. I had mentioned earlier, we are putting in the $1.4 million to ensure the continuous services at both of those crossings. That figure of $1.4 million may include some of the maintenance work on the highway itself. So I will get that detailed information for the Member.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the upgrades to the Louis Cardinal and the ferry system, does the Minister expect any disruptions during that time? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Outside of Mother Nature, I don’t expect any delays, but I can’t predict water levels and storms and things like that. We anticipate that we will be able to operate both the Louis Cardinal and the Abraham Francis well into December, until such time we get the ice crossings in place. That’s the anticipation, Mr. Speaker, thank you.
