Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is directed toward our new Minister of Transportation. It’s just to let him know about my two favourite words in this Assembly: Highway 7.
I would also like to welcome the Minister to the file. Seriously though, my constituents want to be sure that their new Minister knows just how valuable Highway No. 7 is to the Deh Cho. Road conditions are always at the forefront when it comes to local and territorial elections, federal engagement and budget debates.
Highway No. 7 is the gateway to the North. The highway makes our living and brings work to us. Highway No. 7 is also an asset to tourism in the Dec Cho. From the legendary Nahanni National Park to big game hunt, from the Horne Plateau to day trips on the Mackenzie River, the Deh Cho region and the Nahendeh riding is one of the most spectacular of the Northwest Territories, but road conditions on Highway No. 7 scare most of our tourists away.
I’m sure the new Minister is aware of the dollars added to the budget this year to promote tourism. To pave the way to increase tourism in the Nahendeh, all we have to do is improve Highway No. 7.
Highway No. 7 is also vital to industry. Already, oil companies are travelling through the Nahendeh riding, in Fort Liard, and also on their way to the central Mackenzie Valley shale resources. Canadian Zinc’s Prairie Creek Mine is in the heart of the Nahanni and adds to the pulse of the Northwest Territories economy. One of the mine’s greatest needs is a reliable transportation corridor.
Finally, Highway No. 7 is the lifeline for the people who live in the Nahendeh. Too often they try to escape to B.C. when the chipseal turns to chowder and they risk their wheels in bathtub-sized potholes.
I hope by now the map to a robust economy, not only for the Nahendeh riding but also the Northwest Territories, is becoming clear to the Minister. Highway No. 7 belongs to the people of the Northwest Territories and reflects the pride we take in our region, the value we place on our resources and the importance of our communities.
I would also like to invite the Minister to ride down Highway No. 7 at his earliest opportunity.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
