Debates of October 13, 2004 (day 19)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to use my Member’s statement today to discuss an issue that I spoke about during the March session. That issue is the construction of an access road from Highway No. 3 to the Kam Lake Industrial Park in the city of Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, there were two incidents this past summer where, in the first, a live missile fell off a CF-18 fighter jet onto the Yellowknife golf course and fortunately nobody was killed or injured in that incident. The very next day a CF-18 fighter pilot was forced to eject after his jet skidded off the end of the runway. Both of these incidents cause me a great deal of concern because both incidents closed the highway and, as we all know, Highway No. 3 is the only route out of the city of Yellowknife.

With the airport located where it is and the two events that I have just mentioned, it really is an issue of public safety. We need another route out of the city of Yellowknife. In order for the City of Yellowknife to be able to afford the construction of the access road, it would need to have the ability to sell the lots along the route. This would be the only way the City of Yellowknife could afford to undertake construction of this access road. I do hope that this government is not getting in the way of the City of Yellowknife building this much-needed access road. I would impress upon the Minister of Transportation to ensure that his department is working with, and not against, the City of Yellowknife to see that this strategic piece of roadwork is constructed in a timely fashion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause