Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A diversified economy providing opportunities to all communities and regions, along with sustainable, vibrant, safe communities are the two goals of this Legislative Assembly. An all-weather highway running the length of the Mackenzie Valley will be a major step in achieving those goals. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to do work to prepare for the future construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway to Tuktoyaktuk. Since I last updated this Assembly on the highway, we made significant progress.
Through the government’s efforts, we have secured the support of each of the Aboriginal organizations along the proposed highway right-of-way. Memoranda of understanding have been signed with each one, permitting representatives to work together with the Department of Transportation to plan and prepare for construction.
MOUs are in place with the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and the Town of Inuvik and a project description report has been prepared for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk portion of the highway. This PDR has been used to prepare an environmental impact statement, which is currently being reviewed by the Environmental Impact Review Board. We hope to have all the other PDR work from Wrigley to the Dempster completed within the next year.
I want to acknowledge the federal government contribution to the funding of these PDRs, which will prepare each leg of the highway for regulatory review. I look forward to a continued positive relationship with our federal counterparts as we move to put in place the resources required for this important undertaking. At the same time, under our strategic initiative of Reducing the Cost of Living, we continue making improvements on the winter road which will benefit the eventual all-weather highway.
One considerable accomplishment this past year was the completion of the 300-metre-long Blackwater River Bridge. This bridge is the largest of the all-weather road crossings that are already in place. The all-weather bridge crossings await the construction of the all-weather road while helping to extend the current winter road’s season.
Mr. Speaker, the Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a motion identifying the Mackenzie Valley Highway as a priority for this Territory. We are moving forward with a purpose to help ensure this highway comes to fruition to ensure the benefits and access that could come from this highway are achieved. Once in place, the Mackenzie Valley Highway will not only strengthen the connections to our communities, but will also support economic developments in the Mackenzie Valley.
Future large projects in the valley, such as Mackenzie Gas Pipeline, energy and mineral exploration, or the installation of fibre optic cable to the Delta, will benefit considerably from the construction of this highway. Year-round access would lower project costs, help mitigate river shipping issues and provide much more reliable transportation system for projects such as these. Public infrastructure that supports economic development projects will help our Territory grow stronger and more capable of supporting itself.
Mr. Speaker, the all-weather Mackenzie Valley Highway has been a dream of our residents for many years. Important progress we made in the past year has brought us closer than ever before to realizing this dream. The partnerships we are building today with Canada and Aboriginal groups to undertake the project’s engineering and environmental work are the same partnerships that will get this highway built. I have met with the federal Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure on a number of occasions throughout the life of this Assembly and I will continue to do so to move this highway forward.
Mr. Speaker, as this project progresses, I will continue to update the Assembly on new developments. I hope one day to drive the Mackenzie Valley Highway all the way up to Tuktoyaktuk. I am sure that is something we all look forward to. Thank you.
